Nearly 1,400 seventh- and eighth-graders will walk into a transformed Knox Junior High on Wednesday, Aug. 12, after a summer of construction upgraded classrooms, finishes and safety systems at the Sawmill Road campus.

The work is done.

Conroe ISD announced the completed project on Aug. 7, posting photos of the refreshed building and describing "much-needed upgrades and improvements throughout the school."

The project, funded through the district's $1.9 billion bond voters approved in November 2023, included a new emergency generator, security upgrades, fresh paint and classroom finish-outs. The Knox contract was the last of three renovation packages, covering five campuses and totaling about $107 million, that the board approved in October 2024. Knox's share carried a guaranteed maximum price of nearly $24 million.

At that October 2024 board meeting, assistant superintendent of operations Chris McCord called the generator a priority. "I'm excited about the generators; and upon completion of this work for this bond, we believe we will have a generator at every campus," McCord said at the time, according to Houston Public Media.

At the same October 2024 meeting, board first vice president Theresa Wagaman said the renovations had "been due for a while" and that she looked forward to "a much brighter and just more exciting learning experience for our kids at Knox."

The campus website now features a rendering of a new front entrance near the library, suggesting exterior work was part of the scope. The district has not released a detailed breakdown of which spaces were affected.

Knox Junior High, led by principal Dr. Stacey Moseley, serves The Woodlands area from 12104 Sawmill Road. The Houston Chronicle confirmed the renovation was finished in time for the 2026-27 school year, alongside gym and classroom additions at nearby McCullough Junior High on South Panther Creek Drive.

Classes at Knox begin at 8:50 a.m. on Aug. 12.