Located in the Cambridge Crossing neighborhood, Bothwell Elementary is Celina ISD’s fourth elementary school. The new campus will soon be followed by CISD’s fifth elementary school expected in fall 2025 and its second middle school in fall 2026. Even more campuses, including future high schools, are on the horizon with bond conversations starting as the district sees fast growth that mirrors the city.
Bothwell Elementary Principal Kristen Aune said opening a new school is filled with high energy as staff work together for the first time with students and parents.
“We’re doing everything to make sure that students are safe and learning, but there’s so much excitement to that,” Aune said.
The big picture
Celina ISD is projected to have over 22,450 students by the 2033-34 school year—triple its current enrollment numbers—according to high scenario estimations.
The district is expecting to operate three to four high schools within the next 20 years, with its second opening in 2029 or 2030, Superintendent Thomas Maglisceau said.
Celina High School is undergoing renovations to address campus growth as well as expand the programming for fine arts and career and technical education.
Renovations, which should be completed by fall 2026, include a larger cafeteria space and media center, new fine arts classrooms and additional classroom space, he said.
“While it may bring out changes that are uncomfortable, none of us can deny the opportunity that is coming for our kids,” Maglisceau said.
- 99% of CISD's functional capacity will be reached by 2026.
- 93% of Celina High School's capacity will be reached by 2027.
An elementary school needs around 55 employees to operate, said Melissa Kelly, CISD’s director of human resources. It’s difficult to predict how much staff future schools will need as the district wants to offer what students need, she said.
CISD is working to create innovative partnerships and develop its own staff, Kelly said.
Starting this year, the district has partnered with Abilene Christian University to offer a fully online degree program and professional development pathways for educators and teachers in the Celina area. The partnership is designed to provide the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree and obtain a teaching certificate.
CISD employees are eligible for a 10% reduction on all ACU online programs and the $50 application fee will be waived.
“We want to offer opportunities for the people that have been here to grow as the district grows,” Kelly said.
Quotes of note
“Ideally, every single shift we make is just moving families that much closer to their neighborhood schools," said Thomas Maglisceau, Celina ISD superintendent.
“We have a lot of new families and a lot of teachers new to the area, but we’re ... teaching them the ways of Celina and how to help one another," said Kristen Aune, Bothwell Elementary principal.
Another detail
School funding is determined by the state’s funding formula, which has had a basic allotment of $6,160 per student since 2019. Funding is based on daily attendance, not enrollment.
While higher enrollment could increase CISD’s daily attendance rates and boost the district’s state revenue, it will incur costs for staffing and other operational needs, said Amber Pennell, CISD’s chief financial officer.
Celina ISD’s $87.82 million budget for fiscal year 2024-25 was approved by the board of trustees June 24. About $1.94 million will be pulled from the district’s fund balance to offset the district’s revenue shortfall.
What's next
District officials are putting together a community bond committee that should start its work in late September or early October, Maglisceau said. The committee is currently being formalized and is expected to provide recommendations to the school board before winter break.
In February, the board will approve whether to send a bond package to voters, which would then be on the May election ballot.
New schools, new school buses and district vehicles, and upkeep on current facilities are all district needs, which could be in the bond program, Maglisceau said.
"We don’t do anything without trying to engage fully with our community [and] to have our community help make some of those determinations with us,” he said.
