Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Texas District Finishes Construction on New Middle School, Admin Building

  • By Matt Jones
  • 08/12/25

The Westwood Independent School District recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Westwood Middle School and Administration Building in Palestine, Texas, according to a news release. The campus covers 106,000 square feet and has the capacity for 650 students in grades 6–8, and it will also play home to the district’s staff and administration.

The July 31 ceremony included an open house and guided tours before the start of school on Aug. 13. Funding for the middle school came from Bond 2021, a $38-million bond referendum that went toward new facilities, renovations, and repairs and upgrades around the district. Funding for the administration building came through local resources and wasn’t included in the bond package, according to the news release.

“These new facilities are a testament to the vision of our community and the commitment to creating learning environments where our students can thrive,” said WISD Superintendent Wade Stanford. “We’re already seeing a positive impact on student engagement and staff collaboration.”

The district partnered with Fitzpatrick Architects and Pfluger Architects for the project’s design, as well as Jackson Construction for construction services. The project consisted of renovating four existing buildings into a single facility. The campus consists of new and refurbished buildings that took advantage of existing structures, foundations, and loadbearing walls.

“The design intent is to support the learning space profile defined by input from the community, parents, staff, and students,” said Pfluger CEO Terry Hoyle. “The learning spaces include flexible and comfortable instructional spaces; collaborative spaces for engagement, creativity, and student choice; and non-academic spaces for community engagement and outdoor learning.”

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.

  • 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.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Classical building columns display digital data streams

    The Campus Nervous System: Why Facilities Risk Is Now a Leadership Issue in Higher Education

    Facility performance now intersects with safety, compliance, on-campus experience, institutional reputation, and financial resilience. That places it firmly on the leadership agenda.