17 May 2000
The dedication of the district's newest school Esperanza "Hope" Medrano Elementary School will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 20, at 2221 Lucas. Medrano is the last school built from the 1992 DISD bond program.
Among the invited guests are General School Superintendent Dr. Waldemar Rojas, Dallas Public School Board President Roxan Staff, Board Trustee Kathleen Leos, State Representative Harryette Ehrhardt, U. S. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, City Council Member John Loza and members of the Medrano family.
Medrano Elementary opened its doors to 600 students from the Love Field/Maple Avenue area in the spring. During the first semester of the 1999-2000 school year, the students were housed at Travis Elementary School. Built originally as a replacement school, Medrano is now a relief school for Sam Houston Elementary School. Ricardo Weir is the principal.
The 76,868 square foot facility has 42 classrooms, which include special population classrooms, computer laboratory, and classrooms for art, music and science. The school has a capacity for 816 students.
The school is named after Esperanza Medrano, a constant presence in her community, who personally delivered advice about the importance of education to the students who stopped by her small grocery store. Not having finished school herself, she knew that getting an education was the most important advice she could give.