The grade configuration and attendance zone for Richland High School was approved by the board of trustees during a June 17 meeting. The initial proposal for the school was to open with only ninth and 10th grade students, but district officials took community feedback into consideration before deciding to open with all grades, Deputy Superintendent Greg Bradley said.
“This is the feedback we desire,” Bradley said. “While we have ideas about what we can do, our job is to represent this community.”
In a nutshell
Students who are zoned for Richland High and will be in grades 9-11 in the 2025-26 school year will attend the new school. Seniors can choose to remain at Prosper High School or elect to move to Richland High, Bradley said.
The context
District officials learned through the process of opening Walnut Grove High School that it is difficult to have younger grades decide which school to attend, Bradley said.
After starting the school year, he said several students wanted to transfer after the first few weeks. He explained rising seniors are far enough into their high school career to know what programs they want to be involved in and know their goals for post-high school.
A students' eligibility status with University Interscholastic League events may also be hurt by transferring in and out of schools, he said.
Families in the Creeks of Legacy community have the choice to remain at Prosper High or transfer to Richland High. This is due to the neighborhood's proximity to Prosper High, Bradley said. The neighborhood is also built out, so district officials can have a solid estimate of how many students live in the community.
Richland High is expected to open with about 1,250 students in the 2025-26 school year.Looking forward
The new school zones will help the district create terminal school zones for elementary schools as the district plans to cover several in the coming school years.
In the 2024-25 school year, PISD will open its fifth middle school and 18th elementary school.
Along with Richland High, several campuses are expected to open in PISD in the 2025-26 school year, including:
- Elementary School No. 19
- Elementary School No. 20
- Moseley Middle School
