Moving right along
Construction of BHS vocational building ahead of schedule

Wanda Nichols Photo SOURCE OF POWER -- Ironworker J.D. Kittrell, of Cannon Steel Erection, of Tyler, welds the joists of the mezzanine, the location of the building's power source, in the new vocational building.

Despite the recent rains, construction of the new Brownsboro High School vocational building is three weeks ahead of schedule, according to project manager, John Kennon, of WRL Contractors, of Flint.

"We've had some quality performance from Smith Fab in terms of erecting the building," Kennon said. "We've also had quality performance from the electricians, plumbers, and framers."

The new 20,067 sq. ft. building, located at the southern end of the high school band practice field, will house the Ag and Industrial Technology classes, and relocate the business classes and labs, including keyboarding, accounting, computer marketing, and general business.

Students and faculty will enter into the building through a main hallway with entrances from the west and east side, that allows access to the business classrooms and computer labs at the front of the building, and the Industrial Technology and Ag classrooms and shops that will occupy the rear portion of the building.

Wanda Nichols Photo REVAMPING EXISTING AG AND IT SHOPS -- While workers continue the construction of BHS's new vocational building, others are renovating the existing Ag and IT shops to make way for the expansion of the school's biology classrooms and labs. Pictured: Workers from Ivy Plumbing, in Tyler cut a trench into the shop's concrete floor to install electric and plumbing to the renovated area.

For safety measures, firewalls have been erected throughout the all-metal and cinder block building.

Contractors are currently installing the in- terior walls, air conditioning ducts, and the overhead electric. Structural work on the mezzanine area that houses the power sources is also underway.

"It's coming together," Kennon said. "It really is. The masons did a great job getting it done. When you've got 34 masons on the job it's slammed. They got the exterior brick up on the building in two days."

Kennon said refurbishment of the existing high school building is also on schedule.

Once school dismissed for the summer the Ag and IT departments vacated their existing shops in the high school to allow for 7,940 sq. ft. of renovations and construction of larger, fully equipped science classrooms and labs.

A new state law says students entering ninth grade this year must have four years of science. Since science class is a lab-based program, students are required to spend 40 percent of their class time in the laboratory. The existing high school building does not have the facilities to serve the more than 800 students currently enrolled there. The new labs will enable teachers to teach lab work as well as lecture.

Once the renovations are complete the school will be in compliance with the law and students will have a better chance to compete academically on the standardized TAKS tests.

With enrollment increasing at a steady rate, school officials were forced to resort to the installment of four portable classrooms. The building of the new facility will open up 12 classrooms in the existing high school building that will eliminate the need for portables, as well as provide permanent classrooms for four floating teachers.

BISD Superintendent Elton Caldwell said furniture for the new building and renovated classrooms has been ordered.

"We're still shooting to be open by the first day of school," Caldwell said.

Caldwell said the projected completion date of the $2.9 million project is August 26, with classes starting August 27.