Framed by a perimeter of school buses and heavy construction equipment staged for action, more than 150 parents, transportation workers, operations staff, and community members gathered Friday morning to celebrate the groundbreaking of Longview ISD’s new Transportation Center.
The 9:30 a.m. gathering felt less like a formal ceremony and more like a community celebration. Attendees enjoyed cookies and cold water as cheers echoed across the lot while district leaders highlighted the features of the forthcoming facility.
Members of the Bond Oversight Committee, construction partners, and district trustees joined the crowd to mark a milestone that many described as a promise made and kept. Transportation staff were instrumental in rallying community support to pass the 2024 bond program, and Friday’s event brought that effort full circle as excitement built for construction to begin.
“Our transportation team has been looking forward to this day for a long time,” said Darryl Dans, Longview ISD transportation director. “We’ve talked about these improvements and what they will mean for our staff, and seeing the excavator here made it real. Having more space for training and a better facility will help us do our jobs more effectively and continue providing safe, dependable service for our students every day.”
The 10,000-square-foot expansion project will expand and modernize the district's existing facility. The Board of Trustees approved moving the project forward on July 27 with a guaranteed maximum price of approximately $7.43 million, $230,369 below the approved construction budget. Substantial completion is targeted for the third quarter of 2027.
“Our bus drivers and transportation staff play an incredibly important role in the lives of our students,” said Dr. Marla Sheppard, Longview ISD superintendent. “For many children, they are the first Longview ISD staff member they see in the morning and the last one they see at the end of the day. This improved facility gives our transportation team more room to train, collaborate, and prepare for that responsibility while providing them with a workplace that reflects how much we value the work they do.”
The expansion addresses space limitations at the existing Transportation Center while providing additional room for staff training, collaboration, and daily transportation operations.
“This project is an investment not only in our transportation department, but in the students of Longview ISD for decades to come,” said Sam Kington, Longview ISD chief of facilities and operations. “We’re creating a facility that gives our team the space, resources, and training environment they need to continue serving our families at a high level. On behalf of the district, we’re proud to help build something that will serve this district well into the future.”
With work beginning on the Transportation Center, construction is now underway on all five major purpose-built facilities funded by the 2024 bond. Together with the Career and Technical Education Center, Multipurpose Indoor Facility, Natatorium, and Early Childhood Learning Center, the district is adding approximately 331,000 square feet of modern infrastructure.