BELLMEAD, Texas (KXXV) — Big changes are taking shape across the La Vega Independent School District as projects funded by the 2024 bond enter their final phases of construction. Voters approved the $92.9 million bond on May 4, 2024.
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"This is beyond an exciting day. It's phenomenal that a dream is slowly becoming reality," Superintendent Dr. Shields said.
District leaders, students, community members, and alumni recently gathered to celebrate the future of the district and sign one of the final beams that will be placed inside the new Early College High School building.
The district calls the $33 million facility the crown jewel of the bond. Leaders say the new campus will expand opportunities for students, including two new programs in welding and culinary.
"This is providing tremendous opportunities for our students to graduate high school with certifications and job-ready skills to go straight into industry if that's what they choose to do," Chris Ward, La Vega ISD dean of vocational studies, said.
La Vega graduate Brenda Lee returned to the campus for the first time in decades to participate in the beam signing.
"I just wanted to revisit the school. I knew they had rebuilt it and everything, and I hadn't seen it in over 50 years," Lee said.
So far, the district has completed the high school fieldhouse and the junior high classroom addition.
Projects still underway include the elementary and primary classroom additions, the Early College High School campus, the intermediate gymnasium, a multiuse pavilion, press box and stadium renovations, and auditorium upgrades.
The last remaining project for the bond is the renovation of the high school auditorium’s seating and lighting. The district expects construction to start in late May and be completed by next winter.
For alumni, the ongoing construction represents more than just a building project.
"I’ll be able to tell my grandchildren and great-grandchildren about the time when we lived here and went to school here," Lee said.
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