Education in Galveston, Texas facts for kids
Galveston is a very old and important city in Texas. It has a long history of great things in education. For example, it had the first private religious school (Ursuline Academy) in 1847. It also had the first medical college (now the University of Texas Medical Branch) in 1891. And the first school for nurses opened there in 1890.
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Learning in Galveston: Schools and Libraries
Public Schools for Everyone
The city of Galveston has its own public school system called the Galveston Independent School District (GISD). This district serves many students.
GISD has several elementary schools for younger students. These include L. A. Morgan, Greta Oppe, Gladneio Parker, and Early Childhood University. They teach students from pre-Kindergarten up to 4th grade.
For older students, there are middle schools and high schools. Weis Middle School teaches grades 5 and 6. Central Middle School is for grades 7 and 8. Ball High School is where students go for grades 9 through 12. There is also Austin Magnet Middle School for grades 5 through 8. This school focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Galveston's public schools were pioneers in Texas. Rosenberg Elementary School was the first public elementary school in the state. George Ball High School was the first public high school. Central School (now Central Middle School) was the first public high school for African American students.
Before 1968, Galveston had separate high schools. Ball High School was for White students, and Central High School was for Black students. In 1968, these two schools joined together. The Central campus then became a junior high school.
Special Charter Schools
Galveston also has state-funded charter schools. These schools are not part of the local school district. Examples include Ambassadors Preparatory Academy, which teaches Kindergarten through 5th grade. Odyssey Academy serves students from pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade.
Private and Religious Schools
There are several private schools in Galveston. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston runs two Catholic private schools. These are Holy Family Catholic School (Kindergarten through 8th grade) and O'Connell College Preparatory School (grades 9-12).
O'Connell Consolidated High School started in 1968. It was formed by combining three Catholic high schools: Kirwin, Dominican, and Ursuline. Galveston Catholic School opened in 1986. It combined Dominican School, Our Lady of Guadalupe School, Saint Patrick's School, and O’Connell Junior High School. In 2010, Galveston Catholic was renamed Holy Family Catholic School.
Other private schools on the island include Satori Elementary School. This school is not religious and teaches Kindergarten through 6th grade. Trinity Episcopal School is also on the island. Two schools, Seaside Christian Academy and Heritage Christian Academy, teach students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Seaside Christian Academy is connected to Seaside Baptist Church in Jamaica Beach.
Public Libraries for Reading
The city of Galveston has the Rosenberg Library. This library is also the main office for the Galveston County Library System. The county library system started in 1941. The librarian at the Rosenberg Library also works as the Galveston County Librarian.
Images for kids
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"Old Red", the original UTMB Galveston building.
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Galveston College
