By Tim Fleischer
Editor-in-Chief
Salado ISD is set to open the new high school on Williams Rd. for the 2026-27 school year.
The district, working with architectural firm PBK, construction manager at-risk Bartlett Cocke and a Bond Advisory Committee, will build a 250,000 sq. ft. two-story high school with a core capacity of 1,500 students and a classroom capacity of 1,000 students.
PBK has developed the design of the campus and will create the construction documents to prepare them to go out for bid July 13 for the $179,307,000 high school. Construction will begin August 17.
The district funded $110 million in bonds last week in initial funding for the bond projects approved by SISD voters Nov. 7. Voters approved two bond propositions. Proposition A, totaling $235,960,000, will build the new high school, renovate Thomas Arnold Elementary school; repurpose existing high school for an intermediate school and fund information technology infrastructure and HVAC replacements. Proposition B, totaling $34,490,000, will fund construction of a new 5,000-seat stadium complex.
The district, according to Superintendent Michael Novotny, funded the initial $110 million in bonds in order to avoid paying arbitrage on the additional income the district may make on investment of the bond funds. Dr. Novotny said the district hopes to avoid paying $2 million in arbitrage.
Click here for the schematics.
Click here for the Bond Advisory Committee update
The 250,000 sq. ft. high school will have the following facilities:
Classrooms
• 30 General classrooms
• Journalism and Yearbook Classroom
• 8 Science Labs
• GCS Lab
• Speech Debate Room
• Health Science Lab
Special Ed. Spaces
• Three full-size special education classrooms
• 2 Resource Rooms
• Life Skills Kitchen
• Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy
• Speech Therapy
Fine Arts
• 2 art classrooms with a kiln room in between.
• Production Stage facing cafeteria
• Theatre design room
• Theatre Classroom
• Choir Hall
• Band Hall
• 6 practice rooms, 3 ensemble rooms, percussion room
Career Technology
• Robotics classroom with attached STEM lab
• Computer Science Lab
• 2 Business Lab Classrooms
• Fabrication and Welding Lab
• Vet Science Lab
• Floral Design Lab
• 3 Ag classrooms
• Culinary Lab and classroom
• Broadcasting Lab with Media Computer Lab
Library
The library will have its own exterior entrance along with a 150-seat Tiered Lecture Auditorium.
Athletics
• Two Gyms: The competition gym will have 1,000 home seats and 400 visitor seats. Seating will be elevated above the court.
• Dance/Cheer Hall
• Wrestling Room
• Training Room
• Weight room
• Lockers for all of the indoor sports
Cafeteria
The cafeteria will have 8,200 sq. ft. with 500 dining capacity and 800 seating capacity for the attached elevated stage space.
Stadium
Six months after construction begins on the new high school, work will begin on the 5,000-seat stadium complex.
Outdoor sports will have locker rooms and training spaces at the stadium.
By rotating crews from one job to the next, Dr. Ted Smith says the district expects to save an additional $2 million. “They won’t have to restage. They will move immediately from the high school to the stadium work,” he said.
The stadium complex will be completed for fall 2026 football, which will be this reporter’s 39th season of covering the Salado Eagles.