HOUSTON—The Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) celebrated the completion of their new Adult Education Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Wednesday, July 19.

HCDE selected Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) as the program manager for projects in its capital improvement plan in 2021. As program manager, LAN is managing the planning, design, and construction of these projects. The $36.1 million improvements included a new middle school and adult education facility.

“HCDE is a world-class organization, and it is important that our buildings reflect the standard and quality of our services,” said James Colbert Jr., Harris County Department of Education superintendent. “We are excited to see how these facilities positively impact students, staff and the community.”

The approximately 51,000-square-foot Adult Education Facility, designed by cre8 Architects, will accommodate up to 1,200 students. It includes 17 classrooms, five laboratories, community/multi-purpose rooms, administration spaces, as well as a two-level parking garage and a surface parking lot. The $19.1 million facility will replace an aged group of buildings and provide a unified campus, resembling a community college. It will enable HCDE to expand its course offerings and allow students to grow their language skills, complete their general educational development, and develop new job competencies.

The new Highpoint East Middle School, also designed by cre8 Architects, will replace an older facility that can no longer be expanded to accommodate HCDE’s increased student population. Spanning approximately 28,000 square feet, the $8.2 million middle school will accommodate 60 students for Grades 6-8. It includes six classrooms, two computer labs, a science lab, administration rooms, multipurpose rooms for dining/orientation/training, teacher workroom and breakroom spaces, and a clinic. The new Highpoint East Middle School is scheduled for completion in August 2023.

“The facilities take into account the unique needs of HCDE’s students and educators to help equip them with the learning environment and infrastructure needed for the next few decades,” according to JP Grom, AIA, LEED AP, PMP, CCM, Vice President.

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ELGIN, Texas—Designer Pfluger Architects and general contractor Satterfield & Pontikes Construction joined officials from the Elgin Independent School District recently as they collectively toasted the groundbreaking of the new Harvest Ridge Elementary, the fourth elementary school for the Elgin ISD. Harvest Ridge Elementary will serve students from pre-K through 5th grade. Funding for the project comes from the district’s $183 million bond program, passed by voters in November 2021.

“This is such an exciting moment for the Elgin community,” Elgin ISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jana Rueter said at the groundbreaking. “Harvest Ridge Elementary will provide a safe and nurturing environment for students to learn and grow, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. Future staff and students will benefit from the school’s overall design, which reflects Elgin ISD’s commitment to providing high-quality education for its students.”

Harvest Ridge, which will be home to 800 students, will be sited on a 13-acre plot of land the district owns in the immediate vicinity of Elgin High School. The design for the school incorporates innovative designs meant to increase learning capabilities at Harvest Ridge, and inside the classrooms will boast up-to-the-minute technology. Additionally, the elementary school will offer a music room, gym, art room, library, cafeteria and outdoor learning spaces.

Pfluger and Satterfield & Pontikes are working in conjunction with Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam, Inc. (LAN), which is acting as program manager for the district’s bond program and thus will oversee budgeting and execution of the construction and renovation work throughout the district. In addition to Harvest Ridge, LAN will be shepherding to completion an additional elementary school, upgrading Elgin High School, and making various other improvements throughout the Elgin ISD.

One of the challenges of this particular project, according to Tim Strucely, LAN Associate and Program Manager for Elgin ISD’s bond program, is that the district will be constructing the school as part of a new subdivision.

“The developer is extending the main boulevard out to and beyond the school construction site, as well as constructing all of the utility infrastructure,” Strucely said in a statement emailed to School Construction News, offering that the project “is happening in parallel with the construction of the school site. The developer built a temporary construction road to allow us to physically access the school site.”

Strucely added that he and his firm are dedicated to providing a first-class school for the Elgin ISD that will meet the community’s needs.

As currently projected, the new elementary school will open for students in the fall of 2024 for the Elgin ISD, which educates over 5,000 students in grades K through 12.

“We are excited to celebrate this investment in our community, and our children, and to see this new facility come to life,” enthused Rueter, the superintendent.

LAN, which employs nearly 400 professionals around the country, falls under the umbrella of the LEO A DALY companies, an internationally recognized engineering and architecture firm.

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CROSBY, Tex.—The Lone Star State’s Crosby Independent School District (CISD) has tapped Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) to serve as the program manager to oversee $90 million of improvements throughout its locality.

LAN will be in charge of effectively implementing funds from that 2017 bond, which was approved by voters as a way to help the district expand for the future. Among the projects that fall under this umbrella are increasing the amount of educational space on offer at Crosby High School. While Crosby currently hosts 2,500 students, the school is projected to require 30 percent more capacity by 2025.

The district’s overall project aims to maintain the same small class sizes, which naturally requires more classrooms—but without sacrificing academic excellence throughout CISD. Currently the district serves 6,000 K-12 students.

“The District’s improvements and expansion will benefit students and the community. Being involved in this project is a privilege for LAN, and we welcome the opportunity to improve the learning experience for Crosby students,” said JP Grom, LAN’s vice president and director of the firm’s program management team.

LAN, which employs 350 professionals, has been ranked by Engineering News-Record as among the Top 100 A/E Firms. LAN falls under the corporate umbrella of the LEO A DALY family of companies.

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CLEVELAND, Texas—A groundbreaking ceremony was held in late September by the Cleveland Independent School District (CISD) for its $30 million new elementary school.

With a completion date slated for next summer, the new school—which has not yet been named, but is referred to as Elementary No. 5—is part of the $198 million bond measure that voters passed in November 2019 to handle the explosive growth in the district. Cleveland ISD is the fastest-growing school district in Texas. Over the last three years, the school district has grown approximately 20 percent each year. Last year, 1,000 new students enrolled in Cleveland ISD, resulting in the district spending more than $3 million on portable buildings.

The two-story elementary school will accommodate approximately 1,000 students. The school features 49 classrooms, a gymnasium, a library with a maker space where students can gather to create, invent, and learn, and a cafeteria with stage, music, and art rooms. Grades PreK through 4 will accommodate 22 students in each classroom; grade 5 will accommodate 25; and special education will accommodate 15.

The school’s design is based on the district’s existing Southside Elementary School. The exterior is brick with a standing seam metal roof over most of the building. Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) is the program manager, Huckabee is the architect, and Pogue Construction is the general contractor.

“This groundbreaking marks an important achievement toward managing our incredible growth,” said Chris Trotter, Cleveland ISD’s superintendent, in a statement.

“I am so pleased at the support for our district from the community and look forward to welcoming students through the doors of this building.”

Added LAN Vice President JP Grom, “The elementary school will provide students the environment and infrastructure needed to succeed in the 21st century.”

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HOUSTON—Sheldon Independent School District (ISD) recently announced the completion of its new C.E. King High School in the Houston area.

Designed by Huckabee and constructed by Durotech, the school is a flagship campus for Sheldon ISD’s program. The 580,000-square-foot campus is just a mile from Generation Park and will house up to 3,500 students. The school is designed like a college campus, with promenades and quads where students, faculty and community members can interact. The classrooms have flexible spaces where educators can plug and play various teaching equipment based on workforce demand.

The campus features a traditional, comprehensive high school education program, as well as six career and technical academies aimed at helping students become college and career ready. The six academies include: business and industry; human services; public service; agriculture, manufacturing and construction; science, technology, fine arts and math; and an early college academy for traditional academics. The goal for the early college academy is for students to graduate with not only a high school diploma, but an associate’s degree or an industry certificate that can help students continue on to community college, trade schools and traditional four-year college.

Sheldon ISD is one of the fastest-growing school districts in the Houston area. The 9,000-student school district is in the booming petrochemical corridor northeast of Houston. By 2025, Sheldon ISD is expected to have more than 15,000 students. In May 2016, to handle this rapid growth, Sheldon ISD voters overwhelmingly passed a $285 million bond to address student growth, safety and security measures and other potential facility upgrades. This bond program is the largest in the district’s history.

“Sheldon is making a statement with this new high school,” said JP Grom, AIA, vice president at Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), the firm serving as the program manager for the bond program. “The high school will serve as a visual anchor point for Sheldon ISD. They’re driving a stake in the ground, saying ‘Sheldon ISD is here, we’ve arrived.’”

Other elements of the bond program include the Sheldon Lake Elementary School and Panther Stadium that opened in August 2019, new track, baseball and softball fields, and tennis courts. The bond program also includes additions and renovations to existing middle schools as well as district-wide energy management upgrades.

LAN is a full-service consulting firm offering planning, engineering and program management services for the nation’s heavy civil infrastructure needs.

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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas— On Aug. 15, Sheldon Independent School District (ISD) celebrated the completion of its newest elementary school, Sheldon Lake Elementary School. A ribbon cutting ceremony took place at 6 p.m. at the school’s visitor parking lot.

Sheldon Lake Elementary will open to students and staff members on the first day of school on Aug. 26. Designed by Stantec and constructed by Durotech, the school is the flagship campus for Sheldon ISD’s Compass Schools program. Designed with a strong emphasis on Performing and Visual Arts, the school offers special instruction spaces and programs to attract a diverse student population throughout the school district.

The approximately 88,000-square-foot-facility, which can accommodate more than 700 students, includes a black box theater that converts from classroom to performance space, an art studio, music studio, dance studio and design studio. Each of these spaces are designed in a way that celebrates the activities that will take place inside. The spaces also serve as landmarks, helping to orient students as they move through the school.

Sheldon ISD is considered one of the fastest-growing school districts in the Houston area. In May 2016, Sheldon ISD voters overwhelmingly passed a $285 million bond to address student growth, safety and security measures and other potential facility upgrades. This bond program is the largest in the district’s history.

“The new elementary school is aesthetically appealing and offers unique instructional opportunities for Sheldon ISD students,” said JP Grom, AIA, vice president at Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), the firm serving as the program manager for the bond program.

Next week, the district will also celebrate the completion of the new 10,000-seat Panther Stadium. The new football stadium, which has no track, will place fans much closer to the action, according to the district. The district will celebrate a ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 21 at 6 p.m. at the stadium’s adjacent parking lt. This will be followed by a “Meet the Panthers Night” where the community will get a chance to see inside the stadium.

Other elements of the bond program include a new 560,000-square-foot C.E. King High School that will open in January 2020, new track, baseball and softball fields, and tennis courts. The bond program also includes additions and renovations to existing middle schools as well as district-wide energy management upgrades.

LAN is a full-service consulting firm offering planning, engineering and program management services for the nation’s heavy civil infrastructure needs. With more than 350 employees across the United States, LAN is a national leader in the engineering industry and is consistently ranked among the “Top 100 A/E Firms” according to Engineering News-Record. LAN is a LEO A DALY company, an international architecture and engineering firm.

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HOUSTON—Stafford Municipal School District (MSD) has just celebrated the topping out ceremony of its new middle School. The event took place on the project site with a beam signing ceremony to commemorate the special occasion

The middle school, which can accommodate 950 students in grades 6-8, is being constructed as part of Stafford MSD’s $62 million bond program that passed in November 2017. Designed by AutoArch Architects and constructed by Drymalla Construction, it will offer instructional spaces and programs designed to attract a diverse student population throughout the school district.

The three-story building, spanning 127,262 square feet, includes cutting-edge science laboratories, library, two gymnasiums and a cafetorium. The new middle school will replace the existing middle school, which was built in 1983 during the district’s inception. The construction of the new middle school will be completed in June 2020 in time for occupancy by staff and enrollment in August 2020.

“The new middle school is aesthetically appealing and offers unique instructional opportunities for Stafford MSD students,” said JP Grom, vice president at Lockwood Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), the firm serving as the program manager for the bond program.

Other elements of the bond program include a new grades 3-12 magnet school for Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) – the only one of its kind in Fort Bend County, a new administration building with a visitor’s center, and a repurposed community center in place of the current administration building. The bond program also includes an educational plaza and an early childhood center.

LAN is a full-service consulting firm offering planning, engineering and program management services for the nation’s heavy civil infrastructure needs.

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HOUSTON—The Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District (GCCISD) has selected Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) as the program manager for its $335 million bond program.

Goose Creek CISD is considered one of the fastest-growing districts in Texas. Driven by massive growth in southeast Houston and plans for multi-billion-dollar refinery projects, this property-wealthy district is projecting more than 2,250 new students over the next decade. To accommodate this rapid growth, voters approved the passing of a new bond measure last month.

The bond package included funds for several projects, including:

New Construction: Elementary school #17, junior school #6, replacement of San Jacinto Elementary School, junior and high school fine arts facilities, and career technology education expansion.

Aging School Repairs: Stuart Career Tech High School phase three renovations, upgrades and renovation to mechanical, plumbing and building automation systems district wide, Lee High School auditorium renovation, fine arts renovations and band equipment replacements, high school career and technical education classroom renovations, roof repairs and replacements, as well as parking and site drainage improvements.

Athletic Improvements: New two-level field house at Stallworth Stadium and new four-lane running tracks with field stadium lighting at all five junior schools.

Safety and Security Improvements: Security camera replacement and addition, camera and recording software in school buses, and new police vehicles.

Technology Upgrades: Teacher presentation stations replacement and addition, network cabling replacement, interactive whiteboard replacement and addition, computer lab and library technology, and mobile devices replacement and addition.

LAN will provide program management services from conception to completion for every project in the bond program, except the security and technology upgrades. The services will include design review, construction procurement and administration, scheduling and budgeting, warranty and close-out. The firm previously served as the district’s program manager for its $267 million bond program that passed in May 2013.

“Over the last decade, the district has been working hard to deliver the environment and infrastructure needed for its students,” said JP Grom, LAN’s vice president. “The new bond program is a continuation of that effort. It has been a privilege to work alongside the district and their staff for the last several years. We are looking forward to continuing our work with the district to deliver excellent facilities that will prepare students for their future.”

Construction, renovation and school repairs will be completed in phases over the next four years. The bond program’s first project – the education service center – is on a fast-track schedule and the first phase of the project is expected to be completed by August 2020.

About LAN

LAN is a full-service consulting firm offering planning, engineering and program management services for the nation’s heavy civil infrastructure needs. With more than 350 employees across the United States, LAN is a national leader in the engineering industry and is consistently ranked among the “Top 100 A/E Firms” according to Engineering News-Record. LAN is a LEO A DALY company, an international architecture and engineering firm.

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The new tech center is part of GCCISD’s $267 million bond program that passed in May 2013. Located in Baytown, Texas, GCCISD is one of the fastest growing school districts in the state. The district projects more than 4,500 new students over the next decade, according to a demographic study. In response to this growth, local voters passed the $267 million bond program. Already, the school district has grown from 21,000 students when the bond passed in 2013 to nearly 24,000 students in 2018.

The 32,400-square-foot, two-story technology center, designed by Huckabee and constructed by Durotech, is situated on an eight-acre tract next to Alamo Elementary School. It showcases 3,900 square feet of training rooms on the first floor, where teachers can learn how to integrate technology and software into their classrooms, and a 2,000-square-foot network operating center with servers on the second floor. It also houses a 1,900-square-foot technology work area, 3,500 square feet of storage space, a warehouse for receiving technology equipment and office space.

“The facility will serve as the “brain center” for the district,” said JP Grom, vice president at Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), the firm that is serving as the program manager for the bond program. “It will allow GCCISD to store student and teacher data within the district, rather than relying on a third-party data facility. It will also serve as the district’s emergency operations center in the event of a hurricane or other emergencies.”

Other elements of the bond program include three new elementary schools, which opened in 2015, a new transportation center that was completed in 2017, and an agriculture science building that opened in 2018. The bond package also includes additions to four facilities, renovation of STEM labs in five schools and security upgrades. In addition, the bond package has enabled GCCISD to accomplish its goal of retiring $52 million in deferred maintenance.

LAN is a full-service consulting firm offering planning, engineering and program management services.

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