What do high schools of the future look like?
Check out ABC13 this Sunday at noon when “City View” host Art Rascon talks with HISD’s Chief Operating Officer Brian Busby and Construction Services Officer Derrick Sanders about the modern new schools being built across the district.
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Armed with cell phones, six juniors from Wisdom High School teemed with enthusiasm as they wandered through their nearly completed new school, snapping pictures and selfies along the way.
“I feel like I’m getting a makeover,” junior Awah Bodunrin said, giggling as she and her classmates made their way through the new facility.
Bodunrin is a member of Wisdom’s upcoming 2017-2018 Senior Committee, a senior leadership group that got an early look at the new school, which is set to open in time for the start of the 2017-2018 school year.
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Dressed in tiny ties and sparkly dresses, dozens of four-year-old students from Fonwood Early Childhood Center stood before a crowded cafeteria and sang in celebration of the dedication of their new school.
The students are among the first to attend classes in the new early childhood facility, which opened this school year and was specifically designed to enhance the educational experience of the district’s youngest learners.
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Students of Mickey LelandCollege Preparatory Academy for Young Men are in for a great start to the year as the long awaited opening of their new school edges closer.
The $42 million project is about 80 percent complete with move-in expected to begin towards the end of July. Finishing touches are being done to both the painting and drywall, while framing in the new building has almost concluded. Site improvements, such as the development of the outdoor track area, are already underway and should be finished by September.
“The kids are really excited to come back,” said Leland Principal Dameion Crook, who smiled when asked if his staff shared that emotion. “The teachers are pumped about it.”
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday approved a plan allowing nearly $99.1 million in forecasted bond surplus to be used for outstanding needs at bond campuses across the district.
About $20.3 million of the projected surplus comes from addition and renovation projects, while about $52 million comes from new school projects. Another $12 million in surplus comes from districtwide projects and $14.8 million from construction contingency.
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The Lion’s Den at Jack Yates High School roared with excitement as the graduating Class of 2017 scribbled their signatures on the final steel beam to be erected in the construction of their new school.
Once all seniors had signed, they joined with school staff to watch as the beam was hoisted into the air and placed in its new home — the auditorium. The beam will be installed and left exposed, showcasing the signatures from the class of 2017.
“The kids were concerned that they weren’t going to have any history with the new school since they’ll be graduating in May,” said Yates Principal Ken Davis, who worked with the construction staff to surprise the students with the informal ceremony. “We told them that we were going to sign the beam — a little bit of history about you will go into the new building.”
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Northside High School welcomed parents, students, teachers, and neighbors to its third community meeting on Wednesday to discuss the plan and timeline for construction and renovation work underway on its campus.
During the meeting, Northside Principal Julissa Alcantar-Martinez unveiled a new traffic plan developed to keep students and staff safe throughout construction. The plan calls for the rear parking lot to be closed, with both parking and the main school entrance relocated to the west side of the campus.
“We’ve been meeting for the last four years, every week, every month, talking about the construction and what was coming,” Alcantar-Martinez said. “We’re happy to say we’re getting started.”
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HISD Construction Services administrative staff excitedly boarded a big yellow school bus last Friday, eager to tour several district construction sites and see the fruits of their labor.
“It really is a team effort to build these schools,” said Derrick Sanders, HISD’s officer of Construction Services. “Our administrative staff is as important to what we’re doing as the architect or project manager, so I wanted them to get a firsthand look at what they are helping to build.”
The group of about 20 staffers got to walk through the newly constructed Milby High School and DeBakey High School for Health Professions, both of which will open this summer. The field trip also included a drive-by of High School for Law and Justice, Yates High School, and Energy Institute High School, which are all well into construction. Continue reading
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Furr High School Principal Bertie Simmons celebrated her 83rd birthday last week by leading Trustee Diana Davila and other school supporters on a tour of their new campus, which is being rebuilt as part of the 2012 Bond Program.
“It’s the most beautiful building in the district,” Simmons said. “We can’t wait to move in.”
With construction on the new facility now more than 80 percent complete, anticipation among stakeholders is growing every day as they see the project nearing the finish line. Construction is expected to be completed in mid-June, and the building then will be stocked with new furniture and technology, making way for teachers and staff to move in over the summer. Continue reading
Northside High School will hold a community meeting to review construction plans, timelines, and other updates related to the rebuilding of their school under the 2012 Bond Program.
The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, 2017. It will be held in the auditorium at Northside High School, 1101 Quitman St.
Work on the $46.7 million project began with the creation of a new parking lot along Tackaberry Street — the first in a three-phase plan to create a modernized school for 1,500 to 1,700 students. Work on the school building is set to begin in the coming weeks, and plans call for two new additions, as well as major renovations to the existing building.
During the meeting, community members will have the opportunity to meet the contractor, review the construction schedule, look at design plans, and ask questions of various campus, district, and project officials.