Cleveland ISD on Friday, Aug. 5, held grand opening celebrations for the last two of four campuses – Northside Elementary and Ninth Grade Campus – that are coming online for the 2022-2023 school year. Grand opening events for Santa Fe Elementary and Santa Fe Middle School, both in the Colony Ridge community near Plum Grove, were held on Wednesday, Aug. 3.
The brand new Northside Elementary, located on FM 2025, is a 135,000 square-foot, two-story building for a target enrollment of 1,100 students.
The building was designed by VLK Architects and built by Crain Construction, with Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam, Inc. (LAN) serving as the construction manager. While finishing touches are being added this week to make the campus ready for students on Aug. 10, Superintendent Stephen McCanless looks for small construction projects to continue on the campus until September.
“We have the certificate of occupancy, which means we are good to go. I would say that everything will be complete by September. At that point, you will see the gym completed,” he told guests at the grand opening event, which was coordinated with the Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce and the City of Cleveland.
McCanless joked that he plans to move his office to the new Northside Campus because of the warm working atmosphere created by Northside Elementary Principal Pete Armstrong and staff.
In addressing the group gathered for the event, Armstrong thanked the community and school board for providing the new campus.
“The board was a big push for this magnificent campus. In addition to the board, I want to thank the parents. We promise that we are going to give their students nothing but the highest quality education,” he said.
After ribbon cutting at Northside Elementary, the group traveled over to the old Northside Campus, which has been repurposed as the Cleveland ISD Ninth Grade Campus. The principal for the new campus is Dr. David Knobloch.
“I appreciate the opportunity that the school district has afforded me. When I left this District and went down to Aldine ISD, it was to complete my doctorate and studies for students who are coming in from El Salvador and Honduras,” Knobloch said.
Cleveland ISD Board President Willie Carter and Secretary Amanda Brooks were in attendance at both events.
Speaking on behalf of the Board, Carter explained that using the old Northside Elementary campus as a ninth-grade only campus was the best way for the District to address overcrowding.
“We are not forgetting that we need another high school, more than a dead man needs a coffin,” Carter said.
Completion of these two projects, along with Santa Fe Elementary and Santa Fe Middle School, wraps up the bulk of construction projects within Cleveland ISD. There are no new campuses in the works at this time; however, the District is in the process of building a new administration office on SH 321, directly across from Cleveland Middle School and next to Tractor Supply.
I had the pleasure of teaching at Cleveland Middle School with Mr. Armstrong. He was a phenomenal science teacher, and I am sure he will be great as a principal as well. Northside Elementary is very fortunate to have him there as their leader! Wishing him the best always!