“It addresses growth in the Argyle district, and it addresses the strategies associated with that growth and how it’s going to be managed,” Wright said, as she provided an overview of the district’s growth before opening the session up to questions from the public.
Some school board members attended the meeting, which attracted around 30 people.
The backstory
The district is growing, as its enrollment expanded by 13% since the end of the 2021-22 school year.
“We’re talking about from May to May,” Wright said. “The district is expected to serve nearly 12,000 students by the 2032-33 school year.”
AISD’s current enrollment is 5,070, Wright said.
“Rapid growth has created a need for increased instructional space in the district,” she said.
In May 2017, the district had 2,460 students and four campuses.
“It took six years to double [enrollment], and in the next 10 years, we’re going to more than double,” Wright said.
The approach
Maximizing use of the existing facilities is one goal, Wright said. Another strategy is actively pursuing land options in the district for facilities, with Wright explaining that land has been secured for two future elementary schools and one middle school.
“The district is extremely well-equipped for secondary growth because we have two complete high schools—one at [US] 377 and one at Canyon Falls,” she said, noting the school at US 377 school operated as a standalone high school for five years.
The high school in Canyon Falls opened in 2021. Elementary School No. 4 will open in August 2024, and another elementary school, No. 5, will open in fall 2026. Middle School No. 1 will open in August 2025.
The details
Wright explained the district finished the year with 1,466 students at the high school, and the district will have one high school until the school reaches 2,700 students. Then, the school will split into two separate 9-12 campuses, utilizing the Canyon Falls and US 377 campuses. The projected Canyon Falls High School campus capacity is 2,250, with the projected capacity of the US 377 campus at 1,750, Wright said.
The new stadium and indoor activity center are expected to both open in fall 2025, Wright said. They will be located at the Canyon Falls High School campus.
Diving in deeper
Since Argyle West Elementary School opened in 2019, the district is maintaining 850-student capacity elementary schools, which is what they’re designed for, Wright said. The middle schools are designed for 1,200-student capacities, and that is a reduction from the original plan of 1,400 dating to 2021. A smaller capacity gives students more of an opportunity for participation, involvement and engagement if the school is smaller, Wright said, and the costs involved also were a factor in the smaller capacity.
By the 2032-33 school year, total enrollment for elementary students is estimated to be 5,167 students.
“You could get six schools out of that [and] part of a seventh,” Wright said.
The district total is estimated to have just under 12,000 students. The sixth grade center by that time will jump to an estimated 929 students, and the middle school enrollment will be at 1,988, forming a total middle school population of nearly 3,000. At the high school level, the high-end enrollment forecast is 3,875, and the low end is 3,375. Where the high school attendance zones will be divided has not been determined, but it will be an east-west division to make the numbers work, Wright said.
What’s next?
Wright said the district expects to have another bond in 2024 or 2025, most likely next year to include Elementary School No. 6, Middle School No. 2, and high school additions to the Canyon Falls and US 377 sites. Twice a year, the district will receive demographic reports that officials can review and then revise growth needs as needed.
