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

UISD serves portions of the city of Laredo, the cities of El Cenizo and Rio Bravo, and several unincorporated areas in Webb County. The unincorporated areas include Botines, La Presa, Larga Vista, Ranchitos Las Lomas, and Ranchos Penitas West.

In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" under the accountability ratings system used by the Texas Education Agency.

History 

The district was created in 1961 via the consolidation of the former Cactus, Johnson, and Nye school districts. The "Big Three" involved in the establishment of UISD were rancher Joe B. Finley, Amparo Gutierrez, and John W. Arndt, all of whom have schools named in their honor.

By the 2000s, United ISD had a rapidly growing student population due to the burgeoning populations of many colonias along the Texas-Mexico border. As of the 2000s, United ISD gains about 1,500 students per year.

On November 5, 2013, voters handily approved a $408.7 million school bond issue to acquire land, construct new schools, and expand other facilities. The tabulation in a low-turnout election was 5,148 (66.1 percent) in support and 2,643 (33.9 percent) in opposition.

Standardized dress 
Students in pre-Kindergarten through 8th grades are required to follow standardized dress code provided by the district; the dress code began during the 2006-2007 school year. Starting the 2007-2008 school year, high school students will also be required to follow the same standardized dress code procedures as approved by the Board of Trustees.

The Texas Education Agency specified that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms may apply for a waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.

Schools

High schools 

John B. Alexander High School
Lyndon B. Johnson High School
United High School
United South High School

Middle schools 

Antonio Gonzalez Middle School
Clark Middle School
George Washington Middle School
Lamar Bruni Vergara Middle School
Los Obispos Middle School
Raul Perales Middle School
Salvador Garcia Middle School
Trautmann Middle School
United Middle School
United South Middle School

Elementary schools 

John W. Arndt Elementary School
Colonel Santos Benavides Elementary School
Freedom Elementary School
Charles R. Borchers Elementary School, named for the former district attorney of the 49th Judicial District Court and former UISD board president Charles Robert Borchers of Laredo
Centeno Elementary School
Clark Elementary School
Henry Cuellar Elementary School
De Llano Elementary School
Barbara Fasken Elementary School
Finley Elementary School
National Blue Ribbon School 1998-99
Bonnie L. Garcia Elementary School
Amparo Gutierrez Elementary School
United D.D. Hachar Elementary School
Juarez-Lincoln Elementary School
Kazen Elementary School
John F. Kennedy-Emiliano Zapata Elementary School
Killam Elementary School
Malakoff Elementary School
Julia Bird Jones Muller Elementary School
Newman Elementary School
Nye Elementary School
Perez Elementary School
Prada Elementary School
Roosevelt Elementary School
Ruiz Elementary School
Salinas Elementary School
Trautmann Elementary School
Senator Judith Zaffirini Elementary School
Veterans Memorial Elementary School

Freedom Elementary School