Clark County School District welcomed 450 freshman students to its newest specialized facility today as South Career and Technical Academy opened its doors in the southwest valley. The gleaming new campus represents the district's ninth career academy, strategically positioned to prepare Las Vegas students for high-demand careers in manufacturing, technology, and healthcare.
Located at Gillespie Street and East Starr Avenue, according to the Las Vegas Sun, the academy features communal work and study spaces, picture windows with views of the Strip skyline, and a soaring three-story entry hall that gives it "the look and feel of a small college." The timing proves strategic, as the facility sits near where Haas Automation is constructing a new factory.
Industry Partnerships Drive Real-World Learning
The school's flagship advanced manufacturing technology program exemplifies its industry-focused approach through direct partnerships with Tesla and Haas Automation. Students can earn certifications after just two years, with instructor Wayne Davies noting that by their second year, they work with power systems, control devices, sensors, actuators and programmable logic controllers, as reported by the Las Vegas Sun.
The program's real-world impact is already evident through success stories like Davies' son, who graduated from a similar program at Sierra Vista High School and now works at the Tesla Gigafactory near Reno. According to KTNV, Haas Automation has invested millions in local education programs and scholarships through its worldwide Haas Technical Education Community partnership program.
Comprehensive Career Pathways
Beyond manufacturing, the school offers nine specialized "majors" including civil engineering technology, cyber defense and advanced computing, early childhood education, entertainment and sports marketing, engineering and energy technologies, finance and business leadership, and sports medicine. Principal Pate Thomas, who previously served at Southwest Career and Technical Academy and Southeast Career and Technical Academy, aims to make South one of the most innovative magnet schools in the country through cross-curricular project-based learning.
The facility boasts specialized spaces including a "shark tank" room where entrepreneurship students pitch business ideas, a music room with steel pan drums, and a sports medicine classroom with padded tables for hands-on practice. Thomas highlighted his exceptional staff, including a sports medicine teacher who also works as a concussion spotter for the NFL, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
Part of Award-Winning Network
South Career and Technical Academy joins a robust network that has earned national recognition. According to the CCSD Newsroom, 41 CCSD programs earned top honors from Magnet Schools of America for the 2024-2025 school year, topping the district's 35 programs recognized the previous year. The state's recent changes to career and technical education programs now allow schools to offer two-year pathways instead of only traditional four-year programs, providing students more flexible options.
While the academy is open to any Clark County student, it primarily serves students from Liberty, Silverado and Coronado high schools who receive transportation. The school plans to grow from its current freshman-only enrollment to 1,700 students across all four grades within four years. For Thomas and his inaugural class, the mission is clear: "You are the first class," he told his freshmen. "You will be setting a legacy," as mentioned on Las Vegas Sun.
