Pharr-San Juan-Alamo 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 Pharr

Pharr, Texas

Pharr is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 70,400. Pharr is connected by bridge to the Mexican city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas...

, 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...

).

The district serves most of Pharr

Pharr, Texas

Pharr is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 70,400. Pharr is connected by bridge to the Mexican city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas...

, San Juan

San Juan, Texas

San Juan is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population in July 2008 was 33,970 since then the population of San Juan increased since 2000 by +29.5%. The name reflects that of a founding father...

, and 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 a small portion of McAllen

McAllen, Texas

McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. It is located at the southern tip of Texas in an area known as the Rio Grande Valley and is part of the . Its southern boundary is located about five miles from the U.S.–Mexico border and the Mexican city of Reynosa, the Rio...

. PSJA ISD's total student enrollment for 2010 was 31,329 according to the Texas Education Agency's website. In 2009, the school district 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...

. PSJA ISD's current superintendent is Daniel King. You can visit PSJA ISD's website at http://www.psjaisd.us .

History

On March 15, 1919 Common School District No. 4 in Hidalgo County became Pharr-San Juan Independent School District. Forty years later in 1959, Alamo merged with the district, establishing what is now known as the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District, a district that caters to over 31,000 students in the tri-city area.

Student Information

PSJA ISD houses students from three different cities, who come from similar backgrounds and way of life. The student body at PSJA ISD is 98.97% Hispanic, 85.37% economically disadvantaged and 73.16% at risk. With the district’s proximity to Mexico, 41.36% of the students are considered Limited English Proficient (LEP) with Spanish being the language spoken at home.

Despite those figures, PSJA ISD has maintained a culture of pride and excellence. Known for its “children first” environment it has actively taken those challenges and has helped motivate students to pursue an education beyond high school.

TEA Academic Status

For the 2009-2010 school year the Texas Education Agency designated 11 PSJA campuses with an "Exemplary" status and 19 as "Recognized," and the district was also designated as a "Recognized" School District.

PSJA ISD believes all children can learn and within that motto it is focused on performance by having highly qualified teaching staff, effective research-based curriculum, plus state-of-the art technology to meet all instructional needs.

Recent History

On January 24, 2011, former PSJA superintendent Arturo Guajardo and board members Rogelio "Little Roy" Rodriguez, Rogelio "Big Roy" Navarro, and Evangelina "Vangie" De Leon pleaded guilty and were sentenced to probation, fines, and prison terms. Also, Arnulfo "Arnie" Olivarez (former insurance agent) and George Hernandez (former Donna ISD board president) pleaded guilty and were sentenced to probation, fines, and prison term for their role in the bribery and extortion scandal involving PSJA ISD's finances.
On June 6, 2007, The Dallas Morning News

The Dallas Morning News

The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...

reported that Arturo Guajardo, the superintendent of PSJA ISD, and board members Raul Navarro, Evangelina De Leon, and Rogelio Rodriguez, were indicted on corruption charges. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/060607dntexschoolboard.32b6a36.html.

High Schools (Grades 9-12)

• Pharr-San Juan-Alamo High School
  Pharr-San Juan-Alamo High School
  Pharr-San Juan-Alamo High School is a public school in San Juan, Texas . It is part of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District and is one of the district's four high schools...
  
   (San Juan)
• Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial High School
  Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial High School
  Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Memorial High School is a public school in Alamo, Texas . It is part of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District and is one of the district's three high schools....
  
   (Alamo)
• Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North High School
  Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North High School
  Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North High School is a public school in Pharr, Texas . It is part of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District and is one of the district's three high schools.Located at 500 E...
  
   (Pharr)
• Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Central High School (Pharr)
• Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Southwest High School  (Pharr)
• Pharr-San Juan-Alamo T-STEM Early College High School (Pharr)

Middle Schools (Grades 6-8)

• Alamo Middle School (Alamo)
• Austin Middle School (San Juan)
• Jaime Escalante Middle School (Pharr)
• Lyndon B. Johnson Middle School (Pharr)
• Liberty Middle School (Pharr)
• San Juan Middle School (San Juan)
• Kennedy Middle School (Pharr)

Elementary Schools (Grades PK-5)

• Bowie Elementary School (Alamo)
• Buckner Elementary School (Pharr)
• Carman Elementary School (San Juan)
• Carnahan Elementary School (Pharr)
• Chavez Elementary School (Pharr)
• Clover Elementary School (San Juan)
• Doedyns Elementary School (San Juan)
• Dr.William Long Elementary School (Pharr)
• Farias Elementary School (Alamo)
• Ford Elementary School (Pharr)
• Franklin Elementary School (Alamo)
• Garcia Elementary School (Pharr)
• Garza-Pena Elementary School (San Juan)
• Guerra Elementary School (Alamo)
• Long Elementary School (Pharr)
• Longoria Elementary School (Pharr)
• Napper Elementary School (Pharr)
• North Alamo Elementary School (Alamo)
• North San Juan Elementary School (San Juan)
• Palmer Elementary School (Pharr)
• Pharr Elementary School (Pharr)
• Ramirez Elementary School (Pharr)
• Reed & Mock Elementary School (San Juan)
• Sorensen Elementary School (San Juan)
• South Pharr Elementary (Pharr)
• Trevino Elementary School (San Juan)
• Whitney Elementary School (Pharr)