By Rachel Hall, reporting for Bluebonnet News
Construction projects on the high school campus and new Cottonwood Elementary School in Cleveland ISD are underway and have reached a milestone.
“This ceremony marks 50 percent completion of construction,” said Cleveland ISD Superintendent Chris Trotter. “They will be ready for opening in Fall 2020.”
The topping out ceremony is an important step in the project as it symbolizes finishing the steel structure, according to Architect Richard Crump.
“It’s hard to believe that less than a year ago this [high school] expansion area was a parking lot,” said Crump. “The project is the result of a community coming together to give children their best opportunity. We hope that when this campus is complete, the community of Cleveland will look at this new structure as a symbol of this enduring effort.”
Guests in attendance, including Cleveland ISD school board members, were asked to sign a steel beam at each of the two campuses in recognition of the historic event in the community.
“It is an exciting time with our growth as a district,” said Trotter. “Anytime the community comes together to build new schools for students is an important day. We want to celebrate it.”
Cleveland ISD Board Trustee Amanda Brooks signs her name on a beam at Cleveland High School. 
Guests at the topping-out ceremony for Cleveland ISD gather outside of Cottonwood Elementary on Wednesday, July 10. 
Cleveland ISD Superintendent Chris Trotter signed his name to the beams of Cottonwood Elementary and Cleveland High School at a topping-out ceremony on Wednesday, July 10. Looking on is School Board Member Willie Carter.