Georgetown ISD adding new campuses

Georgetown ISD is preparing to open four new campuses within the next three years to accommodate an expected surge of 4,400 students. Enrollment is projected to climb from 13,800 today to nearly 20,000 within a decade, according to Zonda Demographics.

Superintendent Devin Padavil said the new facilities are essential as the community grows. “Our schools are going to continue to grow, and we have to be able to make sure that our students and our faculty have facilities that take care of their needs,” he said.

Voters approved a $649.5 million bond in 2024 that will fund High School No. 4, Middle School No. 5, Elementary School No. 12, and a new Frost Elementary campus.

High School No. 4, a three-story, $356 million project near DB Wood Road, will break ground in October. Its design places the cafeteria near the football field’s end zone and wraps hallways around the athletic track, saving millions in construction costs.

Elementary School No. 12 and Middle School No. 5 are already halfway through construction and are expected to open in 2026. The new Frost Elementary campus opened this fall at the former Benold Middle School site, doubling the school’s capacity.

Board President James Scherer said adding a fourth high school will prevent Georgetown and East View high schools from being reclassified as 6A campuses. That shift would have increased competition for students in athletics and fine arts.

Parent and alumna Laura Kincheloe welcomed the district’s approach. “I want my kids to have an opportunity to participate and to engage,” she said. “I think that having these new campuses gives students more opportunity to do that.”

This year, the district will begin redrawing elementary boundaries to balance enrollment ahead of the 2026 openings. Trustees have also purchased nearly 189 acres in northeast Georgetown for a future school site, though details will not be released until the sale is finalized.

The next several years will bring a series of major milestones. Frost Elementary opened its new facility in August. Construction on High School No. 4 will begin in October, along with the rezoning process for Elementary No. 12 and Middle No. 5. By February 2026, new attendance zones are expected to be in place, followed by the hiring of principals later that spring. Planning for High School No. 4 will continue into 2027, when the district expects to bring on leadership and prepare new attendance boundaries before the school opens.