Through their partnership with the Texas Urban Council, Corpus Christi ISD has received grant funding in support of their continued work to prepare students for post-secondary success. The Gates Foundation awarded Commit Partnership $14.39 million to support such work, with a portion of those funds benefiting Corpus Christi ISD in alignment with this initiative. The $569,417 in grant funding will be used to expand early college access, including partnering with Del Mar College. The four-year grant will help students access early college coursework, experience quality advising, and improve district-wide systems targeting higher levels of early college/dual enrollment coursework and increased enrollment in a post-secondary institution immediately upon graduation.
“We appreciate the grant’s goal of increasing the number of students who have completed 15 aligned early college coursework credits by high school graduation,” said Superintendent Dr. Roland Hernandez. “We know postsecondary coursework will help our students and our local workforce experience continued success.”
The Coastal Bend has been selected as a ‘Priority Region,’ recognizing the well-established collaboration between Corpus Christi ISD and Del Mar College as well as their steadfast focus to improve postsecondary access and completion for all students.
“Del Mar College and CCISD have shaped students' lives through longstanding collaborations with early college and dual enrollment programs, including Collegiate High School and Harold T. Branch Academy. This grant further expands student access to higher education and pathways to success that benefit our region,” said Dr. Mark Escamilla, DMC President and CEO.
Funds were awarded to 19 school systems statewide, serving more than 600,000 students, representing more than 10% of Texas’ student population. Nearly 80% of the students who will benefit are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Priority Regions Grant is awarded to regions that represent Texas’ diversity. Additionally, these regions demonstrate strong momentum and systems conducive to implementing early college coursework. The grant support is designed to increase access to early college pathways, improve postsecondary advising, and enhance data infrastructure to deepen the partnership between participating school districts and higher education institutions. Such partnerships will ultimately provide college, career and military exemplars for the state of Texas.