Joshua ISD
An A-Rated District by the Texas Education Agency , Joshua ISD boasts a 13:1 student to teacher ratio .
The district covers about 76 square miles in Johnson County , employs a staff of 900 employees who serve about 6,000 students and is classified as a 5A enrollment institution by the University Interscholastic League .
Ten campuses serve students from early childhood to 12th grade .
Joshua High School has a 98 % four-year graduation rate and offers 15 Career and Technical pathways . It is also home to a nationally-recognized Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps program . In the last two years , the district has awarded $ 3.6 million in scholarships to students .
More than $ 6 million in scholarships were awarded to the Class of 2023
New Horizon High School allows students to complete at their own pace and even graduation early . Many students take advantage of this so they can join the workforce .
In addition to the Joshua Ninth Grade Campus , there are two middle schools — Loflin and Nichols — and five elementaries — Caddo Grove Elementary School , Elder Elementary School , North Joshua Elementary School , Plum Creek Elementary School and Staples Elementary School .
In 1868 , Caddo Grove Academy was built by J . R . McKinsey and located just east of Farm-to- Market Road 1902 and south of County Road 913 in the Caddo Grove community , which is across from where Caddo Grove Elementary School is located today .
In 1869 , the schools on the property that exists as Joshua ISD today started making headlines and have been making headlines ever since . On April 3 , 1869 , the Cleburne Chronicle reported , “ There are 103 pupils in Caddo Grove Seminary , six of whom are boarding pupils .”
Residents came from far to attend this school because of its reputation . It is said that Maj . E . M . Heath , one of the main forces in organizing Johnson County , bought land in Caddo for a home when returning home from the Civil War .
It was the attraction of one of the most progressive schools in the county that led him to buy that land . Both of his children attended Caddo Grove Seminary .
In 1890 , the first school in the town of Joshua was built , which was 40 by 60 foot located west of the railroad tracks . The school was closed in the early 1900s due to the need for a larger facility .
In October 1899 , Willie Denton College opened where Staples Elementary School is located today . Even though the school was named a college , the education program started at the first grade level and continued through the 13th grade .
On Dec . 27 , 1909 , the land that Willie Denton College was located on was turned over to the Joshua Independent School District . In 1917 , the name of Willie Denton College was changed to Joshua High School .
It was in 1918 that the full class of JHS students graduated . The district celebrated its centennial milestone during the 2017-18 school year .
14 JOSHUA CHAMBER DIRECTORY & VISITORS GUIDE 2024