SAN ANGELO, TX — Demolition preparations began Friday at the historic San Jacinto Elementary, with members of the public allowed inside the building to remove items before the teardown of the 116-year-old campus.
A source close to the situation said that district officials told them the district had already collected items it could use elsewhere before allowing the public into the building. The source added that ownership of the building has since been transferred to the construction company handling the demolition.
Community members described a rush to collect what they could before the building was cleared. One parent wrote that thousands of books were left behind and expressed frustration that the Fire Marshal's office ended public access earlier than scheduled. Another said it was “disheartening” to see classrooms still filled with usable resources, including desks, library books, and projectors, that may now be lost instead of redirected to schools or organizations in need.
The San Angelo ISD Board of Trustees voted in January to permanently close San Jacinto, citing structural safety concerns after a July 2024 earthquake worsened damage to the building. Students were reassigned to Reagan Elementary beginning with the 2024–25 school year.
In July, trustees approved a $453,800 demolition contract for San Jacinto and Austin Elementary, which was vacated after merging with McGill Elementary.
Superintendent Dr. Christopher Moran has said the building reached “the end of life” and posed safety risks if left standing.
San Jacinto’s closure and demolition mark the end of a campus that served San Angelo families for generations.
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