Humble ISD selects joint contractor for renovation, flood mitigation projects at Kingwood high schools

At the Nov. 10 Humble ISD school board meeting, a Texas-based contractor was chosen by HISD trustees to take on three major upcoming projects in Kingwood.

At the district's recommendation, trustees unanimously approved Rogers O'Brien Construction to tackle $8.8 million in renovations at Kingwood High School, $30 million in flood barriers at Kingwood High School and $8.43 million in renovations to Kingwood Park High School. The items were approved in the consent agenda without discussion.

Renovations at Kingwood and Kingwood Park high schools include gym renovations and expanding the campus' respective career and technical education classrooms. The renovations are funded by the district's $575 million bond referendum approved by voters in May 2018.

HISD began accepting contracting bids for the two Kingwood High School projects in mid-October and the Kingwood Park High School project shortly thereafter, said Nolan Correa, HISD's associate superintendent of operational support services.

"For us, it's great because we have one contractor who's doing both the flood gates and the gyms, so it's a seamless piece around making sure that flood system is seamless around that building," he said.

Construction on renovations to Kingwood and Kingwood Park high schools are set to begin in November and be completed by November 2021.

Correa said construction will be able to start on the flood barrier project while also working on the school's renovations, which will allow the barriers to be completed in late 2022 or early 2023. The project, which is mostly funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will create 8-foot, self-rising barriers over main entrances and windows and 3.5-foot barriers over other areas of the campus.

"We're hoping to start the flood gates in January 2021," Correa said. "The [project is] ... scheduled right now at about 20 months."