The zoning process for the two new schools is complicated by challenges with the geography of the area as well as growing enrollment in the Grand Oaks feeder east of I-45 and south of the Grand Parkway in the Woodson’s Reserve development, Assistant Superintendent of Operations Chris McCord said.
The district has been looking at the geographical changes that have occurred from 2005-25 due to development and new roads that redefine how the area is shaped, McCord said.
The district also has to consider the location of the schools and how many portable classrooms the district can accommodate, as there are currently 300 portable classrooms throughout the district, McCord said during a zoning webinar. Natural and manmade boundaries also come into play with zoning because of freeways and bodies of water in the region, he said.
“The challenges with Arnold Elementary are establishing the opening number of students for Arnold Elementary along with the challenge of geography; and that the geography poses challenges that the whole area in Woodson's Reserve is going to be huge,” McCord said to Community Impact.
Zooming in
The new schools are part of the 2023 Conroe ISD bond, as previously reported by Community Impact. Grand Oaks Junior High, located at 28075 Woodson’s Grand Drive in Spring, is scheduled to open in August 2027 and is projected to serve 800 students in grades seven and eight in a building adjacent to the ninth-grade campus.
Arnold Elementary will be located 5175 Woodson's Spring Drive, Spring, and it will open in August, serving 950 students in grades K-6.
“We have been proactive in placing this [Arnold Elementary] campus exactly where it needs to be to accommodate the growth that's coming, but we also need to be able to relieve overcrowding to some degree,” McCord said.
The district had previously rezoned its schools in 2023 where capacity issues were addressed with the opening of the new Hines Elementary. According to district data, Hines Elementary, which opened in 2023, was at 94% capacity as of Sept. 3.
“[Zoning] is a process that takes six months and we want to get it right and we want to get it right the first time because you know it's real families and real students and we want to work in the short-term, medium-term and long-term to the best we can,” McCord said.
The attendance boundary committee will meet in December to finalize the scenarios for the board of trustees to approve in January.
The Woodsons Reserve East area still has 1,300 homes left to sell, and the Tri-Star development also expects additional residences between Woodsons Reserve East and Riley Fuzzel Road, according to information from the district.
This means about 900 more students are expected in the area from September 2025 through buildout in early 2029, according to information from the district. The district expects an additional elementary school will eventually be needed in the area, McCord said.
