L. G. Pinkston High School

L.G. Pinkston High School
Location
2200 Dennison St., Dallas, TX 75212 USA
Information
Type Public, Secondary
School district Dallas Independent School District
Principal Mr. Dwain Simmons [1]
Grades 9-12
Color(s) Black and Gold          
Mascot Vikings

L.G. Pinkston High School is a public secondary school in West Dallas, Texas (USA). L.G. Pinkston High School enrolls students in grades 9-12 and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District.

The school is named in honor of Dr. Lee Gresham Pinkston, an African American doctor known for his strong civic leadership. In 1927, he opened the Pinkston Clinic Hospital which was the only clinic that served the African American community. He died in 1961. The school serves the West Dallas neighborhoods.

Lee Gresham Pinkston is the great grand uncle of the actor Wentworth Miller.

History

L.G. Pinkston High School opened in November 1964 as a school for black children.[2]

In 1987 John Kincaide, the athletic director of DISD, said that the district is prepared to allow Pinkston to be reclassified by the University Interscholastic League (UIL) from athletic class 5A to athletic class 4A; the UIL had the possibility of demoting the school to athletic class 4A as part of its biannual reclassification.[3]

In 2009, the state classified 10% of Pinkston's graduates as "college ready," or ready to undergo university studies. The State of Texas defined "college readiness" by scores on the ACT and SAT and in the 11th grade Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) tests. Several DISD schools with demographics similar to that of Pinkston, such as Bryan Adams High School, David W. Carter High School, and Madison High School had higher rates of college readiness than Pinkston. Holly K. Hacker of The Dallas Morning News said that the rate was "a dismal figure even when taking into account the school's poverty and other social challenges."[4] Liliana Valdez, the school district's director of college and career readiness, said that since the 2009 rankings, the district enacted measures at Pinkston to improve the statistics, including the creation of magnet programs for architecture, automotive technology, criminal justice, and law.[4]

For the 2014-2016 University Interscholastic League (UIL) classification Pinkston will be 4A instead of 3A.[5]

As of 2015 the school has about 1,000 students. DISD has plans to rebuild the high school. DISD board member Lew Blackburn stated that he believed that the district's price figure of $130 million is too high.[2]

Notable alumni

Notes

  1. Dallas ISD information for L. G. Pinkston High School
  2. 1 2 Hacker, Holly K. "Would a new Pinkston High really cost $130 million? Hard to say" (Archive). The Dallas Morning News. October 29, 2015. Retrieved on November 21, 2015.
  3. "DISD WILL LET PINKSTON, TJ DROP TO CLASS AAAA." The Dallas Morning News. December 2, 1987. Retrieved on November 26, 2011.
  4. 1 2 Hacker, Holly K. "Analysis shows true Texas high school performance, stripping away socioeconomic factors." The Dallas Morning News. September 3, 2011. Retrieved on February 10, 2012.
  5. Smith, Corbett. "Dallas ISD schools will not opt up; Carter, Pinkston, Lincoln will ‘drop’ to Class 4A." The Dallas Morning News. December 2, 2013. Retrieved on March 30, 2014.
  6. "USA Basketball: Tony Mitchell". USABasketball.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. June 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
  7. Henry, John (November 27, 2012). "North Texas star Tony Mitchell's journey could lead to NBA". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The McClatchy Company. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
  8. Black History Month: Local legends in music, theater, dance, and more, Guide Live, The Dallas Morning News, February 3, 2006

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