WRITE OF CENTER
In 1909 Boerne residents voted to establish a mayor-council form of local government as well as approve the formation of the Boerne Independent School District. The purpose of the ISD was to unify the administration of all the various local schools.
As Boerne grew, the small, scattered two-room schoolhouses proved to be inadequate, and a two-story school, which would serve students of all ages, was built on Blanco Road.
In 1929 a new school just for highschool aged students was opened on Johns Road with all other grades remaining at the school on Blanco Road.
Almost two decades later, a new elementary school was built across the street from the high school. Following its opening in 1948, the district decided to sell the school on Blanco Road, which the city of Boerne purchased in 1951 to serve as the City Hall.
Fabra Elementary School was established and named for Henry Fabra, a longtime member of the school board and respected civic leader. He was the grandson of Julius Fabra, a German immigrant who owned the local butcher shop and smokehouse.
In 2016, Fabra Elementary was relocated one mile further on Johns Road closer to Interstate 10, with the former school being converted to the new district administration offices.
In 1958, a school was built to accommodate fifth- and sixth-grade students. It served in this capacity until a new Boerne High School (at its current location) opened in 1972, and the old high school on Johns Road was converted to Boerne Middle School.
Boerne continued to grow, and its total enrollment exceeded 1,000 students for the first time in the 1966-67 school year.
In 1977, a second elementary school was built on Adler Road. It was originally known as Boerne Elementary. In 1993, the name was changed in honor of its first principal, Charles E. Curington, a graduate of Boerne High School. The current Curington principal still uses the original desk that Mr. Curington used.
Additional elementary schools opened in the following years:
• Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary in 1995, named for the 5,000-acre ranch owned by the Ralph Fair family.
• Kendall Elementary in 2000, named for our county, which in turn was named in honor of George Kendall.
• Cibolo Creek Elementary in 2006, named after the beautiful creek where it is located.
• Van Raub Elementary in 2018, named for the hamlet that used to be located in the area. The original one room schoolhouse is still located on the same site and is still in use for meetings and gatherings.
• Herff ES, named after Dr. Ferdinand Herff, who originally came to Boerne in 1849.
Additional secondary schools were built as needed, with Boerne Middle School South opening in 2000, followed by Boerne-Samuel V. Champion High School in 2008, named in honor of the beloved former student, teacher, coach, and principal Captain Mark Tyler Voss Middle School opened in 2019 named in honor of Tyler Voss, a graduate of Boerne H.S. and the United States Air Force Academy who died in the line of duty in Kyrgyzstan in 2013.
When my oldest child entered Fabra Elementary in 1992, Boerne ISD enrolled 3,200 students. Today that number approached 11,200. Boerne ISD today is the largest employer in Boerne.
While Boerne ISD has grown significantly over the years, many strong commitments remain, including working hard to maintain the small town feel that present and past residents find so endearing, honoring our traditions and heritage, as well as a commitment to excellence in educating our youth as they prepare for a bright and successful future.
“Sharing the Past” is a series organized by the Kendall County Historical Commission www. facebook.com/KendallCountyHistoricalCommission.
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