September 2010

Something old, something new ...
The ABCs of our ISDs
Schools blend best of tradition & technology

Story by Lisa Kay Tate

It’s back-to-school time, and thousands of El Paso–area students are swarming the familiar halls of their schools. How much, however, do they actually know about their schools or school districts?
Is their school the first to do college prep in the city? How historic is the campus? Is this the most or least crowded school in the district? Will there be a pop quiz on this later?
Each of the area’s school districts has its own bragging points, from historic buildings to notable programs to national and state recognitions, and even geographic oddities. Here’s a little education on each of the area districts, including the biggest, smallest, most tech savvy, and other schoolhouse odds and ends.

Anthony: Small but strong

Anthony Independent School District has just three campuses: a high school, middle school and elementary school, with the elementary school erected in 1959 and the most recent high school in 2001.
None of the district’s campuses is facing overcrowding issues, with the high school hosting 225 students, the middle school 180, and the most crowded school, the elementary, with 425 students enrolled.
“All of our schools are technologically equivalent, with all classrooms having Smartboards, Infocus projects, Internet access, multiple workstations for students in the classroom, and two to three multistation labs,” Anthony Superintendent Ron Haugen said. “The high school would be the most high tech, as every student has a laptop issued to them for the school year as part of a Vision 2020 grant we received.”
Haugen said that the district has received Recognized Texas Education Agency (TEA) status for the current year, as well as other distinctions.
“This past year, our high school was rated one of the top 100 high schools in Texas by U.S. News and World Report,” he said.

Canutillo: Texas west of the Rio

Canutillo Independent School District holds the distinction of being the only district in Texas with school campuses west of the Rio Grande.
The district itself is fairly young, having been created in 1959. Its oldest official building, the Lone Star, actually dates back to 1911, as part of El Paso County Schools. Now the site of the district’s Student Support Division and alternative- and adult-education programs, the building once served students in elementary, junior high and high school with just 16 classrooms and a cafeteria. The first Canutillo High School building, now the site of Canutillo Elementary School’s gifted-and-talented program, was not built until 1962.
One of the district’s newest campuses, the Northwest Early College High School, established near the existing high school in 2008, is a collaborative effort between the district and El Paso Community College, District Communications Specialist Kim Guzman noted.
“Our smallest campus is NECHS, with an enrollment of about 265,” she said of the specialized school for ninth- through 11th-grade students. “This is only their third year, and we only add up to 100 students each year. The first graduating class for NECHS will be 2012.”
The district’s newest elementary, Gonzalo and Sofia Garcia Elementary, was also completed in 2008.
Today, the current Canutillo High School, on South Desert Boulevard, is the district’s biggest and most crowded campus, with about 1,650 students. This new building has come a long way from the first high school, as well as from the second Canutillo High School, built in the mid-1970s and now used as the current Canutillo Middle School.
“Our students at the high school level are offered a wide array of electives, including many courses in the career and technology education program,” she said “Our state-of-the-art theater … consists of a high-tech lighting and sound system that is operated by our drama students.”
Guzman said that the school is also one of the first high schools in the region with an artificial-turf football field.
Clint: Fast growing in the Valley

Both the oldest and newest schools in the Clint Independent School District are junior high schools.
“Clint Junior High was built in 1921 as ‘Clint School,’” Clint Director of Communications Laura Cade said. “The red-brick building still stands today in the town of Clint.”
In addition to being the oldest, Clint Junior High is also the district’s smallest school, with just 480 students in grades four through six. The most crowded is Frank Macias Elementary, with 1,250 students in grades pre-K through third, which also makes it the most crowded elementary in the area.
The newest campus, Ricardo Estrada Junior High, has four computer labs, COWS (Computers on Wheels) and interactive whiteboards.
Clint will soon have one of the newest high schools in the county.
“The new Clint High School, currently under construction a few miles from the old high school, will have a unique architecture and site plan for the students and community,” Cade said.
Some of the district’s specialized programs include cosmetology at all three high schools, agricultural at Clint High School, and criminal justice at Horizon and Mountain View high schools.
The district has received Recognized status with 11 of its 12 campuses rated either Exemplary or Recognized.
El Paso: City’s biggest employer

El Paso Independent School District, which turned 125 years old in 2008, is home to the first high school in El Paso, El Paso High.
The distinction of the oldest campus, however, goes to San Jacinto Adult Learning Center, 1216 Olive, which was first known as the Central School.
Public Relations Executive Director Berenice Zubia noted that the campus has served students of all ages. “It was built in 1905 and served elementary school students before providing GED and ESOL classes to adults.”
Vilas Elementary School, which is still in operation in its original location at 220 Lawton, is the district’s oldest traditional school, having celebrated its centennial in 2009.
The newest building, the new Hornedo Middle School, opens its doors to students for the first time this year; the old Hornedo building is now the Ninth Grade Center for the fast-growing Franklin High School. The new building is the latest of five financed through the 2007 bond programs and joins four other schools that opened last year: Herrera, Lundy, Powell and Tom Lea elementary schools.
The sizes of the district’s schools vary greatly, with Franklin High School the largest, with 3,078 students (including those at the Ninth Grade Center), and Schuster Elementary serving a more intimate population of just 241 students. Zubia said that the schools work to keep up with technological advances, and the Transmountain Early College High School is their most “technologically savvy” school.
“All students and teachers are provided with laptop computers,” Zubia said. “Classrooms have video conferencing capabilities, interactive whiteboards and digital data projectors.”
Other specialized schools in the district include six magnet schools ranging from pre-engineering and business schools to criminal justice, dual language, health fields and the International Baccalaureate Program.
El Paso became a TEA Recognized School District this year with 38 Exemplary-rated campuses and 42 Recognized campuses. As the largest district in the TEA’s Region 19 area, it has more than 63,000 students on 94 campuses. This makes EPISD the tenth-largest district in Texas and 61st in the United States.
“It also is El Paso’s largest employer, with nearly 9,000 employees, and has an annual operating budget of $475 million,” Zubia said.

Fabens: A brief history

The history of Fabens dates back to its first Spanish settlements in the 16th century, but its first school was built in 1927.
According to district information, all of the pupils except those who could not speak English attended this school.
“Non-English-speaking pupils continued using the Cobos School until it was demolished to make way for the new high school, now the junior high, which was erected in 1947,” according to the district’s website.
Prior to integration, Fabens also had schools, in buildings acquired from the Civilian Conservation Corps Camp, for both non-English-speaking students and black students.
Other early schools include the Primary, built in 1953, later named Risinger Primary and now Risinger Early Childhood Center. The new high school and junior high buildings were completed in the late 1980s.
Today, the district is home to one high school, middle school and elementary school, plus two primary schools for grades pre-K through three. Accommodating mostly rural areas, the entire student population for all six campuses put together is a little more than 2,600 students.
District facilities, such as the Fabens ISD Community Library, are used by both the schools and area residents.

Gadsden: New Mexico neighbor

Gadsden Independent School District, although not part of El Paso County, surrounds the county on the west and north, from Sunland Park to Anthony, N.M., to Chaparral.
Its oldest and biggest school, Gadsden High School, was built in 1929 and is a common sight for travelers along Highway 28. Originally called “Valley High School,” the building was listed in 1992 with the New Mexico State and National Registered Properties.
It currently has 1,670 registered students, and the district’s smallest school, La Union Elementary, has 274 students. Its newest school, Gadsden Elementary, welcomed students this August.
According to district representative Raphael Gallegos, the district also serves Chaparral, and its Chaparral High School has a cyber café at the end of each of its six wings. The school also has a media room that produces daily news programs.
Gallegos said that the building itself utilizes computer technology for its everyday functions.
“The majority of the building’s heating, cooling and lights are controlled via an online computer program called Tracer ES (a Web-based multiple-building control system),” he said.

San Elizario: Fighting for students

The San Elizario Independent School District’s buildings date back to 1936 with the erecting of L.G. Alarcón Elementary. Its newest school, Borrego Elementary, opened in 2001.
The schools range in population from 1,029 students (San Elizario High School) to 435 (Josefa L. Sambrano Elementary).
As with other districts in the area, district officials emphasize that technology is taking an increasing role.
San Elizario ISD Communications Officer Cynthia P. Marentes said that Garcia-Enriquez Middle School (GEMS) added interactive Promethean whiteboards in 2007, complete with ActivInspire software in all rooms, allowing for a multimedia learning experience for students.
“GEMS students are also piloting the use of iPods for classroom reading assignments,” Marentes said, adding that other technology initiatives include television production studios at Borrego and Sambrano elementary schools. The studios are operated by fourth- and fifth-grade students who create and broadcast daily campuswide newscasts.
Marentes said that the district caters to the education of community members of all ages and is home to both the L.G. Loya Primary School for students ages 3 to 5, and the Excell Academy Adult Learning Center, which includes everything from workforce skills to citizenship courses.
Named a TEA-Recognized district in 2010, the district, established in the 1870s, isn’t known for shying away from a fight.
“In 1984, the district was one of the original plaintiffs represented in the landmark case of Edgewood Independent School District et al. v. Kirby et al., citing inequity in school funding,” Marentes said. “Since then, the district has been an active participant in ensuring that property-poor school districts, such as San Elizario, receive equal access to state revenues.”

Socorro: Ever expanding

Socorro Independent School District dates back to 1924 with its oldest school, which is now the Early Childhood Center. Today, the district features the second-most-populated school in the city, Montwood High School, with 2,765 students enrolled.
The district’s growth has been so significant that two new high school campuses opened this school year to battle overcrowding, Socorro Public Relations Specialist Daniel Escobar said.
“With the first day of school this year, we opened two new high school facilities to relieve overcrowding and accommodate the rapid growth we’ve experienced,” Escobar said, “Eastlake High School and the El Dorado Ninth Grade Academy.”
The district also has the smallest campus in the city, as its alternative school houses less than 100 students. 
Socorro has always worked to integrate technology into its campuses, and the new Eastlake High School has taken full advantage of this with its own wireless network and Apple equipment.
“In addition to iMac computer labs, the school is equipped with iCOW’s or Computers on Wheels that contain sets of iPod Touches for use in classrooms,” Escobar said. ”
Although each high school is host to its own magnet schools, in addition to Mission Early College High School, students from the entire district may enroll in any of the schools or programs that best fists his or her specialized needs.
Curriculum Opportunities for Science and Math Oriented Students, a college-preparatory plan rich in science and mathematics, with a strong interdisciplinary structure that encourages high moral and ethical values, is offered at both Americas and Socorro high schools.
El Dorado High School has the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. Also offering college-level learning are the Mission Early College High School and Montwood High’s Montwood Advanced Studies Institute. Other specialized programs include Socorro High School’s Health Professions Academy, a partnership with area colleges, universities and health-care facilities. 
Escobar said that the district has received “back-to-back” TEA-Recognized status. It also has been named as a finalist for the Broad Prize for Urban Education by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. This is the second straight year for this honor.

Ysleta: A magnet for magnets

Like EPISD, Ysleta Independent School District’s first high school, Ysleta High School, has historic status, dating back to 1927. Its newest school, Ysleta Pre-K, completed this year, houses its smallest students, but its smallest school is Cadwallader Elementary, with a student population of just 340. Hanks High School boasts the most students, with 2,189 enrolled in June 2010.
Ysleta ISD Public Relations Staff Writer Christy Flores-Jones said that all seven of the district’s high schools boast some sort of magnet or specialized academy. Bel Air’s magnets include health professions; global enterprises; professional and public services; math, science and engineering; and arts, communication and media. Del Valle has Multinational Business and Systems academies. Eastwood (the district’s most high-tech school) offers the Mass Media and Communications and Business academies. Academies at Hanks include Information Technology and Law Enforcement. Parkland features the T-STEM Academy for math, science and engineering. Riverside’s academies focus on business management, finance, accounting, law, public safety and security, government and public administration. Riverside is also home to the Socratic Academy. Finally, Ysleta High itself has magnets in environmental sciences, visual performing arts, professional studies and business, management and marketing.
Like other area districts, Ysleta works closely with EPCC on an early-college high school program, with Ysleta’s students attending classes at the Valle Verde campus.
This variety of specialized learning has earned Ysleta national recognition.
“The Ysleta Independent School District is one of five school districts named as a finalist for the 2010 Broad Prize for Urban Education, an annual $2 million award that honors urban school districts making the greatest progress in America in raising student achievement,” Flores-Jones said.
“The distinction as a finalist for this prize guarantees YISD a minimum of $250,000 in college scholarships for 2011 high school graduates,” she said.

Landmarks of learning

Many area schools play a part in the borderland’s colorful history, whether it is their architectural style, longevity or prized possessions. From the first high school, Henry Trost masterpiece El Paso High School, to the most unique, J. M. Whitaker Elementary, there are a number of stand-out schools.
The city’s most recognizable high school is El Paso High. Built in 1916, it is the oldest operating high school in the area and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
“Reminiscent of Greek and Roman architecture, El Paso High has become an historical benchmark for EPISD,” Zubia said.
Other historic schools include Austin High School, which celebrated its 80th anniversary this year and is recognized by its large domed bell tower. It is the alma mater of former Supreme Court Judge Sandra Day O’Connor, and the school’s Criminal Justice/Public Academy is named for her.
“The most historically significant campus in the Ysleta school district is also our oldest: Ysleta High School,” Flores-Jones said. “Constructed in 1927, the original school, which included hardwood floors and a wooden roof structure, was designed by Henry Trost, one of the most noteworthy architects in El Paso and the Southwest.”
Trost’s influence is notable, she explained, as he was among the first architects in the area to consciously design buildings adapted to the desert region.
Another landmark of education was built in the 1990s: Whitaker Elementary, considered a new concept in school construction. Its colorful pencil-and-open-book façade was a successful experiment in how schools don’t need to be somber to be effective.
After its construction, Whitaker’s students actually showed a 20 percent improvement in test scores, according to a write-up on architecture’s impact on learning in a 1994 issue of School Administrator. The school also has one of the city’s most interesting mascots — The Rainbows.
In Canutillo, many of the historic school buildings, which even preexisted the district, have been lost to demolition or fire. This doesn’t mean there aren’t still visible signs of the area’s history. One item that holds significant value to the district is the historic School Bell.
According to Guzman, the bell was made in Ohio in the 1940s and hung in the old school house, referred to as “The Alamo” due to its distinctive look, in Canutillo.
“The bell would ring and all the students would line up outside to say the pledge of allegiance before entering the building to start school every day,” Guzman said. “Even though the old school house no longer exists, the bell was kept and has survived throughout the years. After being held in storage for many years, the bell was resurrected and used as a celebratory bell for touchdowns during football games.”
When the new Canutillo Elementary School was built in 1998, school officials asked the architects to include the bell in the design, and the bell remains over the school’s entrance today.
San Elizario’s oldest school, as well as its namesake, Lorenzo Garcia Alarcón, is a prominent part of the historic community.
“The campus sits in the middle of the San Elizario Historic District, a town founded in the late 1700s, on the El Paso Mission Trail,” Marentes said. “It is the oldest school in the district and was the only campus in the district for several years. It is named after Lorenzo Garcia Alarcón, who was the longest-serving superintendent in San Elizario.”
She said that the school also features old adobe construction and mission-style façades that are prevalent along the El Paso Mission Trail Historical Area.
Although Socorro’s Escontrias Early Childhood Center was designated by the city of Socorro as a historic landmark, Escobar said, one of Socorro’s outstanding buildings represents a timelier landmark in school design.
“In 2009, SISD opened the city’s first school designed and built to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified green school guidelines, Chester E. Jordan Elementary School,” he said. “Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED is an internationally recognized green-building certification system that creates benchmarks for the design and construction of new schools to ensure they are healthy for children, comfortable for teachers, and operate efficiently.”

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