Pasadenaisd.org File

PISD was named the National Model School District in 2005 and continues to be recognized for excellence, with several schools consistently landing on the U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools rankings. Pasadena Independent School District - 40th Anniversary

The original Pasadena High School began in a one-room building nicknamed the "chicken-shack," which housed only 20 students and one teacher. pasadenaisd.org

In 2026, a senior at Pasadena Memorial High School, Joshua Washington, made history as the district's first student to have their artwork named Grand Champion at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. That same year, 18 district students collectively generated over $1 million in auction bids for their art. PISD was named the National Model School District

The district has hosted notable figures like Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise , who visited in 2025 to share lessons on perseverance with staff and students. In 2026, a senior at Pasadena Memorial High

PISD was a pioneer in school safety, establishing its own fully functional, 24/7 police department in 1981, which now serves over 83 campuses.