Denton ISD has selected Marlen Velásquez as the next principal of Borman Elementary, effective July 1. Ms. Velásquez is replacing Jesús Luján, who is pursuing another opportunity.
Ms. Velásquez has most recently served as the principal of Ginnings Elementary since January 2024. She has nearly 25 years of experience in public education – with 21 of those years coming in Denton ISD. She has spent the past five years as the principal at Ginnings Elementary and Ponder Elementary in Ponder ISD.
Ms. Velásquez now returns to lead the campus where she served as a kindergarten bilingual teacher and bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL) specialist from 2014-2020.
“Borman Elementary holds a very special place in my heart,” Ms. Velásquez said. “My journey at Borman has been truly incredible, as I got to watch our students grow into confident, curious and courageous learners through the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Seeing students take ownership of their education has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I am beyond honored to continue serving Denton ISD, and I am overjoyed to return to Borman as the new principal.”
Ms. Velasquez first joined Denton ISD in 2001 as a bilingual instructional aide at Ann Windle School for Young Children – a position she held for five years. In 2006, Ms. Velásquez became a first-grade bilingual teacher at W.S. Ryan Elementary. She spent the next eight years at W.S. Ryan in a number of capacities, from second-grade dual bilingual teacher to fourth-grade bilingual teacher.
In 2012, she was honored by her peers as the W.S. Ryan Teacher of the Year.
Following her six years at Borman from 2014-2020, Ms. Velásquez accepted a position as the principal of Ponder Elementary in Ponder ISD in 2020. Ms. Velásquez served as the principal of Ponder Elementary for four years before returning to Denton ISD as the principal of Ginnings Elementary in 2024.
Ms. Velásquez’s campus leadership experience includes serving as a campus testing coordinator, professional learning community (PLC) development facilitator and kindergarten through fourth grade team lead. She has also studied and adapted curriculum for bilingual teachers and worked closely with bilingual and ESL instructional coaches to ensure student mastery of content.
Ms. Velásquez received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas, and she later received her master’s of educational leadership from UNT.
“We are thrilled to have Ms. Velásquez lead Borman Elementary as principal,” said Robin Brownell, Area Superintendent. “Her history and familiarity with Borman encompass a passionate dedication for student success, strong relationships and a shared vision for growth. We are excited to watch her advance Borman’s ongoing commitment to the International Baccalaureate program and build on its strong foundation.”
