Renovations are set for back-to-school debut at Oak Ridge campus
As students and parents get ready for the new school year, those in the Oak Ridge area may notice some big changes.
After 14 months of construction, the Conroe Independent School District is putting the final touches on its Oak Ridge High School ninth grade campus renovation.
Students and educators alike will have more classroom space, alleviating the pressures of a growing student population.
“It should be a nice upgrade to the campus,” said CISD Superintendent Don Stockton.
The freshman campus now has four new science labs, two art rooms, a culinary lab, 10 additional classrooms and more. The price tag for the total 14 month project was about $14.2 million. Construction is covered by leftover 2008 bond funds.
The new facilities have brought the campus’ capacity from 1,050 to 1,500. Along with the main Oak Ridge High School campus, the maximum capacity is now about 3,950 students.
The campus was ready for staff around Aug. 14 and will be fully-functional in time for the start of the 2015-16 school year on Aug. 24.
“Regular maintenance of building systems and structure keeps our facilities in good operating condition, which helps control monthly utility expenses and provides a consistently great learning experience for our students and teachers,” said Easy Foster, director of planning and construction at CISD.
Earlier this year, the covered walkway between the freshman campus and the main high school collapsed due to its location along a fault line.
The covered walkway was rebuilt in this roundup of improvements.
Growth continues
The Oak Ridge feeder zone is the fastest-growing area in Conroe ISD. Oak Ridge High School, along with its ninth grade campus, is the only upper school in that area. A commissioned demographic study projects that the high school will be at 141 percent capacity by the fall of 2024. The district currently adds about 1,400 students each year.
So along with renovations to existing facilities, Conroe ISD has plans to construct several schools in the Oak Ridge feeder zone. Plans for a new, 3,000-seat high school off Riley Fuzzel Road were released in late July.
The second Oak Ridge feeder zone high school is part of a proposed $511 million bond package, $141.5 million of which would go toward the new high school.
But the area will see more than just a second high school.
A total of four schools in the proposed bond are slated for the Oak Ridge feeder zone, including a new intermediate school and two elementary schools.
More construction
In addition to renovations at the Oak Ridge High School ninth-grade campus, Conroe ISD spent nearly $10 million in construction costs at Oak Ridge Elementary and Mitchel Intermediate.
Oak Ridge Elementary got the lion’s share, coming in at $8.5 million in renovation costs over 8 months. That includes a new HVAC system with new ductwork and piping, additional parking, an emergency backup generator and an upgrade to its fiber optic system to enable technology integration in the classroom.
“Comfort and safety lay a foundation in providing students the best learning environment,” said Tami Eldridge, principal at Oak Ridge Elementary. “The enhancement in our fiber optics will also allow our students to participate in learning experiences with increased technology integration.”
Mitchell Intermediate, which was built in 1996, received a new roof over the summer. The upgrade was in accordance with the district’s normal facility life cycle, according to the district.