PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The School District of Palm Beach County is set to open its first new public high school since 2005.
Dr. Joaquín García High School is under construction west of Lake Worth Beach and scheduled to open in August.
The Hispanic Education Coalition held a naming ceremony for the school Saturday night.
"It is the first school named after a Hispanic in the history of Palm Beach County," Dr. Carlos Diaz, chairman of the Hispanic Education Coalition and a friend of the late Dr. Joaquin Garcia, said.
Diaz described Garcia as a fierce advocate for education and dual language programs in Palm Beach County Schools.
"He was a person who was very egalitarian and who believed very firmly in the access to high-quality education for every student, regardless of station in life," he said.
Diaz said about 37% of the district's population is Hispanic, but representation has been lacking until now.
"It's a moment of pride that, you know, for the first time, I can drive around this county, look up at a school and see a name that resonates with me," Diaz said.
The new Dr. Joaquín García High School has come with controversy.
As the first new high school to open in nearly 20 years, district leaders have faced difficulties drawing the boundaries, which will impact eight other schools and shuffle thousands of students.
School board member Edwin Ferguson, who was also in attendance at Saturday's naming ceremony, asked parents to stay engaged in the process. He said he and other district leaders have potential future overcrowding challenges top of mind.
"Persons are going to live where they live, and it's our jobs to try to best, you know, relieve that overcrowding whenever possible," Ferguson said. "But it's not as if it's going to be a one-time fix. It's going to be something that constantly needs to be reviewed and possibly revised by the superintendent and the school board."
Before the school opens in August, the Palm Beach County School Board will vote one more time on the boundary map at the end of March.
