There was a celebration in Redwater Friday morning as school officials, students and the community came together for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new high school.
The $8 million project, which will contain 11 classrooms, is expected to be complete by August 2020.
"Thank you for coming out as we begin this phase of our journey," said Dr. Kelly Burns, Redwater superintendent. "Redwater is one of the most welcoming districts I've had the pleasure of serving. You refused to let our kids down, to let one kid walk across that stage unprepared. You refused to let our kids fail because they matter."
Kenney Cecil, board president, also spoke at the event.
"This is the day we've all been looking forward to for a long while. We have a passion for your future," he said. "It's a great day to be a Dragon."
Dr. Kathy Allen, a former Redwater superintendent, was invited to speak. Allen worked hard to get the bond passed.
"I looked around and saw needs. We couldn't get all the high school students in the cafeteria to eat. They were eating outside and in the halls," Allen said.
There were also drainage problems and other issues at the school so Allen invited the Texas Association of School Boards to come in with objective eyes and identify areas of concern.
"Once we got that 300 page report is was our responsibility to ask how much could we spend and here we are today," Allen said. "It's been a great journey. We took this message to our community. We just knew the needs we had and we took them to you. This is a momentous day. I can hardly wait to watch the progress."
Corey Calicott, political action committee president, told students that the town voted for the bond issue for them.
"Almost two years ago to the day, Redwater citizens showed up on this campus and voted for you. Not for a bond, for you," he said.
The new high school will be an investment in the future of students at Redwater.
"What excites me about this community is you understand how important our students are. Education works best when we focus on the ones being education," Burns said. "Your vote tells that shy fifth-grader she matters or that nervous incoming freshmen he matters."