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Construction on the new Lawson Middle School is making steady progress, with work now more than 70 percent complete and on track to be finished in the second quarter of 2018.
Walls and ceiling have been installed, and, in the coming weeks, crews will begin painting the gymnasium, locker rooms, and a section of the academic pods. Installation of the theater stage and elevator also are underway, and driveways are being poured on both the east and west sides of the building.
“It’s exciting,” Lawson Principal Kasey Bailey said, noting that she and her staff would be doing a walk-through next week. “Last time they toured the building, it was just a shell. This time they’ll have a more vivid picture of what the spaces will look like since windows, walls, and doors are installed.”
Lawson is being rebuilt as part of the voter-approved 2012 Bond Program. The $66.2 million facility will accommodate about 1,300 students.
Design features include a new dining commons, gym, and central courtyard area, where students can gather to learn and study throughout the day. Plans also include a new fine arts building, which will feature a modern black box theatre that also can be used as a multipurpose space.
Once the new 197,093 square-foot facility is complete, the old building will be demolished to make way for new athletics fields.
Lawson is one of 40 schools across the district being renovated or rebuilt as part of the voter-approved 2012 Bond Project. Construction is underway at roughly two dozen campuses. Almost half of all 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 updates on the 2012 Bond Program and school construction across the district.