Tomball ISD is aiming to begin its health care P-TECH program in fall 2023 with 25 students, Chief Academic Officer Michael Webb said during a Sept. 12 presentation to the board of trustees.

P-TECH, which stands for Pathways in Technology Early College High School, is an open-enrollment high school that allows students to receive a credential or an associate degree alongside their diploma, according to the Texas Education Agency.

TISD has been working with HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball and Lone Star College-Tomball to launch the program in health professions and submitted its application to the TEA in December to be approved for a year of planning, which was approved, Community Impact Newspaper previously reported.

Webb and TISD Dean of Student Advancement Bob Thompson gave a presentation to the school board during its Sept. 12 workshop meeting alongside representatives from HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball and LSC-Tomball.

“In an early college model or in a P-TECH model, you have to apply every year with the state because the state has to verify that you have the plan and resources in place to execute the models,” Thompson said. “We are now beginning to start the program application that will allow them to say, ‘Yes, you can open next year in 2023.’”

Thompson said the partners are beginning their second year of planning for the new program.

Further, student recruitment for the program will begin this October, and the program will be housed at the Tomball Innovation Center, located at the southwest corner of FM 2920 and Hufsmith-Kohrville Road, Thompson said.

Additionally, students in P-TECH will have the opportunity to receive an Associate of Science degree and a Level 1 certificate, the latter of which is in the approval phase, said Katrina Wingfield, dean of academic affairs for LSC-Tomball.

“That gives them an opportunity to couple an associate’s degree with also work-based learning from the college side,” Wingfield said.

Wingfield also said there will be no tuition charge, and students will have access to all of LSC’s resources, such as the writing lab and tutoring center.

“They get to enjoy this wonderful experience without having the burden of the financial responsibilities,” Wingfield said.

The health care certifications students can obtain include surgical technician, nurse technician, pharmacy technician, phlebotomy technician and EKG technician, according to Sue Harris, director of nursing administration for HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball.

“We’re going to bring them to each one of those areas, see if that’s what they want to do, if that’s their passion, and then we’re going to help them get into that certification and help them grow,” Harris said.

While the application process for P-TECH has not been finalized, students will be chosen through a lottery process, Thompson said.