Spring Branch ISD Featured News

The 2022 Bond At Work from SBISD on Vimeo.

The 2022 Bond Program, approved by 73% of the vote in May 2022, responds to the commitment made as part of the 2017 Bond Program to develop the vision for a world-class Career and Technical Education (CTE) program and facility in Spring Branch ISD. 

CTE is the bridge that connects students’ academic and technical education to the world of work and strong CTE programs expose students to academic and career interests and provide them with opportunities to engage in industry experience. CTE reinforces SBISD’s T-2-4 vision, where every graduate attains a technical certificate, military training, or a two-year or four-year degree. 

More than half of Spring Branch ISD middle and high school students participate in CTE courses. Currently, CTE classrooms are undersized and lack the critical infrastructure to provide students with experiences that will prepare them to be certified for real-world occupations. 

The 2022 Bond Program will replace the Guthrie Center, SBISD’s central CTE facility, and make classroom, lab and facility improvements to the Agricultural Science Center. 

To design facilities that ensure all the necessary elements are included to maximize student learning, architects have been collaborating with the Project Advisory Team (PAT) comprised of staff, students, parents and community members. 

During the course of several meetings, each PAT collaborates to determine the best approach to the new buildings or facility improvements. 

Nakhestcia Franklin, Culinary Arts teacher, serves as a teacher representative for the Guthrie Center’s PAT. She notes that the most exciting part of the process has been how the group has grown from concepts and ideas to tangible renderings, throughout the meetings.  

“The most important goal for the PAT is to create a building that emulates the workplace and engages the community, industry and businesses,” said Franklin. “We are working to get input from students, teachers, administration and community members to ensure that we are moving in the right direction.” 

In the meetings, participants discuss everything from color schemes to shapes and textures. They consider safety, collaborative spaces, innovative classrooms and even how the renovated buildings will blend with surrounding sites. 

The PAT is committed to elevating the teaching and learning environment to engage its students and effectively provide them with challenging career pathways while using real-world practices. 

During the final Agricultural Science Center PAT meeting, students detailed their experience through the process and were excited to be part of the planning process of a building that had served them and would continue to serve many generations to come. 

“I’m grateful to have been part of this amazing process! It is a student center and I am happy the student perspective is being considered,” said Luke, a junior at Westchester Academy for International Studies and Agricultural Science student. “I am excited to see the end result and how it provides transforming experiences for future students as it has to me.” 

Similarly, Kristin Valicek, a former SBISD teacher and current parent, describes her experience in the PAT as amazing. 

Valicek notes that the architects have continually taken into consideration all the suggestions and thoughts from teachers, students and community members and always bring back plans that incorporate such feedback.

“It’s wonderful to see that our voices are being heard and that the 2022 Bond Program is fast at work!” concluded Valicek. 

Learn more about the 2022 Bond Program.