Texas K–12 District to Build New Elementary, High Schools
The High Island Independent School District on the Bolivar Peninsula in Southeast Texas recently announced that construction on a new elementary school and a new high school will begin in January 2026, according to local news. Funding will come from a $27.9-million bond passed in May 2025.
The project consists of building separate elementary and high-school buildings that will share a new gym and library facility. Construction has an estimated completion date of August 2027, local news reports. Once the new facility opens, the existing high school and elementary buildings will be demolished and replaced with school parking.
According to local news from April 2025, the existing facilities are 76 years old and are aging out of use. Three buildings—extracurricular facilities used for cheerleading, weight training, and athletics—have been condemned. Further review indicated that renovation and repair would cost almost as much as building new facilities.
“This will meet our needs,” said High Island ISD Superintendent David Walker. “This school is a part of the community in a lot of ways. If we didn’t have the school, we wouldn’t have our community.”
12NewsNow reports that design and construction plans will be finalized by September and that groundbreaking is scheduled for January 2026. The project should involve “very minimal traffic issues in moving students and everything,” said Walker.
The bond had originally promised no tax rate increase for local taxpayers. Instead, the district will implement a tax rate decrease of 8 cents, even with the bond’s passage.
About the Author
Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].