United Independent School District

United Independent School District is a school district headquartered in Laredo, Texas.

United Independent School District
Location
201 Lindenwood Dr
Laredo, Texas
United States
Coordinates27.574168°N 99.480182°W / 27.574168; -99.480182
District information
TypePublic
GradesPK-12
Established1961[1]
SuperintendentRoberto J. Santos[2]
Schools42[3]
Budget$367,034,000[3]
NCES District ID4843650[3]
Students and staff
Students40,885 as of 2010[3]
Teachers2,538.01 (on a FTE basis)[3]
Student–teacher ratio16.11[3]
Other information
Websitewww.uisd.net

UISD serves portions of the city of Laredo, the cities of El Cenizo and Rio Bravo, and several unincorporated areas in Webb County. The unincorporated areas include Botines, La Presa, Larga Vista, Ranchitos Las Lomas, and Ranchos Penitas West.

In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" under the accountability ratings system used by the Texas Education Agency.[4]

History
The renovated Nye Elementary School on Del Mar Boulevard in Laredo

The district was created in 1961 via the consolidation of the former Cactus, Johnson, and Nye school districts. The "Big Three" involved in the establishment of UISD were rancher Joe B. Finley, Amparo Gutierrez, and John W. Arndt, all of whom have schools named in their honor.

By the 2000s, United ISD had a rapidly growing student population due to the burgeoning populations of many colonias along the Texas-Mexico border. As of the 2000s, United ISD gains about 1,500 students per year.[5]

On November 5, 2013, voters handily approved a $408.7 million school bond issue to acquire land, construct new schools, and expand other facilities. The tabulation in a low-turnout election was 5,148 (66.1 percent) in support and 2,643 (33.9 percent) in opposition.[6]

Standardized dress

Students in pre-Kindergarten through 8th grades are required to follow standardized dress code provided by the district; the dress code began during the 2006-2007 school year. Since the 2007-2008 school year, high school students are also be required to follow the same standardized dress code procedures as approved by the Board of Trustees.

The Texas Education Agency specified that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms may apply for a waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.

Schools
Water tower advertises J.B. Alexander Bulldogs in Laredo.

High schools

Middle schools
  • Antonio Gonzalez Middle School
  • Clark Middle School
  • George Washington Middle School
  • Lamar Bruni Vergara Middle School
  • Los Obispos Middle School
  • Raul Perales Middle School
  • Salvador Garcia Middle School
  • Trautmann Middle School
  • United Middle School
  • United South Middle School
  • Elias Herrera Middle School

Elementary schools
  • John W. Arndt Elementary School
  • Colonel Santos Benavides Elementary School
  • Freedom Elementary School
  • Charles R. Borchers Elementary School, named for the former district attorney of the 49th Judicial District Court and former UISD board president Charles Robert Borchers of Laredo
  • Centeno Elementary School
  • Clark Elementary School
  • Henry Cuellar Elementary School
  • De Llano Elementary School
  • Barbara Fasken Elementary School
  • Finley Elementary School
National Blue Ribbon School 1998-99
  • Bonnie L. Garcia Elementary School
  • Amparo Gutierrez Elementary School
  • United D.D. Hachar Elementary School
  • Juarez-Lincoln Elementary School
  • Kazen Elementary School
  • John F. Kennedy-Emiliano Zapata Elementary School
  • Killam Elementary School
  • Malakoff Elementary School
  • Julia Bird Jones Muller Elementary School
  • Newman Elementary School
  • Nye Elementary School
  • Perez Elementary School
  • Prada Elementary School
  • Roosevelt Elementary School
  • Ruiz Elementary School
  • Salinas Elementary School
  • Trautmann Elementary School
  • Senator Judith Zaffirini Elementary School
  • Veterans Memorial Elementary School
  • Freedom Elementary School

References
  1. "About United ISD". United I.S.D. Retrieved August 15, 2011. The 1961-1962 school year was the first for UISD, serving about 340 students from first through ninth grades.
  2. "Office of the Superintendent". United I.S.D. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  3. "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for United Isd". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  4. "2009 Accountability Rating System". Texas Education Agency. Archived from the original on 2015-10-25.
  5. "Texas Colonias - A Thumbnail Sketch of the Conditions, Issues, Challenges and Opportunities" (PDF). Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2004. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  6. "LISD, UISD school bonds pass as final voting results are released". Laredo Morning Times. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
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