UTRGV McAllen ISD Collegiate Academy celebrates grand opening

By Matthew Cavazos

The UTRGV McAllen ISD Collegiate Academy officially was unveiled to the public Tuesday, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring administration from both UTRGV and the McAllen school district.

Created through a strategic partnership between UTRGV and McAllen ISD, the UTRGV McAllen ISD Collegiate Academy will provide a unique opportunity for students to specialize in academic and career pathways that include computer science, education, engineering and health professions.

In attendance were UTRGV President Guy Bailey; McAllen Superintendent of Schools Dr. Rene Gutiérrez; members of the McAllen School Board; UT System Board Regent Dr. Nolan Perez; and McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos.

Bailey highlighted the transformational educational opportunities the collaboration provides for students.

“Educational opportunities like the UTRGV McAllen ISD Collegiate Academy are truly transformative. UTRGV proudly partners with McAllen ISD to inspire students to their greatest potential – without any financial burden on their families,” he said.

“This brand new, state-of-the-art institution will lay the foundation for a seamless transition from high school to higher education, influencing the future of the Rio Grande Valley and Texas for generations to come,” Bailey said.

The UTRGV McAllen ISD Collegiate Academy is the latest addition to UTRGV’s collegiate high school initiative. Harlingen Collegiate High opened in November 2021, and UTRGV Edinburg CISD Collegiate High School opened in August 2024.

While attending a UTRGV collegiate high school or academy, students complete their high school education in the 9th and 10th grades, then begin their college journey as Vaqueros in grades 11 and 12 and can earn more than 50 hours of college credit toward their specialized pathways.

Gutierrez said the partnership between UTRGV and McAllen ISD is a milestone for students and a dream come true for the McAllen school district.

“This historic new program is creating pathways for our students to go into high-demand fields,” Gutiérrez said. “Together, with our partners, UTRGV and the City of McAllen, we have turned a dream into a reality.”

Ava Aragon, a junior at the UTRGV McAllen ISD Collegiate Academy, shared her excitement about utilizing the academy’s unique resources as she gears up for college, where she intends to study biology.

“I was a little nervous at first, but after getting a taste of what college life is going to be like, I’m excited,” Aragon said. “I’m really enjoying [the academy] so far. It is very rigorous, but I’m ready for it. I think this will be an excellent way to prepare me for college.”

A UNIQUE STRUCTURE

The UTRGV McAllen ISD Collegiate Academy does not operate as a standalone high school, as do its counterparts in Edinburg and Harlingen, who have students enrolled full-time at the collegiate high.

In contrast, McAllen ISD transports the 300 students who attend the academy from the comprehensive high schools in the district – McAllen High, McAllen Memorial, and McAllen Nikki Rowe – for half-day sessions, during which the students can complete courses for college credit and receive instruction from UTRGV faculty.

While at their comprehensive high school, the students will be able to complete their high school core classes and participate in any of the school’s extracurricular activities.

The first cohort of students began in August 2022, prior to the facility’s completion, and the brand-new facility has been operational since the beginning of the 2024-25 school year.

STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY

The 65,000-square-foot facility houses 26 classrooms, with four labs for biology, chemistry, engineering and physics.

Following an open floor concept, the school showcases a modern environment highlighted by wooden accents throughout. The school’s colors, orange and blue, stand out along the white walls of the main room and the individual classrooms.

The exterior features the school’s name, as well as logos for collaborators McAllen ISD and UTRGV.