The 1980s
In 1980, leaders of the Vestry School Board signed the Articles of Incorporation of St. John’s Episcopal School to declare the school’s non-profit status within the state of Texas. The incorporation called for the school to be governed by a separate Board of Trustees operating under a set of by-laws sanctioned by the church.
As part of these changes, the Parents Association formalized its role as a key supporter of the school. Since its inception in 1980, the organization has contributed nearly $2.5 million to the school. The tireless efforts of thousands of volunteers have distinguished St. John's as a school with a truly engaged and committed community.
Soon after the school's incorporation, Grace Cook was named director of the school. While she continued to teach kindergarten, she was the chief administrator of the school and, with Fr. Maceo, led the process to help the school gain accreditation by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) and the Texas Education Agency.
Mrs. Cook was officially named Head of School in 1984. Under her direction and with standards set forth by ISAS, enrollment grew to more than 300 by 1987-88 with a new seventh grade class comprising nine students. She and the fledgling Board of Trustees initiated a capital campaign with a goal of $1 million to build a new wing that included a library, classes for fourth and fifth grades, a clinic, and a science lab. The wing was completed during the 1985-86 school year, and the second phase of the campaign began to accommodate a future Middle School that would provide classrooms for sixth through eighth grades.