WIMBERLEY, Texas — Wimberley students will notice some big changes underway as they return to school, thanks to the district's largest bond package on record that passed in May.
The $45.5 million bond projects are aimed at enhancing the quality of education for local students by improving and renovating certain facilities and equipment, adding new technology and focusing on college and career prep.
"We're seeing more kids really enter their career fields and now we're able to better prepare them at the high school level to prepare them for vocational, four-year, two-year, whatever program they want," said Wimberley Independent School District Superintendent Dwain York.
Some of the biggest projects on the bond include:
- Building a new primary school at Ranch Road 12 and Winters Mill Parkway with 36 classrooms for grades Pre-K through second grade. This will cost an estimated $31.3 million.
- Renovating a wing and repurposed school to house a technology department and alternative education program. This will cost an estimated $984,000.
- Renovations and updated equipment to Wimberley High School which include the installment of a brand new Ag barn, new instruments for band students, and an addition of ADA exterior sidewalks and a walking path connecting the Ag barn to the CTE buildings. This will cost an estimated $2.2 million.
- Renovations and a 6,000 square-foot building addition to Danforth Junior High School. This will cost an estimated $9 million.
- The addition of a digital marquee and signage outside of the Wimberley ISD administration building. This will cost an estimated $35,000.
- Purchase of new custodial equipment such as lift gates for district trucks and new floor scrubbers. This will cost an estimated $25,000
- Improvements to athletic facilities that include improving ADA access, adding more seating to softball and baseball field bleachers and replacing the more than 30-year-old football stadium lights with LED 25-year-warranty "Dark Sky Friendly Lights." This will cost an estimated $939,000. "We're an international dark sky community, so everything we have added to the school as far as exterior lighting goes has all been dark sky friendly," said York.
- Project management costs an estimated $1 million.
York also shared that with every bond project that happens, administrators are constantly looking into ways to better security efforts across all campus buildings.
The first day back to school for Wimberley ISD is Wednesday, Aug. 15.