TEA approves new AISD program

Texas Education Agency Commissioner Michael Williams announced Tuesday there will be 19 new T-STEM Academies statewide in the 2015-2016 school year. In the Austin Independent School District, Anderson High School’s Applied Technology Center has received one of the 19 designations. The Anderson Applied Technology Center was a joint project among AISD, the Boys Scouts of America and a community donor. AISD officials broke ground for the center’s building in fall 2014. AISD spokesperson Jacob Barrett said the district plans to open the center in October 2015. T-STEM academies are rigorous secondary schools focusing on improving instruction and academic performance in science- and mathematics-related subjects, with a goal of increasing the number of students who study and enter STEM careers. Designated T-STEM campuses serve students in grades 6-12 or 9-12. With the addition of these newly designated schools, Texas is now home to 104 T-STEM Academies across the state.