ALTON — Wednesday marked the 33rd anniversary of a school bus crash that killed 21 students as they were heading to school.
Mission CISD commemorated the tragic event, known as the Alton Bus Crash, with two ceremonies at Mission High School and Alton Memorial Junior High on Wednesday morning.
Students and staff gathered around the Mission CISD Memorial Park at Mission High School for a brief ceremony before classes commenced.
One by one, the names of each of the 21 victims were read as students placed large maroon bows around the small park.
“This is a student-run ceremony,” Mission High School Principal Jose E. Mejia said.
At the time, it was considered the worst bus accident in the nation, he said.
“A lot of these students weren’t born when this happened,” Mejia added. “We just want to always remember these students and the lives that were lost that day. It’s a big part of the community.”
After the names had been read and the bows had been placed, everyone in attendance stood in silence as the song “Amazing Grace” played over a speaker. The ceremony concluded shortly after and the students made their way to class.
Betzayda Garza, a Mission High School senior and the student council spirit officer, lingered for a moment following the ceremony. She had been tasked with reading the names of the victims of the bus crash.
“We wanted to do a ceremony for them because a lot of individuals are still mourning for their loss,” Garza said. “We’re here to show them that they’re not alone — that we all still mourn for them as well.”
The Alton bus crash occurred on the morning of Sept. 21, 1989, when a delivery truck collided with the school bus near the intersection of 5 Mile Line and Bryan Road.
Just two miles east of the crash site is Alton Memorial Junior High School, where another memorial and rededication ceremony were held Wednesday.
The ceremony included videos about the crash, as well as footage of students working on the school’s memorial garden.
“Today we are rededicating our memorial garden to our students that were lost in the bus accident in 1989,” Alton Memorial Junior High School Principal Jessica Dominguez said. “Our students are remembering them. They’re coming out and celebrating their lives.”
The memorial ceremony included brief presentations by members of the National Junior Honor Society. A reading of the names of the victims was also held, with students standing up and holding a paper with each of the victims’ names.
Decorated throughout the hallway were butterfly-shaped art pieces with the phrase, “Remember the 21” serving as reminders of the tragic anniversary.
Following the brief ceremony, students and guests were walked outside to the memorial garden, which features 21 olive trees dedicated to the crash victims, and new flower beds courtesy of the school’s horticulture class.
“We wanted to add to (the garden),” Dominguez explained. “That’s why you see the flowers and the palm trees that we added. We’re going to continue to add to this area here to beautify it for our students and our campus.”
To see more, view Monitor photojournalist Joel Martinez’s full photo gallery here:
Photo Gallery: Mission CISD marks Alton bus crash with somber ceremonies on 33rd anniversary
