Giving students the tools to succeed

GUEST COMMENTARY

During our February Boerne ISD board meeting, our community received an update on the incredible work being done in our Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways.

When we speak about CTE, we typically share fast facts: 19 pathways, over 680 students currently in work-based placement, 99% graduation rates and 95% of students graduating career, military, or college ready.

At the heart of this work, though, is a desire to keep Boerne a place our students can come home to. As we’ve selected CTE pathways and Pathways to Technical Early College High School (P-TECH), we’ve kept this desire in mind.

It’s one that our community has brought to the district over the course of many conversations, and it’s at the forefront of every decision we make.

Four of our national Future Farmers of America students gave a presentation on what FFA — and CTE coursework

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— means to them. It’s helped equip them with public speaking skills, given them confidence in their ability to solve problems and provided them with challenges that they find themselves capable of overcoming.

They’ve learned to listen to one another, work as a team and stay true to what makes our community so exceptional.

In Boerne ISD, our way of life is tied to our smalltown roots. For many of our residents and families, these roots are rural and intertwined with agriculture, entrepreneurship and faith.

Even as things around us change, it’s gratifying to know that our students are able to pursue their dreams without compromising their values. Through their involvement in our CTE programs, they hold fast to their integrity and have a safe space in which they can try, fail, and do better.

As we prepare to send another group of incredible graduates off into the world and workforce in just a few months, I hope you’ll join us in celebrating how these students add value to our community – and how our community’s investment in public education has helped ensure that a degree from Boerne ISD opens doors.

We’ve just launched a new magazine on our website. It’s called “Constellations,” and just like the stars that light up our Hill Country night sky, it’s a testament to how much more brightly we shine together.

We hope you’ll read it and get engaged with what we’re building in Boerne ISD. We’re so grateful to have you all as part of our community.

Dr. Kristin Craft is superintendent of the Boerne Independent School District