History about the Del Valle Opportunity Center (Lamar School) revisited.

The Del Valle Opportunity Center (Lamar School also known as La Mar School and Lamar Elementary School) has been a pinnacle in community activities in Del Valle, Texas for years. It has shaped at-risk students and has turned them around to be positive contributing members of society. For instance offering extracurricular activities, vocational training, and therapy along with other classes. These students focus on graduating rather than the traditional school experience. The Del Valle Opportunity Center has operated as a K-12 campus.


In 1937, Del Valle Missionary Baptist Church sold 1 acre of land to the Colorado Common School District (now Del Valle Independent School District) to open the Lamar School. Lamar School was established as an elementary school for black students who lived in the Colorado Common School District in Del Valle, Texas. Lamar School would educate black students in grades 1 through 7. 8th grade was added later. From 1937 to 1968, Lamar School would operate as Lamar School Elementary from 1937 to 1968.

From 1937 to 1957, Lamar School operated as a two-room schoolhouse before expanding into a modernized school campus eventually relocating into an actual building. For 20 years, Lamar School operated in a one story two-room schoolhouse. From 1937 to 1969 is when Mr. Norma Miller was principal and teacher at that school. Mrs. Norma Miller was vice principal and teacher at that school.

In 1940, the church sold an additional 5 acres of land to the Colorado Common School District to open the Lamar School which would eventually become Lamar Elementary School. Lamar School was a negro school.


In 1957, the Lamar School relocated into an International style L-plan building. The two-room schoolhouse was demolished and cleared out to make way for additional portables for the school district. Several buildings were built across the 6 acre campus. Portables were added as additional buildings to the Del Valle Opportunity Center. The architect of the building was Arnold E. Whittmann.

Until 1968, Lamar School operated as a school for African American students residing in Del Valle and the surrounding areas. The school was desegregated in 1968. 100 students attended the school in 1969.


Lamar School would eventually become the Del Valle Opportunity Center in 1970. A few extra additional portables were constructed as well. Del Valle Opportunity Center would become a school for at-risk students overtime. Del Valle ISD Opportunity Center has also went under the name Del Valle ISD Opportunity Center.

The school has had its share of violence and other mishaps occur as similar situations occur in such school settings. For example, a 15 year old stabbed another student in 1992. Police were called to the scene of the crime and arrested those who were involved during an investigation.

The Del Valle Independent School District school board passed a bond on February 22, 2007 to relocate the Del Valle Opportunity Center to another new building. Expansion was to be opened approximately in 2010. The Del Valle ISD School Board called a May 12, 2007 bond election for $105,800,000 dollars. The new Del Valle Opportunity Center was part of the $105,800,000 package.

In 2010, the Del Valle Opportunity Center was relocated to the new location of Del Valle High School. The building mysteriously caught on fire in November 20, 2010. The cause of the fire was determined to be unknown. Del Valle Opportunity Center was all but abandoned by 2011. The school had been vandalized with graffiti for a couple of years. The International style L-plan building quickly fell into rural decay.

The Del Valle Opportunity Center was sold to a commercial owner who now has a real estate business located there. In 2016, the Lamar School was demolished by commercial owner. The demolition process was a quick and speedy process due to the International style L-plan building being one story.



Del Valle Opportunity Center has had a series of mysterious fires occur to the inside of the school building. Fires would always start inside a classroom. The origins of these fire would come up with no leads. The leads would come up as empty leads.

On the morning of October 22, 2007, Del Valle Opportunity Center suffered from a classroom fire before any students were present on campus. No students or staff were harmed. Del Valle Opportunity Center shut down for the day. All Del Valle Opportunity Center students were redirected to Ojeda Junior High School. Del Valle Opportunity Center continued to serve students at Ojeda Junior High School until Monday, October 29th. (Ref: News Radio KLBJ, Del Valle Fire Affects Opportunity Center)

District officials and fire officials never discovered any leads in the final report from the Travis County Fire Marshall regarding the official cause of the fire. Visual reports indicate that the fire was contained to one classroom only and does not appear to be caused by vandalism.


On November 20, 2010, Austin firefighters received a call around 4:50 PM. On Monday, November 20th that the Lamar School building was up in flames. Firefighters were able to control the blaze in just under an hour. FM 973 was shut down for an hour causing traffic delays near the airport. Austin firefighters worked endlessly to stop the fire. Fire officials were unsure what might have ignited the fire or what caused the fire but will continue investigations.

Battalion chief Thayer Smith stated, “The fire was confined to one end of the school building”. “Smoke was everywhere.”

On December 2, 2010, Austin firefighters received a call around 4:50 PM that the Lamar School building was up in flames. The fire its was contained to one classroom but had somehow later spread through the entire building. Fire officials later determined the cause of the fire was from faulty electrical wiring.

Del Valle Opportunity Center (Lamar School) was located at 3311 South FM 973, Del Valle, Texas, US.