Construction begins on new Gibson Elementary School

Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller Times
·3 min read

When a new Gibson Elementary School opens in a year, the 67,500-square-foot building will boast an array of new features, including larger classrooms and improved technology.

But Principal Julissa Segovia expects a particular feature to stand out to students the most: the library.

"If you look at the library, it is the center of the school," she said. "There's technology and areas for children to space out. We have a beautiful library now, but it's nothing compared to what we're going to have."

Corpus Christi ISD celebrated a groundbreaking Thursday morning for the new Gibson Elementary School. It will be built alongside the old building, which dates to 1951.

"Students and staff will watch their new school come to life as they proceed through the school year, watching this project right behind me," Superintendent Roland Hernandez said, standing in front of the dirt field where crews had already begun work.

The new building, bus lane and parking lot are expected to be complete in summer 2023, while construction of a new playground is expected to be complete by winter 2023.

Project facts

  • Capacity: 500 students

  • Cost: $25,990,000

  • 27 classrooms and three collaboration spaces

  • 3,550-square-foot media center

  • 3,400-square-foot cafeteria

  • 2,800-square-foot multipurpose room

  • Security features: main entry security traffic bollards, secure entry vestibule, security system, intrusion detection, video surveillance, automatically locking classroom doors and security doors in main corridors

The project was approved by voters during the 2020 bond proposal.

"In 2006, when I was elected to the school board, the district had not passed a bond election in 14 years," said Corpus Christi ISD trustee John Longoria, who represents the neighborhood, during Thursday's event. "So we were way behind on projects with our schools."

Longoria said he took a tour of the Gibson campus when Segovia took over as principal in 2015, "and the school was in need of repair at that point."

In recent years, the district passed bond programs in 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020.

Looking at the current building, Segovia said that classroom sizes, as well as AC and roofing, are in need of upgrades.

"CCISD and Gibson Elementary facilities operations do a great job of keeping it up as it is now, but we are looking forward to the new campus," she said.

Segovia said the upgrades will create an innovative learning environment.

The new building will represent "all of the hard work that (teachers) have been putting in — a building that has upgraded classrooms, technology and that fresh newness that our teachers deserve," Segovia said.

In May, CCISD broke ground on a new consolidated elementary school to serve Montclair, Meadowbrook and Woodlawn elementary school students. Later this summer, the district will also celebrate the start of construction on a new elementary school in southeast Corpus Christi.

Olivia Garrett reports on education and community news in South Texas. Contact her at olivia.garrett@caller.com.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Construction begins on new Gibson Elementary School