Alvin ISD officials held a ceremonial ground breaking for Shirley Dill Brothers Elementary School on June 2 in the Glenn York Elementary School cafeteria. The celebration was moved off-site because of weather issues.

Brothers Elementary School—which will be the 17th elementary school in AISD—will be located at 2910 Half Moon Bay Drive, Pearland. District officials said the school is scheduled to open for the 2017-18 school year after construction began in late April.

“They’re pushing to get the foundation completed,” said Jeff Couvillion, AISD building programs director. “The building pad is in, and they’re in the process of doing drill piers right now, getting the basics for the foundation.”

Funding for Brothers Elementary School was approved as part of AISD’s $245 million bond referendum last November. The construction cost—approximately $17 million—came in about $5 million below the amount projected in the bond package.

Similar to other elementary schools in AISD, Brothers Elementary School will have an 800-student capacity. The 100,000-square-foot facility will be two stories tall with a design unique to the district, Couvillion said.

The school is named for Shirley Brothers, a longtime AISD employee who helped establish the district’s communications department in 1985. Brothers worked in the district for more than 40 years in various roles, including special education teacher.

Brothers also created the AISD Education Foundation in 1998 and remains an active member.

“I’m still involved [with AISD], I just get to sleep in a little bit,” she said.

Family members, along with former AISD superintendents and co-workers, joined Brothers at the ceremony.

“It’s kind of overwhelming, and it brings tears to my eyes,” Brothers said. “I’m so honored. I really and truly don’t think I deserve it, but I’m honored. I’m going to do my very best to live up to all the expectations for naming that school [after me].”