SAN ANTONIO – The North East Independent School District is launching a new cybersecurity magnet program slated to start during the 2021-2022 school year, a press release said.
The new hands-on, interactive academy will accept up to 150 students each year from every NEISD high school across the district for two periods every day to offer STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) opportunities to students.
NEISD said the magnet school’s freshman class is expected to be phased in during the 2021-2022 school year, with additional grade levels added each following year. The district will work with local colleges and universities to create dual credit course offerings in the program.
The magnet academy’s coursework will focus on the following subjects:
- 9th grade: Introduction to Virtualization, Programming and Network Security
- 10th grade: Network Engineering and Administration
- 11th grade: Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment
- 12th grade: Cybersecurity Specialization Practicum
The press release said the program will be housed at a former vacant WalMart Neighborhood Market on Nacogdoches Road, near MacArthur High School that the district recently purchased with 2015 Bond Program Global Contingency Funds. The money came from savings after bond projects were completed under budget and did not come from the district’s operating budget, NEISD said.
The district said after a renovation process, the building will include state-of-the-art network security, robotics and technology resources and a robotics competition arena that seats 700.
NEISD said they are also working to develop a curriculum plan to strengthen cybersecurity and programming skills for elementary and middle school students.