The district was formed in 1950–51 by the merger of the Lakeview and Elm Mott school districts. The name comes from the former
James Connally Air Force Base in the district (now the flagship campus of the
Texas State Technical College System) and carries over to the school mascot, the Cadet. After the resumption of classes in fall 2021 during the
COVID-19 pandemic, two teachers at the junior high school died of COVID-19 by September 1, 2021; the district canceled classes for two days and reopened after
Labor Day with a
mask mandate, one of several smaller school districts to join urban districts in requiring masks. ==Schools==