Rapid population growth in Hays County means increased enrollment for Hays CISD.
At the April 17 meeting, Hays CISD Board of Trustees were presented with the district’s capital improvement plan, which assesses growth for the next ten years.
According to the capital improvement plan, district officials could enroll between 19,600 and 19,800 students for the 2017-18 school year.
Officials expect an increase of approximately 2,800 students during the next five years.
According to Hays CISD’s capital improvement plan, officials project to have 21,995 students enrolled by 2021-22, and 25,930 by 2026-27.
“When you look at the capital improvement plan, it’s based off the projection from our demographer over the next five to ten years,” said Carter Scherff, HCISD chief operations officer.
According to the document, a majority of schools will be over capacity in future years.
See the HCISD capacity projections here.
By the 2021-22 school year, 15 of the district’s 27 schools will be over functional or building capacity. By 2026-27, 18 of the 27 schools will be over enrollment capacity.
Currently only seven schools, including both high schools, are over functional capacity and Hemphill Elementary School is over building capacity.
While Lehman High School has a building capacity of 2,760, it’s expected 3,732 students will be enrolled there by 2026-27.
Hays High School has a building capacity of 2,890 and it’s expected 3,556 students will be enrolled there by 2026-27.
All middle schools, excluding Barton Middle School, will be over enrollment capacity by 2026-27.
Ten elementary schools, excluding Camino Real Elementary, Carpenter Hill Elementary and Kyle Elementary, will be over enrollment capacity by 2026-27.
To address growth, district officials are planning constructing two new high schools, one new middle school and four new elementary schools.
“The school needs are assessed by bonds for the future,” Scherff said.
Voters are being ask to vote May 6 on a $189 million bond for High School #3, Elementary School #14, a new Buda Elementary campus and a transportation center. Early voting began this week.
The 2019 bond would include one middle school, two elementary schools and an administrative building. The 2021 bond would include High School #4, one elementary school and a transportation center.
As more subdivisions are built in Kyle, Buda and surrounding areas, more children are enrolled in Hays CISD schools.
Kyle and Buda’s home sales are up more than 10% over the same period last year, and the unemployment rate in Hays County is below 3.5%.
