Socorro ISD growth continues; new high school opening in the far east
The Socorro Independent School District is the fastest growing school district in El Paso County. SISD will soon have eight high schools. Pebble Hills High in far east El Paso will serve a student population that is just too big for Montwood and El Dorado High schools.
It’s close to the size of a city block, costing taxpayers more than $55 million. But Socorro says the district needs it.
“This area has been growing for the past seven years,” said SISD Assistant Superintendent of Administration Marivel Macias.
The Hardings sit at a community meeting for parents preparing to send their kids to the new far east elementary school Purple Heart. They and thousands of other just like them are the reason behind SISD’s booming student population.
“We just moved here about a year ago,” said mother April Harding.
Macias said every year SISD has 2-5 percent growth every year. The new Pebble Hills High, being built on the El Dorado Ninth Grade Academy location, will house about 1,300 students. Some of El Dorado’s students will go to Pebble Hills, some of the Academy’s ninth graders will go to El Dorado, which will become grades 9-12
“People are coming because they research, especially military, they research, and they’re coming to their district of choice,” said Macias.
The Hardings are a family of three little girls, an Army dad, and a busy young mom.
“We looked around for at least days when we moved here and we choose this one,” April Harding said.
El Paso ISD will lose 5,000 students in five years,Ysleta ISD has lost 8,000 in 10 years. But as more families opt for the new, affordable housing in the far east, tax dollars continue to flow, and Socorro ISD continues to grow.
Pebble Hills is expected to open the coming school year.
