The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD community celebrated the grand opening and dedication of Eagle Mountain High School with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, August 1.

As the nearly 800 people who attended the event approached the EMHS Performing Arts Center for the first time, they were greeted by the music of the school's band, the Knight Brigade, in their first public performance.

Inside the foyer, the fanfare continued with the EMHS cheerleaders and the Majestics Dance Team cheering on the community as they entered the auditorium. 

During the dedication ceremony, which was led by Dr. Ronald Gatlin, the EMHS principal, EMS ISD Board President Dr. Marilyn Tolbert recognized current school board members, past school board members, the 2017 Bond Planning Committee, and the voters who approved the 2017 bond that provided the funds to construct the school.

She also recognized school architects, VLK, and Core Construction, who managed construction of the campus.

"I want to reiterate how special this moment is for our district and community," Tolbert said. "Opening a new high school is not something we get to do every day, but it will have a profound impact on the future of the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw area."

Tolbert was followed by Hunter Lee, the EMS ISD Director of Bond Planning and Construction, who shared facts about the campus, including that there are over 150 miles of pipes throughout the school, enough to stretch from Fort Worth to Abilene. The school uses geothermal energy for heating and cooling.

Dr. Jim F. Chadwell, EMS ISD Superintendent, wrapped up the speeches, talking about the history of the Bonds Ranch area, including how the prairie just to the east of the school was used as a training ground for the Canadian Air Force during World War I. He also discussed the collaborative process with student focus groups used to come up with the school's mascot, the Knights, and the school's colors, black and gold. Gold is the unifying color that runs through every EMS ISD high school.

"This high school is more than a beautiful building. It’s where students will build lifetime relationships. It’s where educators will make differences in the lives of their students. A building is just a building, but a school is all about the people in it and the culture that exists within the school," Chadwell said. "As with all our high schools, Eagle Mountain High School will become the heartbeat of the community it serves."

Chadwell took a moment to recognize the inaugural staff of EMHS, saying, "Thank you to these world-class educators and support personnel for leading the way for the Eagle Mountain High School community."

He also recognized the students, who were given a loud applause from those in attendance.

"Students, you are the reason we wake up to serve in this district every day. For those of you who will be the first EMHS Knights, we wish you the very best. You will come together from other schools in our district to form new bonds, new friendships and new memories as Eagle Mountain Knights," Chadwell said.

The ceremony ended when Scott Tilley, the EMHS choir director, performed the school song for the first time.

After, tours of the school were given and the official ribbon cutting took place in the courtyard.

"It felt exciting to start the new school year and start the new traditions and meet all the people who will be here supporting us students," said Emily Williams, who will be a 10th grade student. "I'm most excited about Friday Night Lights in our new Knight Stadium. I'm also excited for our students at EMHS to lead by example and take care of our beautiful new school. If we do that, we will have a good time here."

For most in attendance, the tours of the campus were the first opportunity to see the new school, including the innovative learning spaces that were built to meet the needs of how students learn today and in the future.

"This building and the new technology in the building along with the opportunities it will give students is incredible," said Chris Bowman, who has a student in the EMHS band. "It's nice to see everything right here. Students have the opportunity to do anything they want here at this school and don't have to worry about going somewhere else for an activity or program. It's really state of the art."

Eagle Mountain High School, EMS ISD's fourth comprehensive high school, is located at 3451 Bonds Ranch Road and will officially open to students on August 12, the first day of school in EMS ISD. 

Thank you to all the members of our #EMScommUNITY who joined us for a very special ribbon cutting and dedication event celebrating Eagle Mountain High School and everyone who made the construction of the campus possible. We are excited about what the future has in store for our EMHS Knights.