Harlingen CISD

Music, movement, and applause filled the air as Lee H. Means Fine Arts Academy celebrated the opening of its new outdoor amphitheater, a space designed to give student creativity a permanent stage.

Student emcees Everly Violet Ledesma and Emma Arce guided the program as performers from the Wolverine Elite Dance Team, the Means Folklórico Troupe and the campus theatre program brought the new stage to life with preview selections from Frozen and Aladdin Jr.

For Principal Melissa Almaraz, the amphitheater represents years of planning and a belief in what students can become when given the right opportunities.

“Today we are proud to celebrate the brand-new outdoor amphitheater, a space that represents creativity, opportunity and the power of believing in our students,” Almaraz said. “This venue will allow our Wolverines to grow and shine in music, dance, visual arts and theater.”

Almaraz thanked district leadership and community partners for helping turn the vision into reality, including The Musk Foundation, whose grant support helped fund the project.

HCISD School Board Vice President Eladio Jaimez said the amphitheater stands as a visible example of what public education can provide when students are given access and encouragement.

“This is public education,” Jaimez said. “Public education looks like an amphitheater in the back of a school that allows students to pursue their dreams.”

District leaders also recognized Peacock Construction and project partners for their work in bringing the amphitheater from concept to completion.

Superintendent Veronica Kortan said the project reflects the district’s long-term commitment to educating the whole child.

“Academics absolutely are critical in our district, but it’s also about the athletics and the arts, because we are into building whole children,” Kortan said. “The arts do something different for kids and for an entire community. It is here that our kids are going to be able to understand the power of being confident.”

The ceremony concluded with a ribbon-cutting that included students, campus staff and leaders, district officials, construction partners and community supporters, which officially opened the amphitheater for future student performances, celebrations, and school events.