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Garland Celebrates CNN/Money Magazine Ranking
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Garland, Texas – July 31, 2008 – “We have long considered Garland to be a city of choice and now CNN and Money Magazine have validated our opinion,” says Garland Mayor Ronald Jones.
CNN and Money Magazine just released their list of the Top 100 Places to Live, which includes Garland at number 67. The city’s comfortable, hometown feel in the midst of a thriving metropolitan area was just one of the outstanding characteristics mentioned in the report.
Garland’s diversity of culture and housing options, as well as its wide variety of shopping, dining, arts and entertainment were enumerated in the city’s list of attributes. Garland’s 63-hole championship golf facility, Firewheel Golf Park, was also a featured benefit.
“It’s very satisfying for Garland to be recognized in this way,” says Mayor Jones. “City leaders here have always worked hard to provide a safe, comfortable environment for families, businesses and visitors to enjoy. It’s gratifying to have this kind of recognition of our efforts.”
Garland is home to more than 225,000 people and is the second largest city in Dallas County and the tenth largest in Texas. A strong pioneer spirit has led Garland through more than a century of opportunities and challenges. Residents and visitors enjoy first-class cultural, entertainment and recreational venues, including the Granville Arts Center, the Nicholson Memorial Library System, Firewheel Golf Park and the Garland’s award-winning Parks and Recreation Department. All of these amenities rely on the city’s solid base of sound infrastructure, excellent city services, and responsive, locally-owned utilities, anchored by Garland’s Environmental Waste Services, Garland Power & Light, and its Water and Wastewater Utility. As the city progresses into its second hundred years, it continues to evolve as a thriving economic center eager to embrace its rich and varied cultural tapestry.
Garland has always worked aggressively to raise its status as a thriving retail market. In 2005, Simon Properties launched Firewheel Town Center in north Garland, an open-air complex with a traditional Main Street atmosphere. Garland also managed to reel in another retail giant as Bass Pro Shops opened its doors as the anchor of the Harbor Point Development on the shores of Lake Ray Hubbard in Garland’s southern sector. Both developments have inspired a variety of spin-off developments, attracting thousands of visitors from throughout the region.
As Garland embraces the 21st century, its historic downtown area is on the brink of a new incarnation. Downtown is already home to the Granville Arts Center and several cultural organizations. The arrival of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system’s light rail station brought new life to the downtown area and inspired plans for transit oriented development. Construction is underway on two important downtown projects… a new Dallas County Community College satellite campus and a multi-story mixed-use development featuring apartments and retail. All are within walking distance of the DART rail station, the city’s government center, the Granville Arts Center and the Central Library.
Garland’s Firewheel Golf Park offers one of the finest municipal golf facilities in the southwest. It is home to 63-holes of championship caliber golf, including three regulation courses in designs that both challenge and delight. The Bridges Course has three different and unique nines: The Masters, The Champions and The Traditions - all three boast bentgrass greens. The clubhouse features the Branding Iron Restaurant and Patio. It's a delightful place to sit and enjoy the afternoon breeze while you watch golfers tee off on the first hole of the Champions.
With an enrollment of more than 57,000 students attending 70 campuses in the communities of Garland, Rowlett and Sachse, the Garland Independent School District is the second largest district in Dallas County and one of the largest districts in the state of Texas yet still provides a “small town feeling.” High levels of instruction on every campus are supported by allowing teachers access to the increased resources offered by larger districts.
“It has never been a secret in our community that the Garland ISD is one, if not the, greatest district in the state,” says Superintendent Dr. Curtis Culwell.
Schools, like students, are unique with personalities that reflect the attitudes of the staff, students, and parents. Within the list of campuses, GISD has a variety of magnet programs serving students of all levels.
Elementary magnets include a mix of students who live nearby and students from all three cities who qualified for the magnet programs. These programs include gifted and talented, math, science & technology, and classical curriculum.
At the secondary level, the magnet programs are usually “school within a school” programs, offering a mix of regular curriculum and specialized magnet courses such as television production and broadcasting, law and criminal justice, and concurrent college enrollment.
One unique aspect of this district is the Freedom of Choice option offered to every student. Only a handful of districts nationwide offer open enrollment options for students. However, none have a “choice” plan as far-reaching as Garland ISD. While other districts use attendance zones, GISD parents choose their child’s campus. The “Choice of School” period takes place each year in January for the following school year. Each year, between 97% and 98% of our students receive their first choice school!
Reflecting minority/majority ratios of the district as a whole, the students in this progressive and dynamic district speak more than 60 different native languages.
“This recognition from CNN and Money Magazine is well-deserved verification that what we’re doing is working for our diverse staff, students and citizens,” Dr. Culwell says. “I have no doubt that anyone interested in moving to Garland will find that our city is a wonderful place to live and
raise a family.”
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