Old Tibbetts School to be Demolished

Old Tibbetts Middle School. Courtesy: gamblershouse.wordpress.com

Farmington Schools Superintendent Dr. Eugene Schmidt says bids will go out soon, and the district hopes to have the site mostly cleared by August 2017.  The building was last used as a school for Hermosa Junior High students in 2015 while the new Hermosa school was being built.  Students and teachers moved to the new Tibbetts Middle School in August 2013.

Farmington's old Tibbetts Middle School, which dates back more than 70 years and was also used as a High School, will be torn down this summer.  Farmington School Superintendent Dr. Eugene Schmidt said today on KSJE, the district wants to sell the property, which includes the adjacent outdoor running track and covers several city blocks.  Schmidt says the school district could use proceeds from the sale, in light of recent state budget cuts.

Schmidt says bids will go out soon, and the district hopes to have the site mostly cleared by August 2017.  The building was last used as a school for Hermosa Junior High students in 2015 while the new Hermosa school was being built.  Students and teachers moved to the new Tibbetts Middle School in August 2013.

Schmidt says the newer Emma Weaver library addition on the west end of the building will be the only structure not demolished.

(An aerial view of the old Tibbetts Middle School property in Farmington, including the Emma Weaver Library at the bottom of the image. Courtesy: Google maps)

Audio of Farmington Municipal Schools Superintendent Dr. Eugene Schmidt discussing the district's plans with Scott Michlin on KSJE, Wednesday, March 29, 2017.

More from Local News

  • Lauren Laws Named Interim Superintendent for Aztec Schools

    For 15 years, Lauren Laws has dedicated her career to Aztec Schools, beginning as a Special Education teacher in 2008. In 2010 she transitioned to General Education, where she spent six years in the classroom working with 4th and 5th graders at Park Avenue Elementary while completing work on her Master's Degree. During her tenure at Park Avenue Elementary, she also served a Lead Teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal. Lauren has spent the past three years serving as the Associate Superintendent of Teaching and Learning for the district.

  • Durango Picks Brice Current to be New Police Chief

    Brice Current was a former narcotics agent with the San Juan County Sheriff's Office in Aztec, NM. He was hired as Durango's Deputy Police Chief in 2019.

  • Farmington Schools Hires first Armed Campus Safety Monitor

     The FMS Board of Education authorized school security personnel to carry firearms on school premises during their January 9, 2024, meeting. The move paved the way for the hiring of Armed Campus Safety Monitors (ACSMs), former certified law enforcement officers tasked with providing an additional layer of protection for students and staff during emergencies.

  • City Breaks Ground on Pinon Hills Extension

    Farmington Officials gathered with representatives from the NM Department of Transportation and San Juan County to break ground on the long-anticipated Pinon Hills Boulevard Extension Project. San Juan County announced that design work on their section of the project is 90% completed.

  • Back to Bloomfield: Summers Selected as New Superintendent

    Kevin Summers will be returning to the Bloomfield School District as Superintendent, after the retirement of Dr. Kim Mizell at the end of the current school year. Summers' hire makes an opening in the Superintendent's Office in Aztec where he has served for the past three years.

  • Fort Lewis College Seeks New President/Interim President Named

    Fort Lewis College President Tom Stritikus is stepping down to become the President at Occidental College, a four-year liberal arts college in Los Angeles, Calif.  Steven Schwartz, Fort Lewis College’s Vice President for Finance and Administration, will serve as interim president effective May 6.    He will leave after this year’s Spring Commencement scheduled for Saturday, May 4.  

On KSJE Now:

Today's Weather

  • Farmington, NM

    Sunny intervals

    High: 66°F | Low: 39°F

  • Durango, CO

    Thundery shower

    High: 61°F | Low: 37°F

  • Shiprock, NM

    Heavy rain shower

    High: 70°F | Low: 41°F

  • Cortez, CO

    Thundery shower

    High: 61°F | Low: 36°F

  • Santa Fe, NM

    Sunny intervals

    High: 64°F | Low: 37°F