The history of the Austwell School in Austwell, Texas has been long forgotten and faded away with time. Many schools such this one have been left out of the local news media.
Austwell School was a former school located inside the small town of Austwell, Texas. Austwell School was a former school in the Austwell ISD school district which is now the Austwell-Tivoli Independent School District (Austwell-Tivoli ISD).
Beginnings of the prestigious Austwell School began in the year of 1915. A. Austin provided the town with a church, school, store, and cotton gin in the year of 1915. The school A. Austin provided the small town of Austwell, Texas with would eventually become the Austwell School. The Austwell School was built as a 4 story red brick building in 1915.
In 1916 the Austwell School became an accredited school with the state of Texas and with the Austwell-Tivoli community. The school was very good when it came to educating the students. Many Refugio County residents sent their children to the Austwell School due to its reputation in the community. After graduation, entrance into college was assured. The success rate and graduation rate were 99% to 100%. The dropout rate stayed practically below 1%.
Austwell, Texas faced a series of storms and hurricanes from 1954 to 1956. The final blow for the Austwell School came in 1954 when the school was hit by a series of storms and hurricanes. In 1954, the Austwell School was badly damaged by storm (which resulted later into a hurricane) that damaged the school building badly beyond repair to the point where Refugio County School Board officials declared the school uninhabitable. The 4 story red brick building which was once the Austwell School was torn down in 1954.
In 1956, a single story structure was built in its place to replace the old 1915 school building. 1956 is when Austwell School became Austwell Elementary School. Austwell Elementary School included grades K-8 thus becoming a K-8 school. In 1958 8 additional classrooms were added to the 3 wing building.
Sometime during the 20th century is when Austwell ISD consolidated with Tivoli ISD to form the consolidated school district of Austwell-Tivoli Independent School District. Sometime during the late 20th century is when the new Austwell School became abandoned. By 2008 the school was all but abandoned tucked in the Southwest corner of town.
The prestigious legacy of Austwell School has been long forgotten thanks to the Austwell-Tivoli Independent School District consolidation of both Tivoli ISD and Austwell ISD. Lack of historical preservation and oversight is another factor to the downfall of Austwell School. Today the prestigious legacy of Austwell School lies within the modern day Austwell-Tivoli Elementary School in Tivoli, Texas.
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