J. W. Nixon High School

Last updated
J. W. Nixon High School
Renovated J. W. Nixon High School, Laredo, TX IMG 7413.JPG
Address
J. W. Nixon High School
2000 Plum Street

Laredo
,
Texas
,
78043

United States
Information
TypePublic
Motto"Forever Green and Gold"
Established1964
School district Laredo Independent School District
SuperintendentDr. Silvia Rios
PrincipalCassandra Mendoza
Grades9-12
Enrollment2233 (2021-2022) [1]
Color(s) Green   and Gold  
Mascot Mustang
RivalMartin High School
NewspaperThe Pony Express
Website nixonhs.elisd.org
Previous J. W. Nixon High School campus design. J.W. Nixon High School, Laredo, TX IMG 5996.JPG
Previous J. W. Nixon High School campus design.
Viola M. Moore Band Hall is named after a former J. W. Nixon principal. Viola M. Moore Band Hall, J. W. Nixon High School IMG 7414.JPG
Viola M. Moore Band Hall is named after a former J. W. Nixon principal.
The former First Baptist Church building in Laredo, since razed, was acquired in 2004 as part of the J. W. Nixon campus; the site is now the location of the Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts. Former First Baptist Church, Laredo, TX IMG 1782.JPG
The former First Baptist Church building in Laredo, since razed, was acquired in 2004 as part of the J. W. Nixon campus; the site is now the location of the Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts.

Joseph W. Nixon High School is a public high school located in South Texas. It was built in 1964 as the second high school in Laredo, Texas. The original high school in Laredo is Raymond & Tirza Martin High School, previously known as Laredo High School. Both are part of the Laredo Independent School District (LISD).

Contents

Over a period of two years (2014-2015), J. W. Nixon underwent a forty million renovation. Several older campus buildings were demolished to create a reconfigured two-story building centered about a U-shaped courtyard. Funds for the project were mostly derived from a construction bond package approved by voters. As of 2016, J. W. Nixon has a new Tennis Complex and Track & Field Complex, along with new classrooms. [2]

History

J. W. Nixon Mustangs sign, Laredo, TX IMG 6013.JPG

J. W. Nixon is named for a former LISD superintendent. It opened its doors in September 1964, with W. E. Lockey serving as Nixon's first principal. The first class to graduate was the Class of 1965. Initially, J.W. Nixon served as a junior high/high school with grades seven through twelve. The original school property consisted of 20 acres (81,000 m2) and the cost of construction was $151,047,568. In 2007 J.W. Nixon had a record breaking with more than 400 students graduating.

About 2 a.m. on December 7, 2012, arsonists torched three portable buildings at Nixon High School. Three other classrooms sustained smoke damage. No individuals were physically harmed in the fire. [3]

In 2014, Nixon fell short on minimum state standards and were placed on the Public Education Grant list. [4]

Viola Ileana Martinez Moore (1929-2017), born in Zapata and a graduate of Martin High School in Laredo, was a subsequent principal of J. W. Nixon, the first Hispanic woman to head a 5-A high school in Texas. The J. W. Nixon Band Hall is named in her honor. After regular retirement, she served for two terms as a trustee of the Laredo Independent School District and as principal of the Roman Catholic Blessed Sacrament Elementary School in Laredo. Her obituary describes her as one of "no limitations, a goal-getter, a catcher of dreams, and the best example for our community as a whole." [5]

Among the original J. W. Nixon faculty is Cecilia Cantu. Another member, Laura Garcia Magnon (died 2012), retired after forty-five years of continuous service to J. W. Nixon. The Nixon science building is named in her honor. [6]

In 2015, Pedro "Pete" Solis of Nixon High School was named "Texas Coach of the Year" for Class 5A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. [7]

Rivalry

The Nixon-Martin High annual football game is known as the oldest and most popular school rivalry game in the city. [8] [9]

Each year both teams face in this border city classic. The game is usually played in November.

yearwinnerscore
1974-75
1975-76
1976-77
1977-78
1978-79
1979-80
1980-81
1981-82
1982-83
1983-84
1984-85
1985-86
1986-87
1987-88
1988-89
1989-90
1990-91
1991-92
1992-93
1993-94
1994-95
1995-96
1996-97Nixon
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00Nixon
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03Nixon
2003-04Nixon
2004-05Nixon44-13
2005-06Nixon43-0
2006-07Nixon19-14
2007-08Nixon
2008-09Martin
2009-10Martin35-26
2010-11Martin27-14
2011-12Nixon
2012-13Nixon
2013-14Martin
2014-15Martin
2015-16Nixon
2016-17Nixon
2017-18Nixon
2018-19Nixon
2019-20Nixon33-30
2020-21
2021-22Nixon28-13
2022-23Martin
2023-24Martin28-27
2024

Notable alumni

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laredo, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Laredo is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and seat of Webb County, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Founded in 1755, Laredo grew from a village to the capital of the short-lived Republic of the Rio Grande to the largest inland port on the Mexican border. Laredo's economy is primarily based on international trade with Mexico, and as a major hub for three areas of transportation: land, rail, and air cargo. The city is on the southern end of I-35, which connects manufacturers in northern Mexico through Interstate 35 as a major route for trade throughout the U.S. It has four international bridges and one railway bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lubbock High School</span> Public magnet school in the United States

Lubbock High School is a 5A high school serving grades nine to twelve in Lubbock, Texas, as part of the Lubbock Independent School District,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flower Mound High School</span> Public high school in Flower Mound, Denton County, Texas, United States

Flower Mound High School (FMHS) is part of Lewisville Independent School District and is located in Flower Mound, Texas, United States. The school rests on 52 acres (21 ha) of land that was purchased in 1993. FMHS was the second high school built in Flower Mound, after Edward S. Marcus High School. With the expansion of the town in the 1980s and 1990s, a second high school was built to accommodate the growth. FMHS has been called one of the top 10 best public high schools in the Dallas area and had received an "Exemplary" (highest) rating from the Texas Education Agency. The school's fight song is the Michigan Wolverines' fight song, "The Victors".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarillo High School</span> Public school in the United States

Amarillo High School is a school located in the city of Amarillo, Texas, United States and is one of four high schools in the Amarillo Independent School District and classified as a 5A school by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). In 2015, the school was rated "Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agency.

United Independent School District is a school district headquartered in Laredo, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laredo Independent School District</span> Public school district in Texas, United States

Laredo Independent School District is a public school district based in Laredo in Webb County, Texas, United States. The district serves the south central portion of Laredo. In 2009, LISD was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.

Longview Independent School District is a public 5A school district based in Longview, Texas (USA).

The Colony High School (TCHS) is a public high school located in the city of The Colony, Texas, US, and classified as a 5A school by the UIL. It is a part of the Lewisville Independent School District located in southeastern Denton County. In 2015, the school was rated "Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancaster High School (Texas)</span> Public high school in Lancaster, Texas, USA

Lancaster High School is a public secondary school in Lancaster, Texas (USA). It is part of the Lancaster Independent School District and serves students in grades nine through twelve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laredo College</span> Public college in Laredo, Texas, U.S.

Laredo College (LC) is a public community college in Laredo, Texas. Founded as Laredo Junior College in 1947, it is part of the Laredo Independent School District. As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of LC includes the municipality of Laredo and all of Webb, Jim Hogg and Zapata counties.

Dr. Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa High School is a public high school located in Laredo Independent School District in Laredo in Webb County in south Texas. Grades nine through twelve are taught there. It serves students living in south Laredo. It has a student population of about 1,300. The school's namesake is a late medical doctor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin High School (Laredo, Texas)</span> Public school in Texas, United States

Raymond & Tirza Martin High School, known as Martin High School, is a secondary school in the Laredo Independent School District in Laredo, Texas, United States. Grades 9–12 are taught there. It serves students living in central Laredo. The school is adjacent to the Laredo Civic Center.

Emmett J. Conrad High School is a public high school located in Vickery Meadow, Dallas, Texas. Emmett J. Conrad High School, which covers grades 9-12, is a part of the Dallas Independent School District. The school serves most of Vickery Meadow area and the DISD portion of Highland Meadows. It is named in honor of Dallas surgeon and civic leader Emmett James Conrad. In 2015, the school was rated "Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts</span> School in Texas, United States

The Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts is a fine arts and communications high school in Laredo, Texas, founded in 1993 by Vidal M. Treviño, the LISD superintendent and a former member of the Texas House of Representatives. High school students from all three of the Laredo Independent School District high schools - Cigarroa High School, Martin High School and J. W. Nixon High School - meeting the acceptance requirements come to the school either in the morning or in the afternoon. They take one core academic class and one fine art or communication class. The academic classes are taught at the Pre-AP or AP level, meaning a more rigorous curriculum than regular level academic classes.

Rouse High School was established in 2008 by the Leander Independent School District in Leander, Texas to relieve overcrowding in the quickly growing district. It is named after Charles Rouse, a former principal at Leander High School. When the school first opened in 2008, it had only a freshman class. However, in its fourth year, the school was opened to seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshman, which eventually lead to them growing to a 5A classification under the UIL format. In 2011, the school was rated "Academically Acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency. By 2015 it had an enrollment of 2,391 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Dennis D. Cantu Health Science Magnet School</span> Public school in Texas, United States

Dr. Dennis D. Cantu Health Science Magnet School is a public high school in Laredo, Texas that is part of Laredo Independent School District. The school is named after Dennis D. Cantu, a local physician, and member of the LISD Board of Trustees. The purpose of the school is to attract students interested in pursuing careers in the health sciences and to expose them to different careers in the medical field. The school offers Pre-AP and AP courses in Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, and specialized courses including medical microbiology, pathophysiology, anatomy & physiology, clinical nutrition, mental health, medical terminology, pharmacology, and Health Science Technology.

Elma Teresa Ender is an American attorney, who was the youngest woman and the first Hispanic female to serve as a state district court judge in the U.S. state of Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esther Buckley</span> American educator and politician (1948–2013)

Esther Gonzalez-Arroyo Buckley was an educator in Laredo, Texas, USA, who from 1983 to 1992 was one of the eight members of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. She was appointed to the board by U.S. President Ronald W. Reagan.

The Héctor J. García Early College High School is located in Laredo, Texas. Its address is 5241 University Boulevard. It is one of the four high schools under the Laredo Independent School District. It was established in August 2006 and was first situated in portable buildings that shared grounds with Texas A&M International University. The first graduating class was the Class of 2010. In 2012, the portable buildings were replaced with a new edifice that is two stories tall with two sets of stairs and elevator accessibility on each floor. It has a student population of approximately 400 students. This school is currently ranked #72 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan L. Maldonado</span>

Juan Leandro Maldonado was a higher education administrator who served as the sixth president of Laredo Community College in Laredo in Webb County in South Texas, USA. In August 2007, upon the sudden retirement of Ramón H. Dovalina, Maldonado assumed the LCC presidency. Maldonado retired from LCC effective August 1, 2016.

References

  1. ↑ "Nixon High School in Laredo, TX". US News Best High Schools. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "History - Joseph W. Nixon High School". nixonhs.elisd.org. Retrieved 2016-08-06.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ JJ Velasquez, "Arson ruled, suspects sought: Surveillance footage under investigation", Laredo Morning Times, December 12, 2012, pp. 1, 14A
  4. ↑ Judith Rayo, "17 schools fall short", Laredo Morning Times, January 15, 2015, p. 1
  5. ↑ "Viola M. Moore". Laredo Morning Times. February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  6. ↑ Laura Magnon obituary, Laredo Morning Times, November 16, 2012, p. 17A
  7. ↑ Jason Mack, "Coach of the Year: Pete Solis earns 5A honor, Laredo Morning Times, April 19, 2015, pp. 1B-2
  8. ↑ https://www.maxpreps.com/games/11-3-2023/football-23/martin-vs-nixon.htm?c=Tjs7zP1CR06BG3NXngKf6g#tab=box-score&schoolid= [ bare URL ]
  9. ↑ https://www.lmtonline.com/sports/article/Martin-beats-Nixon-in-thrilling-classic-17561905.php [ bare URL ]
  10. ↑ Valerie Godines Fitzgerald, "Historic Path: Judge Ender retires from post," Laredo Morning Times , December 31, 2012, pp. 1, 14A
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.