In the bad old days of educational benign neglect in the Brownsville Independent School District, Garden Park Elementary in the impoverished Las Prietas barrio, literally across the tracks from the city, was one of those schools who made do with what it could to teach its students.
It was mentioned in the same breath as was Palm Grove, on the opposite side of town also along the Rio Grande. Both were small schools with facilities that dated back to the 1940s and before that. The classrooms were refurbished military barracks or plantation structures dating back decades. Both had septic tanks years after the rest of the BISD schools had sanitary sewers.
That's why it is so notable that of all the schools in the BISD, Garen Park will be the only elementary school that will represent the district and the city in the national chess finals in Nashville, Tenn.
"I tell people not to judge us from what they see outside," said principal Victor Caballero. "Judge us by what we do with our students on the inside."
Caballero has good reason to be proud. It is the fifth time that Garden Park has represented the district in the national chess tournament, each time climbing up the ranks. It was the only school that represented the district in regional, state and national competition and has risen from a 10th place to third national ranking with its K-3 team.
Academically, the Texas Education Agency ranks it and Ortiz Elementary in the top 10 schools in Texas in terms of comparative academic growth.
This year, its K-1, K-3 and K-5 teams will compete in the nationals after qualifying at the regional and state competition and look forward to finally getting a crack at a national title this weekend.
"We've made a lot of noise," Caballero said. "when we go to national competition we are always asked where Garden Park is from. I tell them that we a re a little school in the tip of Texas along the Rio Grande river. We've made a lot of noise and this year we're hoping to bring back a national title."
Caballero said the Garden Park students will leave on Thursday for Nashville and return May 13.
Let's go Tigers!
