About Us

Jose H. Damian Elementary School (JDE) opened its doors to students in 1992. The school sits in the middle of the vast farmland that makes up the Upper Valley. JDE is named after a late Canutillo Independent School District Board of Trustees member who served a total of 25 years on the Board between 1973 and 2002.

JDE, as the campus is known, has a long tradition of being a center of excellence in learning with a huge focus on individualized instruction. The school consistently ranks among the highest performing elementary schools in the country. JDE is in its 2nd year of being a STEM Focused Elementary School and prides itself on its focus on intervention, acceleration and closing the achievement gap.  

JDE has begun closely working on building 7 STRENGTHS within each scholar to "OPEN A WORLD OF POSSIBLE" (Belonging, Curiosity, Friendship, Kindness, Confidence, Courage, and Hope).  Each strength is coupled with each with a Book of the Month.  Besides academics, JDE boasts top-notch music, extra-curricular programs, which includes winning the District Robotics Championship for two years running.  Its honors choir has performed and received awards in state and national music competitions.