Allen ISD’s Anderson Early Childhood School will soon undergo renovations to completely repurpose the former elementary school, according to district officials.

What happened?

Allen ISD’s board of trustees approved a total cost of $30.4 million to renovate the school during a Dec. 15 board meeting. The project, managed by Huckabee Architects and CORE Construction, will renovate about 102,000 square feet, according to a staff presentation.



The scope of work includes:
  • Replacement of electrical systems and plumbing systems
  • Replacement of finishes throughout the school
    • Flooring
    • Wall coverings and paint
    • Fixtures
  • Redesign of the lobby, reception, administration, cafeteria and library
Assistant Superintendent Brent Benningfield said it was a unique project “because this is the first time we’re converting a building’s purpose.” The building was first built in 1997 and was last updated in 2011, according to a district news release.


The project is expected to start once contracts are finalized, and construction is expected to finish by the start of the 2026-27 school year.

About the project

During the staff presentation, Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Wilhelm presented renderings of several redesigned learning spaces within the school. The new spaces will be tailored to support early childhood development, according to a district news release.

Wilhelm said it was “very important” to officials that the redesign is age-appropriate for the district’s youngest learners.


“When you think about redesign of something, you need it to match the educational intent when you’re looking at this program of spaces,” Wilhelm said.

District officials worked with their project partners to examine the building’s purpose and objectives, she said.

“Words that came out [were]: inspiration, wonder, creativity, warm colors, welcoming to families, building background knowledge,” Wilhelm said. “Those are the things, as we go through the images, that I hope you see; that we were able to capture in this design.”

Quote of note


Board member John Holley said he couldn’t “tell you how excited” he is about the project. He called the project “phenomenal” and thanked officials for the effort they put into it.

“To be able to go to this campus and eventually see our kids with a fully developmentally appropriate location to learn—it’s just phenomenal,” Holley said.

How we got here

Renovations to the early childhood school were included in the school district’s 2024 bond proposal upon recommendations from the Project Kids Citizen Bonds Committee.


Voters approved two bond proposals totaling more than $442 million in November 2024.
  • Proposition A: $419.1 million
    • Full renovations at multiple schools
    • Mechanical, electrical and plumbing work at multiple schools
    • Roofing and waterproofing work at multiple schools
    • Concrete and foundation repairs at multiple schools
  • Proposition C: $23.1 million
    • Update computers used by students and staff at all campuses
Multiple projects are underway or have already been completed, Chief Communications Officer David Hicks said. Projects such as resurfacing of the tennis courts at the Lowery Freshman Center and renovations at Olson Elementary School have already been completed.

Work is ongoing to construct a new multipurpose complex and renovate the existing Allen ISD Activity Center, Hicks said.

“There’s a number of projects that are constantly in a flux of ongoing or completed and then they move on to that next [project],” he said.