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Secondary Alternative Center

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Hi guys. My name

is Alexis Aguilad and

I am your KANO

Freshman class president. Hi,

my name is Joaquin

Canales and I'm your

student council president.

Welcome to KANO Freshman

Academy. And this is

Champions Check In. Before

we start our tour,

our campus was built

in 2013 to resemble

a college campus in

both indoor and outdoor

facilities. So first we're

going to start off

upstairs in Mr. Alcassad's

class. I'm Mr. Alcastar.

I teach business information

management and principles of

it. I'm also the

sponsor for esports and

robotics which we're gearing

up for a tournament

coming up. So now

we're going to go

back downstairs to a

reading teacher. Her name

is Ms. Le Grice.

She also is the

sponsor of student council.

I teach pre AP

English and I'm also

the student council sponsor.

We have so many

great opportunities for our

freshmen with teaching the

pre AP content, getting

them used to already

being able to take

the AP exams which

they get college credit

for. But then also

like we have Joaquin

and we have Alexis

here, they have the

opportunity to be presidents

of student organizations that

as freshmen in normal

high schools aren't able

to do. Coming from

middle school to this

ninth grade campus, it

helps us better prepare

for high school, college

and life on from

there. It's a fun

and safe learning environment

accessible to all students.

So this is our

band hall which houses

choir, orchestra and dance.

So to my right

side we have our

Harlingen south and to

my left we have

Harlingen High. So I'm

here with Coach Martinez

and he's going to

explain how the Navy

and Gold work. Good

morning. My name is

Coach Martinez. I am

a Navy coach for

football and basketball. So

what does it mean,

Navy and Gold? Navy

is 100% feeder to

Harlington High. Gold is

100% feeder to South.

So how does that

work? How do we

make the facility work?

How do those things

work? Well, we share

everything in the morning

for basketball, South Pole

practice, Harlingen High has

it afterwards. For football

we have separate fields.

We don't have the

same locker room. We

split it. It's split

in the middle, there's

a divider in the

middle, et cetera. So

we share the facility,

but we get prepared

to go to our

feeder schools after that

for our sophomore and

up to our senior

year. So that's a

wrap. Thank you for

joining us on this.

Champions. Check in if

you are interested in

registering. All the

information is on the

HISD website. And as

always, have another good

day at cfa.

Counseling ServicesCredit RecoveryPhysical TrainingSpecial EducationEmergent Bilingual Support1:1 DevicesOnline LearningCTE Programs
Counseling ServicesCredit RecoveryPhysical TrainingSpecial EducationEmergent Bilingual Support1:1 DevicesOnline LearningCTE Programs

Why Choose Secondary Alternative Center?

SAC distinguishes itself through its comprehensive approach to student development. The center combines rigorous academic instruction with vocational programs, career and technology education, and an intensive counseling program. A strong physical training component, led by qualified drill instructors, helps students develop discipline and focus. Teachers conduct home visits to understand each student's circumstances, and real counseling from professional counselors ensures students receive personalized support. The campus recognizes outstanding students monthly through its Student of the Month program. The Secondary Alternative Center takes immense pride in its community involvement and student achievements. SAC students are among the first to volunteer for community service efforts, including hurricane relief initiatives. The campus maintains a remarkable 0% dropout rate and focuses on helping students develop the decision-making skills necessary to return to their home campuses as successful learners. The dedicated staff truly wants to be at SAC, creating a positive environment where every student matters.

Meet Our Principal

Daniel Araiza

Campus Principal

Daniel Araiza

Campus History

The Secondary Alternative Center (SAC) was established in 1996, emerging from the transition of the former Guidance Center to a more comprehensive educational program. It is dedicated to empowering students who benefit from a structured alternative setting. Over the years, SAC has evolved into a recognized model for alternative education, earning acknowledgment in 2009 as a Model Disciplinary Alternative Education Program. The center operates under the principle 'Attitude is Everything,' focusing on self-empowerment and long-term student success.

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School Hours

MonMonday
8:00 AM - 3:50 PM
TueTuesday
8:00 AM - 3:50 PM
WedWednesday
8:00 AM - 3:50 PM
ThuThursday
8:00 AM - 3:50 PM
FriFriday
8:00 AM - 3:50 PM

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