PUBLISHED OCTOBER 4
By Basil Gist Staff Writer
Forty-year Aubrey ISD employee Evalois Owens got a surprise from the district when she learned Middle School No. 2 would be named after her.
Owens, who retired in 2005 after founding the Aubrey Education Foundation, was invited to a board meeting to give a speech about AEF only to learn she is the namesake for the district’s newest campus.
“I am so honored and undeserving,” Owens said. “There are so many more people who deserve it more than me. Immediately after that, they had my family and friends on one of those new Aubrey school buses that’s got the wrap around Chaparrals on it and like 38 people got off that bus. That was overwhelming to me.”
Director of Communications Eva Coleman made the surprise possible and loaded Owen’s friends, family and church family onto the bus.
“That really shows the dedication and impact Mrs. Owens has had on so many people,” Superintendent Dr. Shannon Saylor said. “It was awesome.”
Owens was the district’s first secretary.
“I was the only one there, so I put on band-aids and helped check lunches and everything the teachers didn’t do at that time,” Owens said. “I’ve done everything except drive a school bus. That’s where I drew the line.”
The school board has a growing tradition of naming schools after influential members of the AISD community.
“The board has a strong feeling to honor someone who has really impacted the Aubrey community through Aubrey ISD and the city, and she was here as an employee for 40 years and continues to work as a member of AEF,” Saylor said.
Earlier in the week, Owens joined the foundation in donating library books to the middle school language arts teachers.
“There are more kids at the middle school than there were at Aubrey when I came to work,” Owens said. “The growth is the thing that is most amazing.”
At the groundbreaking on Sept. 25, Owens was joined by the school board in signing a beam so her name will be both above the doors and a part of the structure.
“She has a passion for helping the children,” Saylor said. “When I first got here in ‘97 she was still working here. She’s seen a lot of the community, knows a lot and does a lot for Aubrey and our kids.”
Owens said she felt blessed to be honored in this way.
“It’s not just me, it’s my family name,” Owens said. “It’s something that will live on forever in our community, and I just hope those kids know I cared.”
The school, which is currently ahead of schedule, is set to be ready for the 202526 school year.
“Our goal was to be out of the ground by December, and we’re out of the ground earlier,” Saylor said. “They had some really good hot dry weather during the summer that’s helped them speed up their schedule. I hope we have substantial completion and a certificate by Aug. 1.”
