Longtime Allen Independent School District educator Julie DeLeon sat down for an interview recently to discuss her recent appointment as the principal of Alton Boyd Elementary School.
With Allen ISD slated to start the 2023-24 school term on August 10, DeLeon explained that she is eager to start her new position at the helm of Boyd.
“I am thrilled to help write the next chapter of Boyd Elementary and create a new version of a place that has served so many Allen alumni. I want to see Boyd students have opportunities to win and learn how great they can be,” DeLeon told Allen American.
Boyd Elementary is a campus deeply woven into Allen’s history.
It was built in a pasture along a dirt road called Jupiter in the 1970s, according to the school’s website.
Over time, the city of Allen evolved and expanded around Boyd Elementary. Last year, the district grappled with surging enrollment numbers, especially at the elementary level, by drafting new attendance zones.
In 2023, 555 students were enrolled at Boyd in grades K to 6, for a student-teacher ratio of 11:1.
Nonetheless, the school has struggled with its student achievement scores.
In 2021-22, only 36% of students scored at grade level on their STAAR exams, with Boyd’s science score lagging worst of all at only 16%.
This has dragged down an otherwise high-performing district, as student achievement at Allen ISD has been better than the state average.
For instance, 71% of students scored at grade level in Allen ISD during the 2021-22 STAAR exams compared to the state average of 48%.
By comparison, Dallas ISD, the second-largest district in Texas, has actually seen declining enrollment these past years amid its poor student achievement outcomes. STAAR exams for the 2021-2022 school year showed that only 41% of its students scored at grade level.
DeLeon explained her approach to improving Boyd’s student achievement scores will be to build a better, more positive campus culture for students and staff through building relationships with students’ families.
In a letter DeLeon addressed to Boyd students and parents upon her appointment, she said she wants students to “grow academically and to believe they are capable of great things,” noting, “Our staff will accomplish this by building relationships with your children and families.”
DeLeon has already served as principal in two other Allen ISD schools: Evans Elementary and Norton Elementary.
She started her professional voyage in Allen ISD as a part of her college student-teaching assignment. She has since climbed the ranks, with her service extending to various schools such as Chandler, Kerr, and Vaughan elementary schools, as well as Hart Elementary in Lovejoy ISD.
Furthermore, DeLeon is no stranger to Boyd Elementary, having previously served as an instructional specialist for the campus.
“I love to see children grow, families thrive, and teachers reach their goals. It is very rewarding to be a small part of making the world a little bit better for the people and communities I serve,” DeLeon told Allen American.
