IOLA, Texas (KBTX) - The Iola Independent School District (ISD) welcomed students back to campus Wednesday for the first day of school - but this year, the excitement extends well beyond the classroom.

As buses rolled in and backpacks filled the hallways, smoke was rising just down the road near Gibbons Creek Reservoir this week, where SpaceX is clearing land for its massive Terafab AI semiconductor facility.

For a town of just over 300 people, the contrast couldn't be more striking: a small-town first day of school, set against the backdrop of one of the largest industrial projects in Texas history.