It's not every day Principal Keri Flores has people lining up to take a look around Western Hills High School but that day came today, as Flores showed off the newly renovated school, thanks to a voter-approved bond package.
"The seniors are super bummed because they're leaving," said Flores. "It's going to create an atmosphere almost like a small junior college, a very professional atmosphere."
It's one part of the game plan to get students focused and buckled down to bounce back from the poor test scores after the pandemic.
In the Fort Worth ISD, 82% of 7th graders scored below grade level on their STAAR tests, and as beautiful as the new facility is, the students will need so much more.
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Dr. Kent Scribner, Superintendent of Fort Worth ISD, said they have a plan.
"We have a plan to extend the school day, the school year, and to have Saturday school for those communities in the biggest need, it will not be district-wide, it will be targeted for those students who have been challenged."
Despite the tough work ahead, mindset matters.
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Fort Worth ISD Trustee Quinton Phillips says the work that needs to be done can't happen if kids come back to school buildings that were dark, dingy and hadn't been touched in years.
"This is enticing for a young person to come to school; it will change your entire attitude," said Phillips.
"If we understand we had too much time away from the school last year then it's time to ramp up being academically engaged. That's going to mean something."
All the high schools in Fort Worth ISD will get this same treatment before the beginning of the school year, the district hoping to do it for all schools eventually.
