HOUSTON – A new bond proposal could rebuild, renovate or modernize dozens of Houston Independent School District campuses.
Officials said the HISD Board of Education is scheduled to decide on Aug. 9 whether to seek approval of the $1.89 billion proposal from district voters during the Nov. 6 general election.
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Officials said the proposed bond package focuses heavily on the city's high schools. HISD officials said the average age of HISD secondary schools now stands at 50 years, compared to 39 years for the district's primary schools.
HISD officials said some of these redesigns could include improved access to technology, lab spaces that offer hands-on science learning, and greater classroom configuration flexibility.
HISD officials said the proposed bond package would completely rebuild some of Houston's most historic neighborhood high schools across the city. The proposal also includes new campuses for some of HISD's prestigious specialty schools, including the nationally renowned High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, DeBakey High School for Health Professions and Eastwood Academy, officials said.
HISD officials said schools like Austin Davis, Lamar and Milby would maintain their existing building structures, but would get a new interior transformation. This in an effort to protect the character of the school's architectural design, officials said.
School officials said the bond proposal would provide new campuses for 20 high schools. Those schools are:
- Austin
- Bellaire
- Davis
- DeBakey
- Eastwood
- Furr
- High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
- Jordan
- Lamar
- Lee
- Madison
- Milby
- North Early College
- Sam Houston
- Sharpstown
- South Early College
- Sterling
- Washington
- Worthing
- Yates
If approved, design work of the new schools would begin in early 2013 and construction would start in 2014.