Stantec, the consultants hired by Richardson ISD to help manage rapid enrollment growth in Lake Highlands, released the results of their WRE Growth Survey Friday. The survey, shared with households in the White Rock Elementary attendance area, sought opinions on the best way to address overcrowding, particularly at WRE.

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You can view Stantec’s survey results in their video, above.

From 650 total responses, 211 (32%) recommended expanding WRE, 144 (22%) preferred creating a facility for 5th and 6th graders, 133 (20%) called for redrawing attendance boundaries between WRE, LHE and Northlake and 84 (13%) called for construction of a new elementary school. A large number said they did not want RISD to resuscitate plans, now withdrawn, for a school at White Rock Trail.

Half of respondents currently have students at WRE and 65% will have a child there in 5 years. More than 300 detailed comments were received, and Stantec promised to study each one. You can view the comments and the raw data here. Stantec will make a recommendation to the RISD Board of Trustees on Feb. 13 at the board’s monthly work session, and the board will vote after they have studied Stantec’s findings.

White Rock has room for about 900 students but currently has 926 attending, and RISD’s demographer, Templeton, predicts that number to exceed 1,000 very soon. With capacity exceeded, Stantec says, extra burdens are put on facilities such as cafeteria, library, restrooms and scheduling for special classes.

With the views of the WRE community now gathered, Stantec will move in 3 phases: (1) (now) Focus on a solution specific to WRE, including assessing facilities and evaluating data & enrollment projections; (2) (March-Sept.) Broaden to all of LH; (3) (Sept. 2017-August 2018) Develop a districtwide long-range facilities needs plan.

We will keep you updated here at Advocate online.