Highland Park Celebrates Twice the Dedications
Boone namesake touts education “legacy”
Highland Park ISD finally celebrated the dedication of the district’s fifth elementary, Michael M. Boone Elementary School, the district’s first new campus since 1948.
The school’s namesake, Highland Park alumnus Michael M. Boone, attended the April 3 dedication ceremony with HPISD board president Tom Sharpe and the school’s principal Amanda Reyes.
That’s one thing about our community – we all give back time and money to help advance education. That is our legacy.
Michael Boone
Boone, at various points, served as president of the Highland Park ISD board of trustees, chair of SMU’s board of trustees, and chairman of the Dallas Citizens Council.
“It takes a village to educate a child,” said Boone. “That’s one thing about our community – we all give back time and money to help advance education. That is our legacy.”
Boone Girl Scout Troop 7014 added to the festivities by leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Fellow students joined the troop to sing the Boone school song and recite the campus creed.
New Hyer brings back old memories
The dedication ceremony for the newly-rebuilt Hyer Elementary School on April 10 also served as a homecoming of sorts for 1960s-era alumnus Bill Griffith, who drove from Houston to attend.
We have an absolutely stunning school that captures the look and feel of the original building
Tom Trigg
Griffith even brought a PTA program from when he was a student who lived across the street from the school.
“Oh, I didn’t just walk across the street to the school,” Griffith said. “That was jaywalking. I walked down to the intersection and then came to school every morning.”
The dedication ceremony followed the rebuild in 2020, which added classroom and multi-use space for each grade but kept some beloved traditions like eating lunch in Balto’s Courtyard. The project was part of the Highland Park ISD 2015 $361.4 million bond issue.
Highland Park ISD superintendent Tom Trigg, board president Tom Sharpe, Hyer Elementary principal Debbie Burt, and University Park Mayor Tommy Stewart also spoke.
“We have an absolutely stunning school that captures the look and feel of the original building,” said Trigg. “Thank you to the Hyer Legacy Committee for providing counsel to our architects to help retain the school’s unique character, keeping Hyer, Hyer.”
