29 Sep 2007
Garcia Is the First of Three New School Dedications Planned in the 2007-2008 School Year
DALLAS—Dallas Independent School District officials were joined by community leaders, parents, students and elected officials Saturday, Sept. 29, for the dedication ceremony of Hector P. Garcia Middle School, 700 E. Eighth St.
Garcia Middle School is one of the three new schools that opened this school year as part of the 2002 Bond Program.
The three-story, 176,000-square-foot facility in north Oak Cliff was built to accommodate more than 1,200 students in grades six, seven and eight. The school is named for Hector P. Garcia, a doctor, soldier and presidential advisor. Dr. Garcia received many honors during his life-long fight for veteran's rights, and his struggle against discrimination in housing, jobs, education and voting rights.
Principal Gary Auld opened the ceremony by thanking the voters of Dallas for making the new school possible. District 7 Trustee Jerome Garza and Dallas ISD Chief Academic Officer Denise Collier also addressed the gathering.
As the ceremony got under way, the W.H. Adamson High School JROTC unit presented the colors for the Pledge of Allegiance. Garcia Middle School's "Javelina pride" was on display as students and parents welcomed elected officials including State Representative Roberto Alonzo and Garcia family members Dr. C.P. Garcia and Cecilia Garcia Akers.
Trustee Garza said he was honored to be part of the dedication. "I know Dr. Garcia would have been proud today. As I see the many bright faces of our students, I am confident that Hector P. Garcia Middle School will be instrumental in preparing these youngsters for the future. The entire community of Oak Cliff will benefit greatly from the amenities and modern technology this facility offers."
The school's Hispanic Heritage Month essay contest winners presented their essays. Entertainment included a student singer and the ballet folklorico from W.E. Greiner Middle School. In a heartfelt moment, the school's art teachers made a special presentation to the Garcia Family.
Phil Jimerson, executive director of construction services, spoke to the audience about the building's features, which include a library named in honor of former Justin F. Kimball High School principal, Dr. William P. Durrett. Other amenities include special classrooms and laboratories and large meeting rooms for community events. Garcia Middle School is the only middle school in Dallas ISD with a competition-level running track, and the first Dallas ISD school designed and constructed in accordance with standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The LEED program is a voluntary certification system designed to promote the development of high-performance, sustainable buildings.
The district's 2002 bond program funded a total of 20 new schools, more than 33 major additions and renovations to nearly every campus. The dedication of Hector P. Garcia Middle School is the first dedication of this school year. To date, 19 new schools and 137 of 148 planned renovations have been completed. Fifteen hundred forty-seven new classrooms have been added across the district with the capacity to serve more than 30,000 students.
Other scheduled bond-related events include a ribbon-cutting for the new wing of Frederick Douglass Elementary School Saturday, Oct. 20, the dedication of Harold Wendell Lang Sr. Middle School Saturday, Oct. 27, and the dedication of Larry G. Smith Elementary School Saturday, Nov. 3.