Fort Worth has been under near constant construction for the past few years, and R.L. Paschal High School has been no different. 

Barbara Ozuna, academic coordinator, said Paschal is designed to accommodate approximately 2,000 students. But with a rough estimate of 2,800 students attending Paschal during the 2012-13 academic year, and enrollment numbers on the rise, space has become scarce.

“I sometimes joke that we need a third floor,” Ozuna said. “But it’s the truth.”

The school won’t be adding a third floor any time soon, though. Instead, a variety of new facilities have been planned for construction, some of which are already underway.

Ozuna said a new practice field was currently under construction. In addition, steps were taken to cover bleacher areas on the field so students could use them during lunch.

Principal Terri Mossige said repairs to the field are expected to be complete by Sept. 10, and changes to the bleacher area are expected to be complete by mid-October. These repairs comprise the first of three phases of construction at Paschal.

The second phase of construction would include a new multi-purpose student activities center, Mossige said. Because the cafeteria does not have enough room to serve all students, the new activities center could house the overflow from the cafeteria in the future. In addition, the building would be constructed using green technology. Mossige expected the center to be complete by September 2013.

The second phase of construction is currently in the fundraising stage, Mossige said. PHS Legacy, a group of Paschal parents and community members, raised $783,000 for the first phase. A $1.5 million donation from the Davis Foundation has been committed to the second phase. Fundraising for the third stage has not yet begun.