DEL VALLE, Texas —
Tuesday is the first day of school for Del Valle ISD students. And for some, it's the first day at the brand-new Pathways in Technology Early College High, or P-TECH.
The new school houses the partnerships between Del Valle ISD, Austin Community College, Tesla and semiconductor company Infineon.
"It features a lot of lab space for really hands-on learning for students that is directly tied to industry in the community," Christopher Weddle, Del Valle ISD's executive director of Communications, said. "There's a Cybersecurity pathway, there's [an] Advanced Manufacturing pathway, giving students those skills that they need to be able to enter the workforce right after high school."
Students have the opportunity to earn their high school diploma and more.
"Students can graduate high school with an associate's degree, with college credit, giving them a head start on their college career once they graduate from high school," Weddle said.
Those are opportunities senior Danika Siv is grateful for.
"I think it's important because my parents, they never went to college and I think the fact that I had the ability to go ahead and get a head start and get an opportunity my parents didn't have [is great]," Siv said. "When I saw the opportunity, I took it because I knew that my parents like, if they had the opportunity, they'd take it in a heartbeat."
Another change for Del Valle ISD this year is that both breakfast and lunch are now free for all students at all campuses.
"It was important to us to recognize the needs that we had within the district, and part of it was ensuring that our kids are going to be fed and they had something in their stomachs in order to be more attentive within the classroom, athletic fields or in the musical performances," Acting Superintendent Jonathan Harris said.
The district also offers dinner to some students who have to stay late for tutoring or extracurriculars.