MISD Breaks Ground on Ruth and Harold Frazier Elementary in Trinity Falls
McKinney, Texas – On family land that has been handed down from generation to generation for more than 150 years, former McKinney ISD educators Ruth and Harold Frazier were remembered Wednesday, June 22, in perhaps the most fitting way possible as MISD officials, members of the Frazier family, community leaders and special guests broke ground on the district’s newest elementary school that will bear the Frazier name and serve as a testament to their lifelong investment in the the young people of McKinney and the surrounding area.
Funded by the 2021 School Bond Program to serve students in the rapidly-growing Trinity Falls area, Ruth and Harold Frazier Elementary will sit at the intersection of Lady Bird Drive and Backwater Bay Cove in north McKinney. It occupies land that for more than a century and a half was part of Heritage Farm, home to multiple generations of Ruth Frazier’s forebears.
Cadets of the McKinney High School Marine Corps JROTC program present the colors at the groundbreaking ceremony for Ruth and Harold Frazier Elementary on June 22, 2022 in the Trinity Falls area of McKinney.
McKinney ISD Superintendent Dr. Rick McDaniel began the ceremony by sharing a few remarks and thanking the community for approving the bond measure responsible for the new school. “Every time we open a new building in McKinney ISD, whether it’s a stadium, or whether it’s a brand new school, it’s like opening up a new chapter for our school district. And, the book of McKinney ISD as you all know, is still being written and we have a lot of work to do on the north and northwest side of our district. And, this certainly will not be the last groundbreaking that we have. So, we are very proud to be here on Frazier homestead.”
Lynette Deily, daughter of Ruth and Harold Frazier, spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony for Ruth and Harold Frazier Elementary on June 22, 2022, in the Trinity Falls area of McKinney.
Board President Amy Dankel, Mayor of McKinney George Fuller and Shane Williams from Pogue Construction shared heartfelt appreciation toward the community and toward the Fraziers. But, perhaps the most poignant comments came from Lynette Deily, daughter of Ruth and Harold Frazier.
“Mother and dad were modest people,” she said, “And, I think they would be surprised by what’s taking place today, but they would also be extremely touched, particularly if they had read the application [to the naming committee] because of all the testimony that was from the number of people who studied with them and the impact that they had on their lives.”
McKinney ISD Superintendent Dr. Rick McDaniel and members of the Frazier family at the groundbreaking ceremony for Ruth and Harold Frazier Elementary on June 22, 2022, in the Trinity Falls area of McKinney.
One of those whose life was touched by the Fraziers was Carolyn Corbin. In an extensive letter of recommendation to the MISD School Naming Committee, she summarized the impact of Ruth and Harold Frazier:
“They were educators nonpareil. Not only did they impact the lives of young people through their teaching abilities, but they also spent thousands of collective hours working with youth outside the regular school schedule. And in the greater McKinney community, both of them were active participants in church, Boy Scouts as leaders, Camp Fire Girls as leaders, Rotary Club, Owl Forum, Collin County Heritage Guild, Collin County Farm Bureau, and on and on. they served as youth leaders in many capacities. Almost every child growing up in McKinney in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s has visited the Frazier Heritage Farm for a picnic, ice cream supper or overnight campout through various youth programs … They taught, both in the classroom and also through life-example, myriad students and other young people most all the days of their lives.”
McKinney ISD Superintendent Dr. Rick McDaniel (third from left) and Mayor George Fuller (second from left) celebrate the groundbreaking of Ruth and Harold Frazier Elementary on June 22, 2022, in the Trinity Falls area of McKinney with members of the MISD Board of Trustees.
Ruth White met Harold Frazier when the two of them taught at the small school in the Chambersville community north of McKinney. They soon fell in love and in 1934, were married. Harold had graduated from Texas Tech University in 1931 with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, and with his new bride at his side, he struck out for West Texas once again. There, Harold taught in several school districts across the area, but in 1940 the couple bid farewell to the spartan landscape of West Texas and returned to the verdant hills of Collin County and Heritage Farm.
Harold continued his teaching career while Ruth managed their home and cared for their three children, and in 1948, Harold moved into the MISD Agriculture Department to replace an ailing Doe Rollins. But, in 1953, he stepped away from teaching to focus his energies on life as a dairy farmer, a pursuit that would occupy the next decade of his life. A break from the classroom, however, did not mean that the Fraziers took a break from their commitment to the young people of McKinney. Their life was marked by a continuous investment in students and the community.
By the early 1960s Ruth had returned to education as an American history teacher at L.A. Scott Junior High School in McKinney (which later became McKinney Junior High and then Caldwell Elementary). Harold had sold the cattle and returned to MISD as a biology teacher. Ruth taught history in the district until she retired in 1975. Late in his career, Harold taught in Allen and Celina before finally retiring in 1980 at the age of 72. But, if dairy cattle couldn’t keep him away from teaching, retirement wasn’t going to either, and Harold continued teaching part time for eight more years.
Harold and Ruth Frazier impacted a generation of young people in McKinney ISD and the surrounding area. Now, the legacy they cultivated will be remembered through the presence of a school where the next generation of teachers will have their opportunity to do the same.
Ruth and Harold Frazier Elementary School Quick Facts
- 106,500 sq. ft.
- 12 Acres Adjacent to 8 Acre City Park
- 57 Teaching Spaces
- 1 Art Classroom with Kiln Room and Access to Outdoor Patio
- 1 Music Classroom
- 1 Science Classroom
- 1 Makerspace Table
- 6 Collaborative Learning Areas
- Kindergarten and Special Education Suites
- Gymnasium
- Library
- Cafeteria with Stage and Full-Service Kitchen
- Security Vestibule and Cameras
- Separate Entry/Exit Drives for Cars and Buses
- Two Separate Play Areas
- Energy Efficient HVAC System
- State-of-the-Art Energy Management, Fire Alarm and Computer Network Systems, including Card Reader Access
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