New Caney ISD high school expansion to cost $22M less than expected, officials say

A New Caney ISD high school addition is expected to cost $22 million less than originally estimated to build, officials said. 

The second phase of West Fork High School, which is part of a $695 million bond package approved by voters in May, is expected to be complete by the 2025-26 school year, according to the district’s website. It will be a 180,000 square-foot expansion and include additional classrooms and learning spaces that will bring student capacity to approximately 2,250.

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The high school was part of a $200 million bond package that was approved by voters in 2018. The first phase included a 1,500-student capacity and was originally projected to cost $76 million. It now will cost $53.5 million.

The guaranteed maximum price for construction costs was approved by the district’s board of trustees during a July meeting. 

District officials also announced in July that the final project from the 2018 bond package was underway. The replacement of Porter Elementary campus at Loop 494 in Porter is expected to open for the 2024-25 school year. The new campus was estimated to cost $26 million, according to a previous report. 

Officials approved the issuance and sale of the first bonds associated with the 2023 bond package for $200 million during a meeting in June.

Two propositions were included in the bond package. 

Proposition A included $634 million for five new campuses, an administrative building, a maintenance and operations building, expansions and improvements to current facilities, and a new career ant technology education facility. Proposition B was $61 million to expand the district agriculture science center and improve sporting fields and practice areas to several high schools.

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Highlands Elementary School is expected to be one of the first projects to get started, officials said. The elementary school is a 110,000 square-foot campus in The Highlands subdivision off Grand Parkway. The school design will be a site-adapt design based on the new Porter Elementary School.

Other projects include a campus replacement for the New Caney Elementary School and the second phase of the West Fork High School. 

Each campus is expected to add 2,000 additional seats to the district. 

New Caney High School is expected to get a career and technical education facility as well as extracurricular improvements.