History

Our school was named for Waco Franklin Turner (1891-1971) and his wife, Opie James Turner (1901-1962). They made a gift of the land on which the school was built.

The cornerstone of the high school was laid on April 11, 1958, and school opened four months later, on August 11, with 115 students. In the fall, an eight-classroom grade school opened with 235 students.

These 1958 students developed the school nickname, “Falcons.”

Turner School consolidated the former Burneyville, Meadowbrook, Courtney, and Dunbar districts. Mr. and Mrs. Turner had once taught at Burneyville School. Later they became oil millionaires and spent the rest of their lives in business ventures – many related to sports, especially golf – and philanthropy.

While school construction was going on, the Turners also were building Turner’s Lodge (now Falconhead Resort & Country Club) on 600 acres east of the school. Turner’s Lodge featured hunting, fishing, and golfing.

The golf course opened in late August 1958 with a tournament (the Opie Turner Open) for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). The LPGA tour returned the following year and was followed by the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) tour (the Waco Turner Open) from 1961-1964. These were among the richest tournaments of their day.

More than fifty percent of the 1,000 residents in the 73430 Zip Code live at Falconhead Resort.