Galveston ISD

Raising the Grade for a Resilient Island Community

Historic Resolve, Modern Investment, and a Deep Commitment to Student Opportunity Define This School District’s Next Era

Galveston Island has always been a place shaped by both beauty and adversity, a barrier island community that has learned, time and again, what it means to rebuild with purpose. In 1900, after the deadliest hurricane in U.S. history devastated the island, residents faced an unthinkable choice: relocate or reinvent. They chose reinvention. The seawall was constructed, channels were dredged, and the land behind it was physically lifted—an engineering feat known famously as “raising the grade.”

More than a century later, Galveston Independent School District has embraced that same metaphor as its guiding vision. For Superintendent Dr. Matthew Neighbors, the phrase “Raise the Grade” speaks not only to academic performance, but to a community-wide effort to elevate opportunity, resilience, and long-term outcomes for every student on the island.

“It represents what our community did after the 1900 storm,” he says. “They literally raised the ground to secure their future. We’re doing the same thing through education. We want to pour into our students and families in ways that will impact generations to come.”

That vision is summed up in three commitments: elevating learning, valuing culture, and growing together. For a district serving approximately 6,500 students—80 percent of whom qualify for free or reduced lunch, the mission is both ambitious and deeply personal. It reflects a belief that education can change life trajectories and strengthen the island’s resilience for decades ahead.

A Small Island with Big-City Advantages:

Galveston remains one of the most unique municipalities in the country. With a resident population of roughly 50,000 but an influx of up to half a million visitors on peak days, the city operates with a scale and economic engine far beyond its size. Cruise terminals, maritime businesses, and tourism drive much of the local economy, while three higher-education institutions—Galveston College, Texas A&M University at Galveston, and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)—provide rare opportunities in a community of this scale.

That dynamic creates a powerful value proposition for young residents (not sure this is the right word here): access to jobs, access to higher education, and access to career pathways that do not require leaving the island. Galveston College’s two-year “free tuition” program for GISD graduates stands out as a transformative tool. For many students, it means finishing high school (college) with little to no debt, a stable job, and a clear runway toward future goals.

“In our community, there is no reason a student who wants to work can’t work,” Neighbors notes. “To come from poverty and still have that level of opportunity is just extraordinary.”

Technology as a Foundation for Personalized Learning:

Galveston ISD is a longstanding one-to-one district, providing each student with a device from early childhood through high school. For younger students, the technology stays on campus, but it remains central to their learning experience. Teachers use blended instruction, small groups, independent stations, and technology-assisted practice to tailor lessons to individual student needs.

Adaptive software allows teachers to diagnose gaps in math or reading and reinforce scaffolding skills that may have been missed in earlier grades. For a master teacher, replicating this level of individualized instruction manually for every student would be extraordinarily difficult.

Technology Amplifies Their Reach:

Parents appreciate the balance. While GISD prioritizes tech literacy, it also continues to expand outdoor learning initiatives to counterbalance screen time and foster hands-on engagement. As students’ progress into middle school, exposure expands into robotics, computer programming, maker spaces, and technical problem-solving. By high school, technology becomes fully integrated into an impressive array of programs and pathways.

A Growing Constellation of Career Pathways:

Career and Technical Education is one of the district’s strongest engines for opportunity. Under the leadership of Jennifer Edenfield, Director of CTE & Advanced Academics, GISD now offers nearly two dozen pathways—from healthcare and culinary arts to aerospace engineering, maritime logistics, welding/manufacturing, automotive and media production.

The district conducts a comprehensive needs assessment every two years and works closely with the Texas Workforce Commission and an extensive advisory network of local employers. Pathways evolve based on economic trends, labor demands, and student interest.

One example is the expansion of the health science program. UTMB remains the single largest employer in Galveston County, making healthcare a natural focus for student preparation. GISD now offers radiography and surgical tech certifications—an extraordinary opportunity at the high school level. The district is one of only two in the nation offering the radiography credential and the first to launch a high school surgical tech program.

Partnerships with Galveston College support these innovations. The relationship is close enough that new ideas move from concept to implementation with unusual speed. “I take them through my thought process,” Edenfield says. “And they say, ‘All right, let’s make it work.’”

GISD is also positioning students for the region’s next economic wave. Canadian shipbuilding firm Davie, which has acquired Gulf Copper, is establishing major operations in Galveston and anticipates hiring up to 2,000 workers over the next few years. These roles span within various forms such as welding, pipefitting, electrical work, maritime manufacturing, and management. GISD is already adjusting its welding sequence, moving flux-core welding instruction from senior year to junior year to better align with hiring needs.

“We want students to graduate with every option available to them—college, workforce, or both,” Edenfield says. “Our job is to give them a foundation that leads to sustainable careers here on the island.”

Internships and Hands-On Exploration:

GISD is investing heavily in real-world experience as an extension of technical instruction. A new media production internship program places students inside the communications department, where they help with video editing, social media content, graphic design, and storytelling. Students also support athletics coverage at the new football stadium and are gaining experience in live game production for soccer and baseball, with discussions underway to expand to away games.

Internships serve as both confirmation and correction. “Our job is to help students find their passion—but also to help them discover when something isn’t the right fit,” Edenfield explains. “If a student says, ‘I can’t handle medical procedures,’ we help them pivot to health informatics or another area.”

Throughout the district, experiential learning reinforces the idea that career exploration is not a one-time choice but a process of continuous discovery.

A Once-in-a-Generation Investment in Ball High School

In 2022, voters approved the district’s largest bond package in history—$315 million—triggering an ambitious slate of projects centered on a new Ball High School. The existing building, one of the oldest in the region, will be replaced by a state-of-the-art facility opening in January 2026, with the remaining fine arts and athletics components coming online in 2028.

The scale of the upgrade is profound. New CTE labs will support every major pathway: a commercial culinary kitchen, a fully equipped aerospace engineering lab for SystemsGo rocket fabrication, advanced welding stations, expanded automotive bays, and simulated hospital suites featuring beds, mannequins, and mock clinical environments for health science students.

The academic building, library, cafeteria, and CTE wing will open first. The second phase includes a new Aquatic Center, competition gym, renovated fine arts spaces, and the transformation of the Libby Shern Moody Performing Arts Center. PBK Architects is overseeing the academic and CTE components, while Studio Red Architects lead the fine arts design. Gilbane serves as the construction manager, navigating the unique geological and weather challenges of building on a barrier island.

“We only build a school once every seventy years,” Neighbors says. “We want this to be a facility the entire community is proud of.”

Safety and Security in a Modern Learning Environment

Galveston ISD is also investing in next-generation safety systems. The new high school will feature wearable emergency communication devices that allow teachers to summon help instantly from anywhere on campus—hallways, gyms, cafeterias, playgrounds, just from a classroom intercom. The devices also double as voice-amplification tools, improving clarity of instruction for all students.

Similar systems are being phased into middle and elementary schools through bond funding, representing a significant upgrade to district-wide safety infrastructure.

Looking Ahead: Collaboration, Community, and a Rising Trajectory

As Galveston continues to grow—with new hotels, expanded port operations, and rising investment across the island—the school district sees itself as a key contributor to the city’s momentum. GISD is deepening partnerships with UTMB, TAMUG, Galveston College, the Chamber of Commerce, Bay Area economic groups such as Methodist Hospital, and emerging employers like Davie Shipbuilding.

Five-year planning is already underway to structure future bond capacity for a new middle school campus. In the nearer term, the district will continue refining its CTE pathways, expanding internships, investing in safety, and aligning programs with rapidly shifting workforce needs.

“Our community is moving in a positive direction, and our schools are a reflection of that,” Neighbors says. “A rising tide lifts all boats—and right now, Galveston ISD is rising right along with the city.”

The district’s history is one of resilience. Its present is one of innovation. And its future, like the seawall that still protects the island today, is being engineered with pride, purpose, and the firm belief that raising the grade is both a promise and a plan.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Galveston Independent School District

What: A leading school district that combines academic excellence with career focused skills

Where: Galveston, Texas

Website: www.gisd.org