Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District has officially broken ground on its new elementary school meant to replace Robb Elementary School, where a mass shooting took place.
On May 24, 2022, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered Robb Elementary School with a rifle and opened fire, killing 19 children and two teachers while injuring 17 more. Ramos’s 17-year-old cousin Nathan Cruz was arrested in August after attempting to purchase an AR-15, allegedly planning to shoot his sister and open fire on another school, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
As the community continues to heal, the school district has started to rebuild in the wake of the tragedy.
Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday for a new elementary school to replace Robb. The event was held on a 23-acre lot adjacent to Dalton Elementary School, where the new school will be built.
Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in the wake of the tragedy, has been raising funds for the construction of this new school. The organization says the new facility will provide a “safe, secure, and innovative place for the students of Uvalde to use for decades.”
Currently, hundreds of donors from the local community and elsewhere have provided funds in varying amounts ranging from $10 to thousands for the new school to ensure that neither students nor faculty will ever have to return to the former campus.
“The children of Uvalde deserve to have a safe environment where they can continue to learn and grow,” said the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, per CBS News. “We are honored to have the privilege of spending time with this wonderful community.”
Despite construction now being underway, the facility is not yet fully funded. The Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation said it currently has over 75% of the funds needed. Anyone interested in donating to the project can do so by clicking here.