SAN ANTONIO – For the first time, a school is being built northwest of Nacogdoches Road and it is expected to be just the first of several on the way for the Judson Independent School District.
It's a sign of growth in an area many don't expect.
"It's a little surprising to folks because we are not very far away from the Bexar/Comal County line," said JISD spokesman Steve Linscomb. "But it is part of our footprint and it is part of our district that needs to be served more."
The new high school doesn't have a name yet. It was approved by voters in May 2013 in a bond election that will result in no tax rate increase.
"It will have 1,500 students and we hope to expand that to 2,500 students in the years to come," Linscomb said.
The new school is located just a few miles from Judon and Wagner high schools, which are at or near capacity.
For people living in the far northwest reaches of the Judson district, it'll cut the commute for many parents and students who currently drive as far as nine miles to get on a campus.
"We feel like this will serve not only the students that are having to travel so far to have to go to Judson High School, but also the anticipated growth on this end of our district," Linscomb said.
The new high school is expected to be completed within the year in time to open in August 2016.
The district says it's already planning expansion from there and another bond election is in the works in the coming years as well.