Local residents, elected officials and Hays CISD board of trustee members gathered May 7 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new campus for Hays CISD’s Buda Elementary School on Old San Antonio Road. The 115,000-square-foot building was funded by $33,925,000 allocated from the 2017 voter-approved bond, which also paid for the new Johnson High School.

The first time a school was built on the current Buda Elementary site was 1885; in 1908, when more capacity was needed, a new two-story building was constructed across the street. That building, which was serving as Buda High School, burned down in 1928 and was rebuilt with some features of the original preserved. In
1967, when the Kyle, Buda and Wimberley schools consolidated, Buda High School became Buda Elementary School.

A new campus was needed because the current site sits in the flood plain and has flooded twice in the past decade.

Elementary schools in the district are all built from a standard prototype that HCISD has been using for about 10 years, according to the district, but each time a new one is built improvements are made. Buda Elementary will have stained concrete floors, skylights to reduce energy costs, science labs and collaborative learning areas.

The new Buda Elementary will also have a capacity of 900; last year, Buda Elementary enrolled 581 students. The school will welcome students in August.