Northwest ISD voters approved three of four bond propositions on Saturday, according to unofficial election results, green-lighting about $738 million for major capital improvements and technology devices.
The bond package is meant to address growth and includes funds to build three new schools and replace three schools, for additions and renovations at Northwest High School, to address aging facilities, to add accessibility to elementary playgrounds and for new technology devices. Several of those new/replacement schools are expected to come to southern Denton County.
The voters approved two new elementary schools and one new middle school. The middle school will be going to Haslet and one of the elementary schools is going either to the Northlake area or somewhere along Hwy 287 in Tarrant County. That new school, estimated to cost about $42 million, will have a capacity of 850 students and is expected to open in 2023. The location has not been determined yet for the other new elementary school, but the district plans to open it in 2024.
The bond package that was approved also includes a replacement school for Hatfield Elementary School, which is currently located on the large Northwest ISD campus at Hwy 114 and FM 156 south of Justin. The new school — estimated to cost about $40 million — will be built in a nearby neighborhood, it’ll nearly double the existing Hatfield’s capacity of 450 to 850, and it’s expected to open in 2022 or 2023. The existing Hatfield campus will be repurposed for administrative use, as the district has grown 20,000 students in 20 years and hasn’t added any administrative space.
The bond also includes a replacement school for Seven Hills Elementary, which is out in the Rhome area, and a replacement school for Pike Middle School, which is next to Hatfield Elementary and Northwest High School. The existing Pike Middle School opened in 1992 and was a pre-engineered building that does not allow for easy growth and infrastructure changes, and it has a lot of issues. The new school — which will cost an estimated $95 million — is expected to open by 2024 and will be built on the same site, and once complete, the existing school would be removed.
More than $160 million was approved for Northwest High School additions and renovations, including adding 200,000 square feet, which will create capacity for 3,200 more students.
The voters also approved $5.7 million for middle school recreation facilities and $19.4 million for technology devices. The only proposition to fail was $8.2 million for stadium renovations. A district spokesperson said renovations will have to wait until the next bond election, which is expected in the next three to four years.
Click here for more information about the Northwest ISD bond.
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