Ground breaking for GPISD's "crown jewel"
On Wednesday afternoon the Grand Prairie Independent School District officially broke ground on what School Board member Chester McCrary called “one of the crown jewels” of the district, the Career High School.
Construction has already begun on the 250,000 
square foot Career and Technology Education Center located at 2990 State Highway 161 near Arkansas Lane. The $62 million center will educate between 1,500 and 1,800 students and the campus will take in 23 acres.
The Career High School is designed for students who do not want to go to a traditional high school with sports, pep rallies and extra curricula activities, but “want a quality academic education,” Dr. Susan Simpson Grand Prairie ISD Superintendent said. “This comprehensive high school will prepare students to go straight into the work world or go on to higher education.”
Jim Ziegler, Director of Career & Technology for the Grand Prairie ISD, said the center will phase in some new courses and within a couple of years it will offer students 70 different classes.
The Career High School is scheduled to be open in August 2009.
