After spending nearly two years on planning, design and gathering community input, the money from the SAISD’s 2010 Bond is starting to dig deep.
Some of the 22 SAISD facilities receiving drastic renovations are 100 years old. SAISD Interim Superintendent Sylvester Perez said updates will allow students to have the same opportunities as other school districts.
“Not just modernizing them," said Perez, " but meeting the educational needs of the 21st century."
Cameron Elementary is the first school to start construction and receive a complete redesign. Its principal, Pamela Tankerson, said the student capacity will jump from 400 to 600.
“Basically the school is being gutted and we’re starting all over mostly,” said Tankerson. “So we will have larger state-of-the-art classrooms, we will have the latest technology.”
As the school is rebuilt, students are using the closed Pfeiffer Elementary until next year. Out of 68 bond projects, other schools receiving major renovations include:
- Highlands High School
- Edison High School
- Japhet Elementary
In June of next year, all 22 of the districts school projects will be in the renovation process. Voters approved SAISD’s $515 million 2010 bond by 66 percent, and all work on the bond-funded renovations is scheduled to be completed by 2015.
