Professional development center

professional development center entering final phase of construction

August 27, 2025

The Nacogdoches ISD Professional Development Center, a training and conference center for the district’s teaching and professional staff that will accommodate meetings of more than 300 people, entering the final phase of construction. Work on the 12,716-square foot facility is expected to be completed by September or early October.

The Professional Development Center, located adjacent to the District Support Center, is all that remains to be finalized from the 2018 bond program. (CLICK HERE to go to the website for the 2018 bond program.)

Work is being finalized on both the exterior and interior of the building.

Professional development center moves closer to completion

June 27, 2025

Work continues on the Nacogdoches ISD Professional Development Center, a training and conference center for the district’s teaching and professional staff that will accommodate meetings of more than 300 people. Construction of the 12,716-square foot facility is expected to be completed by September.

The Professional Development Center, located adjacent to the District Support Center, is all that remains to be finalized from the 2018 bond program. All others – including the capstone projects Emeline Carpenter Elementary, expansion of McMichael Middle School and the Malcolm Rector Center for Advanced Careers & Innovation – have been completed and are being used by the district. CLICK HERE to go to the website for the 2018 bond program.

Nearly all of the original $77.9 million from the bond sale has been allocated, with the exception of the remaining expenditures related to the Professional Development Center. Once that job is finalized, the district expects to come in under budget by a little more than $200,000.

NISD purposely held off on the Professional Development Center until it was clear all other projects would be completed. The Board of Trustees in January of 2024 approved the low base bid on the project of $7.03 million from Construction Managers of Southeast Texas LLC for the training and conference center. Nacogdoches architect Army Curtis designed the building.

work progresses at Professional development center

April 17, 2025

Walls are up and work on the roof is progressing at the Professional Development Center going up adjacent to the NISD District Support Center. A completion date of late summer is still on target.

More concrete pours at Training Center as building takes shape

Jan. 31, 2025

More concrete was being poured at the training center going up adjacent to the NISD District Support Center. The walls are up, and work continues to move forward toward a completion date of late summer/early fall of 2025.

Parking area, drive completed; walls going up on training center

Dec. 10, 2024

Construction has been completed on parking areas as well as a drive around the back of the existing District Support Center. Attention has turned to the building itself. The walls of the training center are going up as crews move forward toward a completion date of late summer/early fall of 2025.

foundation taking shape at training center; parking lots nearly done

Oct. 8, 2024

Crews were pouring concrete early in the morning for the foundation of the new training center going up adjacent to Nacogdoches ISD's District Support Center. In recent weeks, new parking areas have been all but completed at the DSC. The project – the final part of the 2018 bond election – is expected to be completed sometime in Fall of 2025.

Work continues on training center project, parking at DSC

August 19, 2024

Construction continues on the Training Center going up adjacent to NISD's District Support Center. The first pour of concrete on new parking lots at the DSC took place Aug. 16. The project – the final part of the 2018 bond election – is expected to be completed sometime in Fall of 2025.

Work progressing on training center, parking lot at dsc

July 16, 2024

Construction started during the spring on the training center (and parking lot) that will be adjacent to the existing District Support Center. Trustees approved the construction bid in January from Construction Managers of Southeast Texas.

At the building site, forms have been poured on the foundation. At the parking lot, workers have been completing the pad and putting in place drainage measures.

The project is expected to be completed sometime in Fall of 2025.

NISD trustees OK bid for district training center

Jan. 26, 2024

Nacogdoches ISD trustees voted unanimously Jan. 25, 2024, to accept the low base bid of $7.03 million from Construction Managers of Southeast Texas LLC for construction of a training and conference center. The total cost of the project – which includes furniture, fixtures, equipment, technology, HVAC controls, and architectural and engineering design fees – will be $8,029,890. Army Curtis designed the center.

The training and conference center is the final piece of the 2018 bond package approved by voters. The facility will allow NISD to host its own teaching staff for training and continuing education events, something the district has lacked.

“This facility will provide us the flexibility to hold large scale training events for our teaching staff,” said Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo. “We don’t have anything like this right now in the district, and it will be used many, many times each year for training and professional development.

“I’m grateful for the board’s approval, and I’m grateful for the district’s voters who supported this bond more than five years ago.”

The facility will be roughly 12,000 square feet when complete. Construction of additional parking is included in the project and will be located across the street from the District Support Center, and Klein Drive leading from NE Stallings Drive to the DSC will be resurfaced.

The center will come with a large meeting room and two smaller breakout rooms. The layout can be reconfigured in multiple ways depending on what’s needed with a total capacity of around 350 people.

The project is expected to take around 16 months to complete once construction begins later this year.

NISD was able to save some bond spending because of federally-provided ESSER funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the funds were intended to improve HVAC systems in public schools and were used by NISD to upgrade heating and cooling systems being installed in the facilities built using bond proceeds.

“Plans for the training facility were put in place at the beginning by my predecessor, Alton Frailey, who hoped there would be enough funding remaining at the end of the bond program,” Trujillo said. “We’re fortunate to have received the federal funds, and the board and the district spent wisely during the course of construction of all the promised facilities.” 

During Thursday’s board meeting, trustees also approved two other projects: Renovation of the district’s Plant Services facility at a cost of $1.04 million and a waterproofing project at Nacogdoches High School at a cost of $1.4 million. The Plant Services and NHS projects will be paid for out of the capital improvement project fund created earlier this year by NISD trustees.