Horizon High School (Texas) - History

History

Horizon High School is Located in Horizon City, Texas.The school first opened its doors as Horizon Middle School, In its first year 2002-2003.The campus served as a middle school with grades 7, 8, and 9.In the years 2003-2004 the grade 10 was added to the school becoming Horizon Middle/High School.Then gradually started becoming a high school by the year 2005-2006 when Horizon Middle School moved to its own location and now is serving students in grades 9-12 having the Class of 2006 as its first senior graduating class. On June 1, 2007 Horizon High School had its second senior graduating class, the class of 2007. Horizon High School offers instructional strands in Telecommunications, Global Marketing, Banking, and Investments. The school has an El Paso Area Teachers Federal Credit Union housed inside the school and the plan is to offer internships and mentorships to the students. It has an estimated student enrollment of 1,274. Horizon High School's mascot is the scorpion.

Horizon High School was run with controversy after students from school were found smuggling drugs between Ciudad Juarez,Chihuaha,Mexico and Oklahoma City,Oklahoma. On August 9, 2007 U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents arrested 18 year old at the time Horizon High School graduate Rene Humberto “Jetta” Perez for smuggling drugs between Mexico and Oklahoma City,OK. He was charged with conspiring to import about 1,000 kilos of marijuana which was sentenced to serve in prison. A federal magistrate set bond at $20,000. The Clint Independent School District was forced to install security camera system to detect any drug related activity around the school. On July 23, 2007 former student Ivan Lozoya inform law enforcement that Perez was responsible for the recruitment of several students to smuggle the drugs that were then transported to drug lord known as “El Tio” in Oklahoma City. This investigation took months before when other students were captured for smuggling drugs into the U.S. and all accused Perez and Lozoya as recruiters of drug smuggling. This affected Horizon High School but made aware to take precautions for the safety of students.

On August 30, 2012 Horizon City police went into Horizon High School and took photographs of student's tattoos saying it was for gang activity information. One of the student's parents was extremely upset due to the photographs being taken of her son's tattoos because she said it humiliated him and put her son's life in danger. Police Chief Michael McConnel stated he was not aware of the operation and that the photographs were destroyed due to he felt those police officers did not handle the situation appropriately.