Two school-based enterprises at Richardson High School, the PERCH and ROOST, have once again achieved Gold-Level Re-Certification for the 2025–2026 school year. This prestigious recognition places Richardson High School among 989 school-based enterprises worldwide, earning Gold-Level distinction this year through DECA Inc.’s School-Based Enterprise (SBE) Certification Program.
The PERCH has operated successfully for 12 years, while the ROOST is celebrating 2 years of operation. Both enterprises are to be commended for sustaining high standards of excellence and growth.
The Richardson High School DECA members who contributed to the certification process include:
- Kirah Geffert
- Jaylynn Haynes
- Isabella Norkowski
- Lilian Salgado
These students worked under the guidance of DECA Chapter Advisor, Lee Geffert, to complete the rigorous certification process.
Lee Geffert, who is the Marketing and Entrepreneurship teacher and leads the SBEs, uses his corporate business knowledge and experience to bring tangible, real-world learning opportunities into the classroom. Last year, he was recognized by the Texas Business Hall of Fame for the Teacher of Excellence Award.
Through the Marketing and Entrepreneurship CTE classes and the CTSO (Career & Technical Student Organization), students learn valuable business and financial skills that are needed in today’s job force, and are also an integral part of the CTE programs he teaches, complementing and reinforcing the skills and concepts taught in the classroom through applied learning and real-world experiences.
At the PERCH, students are taught how to manage and target food sales to RHS’s unique student demographic, while maintaining and following federal guidelines.
At the ROOST, the student-run school store, students are learning retail and merchandising skills, developing better customer service skills, and learning to analyze cost versus profit for fundraising.
Through these initiatives, students are given activities that spark their leadership skills, opportunities to network with community and industry leaders, jump start their career development, and improve overall employability skills. The project-based teaching and real-world spaces put students in the driver’s seat of their own learning.
Both the ROOST and the PERCH enterprises will be recognized and compete at DECA’s International Career Development Conference, April 25-28, 2026, in Atlanta, GA. Learn more about RHS’s SBEs and DECA Inc.’s School-Based Enterprise Certification Program.
