1-1                                       1

 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 404

 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is proud to recognize

 1-4     the Denton State School for its notable contributions to the citizens

 1-5     of Texas throughout the past four decades; and

 1-6           WHEREAS, Established in 1960 by the 55th Texas Legislature,

 1-7     Denton State School opened its doors in July, 1960, and within a

 1-8     year, the facility had over 1,700 residents; and

 1-9           WHEREAS, Today, approximately 686 individuals live in the

1-10     residential apartments and homes at the facility, which operates

1-11     under the jurisdiction of the Texas Department of Mental Health

1-12     and Mental Retardation; the school employs nearly 1,600 staff

1-13     members and has an average budget of over $37 million; and

1-14           WHEREAS, In the late 1950s, when the Denton Chamber of Commerce

1-15     learned that a facility for persons with mental retardation was going

1-16     to be built in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, community leaders met with

1-17     officials in Austin to ask that the facility be placed in Denton; the

1-18     state agreed to receive from the citizens 200 acres of land located

1-19     four miles south of Denton, with the stipulation that a facility to

1-20     serve persons with mental retardation be built there; and

1-21           WHEREAS, The same year the school opened, the Denton State

1-22     School Volunteer Council was established to enrich the lives of

1-23     those individuals with developmental disabilities who live in

 2-1     North Texas; and

 2-2           WHEREAS, The charitable organization provides things that are

 2-3     not funded by the state; as a result of donations, a swimming pool,

 2-4     sidewalks, a park, vocational workshop, wheelchair vans, furnishings,

 2-5     and Christmas and birthday gifts have been given to the school; and

 2-6           WHEREAS, Working diligently to meet the needs of the school's

 2-7     residents, the volunteer council recently raised $550,000 in

 2-8     donations to build the North Texas Physical Management Center on

 2-9     the school campus; and

2-10           WHEREAS, In 1986, the Denton State School Family Association

2-11     was reorganized and a centralized structure was established to

2-12     allow meetings of family members from all residential areas in

2-13     one central location; and

2-14           WHEREAS, The family association works with the school

2-15     administrative staff to increase public awareness of the facility

2-16     and its services and to offer support to the volunteer council in

2-17     their fundraising activities to assist the family; now, therefore,

2-18     be it

2-19           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,

2-20     75th Legislature, hereby express its gratitude to the Denton

2-21     State School, the Denton State School Family Association, and the

2-22     Denton State School Volunteer Council for their exceptional work to

2-23     enhance the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities;

2-24     and, be it further

2-25           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be presented to this

 3-1     distinguished group as an expression of the high regard of the

 3-2     Texas Senate.

 3-3                                                                 Nelson 

 3-4                                                                 Sibley 

 3-5                                                                 Haywood

 3-6                                  ______________________________________

 3-7                                          President of the Senate

 3-8                                       I hereby certify that the above

 3-9                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate

3-10                                  on March 26, 1997.

3-11                                  ______________________________________

3-12                                          Secretary of the Senate

3-13                                  ______________________________________

3-14                                           Member, Texas Senate

3-15                                  ______________________________________

3-16                                           Member, Texas Senate

3-17                                  ______________________________________

3-18                                           Member, Texas Senate