Ingram – Ingram ISD students returned to class Wednesday after floods in the Hill Country damaged 12 district buildings, forcing crews to work quickly to make classrooms safe before the first day.
Superintendent Justin Turner said students can return to classrooms, though some are still in the work phase and may not be completed until winter break.
Crews have been working overtime to replace drywall and flooring after floodwaters entered multiple buildings on campus.
Turner said the agriculture and science building took the worst hit, and some expensive equipment inside may be ruined.
“In here you can see where the water got,” Turner said while showing damage to a laser cutter. “This is a very expensive piece of machinery; all the electrical components are below.”
Twelve school buildings were damaged in total. Turner said five buildings had Category 3 floodwater, meaning the water may have been contaminated, while seven others were damaged by rainwater.
The district told KSAT the flooding was tied to the heavy rain on the week of July 16.
The campus sits on a slight slope, and the agriculture building is next to a retention pond. Turner said the rain overwhelmed the pond, the wall gave out and water rushed into several buildings.
The water then had a direct path toward the athletic facility, which houses the weight room and coaches’ offices.
Five days before school started, there was still significant cleanup and repair work underway. Turner said the district remained committed to opening on time.
“Rest assured, we have school on Aug. 12. That’s going to happen,” Turner said.
Turner said the recovery effort also showed the strength of the Ingram community. After the water receded, about 150 parents and students came to campus to move equipment and pull out carpet.
“The first thing I can think about is what are we going to do as a school district in order to eliminate this from happening in the future?” Turner said.
The district is now pausing other construction projects while engineers determine how to prevent similar flooding from happening again.
Turner said the flood repairs are expected to cost the district less than $2 million, which will likely not be covered due to the insurance deductible.
The district is also waiting on a new administration building after the previous one was destroyed in the 2025 floods. That new building is expected to open next spring.
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