Progress Continues On HPISD Construction Projects
Progress continues on Highland Park ISD construction projects despite campus closures during the spring semester because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
HPISD trustee Edward Herring said favorable weather has helped the progress on construction projects.
“Lots of progress on Hyer so far over the last month since we last talked,” Herring said. “The brick work is ongoing on the north, south and east side…the kitchen structural steel is installed and the interior framing is ongoing. All roofs are installed and the building is now fully protected from the rain.”
Herring added that electrical switchgear and window installation is almost complete as well and the rooftop AC units were installed by helicopter June 8.
He said the school is on schedule to open for the start of the 2020-2021 school year.
“Although the playfield won’t be available for grass to grow in, we do anticipate that all the playgrounds will be installed and the perimeter landscaping will be installed as well,” Herring said.
As for the Highland Park High School renovations, he said that work will be finished by the start of school and the new student entry will be finished in late November.
“The new natatorium…classrooms and labs are scheduled for completion by August of 2021,” Herring said.
As for the multi-use building, he added that work on both floors in the south part of the building will be finished by the first week of July and the full building with the pool will be ready in early August.
Herring said renovation work on Highlander Stadium is set to finish by the end of July.
Lastly, Herring said painting with the new colors started at Boone June 9 and further personalization work for the campus is set to be finished before the start of school in August.
In another note, Highland Park ISD Superintendent Dr. Tom Trigg said the district will have to be “ready to pivot quickly” as they prepare for 2021.
“As we’re awaiting instructions from the governor’s office, we are taking a multi-faceted approach as we prepare for 2021–three different tracks, traditional brick and mortar, virtual platform and a hybrid model that we’re all working on,” Trigg said. “We’ve got to be ready to pivot quickly depending on what comes down in terms of what kind of requirements and restrictions that we might have.”
