When Charlie Salcedo enrolled at UT High School in early 2024, she was looking for something traditional school couldn't offer: the freedom to learn on her own terms. For Charlie, virtual school isn't just a practical choice. It's where she found her footing.

UT High School serves nearly 200 military-connected students—more than 10 percent of its enrollment—offering priority enrollment, free tuition, and flexible online learning that provides stability for families navigating frequent relocations. As a two-time Purple Star Campus designee, UTHS demonstrates an ongoing commitment to military families through specialized counseling, staff professional development, and community partnerships like its annual stocking drive for Texas veterans. For many on the UTHS team, this mission is personal: staff members including the Superintendent and multiple principals come from military-connected families themselves.

Cathryn Bermudez, a UT High School senior and Student Council secretary, has turned her experience as an online learner into a mission to build community — organizing Houston meetups, championing a mental health club, and pushing for more student engagement opportunities. The Houston resident, who moved from Mexico City at 15 and found structure and belonging at UTHS, is now preparing to pursue a double major in journalism and psychology at UT Austin with aspirations to write about the criminal justice system.

UT High School is launching UT Sage, an AI tutoring platform developed at UT Austin, to provide students with 24/7 academic support while teaching them to use artificial intelligence responsibly and ethically. Integrated into a comprehensive curriculum redesign led by Linda Webb, the platform features specialized, scope-controlled tutors for course-specific learning—starting with mathematics and expanding across subjects. With robust safety safeguards designed specifically for students, Sage equips UTHS learners with essential AI skills they'll need for college and careers in an increasingly AI-driven world.

UT High School's Student Council transforms online education into a genuine community through four active committees and ambitious initiatives led by student representatives from across Texas and internationally. From organizing regional meetups and developing mental health programming to reimagining graduation celebrations for dispersed students, the council ensures every student feels connected regardless of their location. With a 100-member-strong leadership focused on communication, achievements, culture, and graduation, the council proves that physical distance doesn't diminish the power of meaningful student voice and belonging.

Senior Nawal Rasheed was looking for a way to maintain the multicultural connections she'd experienced at an international school in Lebanon when her family relocated to Pakistan—and found it at UT High School, 11 time zones away. Now serving as Student Council president, she's built meaningful relationships with classmates across Asia and the Middle East, proving that community isn't about geography—it's about finding people who understand your journey, wherever in the world they might be. Through UTHS's flexible online learning environment, Nawal has discovered that a school thousands of miles away can feel like home.

The University of Texas College of Education is pleased to release its inaugural Annual Report for the newly unified PK-12 Schools portfolio, marking a milestone year of transformation and innovation.

Sprint freestyler Abigail Halko trains with Nitro Swimming in Cedar Park while balancing academics as a UTHS student. She has achieved Winter Junior and Futures cuts with USA Swimming and is currently working toward qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials. UTHS's flexible scheduling allows Abigail to compete across the country and maintain rigorous training without falling behind academically, demonstrating how online learning empowers student-athletes to pursue their goals.

On October 24, leadership teams from UT Elementary, UT University Charter School, and UT High School participated in a transformative professional development session led by Vince Martinez, senior partner with Culture Partners and Master Trainer in Developmental Coaching. The interactive workshop introduced school leaders to a novel approach to feedback using the Results Pyramid framework, emphasizing the power of team-based feedback over individual critiques. UTHS Assistant Superintendent Barry Bascom captured the session's core message: "Feedback is a gift."

UT High School junior Gavin Matias enrolled in the online Texas diploma program to gain flexibility for elite-level track training. Despite not starting track until 8th grade, the Temple resident quickly achieved remarkable success: double area champion, Junior Olympics competitor in the 400m and 800m, AAU national runner-up, and two-time All-American. Now favored to win the 2-3A Texas State championship, Gavin is working toward competing at the Division 1 level and representing Team USA at the Olympics.