by Philip Rodriguez (Posted on October 21, 2026 @ 3:54 p.m.)

Alamo Heights Junior School will expand and relocate its athletic facilities over the next few years, replacing a cramped weight room where only half a team can work out at once and an uneven football field that creates challenges for athletes. The project is part of a $371 million district-wide bond approved by voters in 2023 to fund facility improvements across Alamo Heights schools. Construction has already begun on the track, with the weight room, gyms and football field to follow. According to Coach Bond, the athletic facilities are not expected to be finished until August 2028.

Originally built in 1959, AHJS now serves nearly 1,200 students, even though its facilities were originally designed for 600 to 800 students. As enrollment grew, the existing athletic spaces became less able to accommodate the number of student athletes. According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the estimated cost for the new AHJS gymnasium and sixth-grade building project is $62 million. This project also includes a new athletic track and field, along with related site work. The $62 million estimate covers the listed construction project, not just the athletic facilities.

Construction has already created challenges for some teams. Since the track is under construction, the cross-country team has to run laps around the football field or take buses to the high school. The football team can still practice on the current field because its renovation has not yet begun. However, teams will have to adjust as construction continues throughout the next few years.

One of the biggest changes will be the expansion of the weight room. During afternoon workouts, only half of the football team can use the current weight room at a time. Andrew Bishop, the starting running back for the Blue (A) team, said the limited space makes it difficult for the entire team to work out together. The expanded weight room will allow multiple full teams to exercise at once, giving athletes more room and making workouts easier to organize.

The weight room is not the only facility receiving more space. The new gyms will be large enough to hold two basketball courts side by side, separated by a partition that can be raised or lowered as needed. This will allow more teams to practice indoors at the same time. Currently, C basketball teams in both grades sometimes have to practice outside during the winter, making it difficult to run drills properly.

“It is very hard to practice outside on cold days since there is no room in the gym,” White (C) team basketball player Ben Brown said.

The additional court space will give teams more opportunities to practice indoors and make better use of their practice time.

AHJS is also planning to relocate and rebuild its football field. The current field runs east to west instead of north to south. Because the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, evening games can leave players looking toward the sun when trying to catch or track a ball.

“We’re going to relocate the field where it runs north and south to prevent the sun problem,” Coach Bond said.

Changing the field’s direction should reduce sun glare during games and practices, making it easier for athletes to see the ball.

The field will also change from natural grass to artificial turf. This will allow the school to create a more level playing surface. The current field has a large hill near the center, making the surface uneven. An uneven field can make running and changing direction more difficult for athletes, especially during sports that require quick cuts. The new surface is expected to provide a more consistent playing area for the school’s sports teams.

The track is the first athletic facility at AHJS to undergo construction. The old track had only three lanes and was not a standard 400 meters long, making it difficult to accommodate longer-distance races. The new track will have six lanes, according to Coach Bond. This will give runners more space and improve the school’s ability to hold practices and races.

Although construction has created temporary inconveniences for athletes, the improvements are intended to provide more space and better facilities for years to come. With a larger weight room, expanded gyms, a new field and an improved track, AHJS athletics will have more room to accommodate the school’s growing student population.