The first Catholic trade school in Texas, St. Peter Catholic Career and Technical High School in Houston, celebrated the opening of its brand-new $12 million building. The Houston-Galveston Archdiocese oversees the school, which has opened for business to meet the needs of students and buck the trend of diminishing enrolment in nearby Catholic schools.
This program was launched in reaction to the 2019 closure of Peter the Apostle Catholic School, one of four institutions closed due to declining student enrollment. Now that it has been renovated, the Third Ward campus offers students an alternative route and is a shining example of career and technical education. More significantly, it gives the archdiocese a competitive way to hold on to children who frequently drop out of Catholic school before graduation.
Nine boys and one girl made up the first freshman class of St. Peter Catholic Career and Technical High School, which is currently accepting applications for its second class. These students are taking a professional development course this spring under the direction of its principal, with assistance from two additional instructors.
One of four career paths—business, information technology, early childhood education, or construction—will be steered toward by the course design. Students will begin receiving specialized instruction matched to their selected areas of interest in their sophomore year.
Many practical programs taught in high schools decades ago, such as wood shop and home economics, were dropped because of budgetary restrictions. These days, career technical education (CTE) programs are coming back in public and Catholic schools across the country.
These programs endeavor to alleviate labor shortages in the workforce by providing students with specialized skills in fields including business, health, the building industry, and technology, acknowledging that not everyone can afford or is suited for college.
The school intends to use fundraising efforts to provide aid to families in need, with tuition set at $15,000.