Cy-Fair Berry Stadium

[Talbot]

That building truly is mammoth, I was going to Cy-fair college the other day, and accidentally turned into the Berry Centers parking lot thinking it was the college.

[Trae]

Reminds me of the Merrel Center in Katy (where the Katy Copperheads play).

[nmainguy]

I think your wrong I mean you really didn't research this topic. I mean look The Pridgeon staduim is 40 years old. Cy- Fair have common sense if it wasn't for Cy- Fair then my child would have to deal with overcrowded schools. Look I'm not trying to offend you but check this out, children have dreams and if they want to do sports than they should. My child has 8 high school credit and she is only in middle school. So sports is what she wants to do and she can do i it's okay. The staduim is not only for sports if you research and stop getting on people's case then you would have found out that it's for high school graduations. Mainly because percentage of high school dropouts are low!!!! And of course they are going to have Special Session for financing . Almost every School District do that. Why haven't you complain about Houston do that. my daughter research all this. So why can't you

I agree with you Mr. Football 100% people complain but I remember there was 69 schools with only 1 staduim. Now there is 75 schools and it was time for a new staduim >

RedScare whatever your name is get your facts before tell me or anybody that Berry Center kind of filthy because it's not you don't think about the children all this staduim doing is helping the students be better I guess you don't care because in this complex not only has a staduim it has conference rooms and all. I ask daughter like the Berry Center she said yes she can't wait to graduate at the Berry Center. So facts straight because apparently really don't think about the children.

It hurt my head-even made my brain bleed a little-but I read the whole thing. Perhaps the school district could set aside a bit for adult education.

BTW, anyone have pics of the library?

[KinkaidAlum]

LOL.

My thoughts exactly. Long Live Cy-Fair's quality English and composition classes!

[mrfootball]

And long live Kinkaid's Reading Comprehension classes!

I'm pretty sure the person you're making fun of is speaking as a parent and not as an alum.

[chamberscreek]

I live in the Cy-Fair district, and what annoyed me about this project was that, when it was up for a vote, they constantly referred to this as an "educational support center," and totally downplayed the athletic facilities. Now, whether or not the athletic facilities were needed is a different debate, but at least have the guts to be honest about what you are planning to build.

[PureAuteur]

Read back through the thread, Red.

Notice where it took a turn and we began discussing school boards, amenities, planning...and their effect on the drawing power of a particular area.

School boards with good foresight protect their property owners and enhance value.

Spring ISD is a prime example of what happens when they don't.

Spring ISD, got greedy and annexed a chunk of Aldine ISD in the early 1990's that included a large swath of land that had commercial property along with even more low-income housing, which then mushroomed and forever changed the demographics of that district.

Whereas they should've built a new HS to take in much of this wild new growth, they instead opted to turn Westfield into an overcrowded Super 5A school. The school became much rougher with gangs and the like, the test scores fell, affluent white families stopped moving in to the school zone, others scrambled to sell...stagnating property values.

They have a really good football and basketball team, though

Spring ISD is finally opening up a new HS (with another to follow in several years)...about 10 years too late for the residents of Olde Oaks, Northgate, Ponderosa and Westador.

I work in the Westfield area, and some of my coworkers are students at Westfield. I've never heard mention of any gangs there. I've spoke to several people who say that they love it at Westfield and they'd never go to any other school. Both of them lived north of 1960 in the only part of Westfield's zoning that should rightfully be attending the school in your opinion. One girl said there were never any fights at the school until some Louisiana people got there, and she also said that the students got along well, regardless of social class. This is an example of a progressive minded student body, and you're over here criticizing it for making the "better demographic" of Olde Oaks, Northgate, Ponderosa, and Westador have to suffer because of all the "district destroying demographics" south of 1960. I didn't realize a school needed upper income white neighborhoods in order to be an exemplary school. I didn't realize that Westfield belonged to those 4 neighborhoods first and foremost. Your posts always seem to reek of class prejudice.

[KAHLA FAN 101]

It hurt my head-even made my brain bleed a little-but I read the whole thing. Perhaps the school district could set aside a bit for adult education.

BTW, anyone have pics of the library?

I sorry Mr. Main guy i guess i was mad and that was mmy first time writing on the board

[PureAuteur]

Kahla, welcome. First and foremost, not to be rude, but you really ought to read your posts and edit them before hitting the reply button. This is so others can understand what you are trying to say, and can reply to it without being totally confused.

[invincible569]

I love the new Berry Center. Glad its in our area.

[FilioScotia]

I love the new Berry Center. Glad its in our area.

75 million dollars for an athletic complex the ancient Romans would envy, and CyFair grade school teachers have to pay for classroom supplies out of their own pockets. What's wrong with that picture?

I live in CyFair -- a mile and a half from the Berry complex -- and I don't deny the need for another football stadium. CyFair will soon have ten high schools, but until the Berry facility was built, it had only one stadium big enough for UIL football.

Ask most of the other 1000 plus school districts in Texas. You don't need a sports palace to play football. You only need a field that's big enough, and bleachers on both sides big enough for ten to fifteen thousand people. You DON'T need a fiscal obscenity like this monstrosity.

The CyFair ISD board really sneaked this one in. It was part of a huge bond issue that included millions and millions for new schools and other "educational" facilities. I don't remember ever seeing a word in the issue about a sports complex like this one. They knew it would be yanked out if the voters knew what they were really planning.

But, what do you expect in a county that's spent more than two BILLION dollars on sports facilities in the past ten years?

[mrfootball]

When you compare what Cy-Fair got for its money, with a huge special events conference center, Arena (which is going to be managed by one of the world's foremost arena management companies) and an awesome football stadium to be the envy of the highschool football world...I'd say they got a pretty good deal at $75 Million. Compare that the new stadium being built for Conroe ISD in the Woodlands. They're spending big bucks on their stadium project as well. While not as grand a project as Berry, it will be nice. CFISD is lucky to have completed this project before steel and other construction materials went through the roof. It'd likely cost $85-90 million to get a project like this done today.

CFISD spends more on having nicer facilities than most other school districts. They pay their teachers more than most other districts. I'm not sure its that big of a consipiracy.

[FilioScotia]

When you compare what Cy-Fair got for its money, with a huge special events conference center, Arena (which is going to be managed by one of the world's foremost arena management companies) and an awesome football stadium to be the envy of the highschool football world...I'd say they got a pretty good deal at $75 Million. Compare that the new stadium being built for Conroe ISD in the Woodlands. They're spending big bucks on their stadium project as well. While not as grand a project as Berry, it will be nice. CFISD is lucky to have completed this project before steel and other construction materials went through the roof. It'd likely cost $85-90 million to get a project like this done today.

CFISD spends more on having nicer facilities than most other school districts. They pay their teachers more than most other districts. I'm not sure its that big of a consipiracy.

But CyFair grade school teachers still have to buy classroom supplies out of their own pockets. My complaint is the misplaced priorities this sports complex exemplifies.

So it's going to make a lot of money for the district. So what? It won't contribute anything to the quality of the educational product in CFISD. Nothing.

But I may as well be talking to the wall. Your signature says everything I need to know about where you're coming from on this.

[mrfootball]

Are you certain of this? How does that compare with other school districts? Do Cy-Fair teachers get a spending allowance? I'm pretty confident Cy-Fair schools have very active and organized PTO's...I think its pretty safe to say, they aren't hurting.

Do you believe that all academic life ought to be spent inside a classroom? Do you appreciated well-rounded development? Do you understand the benefits of team sports? Do you value community involvement?

[Trae]

Cy-Fair only has one UIL school? Katy has five.

[PureAuteur]

I'm not that impressed by the stadium. The architectural design is weak. It's basically the same old same old with a pompous looking front entrance face. They build it way out in the middle of nowhere, and it serves a huge geographical area, so no particular community will be able to "be proud of it". The whole "brick" look with educational/athletic buildings these days is getting really tired, especially with new high school designs.

[mrfootball]

I'm not that impressed by the stadium.

You should get out more.

It's pretty damned impressive. It's by far one of (if not) the finest high school sports facilities in the country. Nicer than a lot of college facilities.

no particular community will be able to "be proud of it".

Don't be so sure.

The whole "brick" look with educational/athletic buildings these days is getting really tired, especially with new high school designs.

What do you recommend? Adobe?

Cy-Fair only has one UIL school? Katy has five.

Man, there are some uninformed posts today.

All of Cy-Fair's schools are UIL...as are just about every high school in Texas.

Cy-Fair has 8 High Schools for the 2006 academic year (with 2 more under construction).

[invincible569]

It sure is impressive. If you would rather have a house on the prairie type school, then you are living in the wrong area. for the things cy-fair is doing, i sure am damn proud of it. we pay good taxes too.. why not have something to show for it instead of the treasurers pocketing the money.

I hope they keep coming out with great ideas like this one.

I've been bragging about our area to everyone and will continue to do so. Cypress is coming up strong!

[FilioScotia]

Are you certain of this? How does that compare with other school districts? Do Cy-Fair teachers get a spending allowance? I'm pretty confident Cy-Fair schools have very active and organized PTO's...I think its pretty safe to say, they aren't hurting.

Do you believe that all academic life ought to be spent inside a classroom? Do you appreciated well-rounded development? Do you understand the benefits of team sports? Do you value community involvement?

It's clear that you've bought the myth that team sports "build character" and "teach teamwork". It does neither.

No -- I don't think all academic life should be spent in a classrooms, but it's a good place to start. In Texas, as you may or may not know, athletics supercede everything else. Texas high schools have shown time and again that when fiscal push comes to fiscal shove, football will win every time. All over this state, many small school districts are known to cancel classes on Fridays to free up school buses so the football team, the band and some boosters can travel to out of town games.

The Deer Park ISD suffered a serious budget crunch about ten years ago, and it had to make some major personnel cuts. Several dozen teachers were laid off, and some courses were dropped from the curriculum, but not one penny was cut from the football program, and not one coach was laid off. That says all that needs to be said about DPISD's priorities. It's the same in CFISD.

CyFair is one of the richest school districts in this state but it won't provide classroom supplies for grade school teachers. Why do you think the PTO's are always having fundraisers, and young children are sent out to sell candy and gift junk door to door.

I've protested that practice for as long as I've lived out here but I'm a voice in the wilderness. The schools always tell me they have to do it because it allows them to buy supplies, but CFISD can spend 75 million dollars on an athletic complex that does nothing but provide public entertainment. Am I the only person out here who thinks something is horribly wrong with that picture?

[mrfootball]

It's clear that you've bought the myth that team sports "build character" and "teach teamwork". It does neither.

Its clear you have a chip on your shoulder.

As someone who played Varsity football, I can attest that your comments are bloated with ignorance. Kids from all walks of life, white, black or brown come together for a common cause, investing hundreds of hours in their team. Along the way picking up good habits like discipline, toughness, physical fitness and competitive drive. For many kids who don't have the luxury of a 2-parent household, coaches provide guidance and direction, filling a role that is absent in many kids' lives. I lost my dad to cancer when I was 15. I know how much I valued my coaches.

The guys I played with went to UT, A&M, West Point, Rice, and other great schools. Nearly every one of our players went on to attend 4-year schools. Some as scholarship athletes, some on academic scholarships, most as regular students.

More than any other school activity, athletics provides a rallying point for the community. Hundreds of kids are involved in a typical Friday Night game, from the cheerleaders to the drill team, to the marching band to the athletics trainers to the actual football teams. Kids who learn how to socialize, work together, and invest in a higher purpose other than themselves.

CFISD is one of the most respected large school districts in the country. They tend to be on the leading edge. I think they were absolutely correct in building this multi-use facility that serves the ENTIRE district, the entire community (some 750,000 people in CFISD territory). Why not build the best?

PS - I drove by the facility yesterday, the parking lot was full as they were having a district-wide teachers conference, so I suppose the 'Educational Support Facility' moniker holds some degree of validity. CFISD wasn't able to host such large events in the past.

Perhaps instead of your whining you could campaign to build up a public endowment for CFISD teacher's classroom supplies. They're doing this at Highland Park ISD and other places. Of course, they've been doing this for years at colleges and university, its only natural that it would work on this level as well. I suspect this is something that would be well received in the area.

[Trae]

I plan on playing varisty football my juior year. Should be fun, because football is fun to me (ever since I was seven).

[RedScare]

Perhaps instead of your whining you could campaign to build up a public endowment for CFISD teacher's classroom supplies. They're doing this at Highland Park ISD and other places. Of course, they've been doing this for years at colleges and university, its only natural that it would work on this level as well. I suspect this is something that would be well received in the area.

Funny you should bring up the colleges. They don't use public money on their facilities. They raise money from the boosters for that. Of course, they've been doing this for years at colleges and university, its only natural that it would work on this level as well. I suspect this is something that would be well received in the area.

[mrfootball]

Funny you should bring up the colleges. They don't use public money on their facilities. They raise money from the boosters for that. Of course, they've been doing this for years at colleges and university, its only natural that it would work on this level as well. I suspect this is something that would be well received in the area.

The larger Div I schools in Texas (UT, Tech, A&M) don't use public money on facilities, but there are a number of schools around the country that do. UCONN recently spent nearly $100 million on their new football stadium, built with public money from the state of Connecticut.

[FilioScotia]

Its clear you have a chip on your shoulder.

As someone who played Varsity football, I can attest that your comments are bloated with ignorance. Kids from all walks of life, white, black or brown come together for a common cause, investing hundreds of hours in their team. Along the way picking up good habits like discipline, toughness, physical fitness and competitive drive. For many kids who don't have the luxury of a 2-parent household, coaches provide guidance and direction, filling a role that is absent in many kids' lives. I lost my dad to cancer when I was 15. I know how much I valued my coaches.

The guys I played with went to UT, A&M, West Point, Rice, and other great schools. Nearly every one of our players went on to attend 4-year schools. Some as scholarship athletes, some on academic scholarships, most as regular students.

More than any other school activity, athletics provides a rallying point for the community. Hundreds of kids are involved in a typical Friday Night game, from the cheerleaders to the drill team, to the marching band to the athletics trainers to the actual football teams. Kids who learn how to socialize, work together, and invest in a higher purpose other than themselves.

CFISD is one of the most respected large school districts in the country. They tend to be on the leading edge. I think they were absolutely correct in building this multi-use facility that serves the ENTIRE district, the entire community (some 750,000 people in CFISD territory). Why not build the best?

PS - I drove by the facility yesterday, the parking lot was full as they were having a district-wide teachers conference, so I suppose the 'Educational Support Facility' moniker holds some degree of validity. CFISD wasn't able to host such large events in the past.

Perhaps instead of your whining you could campaign to build up a public endowment for CFISD teacher's classroom supplies. They're doing this at Highland Park ISD and other places. Of course, they've been doing this for years at colleges and university, its only natural that it would work on this level as well. I suspect this is something that would be well received in the area.

"......Perhaps instead of your whining you could campaign to build up a public endowment for CFISD teacher's classroom supplies......"

I'll ask again. Why should that be necessary in one of the richest school districts in the state?

There is one thing I can predict with absolute certainty. You will never see the football team holding bake sales or sending players out selling candy door to door to raise money to buy uniforms and shoulder pads. Not in CyFair. No sir. They know what's important. The needs of first graders will never stand in the way of the football teams getting everything they need, and the fanciest and most expensive stadium in the whole state. Those first graders are just SOL and they can just fend for themselves.

I give up. Trying to talk about educational sanity with someone from the "jockocracy" is like trying to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of time and it just annoys the pig.

[mrfootball]

"jockocracy"???

Is your life a perpetual John Hughes movie, where everybody fits neatly into their highschool stereotypes?

[mrfootball]

I'll ask again. Why should that be necessary in one of the richest school districts in the state?

They do it in Highland Park, ask them why they do it.

You will never see the football team holding bake sales or sending players out selling candy door to door to raise money to buy uniforms and shoulder pads.

That's what Booster clubs are for.

I think you've got the whole argument simplified to CFISD having a big pot of money, surrounded by guys in coach's shorts pulling out wads of cash and throwing it in a stadium fund. The realities are, CFISD is building three brand new big 5A high schools costing some (nearly $70 Million a piece, more than any other school district in Texas spends on facilities) along with dozens of new Elementary and Middle Schools through this Construction Bond Issue. Notice its called a Construction Bond. I'm fairly certain this money is designated for that purpose only, not to supplement the districts operating budget. Speaking of which, CFISD teachers are among some of the best paid in the state. I suspect they would begin subsidizing classroom chotzkies if they weren't making so much money off the aforementioned bake sales...

Anyhow, why are you arguing about it? It's done. It's built. Argument over.

You're better off campaigning against Conroe ISD's planned $35-$40 Million stadium/natatorium project (which btw, doesn't include an arena or conference center)

[mrfootball]

General Information, Description, and Amenities

The Richard E. Berry Educational Support Center (Berry Center) is funded by the 2001 Bond Referendum. This project was one of the nine schools and five support facilities, included in this bond referendum. Voters demonstrated their significant endorsement of the bond package that the community-led bond steering committee recommended by passing the bond election in December 2001.

The Berry Center will relieve the demands for facilities for district-wide staff development for teachers and staff, graduation exercises; extra and co-curricular activities, performances and competitions (choir, band, drama, UIL competitions, athletic events); and catering and banquets for honors, awards, and celebrations, as well as address community needs for meetings, events, and receptions. The Berry Center is available for non-district events, subject to policies and guidelines for use of this facility.

Amenities include:

[RedScare]

Anyhow, why are you arguing about it? It's done. It's built. Argument over.

He may be upset that he has to pay that $1.80 per 100 property tax that Cy-Fair hits their residents with (versus $1.62 in HISD) to pay for their Testosterone Mahal. Just a guess.

[mrfootball]

If the choice is CFISD vs. HISD...I'd gladly pay more.

[CDeb]

I was in band at Westfield HS and looking back now, the character building I got from being in band was one of the more valuable benefits I took away from my four years in high school. I'm quite certain that football and other team sports furnish similar benefits. So to say that sports and other high school activities do not teach character or teamwork is quite ignorant and has no basis in reality.

PS - I never played any sport for a middle or high school team.