The Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees approved the schematic design for the District’s sixth comprehensive high school at its Nov. 17 regular meeting, allowing the project to move forward with facility and curriculum planning.
Round Rock ISD High School #6 is slated to be located on the District’s Pearson Ranch property, in direct proximity to England Elementary School, Pearson Ranch Middle School and the Transportation West facility. The campus will have the capacity to serve 2,600 students.
“Round Rock ISD is growing each year and I am proud to serve on a Board that recognizes our opportunity to support innovation in our District,” Board President Paul J. Tisch said. “The sixth comprehensive high school will meet the needs of our growing District while bringing flexible learning spaces and engaging programs to accommodate all student learning.”
Key components of the high school include 850 square feet of instructional space, collaborative spaces throughout the school and a centralized media center as the campus’ hub. The campus would be designed with energy efficiency, long-term durability and minimized ongoing maintenance in mind.
“To continue serving our community as the Destination District for Public Schools, we need to continue to innovate and build schools to serve all students,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steve Flores said. “The design for our sixth high school is an exciting step toward a learning environment that supports collaboration, flexibility and student choice. I am eager to continue working with our community to make this campus a reality in our District.”
Architects worked with community and stakeholder groups to utilize the topography of the landscape and the configuration of the school to meet instructional and community needs. It focused on building a size to accommodate growth and allow teachers to have their own classrooms.
The Citizens Bond Committee is currently working on a recommendation for the Board to review for a possible Bond election. The Board ultimately determines Bond projects as part of an election.
The total high school project is planned to cost $130 million, including the construction, design, furniture and technology costs. It could also include a $20 million, 750-seat auditorium, similar to those the District is building at Cedar Ridge and Stony Point high schools from Bond 2014.
The Board approved $11 million in Bond 2008 surplus funds in April 2016 for the design of the project to expedite the process, if voters approve the project as part of a possible Bond 2017 election package. Without relief, Round Rock High School is expected to grow to nearly 4,000 students by 2021.
