The middle school will be located next to Lake Highlands Junior High at 10301 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas, and is expected to house 1,500 students once completed, according to district officials.
“This campus has a longstanding place in the fabric of this neighborhood and the new building is going to build upon those traditions,” RISD Board President Regina Harris said.
Lake Highlands Junior High first opened its doors in the fall of 1960, housing both the junior and senior high schools until 1965, according to district officials.
This construction project is part of RISD’s Middle School Transformation project, which will add sixth graders to junior highs to turn them into middle schools. Lake Highlands Junior High is the first of two junior high schools that are currently under construction, with Forest Meadow under renovations.
“This groundbreaking marks a new chapter in Richardson ISD’s rich history,” RISD Superintendent Tabitha Branum said. “We project to welcome sixth-graders across the Lake Highlands learning community to increase opportunities at their neighborhood middle school.”
The new Lake Highlands Middle School will feature a 231,000-square-foot, 3-story building, Branum said. New additions compared to the Junior High include a new cafeteria, two competition gyms and new spaces designated for band, choir, and theater.
Completion of Lake Highlands Middle School is scheduled to be open for the start of the 2024-25 school year alongside Forest Meadow Middle School.
