NISD breaks ground on another new high school
NISD Communications Department
March 28, 2008
For the first time in its history, Northside ISD has two new high schools under construction, an indication that enrollment growth in Texas' fourth largest district isn't slowing down.
Northside leaders broke ground Wednesday on William J. Brennan High School, the District's 10th comprehensive high school. Brennan High School, funded by School Bond 2007, will open in 2010 outside Loop 1604 just west of SeaWorld.
Meanwhile, construction is ongoing at Louis D. Brandeis High School, set to open in August 2008 on Kyle Seale Parkway.
"Here we are breaking ground on another new high school, before we even open the high school we broke ground on two years ago," Superintendent John Folks said during the Brennan High School groundbreaking ceremony. "We now have 12 schools in design or under construction. No other school district in Texas is doing that."
Though home sales and new home construction in San Antonio has slowed slightly, Northside still is growing by about 3,000 students a year. Current enrollment is 85,546 and projected enrollment for next school year is 88,596.
In just four years, Northside's 100,000th student will enroll, said Katie Reed, President of the Board of Trustees.
"We're a great school district and people want to live in Northside," Reed said. "Don't worry about the fact that there are few houses (near the Brennan High School site.) There will be more; they're coming."
The groundbreaking ceremony paid homage to the new school's namesake, one of the U.S. Supreme Court's most influential justices. Brennan served on the Supreme Court from 1956 to 1990 and authored several landmark cases. He died in 1997.
Since 1960, all NISD high schools have been named after U.S. Supreme Court Justices. Middle School students who are expected to attend the new high school nominate justices and the Board of Trustees selects the name.
Brandon Fathy, a seventh grader at Luna Middle School, nominated Justice Brennan and read his winning essay at the groundbreaking ceremony. He was joined by his teacher, Kellie Sears.
"It's easy to see why the next NISD school should be named Brennan because of his character," Brandon said. "He was never afraid to speak his mind and believed in desegregation, freedom, and the right to learn."
RSS 2.0 NISD News Feed
View News Archives
Printer Friendly