Navasota High School excited to start school, utilize new facilities

NAVASOTA, Texas (KBTX) - Navasota ISD started school Monday, and it’s the first time the school will be able to spend a whole year in new facilities built and upgraded through the $61 million bond project passed in 2017.

The school district finished and completed a lot of these projects during the previous academic year; however, with construction ending mid-year, it didn’t give students an opportunity to fully maximize the spaces. However, high school principal Kristi Ramsey says this year will be different.

“Last year, as you know, we were still under construction and there were so many obstacles in our way,” said Ramsey. “We don’t have those anymore. All the parts of our facility are now open and in use.”

These new facilities include a career and technology education center. Students have the opportunity to take classes in culinary arts, cosmetology, health sciences, and much more.

Fine Arts also got an upgrade, especially the black box theatre, which theater teacher Stephanie Fitzsimon says is a huge change compared to her old classroom.

“We had a really tiny classroom and did the best we could with all of our pieces in there,” said Fitzsimon. “We were very crowded, couldn’t really move around. Often times we would have to go out into the hall to practice.”

The new black box classroom features a stage, multiple makeup mirrors, AV equipment and more.

Fitzsimon attributes the space to more students wanting to join the program this year.

“It’s been huge,” said Fitzsimon. “All it takes really is them walking in and they kind of have this response of their eyes dropping and like ‘wow’. “And they are constantly wanting to signup now because they are interested in it.”

Fitzsimon said around 100 kids in total are signed up for the different theatre courses.

Additionally, the courses all fall in line with the high school’s mission.

“We like to think we are instilling small-town values while providing big-town opportunities.”

And those opportunities come with proper preparation.

“At Navasota, it’s really important for us to not only prepare our kids for college but also to go right into their career industry or to a trade school,” said Fitzsimon.

Whether students are in the spotlight or not.

“It’s really neat to able to not just give the kids who like to act an opportunity to do something because to be quite honest if you are going to go into theatre a lot of the ways to make a career is in the behind the scenes things, in the sound, in the lights, in the makeup, and so its good for kids to know I’m not just playing here, I’m not just acting, I’m gaining skills that I can really use,” said Fitzsimon.

In addition to remodeling the black box on campus, the district is currently remodeling Brosig Auditorium in downtown Navasota.

Ramsey says the project is expected to be finished this fall.

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