Harlandale ISD highlights expanded CTE participation and $2.4M in teacher incentive funds

Erica Castro, who presented the district’s Teacher Incentive Allotment update, told the board Harlandale ISD will generate $2,418,793 from TIA this year — an increase of $308,222 from the prior year — and that the district has adjusted its spending plan to allocate 90% of designated TIA dollars to the teacher.

"District-wide we are generating a total of $2,418,793 from all our TIA designated teachers," Castro said, noting the highest payout hitting a teacher’s paycheck this July will be $24,199.20 (90% share) and the lowest 90% payout will be $4,563.

In a separate presentation, Megan Guerrero, the district’s CTE, GT and STEM coordinator, reported broad student participation and rising credentialing rates. Guerrero said about 63% of students in grades 7–12 take at least one CTE course and that 95% of seniors are enrolled in a CTE course. She told trustees that 327 seniors had become CTE "completers" and that the district recorded 565 passing attempts out of 816 industry-based certification (IBC) attempts, representing a 63% earned-rate in the metric shared with the board.

Guerrero and CTE staff outlined barriers that keep some students from receiving final certification — such as state ID, social security number, age restrictions, fingerprinting and background checks — and described district efforts to remove obstacles. They also debuted a short promotional video for the CTE program and described outreach steps (updated course catalogs, advisory meetings, and partnerships with Alamo Academies and Palo Alto College for dual-credit and welding pathways).

Board members praised the results and suggested wider distribution of the video and outreach to families. Trustees asked clarifying questions about lotteries for high-demand programs (welding, cosmetology, barbering) and the availability of summer follow-ups for students who need post-graduation steps to obtain certifications.

Next steps: Staff said it will continue outreach, maintain support for students needing post-graduation steps to complete paperwork and IDs, and provide information to the communications office for broader distribution of the CTE video and achievement highlights.