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School History

Rooted in tradition, Trinity Episcopal School has served generations of Galveston families since 1952.

Trinity Episcopal School, a parish day school, was founded in 1952 by the Vestry of Trinity Church. It is the third Trinity School to serve this site. Through the years, Trinity has grown, adapted, and expanded to meet the needs of our students and community, while staying true to our mission of academic excellence, character development, and faith.

EARLY BEGINNINGS

The first school opened on July 7, 1845, with 50 students under the direction of Mr. Dean. The second Trinity began operations in the summer of 1873. While little is known about these early schools, they reflect Galveston’s commitment to education in a time before public schools. The present Trinity opened in September 1952 with 53 students in kindergarten, first, and second grades. In the years that followed, additional grades were added, along with the facilities to support them. Moody Hall was built in 1967 to house the newly added fifth and sixth grades. In 1981-82, Trinity launched its Middle School for grades seven and eight. In 1982-83, additional facilities opened on the west side of Tremont, directly across from Moody Hall. The Beginning School for two-, three-, and four-year-olds is housed in Trinity II, now referred to as the Beginning School. The Lower School, kindergarten through grade five, is located in Moody Hall and the Cloister Building.

Growth on Campus

In the fall of 1990, Trinity added two new buildings to its academic complex. The Lloyd Annex was added to the Beginning School for the PK-2 (two-year-old) class. Randall Hall was dedicated in December 1990 and included classrooms, a science lab, a computer center, a photographic center, and a faculty work area. The Middle School cottages, once known as Trinity III, with four classrooms and a locker room, were completed in the fall of 1992. During the 2000-2001 school year, additional property was purchased, and permission was granted to buy and close the portion of Winnie Street that had divided the Trinity campus.

Resilience & renewal

An extensive renovation of Randall Hall and the Middle School cottages was completed during the summer of 2008, just before Hurricane Ike. That same year, the Eiland Family Christian Charitable Foundation provided seed funding to establish the Trinity Learning Lab, created to support students academically. Hurricane Ike’s storm surge flooded all first-floor spaces at the school, and Trinity moved through a slow but steady recovery during that school year. Repairs totaling more than $1.3 million were completed in 2009, including the restoration of all first-floor classrooms. Early in 2012, the School received a $2.7 million grant from the Moody Foundation to build a long-needed gymnasium. The building was completed by May 2013 and named the Robert L. and Ann Moody Activity Center.

In the first half of 2014, the School used a subsequent Moody Foundation grant to acquire the half-block at 2215 Church Street. The land was developed as a practice field for physical education and athletics and was placed into service for the 2015-2016 school year.

In the spring of 2020, Trinity met the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic by completing the school year without a full closure. Individual sections were temporarily closed as needed, and hybrid learning helped the school continue serving as many students as possible during a difficult time.

trinity today

The Learning Lab supported many students over the years. After the Foundation’s funding ended, Trinity saw the importance of continuing and expanding that mission to serve all students needing additional academic support. In honor of beloved former teacher Michelle Funston, the Learning Lab was renamed The Michelle Jewell Funston Learning Lab. A Reading Interventionist supports students on campus, building on the Lab’s founding mission and helping ensure success for every student.

Today, Trinity’s campus includes 30 classrooms, two playgrounds, a lunchroom, a library, an activity center/gymnasium, and a practice field. Under the leadership of Head of School Mark Fallo, Trinity continues to build on its rich history while preparing students for the future.

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