Fort Worth architect firm to help design a new Uvalde elementary school at no charge

A Fort Worth-based architect firm will help construct a new elementary school in Uvalde, where 19 children and two teachers were shot to death May 24.

The Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation is raising money to replace Robb Elementary School. The Butt family and H-E-B, which the family owns, committed $10 million.

Huckabee, which specializes in the design of public schools, will contribute to the design of the new building at no charge, said CEO Christopher Huckabee. The firm will work with San Antonio-based Joeris, which is donating its contracting services.

“Public schools are the foundation of a community,” Huckabee said in a statement. “Our team is honored to partner with Joeris Construction, the Butt family, H-E-B, and so many others to design a new facility that will honor Uvalde and serve its future generations.”

The superintendent of Uvalde schools said in a special board meeting Friday that students and staff would not return to Robb Elementary.

“We will never forget those who were senselessly taken from us on that tragic day, and we want to honor their legacy as we work to build our future,” Superintendent Hal Harrell said in a press release. “Along with the entire Uvalde community, we are immensely grateful for the extreme generosity from our amazing donors, and we look forward to collaborating on this exciting new campus. Thank you to everyone for the unyielding support our community continues to receive from across Texas, the nation, and the world.”

The location, design and timeline for the new school have not been set. The school district will collaborate with the Uvalde community and donors to create ideas and receive feedback.

Donations to support the project can be made to the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, a nonprofit charitable trust fund to help the new build the new campus.