Round Rock ISD broke ground on its 34th elementary school June 28 and expects to open the new facility in time for the 2016-17 school year. The location of the new school at 2800 Sauls Drive off Bratton Lane will help alleviate overcrowding at Wells Branch Elementary School. The district already owned the property for the new school. The layout of the new 118,324-square-foot facility will be similar to England Elementary School on Pearson Ranch Road, which opened in August 2012, school officials said. Round Rock ISD has not yet modified its district map to include boundaries for the new school; that process will begin this fall, officials said. The district named Gabrielle Niño the school’s first principal. Niño was principal of Bluebonnet Elementary School in Round Rock for four years. Before that she was assistant principal at Robertson Elementary, summer school principal at Union Hill Elementary and a teacher at Cactus Ranch Elementary. “I am honored by the district’s request and look forward to my continued service to the community as well as the challenges ahead,” Niño said in a news release. “I am also confident that Bluebonnet students, staff and families will continue to celebrate growth and achievement.” Superintendent Steve Flores said Niño will bring a wealth of experience to the Wells Branch community. “Gabi Niño has a gift for inspiring the entire school community through her leadership and vision for success,” Flores said in a release. “With a passionate community and talented students to support her, I am confident she will lead our newest campus and create a culture of high expectations and excellence.” Voters approved funding for the new elementary school in May 2014, and the project is estimated to cost $36.7 million. A name for the new school has not yet been selected, and the district will likely solicit name nominations from the general public in the fall. The board of trustees will appoint a committee to review name nominations and make a recommendation to the board and Flores in 2016.