The McAllen school district in 2001 became the first school district in the Rio Grande Valley to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The city’s business community and the McAllen Chamber of Commerce played a pivotal role in the process. They recognized it as a way to attract businesses and families to the region. The district’s IB students have a home campus where they participate in UIL activities. In 2021,…
U.S. News & World Report has recognized all five McAllen ISD high schools among its rankings of the “2022 Best Public High Schools.” This is the eighth straight year McAllen ISD has had its high schools recognized by either U.S. News & World Report or The Washington Post. The McAllen ISD schools are Achieve Early College High School, McAllen Memorial High School, James “Nikki” Rowe High, McAllen High School and Lamar Academy. Achieve Early…
When Denise Sandoval met Marshall Eason in the hallways of McAllen High School, she didn’t realize it was fate. Denise moved to McAllen from Monterrey at age 9, already fluent in English and Spanish. Her mom’s first language was English, having been raised in Chicago until she was 13 and her parents decided to return to Mexico. Her father had left his native country to serve in WWII, deciding later…
Liam Arney decided to become a Cub Scout after hearing about it at Garza Elementary School in McAllen. Five years later, he crossed over from Cub Scout to Boy Scout. Now a senior at McAllen High School, Liam looks back on the past 12 years and how they have prepared him for Scouting’s pinnacle, the rank of Eagle Scout. “I’ve been in Scouts since I was 6,” Liam said. “I…
A Christmas in July Market takes place July 24 at McAllen High School, allowing shoppers the opportunity to complete their holiday shopping early. From 9 a.m. to 3 p..m., the public can shop several small businesses ranging from makeup and skincare to baked goods. Vendors include: Aloe Relief, Sugar land, Mrs. Barron Creations, Wicked Sweet, La Casita del Snack, Lunar Dusk, L & R Creations, Little dela Rosa Creations, Paparazzi,…
March Madness took on an entirely new meaning this spring when schools, businesses and even day-to-day living came to a screeching halt due to COVID-19. Everything changed from one day-to-the-next. For school districts, COVID-19 meant transforming the traditional concept of teaching into robust home-to-home learning, which is better known as “distance learning.’’ At IDEA Toros in Edinburg, technology-based Summit Learning is often used. It incorporates a Self-Directed Learning Cycle. The…
McAllen ISD students recently hosted a community candidate forum for those running for the U.S. Senate in the 2020 May primary elections. Those in attendance were Chris Bell, Michael Cooper, Amanda Edwards, Jack Daniel Foster Jr, Victor Hugo Harris and Sema Hernandez. Students Jonah Riojas (McAllen High School), Karolina Vargas (Nikki Rowe High School), and Alexis Alvarado (Memorial High School) were the panelists asking questions to the candidates. Chloe Jerez…
Laura Matamoros is the new economic development director for Hidalgo County. The news came from County Judge Richard F. Cortez today as he also announced Hilda Escochea Salinas as assistant chief of staff. Matamoros’s previous service includes director of business research and strategy for the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation. She was also the director of operations for the United Brownsville Coordinating Board. She is a graduate from the University of…
There’s no place like home. ~ Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz When Roman Silva left McAllen in the fall of 2013 to attend the University of Texas at Austin, he did not give much thought to whether or not he would come home after graduation. But Silva quickly fell in love with Austin and began envisioning himself making it his new home. Silva declared business management as his major; however, by…
McAllen ISD’s KMAC, the video production students at McAllen ISD, recently returned from Seattle, Wash., with three awards from a national competition. Nineteen KMAC students were in competition with approximately 3,500 other students at the annual Student Television Network National Contest. Here, students from across the country competed in multiple film and journalism categories. Each category had 60 or more teams competing. Awards going to McAllen ISD students returning with awards are…