Georgetown Independent School District (GISD) is channeling a nearly $650 million bond, approved by voters this month, into a major renovation of the old Benold Middle School campus, reported Community Impact. The comprehensive project, which will transform the site into Frost Elementary School, has been capped at a price tag of $32 million.
The district's trustees voted on May 20 to pinpoint the budget for this significant overhaul, aimed at addressing the needs of a rapidly expanding student population. The enhancements will upgrade both the interior and exterior of the campus, increasing its capacity to accommodate up to 850 students, the district has revealed. Despite the bond's hefty total, the tax implications are relatively tame—with Superintendent Devin Padavil indicating "For the average taxpayer, it can be anywhere between a 0 cent tax rate increase and a 1 cent tax rate increase, depending on all four propositions passing," according to a KVUE interview.
With Georgetown ranking as one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, the realities of its expansion have landed squarely on GISD's doorstep. A demographic report projects an influx of 6,000 scholars in the next decade, with Superintendent Padavil voicing concern over the school capacities, "In the next two years, we're going to have six schools over capacity," KVUE reported. In fact, two schools have already exceeded their limits, bolstering the district's plea for a facilities expansion that's both timely and substantial.
Construction of what's to be the new Frost Elementary School is slated to start in June of this year, Bulldozer will break mud a mere month after setting the budget in stone, and it's expected the work will see completion by June 2025. This project feeds into Proposition A, a part of the bond focusing on academic improvement, new builds, and security enhancements throughout the district’s schools, Community Impact detailed.
What started with a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Benold Middle School last April is unfolding into a strategic plan to cope with a student body that's mushrooming faster than facilities can currently hold. The voter-backed funds aim to smooth the tight squeeze within Georgetown's schools, ostensibly maintaining the "good, balanced city" charms that drew residents like Renee Overbeck to Georgetown from Dallas, and which the growing community is eager to sustain.
