Texas District Breaks Ground on $140M Replacement High School

The Waco Independent School District in Waco, Texas, recently broke ground on a replacement facility for Waco High School. The new school will cover 350,000 square feet and comes with a price tag of $140 million, according to a district news release. The new building will have a capacity of 2,150 and is scheduled to open in time for the beginning of the 2025–26 school year.

Funding for the school comes from a $355-million bond that voters approved in 2021. The bond will be used to build replacement facilities for Waco High School, G.W. Carver Middle School, Tennyson Middle School, and Kendrick Elementary School, as well as renovations to South Waco Elementary. The construction of Waco High School comes with a Guaranteed Maximum Price approved by the school board of $140.5 million.

The existing Waco High School was built in 1961. The new facility will feature open spaces and glass walls between classrooms for observation, according to local news.

“Breaking ground on the new Waco High School is the latest but certainly not the last chapter in a story of a community coming together to do big things,” said Waco ISD Superintendent Dr. Susan Kincannon. “When we come together, we can literally build the future.”

The district partnered with architect O’Connell Robertson for the new building’s design and project manager Rogers-O’Brien for construction.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • California K–12 District Finishes Renovations on Multi-Sport Stadium

    The Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) in Alameda, Calif., recently announced the completion of a renovation project on the Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School stadium, according to a news release. The district partnered with Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) and Bothman Construction on the facility, and funding came from Bond Measure B.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • Illinois District Boosts Security at High-School Stadium

    Richmond-Burton Community High School in Richmond, Ill., recently announced that it has completed the redesigned entrance to its high school stadium with a new focus on school security and community engagement, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects and Engineers on the project as part of District #157’s year-long facilities master plan.