Lockney, Texas, High School Science Labs Reopen Year After Fire

Helped by a $6 million insurance settlement, renovated science labs opened at Lockney High School in Lockney, Texas, on the first anniversary of a fire that destroyed the main building.

Superintendent Phil Cotham says work on the two labs continued through the weekend so students could return Jan. 11 to hands-on learning.

Cotham says portable classrooms, in use since shortly after the Jan. 11, 2009, fire, were too small and not properly equipped for science experiments.

Cotham says the Lockney Independent School District reached an insurance settlement of about $6 million. Trustees this month are expected to approve more complete rebuilding plans.

Two teens were arrested in the felony arson investigation in Lockney, about 60 miles northeast of Lubbock.

Information from: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, http://www.lubbockonline.com