For nearly five decades, Dueitt Middle School has been part of the fabric of the Spring ISD community — a campus where generations of multicultural families grew up together and community ties ran deep. On May 16, that community returned to campus one final time to celebrate the memories and legacy built inside its halls. 

The school will close at the end of the 2025-26 school year as part of the district’s Optimization Plan, but Saturday’s “Fair”-well celebration felt more than a sendoff. For generations of families, Dueitt has been woven into the fabric of their lives as a place where memories were made, relationships were formed, and community took root.  

That legacy traces back to the school’s namesake O.B. Dueitt, a descendant of one of Spring’s founding families, who first settled in the area in 1876. He served as a Spring ISD board member from 1943 to 1965, helping guide the district through decades of growth and change. When the school opened its doors in 1980, it carried both his name and the history of a family deeply connected to the community. 

“You cannot tell the story of the Spring community without recognizing the lasting impact of Dueitt,” said Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Kregg Cuellar. “For generations, this campus has been more than a school,  it has been a cornerstone of connection, pride, and opportunity that helped shape the identity of Spring ISD and the lives of so many families.” 

Forty-six years later, his granddaughter, Dala Dueitt-Smee, returned to campus carrying that history forward. Four of Dueitt’s five children taught in Spring, and Dueitt-Smee also served as an educator in the district.

 “He was a true person that loved this community, and the whole family has continued to support this community,” Dueitt-Smee said. “I want people to understand that being a part of Dueitt was being part of something really important.”

For Principal Brandi Rodney, that connection is what defined the campus not just as a building, but a community hub where generations crossed paths.

“This is one of the campuses that are actually nestled inside of a community,” Rodney said. “There are lots of grandparents, parents, alumni and children here. Whenever you have that type of connection to a school and community, there’s strength, commitment and loyalty.”

The school’s SOAR mantra — strive, show ownership, always work together and respect ourselves and others — was reflected throughout Saturday’s celebration as families returned to reconnect and reminisce.  

For former principal Kimberly Dussette-Meche, now Spring ISD’s Director of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction, the  closing of the building does not end the story.

“It doesn’t matter that a brick and mortar building may no longer exist,” Dussette-Meche said. “The heart of middle school will always be within them, and they are going to take that wherever they go.”