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South Texas District Breaks Ground on Renovations to 1950s-Era High School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 08/20/24

The Cotulla Independent School District in South Texas recently broke ground on a series of additions and renovations to its high school, originally built in 1957, according to a news release. The project was designed by Pfluger Architects, and construction will take place in two phases scheduled for completion by 2026. The new facilities will fill in spaces throughout the disconnected campus to bring its total area to 137,000 square feet, the news release reports.

The project’s ultimate goal was to modernize and connect the entire campus, many buildings of which still include small interior corridors and outdoor access points. Funding came from a $65-million bond that voters approved in May 2022.

“The age of the existing buildings and a modest budget for modernization were some of our biggest challenges, but they tested our creativity to really give Cotulla a thoughtful design that resonates with the community,” said Pfluger Architects’ Principal and Project Designer Anthony Plascencia. “By applying Pfluger’s HealthySafe holistic approach to educational facilities planning, we were able to create a campus design that embraces openness and an inviting atmosphere, incorporating constant visual connections to the outdoors and discreet layers of security. For Cotulla High School, this means a thoughtful campus redesign to create a secure and supportive environment where students can learn and grow confidently while honoring the history and community that makes the school unique.”

Renovations include enclosing the campus with a reimagined, prominent entryway which will also provide space for an upstairs outdoor balcony classroom. An auditorium will transition into a dining hall to create a community or assembly space for up to 1,000 people. A new Commercial and Technical Education (CTE) and fine arts building will centralize the school’s career tech programs and provide outdoor space for science experiments.

“Our community prides itself in tradition and the memories so many former students forged on this campus. We needed a partner who could help navigate this challenging landscape and turn our vision of a safe and inspiring learning environment into a reality, and we found that in Pfluger,” said Cotulla ISD Superintendent Dr. Ramiro Nava. “The entire Cotulla community is excited to see this transformation of a school we are so deeply connected to – this is a building the community will be proud of for the next 50 years.”

About the Author

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

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