The school formed to educate Mexican-American students in Round Rock was simply known as the “Mexican School.”
According to the February 7, 1933 Board of Trustee Minutes, Board President Rev. Theodore Krienke ordered a “committee be apointed [sic] to look into the situation of teaching the mexican [sic] children. Prior to 1933, Mexican-American students attended classes with white students.
Board meeting Minutes from February 7, 1933 note that “members of the school committee on Mexican situation were appointed as follows: Helmer Johnson, W.J. Walsh D.B. Gregg.”
“The Mexican School,” was originally housed in rental space in the Negro M.E. Church in Old Town and opened on October 9, 1933. Norma Pfluger was named the school’s lone teacher at a rate of $75/month. The school year was seven months long and educated students in first, second and third grades.
In May, 1934 the District purchased nearly 2 acres of land from T.Q. and I.M. Aten for $225 in an area known as “College Hill”1 and a school building was later constructed on the hillside near what is now the northwest intersection of IH-35 and Round Rock Avenue (RM 620). The “Mexican School” was in use for 15 years, until 1948 after Delgado v. Bastrop ISD ruled segregated “Mexican Schools” to be unconstitutional.
A new building was completed for the 1934 school year with the help of the Texas Relief Commission.2 The school was described as being rectangular, stone and featuring several windows. 3 The school faced Chisholm Trail Road and was located on the northeast corner of the RM 620 and Chisholm Trail Road intersection. The school year began on October 8 for students of the “Mexican School.” An additional teacher, Miss Otto, was hired.
In 1935, Marie Hester was hired to replace Miss Otto. Her salary was $75 for the seven month long school year.
On January 3, 1939, the Board of Trustees voted to extend the school year to eight months “being understood that this action be for the current school term only.” 4
Miss Forsman was hired for the 1939 school year, which began on October 7.
Board of Trustee Minutes note that the school was connected to the sewer system in 1940.
In 1948, Judge Ben H. Rice of the United States District Court, Western District of Texas decided in favor of Delgado vs. Bastrop ISD and ruled the segregation of Mexican-American students in the public school system was unconstitutional. The “Mexican School” was closed and all of its students were transferred to Central (later renamed Berkman) Elementary School. Read former student’s experience.
Minutes from the November 7, 1950 Board of Trustees meeting, state that the Board discussed the sale of the “Mexican School.” A motion was made and seconded that the District put the building on the market for $10,000.
The building was sold to Col. W.N. Todd, Jr., in February 1953 for $4,500 and converted into a private residence. The building no longer stands.
1934 First Grade Mexican School students with teacher Norma Pfluger. The school taught students in grades 1-3.
1 The site was the former location of the Round Rock Institute, which became the District’s first school when it was incorporated into the newly formed Round Rock ISD in May 1913. The wood frame structure burned the same year and was rebuilt as a two story Round Rock School on the current site of Berkman Elementary School.
2 The Texas Relief Commission was created in 1933 and was funded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Federal funds were allocated to unemployed Texans to provide subsistence-level wages during the Great Depression. The Mexican School was partly built with the funding.
3 Windows were essential in providing sunlight to students as the school did not have electricity.
