At BISD, P-Tech covers two education areas, including cybersecurity and health science.
These programs partner with local colleges to provide students opportunities to earn college credits while attending high school.
The overview
Christine Poulis, director of advanced academics and college, career and military readiness said the total number of credit hours for the P-Tech in cybersecurity is 2,472, split between the graduating classes of 2025 through 2028.
The combined total for credit hours for health science is 567 hours split between the same graduating classes.
Trustee Rich Sena pointed out that the health science program attracted more student attention than the cybersecurity program when looking at the class of 2028, which are high school freshmen this school year.
Poulis explained this by saying cybersecurity is a specialized field, while health science is a broader field, allowing students interested in any health-related field to benefit from the program, which helps increase participation.
For upcoming 9th grade students, Poulis expects around 150-160 students to join the program.
Participation in this program leads to cost savings for students, since students who receive college credit will not have to pay for those courses in a postsecondary environment.
