Students got their first look inside Plano ISD's new Career and Technical Education Center on Wednesday, Nov. 4, the day the building opened.
The 150,000-square-foot center, paid for through the bond package voters approved in 2022, houses 19 programs of study, the district said in a post on its website. Superintendent Theresa Williams opened the day with a staff meeting, and students then toured the building and the classrooms where they will take their courses.
Plano Magazine reported that the programs include culinary arts, cybersecurity, robotics, banking and welding, and that the center at 1865 Alma Drive draws students from across the district.
The district describes the center as a place where students can get hands-on training and work toward professional certifications before they graduate, whether they plan on college, a technical school or a job.
A repeat state honor
The opening came the same week the Career and Technical Association of Texas again named Plano ISD a CTE District of Distinction. The group looks at career pathways, industry certifications, industry partnerships and how well programs match workforce needs.
District figures released with the announcement show 27,184 CTE course enrollments in 2025-26 and 4,139 industry-based certifications earned by students, up 634 from the year before. Plano ISD offers more than 30 CTE programs of study, starting in seventh grade at every middle school.
"This recognition comes from the work of our CTE teachers, administrators, students and community partners," CTE Director Karen Buechman said in the district's announcement.
