Alvin ISD moves Walt Disney Elementary students into refurbished campus after Dec. 28 tornado

Superintendent Nelson told the Alvin Independent School District Board of Trustees that a tornado struck Walt Disney Elementary on Dec. 28 and that the district moved students into a refurbished alternate campus within eight days.

The superintendent said district operations teams, contractors and scores of volunteers transformed the former Alvin Elementary (referred to in district materials as the old Alvin Primary/Alvin Elementary) into the temporary Walt Disney campus — described in the meeting as “Disney 2.0” — so teachers and students could begin the second semester on schedule. “We had to accomplish a summer’s worth of work in 8 days,” Superintendent Nelson said. “It was a collective effort, and we could not have done it without the relationships that we built over time with contractors, inspectors and engineers.”

The rapid relocation included cleaning, painting, limited construction, replacement of damaged technology and safety systems, and new drop-off and pick-up lines. District staff and contractor BELFOR (restoration services) led remediation and restoration; the district also rekeyed doors, replaced fire-alarm communication devices, and installed additional wireless access points and security equipment before students returned.

Why it matters: Reopening the school quickly restored classroom instruction to students and reduced disruption for families; the district said the site is temporary while insurance and planning continue. Superintendent Nelson warned the district is still awaiting the insurer’s assessment to determine whether the damaged Walt Disney building will be repaired or demolished and said insurance proceeds and deductibles will shape next steps. “They still have not said it’s a total loss,” Nelson said. He added the district’s deductible on the building could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and described weekly insurance calls and ongoing coordination with underwriters.

Donations and short-term funding: The board heard that community donations organized through the Alvin ISD Education Foundation exceeded $140,000 and are earmarked to support teachers and students displaced by the tornado. The superintendent credited the Education Foundation, local businesses, retired employees and out-of-state donors for rapid support. Region 4 and other partners provided classroom-focused assistance; the foundation issued teacher gift cards and Amazon wish-list support for staff who lost personal classroom materials.

Transportation and operations: District staff said they added bus routes and provided RFID badges for students to track on- and off-bus status. Operations staff reported replacing or repairing student and teacher laptops that were damaged on campus and restoring phones, the public-address system and access control.

Planning and bonds: Nelson told the board that the district had previously planned bond projects and that the event is likely to accelerate planning for a replacement school that would combine Walt Disney and Stevenson campuses into a pre-K–5 facility. He emphasized that any new construction would follow normal geotechnical and design processes and that the district will provide updates as insurance determinations and design decisions are finalized.

Donor specifics: The superintendent clarified corporate support described during the meeting: the donation from Disney was administered as DonorsChoose credits for teachers rather than an unrestricted cash gift to the district; an additional $25,000 in books was provided through a book-vendor program. The district will follow standard vetting and procurement for library purchases.

Community response and acknowledgments: Board members and the superintendent repeatedly praised district operations staff, volunteers, the city of Alvin, the Alvin Volunteer Fire Department and contractors for rapid work. Principal De La Garza and operations staff were mentioned repeatedly for on-site leadership during the recovery.

Next steps: The district will continue weekly insurance updates to the board, finalize whether the damaged building is a total loss, and, if necessary, proceed with demolition and design for a replacement school under the district’s bond timeline. Funds raised through the Education Foundation will be used for teacher and student needs and may be spent across a wider timeline so items can be procured as needs are identified.