Nacogdoches Independent School District

About Nacogdoches ISD

Nacogdoches Independent School District serves the city of Nacogdoches and the surrounding area in central Nacogdoches County, deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas. Nacogdoches holds the distinction of being one of the oldest permanently settled towns in Texas—a Spanish mission and civil settlement were established there as early as 1779, and the city is sometimes called the “Oldest Town in Texas.” That long history shapes an area with deep roots in Texas culture and a strong sense of community identity.

The district operates Nacogdoches High School (grades 9–12), McMichael Middle School (grades 6–8), five elementary schools, and a pre-kindergarten program at the Fredonia Early Childhood Center. Stephen F. Austin State University, a regional public university, is located in Nacogdoches and plays an important role in the cultural and educational life of the community.

Books and the Classroom

Nacogdoches ISD has seen a notable volume of book removals in recent years, placing it among the more active districts in Texas for library and classroom challenges. East Texas has historically been a more conservative region of the state, and local debates over school reading materials often reflect that community context. The district faces the same questions confronting school systems across the country: how to weigh parental concerns about age-appropriate content against students’ right to access a broad range of literature and ideas. With 150 titles removed or restricted in the dataset tracked here, Nacogdoches ISD accounts for a disproportionately high share of book bans relative to its enrollment size.

This district's book removals have drawn news coverage — see reporting from KTRE for more.