While researching the history of the Tanque Verde Unified School District, Director of Communications Kristie Stevens discovered a photo that she said captivated her. The image was from 1929 and depicted a diverse group of students in front of a three-room schoolhouse. 

“I get goosebumps when I think about it,” Stevens said. “The students themselves come from such diverse backgrounds and when you look at this picture and the people — I just look at it and I’m like, ‘Oh my god.’ 

“It’s a great picture and it’s definitely one that I feel is super indicative of what this community is all about.” 

Today, nearly 100 years since that photo was taken, the Tanque Verde Unified School District (TVUSD) is preparing to celebrate its 140th anniversary — marking well over a century of public education. To commemorate the occasion, the district is inviting families, faculty and members of the community to a celebration and open house on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at Tanque Verde High School. As part of the festivities, the district is looking for historic photographs, class pictures, yearbooks, school programs, report cards, diplomas, newspaper clippings, memorabilia, artifacts and personal stories from throughout the district’s history. Submissions can be emailed to Stevens. 

The theme for the event is “Honoring the Past as We Look to the Future,” which Stevens said means excitedly anticipating the district’s future while appreciating how far it has come. 

“The idea is to share the history and the progression of the district as far as the buildings, people and the types of curriculum — but then also to see where we’re going in the future,” she said. “We have a lot of opportunities to showcase what students are doing currently and how it goes back to our roots.”

An example of that phenomenon Stevens raised was the district’s “very robust” agricultural science program, supported by what she said is, historically, a ranching community. 

TVUSD’s story began in 1886 with the opening of its first school in a rural community. Stevens said she initially had trouble confirming that the district was founded in that year, but she eventually found ledgers and documentation which proved it was true.

According to Stevens, for the first several decades, TVUSD’s singular school operated as a K-8 institution. Located at the corner of Tanque Verde Road and Tanque Verde Loop, that building is now known as Emily Gray Junior High School. She said that around the 1960s, the district began experiencing growth and introduced its next elementary school — Agua Caliente Elementary. In the years that followed, the district began embracing junior high models and in the last 20 years, Stevens said, TVUSD was able to establish Tanque Verde High School and Tanque Verde Community Preschool. The addition of the two institutions allowed the district to serve students across the full Pre-K-12 spectrum.

At present, the Tanque Valley Unified School District is home to four schools, each offering science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics curriculum — also known as STEAM. As a community with rural roots, the elementary schools feature outdoor learning programs. The students attend garden class to learn about the practical ins and outs of growing and harvesting, plant sciences and the benefits of a healthy diet.  

Additionally, the elementary schools include a program Stevens called “Odyssey of the Mind,” in which students are encouraged to engage in challenging problem solving and devise creative solutions.  

The director of communications said that the junior high school level is where the music and arts programs expand. Stevens said that offering orchestra, theater and choir gives the students an opportunity to experience performance. Additionally, the school also has traditional and animated art.  

“We’re really learning and taking kids for where they are at that moment and we know that with junior high students, it’s hard to kind of capture their attention and their interest,” Stevens said.

“Doing things like animation with art can bridge that gap with them.”

At Tanque Verde High School, Stevens said that choices become broader, including extracurricular activities such as marching band and jazz band. In an effort to embrace multiple post-high school pathways, the school offers both Advanced Placement classes as well as career and technical education, or CTE programs. Stevens said CTE courses provide students with hands-on experience in a number of trades and other career fields — including agricultural science and precision arts. Many of the CTE students, she said, find work opportunities or apprenticeships after graduation. 

For Stevens, a great part of TVUSD’s identity is a sense of pride in the fact that the community strongly supports public education. She said that 140 years of operation reflects the importance the community places on schooling. 

“We have a neighbor who is right next to Tanque Verde Elementary and she spends her time making sure that the school has beautiful things to see — whether it is plants, artwork, or curbside libraries,” she said. “This community is very connected with the schools and vice versa — it’s a great partnership.”   

Looking forward to the future, Stevens said that is focused on improving student proficiency and ensuring that each student continues to make academic progress. She said that by 2030, the district wants to increase the students’ proficiency levels on state assessments and continue using that data to guide strategies moving forward. Additionally, the district hopes to continue providing students with pathways that reflect their individual interests and strengths — whether they plan to attend college, pursue technical education or enter the workforce.

With 140 years of public education at the Tanque Verde Unified School District complete, Stevens said that she is thrilled for many more to come. 

“The idea that we have continually provided public education opportunities in this community for 140 years means that the people who live here believe in education,” she said. “We are up to the challenge of making sure they are ready to be super successful once they leave our schools.

“Our students are our future.”