Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/16/26

Key Takeaways

  • Round Rock ISD has completed a new 46,500-square-foot permanent campus for its Early College High School, enabling the program to expand enrollment to 500 students and move out of portable classrooms.
  • The facility, delivered through partnerships with HPM, Bartlett Cocke, O’Connell Robertson, and Rabaa Kistner, includes modern academic, collaborative, dining, and administrative spaces designed to support both high school and college-level learning.
  • Funded through the district’s 2018 bond program, the project reflects Round Rock ISD’s broader long-term investment in campus upgrades, with HPM also supporting the district’s 2024 bond projects.

Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500. The project broke ground in April 2024 and opened to students for the current semester.

The district partnered with program management firm HPM for the entire project. It also partnered with Bartlett Cocke as general contractor, O’Connell Robertson as architect, and Rabaa Kistner as the Geotech and construction materials testing consultant, the news release reports.

Campus amenities include academic classrooms, study rooms and lab spaces, a large commons area, a cafeteria featuring a 12x8-foot video wall, outdoor dining and study areas, and an administrative suite. The school offers a high-school and college-level curriculum, allowing students to graduate with both a high-school diploma and an associate’s degree.

“This facility represents more than just classrooms and labs. It’s a space where students can explore, grow and prepare for their futures,” said HPM’s senior manager of design and construction, Denish Sonani. “Collaborating with the Round Rock ISD to bring this vision to life reinforces our shared commitment to strengthening learning environments that serve students and the community for years to come.”

The project is part of the district’s 2018 voter-approved bond program to fund new construction, renovations, and infrastructure improvements around the district, according to the news release. HPM also partnered with the district for its 2024 bond program and is currently designing more than 15 associated projects.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Philadelphia Middle School Facility Earns LEED Gold Certification

    The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin Middle School in Philadelphia, Penn., recently received a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The School District of Pennsylvania partnered with KSS Architects on the project.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • University of Kansas Breaks Ground on Entrepreneurship Hub

    The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new KU Entrepreneurship Hub, according to university news. The Hub is part of the university’s School of Business and will include spaces for experiential learning and programming.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.