Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

DFW-Area District Plans New Middle School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/18/22

The Richardson Independent School District in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex recently approved a budget for the construction of a new middle school. The district’s board of trustees voted on April 11 to approve $81 million toward the construction of the new Lake Highlands Middle School. The new facility will stand three stories tall and have the capacity for about 1,500 students.

“We are very excited for this,” said RISD Assistant Superintendent Sandra Hayes. “This is the first time that the district has taken on creating a new school since the early 2000s, with the exception of Memorial Park Academy. We're very excited to get this off and running.”

Construction is scheduled to begin this summer and finish by August 2024, according to local news. The project is part of a wider district initiative to move from the junior high school system (in which sixth-graders attend elementary school) to the middle school system (in which sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders attend middle school).

After construction on Lake Highlands Middle School is complete, the district plans to demolish the existing junior high school and use the space for middle school amenities like parking, flatwork, paving, tennis courts, site lighting and landscaping, according to local news. The project’s total budget—including demolition and site renovations—is $94 million. Funds will come from a $750-million bond package from 2021.

The budget does take into account the increased price of construction. “Back in 2019-20, new construction in the metroplex was running around $300 a square foot,” Hayes said. “Currently, at the price that we're seeing industrywide, the cost per square foot is about $350 now due to escalation. That’s what we’re seeing in the construction world and hearing from our neighbors that are also building schools.”

The district’s goal is to convert all junior high campuses to middle school campuses by the 2030–31 school year, according to a district presentation.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • 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.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.