Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy to be dedicated on Saturday, October 8 - 10:00 AM

Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy
1700 East Camp Wisdom Road
Dallas, Texas  75241
District  6 

Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy’s new building will be officially dedicated at a ceremony set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at the school, 1700 E. Camp Wisdom Road. Established in 2008, the brand-new, 111,000-square-foot facility opened at the start of the 2011-2012 school year. Its construction was funded by the 2008 Bond Program.

The campus features 24 classrooms that can accommodate up to 400 students in grades 9-12, and also has multiple indoor/outdoor common spaces designed for dual purposes, an activity field and wireless Internet access within and surrounding the campus grounds. The building also features energy-efficient features such as geothermal heating and air conditioning designed to reduce energy consumption and utility costs, and landscaping is composed of only native Texas plants to reduce irrigation requirements.

The Gilliam Collegiate Academy is one of nearly 50 early college high schools in Texas.  This program was designed for minority students who would be the first in their family to graduate from college to enroll in dual credit courses from Cedar Valley College starting in the ninth grade. Other Dallas ISD early college high schools include Middle College High School at El Centro College, 801 Main St., and Trinidad “Trini” Garza Early College High School at Mountain View College, 4849 W. Illinois Ave.

“Dallas ISD’s early college high schools are another way that the district is focusing on preparing students for life after high school graduation,” said Interim Superintendent of Schools Alan King. “Students have the chance to earn a high school diploma and earn up to 60 hours of college credit, giving them a head start toward college graduation. The new Gilliam Academy building is a strong sign of the district’s commitment to these excellent programs.”

The Gilliam Collegiate Academy is named for Kathlyn Joy Gilliam, the first African-American woman elected to the Board of Trustees and the first African-American woman elected Board President. She served for 23 years on the Dallas ISD board.

Dedication ceremony participants include Ms. Gilliam; District 6 Trustee Carla Ranger; Chief of Staff Claudia Rodriguez; former Dallas ISD Superintendent Nolan Estes; former Dallas ISD trustees Robert Medrano, Robert Price and Harryette Ehrhardt; Principal Gayle L. Smith; and current students.