Elysian Fields ISD

Welcome to the Elysian Fields Independent School District, home of the Jackets!

We are located in the community of Elysian Fields, Texas, nestled in the piney woods of Harrison County. Our district is situated approximately 15 miles south of Marshall, Texas, and about 35 miles west of Shreveport, Louisiana. We are a small, rural Class 2A district in Texas, with a total enrollment of 829 students in grades PreK through 12. EFISD includes three campuses: Elysian Fields Elementary (grades PK-5), Elysian Fields Middle School (grades 6-8), and Elysian Fields High School (grades 9-12).

Our community of Elysian Fields is located at the junction of Farm Roads 31 and 451, one mile north of the Panola County line in Harrison County in east Texas. According to local tradition, the town’s name originated from a dinner conversation in New Orleans in 1817. Captain Edward Smith, who had recently passed through what was then Big Spring Caddo Village (also mistakenly called Biff Springs), described the area’s beauty so vividly that one of his guests likened it to the “Elysian Fields of Greek mythology.”

Smith returned to the region with his family in 1837 and established one of the first general stores in the area. By February 1840, the Texas Congress had established a mail route, and the new community became known as Elysian Fields, with a post office opening shortly thereafter. The Golden Rule Presbyterian Church was founded on January 15, 1851, followed by the Bethel Methodist Church, located five miles from town, which hosted an annual camp meeting for over fifty years.

By 1884, Elysian Fields had a population of 60, which grew to 160 by 1896. At that time, the town had three churches and daily mail service at postmaster J. M. Furrh's general store. Cotton and lumber were the main economic drivers of the community. In 1910, the town was relocated one mile west to take advantage of a new stretch of the Marshall and East Texas Railway, and the old site became known as Old Elysian Fields. The town prospered for a time, reaching a population of 500 by 1929. By 1931, the community had fifteen businesses. Oil and gas became important to the town’s economy in the 1950s, but over time, cattle-raising and farming became the primary sources of income. In 1990, Elysian Fields had a population of 300, along with a bank and at least three other businesses. The population remained unchanged in 2000, but by 2010, it had risen again to 500. (Source: Texas State Historical Association)

Learn more about what we believe is “the best little school district in Texas” with our District Profile from the Texas Education Agency.