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Rendering of the new Harmony Science Academy campus -
Groundbreaking ceremony for the new Harmony Science Academy campus -
Proposed conceptual site plan
A Beaumont public charter school will soon double its potential for enrollment with the addition of a new middle and high school in the west end of the city.
More than 50 people attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Harmony Science Academy campus on May 26. Harmony is a public charter school system that provides a curriculum placing emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). It is the largest STEM-focused charter public school network in Texas.
The new $20 million, 100,000-square-foot project, located at 6940 Phelan Blvd., is behind the Colonnade Shopping Center at the corner of Phelan and Dowlen Road, and next to the Glen Oaks Apartments. The new two-story facility, serving grades 6-12, can accommodate 750 students and 100 staff members.
Gignac Architects, N&T Construction and JLL Construction Manager facilitated construction of the added campus, which will be added to the Beaumont campus chartered in 2007.
Houston South/West District Superintendent Ramazan Coskuner said that, after more than 10 years in Beaumont, this second building for Harmony is due.
“This starts a haven of learning in innovation and growth for students who are empowered to become the leaders of tomorrow,” said Coskuner, pointing to the state-of-the-art facilities operated by Harmony hosting “creativity, talents and inspiring greatness.”
“Our school will continue to be a place where dreams take flight, knowledge flourishes and generations of students thrive,” he added.
David Bradley, a former Texas State Board of Education representative for Southeast Texas, remarked that school choice being debated in the state legislature offers insight to the thoughts of families throughout the Lone Star State.
“If you’re wealthy, you have school choice by writing a tuition check and going anywhere you want to,” Bradley explained, also mentioning a second level of school choice via relocating to another community, city or state. “If you are trapped by your zip code to go to a failing school, that’s wrong.”
Bradley noted that Texans are given choice when it comes to banking institutions, lunch options, shoe styles …
“You have choices all over the place, except for public education,” he said. “But, you do have one today for a free tuition-free public school.”
Bradley said that Harmony schools were started by a group of former Texas A&M University graduates, and the new Beaumont campus expansion has been in the works for the past five years.
“It is a very successful program by the stats,” Bradley added.
Julie Pickern, a current State Board of Education representative, thanked Harmony for looking at the community and bringing another choice for student education.
“When education wins, our communities win, our state wins,” she said. “Education brings stability, lowers the crime rate and it brings economic development.”
Pickern praised the opportunity for competition in education providers, boosted by support from Beaumont Mayor Roy West, who thanked Harmony for investing in the community’s youth.
“This is an exciting time for our city,” West said. “We all know the youth are our future. The more opportunity they have, the better our community benefits.”
Harmony’s new Phelan campus will be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, including large 3D printers and bio-chemistry labs, as well as include classrooms, labs, gymnasium, soccer/football field, art and music space, special education space, restrooms, offices and a central common area for secondary students, according to Jeffery Payne, outreach coordinator for Harmony. The current campus at 4055 Phelan Blvd. will become an elementary school for prekindergarten to fifth grade.
Harmony Public Schools opened its first campus in Houston’s Braeswood neighborhood 23 years ago and has grown to more than 60 campuses in 23 cities, along with 23 proposed locations. There are more than 41,000 students enrolled from prekindergarten to 12th grade. Harmony has a reported 99% graduation rate and 100% college acceptance rate.