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As Richardson ISD continues to grow its Career and Technical Education, or CTE, offerings, the programming will soon have its own space.
The gist
Voters approved the district’s bond package in November, including $86 million for a new CTE center, which will be located near the corner of Greenville Avenue and Walnut Street in south Richardson.
Superintendent Tabitha Branum said that design for the project will start later this year with an eye on designing “the next generation of CTE center.”
“We want to make sure that we’re designing something that is looking a decade ahead and not a decade in the rear” Branum said.
Branum said that the center will likely feature automotive, plumbing, HVAC, manufacturing and other programs that are challenging or expensive to replicate across campuses.“Being able to have them at one center is going to allow all four of our high schools to take advantage,” she said.
Branum added that staff will consider high-demand programs, including water management and Artificial Intelligence-related paths, to be housed at the center.
As the project enters the design phase, Branum said there will be a focus on a “modular design approach” so the space can transform with new programs as workforce needs change.
Some background
The CTE center is the latest in a string of advancements RISD has made to its CTE programming.The district opened a Credit Union of Texas branch inside Berkner High School in 2023, and its Healthcare Academy, a partnership with Methodist Richardson Medical Center, saw enrollment grow by 14% from 2024-25 to the current school year, district CTE Executive Director Creighton Bryan said.
The district also partners with Dallas College for its Pathways in Technology program at all four high schools, allowing students to earn associate degrees and certifications while in high school.
“Our students can walk across the stage at Dallas College two weeks before they walk across the stage to get their high school diploma,” Bryan said.
Richardson residents in Plano ISD’s attendance boundaries can also access expanding CTE programming. PISD’s CTE center is under construction and expected to open in 2026.
While CTE programming has expanded, RISD and PISD have seen declining enrollment every year since 2019 and 2012, respectively. Recent district initiatives in response to declining enrollment include campus closures in both districts, along with opening enrollment outside of attendance boundaries.
Why it matters
Berkner High School student Khloe Chaney works in the on-campus Credit Union of Texas Smart Branch. She said the program has improved her interpersonal and financial literacy skills while helping expose her to a potential career path.
“I’m really excited about the doors this program has opened for me,” she said. “You can really see the change that the students go through when you’re working here.”
CUTX CEO Eric Pointer said the program helps “bring our mission to life.”
He said that the program also adds to the company’s future talent pipeline, saying that CUTX has hired several former Smart Branch students to permanent roles throughout the organization.
Richardson City Manager Don Magner said that partnerships with Richardson and Plano ISDs help bolster the city’s efforts to recruit and retain businesses in the city.
“Businesses will often locate in communities or regions that can produce the talent,” Magner said. “We are in a really good position, where I see RISD and PISD CTE programs really helping us.”
