Santa Gertrudis Independent School District
Encyclopedia
Santa Gertrudis Independent School District (SGISD) is a public school district
in Kingsville
, Kleberg County, Texas, United States. The district covers approximately 190 square miles (492.1 km²), and is located in 40 miles (64.4 km) south of the city of Corpus Christi
. SGISD operates Santa Gertrudis Elementary and Academy High School. During the 2009-2010 school year, SGISD had 397 students enrolled, according to Texas Education Agency
.
in South Texas
. Today, Santa Gertrudis (now SGISD) is the only remaining school facility associated with the King Ranch. The district boundaries are located within the Santa Gertrudis division of the King Ranch and a small part of La Paloma Ranch.
Santa Gertrudis ISD is fully accredited by the Texas Education Agency
and has operated as an independent school district since 1942. Prior to 1942, the district operated as a common school
and in 1953 the district was formally recognized by legislative action.
In 1993, Santa Gertrudis began accepting nonresident transfer student from other area districts (before then the school was intended solely for children of King Ranch employees). During the same year, the district also adopted a year around school calendar with four nine week attendance periods, including two-week intersessions between attendance periods. The school year begins late July and runs through late May (or early June).
Prior to 1994 Santa Gertrudis was solely a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school. After eighth-grade, students left the district and entered area high schools. It wasn’t until 1994 when a high school program, grades nine through twelve, was established in partnership with Driscoll Independent School District
and Texas A&M University–Kingsville
. The elementary school remains located on the King Ranch and the high school is located on the Texas A&M University Kingsville Campus. The two campuses are five miles (8 km) apart in location.
"To provide the highest quality education program, in a safe and healthy environment, in which students have the opportunity to develop the skills to be successful in school and beyond."
Motto
"We can’t hide our Lion pride!!"
Mascot
The mascot for both schools is the "Lions" and the official colors are Royal Blue and Silver. Recently, as a result of overwhelming encouragement from the Santa Gertrudis community, the district's Board of Trustees chose to unite the district by joining the two campus' mascots into the easily recognizable "Lion."
.
Academy has a foundation of self-paced curriculum and authentic assessment. The non-traditional approach offers each student a program developed to meet individual needs and capabilities. Since students are allowed to progress at a pace conducive to their abilities, they can master course requirements and move on to the next higher level of work. Small class size allows extensive student-teacher interaction on a day-to-day basis.
in the spring of 1994 and the first year of operation was 1994-1995. Through support from Texas A&M University Kingsville, qualified students are able to begin college courses starting in the ninth grade. The first graduation in 1998 was held at Naval Airs Station Kingsville, and all 36 inaugural ninth grade students graduated. Fifty percent of the graduating seniors had earned 12 or more hours of college credit while in high school, 80% earned three or more hours, and 80% of the class entered post secondary education following graduation.
In the period from 1994 through 2003, Academy experienced a zero dropout rate. Since the establishment of Academy, only one student has dropped out from the program.
, established an Advanced Studies Program, offering students the opportunity to graduate high school with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Computer Information Technology. Since the inception of the program, it has expanded to other career and degree areas within the community college. Students also have the opportunity to take courses at Texas A&M University Kingsville, to earn credits applicable towards a four-year degree. Students are allowed to take as many classes as desired, as long as they fit within a degree plan at an accredited university. All college courses are tuition free to the students and are funded through several grants from the State and other sources. Key developers of the Entrepreneurship Program and the Advanced Studies Program were Bill Fette, District Technology Coordinator, and Thom Driver, District Network Administrator. Bill Fette was the first to serve as Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator.
In 2005, due to the Advanced Studies Program, three students graduated with both a high school diploma and an associated degree from Coastal Bend College. The three students were: Hailee Bugenhagen, Justin Walker, and Omar Gonzalez.
Academy High school had a 94.72% overall attendance rate for the week of 02/22/2010 to 02/26/2010.
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
in Kingsville
Kingsville, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,575 people, 8,943 households, and 6,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,848.8 people per square mile . There were 10,427 housing units at an average density of 753.8 per square mile...
, Kleberg County, Texas, United States. The district covers approximately 190 square miles (492.1 km²), and is located in 40 miles (64.4 km) south of the city of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
. SGISD operates Santa Gertrudis Elementary and Academy High School. During the 2009-2010 school year, SGISD had 397 students enrolled, according to Texas Education Agency
Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education. The agency is headquartered in the William B...
.
History of SGISD
Santa Gertrudis was formally established in 1917 as one of three schools associated with the King RanchKing Ranch
King Ranch, located in south Texas between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, is one of the world's largest ranches. The ranch, founded in 1853 by Captain Richard King and Gideon K. Lewis, includes portions of six Texas counties, including most of Kleberg County and much of Kenedy County, with...
in South Texas
South Texas
South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of and including San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 3.7 million. The southern portion of this region is...
. Today, Santa Gertrudis (now SGISD) is the only remaining school facility associated with the King Ranch. The district boundaries are located within the Santa Gertrudis division of the King Ranch and a small part of La Paloma Ranch.
Santa Gertrudis ISD is fully accredited by the Texas Education Agency
Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education. The agency is headquartered in the William B...
and has operated as an independent school district since 1942. Prior to 1942, the district operated as a common school
Common school
A common school was a public school in the United States or Canada in the nineteenth century. The term 'common school' was coined by Horace Mann, and refers to the fact that they were meant to serve individuals of all social classes and religions....
and in 1953 the district was formally recognized by legislative action.
In 1993, Santa Gertrudis began accepting nonresident transfer student from other area districts (before then the school was intended solely for children of King Ranch employees). During the same year, the district also adopted a year around school calendar with four nine week attendance periods, including two-week intersessions between attendance periods. The school year begins late July and runs through late May (or early June).
Prior to 1994 Santa Gertrudis was solely a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school. After eighth-grade, students left the district and entered area high schools. It wasn’t until 1994 when a high school program, grades nine through twelve, was established in partnership with Driscoll Independent School District
Driscoll Independent School District
Driscoll Independent School District is a public school district based in Driscoll, Texas, United States.The district serves students in grades PK–8.In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency....
and Texas A&M University–Kingsville
Texas A&M University–Kingsville
Texas A&M University–Kingsville is a U.S. national university with a multicultural student body that is 62 percent Hispanic and includes students from 35 states and 43 foreign countries...
. The elementary school remains located on the King Ranch and the high school is located on the Texas A&M University Kingsville Campus. The two campuses are five miles (8 km) apart in location.
Campus Construction
As of December 2009, SGISD is building a new campus for all students, located off of the King Ranch. This school is nearing completion and move in dates are scheduled for early 2010.Mission, Motto, Mascot
Mission"To provide the highest quality education program, in a safe and healthy environment, in which students have the opportunity to develop the skills to be successful in school and beyond."
Motto
"We can’t hide our Lion pride!!"
Mascot
The mascot for both schools is the "Lions" and the official colors are Royal Blue and Silver. Recently, as a result of overwhelming encouragement from the Santa Gertrudis community, the district's Board of Trustees chose to unite the district by joining the two campus' mascots into the easily recognizable "Lion."
Santa Gertrudis Elementary School
Santa Gertrudis Elementary provides programs for pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade, and had 182 students enrolled during 2009-2010. The school is known for quality educational programs, advanced technology, a small student to teacher ratio, and a safe and supportive educational environment. Located in the heart of the King Ranch, Santa Gertrudis continues the tradition of educating the children of King Ranch that originated with the famed matriarch of Rancho Santa Gertrudis, Mrs. Henrietta M. King (1832–1925), wife of Mr. Richard KingRichard King (Texas)
Richard King was a riverboat captain, entrepreneur, and most notably, the founder of the King Ranch in South Texas, which at the time of his death in 1885 encompassed over 600,000 acres .-Early years:Born in New York City into a poor Irish family, King was indentured as an apprentice to a jeweler...
.
Academy High School
Academy High School is an innovative, restructured, non-traditional high school program, with 210 enrolled during 2009-2010, located on the campus of .Academy has a foundation of self-paced curriculum and authentic assessment. The non-traditional approach offers each student a program developed to meet individual needs and capabilities. Since students are allowed to progress at a pace conducive to their abilities, they can master course requirements and move on to the next higher level of work. Small class size allows extensive student-teacher interaction on a day-to-day basis.
History
Academy was approved by the Texas Education AgencyTexas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education. The agency is headquartered in the William B...
in the spring of 1994 and the first year of operation was 1994-1995. Through support from Texas A&M University Kingsville, qualified students are able to begin college courses starting in the ninth grade. The first graduation in 1998 was held at Naval Airs Station Kingsville, and all 36 inaugural ninth grade students graduated. Fifty percent of the graduating seniors had earned 12 or more hours of college credit while in high school, 80% earned three or more hours, and 80% of the class entered post secondary education following graduation.
In the period from 1994 through 2003, Academy experienced a zero dropout rate. Since the establishment of Academy, only one student has dropped out from the program.
Athletics
Prior to 2007, Academy High School did not have a football team. In the fall of 07, Academy successfully played its first season of six-man football, with a junior varsity team and five away games (no home games). During the first season, 44 athletes joined the team and became part of Academy High School history.Entrepreneurship Program
In 1997, the Academy Entrepreneurship Program was established. The program is a school-based business in which students manage all facets of a computer business, from building desktops and computer maintenance and repair, to technology training for faculty and staff. The "Entre" program, Pride Computers, has built all the computers within the district, and it also performs all the computer maintenance for the district, including managing the network.Advanced Studies Program
In the 2002-2003 school year, Academy, working in collaboration with Coastal Bend CollegeCoastal Bend College
Coastal Bend College is a community college which has its main campus in Beeville, Texas, and which operates branch campuses in Alice, Kingsville, and Pleasanton, Texas....
, established an Advanced Studies Program, offering students the opportunity to graduate high school with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Computer Information Technology. Since the inception of the program, it has expanded to other career and degree areas within the community college. Students also have the opportunity to take courses at Texas A&M University Kingsville, to earn credits applicable towards a four-year degree. Students are allowed to take as many classes as desired, as long as they fit within a degree plan at an accredited university. All college courses are tuition free to the students and are funded through several grants from the State and other sources. Key developers of the Entrepreneurship Program and the Advanced Studies Program were Bill Fette, District Technology Coordinator, and Thom Driver, District Network Administrator. Bill Fette was the first to serve as Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator.
In 2005, due to the Advanced Studies Program, three students graduated with both a high school diploma and an associated degree from Coastal Bend College. The three students were: Hailee Bugenhagen, Justin Walker, and Omar Gonzalez.
College hours earned by each graduating class
- 1998 – 117 credit hours, 36 students
- 1999 – 98 credit hours, 34 students
- 2000 – 85 credit hours, 39 students
- 2001 – 101 credit hours, 28 students
- 2002 – 141 credit hours, 26 students
- 2003 – 221 credit hours, 35 students
- 2004 – 531 credit hours, 40 students
- 2005 – 587 credit hours, 32 students
- 2006 – 509 credit hours, 33 students
- 2007 – 486 credit hours, 43 students
Attendance rates
Santa Gertrudis had a 98.08% overall attendance rate for the week of 02/22/2010 to 02/26/2010.- Pre-K = 99.26%
- Kinder = 98%
- 1st Grade = 94%
- 2nd Grade = 100%
- 3rd Grade = 96%
- 4th Grade = 81.02
- 5th Grade = 100%
- 6th Grade = 97.89%
- 7th Grade = 99.05%
- 8th Grade = 98.89%
Academy High school had a 94.72% overall attendance rate for the week of 02/22/2010 to 02/26/2010.
- 9th Grade = 95.36%
- 10th Grade = 97.02%
- 11th Grade = 93.49%
- 12th Grade = 92.53%
School Board
- Alexandra Feild – President
- Rhonda Silguero – Vice-President
- Bob Kinnan – Secretary
- Florinda Falcon – Trustee
- Jesse Garcia – Trustee
- Noela Garcia – Trustee
- Carrie DeLaney – Trustee
Web and New Media
Additional information
- New York Times: Diversity in the Classroom
- 2000 Performance Review by Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander