Flour Bluff ISD is in the middle of a busy phase of its construction and upgrades funded by Bond 2025, with the $193 million improvement plan on track to be ready when students return on Aug. 12.
I got an exclusive tour of the progress across multiple campuses with Zach Graf, the district's executive director of operations.
The first stop was the Early Childhood Center, where a new parking lot is being built to address years of traffic congestion on Purdue Drive.
"As part of Bond 2025 this summer we've had a really busy summer, so the first thing you see behind me is the ECC parking lot...and have added more queuing so parents can actually be able to queue and park and get their kids into school now without being on a vacant lot next to the school on Purdue," Graf said.
Graf said the concrete is expected to finish being poured by July 25, with only striping remaining before the first day of school. He said the fix is long overdue.
"I think everybody who goes to school from pre-K on remembers the experience trying to park and get in and out of the ECC," Graf said.
The tour also included the stadium, where new lights are being installed, and the newly repaved tennis courts. Graf said the upgrades are designed to benefit more than just students.
"Within reason we want to turn over as much of this to the community and allow for public access as possible. So our tennis courts every weekend they play pickleball on our tennis courts," Graf said.
At the primary school, new flooring has been installed across every campus in the district, and painting is underway at several locations.
"Every campus around the district right now has brand new floors installed and we've painted three of them. We painted at the primary, the ECC, and the intermediate so far," Graf said.
The most significant transformation this summer is happening at the junior high,where a full mechanical, electrical, and plumbing renovation is underway.
"The other big major project we got going on is the junior high, mechanical, electrical,and plumbing renovation. Basically we took out all of the ceiling grids, we took out all of the AC units in each of the classrooms, we took out all the duct work, the chilled water piping, and it's all brand new," Graf said.
Graf said the junior high renovation will be the most noticeable change for students and staff when school begins. He said the building was previously humid, noisy, and running on 1980s-era equipment. The new system will include dimmable lighting and modern climate control.
The junior high renovation is being completed in phases, with half of the building addressed this summer and the other half planned for next summer. Graf said the primary school renovation is also set to begin next summer.
Graf said several larger construction projects — including an ECC addition, a CTE building, are ready to break ground this fall. He said dirt could be moving on the CTE building by the end of October, with a target completion date of the start of the 2028 school year.
For Graf, the summer's work represents the payoff of months of planning after more than 10,000 voters were cast towards the bond.
"That's the best part, being able to deliver on these projects for the community. I think is the most exciting part for all of us. Finally getting to see concrete poured behind us. We've done months and months of planning," Graf said.
Community access is also expanding as a result of the upgrades. Graf said the junior high track is open to the public every night, and new turf at the baseball field has already allowed the district to host Big 12 tournaments — something it was unable to do previously without damaging grass fields.
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