Education
BY MICHAEL CROUCHLEY & ISABELLA ZEFF
PISD enrollment drop projected to continue Plano ISD’s enrollment is projected to dip below 40,000 students by the 2029-30 school year, according to a recent demogra- pher report. The district’s enrollment was down by 2,712 students in 2025-26 from the previous school year, outpacing the projected enroll- ment decline by more than 1,300. PISD’s demography consultant Rocky Gardner told said that he expects the enrollment to continue declining but “not at the same pace” as this year’s decline.
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Construction on the new Richardson West Middle School is set to begin this summer.
RENDERING COURTESY GLENN PARTNERS
Richardson West Junior High project on track Richardson West Junior High is on track for a complete reconstruction to transform into a middle school after Richardson’s City Plan Com- mission unanimously recommended approval for zoning changes Feb. 3. The overview The zoning changes will allow for a complete
Senior planner Derica Peters presented plans for the $119 million construction, in which West and the Richardson High School baseball stadium, located next to each other, will swap locations. A new three-story Richardson West Middle School will be constructed where the baseball stadium is. When the new middle school is complete, the two-story junior high will be demolished and a new baseball stadium will be constructed in its place. The reconstruction will allow the existing junior high to remain operational throughout construction. Education Service Center plans renovations The Region 10 Education Service Center, which provides services and support to school districts across North Texas, is planning o ce renovations this year. The renovations are set to be the last phase of a seven-year project across the center’s two Richardson locations. The big picture Region 10, located in neighboring buildings in Richardson, is the second largest Education Ser- vice Center in the state, Deputy Executive Director April Estrada said. Both buildings serve as conference centers for professional development and as o ce spaces for sta , providing a range of services and support for educators and students across 130 school districts, charters and private schools, including Richard- son, Plano and Frisco ISDs. Estrada said the center has been undergoing a
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reconstruction of the arts and technology magnet school as part of RISD’s larger initiative to convert all junior highs into middle schools by fall 2028. This will add sixth graders to the junior highs that currently serve seventh and eighth grade.
School year
SOURCE: PLANO ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
PISD to adopt 2027 28 academic calendar Plano ISD sta is preparing for adoption of the district’s 2027-28 academic calendar next month. The speci cs All three proposed calendar options include a fall break for students from Oct. 11-15, 2027, Thanksgiving break from Nov. 22-26, 2027, spring break from March 13-18, 2027 and days o for students on April 14 and 17. The rst two options, drafts 1 and 1B, each have winter break from Dec. 20, 2027-Jan. 3, 2028, Drafts 1, 1B and 2 each have di erent last days of school of May 23, 2028, May 24 and May 19, respectively. PISD’s board is expected to adopt the calendar in March, according to the presentation.
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Spring Valley location
Abrams location
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phased renovation project for about seven years and has already completed upgrades on its initial location on Spring Valley Road as well as parts of the second location on Abrams Road. The nal phase of the project, planned for later this year, would renovate the o ce spaces on Abrams Road. Zooming in Both buildings’ conference spaces were reno- vated rst to bring them “up to the new learning standard,” Estrada said. Estrada said the renovations were driven in part by growth in the Education Service Center sta , which has added over 100 employees since 2022.
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