Pieces of the old Key Ridge Elementary School were reduced to scraps and memories Tuesday.

Church Alive Pastor Jeff Lewis said it's all for good reason. The non-denominational church is tearing down the two-story former school in Bellaire to make way for a new building to extend onto the current church.

"It's going to sit right where the old building's going to sit, except we're going to extend it clear out to the end of the parking lot," Lewis said.

The former school is a little bit of history for Bellaire. Built in 1926 and closed in 2001, the former Key Ridge Elementary had a 75-year span of education.

Church Alive bought the school at an auction 11 years ago and since then, Lewis said the church has climbed in numbers. A new building was designed to accommodate the growth.

Lewis said steady recent rain produced from Tropical Storm Sandy is doing everyone a favor by keeping demolition dust to a minimum.

"So the rain actually ended up being a blessing for us today, to tell you the truth," Lewis said.