Construction is more than halfway complete at Washington High School, where crews have completed installation of the building’s west side structural steel, exterior concrete walls, and exterior brick.

Crews are making steady progress. Installation of the exterior glass on the $51.7 million facility is underway, and the west side of the building is ready for both paint and flooring.

“It’s exciting to see what’s taking place,” Washington Principal Carlos Phillips said. “This will be the face of our school.”

Washington is being rebuilt as part of the voter-approved 2012 Bond, which calls for the renovation or rebuilding of 40 schools, including 29 high schools, across the district.

Design plans call for the new building to showcase the school’s engineering magnet program through the use of 21st century technology, specialized engineering and science labs, and flexible learning spaces that support project-based learning and encourage collaboration.

The target completion date is slated for first quarter of 2018, with doors formally opening to students in time for the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Demolition of the old building is set to begin next summer, making way for a baseball field and additional parking.

Active construction is currently underway at roughly three dozen schools, which is more activity than at any other time in district history.

Almost half of the schools in the bond program will be complete and open to students by the end of summer 2017. Once all work is finished, the district will boast of one of the most modern portfolios of urban high schools in the country.

More information on Washington’s construction project