Office Of The Governor Announces Innovative Academies Grant Awardees

The Office of the Governor today announced the grant awardees for the Texas Industry Cluster Innovative Academies initiative launched in September 2016.

The competitive grant awards will be used to establish Innovative Academies at Texas high schools to provide educational opportunities for students that lead to direct employment in high-demand occupations.

Those could include Advanced Technologies and Manufacturing, Aerospace and Defense, Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Energy, Information and Computer Technology and Petroleum Refining and Chemical Products.

A total of $7.1 million in grant funding has been awarded by the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to 19 Texas high schools.

“Providing tools for future generations to succeed in the workplace is essential in building a brighter future for the State of Texas,” said Governor Abbott. “By uniting employers, educators and local leaders in this initiative, Texas students will have even more opportunities to gain the skills they need to excel in the economy of tomorrow.”

“I am confident these Innovative Academies will serve as exemplary models for workforce development across industries and educational institutions throughout the Lone Star State,” Abbott continued.

The following Texas high schools were awarded grants through the initiative:

• Alief ISD (Alief Biotechnology & Life Science Innovative Academy)
• Angelina County Cooperative Early College High School (Central ISD, Diboll ISD, Hudson ISD, Huntington ISD, Lufkin ISD and Zavalla ISD)
• Austin ISD (Reagan Early College High School)
• Austin ISD (Lyndon Baines Johnson Early College High School)
• Beaumont ISD (Austin Innovation Center Petroleum Refining Academy)
• Connally ISD (Connally Career Tech Early College High School)
• Dallas ISD (North Dallas High School)
• Dallas ISD (W.H. Adamson High School)
• Dallas ISD (Justin F. Kimball High School)
• DeSoto ISD (DeSoto Early College High School ISD)
• Freer IS (Freer High School)
• Grand Prairie ISD (Biotechnology & Life Sciences Academy)
• Houston Community College (Raul Yzaguirre School For Success)
• Judson ISD (Judson Early College Academy)
• Manor ISD (Manor High School Career and Technical Education Center)
• Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD (Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Early College High School)
• Texas State Technical College in Marshall (Panola Charter School)
• United ISD (John B. Alexander High School)
• West Oso ISD (West Oso Early College High School)