amarillo chamber of commerce - HPN Books

AISD as did Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalistBrad Loper and political cartoonist BenSargent. Distinguished judges like Mary LouRobinson, the first female appellate judge inTexas, and Morris Overstreet, the first African-American elected to a statewide office as aCourt of Criminal Appeals Judge, are productsof the AISD system. Athletics programs inAISD helped launch the sports careers ofPhiladelphia Eagles Pro Bowl linebackerWilliam Thomas, champion tennis player AlexO’Brien, and Olympic Gold Medalist wrestlerBrandon Slay. Other notable AISD graduatesinclude oilman T. Boone Pickens, former StateSenator and Ambassador to Sweden TeelBivins, and NASA astronauts Colonel PaulLockhart and Colonel Rick Husband.Even though AISD is one of the largestschool districts in Texas, students develop closerelationships with district staff as part of the“cluster” organizational concept. The four traditionalhigh schools, and their feeder middleand elementary schools are grouped into fourclusters. A team of administrative support staffis assigned to each cluster to provide directsupport to schools, which results in improvedstudent learning. Further educational opportunitiesfor students are provided through threemagnet schools, an alternative school and aspecialty high school that offers expandedcourses in math, science and technology.AISD strives to balance the needs of thestudent with the needs of the taxpayer. Thedistrict is in a strong financial position asindicated by the AA+ bond rating issued byStandard & Poor’s in 2009. Furthermore,the Education Research Group, an independenteducational research firm, places AISDin the top twelve percent of the largest 200Texas school districts for combined financialand academic performance. AISD has alsoconsistently received the highest rating(Superior) in the Financial IntegrityRating System of Texas.The superior education offered tostudents is provided by professional,highly qualified teachers supportedby counselors, nurses, librarians,speech therapists, and assistants. Thedistrict infrastructure is maintainedand administered by nearly 1,000clerks, secretaries, custodians, maintenanceworkers, and cafeteria staff.As the largest employer in the TexasPanhandle, the district offers a strongand affordable benefits program forstaff as well as support in areasincluding training and professionaldevelopment. AISD is dedicated tohiring, training, and sustaining qualityteachers who commit to providingstudents the best education possible.Above: Originally built in the 1930s,Houston Middle School’s exterior entrancewas renovated as part of an AmarilloIndependent School District bond electionin 2003.Below: Tascosa High School teacherAnn Shofner works with students in herdebate class on a drill to improve theirextemporaneous speaking skills.QUALITY OF LIFE197