Juneteenth Statement from Superintendent Paul Cruz and Board of Trustees

Juneteenth celebrates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas received word about the official end of the Civil War—two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. 


It has been 155 years since freedom was announced in Texas, yet today’s continued marginalization, mistreatment and killing of Black people has ignited protests in all 50 states and worldwide. 


We respect everyone’s first amendment right to free speech and stand with protestors to proclaim: Enough is enough. Black Lives Matter.


Juneteenth is a time to reflect on the past and resolve for a better future. To quote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”