Built in 1980, the current Frenship High School building has undergone nearly two dozen additions over the years as student enrollment and the surrounding community have continued to grow.

“It’s massive, both in size and in significance,” said Joel Thompson, Frenship ISD Director of Facilities. “The Frenship High School campus has an enormous footprint, and completing renovations across such a large area is a big task. More importantly, improving the learning environment for our students and staff is incredibly significant.”

As Frenship ISD continued to grow, the opening of a second comprehensive high school created an opportunity to take a closer look at the long-term needs of the Frenship High School campus, creating an opportunity to begin substantial renovations.

"As Frenship moves forward with two comprehensive high schools, maintaining equity between the campuses remains an important priority," Thompson said. "The FHS renovation project allows us to modernize the existing campus while preserving the history and traditions that many generations of Tigers have built there."

Thompson said the goal is to create an updated learning environment that continues to serve our students and this community for many years to come. Throughout the approximately four-year project, renovations will include updated ceilings and flooring, LED lighting, paint, doors and hardware, classroom furniture, room and wayfinding signage, restroom upgrades, and other improvements throughout the building.

Unlike building a new school from the ground up, renovating FHS presents a unique challenge in that much of the work will happen while students and staff are in school.

“Renovations can be a challenge in any circumstance, but there is definitely an extra degree of difficulty when students are present,” Thompson said. “Fortunately, there are a lot of great minds who are working, planning and adapting to these challenges to minimize disruptions to the learning environment.”

Thompson said that to make the project possible, construction is being completed in phases. The first phase of the project began last May and included renovations to the Counseling Suite, and science, Life Skills, and math classrooms. The second phase is already underway, renovating classrooms in the English and family consumer science areas.

“Since different portions of the building were constructed at different times, conditions aren’t always uniform throughout every area of the campus,” Thompson said. “As construction moves through the building, every phase presents something a little different, but that also makes it really interesting.”

The phased approach will continue over the next several school years, with the overall renovation expected to take approximately four and a half years to complete.

“Frenship ISD has grown alongside this community and served its students for more than 90 years,” Thompson said. “These renovations at FHS give us an opportunity to serve more students for many years to come.”

The project is part of Frenship ISD’s larger 2024 Bond program approved by voters in November 2024. The $189.5 million bond includes funding for renovations to existing facilities, new elementary campuses, safety and security improvements, transportation needs, and other projects designed to accommodate Frenship’s continued growth.

Learn more about the FHS renovations and other 2024 Bond projects HERE.