Donna Independent School District is a public school district

School district

School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...

 based in Donna

Donna, Texas

Donna is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,798 at the 2010 census. The city's motto is "The Heart of the Valley." Donna is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas....

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 (USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

).

In addition to Donna, the district also serves portions of Alamo

Alamo, Texas

Alamo, Texas, in what is nicknamed the "Land of Two Summers," is a town in the irrigated area of southern Hidalgo County, Texas. This town was incorporated in 1924, and it was named for the Alamo Land and Sugar Company, is 240 miles south of the more famous Texas Alamo Mission, and is near the...

 as well as the communities of Muniz

Muniz, Texas

Muniz is a census-designated place in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,106 at the 2000 census. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, Scissors

Scissors, Texas

Scissors is a census-designated place in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,805 at the 2000 census. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, and South Alamo

South Alamo, Texas

South Alamo is a census-designated place in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The area is known locally as "Little Mex." The population was 3,101 at the 2000 census...

.

In 2010, Donna ISD was rated "academically acceptable

Texas Education Agency accountability ratings system

The Texas Education Agency accountability ratings system rates all public schools, charter schools, and school districts in the State of Texas.The criteria are the same for schools and districts, and are discussed below...

" by the Texas Education Agency

Texas Education Agency

The Texas Education Agency is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education. The agency is headquartered in the William B...

. Donna ISD's total student enrollment for 2010 was 14,873 according to the Texas Education Agency's website. Donna ISD's current superintendent is Roberto Loredo.

Recent History

On January 24, 2011, a federal judge in McAllen, Texas sentenced the former president of the Board of Trustees of Donna ISD, George Hernandez, to five months in prison, five months of house arrest, three years of probation, and a $3,000 fine for paying thousands of dollars in kickbacks to curry favors from the PSJA school board. Mr. Hernandez had previously pleaded guilty to the criminal charges.

On November 13, 2009, a federal jury awarded $1.2 million to a former superintendent of Donna ISD who was illegally terminated in 2001. Plaintiff's attorney Kevin O'Hanlon described the jury verdict as a message to school districts across Texas to abide by the law and not play politics. Donna ISD's lawyer Eileen Leeds had described the former superintendent's lawsuit as motivated by greed. The federal jury also awarded damages against Donna ISD's former attorneys - lawyer Gustavo Acevedo and Jaime Munoz each to pay $87,750 to plaintiff Andres Martinez for violating his constitutional rights of due process. Both Acevedo and Munoz filed an appeal with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (case no. 10-40352) which was dismissed by the appeals court on May 24, 2010.

In April 2006, the Chief Financial Officer of Donna ISD filed complaints with FBI-McAllen, Texas Education Agency

Texas Education Agency

The Texas Education Agency is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education. The agency is headquartered in the William B...

, and Department of Justice regarding widespread corruption, extortion, bribery, theft, and abuse of taxpayer money at Donna ISD. The Texas Education Agency

Texas Education Agency

The Texas Education Agency is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education. The agency is headquartered in the William B...

investigated the complaints and issued its final investigative report in 2007 confirming the allegations and forwarding its report to law enforcement agencies for further investigation. As a result of TEA's report, Donna ISD's superintendent Joe D. Gonzalez, the school attorney Jacques Trevino, its Human Resources manager Alfredo Salinas, and its assistant superintendent Nereida "Nellie" Cantu were fired by the school district. Due to the complaints by TEA regarding Donna ISD's dealings with Integrity Communications of Corpus Christi, the Federal Government withheld millions of dollars of technology grants to the school district.

High schools

• Grades 10-12
  • Donna High School

• Grade 9
  • W.A. Todd 9th Grade Campus

Middle schools

• Grades 6-8
  • A.P. Solis Middle School
  • Veterans Middle School
  • Sauceda Middle School

Elementary schools

• Grades PK-5
  • A.M. Ochoa Elementary School
  • C. Stainke Elementary School
  • Captain D. Salinas II Elementary School
  • Daniel Singleterry Sr. Elementary School
  • Eloy Salazar Elementary School
  • Guzman Elementary School
  • J.W. Caceres Elementary School
  • LeNoir Elementary School
  • M. Rivas Elementary School
  • Maria Alicia P. Munoz Elementary School
  • Patricia S. Garza Elementary School
  • Runn Elementary School
  • T. Price Elementary School

Julian S. Adame Elementary School

Additional schools

• 3D Academy— a credit-recovery school for students who didn't graduate with their cohort
• DAEP— the alternative campus