GREGORY-PORTLAND, Texas — Last summer, Gregory-Portland Independent School District broke ground to build a new 6th-8th campus.
Now the Board of Trustees plans to build a multi-million dollar middle school athletic complex that would be used for multiple purposes.
With the anticipated population growth within the school district's boundaries, new facilities will be needed to accommodate the students.
The new middle school is part of a $117 million bond package that passed in May 2015 with no increase in taxes.
“The middle school was a part of our 2015 bond. It was planned during the 2015 bond planning process, and it is now in construction set to open August 2021,” said GPISD Assistant Superintendent Velma Soliz-Garcia.
“It feels good knowing that we’re going to be able to be some of the first people to experience this, and it is going to be state of the art.
So it’s going to be pretty nice, and we are all excited about it,” said GPISD 6th grade student athlete Sofia Gonzales.
Earlier this month, the Gregory-Portland Independent School board voted 6-1 in favor to build an 8.2 million dollar middle school athletic facility.
“So it is slated to come out of our maintenance and operations funds. It is also on our 2020 bond list so it is a reimbursable proposition,” said Soliz-Garcia.
In addition to the new sports complex, additional classroom space is planned to serve the needs of more than 1,700 students and staff members.
“The athletic complex will be a part of the middle school; it’s in the back behind the middle school complex.
It is an athletic complex that has the football field and field and track events,” said GPISD Assistant Superintendent Velma Soliz-Garcia.
“I know that that’s most likely going to be super convenient for all the athletes and for the people who don’t like transporting their kids. I
think those people will be able to participate in athletics. So that will be good for the school,” said Gonzales.
“It feels great. I love it. It is an honor for the community to give us this new athletic facility, and that I will be a part of the GP family here in Gregory-Portland, Texas,” said GPISD 6th grade student athlete Emiliano Rivas.
The new athletic facility will also have full LED lights in the football field and the track.
The new bleachers will seat more than 400 people, and there will be portable bleachers at the tennis courts.
The 2015 bond allowed a budget of $50 million for the new campus, and the school board approved the construction project at $47 million.
