Mission, Texas- Mission Collegiate High School (MCHS) had a modest start in the fall of 2012. The first officially designated Early College High School in Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) began with a freshman class of about 125, attending classes in a group of portable classroom buildings located at the front of the Mission High School campus.
Fast forward to August 2015; construction crews were hurrying the final completion items on a brand new school building while MCHS and district staff worked to move in furniture and get everything ready for the first day of school in their permanent home.
Now that the final details are done and students and staff have settled into their new home, officials celebrated its completion with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The event was attended by district officials; officials from the cities of Alton, Mission, and Palmhurst; South Texas College; and MCHS students and staff.
MCHS currently serves 421 students in grades 9-12. The building consists of 75,485 square feet that include 18 classrooms, four Science labs, and two computer labs. The construction budget for the school was $13.6 million.
The primary focus of MCHS is to offer the opportunities of an Early College High School experience to first generation college-going students, and lower socio-economic backgrounds. Students have the opportunity to begin taking college courses their freshman year and graduate with up to 60 college credits and an Associate’s Degree. MCHS is designed to follow the more traditional early college design that uses smaller grade level populations than a traditional high school.
Pictured are officials just before cutting the ceremonial ribbon, marking the completion of Mission Collegiate High School’s permanent home.
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