The Niver Creek Middle School gym was packed with students and faculty, past and present, who spent years in the memorable school. They had gathered to remember the good times at the school before its transition into the new STEM Launch Magnet School, set to open next fall.

The May 3 event recognized past principals and teachers, featured a display of memorabilia and included performances by the current student band and orchestra. The school opened in 1972 as South Huron Junior High, but the name was changed in 1976 to Pecos Junior High. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that the Niver Creek Eagles took over.

Through the years, though, one thing stay the same: the dedication of the staff.

“This school has a proud history of serving the community,” said Superintendent Chris Gdowski. “It has a staff that comes together and loves their work, united in serving the community.”

Now, the school faces another name change, but this time it comes with a whole new format and a new leader. After 22 years in the Adams 12 School District, Niver Creek Principal Jacque Kerr is retiring. She began her career at the school in 1990 as a choir teacher, and will be ending it as someone who is loved by her staff and students.

“Jacque’s time here has been nothing short of amazing,” Gdowksi said during the commemorative ceremony. “She has tremendous courage, character and strength, and has been a great leader of this school.”

Kerr said the major changes at Niver Creek are bittersweet. She and the staff have worked for many years serving the children and community of Niver Creek, she said, but in order to grow, it is time for a 21st-century educational transition.

“The STEM school is an opportunity for this community to have access to, what I consider, as a cutting edge education,” she said. “It’s everything the students will need to be successful as they go into the adult world. It is just a great opportunity for this community to get a school of this caliber.”

Kerr said she plans to take it easy during retirement, using the time off as a chance to catch her breath. She said she will miss the people she has met over the years and the chance to learn.

“You learn so much as a teacher from the students,” she said. “I learn something every day, and I love that. It’s been a run of a lifetime.”

This summer Niver Creek will undergo a $5-million renovation process to transition the school into the STEM Launch Magnet school. Because of the construction schedule, the school will close a week early. Students’ last day will be May 18.