SOAR Magazine - Spring 2022

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE

A Look at the Life and Legacy of Flossie Floyd Green

BY DAVID HICKS, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Nearly every inch of the 26-square miles in Allen

ISD is filled with homes, shops, schools, or wellmanicured parks. The western portion of the district now hosts 10 Allen ISD campuses and a bustling population, but it was less than 30 years ago that the west side was primarily undeveloped land without a single school. That all changed in 1995 with the opening of Flossie Floyd Green Elementary School.

Many of the schools in Allen ISD are named after individuals who served on the Board of Trustees or worked on a campus or in administration. Flossie Floyd-Green didn’t have those qualifications on her resume, but she was a woman who loved all children she came in contact with and helped them in any way she could. When it came time to choose a namesake for the first elementary campus on the western side of Allen ISD, the Board had an easy choice in selecting Flossie, a woman who left a legacy of supporting children throughout the community.

Flossie’s story began in 1886 when she was born and raised on a farm in Allen just north of the campus that bears her name. The farm was given to her parents, Robert and Lena, as a wedding present in 1872 by her grandparents. One of nine children, Flossie attended a one-room schoolhouse near the current intersection of Custer and Highway 121. She later attended college at what is now Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas.

“BY NAMING OUR SCHOOLS IN ALLEN AFTER LOCAL COMMUNITY LEADERS, IT SENDS A MESSAGE ABOUT WHAT WE VALUE AND WHAT WE CHERISH.”

Flossie married John W. Green who was born and raised on a nearby farm where Green Elementary School stands. The couple raised two children, John and Leonard, in Allen and Albuquerque, New Mexico, before returning to McKinney. John died unexpectedly in 1932 leaving Flossie to manage the 132-acre family farm at the height of the Depression. Despite the challenges, Flossie maintained the farm and provided a college education for her sons. Both grew to become highly successful businessmen; one became executive vice-president for Texaco and the other served as president of the Dr. Pepper Company.

Church was an important part of the family’s life, according to Flossie’s grandson John Green who, with his wife Georgie, managed a Morgan horse farm on the original Floyd family property for many years. “She rarely missed a service at the First Baptist Church in McKinney and was active in that congregation for over 50 years,” John said. “She loved children

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and especially enjoyed working with the GA (Girls in Action) group at the McKinney church.”

John spent many summers at his grandmother’s farm and remembers her as strict yet kind. “I learned more than a few good lessons about telling the truth from my grandmother. Her farm was a wonderful place to visit.”

“My grandmother was a good steward of the land,” said John. “She had many opportunities to sell the property over the years but instead kept it as a working farm. She later saw the changes coming to Allen and hoped that her land would someday be used for a school.”

Flossie Floyd-Green passed away in 1976, but her grandson, John, kept her dream alive by donating land in 1993 and working with the developers of the new Twin Creeks subdivision to accommodate an elementary school in her name.

Carrie Sledge is the current AIM teacher at Green Elementary, and she’s been on the teaching staff since the doors opened at Green in August of 1995. Carrie fondly remembers the Green family and their desire to be involved in the campus life.

“The Green family has since moved away, but they used to live close by and were very present on campus,” Sledge explained. “The family would walk the halls, read to children in the library – they just wanted to be a part of the school. The family would always host holiday parties for all the teachers and staff. John and Georgie Green even came to my wedding!”

That feeling of family and togetherness has permeated the Green Elementary culture since day one. Stacia Butler, Green Elementary Principal, says protecting the legacy of Flossie and the Green family is very important to her.

“I’ve always felt that Allen ISD has maintained that small town feel no matter how large we may become,” Stacia said. “In a small town, everybody helps everybody, and that is certainly true here. By naming our schools in Allen after local

community leaders, it sends a message about what we value and what we cherish.”

Green Elementary will celebrate its 25th anniversary in April 2022. Although the celebration was delayed a year due to COVID, the entire student body is looking forward to honoring the legacy that Flossie Floyd Green left behind. Campus staff have shared facts about Flossie’s life once a week on the morning announcements, and a schoolwide assembly will be held on April 29th to honor the milestone year.

Allen has certainly changed over the years, and it is almost unrecognizable from the late 1800s when Flossie was born. One thing that’s stayed the same, however, is the community’s dedication to education and the local leaders who have offered their support to the schools every step of the way.

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