Campuses prepared for fall

While many students are enjoying a leisurely summer, Humble ISD is busy preparing campuses for the 2009-2010 school year. Projects slated for work this summer include Summer Creek High School, Lakeshore Elementary, Wood Creek Middle, Turner Stadium and the Community Learning Center.  

Humble ISD’s facility planning and construction department administrator Deborah Yocham recently provided an overview of current projects.

“We are trying to personalize learning in different ways,” said Yocham. “We are changing the environment to meet the needs of teachers and kids.” Beginning on June 15, moving vans made a number of trips between the Community Learning Center and the Quest High School’s new home at the Summer Creek campus. Yocham said that Summer Creek construction was “next to finished. They took delivery of furniture three weeks ago, and are in the very final finishing touches.”  Some administrators are already using offices in the building. 

With the removal of the Quest program, workers will begin transferring classes previously housed in 17 temporary buildings into the Community Learning Center. Construction of additions will begin immediately following. New wings will be used for the disciplinary program, the early learning program, and the behavior training program.  

Humble High School will also be removing temporary buildings. Following that removal, renovations to Turner Stadium are expected to begin in mid-July. Humble is also conducting renovations to other sports facilities, including the Kingwood softball field, concession stand and football field restrooms.  

Yocham said that construction on Wood Creek Middle School, also a located in the southern part of Summerwood, is approximately one month ahead of schedule. Framing is almost completed for the school, which is expected to open in the 2010-2011 school year. Yocham said that roofing components have been installed, walls are going up, and concrete is being installed for parking lots.  Although Wood Creek will be approximately the same size as other area middle schools, the building was designed with smaller learning communities in mind.  

Lakeshore Elementary, located in the northern part of Summerwood, will take advantage of the concept. Each grade at the new school will place students in “pods,” Yocham said that the new facility is based on a totally different floor plan than that of other district schools. “It’s quite a bit larger,” said Yocham.

“Most schools have 750 students. This one will have 850.” In another change from that used on many area grade schools, Lakeshore will have a separate gym and cafeteria. Yocham said that during school events, “they will have capacity for all of the parents.”

Yocham said that the appearance of progress at Lakeshore Elementary is deceptive in that landscaping has not yet been installed. The new grade school, located along Lake Houston Parkway, is expected to open in the fall.  

In addition to the projects above, Yocham said that there are the typical maintenance-type projects that occur every year, including roof refurbishments, foundation and drainage work, and replacement of chillers and boilers.  

Comparatively, Yocham termed the seemingly vast amount of work “a slow summer.” She added, in reference to the facility planning department, “It keeps us busy and off the streets.”