Education
The Harlingen community takes great pride in the quality of education offered to area students of all ages, from the very youngest children to older adults learning a trade or obtaining post-secondary degrees – and all ages in-between.
Education is an issue of top priority in Harlingen, as evidenced by the wide range of outstanding educational programs and opportunities available in the area.
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District: The district consists of 16 elementary campuses, five middle schools, three high schools, one alternative campus, two Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs, the Secondary Alternative Center and the New Pathways campus. HCISD is fully accredited by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Total enrollment for the district exceeds 17,000.
HCISD strongly encourages students to get a jump start on college by earning tuition-free college credit before they graduate from high school through such programs as college dual enrollment, advanced placement courses, distance learning, and Early College High School. One of only seven school districts and two community colleges in the state of Texas to receive an Early College High School grant, the campus opened in fall 2007. By graduation, students in this program will have earned enough college credits
for an Associate Degree, or to transfer those credits to enter as juniors into a four-year college program.
Integration of technology into all classrooms in the district is a priority. HCISD also strives to recruit the best teachers and offer ample opportunities for staff development.
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY PRIVATE SCHOOLS & COLLEGE PREP SCHOOLS
Calvary Christian School : Calvary Christian School is a ministry of Calvary Baptist Church. The mission of Calvary Christian School of Excellence is to promote a close lifetime relationship with Jesus Christ and to prepare each student with a solid foundation of academic excellence.
Calvary Christian School fosters spiritual salvation, growth and development, as well as academic, social and physical development in all its students. The administration strongly believes that the best education for any child depends on a close home/school relationship and an open channel of communication between parents and teachers.
The school accepts students in the pre-K class (2 – 4- year olds) through the 8th grade.
Horizon Montessori III: Horizon Montessori is a public Montessori school that allows children an opportunity to explore life in an environment that nurtures multi-cultural diversity. Children have an innate desire to explore and learn about the world, and Horizon Montessori fosters that natural curiosity.
In addition to a stimulating academic curriculum, children are taught concentration, independence and organizational and social skills in ways that are fun. Ages pre-K through 3rd grade accepted.
Marine Military Academy: The Marine Military Academy is a private college preparatory military school for young men, grades 8th through 12th. Academics, self discipline, teamwork and leadership are emphasized. It is the only military school in the world based on the traditions, values, and ideals of the United States Marine Corps.
The faculty and staff of the Marine Military Academy provide a stimulating curriculum taught from a college preparatory perspective that exceeds national norms. All students are expected to give full attention to a demanding program of studies. Expectations for both conduct and achievement are high.
Small class sizes, specialized curricula, and individual attention from faculty and advisors at the Marine Military Academy give the students many distinct advantages. By graduation, the students have acquired abilities that ensure success in college and in life.
St. Alban’s Episcopal Day School: St. Alban’s Episcopal Day School is fully accredited and committed to providing a strong educational foundation for your child. The school is co-educational for students in preschool nursery (from age 2) through the sixth grade. Classes are structured so that each student’s development is enhanced through individualized attention.
St. Alban’s Day School is an educational outreach mission of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, providing a nurturing Christian environment in which children can work, learn and develop their unique talents.
St. Anthony Area Catholic School : Saint Anthony Catholic School has been committed to the development of the child as a whole for more than sixty years. The mission of the school is to provide the students with a firm foundation in the truth of their faith and an appreciation of the dignity of every human being; create in the student a desire to excel mentally, morally, and physically; and prepare the child academically and spiritually for a successful future.
The integration of religion into culture and academic instruction makes Saint Anthony Catholic School different from other educational institutions. Teaching students the importance of social justice and the cultural, economic, environmental, political and international responsibilities among the world community is challenging the students of today to become the leaders of tomorrow.
Saint Anthony Catholic School provides a quality Catholic education for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students in the Harlingen area.
St. Joseph Academy : Operated by the Marist Brothers, St. Joseph Academy is located in Brownsville, Texas and offers a comprehensive curriculum in the arts and sciences. Fundamental academic skills are emphasized: the written and oral expression of ideas, problem solving, critical thought and the competent use of current technology. Students are prepared for university studies and for a lifetime of learning.
St. Joseph Academy provides religious and moral formation and a college preparatory education in the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church. It strives to form young men and women who will succeed in university studies, who know and love Jesus, and who actively participate in the worship and mission of the Church, including the Church’s preferential compassion for the poor.
St. Paul Academy: St. Paul Academy is a ministry of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Harlingen. The school provides a safe, caring environment, a challenging curriculum, positive role models and strong friendships for their students. Christian values are taught and spiritual growth is nurtured along with the academic, physical, emotional and social development of each child.
The St. Paul Academy consists of the Early Childhood Education Center and the Academy. The ECEC accepts children 6 weeks to three years old, and is a partnership between parents and staff to help children develop and mature during the crucial first three years of life. The curriculum focuses on stimulating activities for young minds.
The Academy accepts children from pre-kinder to 8th grade and is nationally accredited. Education is Christ-centered to create a firm foundation for life, promote respect for self and others and foster personal responsibility and compassion for others.
POST SECONDARY & DUAL ENROLLMENT SCHOOLS
Regional Academic Health Center: The Regional Academic Health Center, which is comprised of a Medical Education Division and a Medical Research Division, is a geographically separated campus of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. The first facility to be constructed at the RAHC was the Medical Education Division in Harlingen, which is the RAHC flagship facility. Dedicated in June 2002, it includes student classrooms, a medical library, faculty offices,
administrative offices, a clinical skills center, and an auditorium. Since its dedication, over 500 medical students have completed at least one clinical rotation at the RAHC Medical Education Division. In addition to medical student education, the RAHC includes a fully-accredited Internal Medicine Residency Program which was established in partnership with Valley Baptist Medical Center -- the RAHC's primary teaching hospital.
In addition to surgery, RAHC specialties include internal medicine, pediatrics, family and community medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology. Students completing their third and fourth years graduate with a medical degree, then continue to a residency program.
Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley: Tech Prep is a partnership between education and business that prepares young people for today's skilled workforce. This partnership involves high schools, colleges and universities, large and small businesses, governmental agencies -- all working together.
Tech Prep is a rigorous technical and academic curriculum that includes 4 years of high school and 2 years of college which results in a Tech Prep Associate Degree. A Tech Prep Associate Degree prepares students to go straight to work, or to pursue a bachelor's degree, or, as is becoming more and more common, both. Tech Prep relies on the business/education connection to design job-specific curricula to prepare students for occupations currently in demand and for those projected to be in demand. The Tech Prep
Associate Degree includes integration of academic & vocational curricula which incorporate workplace know-how.
Texas State Technical College: Texas State Technical College offers more than 30 technical programs of study and an academic core that is transferrable to any college or university in the state of Texas through a newly-developed External Articulation (EA) major.
Texas State Technical College is committed to providing students the knowledge and skills that are the basis of a world class education. The technical programs offered at TSTC are known nation-wide for developing the science and critical thinking skills required for successful careers. The combination of the technical programs with the academic core classes develops the life-long learning skills necessary for success in the ever-changing 21st century.
University of Texas – Brownsville: The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, or UTB-TSC, is an educational institution located in Brownsville. It is a part of the University of Texas System, and was established in 1991 with a 99-year partnership between the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) and Texas Southmost College (TSC). UTB-TSC's campus is spread across an area of more than 520 acres.
In 2005, 13,316 students were enrolled in UT Brownsville (8,704 were full-time). The school has a large minority student population. Undergrads are 91% of enrolled students and graduate students are 9%. About 5% of freshmen are from countries other than the US. Students living in the US make up 95% of incoming freshmen. UTB-TSC offers a wide variety of degree programs in diverse areas of study. The university also offers graduate and doctoral degrees.
University of Texas – Pan American: The University of Texas Pan American is located in Edinburg, Texas, approximately 40 miles from Harlingen. It is the 10th largest university in the state and the fifth largest in the UT System.
UTPA has a total of 17,337 students coming from 28 different states, and over 40 countries around the world. UTPA enrolls the highest number and highest percentage of Hispanics (86%) among Texas public universities. Of the total student population, 2261 are graduate students participating in graduate studies.
The Office of Graduate Studies offers more than 60 master’s degrees, two doctoral degrees and one cooperative doctoral pharmacy program. UTPA has the only Physician Assistant Studies Program in Texas outside a medical school.
The opportunities are endless at the University of Texas Pan American for any individual seeking to further their education or advance in their career.
Valley Baptist School of Vocational Nursing: Due to the increasing nursing shortage, nursing is one of the fastest growing occupations that will continue to provide stable, long-term employment for the future.
The School of Vocational Nursing at Valley Baptist is a twelve month program with both classroom and clinical components. We provide knowledge and learning opportunities that allow an individual to become a safe practitioner who is capable of meeting the basic care needs of an acutely or chronically ill client.
Graduates receive a diploma and are prepared to take the nursing licensing (NCLEX) examination. The program’s pass rate on this examination exceeds the state average and is often 100%. A Licensed Vocational Nurse assumes roles and responsibilities for client care in a variety of hospital and community based settings, caring for patients of all ages with a variety of conditions, under the direction of a Registered Nurse or physician.