FISD debuted its $22.1 million CTE wing addition for the 2024-25 school year. With the new wing comes nearly 30 extra classrooms and 45,363 additional square feet along with new rooms and labs like the esports lab.
“I see esports evolving as we add more students to our program to provide a more competitive product for the esports industry,” teacher David Loosli said in an email. “With the new addition and all the excitement the esports lab brings, there will hopefully be an increase of students.”
The overview
The new wing, known as the G Wing, was added to expand existing courses and offer additional courses in the curriculum, CTE Center Principal Dianna Manuel said.
“This will allow students and faculty to better collaborate throughout the entire building,” she said in an email.
No new programs were added because of the new G Wing, but it has allowed the district to increase the number of students that the building can serve. For example, 2,000 additional students have been added to courses. This is more than the number of students that were enrolled in CTE courses in 2008 when the center opened, which was 1,134 students with a reduced number of course offerings, according to district data.
The CTE center’s student capacity was reached for several years ahead of the wing opening and projections show students enrolling more in classes at the district.
One addition is an open space that connects to the esports lab. The walls of the esports lab can open for tournament play, district officials said.
“The new wing will facilitate the organizing and hosting of the annual Frisco ISD Esports Tournament and limit the equipment needed from other campuses,” Loosli said. “Having esports in the new wing provides a larger space for students to learn and use industry-level technology.”
District officials plan for the CTE programs to continue to grow as more students and parents learn about the courses offered, such as the esports course, said Victor Jones, FISD’s career and technical education coordinator.
“As the community learns the achievements and outcomes at the CTE Center, the programs will showcase their value, resulting in more course enrollments,” Jones said in an email.
Zooming out
FISD is eligible to receive weighted funding for full-time equivalent students enrolled in CTE courses, according to the Texas Education Agency’s website.
Districts can receive between 10% to 47% more funding each year for full-time CTE students, which is calculated using basic allotment funding. Basic allotment is locked at $6,160 per student counted in average daily attendance.
- $6,776 allotted for a student in CTE courses not part of a state-sponsored program of study
- $7,884.80 allotted for a student enrolled in Level 1 or Level 2 CTE courses
- $9,055.2 allotted for a student enrolled in Level 3 or Level 4 CTE courses
CTE classes open up potential for collaboration outside the classroom with local businesses and industries, officials said.
“These programs give students a preview of potential career paths and provide early exposure to those careers while offering certifications and internships in the higher-level courses,” Jones said. “CTE programs offer both the knowledge and hands-on experience needed in various fields.”
The goal is to expose students to potential career fields that may interest them, Manuel said. The district offers internships in many of the CTE pathways where students work off-site with a business that compliments their curriculum pathway.
For instance, Loosli is currently working with GRID Platform, Complexity Gaming, and Sports Academy at The Star to develop opportunities for students to explore careers in the esports business industry, he said.
New programming at the CTE center is being discussed now that the district has additional space, Manuel said.
What they’re saying
“Our goal is to expose students to their chosen career field. This gives students the opportunity to build their learning and understanding in this field to determine postsecondary and career choices for their future,” CTE Center Principal Dianna Manuel said.
“The biggest goal for esports is to introduce students to the realm of esports business management and how esports is more than just playing video games. Students should be able to leave esports with a foundation in a variety of fields that fall under the esports business model.” esports teacher David Loosli said.
“In Frisco ISD, as we pursue the mission to know every child by name and need, our CTE course offerings cater to students’ interests and passions. We are catering to ... students and what they have the most interest in.” CTE education coordinator Victor Jones said.
Major takeaways
In the region, the top in-demand industries, according to Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas data, are:
- manufacturing
- finance and insurance
- real estate
“This early insight will allow them to take more relevant courses in middle school, freeing up time in high school for CTE courses that will allow for more program completers, internships, and/or certifications,” Jones said.
