EDUCATION
Regional Educational Institutions Ready to Respond to Growth BY MICHELLE WEST
PRE-K, ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOl students from Bulverde/ Spring Branch join students from five other central Texas counties to make up the Comal Independent School District. If college or technical school is in their plan, they don’t have to stray far from home for opportunities to continue on the learning path. The Comal Independent School District (CISD) is where Bulverde-Spring Branch students have access to a quality education. The district spans 589 miles and boasts a total student enrollment of more than 18,500. All of the CISD campuses are fully accredited by the Texas Education Agency and its seventeen elementary schools, five middle schools, three comprehensive high schools, one alternative high school of choice and one alternative school provide opportunities for all area students to achieve their educational goals. Students do well here. Five of the District’s schools received top “exemplary” ratings by the Texas Education Agency in its 2011 accountability report, while 12 more CISD schools received the report’s second highest rating. CISD is a growing district. Enrollment projections anticipate an additional nearly 5,500 students will feed into CISD in the next five years. Within the next ten years, the District anticipates student enrollment growth to reach levels that create a need for five to seven additional elementary schools, three to four middle schools and one to two new high schools. With regional housing starts bouncing back to 2008 levels, the District’s Pre-K program is also preparing for a tide of new students. CISD’s pre-K teachers receive extensive training to help the district’s youngest students launch their educations with the best possible opportunity for success. The Comal Independent School District also has an extensive Community Education program for adults and
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B U LV E R D E / S P R I N G B R A N C H A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E
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school-age students in the region. CISD’s affordable Community Education courses offer opportunities for professional development, participation in group activities and cultural enrichment. A strong non-profit foundation, the Comal Education Foundation (CEF) helps support the district. CEF is funded through donations from corporate partners, parents, CISD employees, private grants and other community organizations. The foundation functions separately from the district’s operating budget to provide additional funding to help enhance learning opportunities. When Bulverde-Spring Branch students are ready to continue on the learning path or adult learners want to continue their educations, a wealth of opportunities exists in nearby San Antonio and New Braunfels. Twenty-six higher education institutions are located in San Antonio including five community colleges, technical institutes, Texas A & M University-San Antonio and University of Texas at San Antonio. A partnership between Alamo Colleges, New Braunfels 4B Economic Development Board and the Seguin 4A Economic Development Board provides access to learning opportunities at the Central Texas Technology Center in New Braunfels. The facility provides an avenue for area residents to attain entry-level and advanced technical skills and offers a variety of short-term workforce training programs, college core courses, occupational training, ESL and GED classes.
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4/22/14 11:59 PM