McNeil Mexican School first opened and operated as an elementary school for Hispanic students living McNeil, Texas during 1932. McNeil Mexican School was built as a single story one-room log cabin building located south of McNeil Post Office & McNeil Store near the intersection of the A&NW Railroad as the McNeil Mexican School was located just south of McNeil-Jollyville Road.
The earliest documented school for Mexican-American children (Hispanic students) dates back to 1932. News articles from Austin American-Statesman newspapers from the 1930s referenced the school several times during that decade. (Ref: County Schools Get Year's Work Started: Mexican and Negro School Openings Are Delayed, Austin American Statesman, Page 11, October 1, 1939)
The McNeil Mexican School educated Hispanic students in grades 1 through 6. Students who desired to continue their education had to transfer to Round Rock Independent School District or to Merrilltown School in the Merrilltown School District. Most students, however, transferred to the Mexican School (Round Rock Mexican School) in Round Rock, Texas to continue middle school/junior high school. After graduating 6th, most students would continue 7th grade classes in Round Rock.
Children who attended this school were primarily of Mexican descent. Although the majority of the student population was of Mexican descent, white students attended McNeil Mexican School. Children of workers/employees from Austin White Limestone Company attended McNeil School and McNeil Mexican School. In fact at one time, 100% of the students were children of Austin White Limestone Company employees. Company housing was provided and termed “the flats” by local McNeil residents. (Ref: Travis County Directory: McNeil, 1894-1895)
McNeil, Texas had its own school district called McNeil School District before being consolidated into Round Rock Independent School District (Round Rock ISD) in 1950. McNeil Mexican School was part of the McNeil School District. McNeil Mexican School had operated on a full year schedule.
[Ref: Handbook of Texas Online, Vivian Elizabeth Smyrl, "McNeil, TX (Travis County)”]
In 1933, two outhouses were installed at the site of McNeil Mexican School. McNeil Mexican School had no central heating system installed or any indoor plumbing installed during that time. Sanitary needs were met by using outhouses.
In 1939, a new school building for McNeil Mexican School was built again due to structural errors the first McNeil Mexican School had. The new schoolhouse was built of native stone for a cost of $1,200 and replaced the earlier school building. $2,000 worth of maintenance work was performed on the school property. The 1939 school building replaced the earlier school.
A 1939 news article from the Austin American-Statesman newspaper describes the construction of a new school for Mexican Americans in McNeil, Texas. (Ref: County Schools Get Year's Work Started: Mexican and Negro School Openings Are Delayed, Austin American Statesman, Page 11, October 1, 1939)
In 1940, both McNeil School and McNeil Mexican School received indoor plumbing and electricity. Although there was no central heating system installed in the school. Property taxes were raised significantly in order to receive funds to install indoor plumbing and electricity.
1948 is when white students began attending the McNeil Mexican School and the name for McNeil Mexican School was changed to McNeil School. Court case of Delgado v. Bastrop ISD declared racial segregations in public schools illegal. Enrollment increased at McNeil School due to racial integration. McNeil School was fully integrated by 1948.
1950 is when McNeil School, McNeil Mexican School, and McNeil School District were consolidated into Round Rock Independent School District (Round Rock ISD). McNeil Meixcan School was consolidated into Round Rock ISD due to lack of funding. (The economic base of the community was centered on the Austin White Lime Company.) Students were bussed into Round Rock ISD schools to continue their education.
McNeil Mexican School operated under Round Rock ISD for a short while until Round Rock ISD decided to close the two schools in McNeil following the next year.
1951 is the year when the McNeil School closed. Round Rock ISD sold the McNeil School to Austin White Limestone Company in 1951. The building was to become employee housing for their company. The former McNeil School served as a private home and employee housing before becoming abandoned. The building served as living quarters for Austin White Limestone Company.
The building itself would become abandoned overtime as life changed and workers moved on to difference jobs. Sometime between the 1970s and 1985 is when the building became abandoned. It is unknown when exactly the building became abandoned. Not much is known about what happened to the building between 1952 to 1995.
Austin White Limestone Company sold the school property to Robinson Ranch in March 1995. A. A. Robinson assumed full control and rights over the property. He made extensive remodeling and removals to the McNeil School building that year. The former McNeil Mexican School building has been converted into a cattle barn. The second story floor plan was removed. Windows have been welded shut using iron material. A baseball field remains intact.
In 1995, the school property was converted into Robinson Ranch. Robinson Ranch assumed full control over property rights the same year The Robinson Family owns the ranch along with Austin White Limestone Company which has been in the family for generations.
Today Robinson Ranch owns the property while Austin White Limestone Company owns the mineral rights. The property and McNeil Mexican School building is off limits to the public. The former McNeil Mexican School building is hidden behind trees and has been converted into a cattle barn. Several cattle can be seen roaming the property in summertime near the building as that is where the cattle are stored.
The McNeil Mexican School is located east of Howard Lane and McNeil Road, Austin, Texas, US 78728. The alternate address is 14000 McNeil-Jollyville Road, McNeil, Texas, US 78651
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