This news article will explain some of the history behind one of the most well known schools of Waco, Texas. That school is a middle school called Tennyson Junior High School/Tennyson Middle School.
Tennyson Junior High School was built in the early 1960s in 1961. Waco ISD dubbed Tennyson Junior High School as a “very fine facility”. Tennyson Junior High School originally operated on a 7-9 plan where grades 7 through 9 were taught. Grades 7 through 9 were offered at Tennyson Junior High School at first. Students would attend the 10th grade at Richfield High School. (Ref: https://baylor-ir.tdl.org/baylor-ir/bitstream/handle/2104/10172/bu-etd-the-gong_1987.pdf%3Fsequence%3D1+&cd=45&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-b-1-d)
The feeder pattern of schools feeding into Tennyson Junior High School was as followed.: Oakwood Elementary School students and R. L. Smith Elementary School students entered Tennyson Junior High School. Hillcrest Elementary School students went to Mountain View Elementary School. Mountain View Elementary School would go to Tennyson Junior High School. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/52860245/)
Principal John Wester was the first principal of Tennyson Junior High School beginning in 1961. T. W. Carpenter was to succeed John Wester as principal after he left or retired. (Ref: https://newspaperarchive.com/waco-news-tribune-feb-11-1961-p-1/)
“T. W. Carpenter, assistant principal at West Junior, will succeed Principal John Wester, who will become principal of the new Tennyson Junior High School. Tennyson will be opened for the first time this fall. Waco High’s head football coach. Johnie Riola, will become assistant principal at Waco High.”
Robert L. Gilbert became the first black teacher in an all-white Waco school when he began teaching at Tennyson Junior High School in 1967. Gilbert had lived in Waco all his life and graduated from Baylor in 1967. Waco Tibrune-Herald reported about this historic moment in the history of Waco education. (Ref: https://img8.newspapers.com/clip/47902989/waco-tribune-herald/)
Herman Thomas served as an assistant at the two latter schools before being assigned to the principal at Tennyson Junior High School, where he served for 12 years. (Ref: https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/659902/Herman-Douglas-Thomas/wall)
On June 3, 1973, a school integration proposal was announced. As was stated in the proposal, "It is not a plan completely favored by any of the parties in the litigation, but felt to contain a minimum of features to all." The plan also stated that, "To achieve the best degree of racial mix, the initial portion of the plan is aimed at school attendance zones and then to promote the interaction of students of all races and ethnic backgrounds appropriate to a unitary system, attention is drawn to collateral guidelines, and programs. (Ref: Waco Times, Desegregation Proposal Announced, June 3, 1973)
The proposal was based on a four high school sector concept, meaning all 4 of Waco high school sectors would remain open as graduating institutions with elementary and junior high schools feeding them. Under the plan, 8 elementary schools and junior high schools would be closed in 1974, including Nalley Elementary School, Oakwood Elementary School, Kirk-Wilson Elementary School, Ross Elementary School, R. L. Smith Elementary School, G. L. Wiley Junior High School, and Spring Elementary School. (Ref: Waco Times, Desegregation Proposal Announced, June 3, 1973)
9th grade classes were moved from Tennyson Junior High School to Jefferson-Moore High School for the 1985-1986 school year. This made Tennyson Junior High School into a 6-8 where classes for students in grades 6 through 8 were taught. (Ref: https://newspaperarchive.com/waco-citizen-may-14-1985-p-1/)
Today Tennyson Junior High School/Tennyson Middle School is one of the most highly known middle schools of Waco which citizens hold to such high regard. The name of this school has changed since first opening in 1961. This school currently operates under the name of Tennyson Middle School.
Tennyson Junior High School/Tennyson Middle School is located at 6100 Tennyson Drive, Waco, Texas, US 76710.
No comments:
Post a Comment