H.R. No. 55 R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, West University Elementary School in the Houston Independent School District is marking its 100th anniversary in 2025; and WHEREAS, In 1925, West U Elementary was founded to accommodate the rapid growth of the newly established West University Place community, an autonomous city located within Houston; prominent regional architect Lamar Cato designed the school's original Spanish Renaissance-style building, which was completed in 1928 with funding from a $55,000 bond; for nearly two decades, Pershing Junior High was also housed in the facility before that school's relocation in 1949; and WHEREAS, By the 1970s, West U Elementary began to experience significant deterioration, motivating a group of dedicated parents and community members to initiate a successful revitalization campaign; the school's attendance zone expanded to include the Sunset Terrace and Montclair neighborhoods in 1994, and a $9.6 million bond project that added 25,000 square feet of new learning space began a decade later; and WHEREAS, Today, West U Elementary is ably guided by its principal, Scott Disch, and it serves approximately 1,200 students from pre-K to fifth grade; it offers a Vanguard Neighborhood program for gifted and talented learners as well as a dynamic system of support through its special education program; and WHEREAS, During the 2025-2026 school year, West U Elementary's anniversary celebrations will be led by PTO centennial co-chair Lauren Sanders and will include a parade, a homecoming game at Rice University, a teacher reunion, and a gala; and WHEREAS, Over the past century, West University Elementary School has provided generations of young Texans with an education that has enriched them both academically and personally, and in so doing, it has made important contributions to the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby commemorate the centennial of West University Elementary School and extend to all those associated with the institution sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the school as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Johnson ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 55 was adopted by the House on August 27, 2025, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House