10 Mar 2010
Garza Served as Dallas ISD Board Trustee
DALLAS–Dallas Independent School District and Mountain View College celebrated the naming of the Trinidad "Trini" Garza Early College High School at Mountain View College, at 2 p.m. Wed.,
March 10.
Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa, the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees and Trinidad "Trini" Garza were joined by students, officials of Dallas County Community College District and community members at the naming ceremony.
"We are excited about naming the Trinidad "Trini" Garza Early College High School at Mountain View College in honor of a man who has dedicated his life to serving the community," said Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa. "The example of Trinidad "Trini" Garza will serve as an inspiration to students for years to come, pointing the way for them to pursue both service to community and academic success."
Trinidad "Trini" Garza is a well-known Dallas civic leader and businessman. He joined the U. S. Navy in 1953 and served for two-and-a-half years as an aviation electronics technician and radio operator, and in 1961 received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A & M University. Married to Benilde Mendoza since 1957, Garza is the father of four children, including current District 7 Dallas ISD Board Trustee Jerome Garza.
The elder Garza became known as an advocate for progress for the Hispanic community as early as 1969 when he helped organize the city's first Mexican American Leadership Conference. He has continued to speak out and work for progressive causes over succeeding decades.
Garza has also been a strong advocate and supporter of education. Elected as the first Hispanic member of the board of trustees in 1969, Garza served on the board again from 1991 to 1994, and was then appointed Deputy Regional Director of the U. S. Department of Education in President Clinton's Administration. Throughout his life, Garza has served the community in his professional life and through involvement in numerous civic organizations.
In a partnership with the Dallas County Community College District, Dallas ISD opened Early College High School on the Mountain View College campus in 2006 as one of several Texas early college campuses supported by the Texas High School Project. THSP supports the early college concept and other innovative models that promote increased high school completion and college enrollment.
One of two early college programs in Dallas ISD, Early College High School at Mountain View serves students who are the first in their families to seek a college education, or who may be at risk or economically disadvantaged. Currently, the school has an enrollment of approximately 400 students and has received an Exemplary rating by the Texas Education Agency.
The program prepares students for college by immersing them in college-level classes and college culture at the same time they fulfill high school graduation requirements.
"Dallas ISD students are showing improvement on college readiness indicators… and (the district) has shown improvement on Broad Prize indicators. Among the comparison Texas urban districts, only Houston ISD slightly outperforms Dallas ISD."