HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, Children are the Lone Star State's most precious 1-2 natural resource, and the dedicated professionals entrusted with 1-3 their education have earned the profound gratitude and admiration 1-4 of their fellow Texans; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Dr. Mary Gagne is one such individual, and in her 1-6 years as principal of Beaumont's Monsignor Kelly Catholic High 1-7 School she has overseen its emergence as one of the country's 1-8 preeminent private schools; and 1-9 WHEREAS, Dr. Gagne's record as an educator has attracted 1-10 national attention, and in addition to being designated an 1-11 Outstanding Educator in America by President George Bush, she has 1-12 also been honored with a Blue Ribbon Award as one of the nation's 1-13 finest school administrators by Executive Educator magazine; and 1-14 WHEREAS, The esteem in which Dr. Gagne is held by her 1-15 professional peers is evident from the many organizations that have 1-16 sought her expertise and experience, including the U.S. Department 1-17 of Education, the National Catholic Education Association, and the 1-18 Texas Association of Secondary School Principals State Board; and 1-19 WHEREAS, A model for private schools across the nation, 1-20 Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School has flourished under Dr. 1-21 Gagne's leadership, and the school's rigorous academic standards 1-22 have produced remarkable results; 99 percent of graduates go on to 1-23 pursue university studies, and the number of students achieving 1-24 National Merit recognition is greater than the total combined 2-1 number from all other schools in a three-county area; and 2-2 WHEREAS, Even as enrollment has risen from 380 to 689 2-3 students, the school has seen the addition of a computerized 2-4 information center, a state-of-the-art science building, and a new 2-5 multi-purpose building that comprises four classrooms, a gymnasium, 2-6 and a studio theater, and these improvements will no doubt further 2-7 enhance the school's supportive learning environment; and 2-8 WHEREAS, Dr. Gagne has labored diligently to extend the 2-9 educational advantages of Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School to 2-10 as many young people as possible, and through her dedicated efforts 2-11 the $3 Million Foundation was created to cover the tuition costs of 2-12 those students who might not otherwise be able to attend the 2-13 school; and 2-14 WHEREAS, Dr. Mary Gagne's powerful commitment to excellence 2-15 has ensured her reputation as an exemplary administrator even as 2-16 her efforts have touched the lives of thousands of students through 2-17 the years, and it is indeed fitting to recognize her many 2-18 contributions to her fellow Texans at this time; now, therefore, be 2-19 it 2-20 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-21 hereby honor Dr. Mary Gagne for her achievements in the field of 2-22 education and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued 2-23 success and happiness in the future; and, be it further 2-24 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-25 prepared for Dr. Gagne as an expression of high regard by the Texas 2-26 House of Representatives and Senate. Price Stiles Laney Gutierrez Oliveira Alexander Haggerty Olivo Allen Hamric Palmer Alvarado Hartnett Patterson Averitt Hawley Pickett Bailey Heflin Pitts Berlanga Hernandez Place Bonnen Hightower Price Bosse Hilbert Puente Brimer Hilderbran Rabuck Burnam Hill Ramsay Carter Hinojosa Rangel Chavez Hirschi Raymond Chisum Hochberg Reyna of Bexar Christian Hodge Reyna of Dallas Clark Holzheauser Rhodes Coleman Horn Rodriguez Cook Howard Roman Corte Hunter Sadler Counts Hupp Seaman Crabb Isett Serna Craddick Jackson Shields Cuellar Janek Siebert Culberson Jones of Lubbock Smith Danburg Jones of Dallas Smithee Davila Junell Solis Davis Kamel Solomons Delisi Keel Staples Denny Keffer Stiles Driver King Swinford Dukes Krusee Talton Dunnam Kubiak Telford Dutton Kuempel Thompson Edwards Lewis of Tarrant Tillery Ehrhardt Lewis of Orange Torres Eiland Longoria Turner of Coleman Elkins Luna Turner of Harris Farrar McCall Uher Finnell McClendon Van de Putte Flores McReynolds Walker Gallego Madden West Galloway Marchant Williams Garcia Maxey Williamson Giddings Merritt Wilson Glaze Moffat Wise Goodman Moreno Wohlgemuth Goolsby Mowery Wolens Gray Naishtat Woolley Greenberg Nixon Yarbrough Grusendorf Oakley Zbranek _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 196 was adopted by the House on April 10, 1997, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 196 was adopted by the Senate on April 14, 1997, by a viva-voce vote. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: _____________________ Date _____________________ Governor