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Plainview ISD outlines plan to partner with South Plains College to create 'Plainview Tech College'
Summary
Superintendent reported a proposed partnership with South Plains College to preserve the local campus and launch "Plainview Tech College," offering associate degrees and industry certifications tied to an emerging regional aerospace hub; district staff hope to present a formal agreement to the board by February.
Plainview Independent School District officials outlined a proposal to partner with South Plains College to preserve the college's Plainview site and create "Plainview Tech College," a district-affiliated institution offering associate degrees and technical certifications to local high school students.
Superintendent Doctor Sanchez told the board the initiative responds to a regional aerospace study and to recent news that the South Plains College Plainview site was at risk of closure. He said the proposed arrangement would allow the district to host associate-level courses using South Plains’ labs and classrooms, and to offer a mix of classes — some exclusively for Plainview students and others open to the public. "Plainview Tech College, the shortest distance between a high school education and a good life," Doctor Sanchez said.
Administrators described program goals that include workforce-aligned training — welders, millwrights, machinists and other industry trades — as well as nursing and cosmetology pathways. The district is already using a new welding shop and plans to leverage South Plains’ existing facilities. District counsel and South Plains officials are working through an agreement the superintendent said the board could consider as soon as February.
District leaders framed the proposal as preserving a local community college presence while creating a pipeline from high school to good-paying local jobs and debt-free associate degrees for students who qualify. They emphasized the partnership would allow students to graduate with some college credentials before receiving a high school diploma.
Next steps described in the presentation include continued negotiations between Plainview ISD and South Plains College, legal review by district counsel, and a plan to return to the board with a formal partnership agreement for a public vote. The superintendent said the district hopes to have an item ready for the board by February for formal consideration.
