Prep schools continue expansion projects
From infrastructure projects to medical and hotel developments dotting the area, almost every facet of The Woodlands is experiencing a growth spurt, and that has extended to schools around the area.
Private schools in The Woodlands are ratcheting up their operations and expanding to meet the demands of a growing student population. About 110,000 people live in The Woodlands, and 42 percent of households have children.
The Woodlands Christian Academy, a pre-K-12 preparatory school, is expanding its athletics facilities. By mid-September, the school will complete its first track field and upgrades to its existing football stadium.
“Track is a huge program in our athletic department and very successful, so for the longest time, we’ve wanted to give them a facility they could
be proud of and train effectively on. This is that kind of facility,” said Randy Hollas, athletics director at TWCA.
Track and field is one of the fastest-growing sports at the school. The boys team won the 2015 state championship, and the girls team has won regional and district championships in the past, too.
The old press box was taken down and the bleachers have been moved to make way for the new track, which encircles the football field. Asphalt was laid for the track, but a rubber overlay has yet to be placed on top.
Separately, renovations for the existing football stadium will be complete before the first game in October, which includes an all-synthetic turf. The school has plans to build concessions, storage and cheer rooms in the stadium, and those additions are expected to be done in the next six to nine months.
Funds for the renovations came from a fundraising gala that raised $2.5 million in early May for the eight-lane track and synthetic turf football stadium.
“Our auction was one of the most exciting times for me as a professional to see how much excitement there is for our school,” Hollas said. “The track affects everyone of those kids — the cross-country team, the basketball team, the baseball team, the football team — everybody gets out there and uses the track to train. We want to put emphasize on allowing all of our teams to train effectively, to be high achievers and do things that every other kid in the state of Texas has the opportunity to do.”
The new facilities not only give students an opportunity to practice and hone their skills on the field, but also enable the school to host district and regional competitions, while making a name for itself on the state level.
The school will have its hands full with construction for the coming years. It has plans to construct a new high school in the near future. Two years ago, it built a new lower school.
While The Woodlands Christian Academy is currently pouring funds into expanding its athletics facilities, the John Cooper School has its eyes on STEM education.
The John Cooper School, which has been a part of The Woodlands for nearly 30 years, will draw inspiration from university-grade facilities for its new math and science building, the Rock Center for Math and Science.
“As you walk through the building, you’re looking through glass into space as you would if you were walking through a government science laboratory or a medical school facility, and that was intentional,” said Headmaster Mike Maher about the new school’s design. “We want the building to be a part of the teaching process and for people to experience the science, even if they’re not in a particular classroom.”
The Rock Center’s design revolves around “flexible learning” concepts, where lab equipment and furniture are mobile and classrooms can be assembled to fit several different teaching styles. The school hopes the flexibility will create a space for interactive learning and inquiry-based curriculums.
The building is still just mounds of earth, cement blocks and plumbing. The school expects to pour the slab foundation for the Rock Center this month. It broke ground in June and expects the new building to be complete in time for the 2016-17 school year.
“With the exception of the original opening of the school in 1988, ... this is the most significant, academic, forward step in the history of the school,” Maher said. “It’s transformative because we’re going to be doing more, and we’re going to be doing it in a more progressive and contemporary way than we ever have.”