Originally published on 10/4/21
Since the successful passage of the 2018 Bond, Alvin ISD has remained a fast-growth school district, with the student population growing nearly 22% over the past five years and reaching 28,046 students this school year. As a result of this growth, Alvin ISD continues to be a high-performing, sought-after destination for families moving to the greater Houston area.
“The overwhelming support of the 2018 Bond is just another example of the endless support we receive from our wonderful Alvin ISD community,” said Carol Nelson, Alvin ISD Superintendent. “We are so grateful for the community support allowing us to keep our District a dynamic learning organization committed to excellence for each student and every program.”
Two of the schools included in the 2018 Bond, Jackie Doucet Caffey Jr. High and the E.C. Mason Elementary replacement campus, opened their doors to students for the 2021-22 school year.
Caffey Jr. High, the District’s eighth junior high, is located in the Meridiana subdivision and serves grades six through eight. E.C. Mason Elementary is located in Manvel, across the street from the previous E.C. Mason Elementary.
Future Facilities
In addition to the two schools mentioned above, 2018 bond funds support additional new school construction and land purchases.
Construction crews are busy working on Alvin ISD’s fourth high school, Iowa Colony High School, which is located in the city of Iowa Colony and will open in the fall of 2022 for freshmen and sophomores. The campus will add a grade level each year until it serves grades 9-12 like other Alvin ISD high schools.
Iowa Colony High School, whose mascot, the Pioneers, was named earlier this year, will feature larger classroom sizes, a media center/library, multi-purpose/large group instruction rooms, an auditorium, band halls, a choir room, art rooms, a culinary lab, robotics lab, gymnasiums, a swimming pool, and much more.
The Harby Jr. High renovation began in June of 2021. The campus has been shut down for the 2021-22 school year while construction takes place. Current Harby Jr. High seventh and eighth graders are housed at the old Alvin Elementary building and the current sixth graders have been split between Alvin Jr. High, Fairview Jr. High, and Manvel Jr. High.
“Since Harby is a two story-building, we felt it was best for the safety and security of our students to temporarily move them out of the building for the bulk of construction,” Alvin ISD Chief of Operations Pat Miller stated. “Harby Jr. High was designed in the 1970s so it does not have the same amenities as our newer Jr. High’s have. It is important for us to renovate Harby to make it equitable with our other Jr. High schools.”
The students will be able to move back into a renovated Harby Jr. High during the 2022-23 school year.
The District is also planning to construct its 21st elementary school, Delbra Nichols-Wilma Mock Elementary, in Iowa Colony. The design was approved at the August 2021 Board Meeting, with construction starting in early 2022 in the Sierra Vista subdivision. The campus, named after two longtime Alvin ISD educators, is expected to open in 2023.
Other Bond 2018 projects that have yet to begin construction include Elementary #22 named Barbara Bennett Elementary, Junior High #9 named LeRoy Castro Jr. High, and the rebuild of Alvin Elementary. These projects are set to open in 2024 to meet needs driven by increasing enrollment.
“On behalf of Alvin ISD, I would like to thank our community for supporting our bond proposals that have provided new campuses to accommodate our growth, updates to our existing campuses, security, and infrastructure,” said Superintendent Carol Nelson. “Our dedicated Board of Trustees and staff are helping oversee these projects, and we want to ensure that each of our community members are kept in the loop as the projects progress.”