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Janeth Plaza has been named the new principal of Gonzalo and Sofia Garcia Elementary School in the Canutillo Independent School District. She will begin her new role on July 7, following the summer break.

In a powerful display of discipline, determination and school pride, cadets from Canutillo High School’s Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps stepped up to the challenge at the 2025 Leadership Academy held earlier this month. 

The Canutillo Independent School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday selected Jesica Arellano as the interim superintendent following the transition of Dr. Pedro Galaviz into superintendent emeritus status on Aug. 1. 

Gov. Greg Abbot has signed House Bill 2 into law, outlining funding for public education in Texas. The law, which goes into effect in July, provides for Teacher Compensation provisions. The following Frequently Asked Questions were developed by the Texas Association of School Boards to help answer some of the inquiries surrounding the impact of HB 2 on teacher salaries. 

Two students from the Canutillo Independent School District have been selected to serve on U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar’s 2025–26 Congressional Youth Advisory Council.

The Canutillo Independent School District this week announced the appointment of Melissa Mena as its new director of special programs and services. Mena will begin her tenure in the district on July 1.

The fields at Bill Childress Elementary echoed with laughter, cheers — and the unmistakable hum of lightsabers — as students battled for hula hoop supremacy in the school’s annual Star Wars Hula Hoop Contest on Tuesday.

The Canutillo Independent School District Board of Trustees announced Tuesday it is seeking names of candidates interested in serving as interim superintendent of schools following the retirement of Superintendent Dr. Pedro Galaviz on July 31.

The Canutillo Independent School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday officially accepted the retirement notice of Superintendent Dr. Pedro Galaviz, effective December 31, 2025.

Canutillo ISD and Goodwill Industries of El Paso celebrated a milestone achievement this month with the graduation of the first cohort of students from the Employee Development Services (EDS) Program.

Two Griffin greats from Northwest Early College High School are flying off to college with not just big dreams, but scholarships to match. Melina Holguin, an aspiring doctor, has been awarded the highly selective Terry Foundation Scholarship to attend the University of Texas at El Paso. The full-ride scholarship covers tuition, fees, on-campus housing, meals, books and even includes funding for a study abroad experience. 

With pride in their hearts and dreams on the horizon, the Northwest Early College High School Class of 2025 gathered one final time at the iconic Abraham Chavez Theatre on Monday, May 19, to celebrate their commencement exercises. 

With sharp salutes, proud families and a spirit of service in the air, Canutillo High School’s Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) lit up the evening of May 14, during its Annual Military Awards Banquet, a night dedicated to celebrating the achievements, discipline and heart of its exceptional cadets.

In a shining example of student empowerment and community impact, Bill Childress Elementary School, Deanna Davenport Elementary School and Jose Damian Elementary School have been named recipients of the 2024-2025 Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA) Student Leadership Award. 

The Canutillo Independent School District is proud to announce that a team of educators from Canutillo Middle School is the first middle-school cohort in all of Texas to complete and earn the coveted Texas Reading Academies certification. 

The student council at Bill Childress Elementary just proved they are in a leadership league of their own—snagging the region’s only 2025 Student Council School of Excellence award from the American Student Council Association (ASCA). This prestigious national recognition is awarded to student councils that demonstrate excellence in leadership, citizenship, community service and school spirit. 

It all STEMs from a commitment to develop future-ready students at Deanna Davenport Elementary School. The campus has once again achieved the prestigious distinction of being named a Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School for the 2024–2025 academic year.

Canutillo Independent School District is moving full STEM ahead in enhancing science, technology, engineering and mathematics education with a generous $20,000 grant from Pilot Company. 

Teachers in the Canutillo Independent School District are cashing in on their top performance in the classroom. The District boasts an impressive achievement with 47 of its teachers being recognized by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program.

Canutillo Independent School District Trustee Armando “Mando” Rodriguez earlier this month was sworn in as president of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) – the largest and most influential organization for elected school board members in the state – during a special ceremony in Dallas.
 

Canutillo Independent School District Board of Trustees Vice President Armando Rodriguez earlier this month received the Golden Molcajete Award — one of the highest honors given to members of the Mexican American School Boards Association (MASBA).
 

Canutillo ISD is ready to proceed with the vision of its constituents to usher in a new era for the District. The Board of Trustees recently adopted a new mission, vision and core beliefs as prescribed by the joint efforts of District leaders, staff, parents, students and members of the Canutillo community who worked to develop the District’s five-year strategic plan.

Jose Barraza, Canutillo ISD assistant director of human resources, has been elected to serve on the Texas Association of School Personnel Administrators (TASPA) Executive Board representing District VI.

The Canutillo ISD Finance Department team has another notch on their belts when it comes to excellence in financial integrity and transparency. The District has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) as a result of the group’s efforts.

The 6,000 students that make up the best and brightest students in El Paso County returned to school as the Canutillo Independent School District celebrated the first day of the 2023-24 academic year on Monday.
 

Tender loving care was the overarching theme of the day as Canutillo ISD teachers and staff gathered at Canutillo High School to close out the third and final day of the GRIT professional development conference.
 

The Canutillo Independent School District is lending a helping hand to the community by providing free hygiene essentials through the Superior Care Closet.

Canutillo ISD teachers and staff rose to the occasion by bringing spirit and excitement to welcome the new school year at the annual GRIT Convocation and Conference, the District’s official kick off of the school year.

Canutillo ISD Board of Trustees Vice President Armando Rodriguez has been elected to serve on the board of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund Class of 2025.
 

Along with the upcoming school year comes a fresh pool of talent. Canutillo ISD welcomed a crop of new recruits during New Employee Orientation.
 

As the summer vacation winds down our District and campus leaders are in full swing working together to hone their leadership skills in preparation for the coming school year.
 

Students, teachers and staff at every campus in the Canutillo Independent School District renewed their commitment to inclusivity and collaboration by earning the coveted No Place for Hate designation for work done during the 2022-23 school year.

Families in the Canutillo Independent School District and El Paso County starting next school year will have two new options for high-level educational opportunities for their 3-year-old children.
 

This summer, STEM is heating up in the Canutillo Independent School District. Students throughout the District are learning about what is hot in science, technology, engineering and math by taking part in the District’s STEM camps. The camps started this week and will last two weeks.

Canutillo ISD will be providing free breakfast and lunch to kids 18 and under. Breakfast will be served 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. and lunch will be available from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The Holdsworth Center, an Austin-based nonprofit focused on leadership in public education, has selected the Canutillo Independent School District to join the Holdsworth Leadership Collaborative, an 18-month program that will help Canutillo build a strong bench of aspiring principals who are ready to step into school leadership positions when they arise.
 

The Canutillo Independent School District is a nominee for the Secretary of Defense Employee Support Freedom Award recognizing employers who have gone above and beyond in its support of military guard and the reservists.
 

The Canutillo Independent School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday night approved a compensation package for the 2023-24 school year that includes a 5 percent salary increase for teachers and a 3 percent pay hike for all other employees.

The Canutillo ISD boardroom was all abuzz with excitement and anticipation as 50 students from throughout the District vied to take the top spot in the Spanish Spelling Bee.
 

This is National Teacher Appreciation Week, the time we say thank you to our CISD educators for the work they do every day! Several local and national brands are joining in the celebration and offering teachers (and school employees, too!) some great freebies and deals.

Two teachers and a custodian were named the top employees of the Canutillo Independent School District last Friday during a first-of-its-kind ceremony at Canutillo High School that brought together 250 people to celebrate the work of teachers and auxiliary employees.
 

The future of technology looked bright as students throughout the District came together to explore the world of STEM and robotics at the Robotics Fair hosted by Canutillo Middle School STEAM Academy.
 

The Canutillo Independent School District on Tuesday approved a resolution calling for Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath to reconsider his decision to remove the Board of Trustees and Superintendent of the Houston Independent School District and replace them with an appointed Board of Managers.
 

Oh, the places you’ll go when you read a good book. Students throughout the Best Small School District in Texas spent the week reading here, there and everywhere as they celebrated Read Across America Week.

Designated teachers in the Canutillo Independent School District will soon see a salary increase as a reward for being amongst the state’s highest performing teachers through the Texas Education Agency's (TEA) Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA).
 

The gymnasium at Jose J. Alderete Middle School was filled with anticipation, excitement and an abundance of trifolds booming with science flair as students throughout the District gathered to participate in the Canutillo ISD District Science Fair.

The Public Information Office of the Canutillo Independent School District on Wednesday received 10 Star Awards from the Texas School Public Relations Association for their work in promoting student and staff success in the District.
 

Students across the District spent the week learning that kind gestures go a long way as they celebrated National Random Acts of Kindness week with dress-up days and performing spontaneous, yet thoughtful, acts of kindness towards their peers, teachers and family members.

It’s Valentine’s Day and to celebrate this most romantic of holidays we bring you a love story between two Canutillo High School sweethearts who met in the 1980s and remain committed to each other … and the District.

The Canutillo Independent School District is among a handful of state districts in to have earned the prestigious Award of Excellence in Financial Management award from the Texas Association of School Business Officials – the largest school-finance organization in the state.
 

Students in the Canutillo Independent School District on Tuesday celebrated reaching the 100th day of learning for the 2022-23 school year the only way they know how: by having tons of fun!

Students in the Best Small District in Texas were in it to win it at this year’s University Interscholastic League (UIL) competition where teams from Congressman Silvestre and Carolina Reyes Elementary and Jose J. Alderete Middle School were named District Champions by taking first place in their grade level academic divisions.