DeSoto ISD set to rededicate 40-year-old Ruby Young campus

by Daphne Brown of DeSoto TODAY

Although the school bears the name, Ruby Young Elementary is anything but young.

Erected more than 40 years ago, the campus has stood the test of time.

The DeSoto School District is celebrating the campus' recently completed multi-million dollar facelift.

Special guests from former principals and teachers to the parents of next fall's students are being invited to commemorate the school's rededication at 4 p.m. Sunday, June 10. A dedication program will include remarks from several district individuals, the unveiling of an architectural plaque marking the renovations and tours of the facility. Light refreshments will be served, according to organizers.

The DeSoto School Board hired SHW Group to conduct the changes. Gary Hardaway, project manager with SHW Group, said there were more than 19,000 square feet added to the building. Total renovations totaled $5.1 million, he said.

Construction between in May 2006 and complemented other projects SHW Group had done for DeSoto, including Woodridge Elementary, and additions to Cockrell Hill Elementary and West Junior High.

The expanded facility includes a new wing that houses fine arts, choir and band, a health clinic, a counseling center, administration offices and a new cafetorium. The previous cafeteria has been renovated as a new library and speech/diagnostician classroom. A new fire sprinkler system also was installed inside. The old cafeteria was remodeled into a new library. Exterior improvements include a new parking lot and fire lanes and a new playground.

Becky Sheppard, Ruby Young Elementary School principal, said the construction continued throughout the 2006-07 school year and the companies did a great job in keeping the noise to a minimum.

“They were very considerate of our classrooms and the safety of our students,” Sheppard said.

She said a new parking area and school entry have been beautiful additions to the campus.

“It gives the campus a totally different look,” she said.

Lynn Young, the DeSoto School District's director of special education, served as principal of the campus for four years. She said the renovations were well needed.

“The school looks absolutely beautiful,” Young said. “It has brought it in line with other campuses in the district.”

The entry has oriented the front of the building to face Young Boulevard, where it had previously faced a field to the side of the campus. She also was pleased to see the new parking lot and the playground area moved to a more secure location. She was most proud of the new library.

“The library is just unbelievable,” Young said. “The new library is the old cafeteria, so it's gone from the size of one-and-a-half classrooms to such a centrally-located space. Everything is so open.”

Named after long-time teacher Ruby Young, the campus had about 525 students last year.

DeSoto School District Board of Trustees and DeSoto Schools Superintendent Alton Frailey invites the community to the open house and dedication.

Ruby Young Elementary is located at 707 Young Blvd. in DeSoto. For more information, contact the district at 972-223-6666.