1. According to the proposal, the new school will put "learning on display.”
“The big picture for this school is that we’re really trying to put learning on display throughout the entire school,” a Stantec representative said.
Rather than being sectioned into separate areas, the spaces for career technical education are placed within accessible areas in the center of the school so they can serve as learning opportunities for students. Career technical spaces included in the design will cater to students learning construction, automotive repair, culinary, cosmetology, media production and other skills.
The design also includes centralized space called “work-area commons” within the center of the first floor for students to use as a multifunctional area.
“We want the school to be an engaging and comfortable school for most of the students,” the representative said.
The proposed design would have an outdoor art patio and dining area for students on the north part of campus.[/caption]2. The campus will have a capacity for growth
The rapid growth in the area is the driving force behind the high school, officials say. Hays CISD estimates there will be 6,234 high school students in the district by 2019, when the third high school is expected to open. By 2020, there are expected to be 6,514.
Some aspects of the school were designed for this growth with expansion in mind, Stantec representatives said. The common areas in the center of the proposed plan for the third high school school will be able to accommodate lunch tables and chairs for additional dining space if needed, and the design allows room for a performing arts center to be built at a later date.
3. The high school will feature three floors
The first floor of the proposed high school will hold administrative offices, the cafeteria, the library, a special education section, athletic facilities, career technical education spaces and some classrooms.
The second and third floors will hold a ninth grade center for freshmen students, a section of classrooms dedicated to the school’s science courses and classrooms for 10th-12th grades.
The proposed design of the third high school's first floor, which would hold career training, athletic facilities and common areas.[/caption]4. The school board has reservations about nearby neighborhoods
The site of the school is located to the east of Carpenter Hill Elementary, 4410 FM 967, Buda. A Stantec representative said there is high-density housing to the north of the high school site, but that the neighborhood and campus will be buffered. However, some trustees still expressed concerns about noise from athletic events bothering residents.
District 4 Trustee Merideth Keller asked Stantec to provide the board more satellite imagery of the site at the next meeting to see its relation to neighborhoods.
5. Trustees could take action on the design as early as next week
The design will come up for vote at the next board of trustees meeting. It will take place Monday, Sept. 26 at 5:30 p.m. at Jack Hays High School in the Career and Technology Center, 4800 Jack C. Hays Trail, Buda.
