Mineral Wells Area News

Reporting By Gary Norman / Mineral Wells Area News

Mineral Wells insurance agent Bill Fortney stood outside the fence surrounding the braced-up walls of the hollow building that once served as Mineral Wells High School, later Austin Junior High School, and most recently Fannin Elementary School. Completed in 1914, generations of Mineral Wells area students, including Fortney, were educated within its red-brick, two-story Mission Revival–style walls. Those walls now stand stark and empty against a cold winter sky, the result of an arson fire that completely gutted the building in November 2021.

Fortney, who attended junior high in the building, has a deep passion for preserving local history. He has worked as a volunteer administrator with both the Fifty-Year Club, a group of local citizens who graduated from Mineral Wells High School at least 50 years ago and support the school district, and the Mineral Wells Heritage Association. His work, along with the efforts of other volunteers, has been instrumental in preserving and maintaining the historic educational buildings and amphitheater that share the property with the former school.

Fortney still has fond memories of pep rallies in the auditorium and playing football and basketball while attending junior high. He recalled when the building that now houses the Mineral Wells Senior Center was constructed as a cafeteria and gymnasium for the school.

“I remember it had a low ceiling for a basketball court,” Fortney said. “A lot of times, a basketball might hit the ceiling, believe it or not.”

Fortney remembers receiving the call informing him the building was on fire and watching it burn through social media. He recalled the trophy cases documenting students’ achievements, along with large donated photographs of local historic buildings, all of which were lost in the fire.

According to official records, the fire was determined to be an act of arson involving male juvenile suspects. Authorities confirmed the juveniles were disciplined, but due to their age, details of the penalties were not released.

“Yeah, it hurts,” Fortney said. “What can you say? You move on.”

Fortney has given considerable thought to how he would like to see the site “move on.” He and many fellow members of the Heritage Association and Fifty-Year Club have envisioned — and suggested to Mineral Wells ISD — combining the site with the historic buildings and amphitheater behind the school to create a Heritage Park.

Mineral Wells ISD Superintendent Dr. David Tarver oversees the school district serving approximately 3,300 students across five campuses, with an annual budget of about $47 million. The district has achieved a 95% on-time graduation rate, a 0.4% dropout rate, and currently holds a “B” accountability rating from the State of Texas. Enhancing student performance, maintaining district assets, and managing the budget remain central priorities.

Well before the fire, Tarver recognized the historical value of the Fannin school building and its significance to the community. He and his staff had been in discussions with various groups and investors regarding potential restoration options.

“But unfortunately it burnt, and we are where we are,” Tarver said.

Following the fire, Tarver and his staff continued exploring options to preserve the structure, including full reconstruction, preserving the remaining walls under a metal roof, bracing only the front façade, or salvaging and repurposing the bricks and façade elsewhere.

Each option carried a significant cost. Restoring the building would have required millions of dollars and likely the issuance of bonds — a difficult proposition for a structure that would no longer house students.

“Going out for a bond in general in communities is a very difficult sell,” Tarver said. “And then whenever you include a building that is not going to be housing students, it becomes an even harder sell.”

Time also became a critical factor as the structure continued to deteriorate. With the mortar fully exposed to the elements, damage accelerated.

“If you go back and look at that building now, there are more cracks, more gaps in those walls than there was when it originally happened,” Tarver said. “So we are going to get to a point where we either have to tear it down or put more bracing up.”

As deterioration progressed, public safety concerns increased. Despite fencing and warning signs, Mineral Wells police continued to encounter both adults and children trespassing on the site.

Given the financial realities and safety considerations — and following discussions with community groups and interested individuals — the Mineral Wells ISD School Board voted to authorize demolition of the Fannin school building.

“And so ultimately, we decided the most reasonable option, when you take all things into consideration, was to move forward with the demolition,” Tarver said. “And that decision didn’t come lightly.”

Tarver acknowledged that the future use of the site remains undecided and will continue to be shaped through community discussion, noting ongoing interest from groups including the Mineral Wells Heritage Association and the Fifty-Year Club.

To attract more competitive bids, Tarver said the district plans to include the demolition of a second structure — the former gymnasium at the District Service Center — in the same bid package.

The gymnasium, built in the 1950s when the District Service Center served as the newer Mineral Wells High School, is no longer usable due to asbestos contamination and structural deterioration. A recent windstorm caused extensive roof damage, and repairing the building was not cost-effective.

Bringing the gymnasium up to current building codes would cost approximately $4.5 million. Following demolition, the district plans to convert the site into additional parking for District Service Center employees and visitors.

“And working with the bids, you know, getting that bid proposal working, it was ultimately determined that if we pair these two jobs together, that we are more likely to get more competitive bids,” Tarver said.

Tarver said he hopes to issue bid documents in the coming weeks, with demolition completed before the end of the current fiscal year in August. The project is included in the district’s current budget.

While plans for the gymnasium site are clear, the future of the former Fannin school site remains open.

“What I told them is we are open to any conversation,” Tarver said. “Once presented with the options, all we can do is make decisions in the best interest of the school district, combined with what is best for the community.”