HARLINGEN – Schools officials in Harlingen are celebrating after being selected to partner with a leadership institute focused on helping public schools.

Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District is among six other school districts in Texas that were selected by The Holdsworth Center.

The center chose districts based on their “willingness and ability to change, as well as level of commitment to growing and developing a pipeline of leaders.”

The partnership with each school district will last five years and expected to make an impact on more than 1,400 educators across 277 schools in the state.

“We look forward to investing in and supporting district and campus leaders in these six systems as they work to grow as leaders, strengthen schools and districts and drive excellent and equitable results for every student,” said Dr. Lindsay Whorton, president of The Holdsworth Center. “We are grateful to every district who applied. Selecting only six districts was extremely difficult, and through our visits we were inspired by and optimistic about the excellent work being done in schools across Texas.”

The announcement came as a surprise to Harlingen CISD officials.

The Holdworth Center posted a video on Facebook of center staff speaking to the selected districts.