That's a wrap on the 2022-2023 school year. It's been real, it's been fun, it's been really funny... At least behind the scenes of our video production efforts from which we didn't have to look long or hard to find plenty of blooper material. 😅

Here's to the Class of 2023! #amarilloisd #preparedforlifeandsuccess #classof2023 #publicschool #amarillo

Congratulations, North Heights Alternative School Class of 2023. You did it! #amarilloisd #preparedforlifeandsuccess #classof2023 #publicschool #amarillo

As we head into Memorial Day weekend, Amarillo ISD is again honored to share with you the important story of the life and legacy of Lance Corporal Thomas E. Creek. #amarilloisd #memorialday2023

School is out for summer, but wait, before you go... Don't forget to take the 2023 issue of Amarillo ISD's Portraits Magazine with you. The digital version is available anytime, anywhere. Find the link in the LinkTree in our bio. ☀️ #amarilloisd #moreinaisd #preparedforlifeandsuccess #publicschool #amarillo

Congratulations, Caprock High School Class of 2023! You did it! 🎓 #amarilloisd #preparedforlifeandsuccess #classof2023 #publicschool #amarillo

Knock, knock. Who's there? Orange. Orange, who? Orange you excited it's summer break? Time to party like a pineapple!🍍😎☀️

Congratulations, Amarillo High School Class of 2023! You did it! 🎓 #amarilloisd #preparedforlifeandsuccess #publicschool #amarillo

“I think I’ve been through eight principals,” says Sunrise Elementary School Secretary Rita Williams. She even remembers a time back in the day when people actually smoked inside the school office. Rita shakes her head in disbelief. ”I can’t even imagine someone smoking in a school now.” Miss Rita, as she’s affectionately known, has worked in Amarillo ISD schools for 46 years, all but two of them at Sunrise. Sunrise Health Clerk Annette Marez remembers Miss Rita when Annette was a Sunrise student, and now the two have worked side by side for 26 years. “She’s one of a kind, that’s for sure,” says Annette. “I don’t know what we’re going to do without her.” Ready or not, Miss Rita is about to retire. Annette nods at an empty chair. “You know, we were going to get new office chairs, but Miss Rita didn’t want them. She likes her chair,” says Annette. Whether they end up with new chairs or keep the old ones, Annette knows Rita’s will be hard to fill. “I’d rather have her here than any new chair,” she says wistfully. Rita has also been thinking about who will fill her chair next. She’s very matter-of-fact in her expectations. Only the best for her school. “My desire for somebody in that seat is for them to be kind, to love these people and take care of the parents.” Rita unfolds a piece of paper, revealing a handwritten employment record. “I want to show you something,” she points at the top line of the paper. “When I started I made exactly $2.83 an hour. That was in ‘77. I thought I was rich.” In the last four decades, Rita has racked up a wealth of riches in the friends and co-workers she calls family. She chokes back tears when she talks about it. “You’re going to make me cry. I love my job and it’s really going to be hard for me to leave these people. This is my home and these are my people, they are my family,” says Rita. #amarilloisd #aisdstories

At just 16, Amarillo High’s Eleanor Archer is a UIL state tennis champion with gold medals in mixed doubles, girls' singles, girls doubles and team tennis. Eleanor graduates today with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. No other school in the Panhandle offers the IB diploma, which is known for its rigorous, high-level academic expectations. Then, Eleanor heads to Washington University in St. Louis where she committed to play tennis. With its 13 percent acceptance rate and stellar reputation, getting into Washington for both academics and athletics is no easy feat, especially in a sport that sees a ton of international recruits. “I thought getting recruited to play in college was pretty difficult,” says Eleanor, who acknowledges one simple advantage from her time as a high school tennis player that might have given her an edge in the recruitment circuit. “I’ve learned to play as part of a team. A lot of colleges look for good team players and doubles players, not just individuals.” “The level of competition that our athletes play day in and day out is a real advantage,” says AISD Assistant Athletic Director Justin Hefley. ”And, we have luxuries which elevate their play," he notes. Read the rest of the story in Portraits Magazine. Visit the LinkTree in our bio. #classof2023🎓 #amarilloisd #AISDStories #moreinaisd