Round Rock ISD’s oldest campus, CD Fulkes Middle School, will undergo an entire rebuild, transforming the dated school with its patchwork of additions over the decades, into a modern, state-of-the-art facility.
The Board of Trustees approved funding for the project at its regular monthly board meeting on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. The $49.5 million project will be funded through Bond 2018 revenue. A Citizens Bond Committee identified CD Fulkes as a priority when developing recommendations for capital projects for the 2018 Bond package.
Prime concerns at the current campus include classrooms too small to meet current Texas Education Agency (TEA) guidelines or to hold a standard class; narrow halls and stairs; noisy, aging air conditioners inside classrooms; outdated site planning that constricts the flow of students and raises security concerns; old equipment and technology; a small cafeteria; and aging underlying infrastructure.
The oldest structure that is part of CD Fulkes’ current facility dates to 1939 with a patchwork of additions occurring at least eight times over the intervening eight decades, starting in 1941.
The new school will be built on what is now the football field, allowing students to remain on campus in the existing building while construction is underway. The new facility is a multi-story design with spacious, modern learning environments on par with newer middle schools across the District. The original historic auditorium in the old building will be preserved for subsequent renovations and improvements. Site improvements will include a new 400-meter track surrounding a new artificial turf field. A new bus lane, parent parking and car-line improvements are also part of the project.
Round Rock ISD’s Chief Operations Officer Terry Worcester said he expects the District to break ground on the project later this spring.
