On Wednesday, December 4, VLK Architects gathered with Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD students, administrators, and community members to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science Wing at Pecos High School.
Today, we celebrate a vision of the future for our students and our community. This CTE facility is a testament to what is possible when a community comes together with a shared belief in the power of education.
Brent Jaco | Superintendent, Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD
The two-story CTE and Science Wing opened for student use at the start of the 2024-2025 school year. The building was added to the existing Pecos High School campus and offers a variety of special program spaces for students to gain technical experience in 14 different pathways. The building is also home to the district’s esports competition team and features a multimedia lab with large gaming displays. PBTISD partnered with Reeves County Hospital to design a health science lab to simulate the local hospital facilities.
The building is designed to maximize efficiency and promote student safety and well-being, filled with ample natural daylight in innovative and collaborative learning spaces. A secure entry at the front allows community members to engage in some of the student programs including cosmetology, veterinary, and culinary programs. A private access alley way allows selective entry for access to auto, welding, construction, and robotics workshop spaces. The building’s insulated window treatments feature sun control blades to reduce heat from the West Texas sun from entering the building. Polished concrete flooring in the corridors and homogeneous resilient sheet flooring in labs are easy to clean and highly durable to reduce overall maintenance costs.
“VLK is honored to have partnered with PBTISD and their community to bring their vision for career and technical education to fruition” said Monika Castillo, Principal at VLK Architects. “The project provides the first glimpse for all other phases of their replacement campus, providing state of the art programs to ensure their students are future ready.”
The new CTE and Science Wing is Phase One of the Pecos High School Masterplan. Voters approved the funding for the CTE and Science Wing in the 2021 bond election. Phase Two of the Masterplan includes a new field house and Phase Three includes a three-story academic wing, athletic wing, and a new natatorium. Both phases are currently under construction and additional phases are in design.
About VLK: VLK provides architecture, planning, and interior design services to K-12, higher education, corporate, and institutional clients. For more information, please visit our website: www.vlkarchitects.com or contact 817-344-0344 or marketing@vlkarchitects.com.
About Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD: What began in 1883 as a small schoolhouse located along the Pecos River, Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District is now a fully operating district for pre-K-12 education. Located in West Texas between the Permian Basin and the mountainous terrain of El Paso, PBTISD is the premier provider of education for over 2,600 students with five campuses.