SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 82
WHEREAS, Joel C. Harris Middle School in the San Antonio
Independent School District is celebrating its 100th anniversary
in 2023; and
WHEREAS, Named for American journalist, fiction writer,
and folklorist Joel Chandler Harris, the campus was first
established as Joel Chandler Harris Junior School; it began
operating in September 1923, though classes were initially held
at a nearby elementary campus until construction was completed
two months later on the new six-classroom building; and
WHEREAS, The school experienced a period of significant
growth during the 1940s and 1950s, and following a major
renovation project in the early 2000s, its campus more than
doubled in size; the renovations added numerous classrooms, two
gyms, and a football and soccer field, as well as a larger library
and cafeteria; moreover, the former gym was converted to a fine
arts building; the newly renovated campus was dedicated in
October 2004, and further upgrades, including the addition of a
STEM lab, were completed in 2016; and
WHEREAS, Today, Joel C. Harris Middle School is an
International Baccalaureate school that provides students in
grades six through eight with a challenging educational program and
a broad range of extracurricular activities; the campus benefits
from the outstanding efforts of its faculty and staff and the able
leadership of its current principal, John Hilliard; and
WHEREAS, For the past century, Joel C. Harris Middle
School has provided its students with a strong educational
foundation on which to build, and it has made a positive and
lasting difference in the lives of generations of San Antonio
residents; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby commemorate the 100th
anniversary of Joel C. Harris Middle School and extend to all
those associated with the campus sincere best wishes for the
future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be
prepared for the school as an expression of high regard from the
Texas Senate.
Menéndez
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on November 7, 2023.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate