Yates High School will hold a groundbreaking ceremony this morning to officially mark the start of construction on the school’s new $59.4 million facility.

Scores of students, staff, alumni, elected officials, and district and community leaders are expected to attend the groundbreaking for Yates, which is among 40 schools across the district being renovated or rebuilt as part of HISD’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program.

The groundbreaking is being held at 9 a.m. oat the Yates High School campus, 3703 Sampson St.

Designed to accommodate up to 1,500 students, the new, three-story school will be built adjacent to the existing building facing Alabama Avenue. Students will attend classes in the current building during construction, which has a target completion of the first quarter of 2018. Once complete, the exiting building will be demolished to make room for athletics fields and additional parking.

Design plans call for a grand entryway with large windows that connect the front and back entrances and flexible learning spaces designed to accommodate the school’s communications and maritime magnet programs. Additional features include a performance wing with auditorium, spaces for fine arts and JROTC, and a gymnasium and athletics area.

2012 Bond Program construction is currently underway at nearly two-dozen campuses, which is more active construction than at any other time in district history. When complete, the district will feature one of the most modern portfolios of high schools in the country.

More information about the Yates High School Bond Project