San Angelo ISD Holds Groundbreaking at Fannin Elementary for Expansion, New Builds

Approximately 80 people joined San Angelo ISD and the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce for a special groundbreaking ceremony to officially kick off Fannin Elementary’s expansion and new builds Tuesday. Event attendees applauded as SAISD Board of Trustees, district leadership and staff; the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce President; and representatives from Justice Construction turned the ceremonial first-shovel-full of dirt, commemorating the construction of Fannin’s new, 10,795-square-feet facility. 

During the ceremony, SAISD Superintendent Dr. Carl Dethloff recognized Fannin Elementary and Alta Loma Elementary principals and staff. “Thank you so much, those are the Difference Makers here,” he said. As part of San Angelo ISD’s Sustainability Plan, Fannin Elementary and Alta Loma Elementary will combine, with students and staff from both elementaries being housed at Fannin Elementary, including the new facility, beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. 

“Truly, each of you in the blue shirts today, are Difference Makers,” said City of San Angelo Mayor Brenda Gunter. “What you do helps make Difference Makers in the students that you teach. You are our future; they are our future. And you’re going to have a new building to help build on that future. So it’s exciting for everyone. There’s nothing like new construction; there’s nothing like new to make us feel like the whole world is brand new and waiting for us to do something different and make a difference. So, thank you for being here and beyond thanks, for what you do.”

Fannin Elementary’s 10,795-square-feet addition will include: eight modern classrooms adjoining the 1997-classroom addition; a new collaboration area; new student and staff restrooms; a campus-wide, fire-alarm-system update; and a new pick-up and drop-off area with additional parking. 

“As you can see, the dirt work is almost done, the rebar is going in the ground, the rough-end plumbing and we’re about ready for concrete,” said Dr. Merl Brandon, SAISD Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Superintendent of Business Services. “So as soon as the concrete goes in, you’ll see the walls start to come up and it’s going to look like we’re making some progress in a hurry and we’re excited about that.”

Other event guests included SAISD administration, faculty and students; community members; representatives from Parkhill Architects and Justice Construction; Kona Ice of San Angelo; and media. 

“Teachers, bless you for what you do on a daily basis,” said Mayor Gunter. “I know it’s a passion and I know that you lead with that passion and with your heart. You give it all and you give it to those students.”

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More about San Angelo ISD's Sustainability Plan:
Combining schools into a larger campus of 500 to 600 students is an optimum size for instructional benefit and operational efficiency. By combining Alta Loma Elementary and Fannin Elementary into one campus, SAISD is able to:

• provide students with more resources and improve educational environments and provide more support staff 
• maintain smaller student learning environments within a larger campus
• expand professional learning groups for teachers to mentor and collaborate with peers
• operation cost per student can be reduced by up to $2,000 per student
• balance student enrollment for more efficient use of school spaces
• economic efficiency