In August 2015, Killeen Independent School District and Central Texas College partnered to open the first Early College High School in the Killeen/Ft. Cavazos area.

Early College High School is a designation through the Texas Education Agency for innovative high schools located on or near a college campus that allows students an opportunity to earn a high school diploma and an associate degree (up to 60 college credit hours).

Establishing the Early College High School allows KISD/CTC a unique opportunity to serve students with college potential. Students have access to Central Texas College facilities, resources and services, including the faculty, libraries, labs, artistic and cultural activities, and extracurricular activities, as appropriate. There is no cost to the student to attend. KISD will pay for tuition, fees and required textbooks to the extent those charges are not waived by Central Texas College.

KISD students who are in eighth or ninth grade may apply to attend the Early College High School by picking up a paper application from their counselor's office.  We work with our military families as they transition to and from Ft. Cavazos. Applicants will be screened to identify that they meet established criteria, included in the application, and then identified applicants will become part of a selection process. 

KISD and CTC's Early College High School include strategies and activities to create a college-going culture and enable students to build the skills and knowledge, including academic behaviors, necessary for college success. KISD and CTC's Early College High School provides academic, social and emotional support services to ensure student success while also including parental and community outreach programs to build a widespread understanding of college culture. KISD and CTC's Early College High School objectives include:

• 100 percent of students will graduate on time and excel at their school or career of choice.
• 100 percent of students will reach their full academic potential.
• 100 percent of students will graduate as lifelong learners.