At the base of the Altura de Paso Alto mountain, in 1943 the Ministry of the Navy commenced the construction of a naval station intended for battleships and submarines. This facility comprised a Marine infantry barracks, alongside a covered pavilion, and three tunnels designed to withstand aerial attacks. By 1964, these structures were deemed insufficient for defensive purposes, leading the Port Works Board to erect 110 residences for its employees on the esplanade of José Martí Avenue in the capital, as their children had to traverse great distances to attend the nearest school.
Consequently, Miguel Pintor González, the engineering director of the Port Works Board, deemed it necessary at that time to convert these naval facilities into a so-called Board of Trustees school, allocating 1% of the entity’s Social Works budget for this endeavour. On October 10, 1970, following bureaucratic processes undertaken at the Ministry of Education and Science in Madrid by the president of the Port Works Board, Cándido García San Juan, the school was officially designated as public, adopting the name Santo Domingo de la Calzada, in honour of the patron of the Port Works Board. Nonetheless, during the faculty meeting on October 11, 1984, it was renamed Miguel Pintor, to honour its founder.
The institution commenced operations in the 1970-71 academic year, enrolling sixty students, primarily the offspring of port workers. The subsequent year, as children of Port Works Board officials joined, total enrolment swelled to 90 students.
Upon the implementation of the new General Law of Education in 1976-77, the Port Works Board established an agreement with the Ministry of Education and Science, which recognised it as a state-centre with a unique administrative framework. From the 1986-87 academic year onwards, the school fell under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education of the Government of the Canary Islands and the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, concerning maintenance and the condition of the premises. During that academic year, enrolment was also opened to the children of Public Works employees, increasing the student body to 410, supported by 10 teachers, which necessitated the Port Works Board to construct eight additional classrooms. The revamped school, composed of three single-storey modules, subsequently emerged as a model institution of the period, featuring twelve classrooms, a nursery, recreational areas, a swimming pool, sports fields, and a sports centre.
The first cohort of 8th-grade EGB students graduated in the 1974-75 academic year, enrolling at the newly inaugurated Anaga Institute in the La Alegría neighbourhood. Similarly, in the 1990-91 academic year, 6th-year Primary students proceeded to study 1st year of ESO, coinciding with the introduction of the General Organisation of the Educational System Law (Logse).
The school expanded its facilities during the 2003-2004 academic year, utilising the space that had previously been allocated to the La Alegría church and Residencial Anaga. Currently, it comprises 12 units for early childhood and primary education, a computer lab, an English classroom, and a library, accommodating a total of 383 students.
Among the more than 2,000 students who have attended Miguel Pintor over the past fifty years, many now hold prominent positions, including José Manuel Bermúdez, the city’s mayor; Manuel Barrera, head of the General and Digestive Surgery service at Hospiten Rambla; Víctor Álamo de La Rosa, an award-winning writer; brothers Javier and Emilio Aceña, naval officers; Isabel Gómez, a European and world champion in rhythmic gymnastics squads, and the Best Athlete of Tenerife; or Ayoze Pérez, a player for Villarreal and the Spanish national football team.
This extensive list also features journalists, economists, IT professionals, bankers, business executives, military personnel, actors, and singers who have recently shared their experiences with the current students of the centre. The events will wrap up this afternoon with a gathering of teachers and former students.
