History of SWISD
In 1950, the city electorate approved a bond of $9,500,000 for the purpose of constructing additional schools in the area. In the Fall of 1951, the small schools of Medina #26, Von Ormy #27, Tinsley #30, Idlewilde #29, and Macdona #45 merged together to establish the Southwest High School Rural District. Mr. R.K. Williams, the district’s first Superintendent was instrumental in consolidating the area districts into a single high school district as well as securing the property around what is now Loop 1604 and Old Pearsall Road and the building of a new high school. In 1951, Principal Charles W. Anderson had a faculty of twelve teachers and a small student body consisting of students from the incorporated rural schools and transfers from Burbank, LaCoste, Somerset, and South San high schools. Until then, some of these students had to travel by bus for two hours into the city of San Antonio to attend high school.
It was an exciting time for students in southwest Bexar County because, for the first time, they would be attending their own high school. Members of the first graduating class in 1952 met at the Medina River bottom to discuss choices for the name of the school, the mascot, school colors, and a design for a senior ring. 
By 1956, the Southwest Rural School District had one High School and Southwest Elementary with a total district enrollment of 735 and a senior class of 24 students. In April 1962, by order of a special election, Southwest Rural School District officially became the Southwest Independent School District.Our second elementary, Sun Valley, opened in the Valley Hi area in 1963. By 1966, the growth pattern had begun to affect Southwest ISD. Enrollment more than doubled and additions were added to Southwest High School, and both elementary schools. In 1970, Indian Creek was the third elementary to open.
A new high school building opened in 1971. That school building would later become Southwest Jr. High, then McNair Junior High, then Southwest High School 9th Grade Campus, and currently houses CAST STEM High School.
In 1972, our fourth elementary school, Bob Hope Elementary, opened near Highway 16. By the 25th anniversary of the District in 1976, Southwest ISD was classified as a 3A District with an enrollment of 3,870 students with a senior class of 165 students. In 1979 our fifth elementary, Sky Harbour Elementary was added. The 1980s saw the growth of Southwest ISD spread in all directions.
The current Southwest High School building opened in 1983 and was quickly followed by the opening of our sixth and seventh elementary. Hidden Cove Elementary opened in 1985 and then Big Country Elementary opened in 1986. Later in 2021, Hidden Cove Elementary would focus on a college curriculum that provides rigorous, high-quality education focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math to officially become known as Hidden Cove STEAM Academy.
Southwest ISD continued to grow and was re-classified as a 5A district in 1988, and by 1990, the student enrollment had expanded to 7,800, necessitating the opening of McAuliffe Middle School, our second middle school. In 1997, Elm Creek Elementary opened as Southwest ISD's eighth elementary school in the most rural area of the district. In 1998, the ninth elementary school Kriewald Road Elementary opened near Marbach Road followed by the opening of our third Middle school, Scobee in 1999. In 2022, Kriewald Road Elementary began to increase student engagement and rigor through fine arts and officially became known as Kriewald Road School of the Arts.
In 2008, our tenth elementary school, Spicewood Park Elementary, opened near Highway 16 and in January of 2009, McNair Middle School was opened in its new location adjacent to Elm Creek on Pearsall Road to accommodate the growing SWISD population.
SWISD’s student enrollment had grown to 11,476 by the Fall of 2009 and the district was still experiencing moderate growth. In 2011, our eleventh and newest elementary, Medio Creek Elementary opened near Old Pearsall Rd and Loop 410.
In 2012, SWISD passed a Bond that allowed for the building of our fourth middle school and a second high school. Resnik Middle School opened its doors to students for the first time in 2016 and Southwest Legacy High School opened a year later in 2017.
The latest addition to SWISD is our third high school, CAST STEM High School. Open to students from all over the city, CAST STEM engages all learners in their educational experience by modeling 21st-century skills, to solve the problems facing our global society and develop flexible thinkers through a culture of acceptance and innovation that will have a positive impact on our community beyond the cap and gown.
Coming from humble beginnings, Southwest ISD has made quite the journey and with the exploding housing market and rising population within its boundaries, there is no doubt that SWISD will continue to grow.