The Colorado Mexican School was constructed in 1934 as a one-room school facing south of the Colorado White School (Colorado School). The Colorado Mexican School was built on Old Del Valle Road near US 183 & Highway 71. Blacks student had sometimes attended the Colorado Mexican School. The school educated students in grades 1 through 7.
Average daily attendance was 26 to 30 students on daily basis. The attendance rate still remained low as it historically was and has been. Almost 100 students attended this school.
Prior to the opening of Colorado Mexican School, Hispanic students attended the Colorado White School before a separate school for Hispanics became available. Hispanic students were not required to attend school. Hispanic students had either attended the negro schools or white schools.
Of course racial segregation was implemented by law in Texas and southern United States, so schools were separated by race. Separate schools were built for white, black, and Hispanic students. Black students attended separate schools from white students. White students attended separate schools from black students. That is the reason why the "Colorado White School", "Colorado Mexican School", and "Colorado Negro School" existed.
Although the Colorado School had an Austin address, it served students from the communities of Del Valle, Austin, Montopolis, Bergstrom Village, Glenbrook, and Colton.
By the 1940s, the Colorado White School and Colorado Mexican School received indoor plumbing with 2 separate toilets inside the brick building. Water pipes were upgraded and fixed.
The Colorado Mexican School eventually became combined into one school by 1942. Roof replacement was installed in the same year. The Colorado Mexican School had a daily attendance rate of 100 students in 1944. 100 students was the average on a daily basis. A huge increase from the 1930s attendance rate. The rate remained the same even in 1945.
By the late 1940s, the segregated Colorado Mexican School experienced extreme overcrowding. Colorado Common School District was 1 of 4 school districts listed as a defendant in the 1948 court case of Delgado v. Bastrop ISD. Colorado School was listed as a prime example of racial segregation in the lawsuit against the state of Texas. LULAC brought suit against several school districts for denying Hispanic students the use of school facilities and educational services. The suit claimed Hispanic students were separated and segregated from white students even though under state law they were considered "White" or "Caucasian".
Although US Court found both the Colorado Mexican School and Colorado Common School District to be operating within the terms of the decree, overcrowding of the school witnessed would contradict the provision for “equal school instruction.”
By the late end of 1948, the school was closed due to overcrowding conditions. Travis County Schools Superintendent Irving W. Popham described conditions at Colorado Mexican School as “the worst Travis County has ever known.” Travis County Schools, Austin Independent School District (then Austin Public Schools which is now known as Austin ISD) and Colorado Common School District deemed the Colorado School unfit and inadequate for a learning environment due to overcrowding from a lack of space and growth in enrollment. Overcrowding was extreme. Travis County government officials determined the Colorado School deemed to be unfit and antiquated.
The Nuestra Senora La Luz Catholic Mission Church in Montopolis offered the use of its chapel for 53 first-grade students. The remaining 40 students stayed at the Colorado Mexican School until the school district finally closed down the school. Its students were shipped to other schools.
From 1948 to 1950, the Colorado Mexican School was used as a community center and church. As part of the land agreement with Travis County and City of Austin, the school was to be zoned as a church and community if in the event the school were to close down due to overcrowding, structural error, or declining enrollment. Colorado School held religious services during operation as a church.
(Ref: Austin American Statesman, Crowded Rural Schools Lack Pioneer Facilities, January 26, 1947)
(Ref: Austin American Statesman, Latin-American school segregation outlawed, June 15, 1948)
(Ref: Handbook of Texas Online, V. Carl Allsup, "Delgado v. Bastrop Isd”)
In 1950, the old Colorado Mexican School was all but abandoned by the school district. Grass was kept untrimmed. Windows and window panels were boarded with thin plywood. Vegetation had sprawled all over.
The Colorado Common School District along with Travis County Schools & TEA were consolidating school districts & schools in Southeastern Travis County in the 1950s in an effort to collect more on property taxes, declining enrollment, and lack of funding. Schools and school districts that were consolidated into Colorado Common School District were Elroy, Creedmoor, Pilot Knob, Dry Creek, Hornsby-Dunlap, Maha, and Garfield.
1950 is also when the Del Valle schools became slowly integrated. Some schools were no longer separated by race or ethnicity.
1952 is the year when the city of Austin began annexing portions of the Colorado Common School District in both Austin and Del Valle. The Colorado Mexican School was within the city limits causing confusion with Austin ISD and Del Valle ISD school district boundaries. Because the Colorado Mexican School was within he Austin city limits, the school district had to find a new location for its own schools.
In 1958, grass vegetation took over the driveways as Colorado Mexican School was totally abandoned. The buildings were still standing by then. 1958 is also the year when the Del Valle schools became integrated. Schools were no longer separated by race or ethnicity. Integration was slow to come to liberal Austin and Del Valle, but it came easy as the racial integration process went smooth with no trouble.
In 1958, Austin Public Schools (Austin Independent School District bka Austin ISD) sold the land to United States Government as the school was located dangerously close in a flight path being near Bergstrom Air Force Base. Davidson tract was located outside the former Bergstrom Air Force Base.
In 1964, the Colorado Mexican School was demolished after years of being abandoned. All that remained in 1965 was a gravel pit located on site of the former Colorado Mexican School. That gravel pits sat out there for years before becoming overgrown by vegetation. All outbuildings have been demolished. No traces of the school or cistern remain today.
Schools such as this one should be preserved as a museum, converted to a dance studio, bank, or revitalized into government offices. This can be listed as an example of priorities placed in the wrong place. Historic preservation should be a secondary priority for a school district.
Something needs to be done to commemorate the Colorado Mexican School as a part the 1948 Federal Court ruling on Delgado v. Bastrop ISD. People don't recognize how LULAC fought for equal school instruction, services, and facilities. Efforts of LULAC also need to be brought to attention.
Colorado Mexican School was located at 1601 Old Del Valle Road, Austin, Texas, US 78742.
*Colorado Common School District was known to Travis County Schools officials and civilians as Colorado Common School District No. 36 or as School District No. 36.
*The Colorado School was simply just called "Colorado School" at one point in history.
*Colorado School had an Austin address despite being zoned to Del Valle ISD.
*Colorado School was adjacent to 2 other schools before the schools became molded into one school called "Colorado School" due mainly to racial integration following 1948. Thus Colorado Mexican School and Colorado Negro School were eventually combined into the Colorado White School.
*Old Del Valle Road was also known as Old Austin-Del Valle Road, Austin-Del Valle Road, and Del Valle Road.
No comments:
Post a Comment