Category Archives: New schools

Wharton renovation, expansion plans presented to community; construction to start soon

Once construction is complete, the new Wharton Dual Language Academy will feature new learning spaces and labs, a new gym and library, an interior courtyard preserving heritage trees, and a grand, three-story, glass entryway.

Designs plans for the school’s renovation and new addition were detailed to nearly 100 Wharton parents and community members Thursday night during  community meeting at the Wharton campus.

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The project is part of the Houston Independent School District’s 2012 Bond Program, which calls for renovation or replacement of 40 schools across the district. Construction at Wharton is expected to start later this year, with the Montrose-area school expected to re-open its doors in fall of 2018.

The project will expand the school’s capacity up to 900 students and eliminate all the temporary buildings from the site.

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Construction on Davis HS campus to begin this summer

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Work on the bond project to rebuild Davis High School is slated to begin this summer when construction gets underway on a parking lot off Tackaberry Street.

That new lot is part of an expansion plan for the Near Northside campus, and the first step in a three-phase project that will bring two additions and renovations to create a newly modernized school for 1,500 to 1,700 students.

“We’re basically working from the left of the campus to the right,” Architect Mark French of the IBI Group, told more than 40 people who turned out Thursday for a meeting to get the latest updates on the historic school.

Davis Principal Julissa Alcantar-Martinez opened the meeting by thanking the school community, especially the Project Advisory Team, for working together to move the project forward and to advocate for the best facility possible for students.

“They have stuck with this for three years even when it hasn’t been easy,” she said, noting that the school received $19 million in additional funding in December because of that support.

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Student spotlight: Yates HS communications program covers State of the Schools

Editor’s note: This is the first in a weekly series of articles designed to highlight the work of HISD students, particularly as it relates to developing global graduate skills, connecting learning to careers, or preparing for higher education. In this inaugural feature, we take a look at the communications program at Yates High School, whose students covered the district’s State of the Schools luncheon on March 3 as a part of their project-based assignments.

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More than 150 students currently participate in the communications program at Yates HS, and several of those young people got to attend HISD’s recent State of the Schools luncheon. While there, they applied what they are learning in the classroom to real life, honing their skills in photography, film-making, interviewing, and story-telling.

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New Mark White ES accepting applications through March 25

MarkWhiteES_800aHISD’s brand new Mark White Elementary School (2515 Old Farm Road, 77063) will be opening its doors for the first time in the fall of 2016, and interested parents have until Friday, March 25, to submit their applications for admission.

The school, which is located just north of Westheimer on the district’s west side, will offer a French-language immersion program to students in prekindergarten and kindergarten during its first year of operation, and expand the program by one additional grade each year until 2021.

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HISD construction projects moving forward

All but one project expected to be under construction contract by the end of 2016.

Houston Independent School District construction projects are continuing to move forward with Sharpstown High School slated to soon become the 16th bond project with active construction underway.

The HISD Board of Education voted Thursday to hire a new contractor for Sharpstown, unanimously agreeing to let district administrators negotiate and finalize a construction contract worth up to $46 million with ICI Construction.

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Arabic Immersion Magnet School opens on first day of school

The first public Arabic language immersion school in the country opened its doors Monday to 132 pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students who will learn Arabic along with English. The new Arabic Immersion Magnet School (AIMS) is among 283 HISD campuses that welcomed back nearly 215,000 students from across the district. In HISD, Arabic is the second most common foreign language spoken at home.

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“There are children from 40 different Houston-area zip codes here,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said. “The Arabic school is a very demographically diverse school, with about 30 percent Hispanic, 30 percent Anglo, and 30 percent African American. This year is especially exciting, as we continue to set our sights on making sure our students have access to a truly global education.” Continue reading →

HISD kicks off 2015-2016 school year with emphasis on producing global graduates

The Houston Independent School District will begin the 2015-2016 academic year on Monday with the opening of the nation’s first public Arabic language immersion school, significantly expanded dual language opportunities and a continued shift to digital learning.

The Arabic Immersion Magnet School (AIMS) is among 283 HISD campuses that will throw open their doors on Monday and welcome back nearly 215,000 students from across the district. Bus drivers will begin transporting nearly 34,000 students to and from school, and cafeteria workers will begin cooking the 288,000 meals that they serve each day. Continue reading →

Young Women’s College Prep Academy observes first historic graduation

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On May 31, Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy (YWCPA) celebrated its first graduating class at the University of Houston’s Cullen Performance Hall.

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Leland College Prep celebrates inaugural graduation ceremony

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A new school has at last earned an old tradition. On May 27, the Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men celebrated its first graduating class. The ceremony was held at Kingdom Builders Center and 18 seniors received their diplomas.

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Demolition in progress near Washington HS

Demolition crews begin clearing condemned houses to make way for the new Washington High School, March 13, 2015. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Demolition crews begin clearing condemned houses to make way for the new Washington High School, March 13, 2015. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Heavy equipment has arrived on site, and old houses are coming down as the recently acquired property in the Independence Heights neighborhood is cleared to become part of the new Booker T. Washington High School.

After months of preparation, including extensive asbestos abatement, several of the houses were brought down this week, and more are set to follow as part of the demolition phase of construction, which is expected to last four to six more weeks.

As part of HISD’s $1.89 billion bond program approved by voters in 2012, a new $51.7 million facility will be built for Washington HS. Nearly 16 acres of land adjacent to the school was acquired by the district as part of the plan to nearly double the size of the campus.

The new campus, which will accommodate up to 1,300 students, will showcase the school’s engineering program with 21st century technology and flexible learning spaces to support project-based learning and encourage collaboration.

More information on Booker T. Washington and other 2012 bond schools can be found here.