Resolution for Permanent School Fund logo contest winners

WHEREAS the Permanent School Fund’s origins and story is one interwoven into the rich Texas history, replete with Texans who fiercely believed in the vital importance of public education, beginning with those who declared their devotion in the 1836 Texas Declaration of Independence and in 1845 further demonstrated this commitment in 1845, establishing in the state’s first constitution, a perpetual fund for the support of free public schools; and

WHEREAS Texans further proved their allegiance to public free schools through support of the fund, by committing $2 million in U.S. bonds from the Compromise of 1850 in 1854, half of the state’s 88-million-acre public domain in 1873 and the mineral estate of Texas’ submerged lands in 1939; and

WHEREAS Texans successfully staved off attempts to seize and divert the Fund’s legacy to future generations in political battles and litigation at the highest levels of the United States government; and

WHEREAS the Permanent School Fund has, since 1855, made distributions to Texas schools and has for generations provided for free textbooks and now support for school district  technology; and

WHEREAS, since 1983, the Permanent School Fund has made possible for local schools, capital facility additions and improvements by the guaranteeing of local bonds; and

WHEREAS through prudent stewardship, the Permanent School Fund has prospered and become the nation’s largest educational endowment; and

WHEREAS given the fund’s unique history and vital importance in the state’s school finance system, the State Board of Education deemed it most appropriate for the Permanent School Fund to have its own distinct brand identity; and

WHEREAS the State Board of Education looked to the state’s students to create suitable artwork to represent the Fund and initiated the “Brand the Fund” student art competition; and

WHEREAS 442 students representing independent school districts and charter schools from across the Lone Star State submitted 521 unique entries; and

WHEREAS a judging panel comprised of professional graphic artists and representatives of the State Board of Education, Permanent School Fund, and Texas Education Agency carefully considered the merits of each entry and selected ten finalists from the field of entries; and

WHEREAS the State Board of Education selected artwork submitted by Melissa Richardson, a sophomore student at Dripping Springs High School in Dripping Springs Independent School District as the winning entry and the artwork submitted by Spandana Kamepalli, a junior student at Vandegrift High School in Leander ISD as the contest’s runner-up; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education congratulates Melissa Richardson of Dripping Springs High School as the winner of the “Brand the Fund” Student Art Competition and recognizes her art instructor, Mr. Jay Bates; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education congratulates Spandana Kamepalli of Vandegrift High School as the runner-up of the “Brand the Fund” Student Art Competition and recognizes her art instructor Lori Quick; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education also recognizes Ben Meyer of Austin ISD; Hagen Carter of Stephenville ISD; Kathryn Kelly and Ashleigh Jamison of Round Rock ISD; Maite Gordo and Natalie Tieu of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD; and Arthur Mangum and Aaron Ballif of Conroe ISD whose logos were among the ten finalists in the “Brand the Fund” contest; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education congratulates all contest entrants for their creative abilities and offers to all teachers, administrators and professional associations sincerest thanks for helping to promote the contest and facilitate student participation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the board authorizes Texas Education Agency staff to immediately begin using Melissa Richardson’s winning logo on Permanent School Fund branded material.

WITNESS our signatures this first day of February, two thousand and nineteen, in Austin, Texas.

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Donna Bahorich, Chair

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Georgina C. Pérez, Secretary