The center will aim to advance students in various career programs, including health science, law and public safety, arts, audio-visual technology, communications, architecture and construction, manufacturing, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, transportation, distribution and logistics.
The programs, which will be available to all students in San Marcos High School without a GPA requirement, will be integrated into students’ schedules.
Students will also have the possibility to earn industry-based certifications. Such certifications will include Adobe-certified associate certification, medical coding and billing specialist, certified medical assistant, pharmacy technician, certified nurse assistant and emergency medical technician, among others.
The STEAM center has also increased the campus capacity to 2,700 students, significantly more than the current enrollment of between 2,450 and 2,500.
Funding for the center came from a school bond passed in 2017 as part of an addition to the high school. The project cost about $17.3 million, according to Andrew Fernandez, executive director of communications for SMCISD.
