Richardson ISD school board members continue to discuss building new elementary schools to accommodate overcrowding, and they say they will have a decision to announce at the next meeting, June 20.

“Trustees shared feedback received from community members in Lake Highlands, both in and beyond the WRE zone, and  additional information was requested from staff,” according to the RISD newsletter. “A decision on the configuration of the new school is expected at the next Board meeting on June 20,” it continues.

Sign up for our newsletter!

* indicates required

From RISD, here is an outline of the plan:

Board Supports Recommendations for Two New Schools in LH:

RISD Trustees met in a called meeting on May 31 to continue discussions about plans to accommodate enrollment growth in the Lake Highlands area. Acting Superintendent, Dr. Jeannie Stone, began with a review of past and projected enrollment at each elementary school in the Lake Highlands area in relation to each building’s location and enrollment capacity. The review included the total number of additional general education classrooms needed at each school (if any) to accommodate peak projected enrollment growth at no more than 90% capacity.

Dr. Stone then presented recommendations to address growth, to be implemented in two phases.

Phase 1 Recommendations – for completion between 2016-2018

Construct a new school at the site on the corner of Walnut Hill Road and White Rock Trail to address enrollment growth at White Rock Elementary, which has experienced the strongest enrollment growth in RISD, has the highest projected growth and most immediate need for additional space.

Relocate the southern RISD employee early childhood education program, currently operated at Lake Highlands Elementary, to White Rock Elementary as a more central location.

Move the Wallace Elementary Pre-K program to Lake Highlands Elementary.

Recapture classroom space at Aikin Elementary as part of existing renovation plans.

Evaluate the addition of magnet programming at Northlake Elementary as an option more convenient for elementary parents in eastern Lake Highlands.

Phase 2 Recommendations, for completion between 2018-2021

Construct a new K-6 elementary school on the eastern side of the Lake Highlands zone, targeting the area on either side of 635, approximately between Abrams Rd. and Royal Lane. The new school, with accompanying attendance boundary changes, would provide classroom space relief to Aikin, Forest Lane, Skyview, Stults Road, Thurgood Marshall and Wallace elementary schools.

Return students to Aikin Elementary that are currently in areas north of 635 that had previously been relocated to Stults Road Elementary. The impacted area is closer to Aikin.

Relocate a portion of Skyview Elementary’s attendance boundaries to Thurgood Marshall, which is closer to the impacted area.

Expand Northlake Elementary to include magnet programming if evaluation determines demand exists.

Trustees expressed support for the recommendations. RISD has begun evaluation of site options for the new eastern Lake Highlands elementary school.

The grade configuration of the new campus to address growth at White Rock Elementary will be discussed at the next Board meeting on June 13. Options include a K-6 school, which would necessitate an attendance boundary change, or an intermediate White Rock campus for upper grades, which would not require a boundary change.

Background – Bond Planning
Background – Lake Highlands Reflector Committee
Background – Board Discussions