By Richard Zowie —
Beginning next spring, Fredericksburg High School will undergo a remodeling and refurbishing, courtesy of a school bond approved overwhelmingly by local voters.
In May, residents voted 763-106 to approve a $16.5 million Fredericksburg Independent School District bond.
Among the bond funds will be renovations at the high school, along with miscellaneous other upgrades.
Pending approval of bids, construction at FHS for the upgrades and additions will begin spring 2016.
The high school renovations will cost an estimated $7.4 million. FISD transportation upgrades will cost $951,000, and miscellaneous other upgrades will cost around $1.93 million.
New entrance
In the 1960s, when FHS first opened, the front of the school faced northwest, toward Texas 16. The administration office was housed in the current library office.
Now, the administration office is on the southeast side (where the campus auditorium once was) and the current front of the school faces south.
Once this renovation is done, the administration office will be moved to the front.
“The safety of our students and staff has always been a priority,” said Ralf Halderman, FHS principal. “For the past two years, I have had all the doors to the main building and the east doors to the 300 and 400 building locked for security. The new construction is going to allow us to secure the entire campus with only one way into the school.”
The principal said the school has not had any significant security issues, although occasionally they’ll see a person wandering the halls, looking for the office.
New classrooms
Six new classrooms in the front of the high school (four on the highway side and two next to the new administration building) and eight on the courtyard side are included in the plans. The new classes will allow FHS to move teachers who work in the portables back to the main campus and eliminate the need for both portables and “floating” teachers (those who teach in various classrooms).
Eight courtyard classrooms will eventually be expanded to include nine more rooms.
It also will allow the school to relocate the downstairs teachers so that area can be used as a commons area for academic UIL, band, Future Farmers of America and testing.
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