One new school building and three school additions will open to students when they return from spring break on March 19. The campuses are part of HISD’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program to rebuild or replace 40 schools across the district.

Parker Elementary School will formally open its doors to students on Monday, March 19. The $33 million new fine arts magnet will accommodate about 850 students. Building features include a 500-seat auditorium with collapsible bleacher-style seating, band, orchestra, vocal, and multipurpose rooms, and flexible learning spaces. A new cafeteria also includes a separate seating area for parents visiting their children for lunch. The two-story, 113,000-square-foot building will house pre-kindergarten, and first and second grades on the ground level and third through fifth grades on the second floor.

Westbury High School is formally opening its new addition on Monday, March 19, but the school will begin moving into the building and using the classrooms as early as Monday, March 5. The addition includes 26 classrooms, flexible learning centers, two new gyms, and a multi-purpose dining commons area. It is part of a $40 million project that also includes general renovations to the current building, including new administrative offices and a redesigned secure front entrance, which has been relocated to the highly-visible atrium area.

 Wilson Montessori is formally opening its new addition on Monday, March 19, but the school will begin moving into the building and using the classrooms during the week of March 5. The three-story addition features a large library space with floor-to-ceiling windows to bring in plenty of natural light and connect students to the outdoors. It also features a large flexible learning center, a drama room, multipurpose rooms, science labs, and a new cafeteria and dining area.

Garden Oaks Montessori is formally opening its two building additions on Monday, March 19. The additions — connected via a covered walkway — are part of a $30.8 million project that also includes renovations to existing buildings. The three-story addition will serve as a classroom wing, while the two-story addition will contain a new gym, administrative lobby with a secure check-in area, and classroom spaces.

In addition to campus construction, the Bond Program also includes work that will benefit students across the district, including $100 million in technology upgrades, $44.7 million to replace regional fieldhouses and improve athletics facilities, $35 million to renovate middle school restrooms, and $17.3 million for safety and security improvements.

Construction is underway at roughly two dozen campuses in HISD, and half of all bond projects are now complete and open to students. Once all work is finished, HISD will boast of one of the most modern portfolios of urban high schools in the country.

Follow @Build_HISD on Twitter for the latest construction updates on the 2012 Bond Program and school construction across the district.