EDIE ZUVANICH Special to the Press
HUTTO — With one new campus opening this fall and another close on its heels, Hutto Independent School District is striving to put its 2023 bond funds to use quickly.
Gus Almquist Middle School, the district’s third middle school campus, is scheduled to greet students for the first time this fall. Then in fall 2025, an eighth elementary school is planned to open.
“One important thing to know about this new elementary school is that it is going on a tract of land we bought 10 years ago, when land prices were low, so we would have it available for future expansion,” said Billie Logiudice, Hutto ISD board of trustees president. “That goes back to the things we value as a district, using bond money wisely and being good stewards of taxpayer money.”
The unnamed elementary school is the first of two new primary campuses authorized by voters in the $522 million 2023 bond. It is part of a master-planned, 20-acre site adjacent to the Ninth Grade Center bordered by Destiny Lane and FM 1660 North.
In addition to the elementary school, the land will eventually house Hutto’s second high school, a future middle school and a performing arts center. The site is already home to the District’s maintenance and transportation facilities.
Hutto ISD will accept naming suggestions for the new school until Jan.
31. Names must be submitted via an online form and must follow a set of established guidelines.
According to the district, a facility may be named for a geographic area or a state or national landmark. They may also be named for a person, with preference given to honoring a person who is no longer living. Nominations for politicians or political affiliations will not be considered.
If nominating a person, the district asks respondents to include a description of why that person would represent the school and district well, along with any pertinent history the Hutto ISD board of trustees should consider.
The person nominated must have made exceptional and significant contributions to public education, the district, community or state, as well as being an exemplary role model.
The nomination form can be located on the District’s web site, HippoNation. org.
“We place high importance on choosing names for our schools and facilities and appreciate input from stakeholders in our community. The name of a school communicates who and what we value as a district,” Logiudice said. “We’re going to be making a decision soon, probably before spring break, so we can start referring to the school by name as we begin looking for staff to hire.”
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new elementary school are expected to be held this spring, according to the district.
