The Brownsville Independent School District (BISD), encompassing 95 square miles, is the largest employer in the Rio Grande Valley. Approximately 7,400 employees have accepted the challenge of serving a population of almost 50,000 students. BISD recognizes and addresses the unique cultural lifestyle of South Texas with a broad selection of activities and programs for all students. These programs range from the GALAXY program for gifted and talented students to support programs for students with special needs. Special Services offers a multitude of educational programs to ensure that all students have an opportunity to succeed. Limited English speaking students are served through the Bilingual or English as a Second Language program.

Brownsville ISD has targeted ten vital areas of interest to match the needs of the 21st Century. The district is proud to have developed a magnet program for each discipline from within the district’s six high school campuses. The magnet programs all feature a “school within a school concept.” This allows for specialization as well as a fully rounded high school experience. Porter High School is home to the School of Engineering Professionals. The School of Medical Technology is located at Hanna High School. Lopez High School houses two magnet programs in Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources and A/V Arts & Communication. Both the International Business and Information Technology Schools are located at Rivera High School. Pace High School features both the Criminal Justice and Education & Training Programs. The new Veterans Memorial High School opened two magnet programs in Architecture & Construction and Government & Public Administration.

There is pride in the progress BISD has made in recent years with regard to state-mandated testing. The district has shown a steady rate of improvement in the mastery percentage of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). Better scores have translated into more seniors fulfilling degree requirements and completing their basic education with a high school diploma. In fact, 43 BISD schools, 80% of all campuses, were rated Exemplary or Recognized in 2011.

Academically, both the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Texas Education Agency have accredited Brownsville public schools.

Brownsville ISD is committed not only to working with students, but also with the community as well. The district supports Campus Care Centers to serve the unmet needs of school age children and adolescents. Because no student deserves to go through the school day hungry, BISD features Universal Feeding, Provision Two. This plan provides breakfast and lunch, free of charge, to all students, regardless of income or ability to pay.

The Brownsville Independent School District uses these elements, and many more, to achieve its mission. Quality education cannot be just a vague statement. It must be the challenge that encourages students and educators to be the best that they can be.

•A total of 43 BISD Schools, 80% of all campuses, earned Exemplary/Recognized ratings in the state's 2011 accountability system.

•Brownsville ISD is the winner of the 2008 Broad Prize for Urban Education, an annual $1 million award that honors school districts across the U.S. making the greatest progress in raising student achievement.

•Six BISD secondary schools have been awarded almost $17 million in highly competitive Texas Title I Priority Schools (TTIPS) grants.

•Two BISD elementary schools, Ortiz and Paredes, earned spots on the 2011 Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC) Honor Roll of outstanding schools.

•A total of 26 BISD schools were named to the
prestigious 2010-11 list of Title I, Part A Distinguished
Performance and Distinguished Progress Schools.

•Ortiz Elementary School received a 2011 H-E-B
Excellence in Education Fit Campus Award for
$10,000.

•BISD was named one of five finalists for the 2011 H-E-B
Excellence in Education Large District Award.

•The National Center for Educational Achievement
(NCEA), a department of ACT, Inc., recognized 16
BISD campuses on its list of 2011 Higher Performing
Schools in Texas.

•Morningside Elementary was one of four public
schools recognized nationally in 2010 by The
Education Trust for proven success in student learning.

•In 2010, Cromack Elementary School received a $300,000 grant from the Texas Education Agency to serve as a Reading Demonstration Site.

•Three BISD elementary schools, Canales, Morningside and Sharp, received 2011 grants of $5,000 each from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries.

•Porter High School was awarded an “Online College and Career Preparation Technical Assistance Program” grant for $110,000 from the Texas Education Agency.

•BISD was recognized with a Texas Comptroller Silver Leadership Circle award for continued progress in financial transparency in 2010.

•The BISD Finance Department has received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBOI) and the Government Financial Officer’s Association (GFOA) for 2 consecutive years.

•For 9 Consecutive years, Brownsville ISD has earned a “Superior Achievement” rating under the Texas Schools FIRST financial accountability system.

•Porter High School qualified for the 2011 UIL State Soccer Semifinals in Austin.

•BISD boasts a recognized elementary transitional bilingual program, only one of five in Texas.

•The Brownsville Early College High School will graduate its first class in June 2012.

•In 2009, Southmost Elementary was named a U.S. Blue Ribbon School.

•District K-12 chess teams have won numerous state, national, and international titles.

•BISD’s secondary fine arts programs consistently dominate state competition.

•The entire community utilizes the district’s state-of-the art aquatic center.

•The USDA Provision 2 Program allows all students to enjoy a healthy breakfast and lunch daily.

•Over 150 Brownsville area businesses and organizations participate in the district’s adopt-a-school program.

•A total of $235 million in school construction bonds has been approved by local voters since 1997.