SAN ANTONIO – The Judson Independent School District celebrated the official opening of a new science building and library at Kirby Middle School on Friday.
In December 2012, a fire broke out inside a classroom at the school, damaging the entire science wing.
"It was an older school with electrical wiring and it burnt the entire room up," said Dr. Willis Mackey, Judson ISD superintendent. "There was smoke damage to the entire building, plus the library. So I went to the board and asked them about building a new facility and the board was very supportive of doing that."
Mackey said they could not wait to pass another bond to build this facility, so they they got a loan to rebuild.
And on Friday, the district officially opened the Elsie Jordan Library and Science Building with a special dedication.
The family of Elsie Jordan, for whom the library was named, was also on hand for Friday's dedication.
"Kirby wasn't established until 1955," said Stephanie Faulkner, Elsie Jordan's granddaughter. "So grandma was a part of the community and she spent most of her time and effort in this school district. So it was unfortunate that it burned down, but it was a great opportunity to honor her commitment to the community."
Students have been using the new library for the last few weeks.
"I'm just so excited for these kids because they will have everything that all these other schools have in order for them to be successful," said Mackey. "So it makes me very pleased and excited to see these things happen."
