rent apartments, causing many low income families to leave the district. In addition, then Superintendent Jack Singley said that some illegal immigrants may have feared deportation, so they and their families left the district. In 1997, 43.4% of the students were non-Hispanic white. Eric Nicholson of the Dallas Observer stated that white flight was already occurring by then. In 2000 45% of the students were Hispanic or Latino, but this increased to 61% by 2005. By 2016, 9.2% of the students were non-Hispanic white, and Nicholson concluded that "change happened rapidly." In 1997, 49.2% of the students were low income - Nicholson stated that an increase in poor students was already occurring by then-but this increased to 79.6% in 2016. School uniforms All Irving ISD elementary and middle school students are required to wear school uniforms, a dress code that has been enforced since the 1999-2000 school year. The uniforms consists of a polo shirt and appropriate school pants (navy blue pants, khakis, etc.). The acceptable shirt colors are light blue, white, forest green, navy blue and attending campus school colors. High schools do not have school uniforms but still enforce district dress code. High school students are trusted to wear appropriate attire. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) specifies that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms may apply for a waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections. High schools Irving High School MacArthur High School The United States Department of Education designated MacArthur High School as a National Blue Ribbon School in May 2002. Nimitz High School Jack E. Singley Academy (formerly The Academy of Irving ISD) Cardwell Career Preparatory Center Middle schools Austin Middle School Bowie Middle School Crockett Middle School DeZavala Middle School Houston Middle School Lamar Middle School Lamar Middle School was designated a National Blue Ribbon School in May 2000. Travis Middle School Lady Bird Johnson Middle School Lady Bird MS opened in the 2011-12 school year as the largest net-zero middle school in the country. The school is powered by solar panels, wind turbines, etc. and produces as much energy as it uses while serving a student population of approximately 1000 students. Primary schools Barton Elementary School Brandenburg Elementary School Britain Elementary School Brown Elementary