Waco ISD trustees got a look at a proposed design and construction outline for a new Waco High School at their Thursday night meeting.

The project, with an estimated $119-million-dollar price tag, would need to be approved by the voters in a bond election set to be held in November.

The project would replace the current building that was originally Richfield High School, that was built in the late 1950’s.

The presentation described how for the past four months, O`Connell Robertson architects have worked with the administration and Waco High School staff user groups in conversations regarding the vision, space programming, and overall schematic design of the project.

The proposed 372,000 square foot facility is designed to be built in four phases beginning with the construction of Phase One in August 2022 and ending with the completion of Phase Four in December 2025.

The existing building would be demolished in stages as well.

The design includes limited access to the building for safety along with transparency throughout.

The design calls for “neighborhoods” for classrooms involved in the core subject areas, for visibility to the outside from classrooms and for a central commons area.

The new main entrance would face Colcord Avenue with the bus entrance off 44th Street.

The campus will occupy the current Waco High site, along with property being obtained from the City of Waco that has been home to four baseball fields.

The plan calls for the closure of 42nd Street between Colcord and Trice Avenues to give one forty-acre campus.

The design includes a fine arts center that would be on the north end of the campus with a full stage, orchestra pit and 600 seat auditorium.

There would also be two gyms with a competition gym having bleacher seating for 1700 and a practice gym with seating for 250.

The new Paul Tyson Field is located on the west side of the property,

There would also be a career and technical education wing that will include such things as an eight-bay auto-tech shop.

There will also be places for other key programs such as the culinary arts, business and marketing
labs, graphic design studios, and other technology focused suites.