FISD students can take courses in a variety of career pathways during their time in school, including architecture, engineering, hospitality, finance, health sciences and audio and video production, among others. Beyond textbook knowledge, career and technical education courses help students learn essential skills such as teamwork, communication and problem solving, said Dianna Manuel, principal of FISD’s CTE campus.
“Career and technical education courses give students the chance to explore their interests while engaging in hands-on learning that connects classroom content to real-world industry skills,” she said in an email.
A quick note
The district’s CTE Center was expanded and opened its new G Wing in the 2024-25 school year. The new wing increased course availability and opened additional seats for students, Manuel said. The extra space has allowed the district to support courses and add more computer science and agriculture class periods.
In the 2025-26 school year, over 600 new students have been added to CTE courses held in the building, Manuel said. Enrollment at the CTEC is counted by the number of seats filled each year as it has double-blocked classes, district officials said. In the 2024-25 school year, there were 5,104 seats in CTE courses. This has grown to 5,695 seats in the 2025-26 school year.
Measuring the impact
- 1,130 Frisco ISD students earned certifications through Career and Technical Education courses
- 968 certifications were earned at the Career and Technical Education Center
- 162 certifications earned through Collin College
For health sciences, students have three programs of study they can follow—biomedical science, nursing science and diagnostic and therapeutic services.
Students are able to determine if a career in health care is right for them while still in high school through the program, said Victor Jones, FISD Career and Technical Education Coordinator. A student may realize that health care is not a viable career path for themselves or it can help students find what specialty they want to follow.
“All of those hands-on experiences help guide them in a direction where they can have a focus area,” Jones said.
