What considerations were prioritized in creating the proposed bond?
The 2024 CISD Bond Steering Committee vetted and prioritized a building plan that seeks to immediately improve educational experiences for all students and staff and minimize the tax impact on CISD taxpayers.
What courses are expected to be in the new CTE building?
Columbus ISD has received data from the Texas Workforce Commission regarding what trades/professions are most relevant in our local community. The district's plans for adding more opportunities to students are dependent on student interest surveys and the Texas Workforce Commission data for our area. Columbus ISD is always looking at what is best for our student population and their employability. As such, Health Science would be a great pathway to add back to their offerings. The top three employers in our area are education, healthcare, and construction. This decision will ultimately be determined by a Bond Planning Committee. The Bond Planning Committee will be assembled after May 4, should voters approve Proposition B.
How does Columbus ISD plan to hire teachers to fill the areas of need in the new CTE building?
Hiring qualified staff for the areas of expansion is paramount. This is also challenging as it must be a person with industry experience (or CTE certified) and have the knowledge to tap into the certifications that the students will need to obtain to be successful in that line of work and satisfy the TEA requirements. Every effort to fill those positions will be a priority for the district. They have been actively recruiting instructors, both online and at in-person job fairs to fill positions within CTE. The district feels confident that a new building will also help attract new employees who are interested in joining the Columbus ISD team. Additionally, they are looking into partnering with the Alliance For College And Career Student Success, which is a group of five school districts and Blinn College, in the event they are unable to secure enough teachers.