(HOUSTON – Jan. 06, 2020) On Jan. 06, Sheldon Independent School District (ISD) celebrated the completion of its new C.E. King High School. It was estimated that between 1,000-1,200 individuals from in and around the Sheldon community came out last Monday evening to celebrate the official ribbon cutting ceremony for the new C. E. King High School.
Sheldon ISD Superintendent Dr. King Davis thanked those in attendance, as well current and past Sheldon ISD school board members, for helping make this dream a reality following a May 2016 bond election where more than 70 percent of voters approved a $285 million bond package that included Sheldon Lake Elementary, Sheldon ISD Panther Stadium, and the new C. E. King High School.
“The opening of this new campus is an extraordinary milestone in the storied history of Sheldon ISD,” said Sheldon ISD Superintendent King Davis. “Our students and staff of C.E. King High School will have the best learning environment possible in this landmark facility. We are all excited for this grand opening and optimistic about the future leaders that will emerge from this beautiful campus!”
Campus tours were also provided after Monday’s brief program where community members had an opportunity to see this awesome new facility that was incorporated to drive 21st century learning.
Designed by Huckabee and constructed by Durotech, the school is a flagship campus for Sheldon ISD’s program. The state-of-the-art, 580,000-square-foot campus is just a mile from Generation Park and will house up to 3,500 students. The school is designed like a college campus, with promenades and quads where students, faculty and community members can interact. The classrooms have flexible spaces where educators can plug and play various teaching equipment based on workforce demand.
The campus features a traditional, comprehensive high school education program, as well as six career and technical academies aimed at helping students become college and career ready. The six academies include: business and industry; human services; public service; agriculture, manufacturing and construction; science, technology, fine arts and math; and an early college academy for traditional academics. The goal for the early college academy is for students to graduate with not only a high school diploma, but an associate’s degree or an industry certificate that can help students continue on to community college, trade schools and traditional four-year college.
Sheldon ISD is considered one of the fastest growing school districts in the Houston area. The 9,000-student school district is in the booming petrochemical corridor northeast of Houston. By 2025, Sheldon ISD is expected to have more than 15,000 students. In May 2016, to handle this rapid growth, Sheldon ISD voters overwhelmingly passed a $285 million bond to address student growth, safety and security measures and other potential facility upgrades. This bond program is the largest in the district’s history.
“Sheldon is making a statement with this new high school,” said JP Grom, AIA, vice president at Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), the firm serving as the program manager for the bond program. “The high school will serve as a visual anchor point for Sheldon ISD. They’re driving a stake in the ground, saying ‘Sheldon ISD is here, we’ve arrived.’”
Other elements of the bond program include the Sheldon Lake Elementary School and Panther Stadium that opened in August 2019, new track, baseball and softball fields, and tennis courts. The bond program also includes additions and renovations to existing middle schools as well as district-wide energy management upgrades.