The big picture
Wrapping up a process that began in fall 2022 to take stock of district facilities and determine what repairs, expansions and other changes might be needed to support district operations, representatives of HPM Construction Program Management presented a final version of the plan update to the board of trustees April 18. The plan update, functioning as a status report on the state of facilities, came with several recommendations regarding each learning community in RRISD as well as districtwide recommendations to best support continuing operation of the district.
Several of these recommendations include the adjustment of attendance boundaries and open enrollment programming due to the districtwide decline in enrollment, as well as the continued inclusion of career and technical education facilities in renovations.
A closer look
In addition to taking stock of how district facilities are faring, the update includes the following findings:
- Community members requested the use of fewer portable classrooms
- A majority of 500 survey respondents from the Canyon Creek Elementary School community have expressed that they do not wish to see the school become an early childhood center.
- There were mixed feelings on a sixth comprehensive high school, with 38% of respondents in favor of a new school and 34% of respondents against a new high school.
Each learning community, representing feeder patterns into each of the district's five comprehensive high schools, came with recommendations to address deferred maintenance and to either reprogram or renovate campuses to eliminate the need for portable buildings. Recommendations also included adjustments specific to each learning community.
Cedar Ridge:
- Construct 12 classroom additions at Callison and Voight Elementary for prekindergarten
- Future boundary adjustment to rebalance enrollment
- Use Forest North as an overflow prekindergarten campus
- Forego addition at Deerpark Middle School due to capacity at Pearson Ranch Middle School
- Future boundary adjustment to rebalance enrollment
- Consider new home for RRISD administration to free up room for Round Rock High School
- Future boundary adjustment to rebalance enrollment
- If a boundary adjustment will not relieve overcrowding, build a new middle school over Hopewell and Hernandez Elementary Schools
- Add another elementary school to relieve projected growth at Redbud Elementary School
- Consider adding CTE classes and programs to this learning community
- Discontinue use of modular spaces in renovation of Spicewood Elementary School
- Create a flexible use space for the robotics program instead of a performing arts center
- Expand the parent center at Canyon Vista Elementary School
Tracey Richter, HPM Construction Program Management facilities planning expert, said RRISD's high schools are sitting at about 85% utilization, which may feel full to students and staff at those campuses but does not necessitate a new high school given the district's declining enrollment.
"We know that there's going to be evolution of high school, and it would take a dramatic shift in your enrollment to demand a sixth high school," Richter said. "That's just a professional opinion, and I understand why there is local support."
He recommended reinvesting in maintaining existing facilities, should the district pursue future bond elections to fund capital improvements.
