Growing Boerne ISD OKs land deal for elementary school
Boerne Independent School District trustees approved a $291,000 purchase for 19 acres in the prestigious Springs of Cordillera Ranch neighborhood, where they are considering building an elementary school.
The district has seen considerable growth in the area east of Boerne near Bergheim in Kendall County. A demographer predicts growth in that area will continue and extend to the southern part of Kendall County and Boerne, Superintendent Thomas Price said.
District officials are in the market for land sites in several areas in anticipation of increased enrollment, Price said.
“We continue to work on a comprehensive plan to manage the growth in our district, and this land purchase is a large part of that plan,” Price said. “We have been excellent stewards of our taxpayers' dollars, and because we were so diligent and saved money on our last bond, we have the opportunity to be proactive and purchase sites ahead of time for if and when the time comes for a new school in those areas.”
Voters approved a $175 million bond in 2016 to fund construction of two elementary schools, a middle school and other improvements across district facilities. That year, the district had 7,900 students.
Now, Boerne ISD serves more than 9,600 students across 12 campuses.
If a school is built on the land at FM 3351 and Cordillera Springs, it would serve families of the upscale and booming community in the Texas Hill Country. Almost 900 homes have been built and another 1,300 lot sales exist on the 8,700 acres.
“Cordillera Ranch's location within Boerne ISD has attracted many families with school-aged children to become full-time residents,” said Charlie Hill, president of DH Investments, the developer of Cordillera Ranch.
Boerne ISD has earned an “A” grade from the Texas Education Agency's accountability rating system two years in a row. This year, it earned an H-E-B Excellence in Education award in the “Best Small School District in Texas” category.