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Principal’s Message

Hello Hidalgo Elementary Families,
My goals as your Hidalgo Elementary principal are to always advocate for kindness by always showing compassion, motivation, and love for our little ones.
I am proud to say that I attended Hidalgo ISD since I was in elementary. I was a migrant student since I was about 8 years old. My family and I would pick strawberries, blueberries, you name it…I was fortunate enough to have amazing teachers that would get me back on track when I would leave the school year early and would return late in the year. Growing up in a low-income home, it showed me to value education and kept me grounded. During my high school years, I was part of the Mighty Pirate Band and was honored to be the drum major in 1998 when we took our band to our first state championship.  That was one of the best moments of my life and it helped mold me into the leader I am today. When I was in college, I became a teacher assistant in the Hidalgo High School special education department. I learned how to work with students with special needs and it was wonderful. I later became a teacher and was given an opportunity by Hidalgo ISD to work as an elementary Kindergarten teacher. It was amazing to work at the same campus for 12 years teaching grades K-5th. During that time, I was a two-time teacher of the year and Science Rio Grande Valley teacher of the year. The next 4 years I was an assistant principal and during those years I helped lead our campus in receiving awards such as Texas Honor Roll School and National Blue Ribbon School. This is my fourth year of being part of Hidalgo Elementary. I am proud to say that our school has been a 3-time Texas Honor Roll School and National Blue Ribbon School.  This year, my goal is to continue to lead with all my heart and for our teachers to continue to provide the best learning environment for all our little ones at Hidalgo Elementary.
Gooo Pirates! 
Sincerely,
Laura Garza