Knives chopping, spoons stirring, and…students laughing? This isn’t the kitchen of a popular restaurant. These are the sounds of culinary classrooms at Plano ISD’s CTE Center and campuses across the district.
Through this program, students are working towards a future career in the culinary arts by learning about food safety and sanitation, cooking techniques, menu planning, and more. And the best part is that these students don’t have to wait until their senior year to start honing their skills.
Karen Buechman, Plano ISD Director of Career and Technical Education, and Jean Laswell, CTE Center Principal, explain, “Students’ hands-on cooking journey begins in middle school, where students build foundational culinary skills in our Skills and Career Readiness course! Starting in ninth grade, high schoolers can launch into the Culinary Arts Program of Study. On all ninth and tenth grade campuses [throughout Plano ISD], students kick off their journey with Introduction to Culinary Arts and Entrepreneurship 1. Students will now attend our state-of-the-art CTE Center to take advanced, immersive courses surrounding the culinary arts.”
Buechman and Laswell continue, “Prior to the 2026–2027 school year, the culinary arts program was offered at some campuses with enrollment reaching almost 2,200 students. With the launch of the new CTE Center, access has expanded—driving course requests up to approximately 2,350 for the upcoming school year.”
The class is more than just making delicious food. Through the entrepreneurship focus of the curriculum, students learn time management, professionalism, leadership, and more. Buechman and Laswell add, “Culinary arts students learn many skills that will prepare them for a successful career. Some skills are specific to culinary arts, while others develop the soft skills to be successful beyond high school.”
The program is open to all students in Plano ISD, so students are encouraged to discuss their future goals with counselors during course period selection in late autumn. Who knows, maybe the next David Chang or Ina Garten is getting their start in Plano.