Garland Independent School District

Garland Independent School District
gisd1.jpg
Type and location
Type	Public
Grades	Pre-K through 12
Country	USA
Location	Harris Hill Administration Building Garland
District Info
Superintendent	Curtis Culwell, Ed.D.[1]
Budget	2008-2009
Students and staff
Students	56,459[2]
Teachers	3,773[2]
Staff	3,334[2]
Athletic Conference	UIL 10-5A[3]
Other information
Coordinates	32°55′33.9″N 96°38′19.7″W / 32.926083°N 96.638806°W / 32.926083; -96.638806Coordinates: 32°55′33.9″N 96°38′19.7″W / 32.926083°N 96.638806°W / 32.926083; -96.638806
Website	Garland ISD

Garland Independent School District is a public school district with its headquarters in the Harris Hill Administration Building in Garland, Texas (USA).^[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] A small portion of Dallas and a small portion of Wylie are served by Garland ISD.

The district encompasses approximately 100 square miles (260 km²). 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.^[6]

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.^[7] The Choice of School plan is a desegregation plan resulting from the Civil Rights Act of 1964.^[8] 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.^[9] Garland ISD has the only "free choice system" in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and in the United States of America.

Statistics (per 2006)

The attendance rate for students in the district is 96%, compared with a state average of 96%. 48% of the students in the district are 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]

The ethnic makeup of the district is 44.1% Hispanic, 5.5% White, non-Hispanic, 30.2% African American, 20.0% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 0.4% Native American.^[2]

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 masters, 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.^[2]

Facilities

Secondary schools

High schools

5 in Garland, 1 in Rowlett, 1 in Sachse
AAAAA

• Garland High School (Garland) (opened 1864 as "Garland School;" evolved into Garland High in 1902)
• Lakeview Centennial High School (Garland) (opened 1976)
• Naaman Forest High School (Garland) (opened 1988 as a junior highschool; evolved into a senior highschool in 1992)
• North Garland High School (Garland) (opened 1971)
• Rowlett High School (Rowlett)
• Sachse High School (Sachse)
• South Garland High School (Garland) (opened 1964)

Other

• Garland ISD Evening School (on the campus of Garland High School, Garland)

Middle schools

10 in Garland, 2 in Rowlett, 1 in Sachse

• Austin Academy for Excellence (Garland)
  • 1992-93 National Blue Ribbon School^[10]
• Bussey Middle School (Garland)
• Classical Center at Brandenburg Middle School (Garland) (opened 1972)
  • 2009 National Blue Ribbon School
• Coyle Middle School (Rowlett) (opened 1973)
• Sam Houston Middle School (Garland)
• Hudson Middle School (Sachse) (opened 1992)
• Jackson Technology Center (Garland)
• Lyles Middle School (Garland)
  • 1992-93 National Blue Ribbon School^[10]
• Memorial Preparatory School (Garland)
• O'Banion Middle School (Garland)
• Schrade Middle School (Rowlett)
• Sellers Middle School (Garland)
• Webb Middle School (Garland)

Primary schools

36 in Garland, 9 in Rowlett, 2 in Sachse

• Luke & Betty Abbett Elementary School (Garland) (opened 1989)
• Armstrong Elementary School (Sachse) (opened August 19, 2002)
• James M. Back Elementary School (Rowlett)
• Beaver Technology Center (Garland)(opened in 1960, became a magnet in 1997)
• Bradfield Elementary School (Garland)
• Bullock Elementary School (Garland)
• Randolph Caldwell Elementary School (Garland) (opened 1955)
• George Washington Carver Elementary School (Garland) (opened 2007)
• Centerville Elementary School (Garland)
  • 2008 National Blue Ribbon School^[11]
• Classical Center at Vial Elementary School (Garland) (opened 1974)
• Club Hill Elementary School (Garland) (opened 1974)
• Cooper Elementary School (Garland) (opened 1963)
• Couch Elementary School (Garland)
• Daugherty Elementary School (Garland)
• Davis Elementary School (Garland)
• Dorsey Elementary School (Rowlett) (opened August 12, 1996)
• Ethridge Elementary School (Garland)
• Freeman Elementary School (Garland)
• Joyce Giddens-Steadham Elementary School (Rowlett) (opened August 9, 1999)
• Golden Meadows Elementary School (Garland)
• Handley Elementary School (Garland) (opened 1964)
• Heather Glen Elementary School (Garland)
• Carl L. Herfurth Elementary School (Rowlett) (opened 1988)
• Hickman Elementary School (Garland) (opened 1975)
• Hillside Academy for Excellence (Garland)
• Keeley Elementary School (Rowlett) (opened August 1991)
• Kimberlin Academy for Excellence (Garland)
  • 1991-92, 1998-99 National Blue Ribbon School^[10]
• Liberty Grove Elementary School (Rowlett) (opened 2007)
• Lister Elementary School (Garland)
• Luna Elementary School (Garland)
• Montclair Elementary School (Garland)
• Northlake Elementary School (Garland)
• Park Crest Elementary School (Garland)
• Nita Pearson Elementary School (Rowlett) (opened 2004)
• Routh Roach Elementary School (Garland)^[12]
  • 2006 National Blue Ribbon School^[13]
• Rowlett Elementary School (Rowlett) (opened 1979)
• Sewell Elementary School (Sachse) (opened 1992)
• Shorehaven Elementary School (Garland)
• Shugart Elementary School (Garland)
• Southgate Elementary School (Garland)
• Spring Creek Elementary School (Garland) (opened August 1981)
• Stephens Elementary School (Rowlett) (opened August 15, 1994)
• Toler Elementary School (Garland) (1976)
• Walnut Glen Academy for Excellence (Garland) (opened 1988)
  • 1996-97, 2007 National Blue Ribbon School^[10][13][14]
• Watson Technology Center (Garland) (opened in 1956, became a magnet in 1997)
• Weaver Elementary School (Garland)
• Williams Elementary School (Garland)

Pre-Kindergarten schools

2 in Garland

• Gloria Cisneros PreKindergarten School
• Florence Parsons Prekindergarten School

Rentable facilities

Garland Special Events Center

The Garland Special Events Center is a $31.5 million dollar 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 190,000 square feet (18,000 m²) complex was formally completed in August 2005.^[15]

The arena seats up to 7,500 for concerts, basketball/volleyball games, and graduation ceremonies. The conference center seats 400 guests in the 8,000 square feet (740 m²) ballroom for banquets and 140 guests in the tiered lecture hall.^[16]

Former schools

• George Washington Carver School - A segregated all African American school named after the African American scientist that was officially closed December 31, 1970, when Garland ISD desegregated.^[17] The district opened an elementary school with the same name in 2007.^[18][19]

See also

	Dallas-Fort Worth portal
	Schools portal

• List of school districts in Texas
• Garland, Texas

References

1. ^ GISD Leadership. Retrieved on 26 October 2008
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Texas Education Agency AEIS Report - Garland ISD. Retrieved on 15 December 2007
3. ^ http://www.uil.utexas.edu/2007align/pdf/5A_fb_bsktb.pdf
4. ^ "Contact Us." Garland Independent School District. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.
5. ^ GISD Where is GISD?
6. ^ "2009 Accountability Rating System". Texas Education Agency. http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2009/index.html. 
7. ^ Choice of School. Retrieved on 24 January 2008.
8. ^ Choice of School FAQ. Retrieved on 24 January 2008.
9. ^ Designated Transportaiton Areas. Retrieved on 24 January 2008.
10. ^ ^{a b c d} http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
11. ^ 2008 No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon Schools. Retrieved on 30 October 2008.
12. ^ http://www.garlandisd.net/departments/school_operations/documents/Standardized%20Dress%20Schools0809.pdf
13. ^ ^{a b} http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-2003.pdf. Retrieved on 24 January 2008.
14. ^ Nevins, Annette (2007-12-16). "Garland magnet school wins national award for its high-achieving students". The Dallas Morning News. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/DN-garfocus_16eas.ART0.North.Edition1.36d956f.html. Retrieved 2008-10-30. 
15. ^ http://www.educationdesignshowcase.com/view.esiml?pid=37. Retrieved on 24 January 2008.
16. ^ http://www.specialeventscenter.com/about/about.asp. Retrieved on 24 January 2008.
17. ^ Smith, Andrew (2006-07-31). "Alumni of all-black school evoke a distant era". The Dallas Morning News. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/garland/stories/DN-garcarver_30eas.ART0.Central.Edition1.24ab2a2.html. Retrieved 2008-10-30. 
18. ^ Garland ISD: Quick Facts About Us. Retrieved on 30 October 2008.
19. ^ Garland ISD: School Spirit & History. Retrieved on 30 October 2008.

External links

• Garland Independent School District
• Garland ISD Special Events Center
• 2008-2009 GISD Academic Calendar in PDF format