Goose Creek CISD is considered one of the fastest growing districts in Texas. Driven by growth in southeast Houston, this property-wealthy district is projecting more than 2,250 new students over the next decade. To accommodate this rapid growth, in June 2019, voters approved the passing of a new bond measure. The bond package provides funds for several projects, including new construction, aging school repairs, athletic improvements, safety and security improvements, and technology upgrades.
“The district has been working hard to deliver exceptional facilities that will prepare students for their future,” said JP Grom, Vice President of Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), which is serving as the program manager. “COVID-19 hasn’t stopped the district’s efforts. In fact, the district has accelerated some of the projects in this bond program.”
“In the face of so many challenges from COVID-19, I’m thrilled to see our bond construction programs moving forward without delay,” said Goose Creek CISD superintendent Randal O’Brien. “We are encouraged that the team of professionals at LAN have been able to accelerate the project delivery. We look forward to the opening of our new projects.”
One of the biggest projects, the Edward Franklin “E.F.” Green Junior School, rcently broke ground. Named after the first African American educator to serve as a district-level administrator in Goose Creek, the facility is the district’s sixth junior school. The approximately 192,000-square-foot facility, which can house 1,100 students, will include a 700-seat auditorium, dual competition gyms, media center, multiple computer labs per grade level, band hall, choir and theater programs. Pfluger Architects served as the project’s designer and the contractor is Pogue Construction. The $49.6-million junior school is scheduled to be completed next summer.
The district’s existing San Jacinto Elementary School will be replaced with a new elementary school that will be located just a few blocks away from its current location. Spanning more than 102,000 square feet, the facility will accommodate 800 students. It includes a media center, gym, multiple computer labs per grade level, and an outdoor learning center. Designed by PBK Architects, the $22.5-million elementary school will be constructed by Marshall Construction and is scheduled for completion in December 2021.
The district is also adding a new Elementary School No. 17 to its current facility inventory. This elementary school, which will be in a new master planned subdivision, will serve the rapidly growing north side of the district. The 102,000-square-foot facility, which will house 800 students, includes a media center, gym, multiple computer labs per grade level, and an outdoor learning center. Originally scheduled for construction in fall 2021, the $22.5-million project has been moved up an entire year. PBK Architects is the designer.
In addition, the district is expanding its Stuart Career and Technical Education (CTE) high school from 400 to 900 students. The CTE facility, which was originally an elementary school, has since been renovated for different uses, ranging from an administrative building to a special education facility. The latest renovations include the addition of a transportation academy, new welding lab, vet clinic, floral shop, IT academy, and audio/video academy. The $12.5-million project will renovate more than 60,000 square feet of existing space and add a new 54,000-square-foot academic and administrative wing. The first two phases of the CTE facility were completed as part of the 2013 bond program. Phase 3 of the project, which is currently underway, will be completed in August 2020 while phase 4 will be completed next summer. Pfluger Architects is serving as the designer.
Additionally, the renovation of the Robert E. Lee High School Auditorium is underway. This historic 1,700-seat auditorium once served as the lone theater for the entire Baytown community in the 1950s and 1960s and was considered the premier theater in the greater Houston area. The $4.2-million renovation project will restore the auditorium to its original design aesthetic and include the latest theatrical improvements. The auditorium will be fitted with new lighting and audio systems, a new green room, new dressing rooms, new theater seating, new restroom layouts, and a ticket booth/concession area. Huckabee is the project’s architect and it will be renovated by Comex Corp. Contractors. The renovation of the auditorium will be completed in January 2021.
