The new Mendez Elementary School campus will open with a ribbon-cutting Aug. 13 and welcome students on the first day of the 2026-27 school year Aug. 19. (Michael Milliorn/Community Impact)
On May 15, 2025, construction crews broke ground on the site of the new San Marcos CISD Irene K. Mendez Elementary School.
The campus will host its first students in the 2026-27 school year, which begins Aug. 19. An official ribbon-cutting will be held Aug. 13 to celebrate the new facility’s completion.
The gist
The new Mendez Elementary School building was funded as part of a 2023 bond project, according to previous Community Impact reporting. The project, originally estimated to cost over $73.5 million, came in under budget at $58.1 million.
“After years of planning and construction, we’re just days away from opening the new Irene K. Mendez Elementary School,” said SMCISD board member Juan Miguel Arredondo in a social media post.
Demolition of the old Mendez Elementary School building is set to begin now that construction is complete.
The former Mendez Elementary School building will now be demolished, as the new facility has been completed. (Michael Milliorn/Community Impact)
“It’s been an incredible journey, and I can’t wait to celebrate this milestone with our students, families, staff and community,” Arredondo said in the post.
Also of note
The building is named after former SMCISD Dual Language teacher Irene K. Mendez, who served in the district for 28 years, according to the school’s website. First opened in 1969, the original campus was established as Mendez Elementary School in 2009.
