About PSJA ISD

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 30,000 students in the tri-city area. 

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.
For the 2018-19 school year, 12 PSJA campuses earned "A" ratings from the Texas Education Agency. In addition, seven schools earned All-Performance Distinction Designations for ELA/Reading, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies (Middle Schools Only), Academic Growth, Closing the Gaps and Postsecondary Readiness.

PSJA's Carmen Anaya Elementary and Cesar Chavez Elementary, both located in the South Pharr, Las Milpas area, were designated National Blue Ribbon Schools in 2018. Since the inception of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program's, PSJA ISD has had three other schools receive these honors. In the 1987-88 school year Raul Longoria Elementary was awarded the Blue Ribbon School designation. In the 1998-99 school year, Napper Elementary received this honor and in 2009 James Bowie Elementary, now McKeever Elementary was awarded.

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.

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Preparing students to excel in a global society

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District is a state and national leader in creating more academic opportunities for all students. As a tri-city public school district offering a pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade curriculum, PSJA caters to a 30,000-student body and is focused on preparing students to participate, compete, and excel in a global society to foster multi-generational prosperity. 

PSJA has a very successful Early College program, with approximately 3,500 High School students enrolled in College courses each semester through dual and concurrent enrollment programs. Some of the district’s most successful programs such as the Dual Language Enrichment Program, the Early College Initiative and Dropout Recovery Program have been highlighted at both the state and national level for dramatically enhancing post-secondary completion rates for Hispanic students.

At PSJA ISD all students can:

• Earn up to 2 years of College FREE 
• Can Master 2 Languages, Graduating Bilingual & Biliterate 
• Be Part of Athletic Excellence and Renowned Fine Arts Programs

PSJA students also participate in a variety of academic and technical competition teams including: Robotics, Coding, Chess & UIL Academics

Academics 

• PSJA is leading the way in Early College Education with about 3,500 high school students enrolled in college courses each semester. 
• PSJA ISD has decreased its dropout rate dramatically, increasing the district’s four-year graduation rate and high school completion rate. The district has a dropout rate that is well below the state and regional average and an on-time graduation rate above the state average.
• Full-Day Pre-K 3 & 4 at all elementary schools
• PSJA Building Blocks Academy locations in Pharr and Alamo are exclusively dedicated to serving Pre-K 3 through Kinder students and stand as a beacon in early childhood education
• Partnerships with 40 Child Care Centers
• PSJA’s Early Start Program received the 2013 H-E-B Early Childhood Excellence in Education Award.
• PSJA Early Head Start Campus services in partnership with UTRGV and Licensed Daycares provide service to 0 to 3-year-olds in district facilities and daycares.

Finances & Growth

• PSJA ISD is the recipient of a Platinum Leadership Circle Award from the Texas Comptroller’s Office. This award was given for successfully implementing financial transparency.
• One of only few districts in Texas to implement a successful teacher performance pay program.
• Has a successful PSJA Education Foundation. Each year, the Foundation awards competitive Teacher Mini Grants and scholarships. Since its creation in 2013, the Foundation has awarded over $1 million in student scholarships and teacher grants.

Partnerships

• Innovative first in the country Associate Degree in Nursing for high school students in partnership with:
  • South Texas College
  • Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance

• PSJA has been identified as a national model for putting dropouts “Back on Track to College” and connecting them to and through College.

Accolades & Accomplishments

• The district’s comprehensive, innovative approach and proven results have garnered the attention of:
  • New York Times
  • Boston Globe
  • PBS NewsHour
  • US. Department of Education
  • Texas Education Agency, as well as local, state, and national elected officials

• In 2011, the Texas legislature enacted SB 975, authored by Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa and supported by Representative Sergio Munoz, Jr, to encourage replication of PSJA’s dropout recovery program throughout the state. In 2013, SB 960 by Senator Eddie Lucio, allows similar partnerships with technical colleges.

Facilities

• The Board embarked on an aggressive building program to remodel and/or renovate the entire district. The district has been rebuilt with more than $500 million in improvements over the past 12 years.
  • Over 20 projects which include: school construction, remodeling, additions and demolitions have been completed since 2008.
  • Another dozen in the planning or construction phase: a new Agricultural Science Facility, continued phases of the PSJA College & University Center (home of the PSJA Collegiate High School Program and the PSJA Academies – a cohort based approach for Early College Programs), and three swimming facilities.
  • Additional projects are in the pipeline as the district moves to a process of planned cyclical upgrades and replacements.

PSJA Academies

The PSJA Academies, provide additional hands-on learning in various specific fields of study supporting students as they work to obtain a Certificate or an Associate Degree from South Texas College. Through a cohort approach, students build positive relationships, receive rigorous instruction; as well as receive academic, emotional and social support to successfully complete the coursework.

Students enrolled in the PSJA Academies continue to attend their home high school. They travel to the Academies' site only for designated hours for academy coursework. For students in grades 11^th & 12^th.

Parent Engagement Program

Number of parents enrolled in classes: over 6,000 per semester.

Number of Parent Centers: 8

Classes Offered

• ESL
• GED
• Citizenship
• Computer Technology
• Welding Certification
• Auto Mechanics Certification
• Security Guard Certification
• Entrepreneurship Programs:

Nutrition Arts & Crafts, Sewing, Cake Decorating, Jewelry Making, Knitting, Cosmetology, Floral Arrangements, Manicure.

Partnerships - more than 30 community partnerships including South Texas College and Region One. PSJA ISD’s partnership with Region One helps offer Adult Education services, which include English as a Second Language (ESL), Adult Basic Education and GED preparation courses. PSJA parents can continue their education through structured courses in partnership with South Texas College that can gain them a certification or credential in various fields. With the assistance of additional local non-profit groups, interfaith groups, workforce development and economic development corporations, parents fulfill their educational needs, as well as, acquire more knowledge in careers and employability skills, entrepreneurship and computer literacy. All services provided to PSJA parents through these centers are free of charge.