Career and technical education and magnet schools prime students for success after graduation
Greater Tampa Bay’s variety of options for magnet, career and technical education programs give students a head start for joining the workforce or pursuing higher education after high school.
What is a magnet?
A magnet school offers a specialized curriculum focused on mathematics, science, technology, communications, international affairs, business or performing arts. These programs are prestigious, and students must apply for them. They are also outside of neighborhood zoning, so students from all over can apply to attend.
What is career and technical education?
Career and technical education programs provide students with academic and occupational and technical skills as well as knowledge, training and direction for post-secondary education or a future career. Students must live within the zoning district to attend a CTE program. Unlike magnets, they cannot attend CTE outside of their zoning district.
Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas school districts all offer magnet and CTE opportunities.
Chris Jargo, CTE director for Hillsborough County Schools, said these programs give students hands-on experience in industries like welding and automotive technology through labs and training from professionals.
“We have a wide variety (of classes),” he said. “They are available at almost all of our middle schools and all of the high schools. Many end with industry certifications that students can either go to work with right away or springboard to more education.”
Currently, there are 77 programs available for middle and high school students in the Hillsborough district.
For the 2022-2023 school year, Hillsborough County Schools have more than 60,000 CTE students taught by more than 303 high school CTE teachers and 142 middle school CTE teachers.
At Hillsborough County schools, students attend the school zoned for their address. Different CTE classes are available at each one of these schools. If a desired course or program is not available at a neighborhood school, parents can apply for their children to attend the one where it is offered.
Tampa Bay Technical High School is one campus in the Hillsborough County School District that is entirely application based. It offers programs in architectural and environmental design, health professions and veterinary science.
Hillsborough also offers more than 80 magnet programs at 38 different magnet schools. They include schools for elementary, middle and high school students. The high school programs include:
- Collegiate academies
- International Baccalaureate
- Business and finance
- Culinary arts
- Law
- Criminal justice
- Maritime and marine environmental sciences
- Architecture
- Environmental design
- Health professions
- Veterinary science
“These programs also engage students in their learning in unique ways,” said Robert Cox, supervisor of the magnet programs for Hillsborough County. “The primary focus of Magnet Schools, though, is to encourage diversity in schools and bring students together from all walks of life and from all corners of the district to learn in a cohesive and galvanized learning community. They learn academics, yes, but what they learn goes well beyond that as well.”
To attend one of the schools, applications must be submitted. For information on the individual schools, programs and how to apply, go to: hillsboroughschools.org/choice.
Pasco County is another school district in GTB. It offers traditional schools for all students as well as magnet and STEM programs, Career and College Readiness courses, combination schools, a technical college and 13 charter schools.
The CTE program offers courses in four major occupational areas. These are Agricultural Science, Business and Marketing Education, Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Technology Education. There are over 117 courses available in the CTE program. Pasco County also offers three STEM pathways. There are nine schools that make up the West, Central and East STEM pathways.
To attend these schools and programs, an application must be submitted. For more information about how to apply, visit pasco.k12.fl.us/ed_choice/page/magnet-options.
Pasco Elementary Magnet Schools and programs
- Hudson Primary Academy
- San Antonio Elementary
- Sunray Elementary School
- Gulf Trace Elementary School
- Pine View Elementary School
- Richey Elementary School
- Centennial Elementary School
- James M. Marlowe Elementary School
- Sanders Memorial Elementary School
Pasco Middle Magnet Schools and programs
- Hudson Academy
- Pasco Middle School
- Paul R. Smith Middle School
- Pine View Middle School
- Gulf Middle School
- Bayonet Middle School
- Centennial Middle School
- Starkey Ranch K-8
Pasco High Magnet Schools and programs
- Anclote High School
- Hudson High School
- Pasco High School
- Gulf High School
- Land O’ Lakes High School
- Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation
- Wendell Krinn Technical High School
Pasco High CTE Schools
- Pasco High School
- Chiawana High School
- New Horizons High School
- Tri-Tech Skills Center
- Delta High School
- Zephyrhills High School
- Fivay High School – Fire Science Academy
- Sunlake High School – Aviation Academy
Pinellas County is the third school district in GTB. It offers magnet programs for elementary, middle and high school students. Those programs include: the Arts, automotive, business management, culinary arts, medicine, public safety, law, dual language immersion, gifted studies, health and wellness, international studies, journalism, literacy innovation, Montessori and STEAM.
Attendance to Pinellas County magnet schools are also application based. For information on the individual schools, go to: pcsb.org/Page/837.
Pinellas Elementary Magnet Schools and programs
- Perkins Elementary – Center for the Arts and International Studies
- Lakewood Elementary – Center for Creative Arts, Health, and Wellness
- Midtown Academy – Center for Cultural Arts & Gifted Studies, Center for Literacy Innovation
- Sandy Lane Elementary – Conservatory for the Arts
- Garrison-Jones Elementary – Dual Language Immersion Program
- Bay Vista Fundamental – Fundamental Program
- Curtis Fundamental – Fundamental Program
- Lakeview Fundamental – Fundamental Program
- Madeira Beach Fundamental – Fundamental Program
- Pasadena Fundamental – Fundamental Program
- Tarpon Springs Fundamental – Fundamental Program
- Elisa Nelson Elementary – Center for Gifted Studies, Center for Literacy Innovation
- Ridgecrest Elementary – Center for Gifted Studies
- James Sanderlin PK-8 IB World School – International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme
- Mildred Helms Elementary School, IB World School – International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme
- Melrose Elementary – Center for Journalism and Multimedia Studies
- Gulfport Elementary – Montessori Academy
- Baypoint Elementary – Center for Advancement of the Sciences and Technology
- Gulf Beaches Elementary – Center for Innovations and Digital Learning
- Kings Highway Elementary – Center for Digital Learning and STEAM
- Jamerson Elementary – Center for Mathematics and Engineering
Pinellas Middle Magnet Schools and programs
- John Hopkins Middle – Center for International Studies in the Arts and Multimedia Journalism, Middle School Center for Gifted Studies
- Tarpon Springs Middle – Cambridge Conservatory for Academics and the Arts, Cambridge Pre-Advanced International Certificate of Education
- Clearwater Fundamental – Fundamental Program
- Madeira Beach Fundamental – Fundamental Program
- Thurgood Marshall Fundamental – Fundamental Program, Middle School Center for Gifted Studies
- Dunedin Highland Middle – Middle School Centers for Gifted Studies
- Morgan Fitzgerald Middle – Middle School Centers for Gifted Studies
- Pinellas Park Middle – Cambridge Pre-Advanced International Certificate of Education
- James Sanderlin PK-8, an IB World School – International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme
- Largo Middle, an IB World School (N & S) – International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme
- East Lake Middle (N) – Academies of Engineering
- Azalea Middle (S) – Academies of Engineering
- Baypoint Middle – Center for Advancement of the Sciences and Technology
- Tyrone Middle – Center for Innovation and Digital Learning
Pinellas High Magnet Schools and programs
- Dunedin High – Academy of Architecture, Robotics and Construction
- St. Petersburg High – Center for Construction Technologies (S), International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
- Richard O. Jacobson Technical High School at Seminole – Construction Technology Program, Electricity Program, Commercial and Digital Arts Program, Marine Service Technology, Gaming Simulation and Programming, Veterinary Sciences Program
- Tarpon Springs High – Leadership Conservatory for the Arts, Cambridge Program, Veterinary Science Academy
- Gibbs High – Pinellas County Center for the Arts (PCCA), Business Economics Technology Academy (BETA)
- Dixie Hollins High – Academy of Entertainment Arts, Center for Culinary Arts, Jacobson Culinary Arts Academy (N), Cambridge Program
- Northeast High – Automotive Manufacturing Technology Center, Academy of Finance, Academy of Culinary Arts, Academy of Information Technology
- Clearwater High – Career Academy of International Culture and Commerce, Cambridge Program
- Lakewood High – Center for Journalism and Multimedia (S), Academy for Aquatic Management Systems & Environmental Technology, Center for Advanced Technologies (CAT)
- Largo High – Exploring Careers & Education in Leadership (ExCEL), International Baccalaureate (IB) Program
- Seminole High – Center for Education and Leadership (M)
- Boca Ciega Fundamental – Fundamental Program
- Dunedin Fundamental – Fundamental Program
- Osceola Fundamental – Fundamental Program
- Palm Harbor University High – International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, Center for Wellness and Medical Professions
- Boca Ciega High – Center for Wellness and Medical Professions
- Pinellas Park High – Criminal Justice Academy, First Responders: National Guard Center for Emergency Management
- Richard O Jacobson Tech High – Nursing
- East Lake High – Academy of Engineering
- Dunedin High – Academy of Architecture, Robotics and Construction
- Gibbs High – Business Economics Technology Academy (BETA)
- Countryside High – Institute for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (ISTEM) (N)
By Celia Goodyear.
