On Thursday, July 29, 2021, the Crowley ISD Board of Trustees approved a proclamation recognizing Opal Lee and her work to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday. The board also declared Oct. 7, Lee's birthday, as the Opal Lee Day of Advocacy, Leadership and Service in Crowley ISD.

Opal Lee, of Fort Worth, dedicated many years to ensure that Juneteenth would become a nationally recognized holiday. Lee was present at the CISD meeting and spoke about the journey to see Juneteenth become a federal holiday.

On Thursday, June 17, 2021, the U.S. Congress answered her call and, with Lee standing beside him in the White House, President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery.

"Through her teaching, activism and dedicated campaigning, Ms. Opal Lee channels her personal experiences of racism and segregation to educate and transform others," the CISD proclamation states. "Because of Ms. Opal Lee, the story of Juneteenth is being told, and we can use this momentum to continue working towards unity, equality and the freedom of all people ... We are thankful for her persistence, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to this cause."

During the meeting, trustees thanked Lee for her service, calling her a "living legend," and told her they were honored to be in her presence.

Completed Year of Service Project
Crowley High School - Students worked with the City of Crowley Code Enforcement to clean up the property of an 80-year-old resident in the district. 

J.A. Hargrave Elementary - The J.A. Hargrave Elementary School CLAWS (Creating Leaders to Achieve World Wide Success) recently worked with Mission Arlington to sort through clothing donations for children in need. Mission Arlington is a hub for those who are in need of clothing, food, medical and dental assistance. 

Bill R. Johnson CTE Center - The Bill R. Johnson CTE Center Campus Crusaders recently scoured the new state-of-the-art Bill R. Johnson CTE Center to pick up waste, trash and unwanted debris from CTE's landscape and parking facilities. The Crusaders will continue this throughout the 2021-22 school year. 



Meadowcreek Elementary - Meadowcreek Elementary fifth-grade students are practicing daily reading with their Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) program. Through the program, DEAR students have read to kindergarten and first-grade students. The goal is to have all grades foster a love for reading and practicing daily. 

H.F. Stevens Middle School - The H.F. Stevens Middle School Men In Training (MIT) recently collected canned goods school-wide in preparation of assisting a local food bank. MIT visited Fort Worth’s Funky Town Fridge and helped stock their entire site. Students were able to get a hands-on experience while learning about the importance of being there for one another. Funky Town Fridge is a community fridge project that aims to combat hunger, empower our communities, reduce food waste and educate the city of Fort Worth.

Oakmont Elementary - Oakmont Elementary students worked with the North Texas Food Bank and Fort Worth City Council member Dr. Jared Williams to prepare and pass out meals to neighborhood families before the Thanksgiving holiday season. 

June W. Davis Elementary - The June W. Davis Elementary's RISE UP mentorship and leadership group led the Trailblazer community in a service learning project at school. 

S.H. Crowley Elementary - S.H. Crowley Elementary students recently completed their campus-wide service project by collecting items for SafeHaven of Tarrant County, which is the only state designated family violence center in Tarrant County. S.H. Crowley families not only donated a total of 874 items, but also saw Ms. McCartney's first-grade class collect a total of 213 items. The project was organized and led by counselor Ms. Audra Edgar. 

North Crowley 9th Grade - Students from North Crowley 9th Grade traveled to June W. Davis Elementary and read several books to second-grade students. They also helped assist teachers and students in the classroom. Please check back often as photos will be added as campuses complete their service projects.



Bess Race Elementary - Bess Race Elementary students recently held a canned food drive, collecting over 1,500 canned goods for delivery to the Crowley House of Hope. Through the project, the Eagles' MOC4 Boys-to-Men group learned about service, organization, collaboration and hard work to help those in need by boxing canned goods throughout the school. The group also presented each teacher and classroom who participated an Opal Lee Day of Advocacy Certificate.



Sycamore Elementary - Sycamore Elementary students recently collecting hygiene specific items for delivery to the Crowley House of Hope. Sycamore's MOC4 fifth-grade students assisted with gathering and delivering the items. Please check back often as photos will be added as campuses complete their service projects.

North Crowley High School - The North Crowley High School Boys 2 Men MOC4 group recently organized a service project with SafeHaven Domestic Violence Shelters of Tarrant County. Teachers, community members and students from football, cheerleading, volleyball, JROTC and AVID collected host-requested items to be delivered to SafeHaven. 

Sue Crouch Elementary - The Sue Crouch Elementary MOC4 Producers recently sorted and compiled all of the lost-and-found items in the school. All of the pieces not claimed will be boxed and sent to the Crowley House of Hope. 

David L. Walker Elementary - David L. Walker Elementary students recently committed to taking personal responsibility to reduce trash around the school. The Warriors set a target to recycle at least 50 percent of our household waste by the summer of 2022. 

Dallas Park Elementary 
Dallas Park students recently collected new scarves, gloves, socks and hats for Crowley House of Hope. They collected almost 400 items and delivered them to the Crowley House of Hope in December.

Crowley 9th Grade
Students from Crowley 9th Grade had a campus-wide food drive to deliver Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets to families over the holidays. CH9 worked with the Fountains and House of Hope to deliver the baskets. The Eagles' MOC4 group also volunteered at Bess Race Elementary. 

Summer Creek Middle School
Summer Creek Middle School student council and national honors society members did a campus service project to collect items to donate to senior citizens in Fort Worth. 

Jackie Carden Elementary
Students from each grade-level at Jackie Carden Elementary recently donated toiletry items for the homeless to Crowley House of Hope.

Crowley Learning Center
Students and staff at the Crowley Learning Center recently supported the WARM Place by making and taking up donations. The WARM Place works with children ages 3 to 18 and young adults 19 to 25 who have experienced the death of someone they love.

Deer Creek Elementary
Students from Deer Creek Elementary recently created bags for the homeless by donating toothbrushes, bars of soap, toothpaste, deodorant, adult gloves, chapstick and adult socks. 

Richard J. Allie Middle School
Richard J. Allie Middle School teen leadership students recently volunteered to help organize the RAMS Emporium, which is a room that houses items that have been donated by various community members. Items donated include: school supplies, clothing, shoes, jackets, personal hygiene items and food. 

Sidney H. Poynter Elementary
Sidney H. Poynter Elementary MOC4 students recently picked up trash and debris around their campus and neighboring community. 

Crowley Middle School
Crowley Middle School students recently adopted a highway as part of the Clean-Up-Texas Initiative. Adopt-a-Highway is a Texas-born program that allows volunteers to adopt stretches of state-maintained roadway to conduct litter pickups.

Mary Harris Elementary
Mary Harris Elementary students not only adopted a highway, but also had a neighborhood/school clean-up.