H.R. No. 260 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The end of the 1992-1993 school year will also mark 1-2 the end of an era for the San Elizario Independent School District 1-3 when Lorenzo Loya retires as a member of the district's board of 1-4 trustees after a long and distinguished tenure spanning half a 1-5 century of service to the schoolchildren of the community; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Asked to serve on the board at the age of 19 in 1-7 1943, Mr. Loya remained on the board for the next 50 years, running 1-8 unopposed in each school board election since then to become the 1-9 longest serving school board member in Texas history, according to 1-10 records of the Texas Association of School Boards; and 1-11 WHEREAS, During his exceptional tenure on the board, Mr. Loya 1-12 has witnessed and been part of many dramatic changes in the El Paso 1-13 County community and in the school district serving its educational 1-14 needs; and 1-15 WHEREAS, When he began serving on the board, San Elizario was 1-16 a small rural community, and the small school district served 40 to 1-17 50 students, many of whom would not complete their high school 1-18 education because of the agricultural nature of their families' 1-19 pursuits; and 1-20 WHEREAS, Fifty years later, the district now boasts of an 1-21 enrollment of nearly 2,500 students and a greatly improved 1-22 graduation rate, thanks in large measure to the dedicated efforts 1-23 of Mr. Loya, who has continually stressed the importance of 1-24 attaining a first rate education as a means of improving not only 2-1 the quality of life for each individual but for the community at 2-2 large as well; and 2-3 WHEREAS, A product of the times and the economic 2-4 circumstances that shaped the lives of everyone in the community 2-5 during the Depression, Mr. Loya understood very well the value of a 2-6 good education, having ended his own formal education at the eighth 2-7 grade when he left school to help his family do farm work; and 2-8 WHEREAS, Although he later found employment with Phelps 2-9 Dodge, where he worked steadily for 37 years until he retired in 2-10 1977, his 50-year tenure on the San Elizario school board provided 2-11 him an excellent opportunity to encourage succeeding generations of 2-12 the community's youth to finish high school and to continue their 2-13 postsecondary education whenever possible so that they might enjoy 2-14 career and professional opportunities he never had; and 2-15 WHEREAS, His commitment to these goals and aspirations is 2-16 manifest in all of his endeavors, both great and small, from 2-17 providing space in his home for a schoolteacher wanting to tutor 2-18 students after school to convincing friends and neighbors of the 2-19 need to support a $3 million bond issue and hefty tax increase that 2-20 enabled the district to build a new primary school a few years ago; 2-21 and 2-22 WHEREAS, Throughout the years he also has stressed the 2-23 responsibility each individual bears in striving for success, 2-24 recognizing that each success story provides yet another role model 2-25 for the children in this predominantly Hispanic community to admire 2-26 and emulate; and 2-27 WHEREAS, Given his record of service to the community over 3-1 the years, it is indeed fitting that the community will pay the 3-2 most appropriate tribute it can give to one of its most highly 3-3 esteemed citizens when it renames San Elizario Primary School in 3-4 his honor in May 1993 as part of his retirement celebration; and 3-5 WHEREAS, Throughout his outstanding association with the 3-6 community, Mr. Loya has adhered to his principle of putting the 3-7 community first, and the many generations of San Elizario 3-8 schoolchildren who have passed through the district's schools have 3-9 benefited as a result; his vision, leadership, and commendable 3-10 dedication will be greatly missed; now, therefore, be it 3-11 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas 3-12 Legislature hereby honor Lorenzo Loya for his half century of 3-13 outstanding service as a member of the board of trustees of the San 3-14 Elizario Independent School District and extend best wishes on the 3-15 occasion of his retirement from the school board; and, be it 3-16 further 3-17 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-18 prepared for Mr. Loya as an expression of high esteem by the Texas 3-19 House of Representatives. 3-20 prepared for Mr. Loya as an expression of high esteem by the Texas 3-21 House of Representatives. 3-22 Parra 3-23 H.R. No. 260 3-24 _______________________________ 3-25 Speaker of the House 3-26 I certify that H.R. No. 260 was adopted by the House on 3-27 February 16, 1993, by a non-record vote. 4-1 _______________________________ 4-2 Chief Clerk of the House