It’s back-to-school season and San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District is ready to go. SMCISD aims to provide students with a high quality education to help them lead fulfilling and productive lives. The district serves almost 8,000 students in one high school, two middle schools, and six elementary schools. Students living in TRACE will attend Hernandez Elementary School, Miller Middle School and San Marcos High School. TRACE has also allocated land for a future SMCISD elementary school, which will open in the fall of 2019!
Part of the district’s success comes from partnering with parents and the community. To bring this mission to reality, San Marcos has identified five core commitments:
- Ensure students perform at grade level or above
- Create a rigorous academic environment to prepare students for college and careers
- Establish a culture of high expectations for performance and professionalism
- Eliminate achievement gaps in all student populations
- Partner with the community to better serve students, families, and San Marcos
With an average of 14 students per teacher, classrooms are small enough for personalized instruction yet large enough for students to learn from each other. To maintain the ideal teacher-to-student ratio, the district plans to open a new elementary school in Trace.
Innovative Programs in SMCISD
SMCISD works to come up with innovative solutions to support its core commitments. One way it’s doing that is by partnering with Texas State University. The university provides social work services to students in the district. Texas State will provide two social work interns per campus.
It’s a win-win for the district and the university as the practicums give interns required hours and professional experience.
This fall, the district introduces a new two-way dual language program for kindergarten and first grade. Students will have option to take classes that are taught in both English in Spanish. The program targets native English and native Spanish speakers. In the coming years, the San Marcos CISD plans to expand the program to grades 2 through 5.
Ultimately, the district wants to grow the program to include middle and high schools. Until the new elementary school opens at TRACE, students living in our community attend Hernandez, which is one of the campuses that will have the dual language program.
Another innovation in San Marcos CISD program is the composting program. The district throws away 30 to 40 trash bags per day on every campus. Implementing the composting program has reduced that to an average of six to eight trash bags per day. It also provides a teaching opportunity as this program has allowed students to learn about recycling and the environment.
Academic Services in San Marcos Schools
San Marcos CISD offers a variety of programs to help students get ahead, be challenged, and prepare for life after high school. One of those programs is Advanced Academics services.
Advanced Academics services include:
- Gifted and talented services: Identifies GT students to provide them with services, such as the Horizons Program for grades K-5.
- Advanced Placement and pre-AP courses: Courses that prepare students for college-level coursework.
- Early College Start: High school students take dual-enrollment classes to get credit for high school and college at the same time
- College entrance exams: All 9th, 10th, and 11th graders take the PSAT to prepare for the SAT.
- Response to Intervention (Rtl): Identifies students at risk for below average learning outcomes to help prevent long-term learning problems.
The district provides a list of available community resources, such as include counselling, disability services, homelessness, shelter, and more.
These programs and resources make it possible for students with every interest and background to achieve their learning goals. Thus, it’s no surprise that Niche has given CMCISD an A- on its report card. San Marcos schools prepare them for a successful transition to the next phase of their lives.
TRACE is proud to be a part of San Marcos CISD! To learn more about the district, please visit the San Marcos CISD website, and to find out more about our new home community in San Marcos, visit TRACETexas.com.
