Julio Toro
A 1974 honor graduate of Leesville High School, Toro earned a degree in social studies education with minors in English and Spanish in 1978, a master’s degree in secondary teaching in 1984, and master’s degree +30 graduate hours in school administration in 1986. Toro is an educator with 39 years of experience that includes teaching, secondary school administration and elementary school administration in Louisiana (20 years) and Texas (19 years). His teaching and administrative experience includes 13 years as a secondary school teacher, 20 years as a secondary school principal and six years as an elementary school principal.
In 1979, Toro began his teaching career at Leesville Junior High School as a seventh grade reading and spelling teacher. The following school year, he was transferred to Leesville High School where he taught U.S. history, civics, and Spanish. In 1986, Toro was voted as Leesville High School “Teacher of the Year” by the LHS faculty.In 1987, he was promoted to assistant principal of Leesville High School. Major responsibilities included the areas of curriculum, discipline and implementation of the school’s new administrative computer software program. While assistant principal, he served two years as an adjunct instructor at NSU’s Leesville/Fort Johnson campus.
In 1990, Toro became principal of Natchitoches Central High School. He devoted much time and energy improving the school climate and curriculum, believing a safe and well-disciplined school is essential for learning to take place. During his nine-year tenure at NCHS, Toro was named “Administrator of the Year” by the Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators (1994), “Natchitoches Parish Principal of the Year” (1997), and “selected Region III Secondary Principal of the Year” (1997). In November 1992, Toro with the assistance of an outstanding faculty and staff led NCHS to become one of five Louisiana school nominated to be a Blue Ribbon School.
In 1999, Toro retired after 20 years from the Louisiana Education System and became principal of San Marcos High School in San Marcos, Texas. In three years, under his leadership and the assistance of a remarkable faculty and staff SMHS was named a Texas Education Agency “Recognized Campus.” Toro would complete the last six years of his career at the Grand Prairie Independent School District in Grand Prairie, Texas, working as a principal at the elementary school level. His elementary schools covered Pre-K through 6th grade and included Two-Way Dual Language classrooms and Full-Day Pre-School Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD). He retired from the from the Texas Education System in June 2018 after working in Texas for 19 years.