HOUSTON – Four Houston Independent School District schools will open Jan. 8, according to the district.
Sharpstown High School, Scarborough High School, North Forest High School and Robinson Elementary School will open doors to the new facilities after students return from winter break.
Recommended Videos
Sharpstown was rebuilt and Scarborough was renovated after a voter-approved 2012 bond program.
The new North Forest High School and renovation of storm-damaged Robinson Elementary School were not funded with bond money.
“Our students deserve the best, and that’s what we want to give them,” HISD Construction Services Officer Derrick Sanders said. “These facilities are beautiful -- modern, bright, collaborative. But more importantly, they’re functional and will truly facilitate 21st century learning.”
Here's what you need to know about the schools:
- Sharpstown High School will start classes in a new $62.8 million facility that was built adjacent to the current building. The new school features a two-story, light-filled atrium that will also serve as a dining commons and flexible use area. Other amenities include classrooms equipped with modern technology and grouped into neighborhoods, flexible learning spaces for small and large groups, two gymnasiums, a JROTC building, and a fine arts wing.
- Scarborough High School is wrapping up construction of a new 13,000-square-foot JROTC and fine arts building. The $14.6-million project also called for general renovations to the existing building, including a new, better-defined and more secure main entry, an upgraded cafeteria and snack bar, and refurbished classrooms, as well as additional site improvements.
- North Forest High School moved across the street from its current campus into a new facility on the east side of Mesa Drive. The $59.5 million campus will accommodate 1,500 students and features flexible learning spaces, a modern dining commons area, and Career and Technical Education spaces, as well as a unique indoor running track – a first of its kind in HISD.
- Robinson Elementary School students will return to their home campus after relocating in September due to Hurricane Harvey. The students spent the fall semester split between Pleasantville Elementary School and neighboring Holland Middle School as crews worked to repair and renovate their home school. The building has since undergone a major interior renovation. All porous surfaces below about 4 feet were removed and replaced, as were cabinets, wood surfaces, vinyl floor tiles, furniture, classroom supplies, and education materials. Additionally, the entire building has been professionally cleaned, sanitized, and inspected.
Construction is ongoing at roughly two dozen additional campuses across the district.
Once complete, HISD believes it will feature one of the most modern portfolios of urban high schools in the country.