At the April 15 board meeting, the LCISD board of trustees unanimously approved the new general employability skills course for seventh and eighth graders in preparation for the opening of the district’s $189 million CTE center in fall 2026.
The change not only provides students with high school credit but also qualifies the district to receive state CTE funding, potentially generating nearly $94,000 in additional revenue in the first year alone, Kayse Lazar, executive director of CTE and career readiness, said at the meeting.
In a nutshell
Lazar said the approved course has units dedicated to each of the CTE pathways that will be offered in high school, which Community Impact previously reported includes health science, hospitality and tourism; transportation, distribution and logistics; engineering; arts; audio visual technology and communications; human services; and architecture and construction.
Students will also develop key soft skills needed for success in the workplace, including professional communication, navigating job searches and mock interviews, Lazar said.
What’s changing?
Lazar said the biggest change is that the general employability skills course will award students one high school credit upon completion, something the current course offering, career investigations, does not.
Additionally, the new course makes the district eligible for additional state funding per student enrolled in the middle school career course. With over 960 students enrolled currently, LCISD could receive over $1 million in new CTE revenue for the 2025-26 school year, which could be used for staffing, classroom materials and online learning platforms, Lazar said.
Zooming out
Based on the 2023-24 Texas Academic Performance Reports, district officials said LCISD is “significantly ahead” of the state and region on completing college-preparation courses but lags behind in students receiving industry certifications.
Looking ahead
The move also supports the district’s long-term vision of creating more opportunities for students to explore career pathways leading up to high school, board President Zach Lambert said.
"[LCISD is] giving more opportunities for our students at an earlier age so they can start developing their interests,” Lambert said. “And also, giving the high school credit right away, that’s a massive plus.”
