Texas Border Business
PHARR – Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (PSJA ISD) was presented with a Jobs and Education for Texas (JET) Grant from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) at the City of Pharr’s State of the City Address held at the Pharr Events Center on Thursday, Jan. 17. To date, PSJA ISD has been awarded a total of $834,583 in TWC Jet grants during the last three consecutive years, making it the only school district in Texas to do so.
Since JET grants first became available to independent school districts entered into partnerships with higher education institutions in 2016, PSJA ISD has been the only public school district awarded grants each year to expand dual credit career and technical educational opportunities with its long-time partner South Texas College.
“PSJA ISD has been the only school district in Texas to receive JET grants for equipment,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez at the 2019 State of the City of Pharr held Thursday, Jan. 17. “We want to acknowledge every member of the PSJA School Board and Dr. King who have been involved throughout this process.”
The Commissioner also mentioned how proud he felt earlier this week as Texas Governor Greg Abbott referenced PSJA ISD on his inaugural speech on Tuesday, Jan. 15, highlighting the district’s achievements made possible by the bold leadership of the superintendent and school board who make tough decisions to prioritize student achievement.
Currently, approximately 3,500 PSJA ISD High School students are enrolled in College courses each semester through dual and concurrent enrollment programs. Out of approximately 1,900 graduates of the Class of 2018, nearly 370 received their Associate Degree from South Texas College two weeks prior to their high school graduation, and a similar number graduated with certificates in various fields.
Due to its success in creating career and technical education opportunities for students, PSJA ISD has been awarded the following JET grants since 2016:
| Year | Grant | Amount |
| 2016-17 | Emergency Medical Technician-Basic Classroom Ambulance Simulator | $211,213 |
| 2017-18 | Advanced Manufacturing Technology- Machinist | $342,740 |
| 2018-19 | Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurse Program | $280,630 |
“We are very grateful to be awarded and trusted with these grants since they first became available to public schools,” said PSJA Superintendent Dr. Daniel King. “The grants have helped us expand our programs and continue to provide unique opportunities for our students. Thank you to our incredible partners, CTE team and amazing grant writers for playing a crucial role in this process.”
 was presented with a Jobs and Education for Texas (JET) Grant from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) at the City of Pharr’s State of the City Address held at the Pharr Events Center on Thursday, Jan. 17.){kind=link}