Category Archives: District II – Kathy Blueford-Daniels

HISD to open four new or renovated schools Jan. 8

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Three Houston Independent School District high schools and one elementary school will open their doors and welcome students in to new facilities when they return from winter break on Jan. 8.

The schools are Sharpstown, Scarborough and North Forest high schools, and Robinson Elementary School.

Sharpstown was rebuilt and Scarborough was renovated as part of the district’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program. The construction of the new North Forest High School and renovation of storm-damaged Robinson Elementary School were overseen by the bond team, but not funded with bond dollars. Continue reading →

2012 Bond launches Twitter to provide easy access to latest construction updates

Wish you could get the latest information and updates on construction progress at your child’s school? Now you can. Just follow @Build_HISD on Twitter, and you’ll have all that information at your fingertips.

The new page was launched last month to provide families with quick and easy access to the latest information — photos, videos, project updates, meeting recaps — about 2012 Bond projects across the district.

Follow us. Re-tweet us. Tag us with your questions. Or tweet your own construction photos, and we can retweet you. You can also look for and use our hashtags #BuildHISD, #2012Bond, and #BuiltForLearning. Continue reading →

HISD Board of Education approves revised turnaround plan for Kashmere High School

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education approved a revised turnaround plan for Kashmere High School during a special meeting on Thursday.

This is the eighth consecutive year for Kashmere High School to be deemed as “improvement required” — one of the designations used by the TEA to determine whether schools are meeting state standards. As a result, the district is required to submit to the state a plan detailing how it will improve student achievement at the school.

HISD submitted an initial turnaround plan on Oct. 19, but it was rejected last week by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, who asked the district to resubmit the plan with a more detailed description of the budget, staffing, and financial resources required to implement the turnaround. Continue reading →

Fifth Ward community celebrates opening of new Mickey Leland College Prep campus

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Deep blue skies, crisp cool air, and the smooth sounds of the Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men Jazz Band set the stage Tuesday for the grand opening celebration for the school’s new $44 million facility.

More than 100 community members joined students and staff in the school courtyard, where they heard the Leland Men’s Choir kick off the event by singing “I’m Building Me a Home.”

“We just built a home here in the Fifth Ward,” Principal Dameion Crook said after the performance. “It’s a special place in a very special neighborhood, and it was well worth the wait.” Continue reading →

Bond Oversight Committee tours Milby HS, hears update on third quarter construction progress

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The Houston Independent School District’s Bond Oversight Committee got an inside look at the new Milby High School while touring the campus as part of their regular quarterly meeting on Tuesday.

The eight-member group got to see 21st century learning in action as they made their way through the dining commons, library, gym, and various classroom spaces, including the welding, science, and culinary arts labs.

They also walked through the large central courtyard and got to see the historic main entrance, which now leads to a park-like green space. Continue reading →

Washington HS construction on track for Spring 2018 opening

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Construction of the new Washington High School campus is edging closer toward the three-quarter completion mark, with flooring, drywall, ceiling, and window installation all underway.

The $56.5 million project is a part of the voter-approved 2012 Bond Program, which calls for the renovation or rebuilding of 40 schools, including 29 high schools.

Site utility installation for the new school is currently in progress, project officials said. Exterior brick installation is nearly complete, as are the visitor and faculty parking areas. The school’s front bus loop also is more than halfway done.

Continue reading →

Groundwork underway at Jordan HS for Careers

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Construction is moving along at Jordan High School for Careers, with groundwork underway in preparation of the new building’s foundation.

The $42.4 million project is a part of the voter-approved 2012 Bond Program, which calls for the renovation or rebuilding of 40 schools, including 29 high schools.

Drilling is underway on piers that will help hold both the foundation and structural steel in place, project officials said. Additionally, the installation of underground plumbing and electrical systems will begin in the next couple of weeks, and the foundation will be poured toward the end of the year.

Continue reading →

North Forest HS construction approaches completion

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With construction almost complete, the North Forest High School Bulldogs are on track to kick off the 2018 spring semester in their new building.

Both doors and kitchen equipment have arrived for installation, and marker boards are scheduled to be delivered in the coming weeks, project officials said. Carpet and ceiling tile installation also is underway.

The $59.5 million campus, which is being built on the east side of Mesa Road across from the existing school, will accommodate 1,300 to 1,500 students.

Continue reading →

Condit ES selected as finalist for Texas school architecture competition

Designs for three additional bond schools honored with ‘Stars of Distinction’

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Constructed as part of HISD’s 2012 Bond Program, Condit Elementary School has been selected as one of five finalists vying for the highest honor offered by the 2017-18 Exhibit of School Architecture Competition.

Three additional bond campuses — Atherton Elementary School, Mandarin Immersion Magnet School, and Sterling Aviation High School — received Stars of Distinction.

The annual school architecture competition showcases new and renovated Texas schools and recognizes excellence in their planning and design. It is sponsored by the Texas Association of School Administrators and the Texas Association of School Boards.

Continue reading →

HISD Board of Education to vote on extended days for schools with delayed start

Sept. 14 2017 – In its first regular meeting since Hurricane Harvey, the Houston Independent School District Board of Education Trustees will consider a proposal to make up instructional time lost because of the storm.  The Texas Education Agency approved waivers that exempt students from making up the first nine days the storm took away.  However, students at the 12 schools that suffered the most significant damage will have to make up any lost time beyond those days.

Here’s how the proposed plan works:  Students at the four schools scheduled to start on September 18 would be in school for 25 additional minutes every day.  Students at the eight schools scheduled to start on September 25 would go for an extra 55 minutes.  That extended school day would be effective from their first day of school until the end of the first semester in December. Continue reading →