Port Arthur Independent School District Explained

Address:	4801 9th Avenue
City:	Port Arthur
State:	Texas
Zipcode:	77642
Country:	United States
Type:	Public
Grades:	PreK–12
Students:	7,957
Teachers:	613.87 (FTE)
Staff:	699.3 (FTE)
Ratio:	12.96

Port Arthur Independent School District is a public school district based in Port Arthur, Texas, United States.

The district serves most of Port Arthur and a portion of Groves.

In 2012, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.^[1]

Administration

The district is headed by the PAISD School Board, which is ultimately responsible for the well-being of the district. It hires a superintendent of schools who is chiefly responsible for overseeing the day-to-day affairs of the district. This superintendent accomplishes this with the aid of other individuals and groups that the administration comprises. The current superintendent is Dr. Mark Porterie.

History

Prior to 1965 schools were segregated by race: White students attended Thomas Jefferson High School. Black students attended two elementary schools, Carver Elementary School and Lamar Elementary School, as well as Franklin Junior High School and Lincoln High School.^[2]

Dress code

The Port Arthur Independent School District adopted a uniform dress code that was enforced district-wide during the 2007–2008 school year.^[3]

Student body

In 2001 the racial breakdown of the student body was: 58% black, 21% Hispanic, 13% white, and 8% Asian.^[4]

Schools

High schools

• Memorial High School (10th-12th) (Port Arthur)
• P.A. Memorial 9th Grade Academy (9th) (Port Acres)
• Woodrow Wilson Early College High School (9th-12th) (Downtown Port Arthur)
• Career and Technology Center
• Stilwell Technical Center (Port Arthur)

Middle schools

• Grades 6–8
• Thomas Jefferson Middle School (previously Thomas Jefferson High School)
• Abraham Lincoln Middle School(previously Abraham Lincoln High School)

Elementary schools

• Grades PK-5
  • DeQueen Elementary School ^[5] (Port Arthur)
  • Dick Dowling Elementary School (closed)
  • Port Acres Elementary School (Built as replacement of Dick Dowling Elementary)
  • Sam Houston Elementary School (Port Arthur)
  • Lakeside Elementary School (replaced Robert E Lee Elementary 2018)
  • Robert E. Lee Elementary School (demolished and rebuilt as Lakeside Elementary)
  • William B. Travis Elementary School (Port Arthur)
  • Tyrrell Elementary School (Griffing Park suburb of Port Arthur)
  • Booker T. Washington Technology School (previously Booker T Washington Elemnetary Port Arthur)
  • Staff Sgt. Lucian Adams Elementary (Port Arthur)
• Pre-Kindergarten
  • Wheatley School of Early Childhood (Port Arthur)

Alternative schools

• Port Arthur Alternative Campus

Former schools

Former high schools

• Stephen F. Austin High School (consolidated into Memorial High)^[6]
• Abraham Lincoln High School (consolidated into Memorial High)^[6]
• Thomas Jefferson High School (consolidated into Memorial High)^[6]
• Bishop Byrne High School (closed in 1983)^[7]

Former middle schools

• Woodrow Wilson Middle School (Moved to ALMS)
• Thomas A. Edison Middle School (Moved to TJMS)
• Stephen F. Austin Middle School (Became MHS-9)

Former elementary schools

• Franklin Elementary School (built in 1917. demolished in February 2012)^[6]
• Pease Elementary School (demolished)^[6]
• Lamar Elementary School (later used an alternative school before being demolished)

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2009 Accountability Rating System. Texas Education Agency. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151025190535/http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2009/index.html. 2015-10-25.
2. Mitchell, Carol T. Taylor. "The Role of Race and Culture in the Science Classroom" (Chapter 14). In: Conyers, James L. (editor). Black Cultures and Race Relations. Rowman & Littlefield, 2002., 9780830415748. Start: p. 223. CITED: p. 223-224.
3. "Buster Brown vs. Board of Education," Mid County Chronicle
4. News: Stewart, Richard. Port Arthur debates consolidating high schools. Houston Chronicle. 2001-07-15. 2019-02-16.
5. http://www.paisd.org/schools/dequeen/home.htm DeQueen Elementary School
6. https://web.archive.org/web/20001008142500/http://paisd.org/schoolframe.htm Schools as of October 8, 2000
7. https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139795/?q=Bishop byrne