United ISD School Board Named 2019 TCEA School Board of the Year

Posted Date: 02/06/2019

United Independent School District was founded in 1961 based on a strong commitment to providing an innovative, quality, progressive education for students in Laredo and Webb County.  As a large, remotely located district on the border to Mexico, UISD has faced a high growth rate of over 23,000 students in the past twenty years. It is the 2nd largest public school district in Region 1, the 26th largest in the state and encompasses about 75% of Webb County. Presently UISD has over 43,300 in 29 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, 4 High Schools, 3 9th Grade campuses, a DAEP Facility serving at risk students and  a Cherish Center for Special Education students.

The community’s respect and trust for United ISD Board’s leadership continues to serve as a driving force for the Districts academic success and accomplishments that include:

• Passing the largest bond in UISD history for $408,600,000 in 2013 to support the building of new schools, improve technology, safety and facilities infrastructures and enhance campus instructional technology.

• Approval of a multi-million dollar, multi-phase Mobile Learning Device Plan in June 2013

• With over 98.6% Hispanic population, graduation rates have remained at levels exceeding regional, state, and national averages since Class 2011

• UISD garnered the 2017-2018 TCEA “A” Rating for Overall Performance.

           The TEA "A" Rating criteria includes United ISD as:

• • 1 of 1200 Texas School Districts/Charters receiving the award

  • 1 of 153 received Overall “A” Rating

  • 1 of 15 “A” Districts that educate over 20,000 students

  • 1 of 4 “A” rated ISD’s educating over 20,000 students with an Economically Disadvantaged rate exceeding 50%

  • 1 of 4 districts that educate over 40,000 with over 75% Economically Disadvantaged and 36% English Language Learners

• UISD is also 1 of 61 districts rated in top 5% of Districts recognized receiving distinctions under the Texas Postsecondary Readiness Performance

• The District surpassed 2017-18 region and state performance in Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies

• The district also received national and state recognition for their SMART Interactive Flat Panel Deployment and for being the only district to have designed and implemented integrated activities for all level district curriculum

United ISD's remarkable success can be attributed to a dedicated long-term administrative team lead by Superintendent Roberto J. Santos in addition to a uniquely designed district curriculum infused with the most current educational technology tools and resources, supported by systematic training plans for administrators, librarians, teachers, students, support staff and parents.

The District supports instruction with a myriad of technology tools and resources used to drive student academic success that include being a Google District, placing over 1,700 SMART Interactive Panels in classrooms and over 37,000 mobile learning devices in student's hands in addition to instructional partnerships with such industry leaders in education as Dell, Apple, Achieve 3000, Odysseyware, Learning.com and SMART Technologies.