Tag Archives: Ysleta ISD

The Ysleta Independent School District will launch its 2020 Summer Food Service, which will take place from June 8-25 at 13 campuses to coincide with the dates of the district’s S2TAY@Home virtual summer school.

Officials say that, although the Summer Food Service Program ends June 25, Ysleta ISD plans to continue offering the Grab & Go meal service because it received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to serve school meals into July, officials said.

On Thursdays, children will receive an extra breakfast and lunch meal for Friday.

Summer “Grab & Go” meals will be distributed on a drive-through basis from 7:30 to 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday for children under 18 at the following 13 sites:

Hacienda Heights Elementary School, 7530 Acapulco Drive, 79915
REL Washington International School, 3505 Lee Trevino Drive, 79936
Desertaire Elementary School 6301 Tiger Eye Drive, 79924
Constance Hulbert Elementary School, 7755 Franklin Drive, 79915
Bel Air Middle School, 7909 Ranchland Drive, 79915
Del Valle Middle School, 8674 North Loop Drive, 79907
Eastwood Middle School, 2612 Chaswood Drive, 79935
Del Valle High School, 950 Bordeaux Drive, 79907
Eastwood High School, 2430 McRae Blvd., 79925
Hanks High School, 2001 Lee Trevino Drive, 79936
Parkland High School, 5932 Quail Lane, 79924
Riverside High School, 301 Midway Drive, 79915
Ysleta High School HS, 8600 Alameda Drive, 79907

Children do not need to be inside the vehicle to receive meals. However, drivers MUST provide one of the following items to receive school meals for children who are not present:

• Official letter/email/electronic school application from school that lists child(ren) enrolled;
• Individual student report card(s);
• Attendance record from YISD Home Access Center, printed or electronic, that includes names of child(ren);
• Birth certificate for child(ren) not in school; or
• Student ID card(s)

Families that previously provided this documentation were issued a Windshield Card as part of the Grab & Go program; they may continue to use the Windshield Card to pick up school meals during the Summer Food Service program.

In a special online announcement Thursday, Ysleta Independent School District officials named, Kathleen Gaytan from Pasodale Elementary School the 2020-2021 Support Employee of the Year.

Immediately following the 6 p.m. announcement on Facebook live and the district’s YouTube channel, Gaytan was surprised at her home by her principal, David Medina, and colleagues bearing congratulatory signs and flowers, as well as a parade of vehicles with well-wishers and co-workers honking their car horns in support.

Gaytan, who has worked for the district for four years, is an attendance clerk at Pasodale Elementary School. She routinely goes above and beyond in her duties, including organizing talent shows and helping make decorations and photo backdrops for special school events. In addition to her job duties, she is also resourceful in helping coordinate fundraisers, which have helped pay for school items like student T-shirts and entertainment for school events.

In particular, Gaytan helped organize the sixth-grade lunch banquet and graduation last year at Pasodale Elementary School, raising enough money for robots on stilts, a candy table, centerpieces, and a special slideshow during the event. She also organized a Movie Club every month for students with perfect attendance and no tardies, as well as a pizza party every nine weeks for the class with the best attendance in their grade level.

If asked, Gaytan said her co-workers would cite her positive attitude and contagious smile as her best attributes.

“I work very well with others and have patience,” Gaytan said. “If we do not agree on something, we brainstorm to come up with the best solution.”

Other Support Employee of the Year finalists were: Neri Quiz de Gonzalez (Hacienda Heights ES); Kristin Pacheco (Ysleta Pre-K Center); Javier A. Zaragoza (Del Valle HS); and Rita Althoff (Hanks HS).

Officials with the Ysleta Independent School District announced the start of online registration for the new virtual summer school program.

The new Summer School via Technology Across Ysleta – dubbed S2TAY@Home – is open to all Ysleta ISD students and slated to start Monday, June 8.

“While the innovative approach to instruction in the S2TAY@Home program works best in a virtual/online setting, Ysleta ISD has created both low-technology and high-technology options to fit the needs of all of its families,” district officials shared. “The program will offer new and innovative approaches to instruction for students in pre-K through high school.”

In addition, the instructional programs and resources available through YISD’s current virtual learning platform, THEDISTRICT@Home, will continue to be available to all students throughout the summer.

“This summer program is simply another way Ysleta ISD aims to deliver excellence and provide engaging instruction throughout the year,” YISD officials added.

For a full catalog of available S2TAY@Home courses or to register students for the summer program, parents should visit their child’s home campus website, or the S2TAY@Home webpage for more information.

Registration for the S2TAY@Home program runs from May 12-22.

Valle Verde Early College High School and Eastwood High School are the city’s top-ranked public high schools, according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best High Schools list.

“We have set up a successful blueprint and instructional framework that works, thanks to the persistence, dedication, and commitment of our teachers within the four corners of the classroom,” said Dr. Xavier De La Torre, Superintendent of Schools at Ysleta ISD.

Additionally, Ysleta ISD claimed four spots on the top 10 list of the city’s highest-ranked, comprehensive public high schools.

“The 2020 rankings show Ysleta ISD high schools surpass the city’s other public high schools when it comes to preparing students to demonstrate proficiency in basic skills, as well as readiness for college-level work,” YISD officials shared.

Ranked 70th in Texas and 453rd in the nation, Valle Verde ECHS easily outscored other early college high schools within the city. Valle Verde has won numerous recognitions in recent years, including being named a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School, 2019 Texas Honor Roll School, 2019 AVID Site of Distinction, and 2019-2022 Apple Distinguished School.

Among the city’s comprehensive public high schools, four YISD campuses ranked in the top 10:

Eastwood (#1 in city, #297 in Texas, and #3,587 in the nation)

Del Valle (#2, #300, and #3,609)

Bel Air (#4, #321, and #3,820)

Hanks (#7, #359, and #4,311)

This means 62% of Ysleta ISD high schools (Valle Verde, Eastwood, Del Valle, Bel Air, and Hanks) are ranked among the top 400 in Texas, far surpassing El Paso ISD high schools (33%) and Socorro ISD high schools (43%).

The 2020 Best High Schools list ranked 17,790 U.S. high schools. The goal is to provide a clear, unbiased picture of how well public schools serve all of their students in preparing them to demonstrate proficiency in basic skills, as well as readiness for college-level work, according to the publication.

Every spring, U.S. News & World Report releases its Best High Schools list, which numerically ranks high schools nationally and within each state based on six areas:

College Readiness (30%)
Math & Reading Proficiency (20%)
Math & Reading Performance (20%)
Underserved Student Performance (10%)
College Curriculum Breadth (10%)
Graduation Rate (10%)

For more information on the rankings, click here.

After a lengthy career in public education in the El Paso area, Eastwood High School Principal David Boatright announced Wednesday he will retire at the end of June after 22 years of service at the Ysleta Independent School District.

“Retirement to me is not what I am retiring from, but what I am retiring to,” said Boatright, who has served the last three years as Eastwood High School principal. “I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work in the Ysleta Independent School District for most of my professional career.”

YISD officials say Boatright’s outstanding and thoughtful leadership in the Eastwood Learning Community made him a “highly respected and trusted figure among students, parents, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members.”

Thanks to his vast experience with Trooper traditions and knowledge of secondary curriculum, Boatright and his administrative team successfully navigated an extensive two-year, $93 million renovation of Eastwood High School that saw a reconstruction of nearly 90% of the campus.

The bond-funded renovation was completed earlier this school year, marked by a festive campus celebration that featured past principals, noted alumni, and student-led tours of the school’s impressive, state-of-the-art academic, athletic, and fine arts facilities.

The celebration also featured a special nod to the Troopers of the Class of 2020, who spent nearly two years in portable classes during the reconstruction.

The remarkable Class of 2020 now serves as Boatright’s final graduating class, during an extraordinary spring semester marked by school closures and stay-home orders due to COVID-19.

Boatright’s career in education began in 1991 as a P.E. teacher at Irvin High School, where he remained for two years before moving to Eastwood High School in 1993 to coach and teach social studies.

In 2007, he became an assistant principal at Montwood High School, then returned to Ysleta ISD in 2012.

During his 29 years in public education, Boatright spent 21 years in the Eastwood Learning Community, serving as a world history teacher, world geography teacher, wrestling coach, Eastwood High School assistant principal, and Eastwood Middle School principal before assuming leadership of Eastwood High School in 2017.

“Thank you, Eastwood High School, for the friendships and lessons learned,” Boatright added, in his typical jovial and lighthearted manner. “I salute you!”

In preparation for the upcoming 2020-21 school year, the Ysleta Independent School District will begin taking online applications on Tuesday, April 21st.

YISD officials share that the online enrollment is for all new and returning K-12 students, as well as incoming transfer students.

Via a Monday afternoon news release, Ysleta ISD officials encourage all El Paso-area families to click here for more information or to begin the online enrollment process for their students.

As YISD is an open enrollment district – since 1998 – all K through 12 students can enroll.

Early online registration for the 2020-21 full-day pre-K programs at 19 YISD campuses began April 13; interested parents can visit the PreK Webpage to begin the pre-K enrollment process.

For those with students currently attending YISD, below is Superintendent Xavier De La Torre most recent message – to view the video, click here.

While students and staff at the Ysleta Independent School District stay safe at home during school closure, teachers and administrators are coordinating a variety of online games and activities to lift spirits and spark friendly competition across the district and El Paso area.

Since the school closure began March 23, Ysleta ISD schools have been busy posting on social media, sending video-recorded thanks to custodians and cafeteria workers, challenging followers to exercise and stay fit, sharing team photos, conducting read-alouds for elementary school students, and organizing popular eSPORTs competitions.

“Keeping students engaged during these difficult times is important,” said Mario Rodarte, an Innovative Technology support teacher at Ysleta ISD who has collaborated with colleagues at Clint ISD to host three Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Online Tournaments for the Nintendo Switch this week for students, parents, faculty, and staff from both districts.

All three tournaments, which started Monday and continue on April 1st and 3rd, take place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Participants can join all tournaments by selecting “Online” in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, then selecting “Tournaments” then “Search by code.”

In order to compete, gamers must have a Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and a Nintendo Online account.

“eSPORTS has a tendency to bring students together. I have observed students, who have never met or talked to each other, collaborate and work out a strategy to win the game,” Rodarte said.

“They have the ability to put into practice their social-emotional skills while preventing the feeling of isolation. They can compete in real-time events with real people, and put into practice real-world skills,” he added.

Virtual games aren’t just for students – Ysleta ISD is once again hosting an online Easter Egg Hunt for Central Office employees, long considered a great way to relieve stress while prompting friendly, healthy competition among departments.

Although most Central Office employees are at home this year, the Easter Egg Hunt can be played by one person or a department team, with a small prize being awarded to the top-scoring team after the contest closes Wednesday, April 10.

For more information on the Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Online Tournament between Ysleta and Clint ISDs, click here.

On Monday afternoon, officials with Ysleta ISD announced the 2020 – 2021 Campus Teachers and Support Employees of the Year.

“These dedicated teachers and support staff were selected by their campuses to represent the hard work and a determination to help all children succeed,” YISD officials shared.  “They are honored for outstanding leadership, excellence, and inspiration to students, their colleagues and the community.”

The campus Teachers of the Year will be honored at a reception on March 4 where the top ten teachers will be announced. The finalists will undergo another round of interviews to compete for the top spot as Elementary and Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Ten finalists for Support Employee of the Year finalists will be announced at a later date. Five finalists will be named and the Ysleta ISD Support Employee of the Year will be announced at the gala in May.

All employees will be honored at the 2020-2021 Teacher and Support Employee of the Year Gala on Friday, May 1, 2020 at the Centennial Conference Center and Banquet Hall on Ft. Bliss.

The program will begin at 7 pm. Tickets will go on sale on March 9 for $30 per person. For ticket information, call 434-0690.

The 2020-2021 Teachers and Support Employees of the Year are:

Ysleta Independent School District students dominated their peers at state competitions this past weekend, with Eastwood High School winning the UIL 5A state championship in girls wrestling while several musicians were named outstanding performers at the 2020 State Mariachi Festival.

The 2020 UIL Wrestling State Championships took place in Cypress, with YISD taking the top two spots in girls wrestling for the first time in recent history in the El Paso area.

Eastwood High School girls wrestlers took the 5A state championship while Hanks High School – which went into the contest as the six-time defending state champion – came in second.

In addition, 10 YISD wrestlers from Eastwood, Hanks, and Parkland high schools won individual gold, silver, or bronze medals in boys and girls wrestling at the state championships.

They include gold medalists Sarah Martinez (Eastwood), Angelina Prado (Eastwood), and Zoe Hankins (Parkland); silver medalists Kylie Robledo (Hanks), Victoria Nunez (Hanks), Angelina Baltazar (Hanks), Alexis Montes (Eastwood), and Aaron Hernandez (Eastwood); and bronze medalists Victoria Hinojo (Hanks) and Trevor Moreno (Eastwood).

At the UIL State Mariachi Festival, mariachi groups from both Del Valle and Hanks high schools received a Division II rating, with seven students from Del Valle High School being named Outstanding Performers.

Those Outstanding Performers were Isabel Torres (violin), Nathaniel Anguiano (trumpet), Juan Garcia (trumpet), Joseph Jasso (trumpet), Rudy Garcia (trumpet), Javier Sotclo (trumpet), and Sama Pacheco (vocalist) .

The Ysleta ISD Board of Trustees recently honored two students from Scotsdale Elementary School with the President’s Award for their work in school and for the community.

“Arturo Moreno and Neveah Perez demonstrated great leadership and service among their peers with their compassionate commitment to help others in need in the El Paso community,” YISD officials shared. “Arturo and Neveah not only embody YISD values, but they routinely put those values into action for the betterment of others. They are wonderful examples of the hard work, kindness, and service excellence we highlight at The District.”

As president and vice president of the school’s Student Council, Arturo and Neveah are constantly looking for needs in the community so they can lend a helping hand.

During the 2019 holiday season, they organized a blanket drive for the El Paso Women’s Shelter. Flyers were sent home with each Scotsdale student, with the goal of collecting 100 blankets — but over the course of 10 days, they doubled their goal by collecting nearly 200 blankets for shelter residents!

This was one of several initiatives that Arturo and Neveah have led this school year as part of the Scotsdale Elementary School Student Council.

They held a Breast Cancer Awareness coin fundraiser that raised nearly $900 for the American Cancer Society, and they are currently collecting toothpaste and toothbrushes to be donated to the Salvation Army.

The President’s Award is given by the President of the Board of Trustees to a YISD student who has demonstrated exceptional and/or innovative, out-of-the-ordinary service to others, particularly those within the YISD community.

Eligible YISD students must be nominated for the award by a school principal, assistant principal, or Trustee; and must be in good academic and disciplinary standing.

Sarunas Budreckis, a senior at Eastwood High School, was surprised in class Wednesday morning by Ysleta ISD Superintendent Dr. Xavier De La Torre, who announced that Sarunas is a finalist a 2020 National Merit Scholarship for outstanding academics and leadership.

Sarunas is among about 14,000 students nationwide to be named a 2020 National Merit Scholarship finalist, which offers more than $31 million in college- and corporate-funded scholarships.

Sarunas first qualified for the National Merit program in 2018, when he earned one of the country’s highest scores on the PSAT taken by more than 1.5 million high-school juniors.

Over the last few years, Eastwood High School officials say Sarunas has had an impressive impact on the school. He established a new Programming and Game Design Club, where he teaches students to code and design games.

The group has won state- and national-level competitions with more than 30 members, and is now working on an Eastwood-based mobile game, with overwhelming support from fellow students and teachers.

Sarunas is also the president of Speech & Debate; president of the Math Club; head coder in Robotics, where he wrote code to represent Eastwood in the VEX Robotics World Championships; and a member of Future Business Leaders of America, Science Bowl, High-Q, National Honor Society, and varsity Orchestra.

Outside of school, Sarunas plays violin in the El Paso Youth Symphony, regularly performing at the Plaza and Abraham Chavez Theatre. He is also the Cadet Commander of the El Paso Squadron in the Civil Air Patrol, where he organizes and oversees its activities, including large community service projects like Wreaths Across America, and has amassed more than 500 community service hours in his high-school career.

Last year, Sarunas was a NASA High School Aerospace Scholar, which allowed him to complete design challenges, technology writings. and monthly webinars with NASA scientists and engineers.

Because Sarunas was among the program’s highest-achievers, he was invited to NASA for a weeklong camp at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

National Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference

Three types of National Merit Scholarships are being offered this spring. Officials say 2,500 National Merit scholarships will be awarded on a state-representational basis; about 1,000 Merit Scholarships will be provided by corporations and business organizations; and about 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,100 Merit Scholarships for students who subsequently attend those institutions.

***For the record…

An earlier version of this story had Eastwood High School senior Sarunas Budreckis being awarded a National Merit Scholarship.  District officials released that he is a finalist only at this point, not a scholarship awardee as they had previously announced. The 2020 National Merit Scholars are set to be announced later this year.   

We apologize for the error.