Education
Plano Independent School District (PISD)
The award-winning Plano Independent School District employs 7,000 faculty and staff members district-wide who serve in 70 schools and support more than 55,000 students. Plano ISD encompasses approximately 100 square miles in southwest Collin County and serves residents in the City of Plano, northern portions of the cities of Dallas and Richardson and parts of the cities of Allen, Parker and Murphy. The Texas Education Agency rated Plano ISD "exemplary" on all of the 25 academic indicators reported to date (8/11). Twenty-three Plano schools have captured the prestigious National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence honor awarded by the U.S. Department of Education.
In 2009, an impressive 128 seniors earned Semifinalist standings in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Plano students’ scores on state-mandated tests and college-entrance exams consistently far surpass average scores of students in Texas and the U.S. In regard to the district’s financial prowess, Plano ISD has earned, for five consecutive years, the highest rating of “Superior Achievement” through the Texas Education Agency’s Schools FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas) program.
The core fundraising organization for the school district, the Plano ISD Education Foundation, raised $1.1 million in private donations in 2007-08. As a result, the Foundation gifted $900,000 to Plano ISD for priority programs to enhance student learning; ensure all students are college ready; recruit, retain and recognize the very best teachers; and support parents and families in student learning. At the polls, Plano ISD voters overwhelmingly support the school district in passing multi-million dollar facility and technology bond packages. These initiatives, recommended by staff/citizen bond committees, ensure that Plano schools are renovated on a 20-year schedule to bring older facilities up to date and so that new schools are constructed to accommodate growth in student enrollment. For more information about Plano schools, visit the district's home page.
Collin College
Collin College employs over 2,200 at seven campus locations, two of which are in Plano. The college serves an annual enrollment of more than 46,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certification programs. The only public college in the county, Collin College is a partner to business, government and industry, providing customized training and work force development to area businesses both onsite and over the Internet.
Collin College has recently opened the Collin Higher Education Center in neighboring McKinney, Texas. The college has officially signed partnership agreements with Dallas Baptist University, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Texas Woman's University, The University of Texas at Dallas and the University of North Texas. The university partnerships provide bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees at the new center.
The National Science Foundation recently awarded Collin College a three-year, $1.56 million grant to enhance the work of the school's Convergence Technology Center. The center is a collaboration between Collin College, the University of North Texas and El Centro College. The partners will use the grant money to develop a curriculum, create online courses, provided faculty with professional development and recruit underserved populations.
SMU-in-Plano
Amid the world-class companies found in Legacy business park is the prestigious Southern Methodist University’s SMU-in-Plano satellite campus. The university features programs for Professional MBA, Digital Game Masters, Mediation and Dispute Resolution, and Counseling Masters Program.
University of Texas at Dallas (UTD)
Located one mile south of Plano is The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). UTD is a young and innovative Research University that is known for science, engineering, mathematics, and business. The school emerged in the late 1960’s as Texas Instrument founders foresaw a need for scientific and engineering talent. Today, UTD has nearly 16,000 students and offers 125 academic programs including 85 master and doctoral degree programs.
UTD’s freshman class consistently ranks among the top three in Texas in terms of SAT scores, number of National Merit Scholars and students in the top 10 percent of their high school class.