Lufkin Middle School unveils new campus L

Almost 21/2 years later, in October 2020, the district held a groundbreaking ceremony and tour of the new digs.

The multi-purpose facility officially opened in the fall of 2021. Trustees voted to name the building the “Panther Activity Center,” or “PAC,” during a board meeting.

Now, after moving into the new middle school this past week, students are able to enjoy another part of the bond project.

“We’re extremely excited about the opportunity the bond has brought to Lufkin Middle School and Lufkin ISD,” LMS principal Andres Mijares said. “We’re really excited about the opportunity the community has given us to be able to give our students an upgrade, which was long past due.”

At just under 1,800 students, LMS is one of the biggest middle schools in Texas.

“Lufkin High School got an upgrade back in 1998-99, and this facility was already here when the middle school moved in,” he said. “We needed to focus on the middle school because it was so old, and we do have a big population of students — that creates a lot of wear and tear. We got to a point where it was better to build a new facility instead of draining money into the existing facilities.”

The original middle school was built in the 1950s and served as the Lufkin High School campus. Along the way, Mijares said the district has upgraded and added to it.

“We were at the point just by me being here this last six months that there were a lot of facilities that just needed a lot of maintenance, and it was going to require a lot of funds to upgrade the facilities that we currently have. So the school district moved forward with the bond — which was voted in by the community — and it was needed,” he said. “The students are going to be able to be in a building that they’re proud of and can take pride in, and we can move forward in providing them with a good education.”

With the middle school project, the district is looking at three phases of construction, Mijares said. The district is currently completing Phase 1, which is the completion of the new middle school.

Phase 2 consists of the old wing — which Lufkin residents can see from Denman Avenue — that goes all