El Paso Independent School District

The El Paso Independent School District (or EPISD) is the largest school districts serving El Paso, Texas (USA). Originally organized in 1883, it is currently the largest district in the Texas Education Agency's Educational Service Center (ESC) Region 19, as well as the largest district within the city of El Paso and El Paso County. The EPISD also provides public education to the children of U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Fort Bliss. The district headquarters are located in El Paso.^[1]

In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.^[2]

School Board (Board of Trustees)

The EPISD is managed by a school board (called the Board of Trustees) composed of seven publicly elected school board trustees and a single superintendent. Each trustee represents one of the seven districts in the EPISD.^[3] Vernon Butler is interim superintendent of EPISD.^[4]

In December 2012 the commission of the Texas Education Agency, Michael Williams, appointed a five-person board of managers and a conservator to oversee the district instead of the Board of Trustees, because the board failed to stop the cheating scandal conducted by previous superintendent Lorenzo Garcia and failed to fire his co-conspirators after he was arrested by the FBI in August 2011. The board of managers includes Ed Archuleta, Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria, Judy Castleberry, Blanca Enriquez, and Dee Margo.^[5] Castleberry was also appointed as conservator. The board of managers can remain in power up to two years, although there are elections for trustees scheduled for 2013. The trustees are appealing this to the Department of Justice.^[6]

Statistics

• More than 63,000 students.
• 92 campuses.
• With more than 9,000 employees, it is the largest employer in El Paso.
• Covers more than 253 square miles (660 km²).
• Estimated annual operating budget is $403-million.
• Twelfth largest school district in Texas (as of 2016-2017)
• 57th largest school district in the United States.

History

• In 1882, El Paso Independent School District was established, with Joseph Magoffin, Samuel Freudenthal and Edward Pew as the founding trustees and Calvin W. Esterly as the first superintendent.^[7][8]
• In 1889, the first kindergarten ever established in Texas was established at Alamo Elementary School in the EPISD.
• In 1916, the first high school in the EPISD was established: El Paso High School.
• In 1927, Bowie High School was established to reduce overcrowding at El Paso High School by converting a grammar school built in 1923 in Central El Paso.^[9]
• In 1930, Austin High School was established as the third high school in the EPISD, admitting its first students following its construction in 1929.^[10]
• In 1949, Jefferson High School was established in Central El Paso^[11]
• In 1955, Burges High School was established in East El Paso.^[12]
• In 1959, Irvin High School was established in Northeast El Paso.^[13]
• In 1961, Andress High School was established in Northeast El Paso.
• In 1962, Coronado High School was established in Northwest El Paso.^[14]
• In 1993, Franklin High School was established in Northwest El Paso.^[15]
• In 1999, the district's oldest operating school, Alamo Elementary School, celebrated its 100th birthday.
• In 2000, Chapin High School was established in Northeast El Paso.^[16]
• In 2011, the district's superintendent Lorenzo Garcia was arrested by the FBI. He later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud- he stole money from the district and also had high school principals illegally kick students out of school and illegally change 10th graders to being listed as members of other grades, in order to cheat on the state's standardized tests.^[6]
• In 2012, the district's board of trustees were stripped of power by the Texas Education Agency, and oversight of the district was given to a TEA-appointed board of managers, because the trustees failed to stop Garcia's wrongdoing and failed to fire his co-conspirators after he was arrested.^[6]

List of schools

Notable EPISD alumni

• F. Murray Abraham, an award-winning actor, is a graduate of El Paso High School.
• Alan Culpepper, a two-time Olympian (2000, 2004) and three-time US Cross-Country Champion, is a graduate of Coronado High School.
• Sam Donaldson, a famous television journalist, is a graduate of El Paso High School.
• Eddie Guerrero, a former professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) who was WWE Champion, two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and member of the WWE Hall of Fame, was a graduate of Jefferson High School.
• Emcee N.I.C.E.(Aulsondro "Novelist" Hamilton) is a Multi-Platinum musician, actor was a part of Lighter Shade of Brown the first Latin Rap group in the history. Produced iconic musicians such as Tupac, Nas, Aaron Hall & more. He is also associated with The 78th Academy Awards winning film Crash (2004 film) Soundtrack along with 7 more notable soundtracks and over 30 records recorded as a member of KansasCali. He attended Travis Elementary, Bassett Junior High School, Canyon Hills Junior High & Irvin High School before moving to Kansas ^[20][21]
• Shoshana Johnson, a famed Iraq War POW, is a graduate of Andress High School.
• Tom Lea, famed author and painter, was a graduate of El Paso High School.
• Tom Moore, a cartoonist best known for the "Archie" comic books series, is a 1946 graduate of Austin High School.
• John Moyer, the current bassist for the rock band Disturbed, is a graduate of Coronado High School .
• Sandra Day O'Connor, a former U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice, is a graduate of Austin High School.
• John D. Olivas, a NASA astronaut, is a graduate of Burges High School.
• Lupe Ontiveros, a veteran actress, was a graduate of El Paso High School.
• Nolan Richardson, a nationally recognized basketball coach, graduated from Bowie High School.
• Rubén Salazar, a noted Mexican-American journalist, was a graduate of El Paso High School.

Other notables who have attended EPISD schools

• Richard Ramirez, known as The Night Stalker, a serial killer who died of natural causes while awaiting execution in California, attended Jefferson High School but dropped out.
• Sharon Tate, actress and Manson Family murder victim, attended Irvin High School briefly in 1959 and 1960.

See also

• List of school districts in Texas

References

External links

• El Paso Independent School District