PECOS, Texas — While Pecos Elementary is coming down and the community is sad to see it go, there seems to be a lot of excitement for what’s to come in the future.
Residents in Pecos saw it as a cornerstone in the community. But now they see it as one that can make room for something new.
“I came to school here back in the early '80s," said Andrew Barrera, a Pecos resident and former student of Pecos Elementary. "It’s something sad, but you know what, out with the old, in with the new, and you just got to move on.”
Despite its place in the hearts of the community, the school had actually not been used for a very long time.
“Pecos Elementary, a beautiful school that was built in 1938, really a hallmark of this community," said Brent Jaco, superintendent for the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District. "But it actually closed in in 2002, and we’ve been using other campus facilities since then.”
But not all of Pecos Elementary is gone. The archway that used to adorn its entrance will now be placed in Austin Elementary.
“But we’re even more excited to bring in this beautiful arch from that 1938 Pecos Elementary campus as a memento of what education’s been about here in Pecos,” said Jaco.
The superintendent also told NewsWest 9 that teachers can expect to be able to come in to Austin Elementary and start preparing their classrooms by July 31.