2024-25 End of Year Letter
May 1, 2025
Dear Midland ISD,
It is hard to believe the 2024-25 school year is coming to a close. I continue to be inspired by the dedication and achievements of our students, staff, and administrators. Our seniors in the Class of 2025 are preparing for graduation, and this year is especially significant as Young Women’s Leadership Academy celebrates its first graduating class. We are projected to graduate approximately 1,697 seniors across our five high schools. It is an exciting time for our seniors and their families as students take the next steps toward their future. We appreciate our families choosing Midland ISD, and we are proud to have been a part of their educational journey.
The Class of 2025 continues to raise the bar with outstanding achievements across multiple areas. This cohort is on track to have over 518 graduates earn more than 696 industry-based certifications. In addition, 254 seniors from the Class of 2025 are set to complete 310 Level I Certificates through Midland College, collectively earning over 4,550 dual credit hours. To date, the class has been awarded over $11.4 million in scholarships, and 690 students have received direct admission from the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB). Every graduate will also receive a letter of acceptance to Midland College along with their high school diploma.
In alignment with the Student Experience pillar of our strategic plan, this school year has brought exceptional achievements across academics, athletics, and the arts in Midland ISD. For the first time since 2015, we are proud to recognize three National Merit Finalists representing Legacy High School, Midland High School, and Young Women’s Leadership Academy—an outstanding accomplishment highlighting the strength of our academic programs districtwide. Early education also expanded, with over 130 additional Pre-K students, ensuring more students enter kindergarten ready to learn.
This was the inaugural year of UIL A+ Academics for grades 2-8, culminating in the district’s first-ever UIL A+ Academics Meet, where 389 students from 21 campuses competed. Our investment in STEM also grew, with LEGO Robotics being introduced into Tier 1 math and science instruction for grades 4-6. This initiative led to the creation of competitive robotics teams at multiple elementary campuses. We are proud to share that teams from Bowie Fine Arts Academy, Fannin Elementary, and Abell Junior High advanced to the State level. In junior high, Abell made history in its first year of Robotics by qualifying for the Lego League World Competition in Long Beach, California. We also proudly launched the district’s first-ever HOSA chapter, giving students interested in health science careers valuable hands-on experiences, leadership development, and professional networking.
In athletics, MISD student-athletes have delivered another year of impressive accomplishments. The Young Women’s Leadership Academy swim team earned a State Runner-Up finish in their first year of UIL competition—a historic achievement. Across the district, our teams secured 12 District, Bi-District, or Area Championships, 122 Regional qualifiers, and 51 State qualifiers. We also celebrated 86 student-athletes named Academic All-State and 30 students who signed to compete at the collegiate level—proof that excellence continues both on the field and in the classroom.
The arts continue to thrive across MISD, with students showcasing creativity and talent on some of the biggest stages. Legacy High School’s Varsity One Act Play Theatre Company advanced to Regionals, the Varsity Mariachi Ensemble qualified for the State Mariachi Festival, and Midland High School’s Band reached the Area Marching Contest Finals. Two students from Bowie Fine Arts Academy were selected for the Texas Choral Directors Association All-State Elementary Choir. In the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE), seven Legacy High School students advanced to state with nine entries, with Kolten Abernathy, Mikayla Reyes, Bryan Roman, and Ma’laya Tryon earning state medals. Emily Arispe received the prestigious Gold Seal—only the third LHS student ever to do so, and she earned a state medal for the second consecutive year. MISD students also excelled in PTA Reflections: in Visual Art, Lola Eaton (Carver Center), Lily Gonzalez (Franks Elementary), and Sophia Gomez (Legacy High School); in Photography, Annalia Martinez-Guedry (Ben Milam International Academy), Morgan Teel (Bowie Fine Arts Academy), and Sadie Dockery (Legacy High School); and in Dance Choreography, Willa Egan and Giuliana Valverde (Bowie Fine Arts Academy) and Aitana Yut (Midland High School). These achievements reflect the dedication of our students, directors, educators, and families throughout the district.
Human Capital Management, which includes both Talent Development and Human Resources, plays a vital role in advancing the Grow and Develop pillar of our strategic plan. This year, our work focused on recruiting and retaining high-quality staff while expanding professional learning and leadership pathways across the district. We launched a Registered Apprenticeship Program allowing paraprofessionals to pursue a bachelor’s degree and earn their teacher certification while continuing to serve in our schools. To date, one has completed this program and is now certified, and two are expected to complete this fall. Our Principal Fellowship Program, which supports educators pursuing a pathway to the campus principalship, is completing its third year through Texas Tech University with three candidates expected to finish this year. We are proud to continue this important work with the support of a continuation grant from the Texas Education Agency for 2025-26. We are also one of only a few districts in the state to implement the Principal Incentive Allotment, made possible through generous support from the Permian Strategic Partnership. Nine principals earned this distinction last year, and we look forward to awarding new recipients this year.
The Opportunity Culture Model continues to expand, providing enhanced career pathways and compensation. Last year, 51 teachers earned over $100,000 annually when including stipends and Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) funds. This year, a total of 73 teachers received a new or increased TIA designation, with more than $2.7 million in TIA funds distributed across the district. We are also looking ahead by working with the Education and Training CTE Pathway to identify high school students interested in entering the teaching profession, helping us build a long-term pipeline of future educators. The 2024-25 school year marked the first time ninth-graders, in the education teacher pathway, could earn dual credit through Midland College as they began working toward an Associate of Arts in Teaching. All of this work is centered around the importance of having highly effective teachers and principals.
Professional learning has been a cornerstone of our work this year, with a strong focus on ensuring every staff member—regardless of role—has access to high-quality, relevant job development. While efforts in 2023-24 concentrated on instructional staff, the 2024-25 school year marked a more comprehensive and inclusive approach. We expanded opportunities to include role-specific training for non-instructional team members such as bus drivers, custodians, child nutrition professionals, and others whose work is essential to the success of our schools. In total, more than 6,500 professional learning sessions were offered across the district this year, reinforcing our belief that every employee deserves support, resources, and training to grow and succeed.
Aligned with the Engage & Act pillar of our strategic plan, we are seeing a continued increase in parent and community engagement. In the most recent K12 Insight survey, 87% of parents reported improved communication from both the district and their child’s campus. Financially, MISD maintains a strong track record of fiscal responsibility—with six consecutive clean audits, seven consecutive years of a Superior “A” Rating on the state’s FIRST Report, and four consecutive Award of Merit honors for financial transparency. Our Partners in Education program, now housed under the Midland Education Foundation, has led to the adoption of seven campuses by local businesses, with expanded recognition of nonprofit, faith, and community partners through regular newsletters and quarterly events.
Thank you to everyone throughout the district for continued support of our students, staff members, and campuses. Whether you have stepped in to help or simply supported from behind the scenes, your involvement has a lasting impact. We have grown to over 6,460 PTA members and counting. Our PTAs have earned 115 monthly membership awards and 58 special awards. 33 of our 35 PTAs have seen increased memberships from the previous year. Midland ISD ranks second in the state for PTA membership growth with a 42% increase.
Looking ahead, we are excited to see the continued progress of Bond 2023. This investment in our schools is well underway, bringing significant improvements across the district. In June, we will break ground on our two new high schools, marking a historic milestone laying the foundation for grade reconfiguration to offer 9-12 high schools and to convert to the middle school model to serve 6-8. Additionally, Lone Star Trails Elementary is on track to be completed and ready to welcome students in August of 2025. The Safety and Security package is now 99% complete and expected to be fully finished this summer. These projects, along with ongoing facility improvements, are investments in the future of our students and our community. Thank you, Midland, for supporting Bond 2023.
I want to take a moment to thank Team MISD—our teachers, staff, coaches, and administrators—as well as our parents for choosing Midland ISD. Your dedication and commitment to our students makes a difference every day. In MISD, we are focused on providing high-quality instruction, meaningful learning experiences, and opportunities for students to excel in academics, fine arts, athletics, and more.
Our work would not be possible without the support of our community partners; their dedication to MISD reflects a shared commitment to student success. I am grateful to be part of a community which continually keeps the best interests of our students in mind and puts students first and allows us to Educate the Future with Excellence.
As we wrap up this school year, many of our students will take part in summer learning opportunities and camps, and our staff will engage in professional learning to prepare for the year ahead. I hope everyone finds time to rest, recharge, and return ready for another great year in Midland ISD!
