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Tours of Port Arthur Independent School District’s Support Services Center allowed the public and some employees a chance to view the newly renovated facility Thursday.

The approximate 86,000 square foot building located at 3701 Texas 73 will hold maintenance, transportation, records, custodial, police, shipping and receiving, information technology, instructional materials and a print shop. There are also various conference rooms and commons areas.

The center does not have furniture yet and the actual move-in date has not been determined. 

Director of Transportation Stan Stacil, Director of Maintenance Radermon Scypion and Director of Custodial Services/Shipping and Receiving Edgar Redeaux led an early group of people on a tour of the building pointing out the various departments.

Security was noted by Assistant Superintendent of Operations Phyllis Geans as visitors entered the building. There are two sets of doors to be buzzed into before entering the main lobby. A separate entrance to the left of the front entrance is where the district’s police department will be housed. The department, headed up by Chief Charlie Porter, includes its own lobby, offices, interview areas and evidence room.  

The police department was added to the scope of the project during construction due to security needs and requirements by the state. 

The new Support Service Center allows for many of the district’s departments to be housed under the same roof as opposed to being spread across town. 

The maintenance department houses its own warehouse with ample room for the district’s needs as well as the district’s shipping and receiving department.

Standing in the large room with shelves and roll-up doors, Redeaux explains that the items that are delivered there are cataloged and moved to their destination at a district department or campus. 

Cade Spell, president of Long Architecture, explained the large square footage and how it relates to the original building, the former Bishop Byrne HIgh School. That main section was 66,000 square feet and later, under the ownership of Christus Health, an 18,000 to 19,000 square feet section was added in the 1990’s. 

“I know that the district decided to have all of the support services right across the street from the admin building, centrally located to the district, and I believe it’s going to serve their needs for a long time,” Spell said. 

PAISD started work on the building in 2021 in multiple stages

PAISD purchased the site of the former Bishop Byrne Catholic High School that was later used as Christus Health Southeast Texas in 2020 for $500,000, plus closing costs. The building sits on 22.8 acres, and the building experienced flood damage in 2017 with Hurricane Harvey.

Besides storm damage there was also vandalism done to the property and individuals had snuck into the property unauthorized. 

Money for the project was earmarked with the voter approved 2014 bond. Delays occurred with Hurricane Harvey and the pandemic.