REAL HISTORY — Laynie Bowman studies one of the many historic artifacts on display. New Santa Gertrudis “This is such a beautiful school” echoed visitors as they toured the new Santa Gertrudis School intergrated with modern educational facilities and the historic King Ranch legacy Tuesday morning after the dedication.

Santa Gertrudis school children will begin classes on July 27, and this will be a historic day for them because they will be the first ones to attend a state of the art facility that has been described as a “home away from home.”

Santa Gertrudis School is part of the Santa Gertrudis Independent School District.

“I’m very pleased the way the school turned out and very happy everyone likes it; we accomplished what we set out to do,” said Mary Springs, the Santa Gertrudis Independent School District Superintendent.

NEW SCHOOL-Santa Gertrudis School students visited the science lab of the new facility after the dedication. Numerous community members toured the new building Tuesday morning when a public dedication and open house were held. Students will be entering a state of the art facility when they begin school July 27. The school district operates on a year round schedule. Pictured from left are Laynie Bowman, Vivian Garza, Lorenna Garza, Bailey Smith and Thomas Bowman. The science project, created by Thomas and Adam DeLaney, won awards last year at the Coastal Bend Science Fair. “The school honors our heritage and provides a great place for kids to learn.”

She said she is very grateful for the support of the community and King Ranch families.

“I can’t wait until the first day of school,” Springs said

School Thursday. The school has almost 200 students from pre-kindergarten to the eighth grade.

The new Santa Gertrudis School has grades pre- kindergarten to the eighth grade. Ground breaking was in March 2009 and the new school cost $10.5 million to build. School Santa Gertrudis Academy High School students will also benefit from the new school. High school students will eat lunch at the cafeteria. Theater productions, volleyball, basketball home games, assemblies and banquets will also be held at the new school. Santa Gertrudis Academy High School, created in 1994, is located on the Texas A&M University Kingsville campus and has grades nine to 12 with about 200 students.

The Santa Gertrudis school encompasses 54,000 square feet and includes 10 classrooms, a spacious library, a full science lab, and an art room. The cafeteria is within the vicinity of the gymnasium and stage. Wireless internet is available throughout the school and each classroom has an interactive smart board and student stations.

James H. Clement Jr., Chairman of the King Ranch, Inc., Board of Directors, spoke on behalf of the King Ranch Family at the dedication. Modern features are incorporated throughout the facility painted in earth tone, blue and green hues. Displayed throughout the school are murals of ranch living. The hallway features a photographic timeline of the King Ranch families and operations. The railing and light fixtures of the timeline came from Lauro’s Hill. The library displays a photographic mural with a King Ranch Longhorn head centered in the middle.

Another unique aspect of the school facility that mirrors King Ranch buildings and Texas A&M University architecture is the outdoor courtyard decked with a water fountain and landscaped with flowers planted by Justin Feild, a wildlife biologist, with the King Ranch.

Visitors tour the library at the Santa Gertrudis School during the open house. Groundbreaking began March 2009. The Santa Gertrudis School building cost $10.5 million to construct. A $7.5 million bond passed in 2008 and the Santa Gertrudis School board members had set aside money in the fund balance to pay the difference, according to Springs. Nestled on 30 acres of King Ranch land, the building is located in Kingsville with an address of 803 Santa Rosa.

The school board selected the PBK firm of San Antonio to build the school. Springs had experience working with PBK when she built the Navarro High School in the previous district where she worked. Journeyman Construction of Austin built the facility.

During the Tuesday morning dedication, Springs related to the audience that when she became superintendent four years ago, this school was a vision, but it was the school board that were very diligent in making this a reality. She told the audience that Jack Hunt, King Ranch CEO and president made a request of her.

Grand entrance to the library and spacious hallways in earth tone colors with murals reflect the heritage of the King Ranch. “Mary, we want you to build a school everyone can be proud of and that was my mission,” she said.

Alexandra Feild, Santa Gertrudis ISD board president, spoke about the success of the school building and educational goals.

“I can’t believe it was only a year ago that we were sitting outside, in the middle of an empty field, dedicating the cornerstone. We have come a long way in just a few short months,” she said.

“I want to take a moment to thank our superintendent Mary Springs on behalf of the board, for her tireless work on the project. Without her vision, perserverance, and dedication, this building would never have beome a reality,” Feild said.

Mary Springs, Santa Gertrudis Independent School District superintendent, joins Santa Gertrudis School students in reciting the national and state pledges at the dedication held Tuesday morning. “This school is a great source of pride for this community and I hope that it reflects and honors the traditions of King Ranch and the original vision held by Mrs. Henrietta King to establish an institute of learning for the children of this city.”

She stated educational attainment can transform a person’s life, but it can also have a positive effect on the community too.

Field explained that when they began the design process for this school and wanted to create a building theme that was a “home away from home” for the students.

“Because of the many curricular and extra curricular programs we offer to our students and the fact that we draw families from all over South Texas, many of our children spend more time here than they do in their own home. So we set out to incorporate some of the features that we value in our own homes,” she said.

She related the architectural design team spent hours surveying the unique features of the buildings on the King Ranch, Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Kingsville in general. Many of the familiar features are evident in the new school with the warm colors, rich wood tones and grand arches that are tributes to the historical buildings that surround us.

Feild also spoke about the safety of the children as the highest priority to the district.

“This facility is equipped with outdoor security cameras which provide 24 hour surveillance, as well as enclosed hallways that are secured by designated entry points,” she said.

She said students would have a beautiful and inviting kitchen providing healthy, nutritious breakfast and lunch. She referred to the school library as the living room.

“This is where our students will come to not only learn about our past but to use their imaginations to build their dreams for the future. They will sit by the fireside and listen to stories from some of the country’s best children’s authors and storytellers.”

“And what home would be complete without family photos proudly hung on the wall? With generous help from King Ranch and the Library of Congress, we have filled the hallways with images by legendary photographer, “Toni Frissell, which document the early life of King Ranch children and families,” Feild said.

She related it is people who live inside that make a home and stated: “And we are incredibly fortunate to be able to fill our new home with loving, caring and talented people who will provide wonderful educational opportunities for our children. I know these hallways will be filled with excited energy and that laughter of the children will echo through them for decades.”

Also, speaking was James H. Clement Jr., Chairman King Ranch Inc. Board of Directors. He commended the people involved in making the school a reality.

The historical roots of the school trace to 1917 when Santa Gertrudis was one of three schools associated with the King Ranch in South Texas. It has been an independent school district since 1942 and prior to this time the district operated as a common school. In 1953 the district was recognized by legislative action.

Santa Gertrudis School had been solely designated for children of King Ranch employees and in 1993 began accepting non- resident students from other school districts.