Angleton ISD reports 800-student growth, outlines bond to replace three aging schools

Phil, the Angleton ISD representative who addressed the CPAC meeting, said the district has grown from about 6,500 students pre-pandemic to roughly 7,300 today and that much of the increase has come in the northern part of the district.

"Today we sit at 7,300 students," Phil said, describing about 800 additional students over the last four years. He said Heartland Elementary is operating at roughly 525 students despite a demographic projection that expected 350; Frontier and other newer campuses are also exceeding earlier forecasts.

The district has a bond referendum on the ballot to replace Northside, Southside and Eglinton Junior Highs. If the bond passes, Phil said those replacement schools would likely be built on their current sites (Northside and Southside) and that Angleton Junior High could be designed for approximately 1,200 students to match research-based size guidance.

Phil outlined a rough timeline for capacity needs: an additional elementary likely by about 2030—031 if growth continues, a third junior high in the mid-2030s and potential discussion of a second high school beyond 2035 depending on buildout along the 288 corridor. He also discussed the district's tax-rate history and expectations: the district set the tax rate at $1.02 this year and has reduced the rate by about $0.42 since 2018, and the board expects to try to hold or modestly lower the rate using bond savings.

On transportation the district noted that Texas law allows the district not to bus students who live within two miles of their school, and Phil said the district actively negotiates land acquisitions with developers to locate schools in new subdivisions and minimize transportation costs.

No formal board action or vote occurred at the workshop; Phil took questions from CPAC members and consultants and encouraged additional coordination on utilities, traffic mitigation and timing as growth continues.