# Wichita Falls Independent School District

Wichita Falls Independent School District (WFISD) is a public school district based in Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and is accredited by the Texas Education Agency.
Wichita Falls ISD serves most of Wichita Falls (including portions of Sheppard Air Force Base). Varying parts of north Wichita Falls are included in the City View Independent School District and the Burkburnett Independent School District.
The Wichita Falls ISD was one of the few Texas school districts to offer a choice program that gives parents the choice of what secondary school they would like their child to attend. Wichita Falls ISD ended the choice program for all schools beginning with the 2015-2016 year.
Secondary schools in the WFISD offer Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses to students wishing to pursue a more challenging academic curriculum. The WFISD currently operates two schools with the International Baccalaureate program, covering two segments of the program:
* G.H. Kirby Math/ Science Junior High and Hirschi High School partner in offering the Middle Years Programme
* Hirschi High School, an IB World School, offers the IB Diploma Programme to juniors and seniors
The school district has continuously been recognized for its overall academic success from the Texas Education Agency and the Magnet Schools of America Association. In 1999 and 2001 respectively, Washington/ Jackson Math/Science Center and G.H. Kirby Junior High were awarded the Ronald P. Simpson award, giving them the title of "Best Magnet School in America" for a year. The district also boasts that many of its schools have received the Texas Blue Ribbon award or have attained "Exemplary" status from the TEA.
In 2005, Hirschi High School IB World Topics teacher Sherry Lindemann was named Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year, and selected as a nominee for National Teacher of the Year. Ms. Lindemann represented the WFISD and thousands of Texas teachers at a formal ceremony held by President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush in the White House Rose Garden.
In 2022, the school district was given an overall accountability rating of 'B' (80) by the Texas Education Agency.

## History

The first high school in Wichita Falls was built in 1890, and the first graduating class was 1892. In 1908 the Texas Legislature issued a special charter for the Wichita Falls Independent School District. A new high school opened in 1910, and the original 1890 high school was converted into an elementary school.
The A.E. Holland school, constructed in 1921, wasn't originally known as Holland. It was named Barwise in honor of Wichita Falls pioneer J.H. Barwise. Because of segregation, white students attended Barwise, while black students went to school at Booker T. Washington. The Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954 ruled against school segregation, but like a lot of districts in the south, it took Wichita Falls many years to catch up to that decision.
Rider High opened in 1961, followed the next year by Hirschi High.
The construction of two new high schools - Legacy and Memorial - were both on schedule and on budget as of January 2023, and are scheduled to open for classes in Fall 2024. The opening of these two new schools means the three existing high schools – Wichita Falls, Rider, and Hirschi – will close at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. All three old high school campuses will sit vacant until a potential bond election is proposed for 2027 to convert the campuses into middle schools.

## General information
### School board

    The Wichita Falls ISD is overseen by a Superintendent (Dr. Donny Lee), an Assistant Superintendent (Peter Griffiths), and a seven-member Board of Trustees who are elected either as at-large or district members. President of the Board of Trustees is currently Mike Rucker.

### Enrollment

    There are approximately 13,309 students in grades K-12 as of October 2022.

### WFISD staff

    1,923 total staff members
    1,019 teachers
    667 auxiliary/paraprofessional staff members.
    (Wichita Falls ISD is the second largest industry in Wichita Falls behind Sheppard Air Force Base)

### Teacher experience

    Average Years Experience - 12.9 years
    Average Years Experience with WFISD - 10.8 years
    31.9% of WFISD Teachers Have 11-20 Years Experience

### Budget

    2005-2006 $88,026,794 (includes debt service, maintenance & operations, campus activity funds, special revenue funds)
    Tax rate per $100 valuation: $1.142399

### Facilities

    20 Elementary Schools
    1 Early Childhood Center
    3 Junior High Schools grades 7-8
    3 High Schools grades 9-12
    1 Career & Applied Technology Center
    1 Accelerated Learning Center
    1 Student Adjustment Center
    1 Sports Complex - Memorial Stadium (Wichita Falls)
    1 Administration Center
    1 Support Center

## Schools
### Elementary schools

    Ben Milam Elementary
    Burgess Elementary
    Crockett Elementary
    Cunningham Elementary
    Fain Elementary
    Fowler Elementary
    Franklin Elementary
    Jefferson Elementary
    Scotland Park Elementary
    Sheppard Elementary
    Southern Hills Elementary
    Booker T Elementary Academy
    West Foundation Elementary
    Zundy Elementary

### Junior high schools

    Barwise Middle School
    Kirby Middle School
    McNiel Middle School

### High schools

    Wichita Falls Legacy High School
    Wichita Falls Memorial High School

### Alternative schools

    Carrigan Career Center
    Denver Alternative Center
    Harrell Accelerated Learning Center
    CEC CTE Learning

### Support staff

    Carrigan Technology Support

### Early childhood centers

    Brook Village Early Childhood Center
    Haynes Headstart Academy, formerly Haynes Northwest Academy (became an early childhood center effective 2023)

### Defunct schools

    Reagan Junior High School – became Wichita Falls ISD Administration Building
    Booker T. Washington High School (closed 1969, became Washington/Jackson Math/Science Center, name change back to Booker T. Washington in 2016)
    Booker T. Washington Middle School (closed 1970)
    Travis Elementary School
    Austin Elementary (closed 2008)
    Bonham Elementary (closed 2008)
    Fannin Elementary (closed 2008)
    McGaha Elementary (closed 2008)
    Alamo Elementary - The Times Record News has a photograph of a class for Alamo elementary held in 1909. 1910 was officially the year it opened, the cornerstone stated 1910, and most sources stated that it opened in 1910; the structure at the time had 19,299 square feet (1,792.9 m$^2$) of space. Official documents had 1919 as an opening date. It received additions in 1919, 1926, 1930, 1985, 1989, and 2009. The school received a gymnasium on the last date. Alamo closed in 2014; at the time it was the oldest school in the city. In 2016 WFISD considered demolishing the school. In 2017 the district announced that the school would not be torn down after all. R.C. Graham purchased Alamo for $101,000. Graham wanted the gymnasium as well, but the district did not sell the gymnasium to him and instead wished to retain it so it could hold district events there. Graham would have paid $106,000 for the gymnasium.
    Sam Houston School - Closed in 2014. The district considered storing items there.
    Barwise/A. E. Holland School/Holland Alternative School - Opened in 1921, and was originally a grade 1-8 neighborhood school named Barwise School. It was reserved for white/non-black students only until it was converted into a school for black children in 1956. It was renamed A.E. Holland while the district established another school with the name Barwise. The neighborhood school closed in 1969 and was replaced with the alternative school, which closed in 2002 for financial reasons. In 2016 WFISD considered demolishing the school. In 2017 the district announced that the school would not be torn down after all. Gold Nugget Properties purchased the property for $101,000.
    Barwise Junior High
    Zundelowitz Junior High
    - Barwise and Zundy were combined in 2014 and renamed "Barwise Leadership Academy".
    Hirschi High School (closed 2024)
    Rider High School (closed 2024)
    Wichita Falls High School (closed 2024)
    Lamar Elementary School (closed 2023)
    Farris Early Childhood Center