Parker Elementary Set To Open In 2018 In Meyerland

HOUSTON, TX — As construction on rebuilding Parker Elementary School nears completion, students will get an old school with a new look when they go back in early 2018. Exterior brick and roof installations are nearly complete, and steel framing is underway, as is the installation of insulation and dry wall. In addition, building heating and cooling systems are being tested and crews are painting the cafeteria’s exterior.

"I’m extremely anxious, but very excited," Parker principal Lori Frodine said. "We’ve been planning for our new school for several years, so it’s wonderful to see it come together. We can’t wait to move in."

Parker's rebuild, which includes a 500-seat auditorium and two-story expansive space for pre-K through fifth grade, is part of HISD’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program. The $33 million project calls for a new fine arts magnet school that will accommodate about 850 students.

The new auditorium will have collapsible bleacher-style seating, band, orchestra, vocal, and multipurpose rooms, and flexible learning spaces. The two-story, 113,000-square-foot building will house pre-kindergarten, first, and second grades on the ground level and third through fifth grade on the second floor. The new cafeteria also includes a separate seating area for parents visiting their children for lunch.

Parker staff members are scheduled to begin moving into the new building over winter break in advance of the school’s January opening. The contractor has increased the number of crews working at the site to ensure the school is completed on time by the end of the year.

Parker is one of 40 schools across the district being renovated or rebuilt as part of the 2012 Bond Program. Construction is underway at more than two dozen campuses. About half of all projects are now complete and open to students. Once all work is finished, HISD will boast of one of the most modern portfolios of urban high schools in the country.

Follow @Build_HISD on Twitter for the latest updates on the 2012 Bond Program and school construction across the district.

Photos courtesy of Houston ISD