Dr. Abraham P. Cano 9th Grade Academy

ERO delivered a 180,000 gross-square-foot school that accommodates 1,400 students. Working closely with the Harlingen community, ERO defined the standards for appearance, functionality, and interconnectivity of Harlingen’s 9th grade campus. ERO designed a school with more than 40 classrooms, a learning commons area, with a gymnasium and courtyard. Cano’s layout and flow was designed with the community’s input in mind that students of today are digital learners and filter much of their learning through computers.

The Cano campus looks and feels like a college campus. ERO’s design was intended to inspire aspirations for post-high school studies and training. Project-based learning in the fields of STEM, health care, business and the humanities is emphasized at Cano. The school was built on a vacant site. It gave ERO the opportunity to lay out the facility with optimum corridor flow and multi-purpose spaces. Corridors are open ended and the cafeteria and gymnasium were designed for the possibility of future expansions. Pragmatic green measures were included in the project to reduce operational costs.

ERO helped Harlingen reach its vital goal of building a freshman-only campus to focus on students at a critical learning age. The Cano 9th Grade Academy prepares these students to excel in high school and beyond with modern curriculum and a school designed to meet the challenges of a new era.