Each day when Haltom High sophomore Siddhant Khatiwada enters his engineering classroom at the Birdville Center of Technology and Advanced Learning (BCTAL), he finds himself right at home doing what he loves. In Siddhant’s own words, engineering is a field that shapes the future – and real engineering is exactly what he and his classmates are doing, earning fourth place in a recent FIRST TECH challenge. 

For Birdville High senior Hudson Skelton, who is in a business and marketing class at the BCTAL, Career and Technical Education (CTE) gives him a chance to stop talking about the future and start building it. Over the past three years through various courses at the BCTAL, he has earned his Entrepreneurship and Small Business certification. As Hudson says, instead of chasing grades or titles, he has focused on developing practical skills that prepare him for the real world.

Siddhant and Hudson are just two of hundreds of examples of students who have springboarded their futures through Birdville ISD’s CTE program, so it is no surprise that BISD recently received one of the most prestigious awards in the state.

Birdville ISD was recently named a District of Distinction by the Career and Technical Association of Texas (CTAT). This prestigious award is a designation for school districts with robust, high-quality CTE programs that meet the needs of students, local communities, and employers. Selected districts serve as models of excellence, showcasing best practices and driving progress in CTE statewide.

BISD was one of only 72 districts from across the state of Texas to be named a District of Distinction. 

“We are honored to be recognized by CTAT as a District of Distinction,” said Andrea Anderson, BISD Director of CTE. “Being selected acknowledges Birdville ISD as a model of excellence in CTE across the state. This recognition reflects our mission to prepare students for success in a rapidly evolving workforce and economy. This recognition would not be possible without our outstanding CTE teachers and students, the support of BISD administration and the Board of Trustees, and the tremendous commitment of our business, industry, and post-secondary partners.” 

During the 2024-2025 school year alone, BISD students earned 2,127 industry-based certifications across all career pathways. In addition, hundreds of BISD CTE students competed at regional, state, and national CTE competitions and were recognized on the state and national level consistently. Ten students also earned $2,000 each in BISD CTE scholarships from the CTE Scholarship Advisory Committee.

BISD’s CTE program serves more than 8,000 students district-wide across middle school, high school and the BCTAL. BISD also offers 13 of the 14 CTE Texas Education Agency (TEA) career clusters and 39 programs of study within those career clusters. 

In the past school year, BISD celebrated two national student winners at Skills USA in Video Game Design, winning 1st place in Atlanta. Additionally, the district had eight national winners at the Educators Rising National Conference in Orlando. Along with these awards, BISD CTE students obtain work-based learning opportunities and internships throughout the community with local business partners in Health Science, Vet Tech Animal Science, Business and Marketing, Culinary Arts, Automotive Technology, Construction Technology, Engineering, Education and Training, and Floral Design. 

“This recognition is a testament to our students’ inspiring accomplishments and the work of our skilled and dedicated CTE teachers,” said Dr. Gayle Stinson, Superintendent of Schools. “Every day, we see students across BISD stepping into real-world learning, earning certifications, building projects, serving our community and discovering what they are passionate about. We are immensely proud of the impact our CTE programs are having on our students and the community.”