Workers placed the final structural beam on the new Deanna Davenport Elementary School this week, marking a major construction milestone for a campus that's set to nearly triple its student capacity when it opens in Canutillo for fall 2027. The 119,000-square-foot building, going up in the Enchanted Hills subdivision along Remington Drive, will replace Davenport's decades-old Westway campus and expand capacity from 288 students to a target of 700.
Canutillo Independent School District officials said the beam placement represents the topping-out point for a facility the district is calling a state-of-the-art 21st-century learning space, according to KFOX. The new building will include 36 modern classrooms organized into grade-level neighborhoods, along with collaborative learning spaces designed to encourage collaboration among classes, per the same report. Superintendent Josue Borrego said the beam placement is an important milestone in meeting the demands of families moving into growing district areas, adding that the new school represents the community's commitment to providing students with facilities to learn, grow, and thrive.
Designed With the Franklin Mountains in Mind
The $73.9 million project was designed by Pfluger Architects, with construction administration led by El Paso-based Carl Daniel Architects. The design centers on a framed vista corridor called El Mirador that aligns with the Franklin Mountains, and it uses angled windows intended to connect indoor classrooms with the surrounding landscape, according to Pfluger Architects. That layout is meant to promote strong connections to the outdoors as part of the school's overall design.
The relocation from Westway to Enchanted Hills reflects growth pressure the old campus could no longer handle. Davenport's original building was constructed decades ago and lacked the capacity to absorb regional enrollment growth in Northwest El Paso, according to the district's bond program materials. General contractor LDCM Solutions is building the campus, with Procedeo serving as owner's representative overseeing the broader bond program the district approved in 2024.
An Aggressive Schedule Across Four Bond Projects
Vertical construction at Davenport began in April with the erection of the first tilt-up wall panel for the cafeteria and kitchen, following earthwork in February and foundation pouring in March, per Canutillo ISD's bond program updates. Davenport is one of four major new-build projects funded by the district's $387 million bond, alongside complete rebuilds of Alderete Middle School and Canutillo Middle School and a $30 million permanent campus for Northwest Early College High School, as Hoodline previously reported. That bond, passed by voters on May 4, 2024, stands as the largest per-capita school bond ever approved in El Paso County.
The measure barely cleared the finish line at the ballot box. Proposition A passed by just 31 votes, 1,042 to 1,011, while Proposition B passed by an even narrower 12-vote margin, 1,026 to 1,014, according to district records. The bond was aimed broadly at modernizing existing campuses, addressing continued growth within district boundaries, and upgrading districtwide safety and security infrastructure.
Bond Refinancing Saves Taxpayers Millions
In May, Canutillo ISD sold $50 million in new bonds and refinanced $22 million in existing debt from the 2024 program, generating roughly $1.8 million in taxpayer savings thanks to lower interest rates. The district also received a Texas Permanent School Fund guarantee and a Moody's Aa3 rating on the sale, according to the district's bond office.
That fiscal maneuvering underscores a structural quirk in how Texas school finance works: bond dollars are legally restricted to facilities and capital projects, and cannot be redirected to cover day-to-day operating costs. Even as construction crews topped out Davenport's frame, Canutillo ISD's Board of Trustees separately approved a central office reduction-in-force plan in April amid districtwide budget deficits and state funding shortfalls, as Hoodline reported at the time. The two budgets — one for bricks and mortar, one for salaries and services — remain legally separate even as both make headlines in the same school year.
Safety Upgrades Rolled Into the Bond Work
Alongside new construction, Canutillo ISD completed districtwide emergency security upgrades across its campuses by early this year, including Webex emergency call systems, replaced security cameras, and access-controlled entry vestibules. Those improvements were folded into the broader bond implementation to meet state safety standards across both new and existing buildings.
Dr. Josue Borrego now leads the district as superintendent, following an interim tenure by Dr. Jesica Arellano, who presided over the bond program's early groundbreakings in late 2025. As Davenport's steel frame rises against the backdrop of the Franklin Mountains, district officials are pointing to the beam milestone as proof that a bond package that barely passed two years ago is now reshaping how — and where — Canutillo's youngest students will learn.
