Johnston just built a new High School. I havent heard of anyone talking about going to a 2nd HS.
Any New Iowa High Schools Coming in the Future?
- Thread starter BillyClone
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Thinking about Valley, it’s a really big district, but not growing, so splitting in half would put them around 25th or so in size. Maybe they could split the district like 60/40 or 70/30 and keep a top 10 BEDS school and a 3A or so second school.
Valley looked at building a 2nd HS years ago and decided to add onto the existing school instead. They cant be splitting up the sports talent and lose to Dowling.
Ames just built a new high school. Not an additional one but I’m sure they were thinking several decades into the future.
I don't know when it is happening but my neighbor is an architect whose firm has already been looking at designing the 3rd high school. It's not just theoretical.
There's been some talk here in Waterloo of actually combining East and West, mostly because of declining enrollment at East. I don't know if they'd actually combine them but I could definitely see changing boundary lines to even out enrollment numbers. We've got almost 700 more kids at West because of growth on the south side of town.
Ames School District isn’t really able to grow any more. All of cities growth is outside of the school district’s boundaries, and there isn’t room to add a substantial population unless they start adding high-rise condos.
We need a poll for this thread now. My money would be on Waukee to add another HS before anyone else does. Probably in the next decade (2030’s). I hear some of the younger grades out there have insane head counts.
Waukee reminds me of Westerville (suburb of Columbus.) Only has a population of like 40k but the district boundaries encompass parts of a bunch of other cities and townships. They have 3 HS’s. North, Central, and South I believe.
Waukee reminds me of Westerville (suburb of Columbus.) Only has a population of like 40k but the district boundaries encompass parts of a bunch of other cities and townships. They have 3 HS’s. North, Central, and South I believe.
that is why there is the proud North Ames Tigers High School becoming a larger 3A school over time. Smart growth....
This thread is amazing to me - I lived in central IA 30 yrs ago and all these schools/towns were tiny, and now they have 2 4A schools?
Ames, IA missed out on so much growth!
Ames, IA missed out on so much growth!
The current SEP 6th grade center (Spring Creek) will be gone/used for something else like a transportation building. It is currently located at the SE corner of 163 at the campus where the HS is located.
The new building discussed here by Sam Wise will be for 6th and 7th. The current jr high (7/8) will become 8th and 9th and the HS will be 10,11,12
Moving 9th out of the high school building delays the need for a new HS....for awhile.
There is also a new elementary planned to start construction ~'24. Not sure where but I've heard south on 1st Ave toward 163.
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Really smart people that decided the district line at Top O' Hollow Road.
Back when 13th Street was pretty much the northern edge of Ames, and the "new" development was just starting up to 16th.
They didn't want those Gilbert farm kids coming to school in the big city.
Also, the Top O Hollow line was a compromise between Franklin #8 (pre-Gilbert) and Ames. Ames' earlier northern district line was around 20th, and Franklin #8 proposed a line north of 24th (roughly E-W along a line where The Cafe and Walgreens are today).
The Top O Hollow vote basically split Franklin #8 in half, with the southern half going to Ames and the northern half later ending up in the new Gilbert district.
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Waukee will not have a third until at least 2027/2028. In 2026/2027, based on projections, the high schools can handle another 950 kids (600 at WHS and 350 at NW).
After this year, I don't really care because my youngest graduates, and I no longer have to deal with any of it.
Bingo LM is the only district in the metro without a major industrial tax base. They have Collins and a lot of smaller commercial but nothing like College Community or CR.
Recently there was an article in the paper that Alleman is seeking to dramatically expand it's borders, largely to block Ankeny expansion.
I wonder if that will impact things?
(Though my understanding is school district boundaries =/= municipality boundaries)
