Flour Bluff ISD is making waves with an exciting announcement: the district has been awarded $100,000 from the Port of Corpus Christi to launch a brand-new Maritime Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program. The grant marks a major step forward in expanding opportunities for students interested in careers on the water — from shipping to offshore energy.
“This is a huge opportunity,” said Barrett Matthews, a CTE student at Flour Bluff High School.
“I think it’s super cool we can do this in high school.”
For Superintendent Chris Steinbruck, the timing of the grant couldn’t be better.
“Now we feel that in Flour Bluff, we’re taking in by land, air, and sea,” he said.
Flour Bluff ISD already offers a variety of successful CTE pathways — including its Tango Flight Program, where students like Barrett are learning the fundamentals of aviation. With the addition of a Maritime track, students now have another gateway into thriving, high-demand industries.
The new Maritime CTE Program will feature hands-on training and real-world learning in areas such as maritime safety and environmental stewardship.
“As a senior trying to get into the aviation industry, I think this is really awesome,” said Barrett. “It opens doors to my future — I get a small glimpse of what it could be like.”
One of the district’s biggest goals with this new program is to keep talent in the Coastal Bend.
“There are so many career opportunities here locally,” said Steinbruck. “We’re trying to keep our talented kids here.”
Students who complete the maritime program could pursue careers such as:
- Port operations specialist
- Shipping and logistics coordinator
- Offshore energy technician
- Motorboat operator
- Captain, mate, or pilot of water vessels
The Maritime Program will officially launch in the 2025–2026 school year and will be open to all high school students.
With this new program, Flour Bluff ISD continues to position itself as a leader in preparing students for success — both in the classroom and in their future careers.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
