GPHS transformation beginning to take shape
By David Taylor Managing Editor
GALENA PARK — The Galena Park Yellow Jackets moved into their new football field house this summer, marking one of the first visible milestones in a sweeping campus transformation that district officials say will reshape the high school for years to come.
The new athletic building, located on the west end of Dement Stadium, gives the Yellow Jackets a 22,941 square feet modern home with upgraded spaces for players and coaches, new technology, expanded weight-room areas and branding that reflects Galena Park’s long-standing school traditions.
For head football coach Spiro Amarantos, who is both a Galena Park graduate and longtime coach in the district, the move carries more than just practical importance.
“To have graduated from here and been able to be here — this is my 23rd year in GPISD total and eighth as the head coach here — it’s very nostalgic,” Amarantos said. “I was here in ’04 when we moved into the new facility, and then to be here and move into this facility, it doesn’t get any better.”
The field house is part of what GPISD is calling Phase 3A of the high school project. GPISD Director of Facilities and Planning Ed Matir said the contract for the field house was about $13.6 million, though he expects the final amount to be lower once unused allowances are accounted for.
Nearby, construction continues on Phase 3B, which includes a new indoor practice facility and a three-story academic classroom structure wrapped around it. Matir said that portion carries a cost of about $88 million “and some change,” including allowances. The larger Galena Park High School campus project is budgeted at just under $300 million.
Matir said the phased approach was designed to move the athletic program out of the old field house so demolition and construction could move faster on the rest of the campus.
“We need to get Spiro and his coaches out of there so we can get started on that,” Matir said. “It’s a very tight site.”
The change also accelerated the overall timeline. Matir said the district expects the project to be completed by 2029, saving about two and a half years from an earlier construction outlook.
“That saves us two and a half years,” Matir said, adding that the approach also limits disruptions for students and teachers. “It keeps it minimum.”
The future indoor practice facility will include a 60-yard practice field, a size dictated by limited space on the campus. Amarantos said the football program can still make it work.
“To be honest with you, we can do what we need to do in a space that size,” he said. “Absolutely. We can’t fit the entire team in there, but for what we need to get done, absolutely, we can make it work.”
Matir said the indoor facility will also serve a broader purpose while the campus is rebuilt. The three-story classroom structure around the practice facility will allow students and programs to be moved into new space before older areas of the campus are demolished.
“The original plan was going to be a lot of letting the kids walk through construction sites and construction areas, and I didn’t want to do that,” Matir said. “So this, I think, makes it effective.”
Amarantos said getting the team into the new field house first was key to clearing the way for the next steps.
“Selfishly, we’re super excited to be down there,” he said. “But getting us out is what allowed the old field house to go down. And now they’re building 3B and the indoor at the same time, and that wouldn’t have been able to happen without us being out of there.”
The new field house includes updated technology and flexible wall systems that allow for future changes in data, electrical and room configuration. Matir said the building is currently among the most up-to-date facilities in the district.
“Spiro right now is in the best building in the district, the most up to date,” Matir said.
Amarantos said another major point of pride is the effort to restore and preserve Galena Park’s Yellow Jacket identity. He said the school has worked in recent years to bring back Mr. Jack, school colors and other traditional branding.
“We wanted to bring the Mr. Jack tradition back,” Amarantos said. “It was just a really concerted effort to try to make all that happen.”
He said the branding inside the field house was created with the future in mind.
“We were allowed to really put some time and some effort into making this facility not just look good for the next two or three years, but for the next head coach or the next two head coaches,” Amarantos said. “The branding is functional, it’s going to last, and it’s going to translate. So we’re super happy about it, and I think the kids are too.”
Matir said the district is also looking for ways to involve students in future campus branding, including having CTE students use equipment such as plasma cutters to create metal signs and logos.
“To me, that’s unbelievable,” Matir said. “It’s a good way to be responsible with money, and then the kids have an investment.”
The project is also expected to provide longterm benefits beyond football. Matir said the completed campus will include an indoor practice facility and three exterior practice fields, while the band and Jacketeers will have their own space as well.
Amarantos said sharing space during construction will require cooperation, but he credited the campus community for working together.
“We work well together, everybody on the campus,” he said. “Anytime that the Jacketeers or the band need it, we’re happy to oblige. We figure it out, we make it work, and everybody seems to be happy in the end. You just gotta be flexible.”
Matir said the broader high school rebuild is possible because of voter support for the 2024 bond program. He said the district has also benefited from strong contractor interest and competitive bidding, including 18 bidders on Phase 3A.
“I’d like to thank the voters,” Matir said. “Without them, I couldn’t do what we’re doing right now. Once we’re done with Galena Park, and this is just the first step, it’s going to be very nice. The whole community is going to appreciate it.”
Amarantos said the new field house is already making an impact on students and the athletic program.
“This is a humongous investment in our kids, in our school, in our community,” he said. “They’re seeing the benefits of it every single day, like as we speak.”
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