How did it all begin?
During their stints as Teach For America corps members, Tom Torkelson and JoAnn Gama founded the IDEA Academy as an after school program in Donna, TX in 1998. It was created as a way to help combat some of the major educational deficiencies they saw in their students, focusing the program on student achievement and college readiness.
Torkelson and Gama named the program IDEA, an acronym for “Individuals Dedicated to Excellence and Achievement,” and “No Excuses!” was their motto. IDEA enjoyed quick success, and the state of Texas granted a charter to IDEA in 2000. Beginning with only grades 4 to 8, the original flagship campus in Donna has expanded into a full-scale Pre-K—12 campus today.
IDEA Public Schools embarked upon an ambitious expansion plan in 2005, titled “The 2012 Plan,” with the goal of launching 22 IDEA schools across the Rio Grande Valley by the year 2012.
With the opening of 21 new campuses for the 2020-21 school year, IDEA served more than 63,000 students at 120 schools in 8 regions across Texas and Southern Louisiana.
For the 2021-22 school year, IDEA will educate more than 75,000 across Texas, Louisiana and Florida on their journey to and through college.
The flagship campus in Donna graduated its first class of seniors in 2007, sending 100% of its graduating students to college. To date, IDEA has kept its promise of sending all students to college. In the 2020-21 school year, IDEA graduated more than 1,407 seniors from 19 campuses, and for the 15th consecutive year, 100% of our seniors were accepted to college.
2115 W. Pike Blvd.
Weslaco, TX 78596
Main: (956) 377-8000
Fax: (956) 447-3796
IDEA’s Title IX Coordinator is: Jessica Neyman, VP of Human Resources, 2115 W. Pike Blvd., Weslaco, Texas 78596, (956) 377-8000, titleixconcern@ideapublicschools.org.
As required by Title IX, IDEA Public Schools does not (and is required not to) discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs or activities. This non-discrimination requirement applies to admission to and employment with IDEA Public Schools. Inquiries into issues related to Title IX may be referred to IDEA’s Title IX Coordinator(s) (identified below), to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the Department of Education, or both.
IDEA Public Schools National Board Members: Collin Sewell – Chair, Ed Rivera – Treasurer, Ryan Vaughan – Secretary, Reba Cardenas McNair, David Earl, Erich Holmsten, Saam Zarrabi, Xenia Garza, Michael Adams, Gary Lindgren, Ovidio Vitas.