-
.
Students, teachers and staff from three former high schools, along with community members, are invited to a farewell celebration on Thursday, May 30, from 5 – 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Central High School, 88 Jaguar Dr., near South Street.
According to Beaumont ISD, the occasion will offer a formal recognition of the building before its scheduled demolition in June.
“Beaumont High School, Beaumont Charlton-Pollard High School and Central High School each holds a cherished place in the memories of generations past and present,” the district announced.
The farewell tribute to the building that housed those three schools will feature remarks from representatives of each school and others. According to Jackie Simien, director of Community and Media Relations, the school representatives are Dr. and Mrs. Jimmy Simmons for Beaumont High; Grayland Noah, president of Noah’s Diamonds and Fine Jewelry, for Beaumont Charlton-Pollard High; and for Central High is Alexus Popillion, a member of CHS’ final graduating class.
Also speaking will be Matilda “Tillie” Hickman, BISD school board president, and Superintendent. Dr. Shannon Allen.
Community members are encouraged to take the opportunity to capture one last memory in front of the historic structure and sign up to receive a memorable brick from the building, while supplies last. The original two-story building, existing agriculture building and another smaller building are the only structures to be demolished.
The campus currently houses the Paul Brown Center Learning Center for alternative learning. Also, the football field is used for youth football league games and the gymnasium has also been utilized for basketball camps and games since the school was closed by the school board in January 2018.
Oct. 23, 2023, the school board voted unanimously to approve a contract for “engineering services for demolition” with $42,000 going toward the former high school building. The high school campus has been vacant since Tropical Storm Harvey hit Southeast Texas in 2017, damaging Central High’s main building, but the gymnasium remained open.
The former Central High School campus, which served more than 1,100 students in grades 9-12, was last called the Central Medical Magnet High School. The campus is more than 20 acres including a stadium and track, tennis courts and baseball field.
Those unable to attend the event will be able to buy photos of the building online at Rolleijoe.shootproof.com to help preserve a piece of BISD history and also contribute to the Beaumont ISD Maintenance and Operations Department.
Stories and photos of Beaumont High, BC-P and Central are being collected for the program and will be shared across the district's social media pages and website. The goal is to allow everyone to reminisce and celebrate the legacy of the beloved schools. Use the Jotform link https://form.jotform. com/241355753920154 to make a contribution.
History
Beaumont High School opened in 1898.
April 8, 1928, voters approved a $1.5 million bond issue, including $900,000 for the construction of a new high school at end of Pecos Boulevard in what was then city’s far-west end. In April 1930, the high school’s more than 1,000 students moved into the new, three-story facility.
In 1975, as part of court-ordered desegregation of the district, Beaumont High School was merged with the formerly all-black Charlton-Pollard High School to form Beaumont Charlton-Pollard High School.
The school was later merged with French High School and renamed Beaumont Central in 1986.
In 2006, the school received a medical magnet program.