Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District (HEB ISD) is a K-12 public school district based in Bedford, Texas (USA). The district serves the city of Bedford, most of the cities of Euless and Hurst, and small parts of North Richland Hills, Colleyville, Fort Worth, and Arlington. The district operates twenty-one elementary schools, five junior high schools, two traditional high schools, and additional specialized facilities.
HEB ISD offers "Schools of Choice" programs, which provide unique opportunities for students to develop skills beyond standard primary and secondary school curriculum. The district was named by Education Resource Group in 2008-2011 as the top district in the state and has been recognized for achievements in academics and student performance, music education, public relations practices, operating efficiency, and teacher salaries. In August 2018, HEB ISD was rated "A" by the Texas Education Agency, placing it in the top quintile of Texas school districts.
History
Before the creation of the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district, many schools and school districts served the area's education needs. Notable early schools included:
Bedford College (1882–1893) A private combined high school and junior college that attracted students from out of state. The quality of education dwindled and became more like a public elementary and secondary school before it burned down in 1893 amidst rumors of arson. Bedford School (1912-current) This two-story brick building was restored after a fire in January 1991 and houses the Bedford School Museum. The school is also commonly known as the Old Bedford School. Euless School (1913–1970) Another two-story brick schoolhouse, the cornerstone was laid for Euless School in 1913 (on the site of present-day South Euless Elementary). Beginning in 1934 the school served as a high school, until 1955 when a new high school was built and Euless School was renamed South Euless Elementary. In 1970, the original building was demolished and replaced by the current building. In 2010, a historical marker was placed at South Euless Elementary. Mosier Valley School (1883-?) In 1949-1950, a local crisis centered on Mosier Valley School, as parents and school employees struggled against state law requiring racial segregation. Mosier Valley School was organized in 1883 as part of Evatt School District and met in buildings shared with Oak Grove Baptist Church. In 1918, the school moved into its own schoolhouse. The school was closed in 1949; the wooden frame building was in poor condition and still had no heating, lighting, or sanitary facilities. In June 1950, a federal judge ordered the Euless School District to provide a separate school for African American children. To comply, the district temporarily re-opened Mosier Valley School. By September 1951, classes were moved into a new brick building. In 1984, a historical marker was dedicated at the original location of the school. The original wooden school house was moved to Bedford in May 1984.
Combined districts
The Euless and Hurst school districts merged in 1955. The combined district served 1,418 students and grew to almost 2,300 students in the next two years. In 1955, Lawrence D. Bell High School also known as L.D. Bell was founded.
In 1958, the residents of the Bedford School District voted to merge with the Hurst-Euless School District by 212 to 189. (Similar attempts to combine the cities themselves have not succeeded.) The tri-city district served 3,116 students during its first year, including 68 high school seniors, at seven schools:
Bell High School (at the current site of Central Junior High) Bedford Elementary (the afore-mentioned Bedford School, now City of Bedford property) South Hurst (no longer district property) North Hurst (now Hurst Junior High)
Mosier Valley Elementary (now a community building) Euless Elementary (now South Euless Elementary) West Elementary (now West Hurst Elementary).
Later that school year, North Euless Elementary opened and Pennington Field was completed. The next decade brought Oakwood Terrace Elementary (1962) Wilshire Elementary (1964), the current L.D. Bell High School campus (1965), Donna Park Elementary (1966), Midway Park Elementary (1967), Bell's Driver's Education Facility (1968), and in 1969 Trinity High School, Bell Manor Elementary and Hurst Hills Elementary. Racial integration began in the summer of 1965 in a Head Start class. HEB ISD desegregated in 1968.