EPISD approves new school names; School to be named after Coach Haskins

As part of the El Paso School District’s 2016 bond, some schools will be undergoing some changes in the near future and those schools will be getting new names.

At Tuesday night’s EPISD board meeting, the board approved the new names for 5 of its schools.

The consolidation of Ross Middle School and Hughey Elementary will lead to a new school that will be named after Coach Wally Hartley.

Hartley was a coach at Ross Middle for 28 years and was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

The combination of Bradley Elementary and Fanin Elementary will bear the name of Dr. Joseph Torres, an El Paso dentist who fought in World War 2 and who gave free dental care to children in need.

The consolidation of Henderson Middle and Clardy Elementary will be named after UTEP professor and humanitarian Josefina Tinajero.

Tuesday’s meeting led to cheers and tears for the family of Archie Duran.

The Irvin High School track coach died in 2017 after the bus he and his students were riding in was hit by a truck on the way back from a tournament.

Duran’s name was under consideration for the name of a new northeast campus that will consolidate Dowell Elementary, Schuster Elementary and Crosby Elementary

The EPISD board approved naming the school after Duran.

Duran’s brother, Juan Duran, spoke before the board prior to their vote and was ecstatic about the decision that will ensure his brother’s name lives on.

“When we were kids we would run around the northeast because we were track athletes,” Duran said. “We would pass by schools and to think one day he would have a school name is incredible.”

The final school name that was approved by the EPISD board was for UTEP’s legendary basketball coach, Don Haskins.

The consolidation of Lincoln Middle, Bond Elementary and Roberts Elementary will now share the name of the The Bear.

Haskins’ wife Mary and his son Steve attended Tuesday’s EPISD meeting to hear the news in person.

“It’s humbling, it’s a real honor and I know my dad would be very proud,” Steve Haskins said.

“It’s just awesome,” Mary Haskins said. “He would be embarrassed, proud, happy, everything. I am thrilled, very thrilled.”