Kyrene celebrates its past, present and future at refurbished Ben Furlong Education Center

Retired Kyrene University District Superintendent Dr. Ben Furlong tackle friends during a ceremony honoring him and the district’s legacy at the training heart that now bears his identify. –Kyrene College District images

Fifty decades in the past, Dr. Ben Furlong arrived in Kyrene University District in the course of a time of unprecedented growth.

Whilst he was superintendent from 1972 to 1987, the district grew a whopping 1,100 p.c.

On Feb. 22, Furlong’s services to Kyrene was celebrated by company, local community customers, college students, employees and district leaders at faculty district’s instruction centre that now bears his identify.

“Once a element of Kyrene, normally part of Kyrene,” Kyrene Superintendent Laura Toenjes stated. “That is definitely accurate for Dr. Ben Furlong, who is not only a legendary previous Kyrene superintendent but also the keeper of so many of our Kyrene tales.”

In 1984, Furlong released The Tale of Kyrene, a guide that files the founding of the district and events that took position through his superintendency. Furlong has turn out to be the keeper of lots of Kyrene stories through his written and spoken text.

View a video of Furlong conveying the historical past of Kyrene listed here.

“Dr. Furlong’s company helped make Kyrene the remarkable establishment for discovering that it is today,” Toenjes explained. “This District has a legacy of excellence that reaches again 133 years and, thanks to our community, our upcoming is limitless.”

A ribbon is cut to mark completion of an advancement project at Kyrene Faculty District’s Ben Furlong Schooling Centre. Furlong retains the scissors at the ceremony attended by company, local community customers, pupils, staff members and district leaders.

Learners on steel drums from Kyrene de las Manitas opened and closed the intimate ceremony, and Jazmine Bridgewater, a university student at Aprende Center College, shared how Kyrene district schools assisted her find success in and out of the classroom.

“The Kyrene School District is an astounding spot,” Jazmine stated. “Everyone is so pleasant and kind. I love my Kyrene school.”

The Ben Furlong Schooling Centre just lately obtained a facial area raise. Updates incorporated new lighting, landscaping and paint as nicely as a new entrance-entrance walkway. The celebration bundled a ceremonial ribbon-reducing to recognize the updates.

“Thanks to voter-permitted bonds and overrides, we have been capable to deal with the facility and infrastructure wants of our colleges, and a little portion of Kyrene’s bond pounds were being made use of to finance the maintenance of our central place of work,” Kyrene Governing Board president Kevin Walsh claimed. “We consider excellent pride in all our amenities, and we want to provide a office our personnel can be proud to move into each day.”

Tempe Mayor Corey Woods closed the celebration by looking through a proclamation recognizing the loaded background of Kyrene University District, Furlong’s commitment to documenting that historical past for posterity, and reiterating that pupils are the long run. Woods declared Feb. 22 Kyrene College District Working day in Tempe.