Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Texas K–12 District Tops Out Agricultural Sciences Complex

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/26/23

The Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District in Pecos, Texas, recently celebrated a topping out ceremony for its new Agricultural Sciences Complex, according to a news release. Members of the community gathered on April 25 so that FFA students from Pecos High School could sign their name on the last steel beam.

“The PBTISD Agricultural Science Complex will support many students across the district of all ages and our High School FFA program,” said PBTISD Superintendent Brent Jaco. “The district is excited to provide a space for students interested in agriculture and to give them a place where they will be able to come and raise their livestock for showing season.”

The Agricultural Science Complex is a metal barn measuring in at 13,550 square feet that will contain classrooms, administrative space, and storage space for tools and food for the animals. Livestock pens will have access to running water and electricity, and the facility also includes a grazing area and arena, wash bays, overhead doors with bird screens for cross-ventilation, and infrared unit heaters and fans for year-round temperature control, according to the news release.

The district partnered with VLK Architects for the project’s design. The complex is a district capital project and is currently scheduled for completion by November 2023.

“VLK is honored to be a part of this topping out ceremony marking a significant milestone in the construction process,” said VLK Principal Monika Castillo. “We have been very fortunate to partner with PBTISD to design the new Agricultural Sciences Complex that will provide students with hands-on learning opportunities.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • University of Illinois Moves Forward with College Sports’ Largest Digital Scoreboard

    The University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill., recently announced a series of upgrades to Gies Memorial Stadium that will include the largest scoreboard in college sports, according to a news release.

  • Abstract tech network data connections with orange, blue glowing dots, lines

    3 Trends for Higher Education to Stay Ahead of in 2026

    As universities enter the new year, the question is no longer whether digital transformation is necessary, but how quickly institutions can convert technological potential into strategic advantage.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.