SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — San Angelo’s McGill Elementary School broke ground on new renovations on Wednesday, Sept. 28, as part of its merger with Austin Elementary School.

During February of this year, the San Angelo Independent School District’s Board of Trustees voted 6 to 1 in favor of combining and reducing some of the elementary campuses throughout San Angelo. McGill Elementary was one of the schools selected to remain open, absorbing Austin Elementary’s boundaries for attendance and closing the latter school.

Now, McGill Elementary has begun work on expanding its campus to accommodate the incoming surge of students. When renovations are finished, McGill Elementary will include a 34,000-plus square-foot facility that features 15 classrooms and a new cafeteria and entryway.

“Any time you combine two elementaries, you have worries about the students and parents coming,” Merl Brandon, SAISD’s assistant superintendent of business services, said. “The principals and the campus administration of both schools have been so good about collaboration, and they will throughout this year so that the students and staff … will all be ready to be here together on the first day of school next year.”

The new, larger McGill Elementary is scheduled to open in the fall of 2024 and include the students from Austin Elementary.