A Mescalero Milestone: Centex Tops Out a New School.

Business Editors

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 1, 2001

The Mescalero Apache Tribe and Centex Construction Company are celebrating a milestone in the construction of the new $33.5 million K-12 school in Mescalero, N.M.

The new school's structure is complete and a traditional construction topping out ceremony will be held on Oct. 1, 2001 at the new school's site on White Mountain Drive. Sara Misquez, president of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, and Jason Harper, project manager for Centex, will host the luncheon festivities in the school's new cafeteria.

The 218,000-square-foot school represents more than just a new educational facility; it represents the Tribe members' dedication and commitment to the community and securing their future. The Mescalero Apache Tribe is the only community on the Bureau of Indian Affairs Educational Facilities Replacement Listing to start building a school with its own funds before Federal funding is available.

"Children are the future of this Tribe. Their education and well-being will determine the Tribe's quality of life for years to come," stated Misquez.

Construction activity will now shift to the interior finish-out of the new school facilities. When complete, the school will house 1,600 students grades kindergarten through 12. The campus is designed around a central courtyard and includes a computer technology laboratory, media center, two gymnasiums, athletic fields, and an auditorium. The school is scheduled to be completed by May 2002 in time for the 2002/2003 school year.

"The project team is enjoying working in a community so dedicated to its children. The Tribe's enthusiasm was apparent from day one and it was contagious," said Jason Harper. "As a result, Centex's project team has developed personal ties to the community and we are very proud of our part in helping this community grow and prosper."

Beyond building personal ties to the community, Centex is also supporting the region by hiring local subcontractors for the most part. Subcontractors from Ruidoso, Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Las Cruces and El Paso are involved with the project.

"We always try to be a good neighbor," stated Misquez. "This part of New Mexico is isolated from the rest in some ways. If we don't stick together and help each other out, no one else is going to do it."

Centex Construction Company, a leader in the commercial construction industry for 65 years, provides general contracting, construction management, design-build, program management, and preconstruction services. Centex Construction Company is a division of Centex Construction Group, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Centex Corporation (NYSE:CTX). Centex is listed for the seventh year in a row as one of the nation's top five contractors by Engineering News-Record magazine and ranks number one in domestic general building revenue by Engineering News-Record. Centex ranks number one for the second consecutive year on FORTUNE(R) magazine's list of "America's Most Admired Companies"(TM) in the engineering and construction category.