El Paso County is served by nine school districts. Of those nine, El Paso city public schools are divided into three districts: the El Paso Independent School District, Ysleta Independent School District, and Socorro Independent School District. The El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) is the largest, educating 62,000 students in 88 buildings. The EPISD offers three magnet programs: the new Capt. John L. Chapin High School, an engineering and science magnet school, is the only public high school built on military land in the U.S.; Silva Health Magnet's curriculum focuses on health and sciences; the new (2003) Academy for International Business and Public Affairs at Bowie High School in South El Paso focuses on international business and public affairs education.
The Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) is the second largest in the area, educating 50,000 students in 58 buildings. In the mid-1980's, YISD operated at state minimum levels. With effort and determination by administration, teachers, and families, the district accomplished a major turnaround which culminated in 1998 when the district was named a "Recognized District" for state testing performance. Since then, nine of the district's schools have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools; eight others are National Title One Distinguished Campuses.
Though large in its own right, the Socorro Independent School District is the smallest district of the three and educates more than 30,000 students in southeastern El Paso County. In 2004 more than 82 percent of the district's high school graduates were bound for college.
The following is a summary of data regarding the El Paso Independent School District public schools as of the 2004–2005 school year.
Total enrollment: 62,000
Number of facilities elementary schools: 57
junior high/middle schools: 15
senior high schools: 11
other: 7 (3 magnet schools, 1 alternative school, 1 at-risk recovery program, 1 adult education school, 1 occupational center
Student/teacher ratio: 16.1:1 (2005)
Teacher salaries (2004-05)
minimum: $34,000
maximum: $55,705
Funding per pupil: $6,627
More than 25 parochial and 50 private schools educate El Paso students. Many of El Paso's private schools have received national awards: Loretto Academy for girls and St. Clement's Episcopal Parish School are both recipients of the Blue Ribbon award, a prestigious standing for high-performing schools. Other private schools offer technical programs, specialized programs, or mechanical education.
Four major institutions of higher learning are located in the El Paso region. They offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, business, science, education, health sciences, and liberal arts; and associate degrees and certificate programs in technology.
The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) prides itself on its status as the only major research university in the country with the majority of its students being predominately Mexican American. UTEP celebrated its 90th birthday in 2004. From its humble beginnings in 1914 as a small mining school, UTEP is now a recognized institution with an enrollment of more than 18,900 students and a $50 million building and expansion budget. UTEP ranks second in the nation of schools awarding undergraduate degrees to Hispanics.
Established in 1969, El Paso Community College (EPCC) has 5 campuses throughout El Paso and educates approximately 28,000 credit and continuing education students each semester. With 130 academic programs, 350 enrichment and continuing education courses, and a commitment to innovation in educational programs, EPCC is the fastest growing community college in the state.
In nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico, New Mexico State University educates 16,000 students, many of which are El Paso residents. Both the University of Phoenix and Webster University operate campuses in El Paso. Another regional educational institution is Howard Payne University extension campus. Texas Tech University's Health Sciences Center at El Paso confers degrees in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and in biomedical and allied health sciences.
The El Paso Public Library operates a main library, 11 branches, a bookmobile, and a literacy center. In December 2004 the main library closed for expansion and renovation with an expected completion date of late 2005. The expansion will add 45,000 square feet, bringing the library's total square footage to 110,000. The newly-renovated facility will also have a new 250-seat auditorium, a 50-station computer lab and classroom, an expanded children's area, and a new area for teenagers called "Teen Town." As part of the city's Quality of Life Improvement Program, many of the system's branch libraries are undergoing renovations and expansions between 2000 and 2009.
The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, including 200,000 government documents, in its 6-floor, 275,000 square foot facility. The library sits atop a hill and is built in the Bhutanese style of architecture, like of many of the university's structures.
Other libraries include the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Library at El Paso, the El Paso Community College library system, and the El Paso Scottish Rite Historical Library and Museum.
The University of Texas at El Paso's research facilities sponsored projects with expenditures of $52 million in 2003. The National Institutes of Health recently awarded UTEP and the University of Texas Houston Health Science Center more than $4 million to establish the Hispanic Health Disparities Research Center at the UTEP campus. Other research centers at UTEP include the Border Biomedical Research Center, the Center for Environmental Resource Management, the Center for Transportation Infrastructure Sytems, the Institute for Manufacturing and Materials Management, the Materials Research and Technology Institute, and the W.M. Keck Border Biomedical Manufacturing and Engineering Laboratory. New research centers on tap for development in 2005 include the Paso del Norte Research and Business Development Complex, which will house four new research facilities focusing on policy and economic development, economic forecasting, science, and entrepreneur development.
Public Library Information: El Paso Public Library, 501 N. Oregon, El Paso, TX; telephone (915)543-5401