Garland Independent School District Explained

Garland Independent School District
Budget:2008-2009
State:Texas
Grades:Pre-K through 12
Superintendent:Dr. Ricardo Lopéz [1]
Teachers:3,773[2]
Staff:3,334
Students:52,355
Conference:UIL 10-6A[3]
Free Label:Coordinates
Address:501 South Jupiter Drive

Garland Independent School District (GISD) is a public school district with its headquarters in the Harris Hill Administration Building in Garland, Texas, United States.[4] Garland ISD extends from the Dallas city limits, northeast to the county line and serves parts of the communities of Garland, Rowlett, and Sachse.[5] Small portions of Dallas and Wylie are served by Garland ISD.[6]

The district encompasses approximately 100sqmi. With a student enrollment of 56,459 students,[2] GISD is currently the fourth largest school district in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and is thirteenth largest district in the state of Texas. Garland High School, the district's first high school, is more than one hundred years old.

In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.[7]

Choice of School Plan

Garland ISD implements a Freedom of Choice/Choice of School plan, which allows parents to choose which school his/her children want to attend within the district for the following school year.[8] The Choice of School plan is a desegregation plan resulting from the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[9] The plan stipulates that all schools must adhere to the ethnicity ratios established by the courts while not exceeding the student capacities of each individual campus. Most students choose to attend the school to which they would be assigned absent Free Choice; preference is given to students residing closest to the school facility. Garland ISD schools have defined "transportation areas" that provide school bus transportation to students who live two or more miles from the nearest available school.[10] Garland ISD has the only "free choice system" in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and in the United States of America.

The change in demographics, with GISD's student body becoming about 50% Hispanic and Latino by 2013, interfered with the ethnicity bands set in the 1980s.[11]

Statistics

In 2016 the attendance rate for students in the district was 96%, compared with a state average of 96%. 48% of the students in the district were economically disadvantaged, 10% enroll in special education, 7% enroll in gifted and talent programs, 22% are enrolled in career and technology programs, and 24% are considered "limited English proficient."[2]

In 2006 the ethnic makeup of the district was 40.7% Hispanic, 32.5% White, non-Hispanic, 18.7% African American, 7.6% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 0.5% Native American.[12] the district had over 2,000 students of Vietnamese heritage. GISD operates Spanish and Vietnamese bilingual programs, the latter only being available at grades PK-3 at 10 elementary schools and Parsons PreK.[13]

In 1997, over 50% of the students were non-Hispanic white.[14] In 2000 27% of the students were Hispanic or Latino, but this increased to 37% by 2005. From 1997 to 2016 the number of non-Hispanic white students had declined by 65%.[14]

From 1997 to 2016 the number of students on free or reduced lunches, a way of classifying a student as low income, increased by 160%.[14]

In 2006 Teachers in the district carry, on average, 10 years of teaching experience and 12% of the teachers on staff are first-year teachers. 74% of the teachers hold bachelors, 24% hold master's, 1% hold doctorates, and less than 1% have no degree.[2]

60% of students in the district took SAT/ACT standardized examinations with an average score of 1009 and 20, respectively. 23% of students took an AP and/or IB examination.

Facilities

Secondary schools

High schools

5 in Garland, 1 in Rowlett, 1 in Sachse

Other

Middle schools

9 in Garland, 2 in Rowlett, 1 in Sachse

Primary schools

36 in Garland, 9 in Rowlett, 2 in Sachse

Pre-Kindergarten schools

2 in Garland

Rentable facilities

Curtis Culwell Center is a $31.5 million multi-purpose rentable facility featuring an arena and a conference center. The complex was built by HKS, Inc. and funded by a bond election held in fall of 2002. Although the facility replaced Southern Methodist University's Moody Coliseum as Garland ISD's primary location to host the district's commencement exercises in May 2005, the 190000square feet complex was formally completed in August 2005.[26]

The arena seats up to 7,500 for concerts, basketball/volleyball games, and graduation ceremonies. The conference center seats 400 guests in the 8000square feet ballroom for banquets and 140 guests in the tiered lecture hall.[27]

Former schools

Controversies / Incidents

Black History Month, 2016

On February 26, 2016 during a presentation at Coyle Middle School, students held up signs saying, “Black Lives Matter,” “I Can’t Breathe,” and “The Whole System Is Guilty.” In response, the Rowlett police chief Mike Broadnax said “Allowing this only promotes the discontent and hatred for police to continue. It’s a bad day.” In response, Coyle Middle School principal Michael Bland emailed school staff stating, "...If any of the political messages on the signs offended anyone, I apologize on behalf of the administration.".[31]

Curtis Culwell Center incident

There was a "contest to draw cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad" that resulted in an attack by two Muslim men who were shot dead by Garland Police.[32]

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.garlandisd.net/about/leadership GISD Leadership
  2. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/cgi/sas/broker?_service=marykay&_program=perfrept.perfmast.sas&prgopt=2007/aeis/alltyped.sas&year4=2007&search=distback&year2=07&topic=aeis&gifname=g_aeis07district&title=AEIS+Report&level=District&ptype=HTML&sublevel=dist&distback=057909 Texas Education Agency AEIS Report - Garland ISD
  3. http://www.uiltexas.org/files/alignments/6A_BB-FBRvsd3-1.pdf
  4. "Contact Us ." Garland Independent School District. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.
  5. http://www.garlandisd.net/about/whereisgisd.asp GISD Where is GISD?
  6. Web site: SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Dallas County, TX. 2010 U.S. Census. U.S. Census Bureau. 2019-11-05.
  7. Web site: 2009 Accountability Rating System. Texas Education Agency. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151025190535/http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2009/index.html. 2015-10-25.
  8. http://www.garlandisd.net/departments/student_services/choiceofschool/ Choice of School
  9. http://www.garlandisd.net/departments/student_services/choiceofschool/faq.asp#why Choice of School FAQ
  10. http://www.garlandisd.net/departments/transportation/designated_areas2007.asp Designated Transportation Areas
  11. Leszcynski, Ray. "Garland ISD’s changing demographics test desegregation plan ." The Dallas Morning News. July 19, 2013. Retrieved on June 11, 2016.
  12. Web site: 2006-07 District AEIS Report . 2015-07-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150922075525/http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/aeis/2007/district.srch.html . 2015-09-22 . dead .
  13. "Bilingual Cultural Heritage Program (BCHP) - Vietnamese." Garland Independent School District. April 10, 2015. Retrieved on June 9, 2016.
  14. Web site: Nicholson, Eric. In Dallas, White Flight Never Ends. Dallas Observer. 2016-05-03. 2019-10-29.
  15. Web site: Blue Ribbon Schools Program . 2010-02-09 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090326055622/http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf . 2009-03-26 . . Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  16. News: Austin Middle School of Rowlett TX. 2000-06-30. National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. 2018-08-11. en.
  17. http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/2008/2008-schools.pdf 2008 No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon Schools
  18. News: Smith . Andrew D. . 2006-09-05 . Schools rising to meet needs: Influx of Hispanics driving construction in aging neighborhoods . .
  19. News: NBRS Hillside Academy for Excellence School of Garland, TX. National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. 2018-09-28. en-US.
  20. News: NBRS Kimberlin Academy for Excellence of Garland, TX. National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. 2018-09-28. en-US.
  21. Web site: Standardized Dress in Garland ISD Elementary Schools 2008-2009 . 2008-10-09 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110716063401/http://www.garlandisd.net/departments/school_operations/documents/Standardized%20Dress%20Schools0809.pdf . 2011-07-16 .
  22. Web site: Blue Ribbon Schools Program . www.ed.gov . 24 January 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080514231847/http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-2003.pdf . 2008-05-14 . dead.
  23. News: NBRS Routh Roach Elementary School of Garland, TX. National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. 2018-09-28. en-US.
  24. News: Annette. Nevins. Garland magnet school wins national award for its high-achieving students. The Dallas Morning News. 2007-12-16. 2008-10-30.
  25. News: NBRS Walnut Glen Academy for Excellence of Garland, TX. National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. 2018-09-28. en-US.
  26. Web site: Education Design Showcase Project . 2010-04-19 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110710172130/http://www.educationdesignshowcase.com/view.esiml?pid=37 . 2011-07-10 . . Retrieved on 24 January 2008.
  27. Web site: About the Center . Special Events Center . 24 January 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080201173153/http://www.specialeventscenter.com/about/about.asp . 2008-02-01 . dead.
  28. News: Andrew. Smith. Alumni of all-black school evoke a distant era. The Dallas Morning News. 2006-07-31. 2008-10-30.
  29. http://www.garlandisdschools.net/page.cfm?p=839 Garland ISD: Quick Facts About Us
  30. http://www.garlandisdschools.net/page.cfm?p=843 Garland ISD: School Spirit & History
  31. Web site: North Texas Police Chief Offended by School's Black History Program . dfw.cbslocal.com . 26 February 2016 . 29 February 2016.
  32. News: Stack . Liam . 2015-05-03 . Texas Police Kill Gunmen at Exhibit Featuring Cartoons of Muhammad . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-25 . 0362-4331.

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