Anthony ISD looks ahead to new year

Anthony Independent School District is in the first week of class for all three of its campuses, an elementary, middle and high school.

The district runs along the Texas border with New Mexico, across the Rio Grande.

AISD, smaller community, has nearly 900 students that attend its three campuses.

It recently was designated a District of Innovation, one of three in El Paso County and the second after the El Paso Independent School District to receive the certification. It allows administrators the flexibilities that are available to the state’s open enrollment charter schools.

“A goal that we have is providing a great program of instruction for our students so that they can meet all the challenges that they have in their future,” said Oscar Troncoso, who has several roles at AISD.

Troncoso is the assistant superintendent, and prinicipal and Anthony high and middle schools.

He talked to ABC-7 about what the district has in store for this year and the goals they are trying to reach.

Offering more courses and programs is at the top of the list for AISD.

“We are now able to offer more health science classes,” Troncoso said.

He said there is also a great opportunity with the University of Texas at El Paso.

“UTEP has a new school of pharmacy and it’s the first one approved on the border. One of the things that we wanted to do is launch some of our students for this school of pharmacy,” Troncoso said.

Classes like medical terminology and principles of health science will be prerequisites this year and then pharmacology classes will be offered next year.

Safety is also a major concern for AISD. Troncoso said the district recently replaced all non-functioning cameras to its campuses.

“If there is one thing that trumps academics, it’s safety. We’ve added tens of thousands of dollars in cameras,” Troncoso said.