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 31,000 students in the tri-city area.
In 2010 the district had 32,000 students, and in 2012 8,000 of them were attending senior high school. the student body at PSJA ISD was 99% Hispanic, and 41% of the students were classified as English as a second language students; with Spanish being the language spoken at home.
TEA Academic Status
For the 2009-2010 school year the Texas Education Agency designated 11 PSJA campuses with an "Exemplary" status and 19 as "Recognized," and the district was also designated as a "Recognized" School District. 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.
Curriculum
By 2012 PSJA ISD began using an early college model to encourage university admission among first-time, low income, Hispanic and English as a second language students. It is a model derived from that of the Hidalgo Independent School District; Superintendent Daniel P. King spearheaded this effort. After the initiative started, PSJAISD had an increase in its university matriculation rates, and in a three year span, the four year graduation rate from the high schools increased to 87% as of 2012 from 62%. By 2012 about 2,000 students, making up 25% of all PSJAISD high school students, took university-level courses.
Recent history
PBS NewsHour showcased PSJA ISD nationally in a two-part series featuring the district’s dropout recovery program success and early college high school work. PSJA ISD has increased the number of yearly graduates by almost 100% from 966 in 2006-07 to over 1,900 in 2011-2012. PSJA has been identified as a national model for putting dropouts “Back on Track to College” by Jobs for the Future out of Boston, MA. JFF is working to expand key components of the model to other states across the country. They also released a report in March 2012 featuring PSJA’s College3 initiative and “College for All” strategy. On June 6, 2007, The Dallas Morning News reported that Arturo Guajardo, the superintendent of PSJA ISD, and board members Raul Navarro, Evangelina De Leon, and Rogelio Rodriguez, were indicted on corruption charges. On January 24, 2011, former PSJA superintendent Arturo Guajardo and board members Rogelio "Little Roy" Rodriguez, Rogelio "Big Roy" Navarro, and Evangelina "Vangie" De Leon pleaded guilty and were sentenced to probation, fines, and prison terms. Also, Arnulfo "Arnie" Olivarez and George Hernandez pleaded guilty and were sentenced to probation, fines, and prison term for their role in the bribery and extortion scandal involving PSJA ISD's finances.
