Trustees approve renaming former JFK Elementary as Mercedes ISD John F. Kennedy Administration Building

Trustees voted to rename the former John F. Kennedy Elementary as the Mercedes ISD John F. Kennedy Administration Building after consolidating campus operations and relocating central-office staff. Superintendent Dr. Noyola told the board the district consolidated Taylor and JFK Elementary into Harrell Elementary earlier in the year and relocated several district satellite offices into the vacant JFK facility to avoid potential costs from updated fire-code requirements that apply to long-unoccupied buildings. "When you close a facility and you don't open it back up for a while, you become subject to new fire codes," Dr. Noyola said, and the district decided to consolidate central administration functions into that building. He said the proposed official name would preserve the John F. Kennedy reference while clarifying the building’s role. Administration recommended approval. Trustee Rodriguez moved the motion and Trustee Trevino (recorded as the second) seconded. The board then confirmed that district policy requires a unanimous vote of members present on naming matters; the chair called the roll and recorded ayes from trustees present. The chair announced, "The motion carries." Trustees also confirmed staff had already relocated to the new administration building: Dr. Noyola said, "We are already over there as of Monday. Everybody that was relocating has been relocated," and that the former central office premises were now vacant. No additional fiscal details or timeline for signage or formal dedication were included in the materials presented to the board. The renaming completes the administrative consolidation of district offices into the former JFK campus.