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

  • University of Kansas Opens $400M Football Stadium Reconstruction

    The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., recently announced that the $400-million reconstruction of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is complete in time for the 2025 football season, according to a news release. The university partnered with Turner Construction Company on the project.

  • Texas District Finishes Construction on New Middle School, Admin Building

    The Westwood Independent School District recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Westwood Middle School and Administration Building in Palestine, Texas, according to a news release. The campus covers 106,000 square feet and has the capacity for 650 students in grades 6–8, and it will also play home to the district’s staff and administration.

  • Beyond Four Walls

    Operable glass walls provide a dynamic solution for educational spaces. They align with today’s evolving teaching methods and adapt to the needs of modern learners. Beyond the functional versatility, movable glass walls offer clean, contemporary aesthetics, slim and unobtrusive profiles, and versatile configurations that cater to the evolving needs of students and educators alike.

  • Kimball International Launches New Furniture for K–12 Classrooms

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of four new products designed for a variety of professional environments, including K–12 schools, according to a news release.

Digital Edition