Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Laredo ISD Provides Updates on $100M in District Construction Projects

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/20/23

The Board of Trustees for the Laredo Independent School District in Laredo, Texas, recently received updates on a series of district construction projects totaling about $100 million, according to local news. Ongoing projects include a new academic wing for Cigarroa High School, a replacement facility for Cigarroa Middle School, a new library for Heights Elementary School, and construction of the new Kawas Elementary School.

According to Assistant Superintendent for Plant Facilities and Support Services Angel E. Velazquez, the new academic wing at Cigarroa High School will soon finish construction of Phase 1, which will house the campus’ core instruction areas. After the completion of Phase 1, demolition of the former instruction wings will begin to clear space for Phase 2, which entails the campus’ vocational shops, according to local news. The project cost an estimated $21 million and is scheduled for completion in late August 2023.

Meanwhile, the district is also planning a new, ground-up facility for Cigarroa Middle School. “This brand-new campus will replace completely the existing facility and will include instructional classrooms, fine art areas, cafeteria, two gymnasiums, special education units, and all required administration areas,” said Velazquez. The project cost $55 million and will be completed in March 2025.

The library at Heights Elementary School saw renovations to include four additional classrooms necessitated by increased enrollment, said Velazquez. The renovation project cost $3 million and will be completed by next month.

Finally, the district is constructing a new elementary school, Kawas Elementary School. “We are currently in the process of completing the construction of the new Kawas Elementary Campus,” said Velazquez. “The total cost of this brand-new facility is $16.4 million and is expected to be substantially completed by October 2023. The scope of work includes classrooms, gymnasium, cafeteria, and administration areas. The existing early childhood area was kept due to its good condition and will be seamlessly connected to the new building, improving the overall security of the facilities.”

Funding for all four projects comes from a 2018 Bond series election approved by LISD taxpayers, local news reports.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Phoenix High School Completes First Phase of Campus Renovations

    Metro Tech High School, part of the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) in Phoenix, Ariz., recently announced the completion of the first stage of a campus renovation project, according to a news release. The school reopened a series of public-facing business operations spaces including credit union, daycare, floral, cosmetology, and culinary services. It also includes new CTE learning spaces for the school’s nursing assistant, pharmacy, and sports medicine programs.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Concordia College Completes Memorial Auditorium Renovations

    Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., recently completed a $2.5-million renovation project to Memorial Auditorium, a news release reports. The college partnered with Kraus-Anderson for the project’s construction and ICON Architectural Group for its design.