Construction began July 15 on Anne McCormick Sullivan Elementary School, Fort Bend ISD’s 47th elementary school, in the Riverstone master-planned community.

The new elementary school, located at 17828 Winding Waters Lane, Sugar Land, is projected to be open for the 2016-17 school year. Sullivan Elementary School is the first school constructed from the 2014 bond program.

“This school represents the first major project of the 2014 bond program,” FBISD Superintendent Charles Dupre said. “It also represents the first new school [in FBISD] that has been designed in several years.”

Voters approved a $484 million bond package last November, which includes the construction of four new elementary schools. The district has an enrollment of 72,432 students and is projected to see its enrollment reach between 77,114 and 80,102 by 2019, according to district officials.

Dupre said the new elementary school is slated to serve the growing population in the Riverstone community. He said the school will accommodate 1,200 students and will be near capacity the day it opens.

“This school is needed in the community of Riverstone,” he said. “This community is growing rapidly, and there are many parents who are very excited about seeing this school open.”