SAN MARCOS, Calif. — San Marcos Unified School District on Thursday presented plans to expand career-technical education and deepen college and industry partnerships to give students direct pathways into college and careers.

Dr. Christine Correio, coordinator of Career Technical Education and Future Readiness for San Marcos Unified School District, told the board, “We actually have over 17 different career pathways that are represented in the programs that we offer at both of our 2 high schools including our alternative school and our middle schools.”

The district highlighted several existing and new programs. The construction program at San Marcos High School is run as a pre-apprenticeship that gives students access to full apprenticeship programs after graduation, and the district is expanding pre-apprenticeship labels to Mission Hills High School and Twin Oaks programs. Correio said students in the construction pathway do service‑learning projects, including building tiny homes for veterans and participating in multi‑district design‑build events.

Correio also described the criminal justice pathway as “one of the most popular programs we have at both of our high schools,” and said the district has added dual‑enrollment options with Palomar College so students can earn college credit while in high school. She said San Marcos High recently pursued national recognition for its program and was awarded a national pathways honor.

District staff disclosed new and planned partnerships with Cal State San Marcos. Correio said the district is piloting a “tethered model” in which a college professor teaches alongside a high‑school teacher to support dual enrollment and build a pipeline to the university for students who want to stay in the community.

The district also said it received a Golden State Pathways grant and “was actually awarded the second highest amount in San Diego County.” Correio said that grant funding will support new environmental engineering pathways at Mission Hills High School and an expansion of the agriculture program to include a large‑scale crop production farm on district land. The district described plans for the farm to include student work in irrigation and renewable energy systems and for students to sell produce at market and integrate farm‑to‑table learning with the district’s culinary program.

Officials announced upcoming course additions: cybersecurity at Mission Hills High School and game design at San Marcos High School, plus expanded dual‑enrollment and middle‑school career labs.

Why it matters: the district said these programs are part of a broader five‑year strategic plan and its “Portrait of a Graduate,” intended to align classroom instruction with career and college pathways so students can graduate with credits, credentials or direct entry to apprenticeships.

Clarifying details: the district said it offers “over 17” pathways districtwide, that construction programs include pre‑apprenticeship designations, and that the Golden State Pathways award was the second‑largest award in San Diego County; no dollar amount for that award was given at the meeting.

Looking ahead: district leaders said program expansion will continue through curricular alignment, additional dual‑enrollment offerings with Cal State San Marcos and further rollout of pathway courses next school year.