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

  • St. Lucie County, Fla., Breaks Ground on New K–8 School

    St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie County, Fla., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new K–8 school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., for the design of the upcoming Ft. Pierce K–8 School, which comprises six buildings covering 215,000 square feet.

  • Missouri Child Development Center Completes $2.3M Expansion

    The Urban Sprouts Child Development Center in St. Louis, Mo., recently announced the completion of a $2.3-million expansion and adaptive reuse project, according to a news release. The new space includes a retail café, outdoor learning space, and a support office building.

  • California District Opens New Robotics Center

    The Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD) in Cupertino, Calif., recently held a Grand Opening ceremony for a new, district-wide Robotics Center, according to a news release. The 14,500-square-foot facility was designed by Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA); Landmark Constructors served as the builder and Blach Construction as general construction manager.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.