Jane Yermakov

During passing period, parking lot security Alan Gallagher stands on the street between the portables and the main building, ensuring students get to the other side safely. Everyday, Gallagher monitors the parking lots, checks parking permits and helps guide traffic, even more so now with the addition of the portables. “I spend a lot of time making sure students and staff get across the walkway,” Gallagher said. “I haven’t had any real problems [with students] yet, it’s just about getting people adjusted to the new traffic patterns.”

A time of bliss, when the sun blazed hot, the students had not thought of school for weeks and the CPHS parking lot stretched out into a serene emptiness: summer. 

Yet as the school year dawned, a portion of the lot became unusable, portables covering about 150 spots. As though a puddle on a hot Texas day, the spacious parking lot evaporated, replaced by a scramble for every inch of asphalt during that daily morning rush. 

With the school being over 25 years old and an influx of students from redistricting, the school is in need of renovations to modernize classrooms, offices and the campus. Renovations are estimated to be complete by Summer of 2026. As some areas of the main building are under construction, the displaced students and staff are now in portables.

“I think some of it is really exciting,” Principal John Sloan said. “The renovations are something that I’ve been wanting for a long time and waiting for, so for that to finally happen is something I’m excited about. It’s not just about being bright and shiny, it’s the furniture that’s a real need. I can’t imagine that sitting in the desks for students we have right now is comfortable, so I’m really glad that we’re finally getting some renovations now.”

Rather than the funds coming from allocated/government funding, they are coming from a bond. Last fall, the community voted for the district-wide bond project to help upgrade older schools in the area, with Cedar Park being allocated over 51 million dollars for modernizations and roof repairs.

“The challenges obviously with [the renovations] are the growing pains, so the portables and the logistics of having students in them,” Sloan said. “It’s just the reality of having the benefit of modernization. It’s going to take some flexibility on our part in order to make it happen.”

With changes such as the relocation of classrooms, a longer walk to classes, and the reduction of parking spots, many concerns have been raised about the efficiency of the portables. Assistant Principals Vernon Rodgers and Jeremy Fry have moved their offices out there for quick access for themselves and teachers.

“It is a different experience,” Assistant Principal Vernon Rogers said. “I don’t think it’s a negative one. I think just getting used to not being in our space is probably the big thing that all of us have to get accustomed to.”

Ensuring safety in the portables is of the biggest concerns, with the doors always locked, requiring badge readers and teachers with lockdown buttons if necessary. Additionally, parking lot security Alan Gallagher and School Resource Officers Stephanie Cash and Lawrence Arroyo, who ensure safety and provide the presence of law enforcement if needed, are monitoring student and staff safety. 

“People need to be more cautious about the students and staff going from the main building to the portables,” Gallagher said. “Most people have been accepting, they just have to get used to it.”

Though the portables have various shortcomings, efforts are being made to improve the portable experience. The air conditioning has been working effectively and doorbells have been placed to let students back in more easily.

“I think the commute out there is a pain for everybody,” Sloan said. “It’s just a little bit of a ways out there, so that’s been the biggest thing I think. Aside from that, I’ve not heard a lot of negative feedback about them. I think the teachers like them.”

With junior and senior English teachers in the same portable, the classes and teachers are able to collaborate and interact with each other more. This has made the experience more enjoyable for the teachers, according to English teacher Kate Akst. 

“In the first few days of class, we told all of our students to just be flexible,” Akst said. “Everybody’s figuring it out and everybody has a really good attitude about it. We’re trying to be patient with students and recognize that they have a long way to go. They’re a little bit bigger than my classroom, so we’re actually having a lot of fun. It’s kind of like being at summer camp.”

For the teachers, different challenges have surfaced that have impacted teaching and learning for the students. 

“I really think just the biggest challenge is making sure that kids are getting to where they need to be,” Akst said. “And then of course not having a bathroom in the portable is tough, having to send students back and forth to the gym, but other than that the portables are great.”

The portables have brought up some other concerns for students, especially those that are impacted by the loss of parking spots. According to Gallagher, the portables take up space that used to be the designated senior parking area.

“Parking has been a huge issue in the sense that if I am not here early, I have to park very far away,” junior Lucy Zittrer said. “I have been getting to school 30 minutes early almost every day just to make sure I can get a spot that is not super far away. Not to mention the fact that you can’t get from the student parking lot to the athletic parking lot because of both the portables and the parent-drop off traffic.”

With varying expectations, students have had to adjust to the longer distances between classes, the weather and bustling passing periods. In a recent survey done by the Tracks Yearbook staff, 136 students out of 450 said that the portables were their biggest pet peeve of the school year so far.

“I expected the walk to be the worst and the anxiety about being late, especially with the new tardy policy,” junior Mily Suarez said. “The walk isn’t so bad, but it’s still probably the worst part because it’s so hot this time of year, and I get hot easily, so I’m uncomfortable by the time I’m in my seat.”

As renovations continue throughout this school year, different sections of the school will move into the portables starting in December. The downstairs hall of the main building will reopen with the AP’s office back inside and English classes back to their former classrooms.

“[In the] next couple of months we’ll start seeing people in the math department starting to pack up,” Rogers said. “The English department will move back during Christmas break or during the holiday break. So next up, math, be ready to have fun out here.”