Career and technical education programs at New Caney ISD have grown and become more popular in recent years—with participation among NCISD’s ninth-twelfth graders outranking the state average since at least 2021, Texas Education Agency data shows.
In a nutshell
In the 2024-25 school year, the most recent year data was available, 86% of NCISD’s high school students took CTE classes while the state average was 74%, according to the TEA.
CTE programs offer students a chance to earn industry certifications and gain hands-on experience in various fields—whether they would like to attend college or join the workforce or military, NCISD CTE Director Brooke Lyles said. The district’s biggest CTE programs include business and health science, she added.
“That certification could be a stepping stone like they are using their certification while working in college,” Lyles said. “It could be a stepping stone going directly into the workforce. ... It could be a certification so ... they just have a leg up above the other students.”
Meanwhile, multiple new NCISD CTE facilities have either recently opened or will open soon for the growing programs, as previously reported by Community Impact. In the summer of 2025, a new $21 million CTE center opened at New Caney High School. The building was funded by NCISD’s $695 million bond package, which voters approved in May 2023.
As NCISD’s CTE programs have grown, the district’s performance in state evaluations have also risen. Annually, the TEA grades school districts with “College, Career, and Military Readiness” scores, which measure how well high school graduates are prepared for higher education, the workforce or the military, according to the agency’s website.
In 2025-26, NCISD outranked state performance for the second year, by 6 percentage points, with a score of 93%, according to the TEA.
Zooming out
Lone Star College-Kingwood partners with NCISD to offer classes for students to gain college credit while earning their high school diploma, said Toni Seiter, director of educational services and partnerships at LSC-Kingwood, via email Aug. 7.
“Dual credit gives the student a jump-start on their educational goals at a discounted rate. ... It builds students’ confidence by making them more aware that, yes, they can be successful in a college setting,” Seiter said.
Jonathan Thomas, director of strategic partnerships at Sam Houston State University, said while the university does not currently partner with NCISD, his team is looking to work with more K-12 schools, such as NCISD. The university’s Polytechnic College relaunched in the fall of 2025 and helps students earn industry certifications, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees in a variety of fields.
“If you see college more or less as ... a barrier, this helps lower that barrier to where you have this opportunity to be socially mobile [and] can earn certificates while you continue to go and get opportunities for jobs as well,” Thomas said.
Participating in CTE courses has helped NCISD graduates to find employment and earn more money, data from the Texas Public Education Information Resource shows.
In 2023, the latest year data was available, 48% of NCISD CTE graduates were employed by the fall semester following graduation, according to TPEIR. Meanwhile, 44% of graduates who didn’t participate in CTE were employed.
During the same year, CTE graduates earned $476 more than their counterparts with a median quarterly wage of $4,035.
The cost
As NCISD’s CTE programs have continued to grow, so has the district’s financial investment, according to TEA data. In the 2025-26 school year, NCISD’s CTE spending reached almost $13.9 million, a 61.3% increase compared to the 2021-22 school year.
The district has also invested in its CTE programs via training for teachers, Lyles said.
Going forward
Upcoming bond-funded CTE-related projects include improvements at Porter High School and an expansion of the district’s agriculture science center, as previously reported.
“That last bond was just a reflection of the value that our community puts in the CTE programs ... they see the fruits of their investment out in the community,” Superintendent Matt Calvert said.
The bond-funded CTE additions have helped the growing programs, Lyles said. However, some CTE programs, such as the health science programs, still need more space, she added.
In previous decades, CTE program facilities may have been an afterthought for school districts when designing schools, but that has changed majorly in recent years, Calvert said.
“It’s always part of the conversation in planning,” he said. “‘What do we need to outfit? What do we need to upgrade?’ So that ... the kids are working with the latest and greatest so they can [compete] in the job market.”
NCISD CTE facility projects
Multiple CTE projects were funded under the district’s $695 million bond package.
New Caney High School CTE facility
The 50,431-square-foot facility features classrooms and shops for various programs.
- Timeline: June 2024-summer 2025
- Cost: $21 million
Porter High School CTE & Fine Arts improvements
The project will include adding and remodeling features for the high school’s fine arts, athletics, and CTE programs.
- Timeline: early 2027-spring 2028
- Cost: $23.75 million
District Agriculture Science Center expansion
Work on this district facility will include adding more cattle, pig, goat and lamb pens; and updating equipment.
- Timeline: spring 2027 (design completion); spring 2028 (construction complete)
- Cost: $7 million (total); $600,000 (design)
