EDUCAT ION • T R A DES • LE A R NING
Georgetown ISD: Achievement and Growth Looking toward the future
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building to create a central and secure space to manage the annual deployment and service of nearly 13,000 devices. Frost is an ideal site to accommodate that directive and also serve as a warehouse for curriculum materials."
here are three facts many people recognize about Georgetown. First, the city is growing every day. Second, we have a superlative school district. Third, the first two are positively connected. Fortunately, city and school leadership are adept at planning for growth via bond propositions that allow the district to adjust and avoid overcrowding.
BOND BENEFITS In 2021, voters approved two propositions that will provide new facilities for the fast-growing district as well as maintain and improve technology. Elementary School #11 will be located in Santa Rita Ranch to help accommodate for capacity in the fast growing western part of the district and Wolf Ranch attendance zone. Elementary School #12 is also being planned for an opening in fall 2024 but a location has not yet been determined. Communications Director Melinda Brasher explains, "Our demographers predict we will have 1,000 new students by the fall of 2022 and another 3,000 by the fall of 2024 when new campuses are expected to open. Half of that projected increase will be at the elementary level. Fortunately, we will be able to get both schools ready quickly because they are based on the designs of Williams and Wolf Ranch schools, which opened in 8
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2020. Those designs have proven very effective for learning and we need only make small tweaks based on feedback from staff to complete construction. This saves us tremendous time and expense."
ASSET BENEFITS The district also plans to break ground on a new Benold Middle School in the Parmer Ranch subdivision in west Georgetown. Melinda says the current Benold Middle School will be redesigned to become a future Frost Elementary. "The current Frost is our smallest campus and there is no opportunity to expand its footprint, but maintaining an elementary school in that area is important to the community. Redesigning Benold creates space for growth in the Frost attendance zone." She says the current Frost facility may be re-purposed. "Another bond proposition will enable us to sustain our one-to-one device initiative for students, improve our technology infrastructure, and increase security for both. One option is to re-purpose the old Frost
GROWTH BENEFITS As the population increases, the district's special programs increase as well. "A fourth campus funded by the bond will be our Future Ready Center," Melinda says. "This complex will be constructed on Airport Road near the Titan Commercial center and will be the new home for Richarte High School, advanced Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, Bridges transition program, and Eagles Wings, an early learning center that provides daycare for teachers and staff, allowing for increased capacity in each program. It will also house the GISD Health and Wellness Clinic." The district plans to break ground before the end of summer. As well, the entire district will benefit from new school buses that will not only accommodate growth where it is happening, but are also safer for students and the community. Visit GeorgetownISD.org/bond to review previous bond projects and updates on how the district is stewarding our tax dollars.
