Belton ISD board authorizes purchase of 15-acre Temple site for future elementary

The Belton ISD Board of Trustees voted to purchase a 15-acre site at 2115 Old Waco Road in Temple for $3,573,000 as strategic land for a future elementary school, the district said Aug. 18.

Mike Morgan and Dr. Golan told the board the parcel was identified as a northern-region site and negotiated after district study and facilities-committee review. The contract includes a $5,000 escrow to secure developer-completed site improvements; those improvements must be complete by May 1, 2026 for escrow release. Administration said the site will include an entry road to be dedicated to the City of Temple with perpetual access for the district, wastewater and water improvements sized to an elementary footprint, and an easement for off-site detention. That easement, the administration said, avoids on-site detention costs that can range from about $575,000–$750,000 up to $1.5 million on difficult sites.

Morgan said the property is relatively flat and geometrically suitable for a school and that a future Temple fire substation is planned nearby. Trustees discussed timing and rationale for buying land before an immediate construction need and emphasized that the purchase uses previously voter-approved 2022 bond funds allocated for land acquisition.

The motion to approve the purchase and authorize the board president to execute documents passed with a recorded vote of 6–1. Administration characterized the purchase as preserving a “tool in our toolbox” so the district can control a strategic site as growth continues.