The Highland Park Education Foundation (HPEF), HPISD leaders and HP community members celebrated the naming of the William P. Clements Jr. Leadership Center April 25 in honor of esteemed HPHS alumnus and former Texas Governor Bill Clements. In attendance were members of Governor Clements' family and members of the Clements Foundation Board of Directors which, since 1990, has gifted $10.5 million to the HPEF in support of Highland Park ISD needs.
“Governor Clements’ successful academic career at HP gave him an important foundation to go forth to serve, as our district motto states," HPISD Superintendent Dr. Tom Trigg said. “We have the privilege of seeing the example that he set so many decades ago personified in the students walking the exact same halls of HPHS today.”
The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the naming during its March 22 meeting. "It's an honor to establish this permanent legacy of gratitude to the Clements Foundation and the generations of family members who care so humbly and deeply for our HP school community," HPEF Executive Director Lauren Holloway said. Signage lettering was installed on the west and south entrance exteriors of the building earlier this month and a plaque will be mounted inside the front lobby later this spring to commemorate Governor Clements' legacy.
The Clements Leadership Center is a new HPISD facility made possible through the 2015 Bond Program. Formerly referred to as the multi-use building, The Clements Leadership Center is home to the new HPHS state-of-the-art natatorium, the Boogie Blackwell Strength and Conditioning weight center, professional meeting space and a two-story display case containing Scots memorabilia.