Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Texas School District Prepares to Renovate All Elementary Schools

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/28/21

The Nederland Independent School District (NISD) in Nederland, Texas, is preparing for renovations of all four of its elementary school campuses. District officials are expecting to receive design plans and a budget by August 2021, leading to an anticipated start date (for two of the schools) of October 2021. The primary goal is to keep the work within the $49.1 million budget that voters have already approved.

“[Our construction partners] are working together to look at the scope of the elementaries to make sure we can flesh out any work that would be excessive and use every ounce of dollars to get what we promised the voters,” said Superintendent Dr. Stuart Kieschnick. “We’re taking a harder look at the elementary schools because we are later in the process. The global pandemic has affected so much of the supply chain and the prices of building materials. There may not be some bells and whistles we want, but we will deliver what we promised the voters. But we have to look at it from a tighter point of view.”

Upgrades to the district’s four elementary schools—Helena Park, Langham, Highland Park, and Hillcrest—include additional classroom space for science labs and individual learning; restroom renovations; ADA modifications; and expansions to the gym, cafeteria and kitchen spaces.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the prices of materials like metal, wood and PVC are up to three times what they were when plans were made in 2018. Material and worker shortages are also contributing to slower project delivery times. In addition to the elementary school upgrades, voters have also approved upgrades to district middle schools and football stadiums, as well as the construction of a new Nederland High School.

The district is partnering with architectural firm IBI and construction supervisor H.B. Neild & Sons.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.