The district’s board of trustees approved the partnership Sept. 25 to begin in the 2026-27 school year.
What you need to know
Students will begin the four-year academy at Jasper High School and complete it at Plano West Senior High School, where they can earn high school and college credit simultaneously, starting in 11th grade.
The program will offer students hands-on learning and career readiness opportunities in engineering, as well as the ability to complete the Texas College Core through East Texas A&M dual credit courses. These credit hours will be transferable to Texas public universities, according to the release.
All incoming ninth-grade students can apply for the academy’s first cohort, which will have 120 spots available. Applying students must commit to all four years of the academy and will need to complete certain requirements as part of the program, including:
- Take and pass the reading and writing portions of the Texas Success Initiative Assessment to enroll in college classes (11th grade)
- Be college-ready in math by or before their junior year
- Enroll in up to 53 college credit hours (including six electrical engineering credit hours)
PISD Superintendent Theresa Williams said in the release that the launch of the Electrical Engineering Academy is part of a district plan to establish career-building programs in all three PISD senior high school clusters.
“Thanks to the support of our trustees and [East Texas A&M University] leadership, we are so proud to offer another pathway further enhancing the high-quality advanced education offered in our district,” Williams said.
Other programs include the Health Sciences Academy in east Plano and the Wildcat Collegiate Academy in central Plano.
Quote of note
Mark Rudin, president of East Texas A&M University, stated in the release that the partnership will provide students with a “powerful head start” to build a successful career in engineering and beyond.
“We’re proud to partner with Plano ISD to provide this opportunity,” Rudin said.
