Our History
Our Mission Statement
Jimmy Carter Early College High School is committed to cultivating and shaping the 21st century leaders of tomorrow through a rigorous yet supportive academic and behavior program to become college-ready, career-ready, and life-ready. Jimmy Carter Early College High School motivates life-long learners to build a legacy of excellence for the student, the family, and the community.
Our Early College Model
Early College High School is a bold approach, based on the principle that academic rigor, combined with the opportunity to save time and money, is a powerful motivator for students to work hard and meet serious intellectual challenges. Early College High Schools blend high school and college in a rigorous yet supportive program, compressing the time it takes to complete a high school diploma and the first two years of college. Early College Highs Schools enable more students, particularly low-income and minority students, to experience rigorous high school and college coursework that leads to improved outcomes. Early College students are outperforming their peers nationwide:
90% graduate high school vs. 78% of students nationally
95% earn free college credit while in high school
30% earn an Associate's degree or other postsecondary credentials while in high school
Our History
In the 2010-2011 academic year, the La Joya Independent School District established the College Transition Academy with the Early College High School model in mind. The College Transition Academy welcomed a freshman cohort and immediately found great success when it was designated an "Exemplary" campus by the Texas Education Agency. After a rigorous application process and a partnership with South Texas College, the College Transition Academy was bestowed the "Early College High School" classification by the Texas Education Agency
With the new designation, the College Transition Academy was named Jimmy Carter Early College High School. As the flagship Early College High School of La Joya ISD, Jimmy Carter helped pave the way for the other Early College High Schools within the district. Today, La Joya ISD boasts three successful Early College High Schools.
Jimmy Carter students have the opportunity to earn an Associate's degree from South Texas College or up to 60 college hours. At Jimmy Carter Early College High School. "College is Not an Option, But a Requirement."
Our Partner
South Texas College is the largest higher-education institution south of San Antonio. South Texas College is one of the most affordable colleges in the nation. Because of the Early College Partnership with La Joya ISD, all Jimmy Carter students are able to graduate debt-free with their Associate's degree or with their earned college hours. South Texas College prides itself in providing high quality instruction for its students. Most core curriculum courses are transferrable to any public college and university.
