WAYS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TECH HIGH SCHOOL

Richard O. Jacobson Technical High School is a magnet high school facility located in Seminole.  In order to attend Tech High, students must apply for placement.  The programs of Building, Digital Art, Electricity, Game Simulation & Programming, Marine Mechanics and Nursing are county-wide programs, which means we have students attending Tech High from all over Pinellas County.  Our Veterinary program is limited to mid-county south (Ulmerton Road is the dividing line.  Students who live north of Ulmerton Road may apply at Tarpon Spring's Veterinary Program).  

The application process starts at the beginning of January for the following year's placement. Richard O. Jacobson Technical High School offers 7 Industry Certified District Application Programs.  

• Pinellas County Schools - District Application Programs website:  https://www.pcsb.org/domain/10466

Discovery Nights 

December 9, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. for Construction Technology (Building); Electricity; Game & Simulation Programming, Marine Mechanics and Commercial Digital Art

December 10, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. for Nursing and Veterinary.

Face-to-Face walk about with programs presenting their information.

*** Additional parking at Bauder Elementary ***

Please limit family to applicant and parents as we are limited in seating. 

Shadowing

Starting September 9, 2025 through December 4, 2024. We will be hosting applicant shadows. Space is limited to 10 students per day.  Click here to schedule an applicant shadow experience.

Mondays - no shadowing

Tuesdays - Commercial Digital Art and Nursing programs

Wednesdays - Game Simulation & Programming and Marine Mechanics programs

Thursdays - Construction Technology (Building), Electric and Veterinary programs.

Fridays - no shadowing

Tours

Sign-up for a school tour.  These tours start at 8:00 a.m. and conclude about 10:30 a.m.  Students will receive a note indicating attendance of our tour for their middle school.  Parents/guardians accompany their children on these tours.  Parents will meet in our Cafetorium to hear about academics and application processes while their children spend 45 minutes in program classes speaking to current students and our program teachers. Sign up at: https://forms.office.com/r/upLvKZ8PtT 

Tour dates:  TBA

We are happy to answer any questions about the application process. Please feel free to contact us at (727) 545-6405 x2007 or email Ms. Debbie Howard at howardd@pcsb.org  

GENERAL APPLICATION PROCESS - August 2026 Placement

STEP 1 - Apply

January 6, 2026 (9:00 a.m.) to January 16, 2026 (ends at 5:00 p.m.)

The application process starts in January for the following fall placement.  Parents will go online through their Focus Parent account (student accounts will not work for this application process).  After completing questions on your child and home address, parents will select up to five application programs. 

STEP 2 - Accept Invitation

February 10, 2026 (9:00 a.m.) to February 20, 2026 (5:00 p.m.)

In February, parents will log back into the system to see the results of their applications and select a program.  Three result options may be seen:

- Accepted, the student has a seat in this program;

- Wait listed, the student meets the entry criteria, but at this time the applicant is waiting for an open seat; or 

- Declined, students may be declined due to discipline issues.

Once an applicant picks a program, the applicant is removed from all other program waitlists.  It is very important to make an informed decision as the applicant will have to reapply if the applicant changes decisions on program choices.

In the beginning of March programs will start calling applicants who received a wait list position.  Our process to notify of an invitation is to email the parent/guardian first and then call from the telephone number on the application.  Newly invited students, by PCS policy, have 48 business hours to make a decision before the programs go on to the next wait listed applicant.  

Late applications are accepted starting March 24, 2026 and are placed in a time-sensitive order (first apply, first seat).  HISTORICALLY, very few students are placed from the late application period.

Learn more about the District Application Program (DAP) process by going to the DAP website.

6/19/2025