The overview
Located in the Bar W Ranch neighborhood at 2100 Stamp Iron Ave., Leander, Bar W Elementary School will relieve capacity at Rancho Sienna, Santa Rita and Noble elementary schools as the district’s enrollment continues to grow.
Bar W Elementary will open its doors to 655 students on the first day of the 2023-24 school year Aug. 16 and has the capacity to serve up to 800 students, LHISD Director of Communications Rachel Acosta said.
The school is led by Principal Joy Hudgens and Assistant Principal Angie de los Santos with approximately 60 teachers, 45 of whom are new to the district, Acosta said.
The new school features:
- Two stories of classrooms
- Hallways with collaborative common areas
- An outdoor courtyard
- Two playground areas with basketball courts
- A gymnasium
- A library
Construction on Bar W Elementary began in January after voters approved funding for the school in the district’s 2021 bond election. The bond also approved funding for Tierra Rosa Elementary School, the district’s seventh elementary campus, which is planned to open in August 2024.
District officials said construction crews worked overtime to allow Bar W Elementary to open for the first day of school. Workers were putting finishing touches on the campus during the ribbon-cutting event Aug. 15.
“What a great day; what a great week in Liberty Hill,” LHISD Superintendent Steven Snell said. "We’re just some paint and touch-ups away in seven and a half months, which is amazing because it normally takes 12.”
What they’re saying
“It is going to be a joyful and innovative campus where students are supported, challenged and encouraged to think critically, solve real-world problems and communicate their ideas effectively,” Hudgens said. “Together, we are building champions and raising the bar.”
