Frisco ISD to Begin Construction on 11th High School
By Aziza Jackson
FRISCO, Texas — Frisco Independent School District (FISD) will begin construction next year on its 11th high school, which will be constructed on the eastern side of the school district.
The campus will be built near the intersection of Stacy Road and Collin McKinney Parkway in west McKinney. Its expected opening date has been moved up by one year, moving the original projected date from 2022 to 2021 due to updated enrollment projections.
Plans for the school are moving forward following voter approval of the 2018 bond program and Tax Ratification Election. Only identified as High School No. 11, the new project will be funded under the 2014 bond program. The election ensures funds will be available for other district infrastructure needs, such as school maintenance and repairs, which might have taken priority over new school construction.
“Frisco ISD took a pause in our building program to more effectively utilize existing facility space and be certain we were on the same page as parents and taxpayers,” said Dr. Todd Fouche, deputy superintendent for business and operations. “The community told us last year they wanted to continue our current model of smaller high schools focused on student opportunity. This month, voters gave us the resources to carry that vision forward and build new schools as needed to accommodate enrollment growth.”
When FISD purchased land for the school in 2015, officials worked with Allen Independent School District on a boundary swap to provide more flexibility for the layout of the site. The architectural firm Stantec began design work back in 2016. At the time, the school was projected to open as early as fall 2019.
Student enrollment growth began to slow around the same time, pushing out the expected opening date. Frisco ISD is still adding more new students per year than any other school district in Texas, but at a slower pace than past years. Growth is projected to continue at a declining rate as the district gets closer to build-out.
Earlier this month, the Frisco ISD Board of Trustees reviewed a slightly modified design for High School No. 11. Minor tweaks were made to the original design to provide more collaborative learning spaces within the school for future-ready learning. Construction is expected to begin in the spring, with rezoning for the school to occur in fall 2020.
FISD is in the process of prioritizing and evaluating the timeline for other construction projects authorized under the 2014 and 2018 bond programs.
In addition to High School No. 11, funding for two new elementary schools remains under the 2014 bond program. The 2018 bond program, approved by voters in November, will provide funding for four new schools and a range of other infrastructure projects.