Tyler Mayor Don Warren shares his personal experience as a Tyler ISD alumni at the Tyler High grand opening ceremony on Friday night.

With Tyler High’s extensive renovations and additions, students will now be starting the 2021-22 school year with a new look, while maintaining the district’s overall vision to create successful student outcomes.

After five years of improvements, the finished product was revealed during the grand opening Friday night.

Besides the restoration, the high school also had a name change last year, from John Tyler High School to its former name, Tyler High School.

Tyler High Principal Claude Lane kept reminding the crowd that it was a great day to be a Lion.

“There is not one square foot of property that hasn’t been touched. Everything has been turned over. From the outside, locker rooms, the inside and academic areas. Everything has been redone completely,” Lane said.

Lane shared his excitement for the new renovations and assured it will give the students confidence for many future generations.

“There’s a lot of technology that was put in the building, there’s a lot of science labs and 21st century needs that gets them ready for the workforce. So when they leave here as a graduate they will be ready to go to work. We do a lot of coordination that we do with the other campuses, career and technology center. So they’re leaving with a type of certification or they’re prepared to go to college,” Lane said. “I just think we’re building tomorrow’s leaders and creating a big impact.”

Tyler ISD Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford said the transformation wouldn’t be possible without taxpayers and the Tyler community who approved the bond package in 2017.

“Our students deserve to learn in spaces that match their potential for success, and now they have that,” Crawford said.

Crawford happily told the crowd the school is leaving the 1960s behind and saying hello to the 21st century.

Tyler ISD students return to classes on Monday.

Tyler High renovations include:

• Over 523,000 square feet
• More than 100 combined classrooms and labs
• A 75-inch interactive flat panel in each room
• The 250-person capacity band hall
• Art studio and classrooms with kiln and matting rooms
• 1,000 seat capacity theater
• Fabrication labs for electrical, manufacturing and industrial students
• Army JROTC area
• Culinary arts and family consumer science area
• Indoor athletic complex with a turf field
• New gym with 400 seat capacity
• 21st-century classroom spaces and technology
• New and renovated athletic venues
• Core media center
• Renovated cafeteria with expanded seating and expanded kitchen space