College Station ISD Breaks Ground on New CTE Center

The College Station Independent School District in College Station, Texas, recently broke ground on a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center. The district partnered with VLK Architects on the facility, which will serve both of its high schools, according to a news release. Funding for the project comes from a 2021 bond, and the first phase of construction is scheduled for completion by summer 2024.

The CTE Center’s first phase involves the construction of a district Agricultural Barn featuring 60 pens for small animals and 20 pens for cattle. It also includes a multipurpose arena to host both agricultural shows and CTE field trips, as well as expositions for students of all ages across the district. The building will also leave room for flexibility and expansion as the district agriculture program grows, the news release reports.

“There are many students in our district who want to show livestock,” said CSISD Director of Communications Chuck Glenewinkel. “Some of them to not have the ability to do so because of lack of land to do so, or homeowner association regulations in their neighborhoods. This facility will make it possible for all CSISD students to have the opportunity to learn accountability, bookkeeping, and showmanship, and if they are successful, they are financially rewarded at the end. There is power in learning the value of hard work and the rewards that accompany it.”

The school district and VLK Architects also partnered with construction engineering firm Salas O’Brien to determine the barn’s optimal mechanical, electrical, and plumbing requirements. The facility will feature wash stations, grooming stations, and storage areas subdivided to each high school that will give students the responsibility of maintaining their own spaces.

“VLK is honored to have partnered with College Station ISD in the design of the Agricultural Barn, the first within the school district,” said VLK Principal Melissa Fleming. “We are excited by the opportunities this facility will provide for all CSISD students.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • 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.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.