Santa Cruz School was a small school located in the ranch and town of Chapman, Texas from 1912 to 1981 and is one of the forgotten schools of Corpus Christ, Texas and Chapman, Texas. Santa Cruz School is one of the forgotten Mexican schools too. This news article will explain and discuss the history behind Santa Cruz School.
Santa Cruz School was a Mexican school which was built as a three-room school brick building in 1912 to educate Hispanic students in grades 1 through 6 and was located next to Chapman Ranch School. Santa Cruz School was the “Mexican School” which was also known as Santa Cruz Mexican School. Santa Cruz School didn't have indoor plumbing like Chapman Ranch School did.
However Santa Cruz School only taught grades 1 through 6. Middle school students/junior high school students, senior high school students, and high school students attended school in Corpus Christi. Santa Cruz School was operated by Santa Cruz School Independent School District (Santa Cruz ISD).
The school itself was segregated of course. 100% percent of the student population was Hispanic with Mexican ancestry. Many Hispanic students had families in Mexico. School segregation was part of school life in Chapman Ranch.
By 1913, the school has a student population of 100. Christi Independent School District (Corpus Christi ISD) began overseeing Santa Cruz School as a “county school” for which the school operated as prior to 1925. From 1912 to 1925 is when Nueces County Common School District operated Santa Cruz School as a “county school” for Corpus Christi and Nueces County.
By 1920, the school had 200 students. However the school never reached a student population never reached 300 given the population size of Chapman Ranch. Eventually the school outgrew its facilities. During the mid-1920s, plans to construct two new school buildings were implemented.
According to The Laws of Texas, 1921 [Volume 21], Texas State Board of Education (now TEA) established Santa Cruz Independent School District (Santa Cruz ISD) in the year of 1921. Chapman Ranch School was a part of Santa Cruz Independent School District (Santa Cruz Independent School District No. 6) before being consolidated into Corpus Christi Corpus Christi Independent School District (Corpus Christi ISD). Chapman Ranch School also had went under the name of Santa Cruz School. The school was also known as Santa Cruz School to Corpus Christi natives.
School segregation was part of school life in Chapman Ranch. Only white students attended Chapman Ranch School. Hispanic students attended Santa Cruz School. However Hispanic students began attending Chapman Ranch School in the 1940s.
Santa Cruz School at Chapman Ranch today designated as a junior high school by the Nueces County School Board in 1950. This led to the elementary school students attending Chapman Ranch School. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/23835752/)
“Santa Cruz School at Chapman Ranch today was designated a junior high school by the Nueces County School Board. Three of the five board members were present at a meeting in the office of County School Supt. Deskin D. Snow this morning. They were President J. A. C. Baker, F. E. Flinn and Emmett Jones. The board took favorable action. Three of the five board members were present at a meeting in the office of County School Supt. Deskin D. Snow this morning. They were President J. A. C. Baker, F. E. Flinn and Emmett Jones.”
Paul Cohn was superintendent of Chapman Ranch School and Santa Cruz School (head man) and teacher as well during the 1950s. His job was to teach students who came from 100% percent Spanish speaking families. He believed in developing a sense of responsibility in children. Paul Cohn said, “Somewhere along the line they have to stop being led and learn to do things for themselves,”
According to a news article from Abilene Reporter-News dating back to December 10, 1977, a threat to cut off federal funds to three tiny South Texas school districts was made by the US Department of Education. Santa Cruz School and Santa Cruz ISD gets 90 percent of its annual $130,000 budget from local taxes. The other 10 percent comes from the state. (Ref: Abilene Reporter-News, Page 21, December 10, 1977)
Santa Cruz School, Chapman Ranch School, and Santa Cruz ISD were consolidated into Corpus Christi Independent School District (Corpus Christi ISD) in 1981 and ceased operating. Santa Cruz School closed in 1981.
The reason why Santa Cruz School had been closed down was due to Gilmer-Aikin Law that had consolidated smaller school districts into neighboring larger school districts. Other reasons why this school was closed were due to lack of enrollment and increasing maintenance costs. Those are the many reasons why rural public schools in Texas close down.
Santa Cruz School was located at 1047 CR 8B, Chapman Ranch, Texas, US 78347.
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