GERONIMO, TX — August 17, 2026 — Navarro Independent School District officially marked another district milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony dedicating the new Navarro Junior High School campus. Community members, district staff, alumni, local officials, and construction partners gathered to celebrate the transformation of the former high school building into a modern, expanded learning environment tailored specifically for 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students.

The project was made possible through the support of local voters who passed the 2024 Bond, providing the capital necessary to refresh, rebrand, and repurpose the facility to meet the district's rapid growth. 

"Standing here today, looking at this reimagined Navarro Junior High, we are proud to say: promises kept," said Melissa Sartain, President of the Navarro ISD Board of Trustees. "This building holds 20 years of Panther pride. While the letters on the outside of the building have changed, the spirit on the inside remains exactly the same."

The ceremony opened with an invocation led by National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) Vice President Makaylie Guerra, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by NJHS President Olivia Lockhart. Principal Tori Beutnagel welcomed attendees, emphasizing that the new facility honors the district's deep history while looking directly toward its future.

"For years, these hallways echoed with the memories, achievements, and traditions of Navarro High School. Today, we aren't losing that history—we are building upon it," said Principal Beutnagel. "As we transition this campus to serve our junior high students, our goal was to create an environment tailored just for them—a space that bridges intermediate school with the ambitions of high school."

District leadership reflected on the long history of growth in Geronimo, tracing the district's physical evolution from two 1960s-era barracks to the initial 2006 construction on the current site, up to today's modern campus overhaul.

"Growth brings opportunity, but it also requires forward thinking and action," said Superintendent Dr. Mandy Epley. "When we looked at the future of our district, we knew our junior high students needed a larger space to thrive, collaborate, and grow. Today, we see a reinvestment in what existed, transformed into a brighter space to meet student needs."

Dr. Epley formally recognized the key project partners who delivered the renovation on schedule and on budget:

• O'Connell Robertson Architects (Architectural Design)
• The Koehler Company (General Contracting & Craftsmanship)
• AGCM Construction Managers (Construction Management)

The event concluded with a ceremonial ribbon cutting led by district leadership, school board trustees, campus administrators, and student performance teams.

Navarro Junior High School will welcome its inaugural class of middle school Panthers for the upcoming school year.