(EL PASO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT – Feb. 20, 2026) — At El Paso High School, the morning bell doesn’t just signal the start of a new period; for some, it marks the beginning of a seminar with Arizona State University or a deep dive into philosophy with Wesleyan University.
Across 11 El Paso ISD campuses, the traditional high school experience is being transformed. Through a high-impact partnership with the National Education Opportunity Network (NEON), 763 local scholars have stepped out of their comfort zones and into some of the most rigorous virtual classrooms in the country.
Since the partnership began, student enrollment has tripled, but the most impressive statistic isn't how many students are signing up, it’s how many are winning. Even as the program scaled up, the student pass rate more than doubled, proving that when El Paso students are given the bar, they don't just meet it, they cleared it.
“I would recommend this course to another student because through this lesson I gained much knowledge,” shared a Burges High School student currently enrolled in Wesleyan University’s “Live Like a Philosopher” course. “This is a great course to practice with peers.”
El Paso ISD students are currently earning credits and transcripts from:
• The Ivies: Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Barnard College at Columbia University, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
• Elite Research Hubs: Stanford, Georgetown, and UC San Diego.
• Historic Institutions: Howard University, and Morehouse College.
LEARN MORE: NEON courses at El Paso ISD
This isn’t just about the names on the transcript; it’s about the financial freedom it provides. In the Fall 2025 semester alone, the program saved El Paso families an estimated $384,750 in potential college tuition costs.
“This partnership represents what’s possible when we remove barriers and raise expectations at the same time,” said Chief Academic Officer Al Garcia. “Our students are proving they can compete and excel at the highest academic levels, and we are committed to ensuring access to these opportunities is not determined by zip code.”
The "magic" of NEON lies in the support system. While Ivy League professors deliver the content, El Paso ISD facilitators like Luz Aguirre-Rodriguez (El Paso High) bridge the gap.
“Our teaching fellow was very enthusiastic in her weekly meetings and tried to connect with the students,” Aguirre-Rodriguez noted regarding her ASU Introduction to Sociology course. This "near-peer" mentoring ensures that while the work is Ivy League-level, the support is homegrown and accessible.
The excellence of EPISD students is gaining national attention. To date, 132 El Paso ISD students have been inducted into the NEON National Honor Society. This prestigious distinction is reserved for scholars who earn grades in the top 20% of their courses nationwide, competing against the brightest minds in the country.
As the Spring 2026 semester gets underway at campuses from Andress to the Young Women’s STEAM Research & Preparatory Academy, one thing is clear: The "Border to Ivy" pipeline is no longer a dream, it's a daily reality in El Paso ISD.