Galveston Independent School District

(taken from the Galveston Chamber of Commerce website, www.GalvestonChamber.com)

"Established in 1884, Galveston’s public schools were initially governed by the City of Galveston until 1949 when the Texas Legislature created the Galveston Independent School District for the express purpose of providing a free public education to the children of the community.

The district serves approximately 8,400 students, including the Island and Bolivar Peninsula, and operates one high school, three middle schools, seven elementary schools and one Pre-K through eighth-grade campus on Bolivar Peninsula.

During the 2005-2006 school year, Ball High School implemented the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) to prepare freshman students for college. AVID targets students in the academic middle or B, C and even D students who have the desire to go to college and the willingness to work hard. College students from the University of Texas Medical Branch and Texas A&M University at Galveston assist as tutors and role models. Galveston Independent School District is the first district in Galveston County to implement this program which has now been expanded to serve sophomores.

The Ball High School Class of 2006 included 515 graduates. Eighteen percent (91) of the students in this class graduated with honors, including 29 students graduating with highest honors.

Ball High students have been accepted to Harvard, Princeton, Georgetown, MIT, U.S. Naval Academy, West Point, Rice, Stanford, UCLA, U.S. Air Force Academy, William and Mary, Wharton School of Business, Tulane, Trinity, Northwestern, Washington and Lee, Baylor, SMU, Texas A&M University, University of Texas, University of Houston and many other state and national universities and colleges.

In an effort to support teachers, the Galveston ISD Educational Foundation was founded in 2001. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $200,000 in grants to teachers and school site grants to GISD schools. The Foundation collaborates with the district to support a variety of district-wide programs."

(info also taken from www.GalvestonChamber.com)

"Private education also is available to students in grades K-12. There are eight private schools, with most providing an education for students at the elementary level. Galveston Catholic School encompasses pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. O’Connell High School serves students in grades 9-12. Catholic education has been a pillar of the community since the Ursuline Nuns came to the Island in 1847 and established the first Catholic school in Texas.

Moody Methodist Day School is a nationally accredited childcare program. Under the direction of Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church, the school is an extension of the educational ministry. The school has an enrollment of children ages three months to 13 years.

Trinity Episcopal School, founded in 1952, is a co-educational day school serving students two years old through grade eight. The school offers a rigorous academic program in a God-centered atmosphere where small classes are led by caring teachers. Situated on the grounds of historic Trinity Episcopal Church, the school welcomes and enrolls students from all Christian and non-Christian traditions. The challenging and varied curriculum is enhanced by numerous excursions to local cultural and recreational resources.

Satori Elementary School was founded in 1980 with a mission to provide a nurturing environment where children discover fundamentals within the context of an integrated, real-world curriculum. The school serves children in kindergarten through fifth grade in small, multi-age classes. Each class has a two-grade span with a maximum of 12 students assigned to one credentialed teacher. The school has a full-time teaching staff of four and a part-time staff of six teachers."