In January of 1949, plans for a new school building for Victoria Gardens received approval
from the Board of Trustees. Classes were held at the new Canales school in the Fall of 1949. In January of 1950, a bond issue was passed providing funding to build a two-winged addition to the existing structure. The school was named after J.T. Canales, a lawyer from Corpus Christi who moved to Brownsville in 1904. In 1905, he was elected to the Texas State Legislature and served several terms. Lucinda B. Schiwetz served as the principal of Canales from 1949-1963.