Sheldon ISD opens $146 million ‘crown jewel’ C. E. King High (Source: Houston Chronicle)

By Savannah Mehrtens

Sheldon ISD hosted a ribbon cutting event on Jan. 6 to welcome the community into the new C. E. King High School.

Built to provide an experience similar to a business or college atmosphere, the 580,000 square foot high school is built with an open, three-story design divided into three primary sections all connecting to one spine through the building.

“I believe that the community is going to recognize and be able to see the programs that we offer, the great common culture that we have here, and they’re going to want to bring their students here,” campus principal Keith Brooks said.

The project was started in May 2016 after a $285 million bond referendum was approved by voters, said JP Grom, LAN Vice President and Business Group Director.

He said this project is the centerpiece for the entire bond program and is not like anything else in Texas.

“On top of it, the board set out a vision at the very beginning of this project to have a first-in-class, best-in-class facility, something that cannot and will not be rivaled,” Grom said. “And I think as I walked through the tours today and saw and heard people for the first time seeing this building, I think we hit that mark.”