College Station ISD starting school year with upgraded facilities

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – College Station ISD welcomed over 14,000 students to a new school year Thursday. Many walked into schools that look different from the previous year.

Southwood Valley Elementary School and Pebble Creek Elementary School were renovated over the summer and received everything from new flooring, doors, paint, and ceiling tiles. The district’s communications director, Chuck Glenewinkel, said those renovations were much needed and were made possible by the district’s 2021 bond package. It has allowed over $78 million in renovations and other campus upgrades to be done.

“If you think about your home, after a certain amount of time things just get old and worn down,” Glenewinkel said. “Imagine having 600-2,100 kids running through your house every day and imagine how fast and how difficult the upkeep is and maintenance.”

Half of A&M Consolidated High School’s campus was renovated during the summer because of the bond, and the other half will be completed next summer. Some of the updates include new interactive Smart Boards in classrooms and LED lighting in the classrooms and hallways. The school’s auditorium and lecture hall also received a makeover because of the bond.

The school’s principal, Gwen Elder, said the renovations have been like a breath of fresh air across campus. She’s excited that updates were made to kick off the school year.

“I think attitudes will change,” Elder said. “Sometimes when you come in when things are shabby, sometimes your mentality may reflect that. Hopefully, with the renovations that have transpired over the course of the summer, people will take pride and ownership and want to make sure we keep things in order.”

Elise Word is a senior at A&M Consolidated and was surprised when she walked into the building for the first time Wednesday.

“It was really exciting because I know that there’s a lot to look forward to this year,” Word said.

The renovations are good for both the student and staff morale on campus, according to Glenewinkel.

“We want our buildings to be something that our community can be proud of,” Glenewinkel said.

More renovations and updates may be on the way for the district as the College Station ISD Board of Trustees agreed to call a $350 million bond election in November. This is the district’s largest proposed bond package and would go towards improvements across all 19 district campuses.

A 2023-2024 district budget and tax rate have also been proposed. A breakdown can be found here.

To stay connected to everything happening in the district during the school year, click here.