The partnership between ESD No. 3 and Hutto ISD will allow students interested in an emergency response career to train at the district's future second high school.
The history
WilCo ESD No. 3, also known as Hutto Fire Rescue, and Hutto ISD have been working on a collaboration “for many years,” Assistant Fire Chief Rob Bocanegra said.
”[The vision] was to potentially work with each other to develop a fire program within the ISD,” Bocanegra said.
This partnership is mutually beneficial, according to Bocanegra, as it connects the fire service with those interested in a career and develops curriculum opportunities for students. The two parties entered into an agreement for the school to provide land for a new fire station in exchange for collaboration on student programming.
“It's a pure collaboration and really extends the message of a collaboration, working together to get growth done, and educate these kids in the fire service if they choose to do so,” Bocanegra said.
What it means
Although the district has acquired the land to build the new fire station on the school property, it is up to the ESD No. 3 board of commissioners to approve plans for construction, including the funding and timeline.
Since the district finished Fire Station 4 in November 2024 and started construction on its headquarters this year, Bocanegra expects the board will evaluate the next steps for this project following completion of the headquarters.
While Bocanegra expects the next fire station to be complete in two to three years, he said there are still many unknowns.
“It's all up to our board,” Bocanegra said. “They need to evaluate the outlook and the financial condition to start on Station 5.”
