Mason Elementary students could be moved to elementary No. 32. (Courtesy Leander ISD)
As Leander ISD's enrollment continues to shift, district officials are looking ahead to building the next two elementary schools, which could include moving Mason Elementary students into one of the new campuses.
Chief Operations Officer Jeremy Trimble provided an update on the district's planned 31st and 32nd elementary schools during the Oct. 1 board of trustees meeting.
How we got here
Elementary 31 and 32 were both approved under Proposition A in the 2023 bond. At the time, estimated project costs outlined in the bond package included $71.4 million for elementary 31 and $79.9 million for elementary 32.
In the three years since, Trimble said district officials have been evaluating enrollment and facility data and conducting the necessary design and permitting tasks.
The details
Elementary No. 31
According to Trimble, this campus is intended to add capacity in the northeast part of the district, specifically the Tarvin, Parkside and Akin elementary feeder area.
Officials say ongoing residential development continues to shape enrollment capacity in this quadrant, and recent projections indicate enrollment growth across the surrounding feeder area.
Elementary No. 32
This campus was initially slated to add capacity to the Mason Elementary feeder area. However, officials have since changed their approach after evaluating enrollment patterns, the geography of where Mason students live and LISD's longer-term facility needs.
Trimble said the district is planning to relocate Mason students to the new campus. About 76% of students in the current Mason attendance area live in the Travisso community and surrounding developments that would be closer to the elementary 32 site than to the existing Mason campus.
Leander ISD
The Mason campus also scored significantly lower than LISD's current elementary prototype in an educational adequacy study, per district documents. However, officials say the campus would remain a district asset and any future uses would be considered through the Leander ISD 2037 long-term strategic process.
"We get to take the students, the staff, the culture and the relationships and everything that has been created at Mason Elementary and we provide that opportunity to serve those students, plus additional students, in an area already highly populated with students. ... We also believe there's an opportunity here to attract more students. There is a good possibility that moving forward with this would actually increase enrollment for the district." - Chief Operations Officer Jeremy Trimble
Looking ahead
According to district officials, construction activities for both elementary campuses would need to begin in spring 2027 in order to meet a targeted opening of August 2028.
