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Workers find cemetery at school construction site in East Texas

Officials say the exploration is in the early stages and there is not enough information or evidence to identify a time frame for the historic cemetery or any indication of who is buried at the site.
Credit: Air 11
The discovery was made in Sugar Land along University Boulevard and Chatham where the district is building the James Reese Career and Technical Center.

SUGAR LAND, Texas -- Fort Bend ISD and the Texas Historical Commission are working together after a historic cemetery was found at a school construction site.

The discovery was made in Sugar Land along University Boulevard and Chatham where the district is building the James Reese Career and Technical Center.

Construction work on part of the school has been halted, officials say, as the excavation continues.

Photos: Workers find cemetery at Fort Bend school construction site

“Work continues on the remaining part of the site, but measures have been put in place to ensure the two scopes of work do not overlap,” stated Fort Bend ISD in a press release on April 6.

“We are proceeding under the guidance and expertise of the Texas Historical Commission to ensure we are respecting the history and lives of the people buried on this site. One our community members who has a passion for history brought to our attention the possibility of archeological artifacts in the general area. We were careful as we began work, with an archeologist on site from the beginning,” said Dr. Charles Dupre, Fort Bend ISD Superintendent of Schools.

Officials say the exploration is in the early stages and there is not enough information or evidence to identify a time frame for the historic cemetery or any indication of who is buried at the site. “The Texas Historical Commission is providing their expertise and will continue their work to learn more about the site and take appropriate action.”

Fort Bend ISD purchased the land in 2011, and construction of the James Reese Career and Technical Center began in 2017.

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