Category Archives: 2012 bond

HISD Board of Education to vote on 2012 Bond Proposal

Following weeks of consideration, the HISD Board of Education is expected to vote on calling a referendum for the 2012 bond proposal at its scheduled meeting on Thursday, August 9.

The proposal, totaling $1.89 billion, would provide funding for construction at 38 schools, including 28 high schools that would be rebuilt, renovated or remodeled, as well as other districtwide projects. The bond proposal item to be presented to the board can be viewed on page 23 of the board agenda (PDF).

More information about the bond proposal, documentation used in the proposal and community surveys about the district’s schools can be found on our main website. For those unable to attend the board meeting at 5 p.m. in the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, you can watch it live online or on HISD TV.

As of today, there are only 90 days until Election Day. If you’ve yet to register to vote, you can find more information about registering and download an application at the Harris County Tax Office’s website.

Twenty Houston ISD High Schools Would Get New Campuses Under Bond Proposal

A revised 2012 bond proposal presented to the HISD Board of Education on Thursday would modernize outdated high schools across the city. The proposal would:

Provide new campuses for 20 high schools

  • Austin
  • Bellaire
  • Davis
  • DeBakey
  • Eastwood
  • Furr
  • High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
  • Jordan
  • Lamar
  • Lee
  • Madison
  • Milby
  • North Early College
  • Sam Houston
  • Sharpstown
  • South Early College
  • Sterling
  • Washington
  • Worthing
  • Yates Continue reading →

2012 Bond Proposal Calls for New DeBakey High School in the Heart of the Texas Medical Center

The 2012 bond proposal includes $64.5 million to rebuild DeBakey High School for Health Professions. The new campus would be located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center and would provide students with expanded access to health care and research facilities. DeBakey is one several HISD magnet and specialty schools that would be rebuilt under the 2012 Bond proposal.

DeBakey

Current DeBakey HS.

A new campus is also planned for the nationally renowned High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. It would be built downtown near Houston’s vaunted Theater District on land that HISD already owns at 1300 Capitol.

HSPVA

HSPVA would get a new campus under the 2012 bond.

 In all, the 2012 bond proposal includes funding to rebuild or renovate 38 schools, upgrade technology in all HISD classrooms, and make other districtwide improvements. The Board of Education is set to vote on the 2012 bond proposal on August 9. If an election is called and the measure is approved by voters in November, the design phase of the bond project could begin in early 2013 and construction of new schools would likely start in 2014.

Board to Vote Aug. 9 on Whether to Bring Bond Proposal to Voters

 The HISD Board of Education is expected to decide on Aug. 9 whether to bring the bond proposal before voters in November. More updates from this morning’s Board of Education workshop:

  • Every new HISD school included in the bond proposal would be built to the same quality standards.
  • HISD leaders will work with architects and engineers about how to space the work and in which order campuses would be rebuilt. Demolition, site improvements, and other considerations would be taken into account. Community input would also be sought.
  • HISD is committed to building schools on time and efficiently; building plan will be ready to launch once voters approve.

Updates from Bond Discussion: Exteriors of Several High Schools Would Be Preserved

Following are updates from the bond discussion at the Board of Education workshop this morning. For live updates, follow us on Twitter, @HoustonISD.

  • In all, the HISD bond proposal includes 28 high schools, 2 middle schools, 5 K-8 schools, and 3 elementary schools.
  • The bond proposal was guided by a third-party facilities assessment that identified the need to modernize Houston high school classrooms. (View the report here).
  • Four high schools would receive renovations under the bond plan: Kashmere, Scarborough, Sharpstown International, and Jones.
  • Architecturally significant exteriors of several high schools (Lamar, Davis, Austin, Milby) would be preserved in new construction.
  • If voters approved the bond in November, design work of new schools would begin in early 2013. Construction would likely begin in 2014. Many of the new high schools could open for the 2016-2017 school year.
  • High school construction costs were calculated on a $160-per-square-foot basis, which is below the regional average.

Click here to access the 2012 Facilities Capital Improvement Program Proposal, campus facility assessment data and other bond resources.

Board of Education Discusses Proposal to Rebuild 20 High Schools

The HISD Board of Education is meeting to discuss a proposal for rebuilding high schools across the city. Here are some highlights from the discussion, which you can follow on Twitter, @HoustonISD:

Staff has spent weeks scrutinizing and fine-tuning the initial $1.89 billion proposal for rebuilding and modernizing schools. Adjustments have been made to the proposed capacities for several new schools included in the HISD bond proposal, including a brand new DeBakey HS to be located inside the Texas Medical Center at a cost of $64.5 million.

The HISD bond proposal would rebuild the following high schools:

  • Bellaire
  • Davis
  • DeBakey
  • Furr
  • HSPVA
  • Jordan
  • Lee
  • Madison
  • Sharpstown
  • Sterling
  • Washington
  • Worthing
  • Yates
  • Austin
  • Davis
  • Milby
  • Sam Houston
  • Eastwood
  • North Early College
  • South Early College

Also, a new addition and renovations to Wilson Montessori K-8 School.

To see specific proposals for each campus and for districtwide projects, click here.

See photos of the Worthing HS groundbreaking

The Sunnyside community, volunteers, students and HISD Board of Education Trustee Lawrence Marshall were on hand for the the official groundbreaking for the expansion and renovation of Evan E. Worthing High School on Wednesday, March 21. See photos from the event below.
[slideshow]