During the ribbon-cutting event, Legacy Ranch High School Principal Mark Koller handed over the keys to the campus to Legacy Ranch Middle School Principal Peter Bongard. (Courtesy Liberty Hill ISD)
Liberty Hill ISD officials, staff and community members gathered recently to celebrate the opening of two new campuses and the district’s new operations center.
During the three ribbon-cutting ceremonies held July 31, district officials shared information about the new facilities and welcomed students for the upcoming school year, which begins Aug. 12.
What to expect
Legacy Ranch Middle School—which previously housed classes for students of the neighboring Legacy Ranch High School—will welcome about 600 middle school students and staff, according to the district.
Legacy Ranch Middle School also hosted an event for students and families to tour the campus the evening of Aug. 4. Principal Peter Bongard, who has nearly two decades of experience in education, will lead the school.
Lariat Trails Elementary School, which was funded through the 2023 bond, has the capacity to accommodate up to 1,000 students, according to previous Community Impact reporting. The campus, which is the district’s eighth elementary school, covers over 100,000 square feet.
Lariat Trails Elementary School will be the district's eighth elementary school campus. (Denise Seiler/Community Impact)
“It’s going to be a great year here in Liberty Hill ISD as we open up elementary school number eight, which it just seems like every year we seem to be opening a new one,” LHISD Superintendent Travis Motal said. “We’re very committed to that here at [LHISD] to provide great schools for all of our community.”
Ahead of the school year, community members in the Lariat neighborhood 5K run helped raise $4,464 to support teachers at the elementary school, according to Lariat developer Randolph Texas Development. Ashton Woods, Perry Homes, Risewell Homes and Tri Pointe Homes also each individually donated $500 for a total of $6,464.
The donations will assist teachers in purchasing resources like classroom supplies.
"This school has always been envisioned as the heart of the community where families connect, friendships form and community takes root," Grant Rollo, vice president of land for Randolph Texas Development, said in a statement. "Its impact will extend beyond the classroom, helping create the shared experiences and connections that define great communities.”
Principal Christina Gamez, who helped open Rancho Sienna Elementary in 2017 and previously served as principal of Santa Rita Elementary, will lead Lariat Trails Elementary School.
The district also celebrated the opening of a new operations center, built at the site of what was once the Higginbotham Brothers hardware store.
What’s next
In addition to Legacy Ranch Middle School and Lariat Trails Elementary School, the Legacy Ranch High School campus will host its first classes Aug. 12.
Due to rapid population growth, LHISD is set to open another new elementary school, Saddleback Elementary School, in August 2027.
