With construction almost complete, Sharpstown High School students are on track to begin the 2018 spring semester in their new building.
Installation of flooring, kitchen equipment, doors, auditorium electrical wiring, exterior landscaping, and the elevator are all underway, project officials said. In addition, ceilings are being enclosed and exterior and interior painting is wrapping up. Furniture is set to be delivered in early November.
The $62.8 million project, which is a part of the HISD’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program, will accommodate 1,300 to 1,500 students.
“We are looking forward to beginning the new semester in our new building,” Sharpstown Principal Daniel De Leon said. “It’s exciting to know that the class of 2018 will be the last class of the old building and the first of the new building.”
The new school will feature a two-story, light-filled atrium, classrooms equipped with modern technology and grouped into neighborhoods, and flexible learning spaces, as well as a large dining commons, gymnasium, JROTC building, and fine arts wing. Students also will have access to a state-of-the-art media communications area complete with rooms for both editing and film production.
Construction is slated for completion during the fourth quarter of 2017, with plans for students to start school in the new building when they return from winter break. Demolition of the old building will begin in January 2018, making way for a parking lot, basketball court, and a band practice field.
Sharpstown is among the more than two dozen HISD campuses where active construction is underway as part of the 2012 Bond Program. Almost half of all 2012 Bond projects are now complete and open to students. Once all work is finished, HISD will boast of one of the most modern portfolios of urban high schools in the country.
Follow @Build_HISD on Twitter for the latest updates on the 2012 Bond Program and school construction across the district.