Editor's note: This article was updated to include the date and time of a groundbreaking ceremony for the campus.

Officials are preparing to break ground on Leander ISD’s first prekindergarten Early Childhood Center, but a recent funding gap identified more funds are needed to complete the project.

The board of trustees approved 4-1 to reallocate $4 million in bond funds toward the ECC during the regular board meeting April 10.

Trustee Paul Gauthier was the dissenting vote, and trustees Gloria Gonzales-Dholakia and Francesca Romans were not present.

Some background


The 2023 bond allocated $161 million toward repurposing underutilized campuses, with $60 million of that going toward the ECC.

The ECC is slated to help relieve elementary school capacity in the northern part of the district, following recommendations from LISD’s Long-Range Planning Committee.

What’s changed

A $4 million funding gap due to inflation was identified following a refined design scope and additional site work, Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Trimble said.


The ECC differs from a traditional elementary campus, which is where the cost differences lie, Trimble said.

“You can’t take out just one single component,” Trimble said. “When we went through all the value engineering exercises, what we didn’t want to do is take away anything that would affect the child experience.”
The preliminary design features five learning pods, a gym, media center, administrative offices and possible spaces for the Parents as Teachers program and child care. (Courtesy Leander ISD)
The preliminary design features five learning pods, a gym, media center, administrative offices, and possible spaces for the Parents as Teachers program and child care. (Courtesy Leander ISD)
With the reallocation of funds toward the ECC, there is now $97 million in bond funds remaining for other campus repurposing projects, which Trimble said officials don’t believe will make a negative impact on any future projects.

“We don’t know exactly what we’re going to be able to accomplish, but given $97 million, we have to have some level of confidence going into this that $97 million should be sufficient for a number of projects that may be developed coming out of the long-range plan,” Trimble said.

The details


The board received an update on the ECC’s design last June. The center is expected to have a capacity of about 600 3- and 4-year-old prekindergarten students and feature:
  • Five learning pods with literacy areas, free play stations and meals
  • Outdoor play areas with covered porches, gardens, trike tracks and free play areas
  • A gym, media center, administrative offices and community resource spaces
  • Space for the Parents as Teachers program


Next steps

Construction is expected to begin in May and open for the 2026-27 school year, bringing pre-K-age students from schools including Bagdad, Hisle, Larkspur, North, Plain and Tarvin elementary schools.

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held at the campus site on May 1 at 10 a.m.