Wichita Falls ISD’s two new high schools are nearing the construction finish line and are anticipated to open Aug. 15.

Dr. Donny Lee, WFISD superintendent, said he expects both schools to be ready to welcome students at the end of the summer even if some construction is still underway.

“We are on schedule regarding Memorial and Legacy to open and to open on time,” Lee said.

He estimated that Memorial is 99% complete. Legacy still has a little more work to do than its cross-town counterpart at roughly 85% complete.

Legacy is receiving furniture, and crews are working on the auditorium, the bistro and the elevators among other projects. Legacy also still needs considerable landscaping and athletic facilities work.

All that remains at Memorial is also putting the finishing touches on the auditorium, working on landscaping and lawns and finalizing athletics facilities.

Lee stressed that while the schools will be ready to welcome students on the first day of school and function as high schools, there is no guarantee that all construction is finished.

“That doesn’t mean that we’re going to be 100% complete with every facet of both schools,” Lee said. “There could be, for example, work still being done on the auditoriums.”

Construction on the two facilities has been progressing in an era of high prices and material shortages — something that has affected but not halted progress.

The company responsible for fulfilling one of the final pieces at Legacy — fabric partitions to divide the auditorium into classrooms — dissolved earlier in the building process and sent its clients to a different company.

With a new company responsible for fulfilling the order, Lee said the wait has been extended.

“We are concerned that we won’t get that fabric and those dividers in time to be completely done with Legacy by Aug. 15,” Lee said.

While the shortage may delay the completion, Lee made it clear that both schools will be ready to teach students from day one of the 2024-2025 school year. He added that all other parts of the facility should be ready to go on Aug. 15.

“That’s the only facet of both schools that we have some concerns about not being 100% done, which it won’t affect . . . our ability to open up that school,” Lee said.

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This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: New WFISD high schools to open even if some construction continues