Students’ first day at the new Legacy Elementary will be Monday, October 20.
But before they move in, Uvalde held a public ceremony to introduce the school to the community Friday.
Legacy Elementary is bright, colorful, and full of windows.
“I work in the operating room, that’s where we had deceased children,” Perez said.
Perez said Legacy is a beautiful school that she hopes brings a measure of peace one day, but Uvalde is still in pain.
Nearly three and a half years after a shooter killed two teachers and 19 students at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, a new school constructed to replace the shooting site is finished and prepared to accept students.
On Monday, October 20, the new Legacy Elementary will open for classes. To introduce the school to the community, Uvalde hosted a public ceremony on Friday prior to their move in. A private tour was given to the victims’ families earlier in the week. The public event was also attended by some survivors and victims’ families.
Legacy Elementary is a light-filled, colorful school with lots of windows. However, those windows are bulletproof, and even after being granted entry to the visitor’s area, you still need a key card to enter the classrooms.
A courtyard in the middle of the school overlooks a two-story steel tree with two large branches and nineteen smaller branches, symbolizing the two teachers and nineteen students who perished in the shooting.
Jackie, Javier Cazares’s daughter, age nine, was killed in the shooting. Standing in the courtyard, he wiped away his tears as he gazed at the tree memorial.
It was an emotional, bittersweet day, Cazares remarked, “There was a little girl in a dress (on the second floor next to the tree), and it just reminded me of my daughter.”.
“This school is excellent for these kids. “Unfortunately, our children had to die in order for this school to be built,” he said. That these children will continue to love this school for many generations to come makes me happy. All I want is for Jackie to have been present. “.”.
Although Cazares acknowledged that the tree memorial’s symbolism is lovely, they would like to see the victims’ names added to the tree “to remember who they were, other than just the tree itself.”. “.”.
Now serving on the school board is Jesse Rizo, Cazares’ brother-in-law. Although they are still debating whether to place the names on the tree’s base or branches, Rizo stated that they intend to add the names.
According to Rizo, “someone also mentioned that having QR codes would be important.”. “We want to make sure that people can click on something and learn about the children who ultimately paid the price for the building to be erected because we know it because we live it, but in 15 years it kind of fades. “”.
With the help of the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, a nonprofit organization, and fundraising efforts, Legacy Elementary was constructed. Its construction was funded by $60 million that the foundation raised from individuals, companies, and the state of Texas.
According to Tim Miller, executive director of the foundation, who toured the school, there are numerous security features.
“Cameras are installed throughout the building. An alarm will sound if an external door is left open for a brief period of time, according to door prop alarms, Miller explained.
A key card is required to unlock the doors in each classroom wing. Once inside the classroom wing, one can see in all directions thanks to windows that open from the outside and from the classroom into the hallway.
When Javier Cazares learned that the glass is bulletproof, he stopped being anxious about the open view.
“The windows are a little bit darker than a typical set of windows because they are made to be extremely durable and have a film applied to them to make them even more durable,” Miller explained. Since the building has so many design elements, it would be extremely difficult for someone to hurt anyone inside. And windows undoubtedly play a role in that. “”.
Miller explained that the numerous windows are a deliberate decision to provide staff and teachers with a line of sight in all directions.
Whether it’s an elementary, middle, or high school, Miller stated, “we always want to make sure there are as many sight lines as possible, so there are no places people can hide or do things.”.
The pupils who were selected to perform at the ribbon-cutting ceremony are presently enrolled at Morales Junior High School. They were at Robb Elementary when the shooting occurred three years ago.
According to a staff member, they were given the opportunity to give tours of the school following the ceremony. For the first time, they chose to assist in establishing the new playground, allowing chatter and laughter to fill the air.
That the new school will be full of children’s laughter is what Uvalde CISD Board President Laura Perez hopes for it.
For the 600 third, fourth, and fifth graders who will begin attending Legacy on October 20, Perez expressed her hope that the new school will mark a fresh start.
“It is because of Irma, Eva, and the 19 children that we are here, don’t we? Therefore, create wonderful memories, share the stories, and I’m excited to hear the laughter in the corridors,” Perez said.
According to Perez, a nurse at Uvalde’s hospital, on May 24, 2022, the day of the shooting, she witnessed numerous victims arriving.
Perez stated, “We had dead children in the operating room, where I work.”. Speaking about it has been difficult for me because it isn’t about me. It’s absolutely not about me. “.”.
The survivors said, “When I hear those kids talk, I consider what they heard, saw, and smelled.”. That’s forever, I mean. I know what I saw as an adult, so it’s forever. I can’t fathom a child experiencing that,” she remarked.
Perez stated that although Legacy is a lovely school, Uvalde is still suffering and she hopes it will eventually bring some peace.
In my opinion, people believe that we have moved on. “We have moved on, but we will always remember,” Perez remarked.
