Growth in Lamar CISD to bring 18 new campuses

Lamar CISD is expected to see a large amount of growth in the upcoming years, catalyzing the creation of 18 new schools in the next ten years.

Most recently, the district opened Fletcher Morgan Elementary School on Jan. 4, located at 32720 FM 1093 in Fulshear. Construction for the school was completed Nov. 29. Students were mainly pulled from the northwest area of the district, where students had been zoned to Huggins Elementary School in Fulshear.

The district is expected to also complete construction on Maxine Phelan Elementary School on July 8, located at 23551 Baker Hill Dr. in Richmond and is scheduled to open in August.

Morgan Elementary School cost approximately $30.2 million to build, while Phelan Elementary School cost almost $32.6 million. Both projects were funded by LCISD’s 2017 $445.5 million bond, according to the district's website.

The district has a student population of 40,168 across its schools, said Sonya Cole-Hamilton, chief communications officer for the district. According to the Population and Survey Analysts February 2021 report, the district had been estimated to have 39,171 students by the 2021-22 school year, proving that the district is growing beyond expectations. It estimates by the 2030-31 school year, the population will have risen to 65,409, an estimated 67% increase.

LCISD Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens has seen large amounts of growth in the Fulshear area, attributing it to commercial and retail developments coming to the area.

“If you drive down Texas Heritage Parkway [and] if you look to the right and left, all you see is [that] they're moving dirt and getting ready for rooftops. Once that happens, then of course they’ll develop the commercial, so both are going to be here rapidly,” Nivens said.

District officials also expect to see growth in the types of career paths and classes that are being offered to its students, something Nivens sees as a standout among other districts.

“The vision is that when children leave us, they have choices and opportunities. If you're in high school and you want to earn an associate's degree, we have a pathway for that. If you want to be a chef, we have a pathway for that,” Nivens said. “Our whole goal is to help students do life.”