EDUCATION
The Carver School campus, the original segregated school for San Angelo ISD’s black children, might be the next San Angelo campus up for demolition.
The decision will be up for vote at next week’s regular San Angelo Independent School District board meeting. Link to schedule here.
Single Member District 2 Representative Karla Cardenas expressed some doubt when the item when presented, but was mostly critical of the potential cost of the demolition, which is estimated at a little over $300,000.
The Carver campus was originally built in the 1920s as the primary school for San Angelo ISD’s segregated Blackshear neighborhood, and until 1941, was known only as the “Negro” School. The adopted ‘Blackshear’ name followed the high school and junior high when they moved to a location at 23rd and Brown Streets in 1952, at which time the school on North Randolph was renamed to honor George Washington Carver Elementary.
After segregation, the campus was used as an auxiliary education site, most recently occupied in the 2024-2025 school year as the alternative and drop-out recovery campus for SAISD.
Those students were transferred to the Oakes Street campus, formerly the Central Freshman school. Board members stated at the meeting on Monday that the condition of the school was a prime motivator in that decision.
Superintendent Christopher Moran said “The building is extremely old…the building is not unsafe, it’s just old and not in good condition to have students in.”
Cardenas responded saying “to me, that’s a lot of money to tear down a building that is just old.” And then later stated that she felt that way especially in light of an upcoming potential budget deficit next year.
Board Treasurer Bill Dendle said there are significant infrastructure problems, and that maintenance costs have climbed, adding that if they intend to go back into that building, a remodel is twice as expensive as new construction.
The Cultural Significance
But many San Angeloans felt the possible loss of Carver in a different way.
Dudra Butler, Blackshear resident and community leader, spoke with the Concho Observer and expressed that she and other community members felt blindsided by the decision, saying that a school official told her that it was “old and had asbestos.”
She said “I brought up to him the fact that it had been occupied up until last year, why all of a sudden?”
“We’ve got some concerns, there will be some meetings, with people from the community that it matters to. History shows that things like this happen when there is no resistance.”
“It hurts like all-get-out, we want time…I own property in that community, and I’m invested.”
The board will take a vote on the issue Monday, April 20 at their regular meeting starting at 5:30 p.m.
