Tag Archives: 2012 bond

Plenty of Time To Join Project Advisory Teams for 2012 Bond Program

PAT_coverWant to help guide the 2012 bond project at your school?  There’s no better way than getting involved with your school’s Project Advisory Team, which will help lead the planning and design of new facilities across the district.

Sharpstown High School Principal Rob Gasparello wasted no time recruiting members for his PAT, which is typically made up of parents, teachers, community members and students. His school is among the first group of 17 schools to be built as part of the 2012 bond program.

“We want the final product to be the sum of its parts,” Gasparello said. “We want to gather as much input of what a 21st century school really needs to look like — we don’t want just one point of view.”

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Community Meeting at Booker T. Washington Draws Big Crowd

Booker T. Washington High School

More than 150 people turned out Tuesday evening at Booker T. Washington High School where they learned more about the district’s plan to build a new school at the site under the $1.89 billion bond program approved in November.

District officials held the meeting to review site needs, as well as the planning and design process for the new school.  “We’re going to be working very closely with the community planning the facility,” said Dan Bankhead, HISD general manager for facility design.
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2007 Bond Principals Share Their Insights and Experience

Lockhart Elementary School Principal Felicia Adams

Lockhart Elementary School Principal Felicia Adams

Schools getting ready for the 2012 HISD bond program don’t need to look far for helpful advice.

Just ask Peck Elementary School Principal Carlotta Brown, whose school was rebuilt thanks to the 2007 bond program.   “I made my expectations to architects known from the beginning,” Brown said. “I told them I would be looking over things because I did not want sub-standard work.”

Brown’s vigilance paid off. Located in the Third Ward off Martin Luther King, Jr. Road, Peck’s new 750-student school opened in January after being consolidated with nearby McArthur Elementary School. Her goal was to make sure the new building reflected both campuses and communities.

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YMCPA Community Turns Out to Hear About Bond Project at Campus

About 35 people attended a community meeting on Thursday night at Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy to discuss construction plans for the fifth ward school under the $1.89 billion bond program.

Community members discuss plans for Young Men's College Preparatory Academy at a meeting Thursday night at the school.

Community members discuss plans for Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy at a meeting Thursday night at the school.

The 2012 bond program approved by voters in November will build or renovate 40 schools across the district, including 29 high schools.

School Board Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones led the discussion, which emphasized community involvement and a need for a facility that reflects the school’s curriculum.

“We want to make sure the academic program (at YMCPA) is sustained by the building,” Skillern-Jones said. “We need 21st century buildings for that.”

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Vendors, Suppliers Get Tips on HISD Bidding Process

Vendors and suppliers curious about how to do business with HISD got an overview Wednesday on how to fill out a “Request for Proposal,” the paperwork required for companies to bid on a project.

More than 45 people turned out for the workshop, sponsored by the district’s Office of Business Assistance. Leading the two-hour event was HISD procurement manager Robert B. Fazakerly, who covered topics such as how RFPs are evaluated and the importance of meeting all specified deadlines.

“We go by the time and date stamp at the board services office,” Fazakerly said. “If it’s late, we’re not even going to open the box.”

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DeBakey Community Encouraged to Make Voices Heard on Planning of New School

A woman signs up for a committee to help plan the new DeBakey.

A woman signs up for a committee to help plan the new DeBakey.

About 30 people turned out Tuesday for a meeting at DeBakey High School for Health Professions, where they were urged to get involved in planning the new school that will be built under the 2012 bond program.

HISD Chief High School Officer Orlando Riddick told audience members that their ideas for the new facility should be innovative, and he encouraged them to think outside of the box. “The sky is the limit,” he said.

The $1.89 billion bond program will build or renovate 40 schools across the district, including 29 high schools.

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HISD, City Recognized for Environmentally Sustainable Buildings

Houston was celebrated on Tuesday for its green building efforts – thanks in part to HISD and new schools built over the past five years under the 2007 bond program.

Roger Platt, senior vice president of Global Policy and Law at the U.S. Green Building Council, joined Houston Mayor Annise Parker and HISD Superintendent Terry Grier at Cunningham Elementary School to mark Texas being ranked among the top 10 states for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in 2012.

Left to right: Roger Platt of the U.S. Green Building Council, Houston Mayor Annise Parker, and HISD Superintendent Terry Grier.

Left to right: Roger Platt of the U.S. Green Building Council, Houston Mayor Annise Parker, and HISD Superintendent Terry Grier. Click image to see more photos from the event.

“We’re celebrating that Texans have begun to demand more from these buildings and have fueled the birth of a new green building marketplace,” Platt said.

Cunningham Elementary recently earned the USGBC’s highest LEED ranking – Gold certification. In October, the Gulf Coast Chapter of the USGBC presented HISD with its Green Pioneer Award.

“We are excited to be part of this green school movement,” Grier said. “When we build schools, we want to see these schools green certified.”

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New Monthly eNewsletter Provides Information on Bond Projects

HISD launched a new eNewsletter Tuesday to showcase activities and information surrounding the 2012 bond, which will fund the renovation or construction of 40 schools across the city, including 29 high schools.

NLthumb“This new newsletter will help us deliver on our promise of a bond program that is transparent,” said HISD Communications Chief Aggie Alvez. “Each issue will include the latest updates on everything from bond business topics to design and planning issues. The goal is to keep the community informed and engaged.”

The newsletter, called Building Excellence, will be distributed the first Tuesday of every month but may increase in frequency as needed. The first issue features an article about focus groups that were held to gather ideas from students about what they want to see in their new schools.

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Students Share What’s Important to Them in a New School

Focus Groups IMG_2752

Dawn Finley of Rice University listens to students talk about their ideal schools during a focus group.

More than 30 HISD students got the chance to brainstorm Thursday on their ideal school design as part of the district’s ongoing planning efforts for the 2012 bond program, which will build or renovate 40 schools across the city.

“How do you see technology being integrated into the classrooms?” asked University of Houston Professor Liz Cordill, who facilitated one of the student focus groups. Cordill teaches at the UH School of Architecture and was one of four architecture professors from UH and Rice participating in the 90-minute event.

“Every teacher has a laptop cart and everybody gets to use them,” said Selena Flores of Worthing High School. Other students, including Osvaldo Marquez of North Houston Early College, and James Cunningham of Jones High School, talked about the importance of having SMART board technology, which they said is helpful to both students and teachers. Continue reading →

District Works to Ensure Hispanic Community is Well-Informed About Bond

HISD’s Hispanic Advisory Committee got a firsthand look Thursday at steps being taken to ensure the 2012 bond program includes outreach and opportunities for the area’s diverse business communities.

The district is continuing to move forward with its $1.89 billion program to build or renovate 40 schools across the city, including many high schools. The work is expected to create thousands of new jobs, including many opportunities for residents and businesses surrounding the schools.

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