The El Paso Independent School District (or EPISD) is the largest school district 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.
In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.
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.
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 . 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. 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. In 1930, Austin High School was established as the third high school in the EPISD, admitting its first students following its construction in 1929. In 1949, Jefferson High School was established in Central El Paso In 1955, Burges High School was established in East El Paso. In 1959, Irvin High School was established in Northeast El Paso. In 1961, Andress High School was established in Northeast El Paso. In 1962, Coronado High School was established in Northwest El Paso. In 1993, Franklin High School was established in Northwest El Paso. 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. 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. 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.