Virtual Academy is 100 percent online.
STISD is the only all-magnet school district in the state, and offers Valley students an educational alternative. The district provides a personal environment, a strong scholastic program and hands-on training in vocational career fields.
Because STISD is a public school district, there is no cost for students to attend one of its six campuses, and bus transportation is also free of charge.
STISD schools maintain an open enrollment policy, meaning any student that wants to attend one of our seven campuses can as long as he or she resides within the tri-county area we serve.
At Virtual Academy, meet curious, collaborative and driven students just like you.
At Virtual Academy, there's more to experience than solely academics. Explore what life is like as an STISD student, and be part of the many virtual + in-person competitive sporting + academic opportunities.
The community here at Virtual Academy is diverse, interactive and vibrant. We take pride in each and every position that plays a part in making our district unique and consistently ranked among the best in the state and nation.
If you are looking for spunk and excitement and non-traditional methods of learning, the Virtual Academy community is the perfect match and offers endless opportunities.
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.
Virtual Academy Administration
Interim Principal: Eric Gutierrez
Dean of Instruction: Itzahamara Moses
District Administration
Superintendent: Marco Antonio Lara, Jr., Ed.D.
Deputy Superintendent: Efrain Garza
Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations: Marla R. Knaub
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources: Lissa Frausto, MBA, SPHR
Executive Director for Student Support: Marcos L. Flores, M.Ed.
Executive Director for Special Programs: Brenda De La Garza, Ed.D.
Chief of Police: Steven Cortez
Executive Director for Public Relations & Marketing: Amanda Odom
Executive Director for Facilities and Construction: Frank Treviño
Join us for our upcoming Parent Connection meeting on Wednesday, November 12, from 5:30–6:30 p.m. This event offers parents an opportunity to connect, learn, and gain valuable information from Workforce Solutions and Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA).
Join us on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 5:30 p.m. at the STISD Administration Building in Mercedes for an exciting presentation on “AI (Artificial Intelligence) & STISD Families: Empowering Parents for the Digital Age.” Learn how AI is shaping the world our students live in — and how you can help guide them safely and confidently.
STISD Family,
It is with great sadness that I share that one of our Science Academy students, Colin Feltis, passed away yesterday evening after being involved in a serious car accident. Prior to his time at the Science Academy, Colin also attended World Scholars for a couple of years.
Our hearts are with all family, friends and others who have been impacted by this tragedy. This is a great loss not only for Colin’s family, but for our entire South Texas ISD community. During this difficult time, it is of utmost importance that we come together as a district family to grieve and to support one another. In addition to our campus-based counseling staff at Science Academy and World Scholars, we have brought in additional counselors from across the district to support our students and staff members at both schools.
![The image is a flyer for a parent connections event organized by the South Texas Special Education, Texas Workforce Commission, and Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid. It includes information about the event, speakers, and a QR code for registration.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1762197209/stisdnet/kybhmwtdt4jhgp9ywull/ParentConnectionsHelpingStudentsEnglishFlyer.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1762197209/stisdnet/kybhmwtdt4jhgp9ywull/ParentConnectionsHelpingStudentsEnglishFlyer.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1762197209/stisdnet/kybhmwtdt4jhgp9ywull/ParentConnectionsHelpingStudentsEnglishFlyer.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1762197209/stisdnet/kybhmwtdt4jhgp9ywull/ParentConnectionsHelpingStudentsEnglishFlyer.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1762197209/stisdnet/kybhmwtdt4jhgp9ywull/ParentConnectionsHelpingStudentsEnglishFlyer.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1762197209/stisdnet/kybhmwtdt4jhgp9ywull/ParentConnectionsHelpingStudentsEnglishFlyer.jpg","width":2200}])
![Fall Family Literacy Parent Meeting flyer in Spanish - Join us on Nov. 6 at 5:30 pm to learn about AI & STISD: Empowering Parents for the Digital Age]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1761770799/stisdnet/hpopnqkbvmjnz61rvsbo/UPdatedEngFL11625.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1761770799/stisdnet/hpopnqkbvmjnz61rvsbo/UPdatedEngFL11625.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1761770799/stisdnet/hpopnqkbvmjnz61rvsbo/UPdatedEngFL11625.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1761770799/stisdnet/hpopnqkbvmjnz61rvsbo/UPdatedEngFL11625.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1761770799/stisdnet/hpopnqkbvmjnz61rvsbo/UPdatedEngFL11625.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1761770799/stisdnet/hpopnqkbvmjnz61rvsbo/UPdatedEngFL11625.jpg","width":2200}])
![Decorative image- message to the STISD community]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1761142291/stisdnet/rfsvdvlctlqgp35zio1w/Alert-STISD-1080x1080_1.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1761142291/stisdnet/rfsvdvlctlqgp35zio1w/Alert-STISD-1080x1080_1.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1761142291/stisdnet/rfsvdvlctlqgp35zio1w/Alert-STISD-1080x1080_1.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1761142291/stisdnet/rfsvdvlctlqgp35zio1w/Alert-STISD-1080x1080_1.png","width":1080}])