Starting fall 2020, Sachse will be partnering with Richland College offering a new program for incoming freshmen. The program is called Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH), and it will enable students to earn college credits and an associate degree.

According to Assistant Principal Melinda Crook, P-TECH offers two degree plans or pathways: Multimedia web design and teaching. Students can earn an associate degree in applied science in digital media through the multimedia web design path. The teaching path allows students to earn an associate degree in arts in teaching. 

She also said that P-TECH enables students to take their high school courses along with their college courses while being in high school. In their senior year, they will go to Richland to take their classes. 

“The students in multimedia web design will take courses such as web design, digital imaging, among others,” Crook said. “While the education P-TECH requires students to take college English, history, math and science classes as well as two years of future teacher internship.” 

Crook said finishing high school with P-TECH will help students who want to continue college because it is cost-efficient and time-saving.

“Students will earn 60 college hours while they are in P-TECH,” Crook said. “If they want to continue to a four-year university, they will save about two years worth of college tuition.”

She also noted that it will also help students to get a job immediately after graduating.

“A lot of our students want to go into the workforce as soon as they graduate, P-TECH will equip them with an associate degree for that,” Crook said.

Starting in fall 2020, P-TECH will be offered at all GISD high schools. Each high school is partnered with a different campus within the Dallas County Community College District.