Students in the El Paso Independent School District will welcome new faces this year, both in and out of the classroom.
The district will have six new principals in elementary and middle schools across the city.
Park Elementary School
Patricia Lira was named the new principal of Park Elementary School.
She has over two decades of experience in education, and most recently served as principal of Lamar Elementary School. Before becoming principal, she served as Lamar’s assistant principal for nearly eight years. Her career also includes experience as a counselor, science coach, and classroom teacher across multiple grade levels.
Lira holds a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Early Childhood and three master’s degrees from the University of Texas at El Paso, in Instructional Specialist, Educational Psychology, and Educational Administration.
Lamar Elementary School
Raquel Fierro has been named the new principal of Lamar Elementary School.
Fierro has over 29 years of experience in educational leadership, teaching, and community engagement. Fierro has served El Paso ISD in various roles, including assistant principal, grant program assistant, and classroom teacher. Most recently, she served as assistant principal at Lamar Elementary and the About Face DAEP District Alternative Education Program.
Fierro holds a Master of Education in Administration and a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Whitaker Elementary School
Pauletta Howard takes over as the new principal of Whitaker Elementary School this year.
She has over 20 years of experience in educational leadership. She served as the principal of Newman Elementary School, where she implemented a successful mentorship model through the UTEP teacher residency program. Under her leadership, Newman Elementary was named a catalyst campus and co-presented at the 2020 TASA Midwinter Conference on innovation in school improvement.
The TASA Midwinter Conference has become the most popular conference of the year for Texas school leaders as it provides a discussion on innovative practices, networking with peers and addressing the administrative issues administrators face every day.
Howard has also served as the principal of Terrace Hills Middle School and as an assistant principal of Bassett Middle School, where she championed instructional leadership, teacher mentorship, and master scheduling.
She holds a Master of Education in Educational Administration from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Oakwood University.
Sunrise Mountain Elementary School
Melissa Ortiz is the new principal of Sunrise Mountain Elementary School.
She most recently served as the principal of Putnam Elementary, where she led day-to-day operations. Ortiz holds a master’s degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling as well as a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Ortiz began her career at Hillside Elementary, and throughout her career, Ortiz has served in multiple roles across elementary education, including assistant principal, school counselor, and teacher. Her expertise spans evaluation and assessment, curriculum development, teacher supervision, and data-driven instruction.
Don Haskins Elementary School
Lisa Lopez was recently named the principal of the Don Haskins Elementary School.
Magoffin Middle School
Ahmad Ismail was named as the principal of Magoffin Middle School.
Most recently, Ismail served as assistant principal of El Paso High School, where he helped lead the campus to a 95% graduation rate for the 2024–25 school year and increased enrollment in advanced academic programs by 28%. Prior to that, he spent nearly a decade at Austin High School in various administrative roles, including overseeing college and career readiness, advanced academics, and the campus master schedule.
Ismail began his career as a science teacher and instructional coach at Sunset High School before transitioning into leadership. Throughout his career, he has played a vital role in multiple district initiatives, including the Empower Fellowship, and the District Anti-Bullying Committee.
holds a master’s degree in Educational Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Biological Science, both from the University of Texas at El Paso. He is certified as a K-12 principal and was recognized as Teacher of the Year in 2013.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Meet the 6 new principals leading El Paso ISD in the 2025-26 school year
Reporting by Kristian Jaime, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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