Author Archives: HISD Communications

High School for Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice construction update

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The $39.9 million High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, which is funded from surplus bond monies and real estate proceeds, will feature a new three-story building that combines a 21st century learning environment with unique features: a courtroom, a crime scene investigations lab, emergency communications center, and a law library.

The school will be centrally located on Scott between Pease and Coyle near the Houston Police Department’s South Central Station, the University of Houston, and Texas Southern University – with easy access to the freeway, rail, and bike trails.

Comprehensive demolition work is underway on the site and expected to be completed in first quarter 2016. An agreement on guaranteed maximum price with the construction manager at risk was reached in December, and the team is currently working with City of Houston to obtain permits.

The target opening of the new building is third quarter 2017. The school will transition to its new name, High School for Law and Justice, once move-in is complete.

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First phase of new Scarborough HS scheduled for completion in third quarter

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Scarborough High School, which is getting a $12.6 million for renovation to its existing facility, held the first of three community meetings last fall to share information about progress on the project’s design.

The updated campus will feature a new JROTC building, upgrades to athletics fields, a new welcome center, and a face-lift for the front of the campus.

The project will be completed in phases, with Phase I (Classroom renovation and welcome center addition) targeted for completion in the third quarter. Phase 2 (new JROTC/performing arts building) scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2017.

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New Pilgrim Academy K-8 making progress in design phase

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Pilgrim Academy K-8 is receiving $7.9 million addition for a campus accommodating 750 to 900 students.

The school held its first community meeting in August to share preliminary design concepts and gather feedback.

Under the current proposal, the addition would include classroom spaces, a science lab, flexible learning areas and teacher work spaces. The new building project is expected to replace most of the temporary buildings now in use. The current design also includes plans to renovate the multi-purpose room to become a gymnasium that can accommodate a middle school athletics program.

The project is finalizing schematic development, and another community meeting will be held in early to mid-2016. The project is expected to go out for bid by the end of 2016, with a target completion in third quarter of 2017.

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Permitting process underway for new Parker ES

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A new $29.4 million Parker Elementary School, being built for 850 students, is well underway.

Parker’s 55-year-old building and temporary classrooms will be replaced with a new 110,000-square-foot facility, designed specifically to house the school’s award-winning music magnet program. Features of the new building will include a 500-seat auditorium, expanded music and practice space, plenty of natural light and flexible learning spaces.

The permitting process with the City of Houston has begun, and preparations are being made to issue the project for Competitive Sealed Proposals in January. Proposals from bidders are then scheduled to be received on Feb. 9.

The project is on track for occupancy in the third quarter of 2017.

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Lee HS building project goes vertical

Lee High School’s new building project reached a significant milestone in December, as workers on the site began installation of steel beams and columns, marking the start of vertical construction.

As part of HISD’s bond program, Lee HS is slated to receive a $73.8 million school to accommodate 1,700 to 1,900 students. The new 240,000-square-foot facility will include state-of-the-art technology with flexibility to allow for future upgrades.

The two-story building will be divided into four neighborhood wings with open spaces and plenty of windows to maximize natural light.

The main entrance to the school will remain on the north, so the campus will keep its historical Beverly Hill address. It will also feature a light-filled atrium, internal courtyard, large dinning commons and a natatorium.

Students will continue to attend classes in the existing building throughout construction. Once the new building is complete, the current building will be demolished then new athletic fields and additional parking will be built on that site.

Construction is targeted for completion in the second quarter of 2017.

With first wall up for new Milby HS, project expected to rapidly take shape

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The Milby High School project reached an exciting milestone in December, when the first wall was raised.

The new structure will now quickly take shape as steel goes up in the coming weeks. The 267,000-square-foot project is a combination of new construction and renovation.

The school will maintain its historical facade along Broadway in Houston’s East End, while creating a modern learning environment for up to 2,000 students.

The new building is slated to open for the 2017-2018 school year.

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Winter holiday schedule: Classes resume Tuesday, Jan. 5

Central, administrative offices to reopen on Jan. 4 

Christmas Decoration

The Houston Independent School District’s 2015 Winter Holiday schedule is as follows:

Students do not attend school from Monday, Dec. 21, 2015, through Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. Students will return to school on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016.

HISD central and administrative offices will be closed beginning Monday, Dec. 21, 2015, and will reopen on Monday, Jan. 4, 2016.

Employees with questions should consult the duty schedules posted here.

The HISD Police Department will be patrolling district facilities during the holiday break. Emergencies should be reported by calling 713-892-7777.

Schools advance to ‘Elite 8’ round of Read to the Final Four

Eight HISD elementary schools advanced to the fourth round – the Elite 8 – of the NCAA Read to the Final Four Literacy Program, as we count down to The Final Four.

The third-grade students logged an additional 1,112,338 minutes of reading time for a total of more than 3 million minutes since the launch of the literacy competition.  More than 1,700 students at 16 schools logged reading time during this round.

Here is the ranking of elementary schools that made it to this round:

Number 8: Janowski

Number 7: Kennedy

Number 6: Marshall

Number 5: Browning

Number 4 : Tijerina

Number 3 : Anderson

Number 2: Carrillo Elementary

Number 1: Dogan

Congratulations to all the elementary schools in the contest. Third-graders participating in the fourth round received a book to keep, courtesy of the 2016 NCAA™ Men’s Final Four™. The competition was created by HISD in partnership with the Houston NCAA Final Four Local Organizing Committee, Houston Public Library, and University of Houston.

Students who did not advance should keep reading, because there may be additional prizes for top individual readers in April 2016.

Site work in progress for new Mickey Leland College Prep

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This all boys prep academy will receive a new $42.4 million facility, located at 1701 Gregg Street, for a campus accommodating 900 to 1,000 students.

The new school will be built on the site of the former Wheatley/E.O. Smith building in the Fifth Ward, and the design plans include several features that will incorporate and honor the history and accomplishments of that school and its alumni.

Underground site prep and earth work is underway including site utilities, drilling and pouring of concrete piers, grade beams, and installation of under-slab plumbing.

The school has a target completion date in the  first quarter of 2017.

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New Sharpstown International ahead of schedule

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Sharpstown International is slated to receive renovations to its existing facilities and site improvements with a total program budget of $6.1 million. The project is comprised of three portions: updating and securing the main entrance, renovating the large breezeways to provide more flexible learning spaces, and building additional learning centers or flex lab spaces.

The main entrance will be retrofitted with a security vestibule that will provide controlled access and also give the building an updated modern feel. A pod of flexible learning spaces will be constructed in the heart of the campus, which is currently an internal courtyard. The main existing corridors, which are covered and partially open to the elements, will be updated, enclosed and air conditioned to make the space more inviting and usable for a variety of student and community activities.

The project is well ahead of schedule and is expected to begin construction in the first half of 2016, and take about 18 months to complete.

Photo gallery of HISD building projects