Tag Archives: Ysleta ISD

The Ysleta Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a 1.5-cent tax rate decrease for 2017 during its regular meeting Wednesday night.

The 2017 tax rate decrease of one and a half cents per hundred dollars of valuation, coupled with the additional homestead exemption will result in an average decrease in property taxes of $12 per year.

“This tax rate decrease for our community is another way we are fulfilling our promise to be good stewards of our citizens’ hard earned tax dollars, “ said YISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Xavier De La Torre. “Every year, we strive to implement cost-effective strategies in our budgeting while still providing our nearly 42,000 students with a quality education.”

The 2017 tax rate of $1.46 per $100 of home valuation is a decrease from the $1.475 tax rate from 2016.

The tax rate reduction is a result of favorable market conditions for the January 2017 bond sale and additional state funding in the form of Existing Debt Allotment and Instructional Facilities Allotment.

YISD continues to be the only local school district that offers its homeowners an additional homestead exemption of 20 percent of total home value.

Sarah Venegas, current Title I instructional coordinator at the El Paso Independent School District, has been named principal of Eastwood Middle School.

Venegas began her 17-year career in education as a third-grade teacher at Helen Ball Elementary School.

Since that time, she has also worked as a middle-school English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) facilitator, instructional coordinator, and assistant principal.

Venegas holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and a master’s degree in educational leadership, both from UTEP.

For the second year in a row, high school football fans at the Ysleta Independent School District will be able to purchase 2017 season tickets that entitle them to reserved VIP seating at five home games, with priority being given to last year’s season ticketholders.

By purchasing season tickets, fans can enjoy watching home games from prime viewing areas not available to other ticketholders, such as the 50-yard line. In addition, season ticketholders sit in individual stadium seats featuring sturdy chair backs, rather than standard
bleacher seats.

Season tickets are $40 per person and will be sold to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to staffing variations at each high school, ticket sales will begin on different dates at different campuses. The schedule is as follows:

 Hanks, Eastwood, Parkland, Riverside, and Ysleta high schools:
2016 season ticketholders may purchase the same seats for 2017 beginning Monday, July 31. Tickets go on sale to the general public Tuesday, Aug. 8.

 Bel Air and Del Valle high schools:
2016 season ticketholders may purchase the same seats for 2017 beginning Monday, Aug. 7. Tickets go on sale to the general public Tuesday, Aug. 15.

Tickets can only be purchased with cash through the business clerk at each high school on weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon, or 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets will not be sold Friday, Aug. 4, when YISD campuses are closed.

Season tickets are good only for home football games at the high school where the tickets were purchased.

Beginning Sept. 1, any reserved seats from unsold season tickets will be available for purchase on the Friday of each home game at a cost of $10 apiece.

For more information, call your high school or visit the district’s Athletics Department page.

The Young Women’s Leadership Academy will host a week-long summer camp for more than 300 incoming sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students that’s designed to unite and prepare them for the 2017-18 school year.

The interactive camp includes energetic team-building exercises, introductions to the students’ upcoming academic classes, and group activities such as painting river rocks, creating friendship bracelets, exploring the Google Suite of apps, and conducting a fashion show of “dos and don’ts” for the school uniform.

Students will also be able to bring in school supplies for the year to their classrooms and receive school uniforms.

A Field Day of outdoor activities wraps up the camp on Friday.

What: Young Women’s Leadership Academy (YWLA) summer camp
When: Monday, July 31 through Friday, Aug. 4
Who: YWLA students in grades 6-8, teachers, administrators
Where: YWLA campus, 7615 Yuma Drive

The Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) announced Thursday morning the appointment of two new principals for Eastwood and Parkland high schools, which were approved by the Board of Trustees during its regular meeting Wednesday night.

Penelope Bankston, current principal at Valley View Middle School, has been named the new principal at Parkland High School following a comprehensive selection process that included 15 applicants.

Bankston began her professional career in 1994 as an elementary school bilingual teacher in Alpine, Texas. Since that time, she has served as a middle-school reading teacher, a high-school dyslexia teacher, high-school instructional specialist, a high-school assistant principal and principal of Valley View Middle School.

Bankston has spent the majority of her career – 18 of 23 years – in northeast El Paso. She holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, a master’s degree in reading, and a master’s degree in educational administration, all from Sul Ross State University.

YISD officials say her knowledge of secondary curriculum, as well as her longtime experience working with the Northeast community, will play a pivotal role in leading Parkland High School toward continued academic success.

David Boatright, current principal at Eastwood Middle School, has been named the new principal of Eastwood High School following a thorough, comprehensive nationwide selection process that included 21 applicants.

Boatright began his career in education in 1991 as a physical education teacher at Irvin High School. Over the course of his career – 18 of which were spent in the Eastwood Learning Community – he also served as a world history teacher, world geography teacher, wrestling coach, Eastwood High School assistant principal, and Eastwood Middle School principal. Boatright holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology

from UTEP and a master’s degree in educational administration from Sul Ross State University.

The respect and success Boatright has earned in the Eastwood community, along with his awareness of Trooper traditions and knowledge of secondary curriculum, will continue to lead Eastwood High School toward higher levels of success, YISD officials said.

Bankston and Boatright’s new positions both take effect Monday, July 24.

The Ysleta Independent School District will host three community meetings this coming week to discuss and gain input on important new construction projects as part of the 2015 Bond program.

All meetings are free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact Abigail Tarango, director of special projects and strategic initiatives, at 915-434- 0100.

The three meetings will be:

 New Del Valle Middle/Mission Valley Elementary Combination School; 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 30, at the Valley View Middle School gymnasium, located at 8660 North Loop Drive.

 New Thomas Manor Elementary School; 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, at the Thomas Manor Elementary School cafeteria (located at the former Cadwallader Elementary School) campus at 7988 Alameda Ave.

 Eastwood High School; 6 p.m. Thursday, June 1, at the Eastwood High School cafeteria, located at 2430 McRae Blvd.

Ysleta Independent School District has launched an online survey to seek input from parents and community members for the district’s new all-boys academy.

The survey aims to collect feedback from participants in order to develop attractive programs and curricula, as well as appropriate grade levels for the new school.

“This survey is an excellent opportunity for Ysleta ISD to hear directly from parents and the community as we develop the new all-boys academy,” said YISD Superintendent Dr. Xavier De La Torre. “Our goal is to provide an attractive school that not only builds on the district’s distinguished academic programs, but also provides students and parents with a slate of specialized programs and activities that will create a sound foundation for our boys to succeed not only at the academy, but throughout their lives.”

De La Torre announced plans to open El Paso’s first all-male public school at his annual State of the District Address in March. The campus location has not been determined; however, the school is slated to open for the 2018-2019 school year.

Parents and interested community members can access the online survey for the all- boys academy by visiting the Ysleta ISD website.

Capistrano Elementary School Principal Lynn Musel has been named one of eight finalists for the Texas National Distinguished Principal award by the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA).

“Being a finalist for the National Distinguished Principal is an amazing honor,” Musel said. “However, this would not be possible without our dedicated teachers and school staff, who are committed to changing the lives of children for the better.”

Musel was selected as a finalist not only for her extraordinary campus leadership, but her commitment to students and staff, serving the community, and contributing to the profession, including their professional associations. She was among 123 principals to be nominated for 2017 award, TEPSA officials said.

“The school principal is critical to student and teacher success,” TEPSA Executive Director Harley Eckhart said. “These exemplary principals are making a difference in the lives of students across Texas.”

The NDP program promotes educational excellence in pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade, and focuses on the fundamental importance of the school principal.

After a rigorous reading process, in which applicants shared their educational philosophies and accomplishments both in and out of the classroom, a peer-review committee selected eight finalists. These outstanding leaders then showcased their achievements during a school visit by a team of educators.

The winner will receive $10,000, and represent the state in Washington D.C. as the 2017 Texas National Distinguished Principal. In addition, all eight finalists, including Musel, will be recognized June 14 at a TEPSA awards reception in Austin.

The Ysleta Independent School District marked the official start of construction of the New Bel Air Middle School campus during a groundbreaking ceremony Friday morning. Bel Air middle and high school students, as well as Bel Air alumni, community members, and YISD administrators were on-hand for the ceremony.

“We are committed to the four pillars we established for this and all of our bond projects: on time, under budget, up the quality our students deserve, and, all things being equal, done by local contractors and architects,” said YISD Superintendent Dr. Xavier De La Torre. “I am proud to say that the new Bel Air Middle School project is meeting those pillars and we are excited to see the end result.”

ASA Architects designed the campus and Urban Associates will build the new school, both El Paso-owned companies. Construction is expected to be completed in time for the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year.

During the ceremony, Bel Air Middle School Principal Dana DeRouen thanked the YISD voters who approved the 2015 bond measure, as well as volunteers, students, parents, and community members who contributed to designing the new campus.

“I know everyone in the community is very excited as we begin to watch the Ysleta Independent School District literally lay the foundation for the success of our students,” he said.

Located at the site of the former Bel Air Junior High School, Bel Air Middle School is the first new campus construction project of the 2015 Bond program.

The $40 million campus will accommodate up to 1,200 students, and will feature state-of- the-art classrooms, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) laboratories, and new athletics and fine arts facilities.

The 2017-18 campus Teachers of the Year at the Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) were honored during a reception Tuesday evening at Central Office, where officials also announced 10 finalists for the district’s top two teaching awards: the Elementary Teacher of the Year and the Secondary Teacher of the Year.

All campus Teachers of the Year, as well as all campus Support Employees of the Year, will be honored at the YISD Teacher and Support Employee of the Year gala that takes place at 6 p.m. May 5 at the Centennial Conference Center and Banquet Hall at Fort Bliss.

The top five finalists for the 2017-18 YISD Elementary Teacher of the Year are:

 Karla Bazan, Del Valle Elementary School

 Jessica Fette, Cedar Grove Elementary School

 Nancy Gonzalez-Uribe, Scotsdale Elementary School

 Heather Holmes, Pebble Hills Elementary School

 Bernadette Rey, Ysleta Pre-K Center

The top five finalists for the 2017-18 YISD Secondary Teacher of the Year are:

 Laura Fabela, Valle Verde Early College High School

 Nicholas Flood, Indian Ridge Middle School

 Allen Haynes, Ysleta High School

 Rebeca Montes, Young Women’s Leadership Academy

 Stephanie Bocanegra Morales, Bel Air High School

A list of all 2017-18 campus Teachers of the Year and Support Employees of the Year can be found on the YISD main website at www.yisd.net.

Ysleta ISD’s Parental Engagement Conference is set for Saturday, February 25th, and all district parents, administrators and community members are invited to the event.

YISD officials say the conference is designed to help parents learn how to help their children succeed in school.

The event features more than 30 small-group sessions that will address topics like social media and school discipline, as well as provide information on our Early College High Schools and adult education classes.

The keynote luncheon speaker is co-founder of Ignite Your S.H.I.N.E. LaVonna Roth. She is an internationally recognized keynote speaker, consultant, and author who specializes in helping people gain confidence in themselves and their talents so they can make a difference in their communities.

What: 2017 YISD Parental Engagement Conference

When: 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25

Where: Bel Air High School, 731 Yarbrough Drive

Employees at the Ysleta Independent School District will receive a one-time lump-sum payment this week as part of the district’s compensation plan.

The compensation plan—part of the 2016-17 district budget that was approved during the June 1 meeting of the Ysleta ISD Board of Trustees—included a one-time lump-sum payment paid to eligible employees in December, in addition to a 1.5 percent pay increase.

“Our employees are the foundation to the success of the Ysleta Independent School District,” said YISD Superintendent Xavier De La Torre. “I am thankful that the Board of Trustees approved this one-time payment so our teachers, staff, and professionals can enjoy an extra payment in time for the holidays.”

To be eligible for the one-time lump-sum payment, employees must have been employed full-time at YISD on or before Aug. 22, and remain continuously employed through Dec. 21.

High schools in the Ysleta Independent School District earned the highest number of state distinctions among all El Paso school districts in connection with this spring’s testing results, according to figures released this week by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

All YISD schools achieved the rating of “Met Standard” in 2016 state test results, along with 7,667 campuses across Texas, TEA officials said. By earning the “Met Standard” rating, schools were eligible to receive “Distinction Designations” based on academic achievement in the seven areas below:

 English language arts/Reading;

 Math;

 Science;

 Social studies;

 Top 25%: Student Progress;

 Top 25%: Closing Performance Gaps

 Postsecondary readiness.

Three YISD high schools (Del Valle, Parkland, and Valle Verde Early College) each earned distinction designations in all seven areas – more than any other El Paso-area school district.

In addition, four high schools (Bel Air, Hanks, Riverside, and Ysleta) each earned distinction designations in six areas, while Eastwood High School earned distinctions in five areas. Del Valle and Parkland high schools were the only comprehensive high schools in the El Paso region to earn all seven distinction designations.

TEA officials said only 167 schools in the state – or 1.9 percent – earned all seven distinction designations for this year’s test results.

“Earning one or more campus distinctions is noteworthy and should be a source of pride,” said TEA Commissioner of Education Mike Morath. “Earning all possible distinctions is a significant accomplishment and should signal to parents that there is extraordinary work taking place on that campus.”

Distinction designations are awarded to campuses based on achievement in performance indicators relative to a group of 40 campuses of similar type, size, and student demographics.

In the Northeast area, Parkland HS far outperformed neighboring high schools with its seven distinction designations – Chapin HS received distinctions in five areas while Irvin HS and Andress HS earned none.

In addition, three YISD elementary schools (Eastwood Heights, North Star, and Ramona) earned all six distinction designations awarded at the elementary level by TEA. Eastwood Knolls International School, and Valley View, Ranchland Hills, and Rio Bravo middle schools, earned distinctions in six of seven areas.

Edgemere, Loma Terrace, Scotsdale, Vista Hills, Glen Cove, and Lancaster elementary schools, as well as Alicia R. Chacon International School, won distinctions in five areas.

In total, YISD high schools earned a combined 50 distinction designations. By comparison, El Paso ISD high schools received 41, and Socorro ISD high schools received 21.