By Sahar Chmais
UPDATE: In a previous press release issued about the school’s groundbreaking, it stated that the school cost would be $29.5 million. An apology was issued regarding the misinformation with an updated figure that was nearly $38.5 million.
Tom Green Elementary School is going to be over capacity this upcoming school year; the new elementary school in Sunfield subdivision located on the east side of Buda will be the saving grace. But it comes at a cost of nearly $38.5 million.
With Buda’s explosive growth as families continue to move in, Tom Green Elementary is projected to have more than 894 incoming students this upcoming year, but the school has a capacity of 714 kids. It seems that this new school cannot come soon enough, but it will not open until August 2022. The new campus, which will be located at 155 Vista Gardens Dr. in Buda, will have a capacity of 900 students.
“The building that will be built on this site is our next generation prototype,” Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright said at the groundbreaking, “which checks off all the boxes necessary to provide for an exceptional well-rounded education for our students all the while paying close attention to economy of scale and affordability. The finished product will be a source of pride for our students, this neighborhood and community, as well as to Hays CISD as a whole.”
There will be many more parts to figure out in regards to this school, but after the pandemic delayed the process, the groundbreaking made it a reality.
The district has not established an attendance zone for the yet to be named campus, but the process will be coming along in the fall with an anticipated decision by December 2021.
The zone could include children living outside of the Sunfield subdivision, according to Tim Savoy, Hays CISD chief communication officer.
The board is also likely to have a name for the school by the fall of 2021, but will likely involve a citizens committee to make recommendations, Savoy said.
