THORNDALE, Texas (KRHD) — Construction continues on a new high school in Thorndale ISD, marking a significant milestone for the growing district and its community.
Watch the full story here:
The sound of construction fills the air at the future Thorndale High School site. The project, funded by a successful May 2024 bond, is on track to open in August 2026.
"People are driving by every day and seeing the steel and seeing the frame going in," said Zack Kleypas, Superintendent of Thorndale ISD.
The construction represents more than just a new building — it's a symbol of community investment in education. Students and staff recently participated in a beam-signing ceremony, adding their names to the structure that will house future generations.
"All of our students and staff got to sign one of the beams," Kleypas said.
Community excitement builds
Parents like Amber Robinson are eager to see the project completed.
"Our kiddos are super excited to get to attend the new school and graduate from there," Robinson said.
Robinson tells 15 ABC why the new facility is essential for the community's future.
"The growth that we're experiencing here in Thorndale, we need the additional school and space and then just some of the facilities [and] the improvements they're gonna have," Robinson said.
District prepares for continued growth
Thorndale ISD currently serves 650 to 660 students, but district leaders are planning for steady expansion.
"It's been a steady growth...we'll have [a] nice state of the art building that'll be able to fit the students that we have now and allow us a little bit of room to grow into," Kleypas said.
The superintendent expects the growth trend to continue and potentially accelerate as infrastructure develops.
"I expect that to continue to be steady until it explodes once you know water and housing and things come in to allow more opportunity for people to move in," Kleypas said.
Phase two in planning
Kleypas tells 15 ABC that the district is into the planning and designing for phase two of the bond, which includes connecting the current elementary and middle schools and some playground additions.
The new construction will also allow the district to maximize its existing space. The current high school will become the middle school, while the current middle school will serve as a new extension of the elementary school.
"This has been a lot of work for the adults, but we're doing it for the kids," Kleypas said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
