Texarkana students head back to school on Wednesday

TEXARKANA, Texas - As students head back to school at Texarkana, Texas ISD on Wednesday, construction continues on two elementary schools, additions to the Wake Village Elementary School and a new CTE building at Texas High School. This is the last year students and teachers will be attending Highland Park Elementary School on W. 24th Street. The campus will be moving along with Spring Lake Park Elementary to a new building campus called Parks Elementary that will serve 800 students. Construction is possible due to a $189 million bond approved by voters in November 2022. The funding also includes new additions at Wake Village Elementary School and a new Career and Technology Center at Texas High. The district is also building a new Dunbar Pre-K Center which will have twice as much capacity as the current one. "It's going to expand capacity for three and four-year-olds from 300 at a building that was built in 1953 to a brand-new building adjacent to Texarkana College. That's really going to have a children's science museum feel to it. There's not anything like it in our area," Doug Brubaker, TISD superintendent said. The district currently employs 500 teachers and 1,200 staff members. There are about 7,200 students enrolled in the district. Renovations at Wake Village Elementary School is expected to wrap up this year. The district's other construction projects are expected to be completed next fall.