Brittany Kelley
KYLE — Rendering images for Hays CISD’s new affordable housing community, along with location and pricing, have been revealed.
The development began after the district was on the hunt for more housing opportunities for its staff, following incentivized apartment rentals at several apartment complexes in Kyle, said Chief Human Resources Officer Christina Courson. It was then that Upward Communities approached the district in December 2024 to create a development entirely for staff members.
“It was the perfect fit because, now, we were looking at — instead of apartments — mostly single-family homes with their own yard, a neighborhood designed just for Hays CISD employees,” said Courson.
The community comes at no cost to the district and is retained through a 55-year housing agreement, designed to provide Hays CISD with a long-term recruitment and retention advantage, according to the district.
As the idea has begun taking shape, a location was needed. The chief officer stated that initially, Kyle was considered for the site, but, ultimately, a site north of Uhland Elementary School was chosen. The sale is set to be finalized in June 2026.
“We know from the demographer’s report that any growth occurring over the next 10 years … is going to occur moving eastward. So, we want to have a neighborhood that’s situated, first of all where all that growth is predicted, [but] also we want to help incentivize staff to work on our eastern side of the school district, where it’s somewhat harder to recruit,” she explained.
The location is not only going to benefit the district, but residents in Uhland, as well. The development is set to have a small retail area in the center, which Courson noted has been in the talks of including a grocery store and other small businesses.
The community, which sits on more than 100 acres, was designed by DPZ CoDesign, according to the district, and provides four housing choices for staff. The first are the Cottages, which are available in one and two bedrooms and bathrooms, with a private courtyard. These are similar to a duplex, due to having a shared wall, but separate spaces. Then, there is the Blanco, which is a standalone home, with two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a one-car garage and a front and back patio. The Clover and Daytona are similar to the Blanco, but have three bedrooms and a two car garage. Finally, the Fourstar and Cypress have four bedrooms.
The buildings, which Courson noted take inspiration from Kyle’s Plum Creek and Seaside, Florida — a community which was initially built for teachers — were built by Clark Wilson, with interior details by Vida Design.
Broken up into segments, the community will have four “pocket” parks that aim to meet different needs. The “relax” park has a fire pit, hammock grove, barbecue pits, a picnic area and chaise lounges, while the “garden” has a community garden, pollinator plants, herb garden and a picnic area. Those with families may find the “play” park enticing, as it will encompass a playfield, trike track, playground and picnic area. Then, similar to “relax,” the “backyard fun” park will have a fire pit, yard games, soccer field, Adirondack chairs, barbecue pits and a picnic area.
Currently, the first phase of rental housing is set to open for the 2027-28 school year and a list of more than 600 staff is already hoping to be chosen for the site.
This will be the most rewarding part — being able to help those that contribute to the education of the students, as some of those on the list have family members with special needs or are living with family and haven’t had the financial opportunity to move, she continued.
Because of this, she emphasized that when considering the community, the district wanted to do its best to be considerate of staff pay. So, the district is working on creating a tiered system that would allow those that are on the auxiliary and paraprofessional scales, for example, to have a deeper discount than those on the academic or business professional scales.
The projected average monthly rent is as follows:
• One bedroom: $795-$1,195
• Two bedroom: $995-$1,450
• Three bedroom: $1,350-$1,825
• Four bedroom: $1,575-$1,995
To further lessen these costs, the chief officer stated that she is excited for the prospect of staff having the ability to become roommates with each other.
“There’s actually going to be a service where individuals can find roommates to share housing, kind of like dorms,” Courson explained.
The district is currently working on creating a process to select the families and individuals that will move into the development. She stated that they are hoping to do a combination of current staff and those working in hard-to-fill positions, such as special education or bilingual roles, while having space to recruit staff in the future.
“In Hays CISD, when we are faced with challenges like teacher and school staff shortages, as well as funding concerns; we don’t shy away. Instead, that’s when we get to work to create solutions for our parents, students and the entire school district family. This program is an example of what we can do when we all work together and leverage the partnerships that are available to us,” said Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright.
Considering the district has more than 3,000 employees and only 362 units for the affordable housing community, Courson stated that, “depending on the success of this, we would love to see additional opportunities, maybe in Kyle or Buda. That’s for us to think of in the future, but the waitlist right now already shows interest beyond our capacity.”
The district will continue to share updates and information as it becomes available at www.hayscisd.net/hayshomes.
