Burke Junior High School was a junior high school and middle school that operated from 1966 to 1986 in the city of Jal, New Mexico.
The decision to build Burke Junior High School was made in 1963 by board members of the City of Jal in Jal, New Mexico. However the school district and city needed much available land to build a junior high. Land was available on the west side of town. The location of 701 West Wyoming Avenue is where Burke Junior High School was built at. The school property itself was located near the intersection of Continental Drive and West Wyoming Avenue.
Burke Junior High School was built in 1964 as 1 story tall 40,000 square foot building using steel, concrete, and brick. A running track, a football field, and a soccer field were all established during the same year. Both the running track, soccer field, and football field were located less than a block north of the school building.
1966 was the first year Burke Junior High School opened. Burke Junior High School was named after educator J. L. Burke, Jr. Burke Junior High School was a public junior high school that would eventually operate as a public middle school for the school district of Jal, New Mexico.
1968 was the year Burke Junior High School was renamed to Jal Middle School. The building would operate as Jal Middle School from 1968 to 1986 as the Jal Middle School. Despite this school being renamed, Burke Junior High School still showed up on the 1972 USGS map and 1980 USGS map for Jal, New Mexico.
1986 is when Jal Middle School closed. 1986 was the last year the building would ever operate as a school. By 1987 the school was abandoned.
In 2007, the City of Jal claimed ownership of the former Burke Junior High School by buying the property out from the school district. The building has been vacant for a number of years now.
By 2009, Congress person Harry Teague expressed the Burke Junior High School building would need extensive renovation if the building were to be put to use again. By 2009, the school building surely fell into a state of disrepair thus needing much extensive repairs. The building's roof needed to be replaced. Several doors and windows needed replacement. A complete upgrade of plumbing and electrical systems was necessary.
A meeting was held with the United States Congress on July 23, 2009 about how why the buidling would need extensive renovation and how the City of Jal needed EDI (Economic Development Initiative) funds to renovate the former Burke Junior High School building. As a result, EDI funds were allocated to the City of Jal by the US Government. This is what the EDI appropriation funded.
In 2009, The City of Jal had secured a $250,000 grant from the New Mexico Economic Development Department to rehabilitate the long-vacant Burke Junior High School. 2009 was the same year that the City of Jal renovated the Burke Junior High School building. However the roof needed to be repaired. Funding for the roof to be reroofed was needed.
During 2010, the building’s roof was reroofed. More EDI funding from the federal government along with state funding came through. Unfortunately the school building remained vacant in spite of renovation.
Today as of 2018, the City of Jal owns the Burke Junior High School building. Still, the fact remains that the building has now been vacant for a number of years.
The City of Jal hopes to lease the building to tenants in order to attract industry or business to town. Having a tenant in the building will create jobs in Jal and will increase the town's tax base with renovation of this building.
Burke Junior High School is located at 701 West Wyoming Avenue, New Mexico, US 88252.
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