Category Archives: New schools

HISD to hold subcontractor outreach session for rebuilding of Harvey-damaged schools

The HISD Business Assistance Supplier Diversity team is holding an outreach session on Friday for minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBE) interested in working as subcontractors on the projects to rebuild four schools damaged by Hurricane Harvey.

Last week, the HISD Board of Education selected Satterfield & Pontikes Construction as the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) tasked with overseeing the demolition and construction of the four elementary schools – Kolter, Mitchell, Braeburn, and Scarborough. Continue reading →

Construction on new Washington HS nearing completion

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Washington High School students and staff are edging closer to moving into their new building with the construction project now 85 percent complete.

Tile flooring and doors have been installed, as have cabinetry, countertops, and fume hoods in the career and technology classrooms, science and agricultural labs, and computer-aided design spaces. Crews are installing bathroom fixtures and sinks in the science and engineering labs where painting and floor staining also are underway.

In addition, crews are nearly done painting the auditorium and administrative offices and wrapping up installation of the school’s elevator.

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Wharton DLA construction project nears halfway mark

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Construction on the new Wharton Dual Language Academy is almost halfway complete, with structural steel erected for the building addition and exterior and interior wall framing underway.

Roof installation and interior wall framing of the existing building also are nearly complete, and the parking and driveway areas have been poured.

“We’re looking forward to having a modern, 21st-century building,” Wharton Principal Jennifer Day said, noting that she and her staff were already looking forward to moving into the facility. “I love how the design incorporates the historical building with the new.”

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Austin HS students move into temporary facility while new campus is constructed

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Austin High School students and staff began the spring semester on Monday in a temporary campus in preparation for the start of construction on their new building.

The new Temporary Learning Center — dubbed by school officials as the “TLC” and made up of temporary buildings — was built to ensure student and staff safety during construction. It is located along South Lockwood Drive, directly behind the existing school building.

Located in Houston’s East End, the 80-year-old comprehensive high school is being rebuilt as part of the Houston Independent School District’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program. Plans for the $79.6 million project call for a new facility that preserves the original building’s architecturally significant building structure and can accommodate up to 2,000 students. Continue reading →

Renovations wrap up at Scarborough HS

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Scarborough High School senior Melanie Esquivel remembers all too well how often the school band has been shuffled around over the last few years.

They practiced first in the dance hall and then in the gym, but the acoustics amped up their sound so much teachers in nearby classrooms often complained. So they moved into the cramped black box theater, where they made do.

“I almost cried when I saw it. It’s just so emotional. I’ve been waiting so long for it,” the 17-year-old flutist said, hardly able to contain her excitement as she pointed out features of the school’s new band hall. “We’re finally like a big part of the school.”

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North Forest celebrates transition into new school with ceremonial walk

Hundreds of North Forest High School students followed Principal Darryl Henson across Mesa Road on Monday, coming together to formally mark their transition into their new school.

The $59.5 million campus is the first new high school built in the North Forest community in almost 50 years.

“It’s important to show our students that we are coming over into a new environment that was built just for them,” Henson said, talking about the importance of the ceremonial walk from the old building to the new one. “I want the kids to feel a sense of pride and ownership.”

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New year, new building for Sharpstown HS

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Lining the sidewalk outside the school, Sharpstown JROTC members lifted their ceremonial swords to the sky while band members played celebratory music to officially welcome their fellow students to their new campus.

Built as part of HISD’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program, the new school formally opened its doors on Monday. To celebrate the occasion, students and teachers gathered first at their old building and then ceremoniously walked together to the new school. Continue reading →

Askew ES construction makes huge gains

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Christmas came early for Askew Elementary School Project Advisory Team members, who got their first tour of their new building Thursday afternoon.

Brightly colored classrooms, a learning commons overlooking the library, and large cafetorium were just a few of the spaces PAT members got a glimpse of during their walk-through, which included a final stop in the principal’s office.

Askew Principal Ebony Cumby smiled as she said she could already envision the exact placement of her new red couch.

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Northside HS classroom renovations lead campus into 21st century

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When Northside High School alumnus Machell Blackwell walked through the doorway on the third floor of her alma matter, she said she felt like she was walking through time.

On one side of the well-worn building, it seemed dark and confined — even a bit dated. But on the other, hallways were lighter, classrooms were brighter, and there was a colorful, collaborative space where students could gather to work in small groups.

“To me, I feel like I was walking through a time machine,” said a smiling Blackwell, who also serves as a Northside PTO recruiter and member of both the Northside Project Advisory Team and Shared Decision-Making Committee. “I just walked into the 21st century.”

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New Lawson MS makes steady construction progress

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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.”

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