It’s no secret that Boerne ISD has been booming for the last several years; in fact, it’s considered one of the fastest growing school districts in the state of Texas. Thanks to diligent planning by BISD staff and the Board of Trustees in recent history, they’ve managed to handle that growth while still earning numerous accolades, including the 2020 HEB Excellence in Education Award for Best Small School District in Texas. In their continued long-range planning efforts, Boerne ISD recently purchased 19 acres in the Springs of Cordillera Ranch to prepare for the continued growth in this community and the nearby communities that would feed a school in this location.
The site, located on FM 3351 and Cordillera Springs, is positioned at the entry to Cordillera’s hottest neighborhood. While no firm timing is set for the potential new elementary school, the purchase secures BISD’s long-term position in the eastern portion of the school district.
“With our district being fast-growth and our enrollment expected to increase rapidly we are preparing for the future by looking at purchasing land sites in several areas, including Bergheim,” says Dr. Thomas Price, Boerne Independent School District Superintendent. “Projections from our demographer show that Kendall County’s population is increasing in that area and the southern part of Kendall County and Boerne.
“We continue to work on a comprehensive plan to manage the growth in our district and this land purchase is a large part of that plan. We have been excellent stewards of our taxpayers’ dollars, and because we were so diligent and saved money on our last bond, we have the opportunity to be proactive and purchase sites ahead of time for if and when the time comes for a new school in those areas.”
BISD’s 2019 demographic study by PASA revealed that BISD enrollment has been growing by 4% to 5% per year for the past several years and its current enrollment of roughly 10,000 students is projected to grow by 33% to over 13,000 students by the 2024-2025 school year. Further, those same projections indicate that Herff Elementary (in Esperanza) will have an enrollment of 831 students by that time, nearing capacity, without any re-zoning or additional elementary schools beyond the seven currently in place.
The Springs of Cordillera Ranch has experienced record growth this year as the 2nd phase of home sites is under development. This 2nd phase, in which construction will be complete in the first half of 2021, includes three new units: Unit 301C, Unit 302 and Unit 302A, which offer 54 new large estate home sites (typically 2 acres) and are nearly halfway sold out already. “These are the most unique home sites we’ve offered in the Springs thus far, they’re a little larger, and many have beautiful Hill Country views as well as a select few with stunning Panther Creek views. Based on the early success in this phase, we’ve just released a new selection of 10 lots on a bluff overlooking Panther Creek, which has a stunning cliff-lined canyon marked by towering Cypress trees. It has a lot of similarity to the bluff lots on Riverwood along Swede Creek,” says Charlie Hill, President and Chief Operating Officer for DH Investments, developer of Cordillera Ranch.
For more information, contact the Cordillera Ranch Realty Team at 888.66.RANCH and visit www.cordilleraranch.com.
54 new large estate homesites offer stunning Hill Country and Panther Creek views with unique topography unlike any other units in the Springs of Cordillera Ranch.
The potential addition of a Boerne ISD elementary school adds to the history of this land serving as a location for schools over the past couple centuries. In fact, this would be the third school on the land that is now the Springs of Cordillera Ranch. Two schools, both called Panther Springs, were located on different sites within the Springs. The first schoolhouse dates back to the 1870’s and also served as a voting place for Precinct No. 2. The second school was built closer to Highway 3351 right at the turn of the 20th century and stood there until it was moved in the 1950’s.
Panther Creek School, Illustration by Bettie Edmonds
