Edinburg school board trustees Tuesday approved a memorandum of understanding with the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station that the district says will support specialized career and technical education training for its students and staff.
Board President Mike Farias described that agreement as setting the foundation for courses in newer, developing fields, fields like applied engineering and manufacturing, robotics, Occupational Safety and Health Administration training on operating heavy equipment and cyber security.
Specifics on the program are still somewhat hazy. Farias said plans are being worked out to develop curriculum this summer and to begin offering courses next school year.
The agreement will not impact the district’s budget.
Traditionally the domain of the University of Texas system and UTRGV, Texas A&M firmly planted a flag in the Rio Grande Valley when it established its Higher Education Center at McAllen in 2018.
Farias called the new agreement a significant step for the district and said Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp is tentatively scheduled to attend a formal signing for the agreement in February.
“This is exciting for me, because along with A&M comes the network of A&M. Where these kids, they’re going to be in the network of A&M when they participate in these courses,” he said. “And when they said they can help out with job placement … when you see an Aggie ring, it opens doors.”
According to Farias, the agreement will pave a path toward the development of job opportunities in the Valley.
“Why not have a battery factory,” he asked. “Why not have Elon Musk come over here and lets go ahead and make batteries in South Texas. Tell us what you need, and we’ll provide the workforce for you. Because that employs thousands of people.”
Farias views the impact of that job development as potentially being an economic driver with significant financial implications.
“It will help develop a tax base that will help out the city and the county and the school district,” he said. “Because, basically, you will have a bunch of farm land that will finally be used for business. And what was $5,000 an acre now is going to be appraised by foot.”
The district already has a partnership with the University of Texas system and is currently constructing a collegiate high school.
Farias called having both partnerships the “best of both worlds” and said the district is currently courting a third well-regarded higher education institution that he declined to name.
