2 Aldine ISD Academic Decathlon Teams Earn State Competition Berths, Marking District First

MacArthur High School’s Academic Decathlon team placed second — for a second consecutive year — overall in the Large School Division in the region. MacArthur and Avalos P-TECH School, which placed first in the Small School Division, will compete in the state event set for Feb. 26 through March 1.

Aldine ISD students are heading to the state stage after strong performances at the Texas Academic Decathlon Region 6 competition, marking the first time the district will be represented by two teams at the state level in the same year.

Teams from MacArthur High School and Avalos P-TECH School earned state competition berths based on their overall team scores in their respective divisions. The regional contest was held Jan. 24 in Houston and included schools from across the region competing for limited state spots.

MacArthur High School placed second — for a second consecutive year — overall in the Large School Division with a team score of 26,855.3, finishing behind only one school in the region in its category. Avalos P-TECH School captured first place in the Small School Division with a score of 19,420.8, leading a highly competitive field that included several Aldine ISD campuses.

Avalos P-TECH School’s Academic Decathlon team, which placed first in the Small School Division, will compete in the state event.

Victory Early College High School and Carver High School also delivered excellent performances in the Small School Division, finishing second and third, respectively. Blanson Career and Technical Education (CTE) High School and La Promesa rounded out the district’s strong showing, underscoring the depth of academic talent across Aldine ISD.

In addition to team success, Aldine ISD students earned numerous individual medals across honor, scholastic, and varsity categories. Among the top individual finishers were Logan Haagenson Jiménez of MacArthur High School, who placed third overall in the Large School Honor division, and Nicolás Díaz of MacArthur, who earned first place in Large School Varsity.

In the Small School Division, Cielo Hernández of Victory Early College High School earned first place in Honor, while Kenny Nguyen of Victory placed third. Carver High School students also made the podium, including Nataly Mazariegos with a fourth-place Honor finish and Erika Newton, who placed third in Varsity. Additional medalists included students from Avalos P-TECH, Blanson CTE, and Victory Early College, with multiple first-, second-, and third-place finishes across categories.

“Having two Aldine ISD teams advance to state competition in the same year is a major milestone for our district,” said Susan Pelezo, Aldine ISD executive director of advanced academics. “It reflects the hard work of our students, the dedication of their coaches, and the challenging academic opportunities available across our campuses.”

Avalos P-TECH School will compete in the Small School Division state competition in Corpus Christi, coached by Michelle Palmer. MacArthur High School will represent Aldine ISD in the Large School Division state competition in Frisco, led by coaches Park Van and Stephanie Debettignies. The state competition is scheduled for Feb. 26 through March 1.

The Texas Academic Decathlon challenges students across 10 subject areas, blending academic discipline, teamwork, and problem-solving. Aldine ISD’s strong regional showing spotlights the district’s continued commitment to scholastic excellence and student achievement.