The Lake Travis Independent School District broke ground on its third middle school on February 13, 2018, with the school board and administration, students, and local political figures in attendance. The new school is located at Highway 71 and Vail Divide and will be a $76.2 million facility, the funds for which were part of a $253 million bond approved by voters in November 2017.
“This is a great day for Lake Travis ISD,” said Lake Travis ISD Superintendent Dr. Brad Lancaster.
The 240,000 square foot campus will hold 1,200 students in grade-level, two-story buildings with hill country views. In addition, the campus will include an outdoor gathering space, outdoor science and art areas, and multipurpose “breakout” areas for flexible uses. The buildings, nestled into the hillside, were designed by Fields & Associates Architects to include ample natural light. The campus will be built by American Constructors. Fields & Associates and American Constructors are both headquartered in Austin.
Student enrollment in Lake Travis ISD has increased by approximately 76 percent since 2007, according to demographer Population and Survey Analysts. Projections indicate an increase of over 60 percent over the next 10 years, which would bring district enrollment to almost 16,000 students. A seventh elementary school also was part of the approved bond, and its construction will begin in the Fall of 2018.
Attendees for the middle school groundbreaking included Lake Travis School Board President Kim Flasch, Bee Cave Mayor Caroline Murphy, Lake Travis ISD Bond Advisory Committee Chairman Jeremy Self, Lakeway Mayor Joe Bain, Briarcliff Mayor Al Hostetler, Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce Chairman Matt Womack, Lake Travis Education Foundation President David DeStefano, and Candyce Speidel, who represented State Senator Dawn Buckingham.