The school board approved at the Nov. 18 meeting to name each of the following schools:
- Elementary school in the Blue Ridge and Briargate area: Aldridge Elementary School
- Elementary school in Mission Bend and Mission Glen area: Mission Elementary School
- Specialty campus Ferndell Henry Center for Learning: Ferndell Henry Elementary School
The school names were selected from a pool of more than 1,600 submissions that came in from the community.
Aldridge was chosen as a way to remember Allen Aldridge Jr., George Bush High School head football coach and former NFL player, who passed away suddenly in September at the age of 52, district officials said.
Mission was chosen as a way to commemorate the community’s spirit of empowerment, according to the news release from the district.
In their own words
“This is not something he would ever have asked for, because he was a very laid-back person, but he would be so proud and excited about this,” Tajuana Aldridge said of the school being named after her late husband.
“Before my dad passed away, I asked him if there was anything in life he would have done differently,” said Brian Henry, son of educator Ferndell Henry. “He answered, ‘No.’ He said he really enjoyed teaching.”
What’s next
All three schools will open in August 2025.
