LAKEWAY, Texas (KXAN) – Lake Travis Independent School District is considering lowering student capacity for the district’s second high school.
High school two was approved in 2022 with plans to open by Fall 2027, but there could be some changes coming as fewer students are projected in the district.
According to LTISD’s website, the update comes as a result of Travis County’s pending purchase of two significant parcels of land within LTISD boundaries. These two parcels include more than 2,100 acres for conservation purposes.
“This past November Travis County had an election and part of that was to purchase property for parks and conservation,” said LTISD superintendent Paul Norton.
He said because of this, about 2,200 homes won’t be built in the district and student enrollment projections have decreased by about 400 to 500 students.
Now the district is looking to move from 2,000 students at high school two to 1,500 students.
“What we are looking at now is building high school two in different phases as opposed to all at once,” Norton said.
Phase 2 of the project, if needed, would increase capacity by 500 students at a later date, bringing the total up to the original plan, which was 2,000 students.
Amy Hanken is the parent of three students in LTISD.
“The year the new high school opens they will be a junior, a senior and a freshman,” Hanken said.
Two of her students will graduate from Lake Travis High School, but her youngest will attend high school number two, which has not been named yet.
“I think there are tradeoffs,” Hanken said. “Having a smaller campus, hopefully the same opportunities will be present, but knowing there are less children on the campus it will probably offer a difference experience for our youngest.”
LTISD will have approximately 5,000 high school students when the district reaches build out.
“We don’t want them to build facilities for more students than we will ever have, but at the same time most of us understand that you can’t have 5,000 students at a high school campus in the middle of Lakeway on 620,” Hanken said.
Hanken said some parents have concerns about adding another high school.
“I think there is concern among some parents with a new school and not knowing what to expect, are we going to have equitable facilities, are they going to have the same opportunities, so really just having the district reassure parents that all will be well,” Hanken said.
KXAN asked Norton about these concerns.
“We are going to have every academic opportunity offered at high school two as we did at Lake Travis High School,” he said.
Athletic Bond Package
In November 2023, voters in the district passed an athletic bond package that looks to add and improve athletic facilities around the district.
Voters approved adding new schools during the 2022 bond, but they rejected the part of the bond that would fund new athletic facilities, which was proposition C for around $94 million.
In June, the Lake Travis school board approved an order calling for a $143 million athletic bond election for Nov. 7, 2023.
The bond will allow for a new football stadium, which would hold about 8,000 people. It will also give the new high school, which is currently in the planning stages, a new baseball complex and tennis complex. It would also add improvements to various stadiums throughout the district.
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