CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Gregory-Portland ISD celebrated the opening of its new Operations and Family Resource Center this morning, bringing together community members, city leaders, and district staff for a ribbon cutting ceremony on North Gregory Avenue.
The facility consolidates the district's transportation, maintenance, technology, and safety and security departments under one roof. It also houses the Wildcat Food Pantry and Clothing Closet, which serves families in the community.
GPISD Superintendent Dr. Cavazos said the building was designed with both employees and the broader community in mind.
"We are thrilled to be opening this brand new operations and Family Resource Center facility for all of our operations teams. It's allowed us to consolidate them into one space, which then aligns our operations to be more effective and efficient across our system," Cavazos said.
Cavazos said the facility also honors the work of district employees who often go unseen.
"The other thing is that it really elevates the space for our employees who are the ones who really work behind the scenes. They're here from sun up, really before the sun's up and past the, you know, when the sun goes down, and it's their work that allows our teachers to do what they do in the classroom in educating our students. So we're really thrilled to be able to build this intentionally designed space for our employees, that do so much for our district," Cavazos said.
Beyond district operations, the center includes multi-purpose spaces available for community use. A local volunteer organization called Give Volunteer Organization, which had outgrown its previous meeting space across the street, will now be able to meet at the new facility. The building also includes a technology access area where employees and potentially community members can pursue training and skill-building opportunities.
The Family Resource Center portion of the building features a food pantry stocked with both perishable and non-perishable items, as well as a clothing closet. Cavazos said that portion of the facility is available to families of students currently enrolled in the district, who can sign up for services online.
Cavazos said city leaders have also taken notice of the new facility and what it could mean for the Gregory community.
"In talking with the city leadership, some of the city council members and the mayor, they're really thrilled about this facility being here because then it also attracts others to the community and inspires some other potential future development in the community," Cavazos said.
The superintendent said the building was designed with future growth in mind, not just current needs.
"As we've been building and opening new facilities, we've had an eye on what are current needs, but what are future needs. You know, that with boards and students who come decades from now in the future. And so this space may seem large to some people, but it does allow us the opportunity to grow into it and further expand our opportunities and offerings throughout our GPISD community," Cavazos said.
Cavazos extended an open invitation to anyone who was not able to attend the ribbon cutting.
"We invite anyone who wasn't able to join us today to come by and check out our facility. It's really theirs. Our community voted to support this. If they want access to our Family Resource Center and the services that we provide there, they can go online to sign up," Cavazos said.
Cavazos also expressed gratitude to the community for its continued support of the district.
"I also want to say that I'm very grateful to the support of our community. We know that they have very high expectations for their students and of us as a district, and their vote of confidence in supporting school bonds allows us to provide the best of the best for our students and those who educate them and help prepare the spaces where they're learning," Cavazos said.
The new Operations and Family Resource Center was funded through Bond 2023.
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