New Caney Independent School District (NCISD) is actively pursuing the acquisition of 113 acres of land for future school sites and is considering a new bond program to address the anticipated growth in student enrollment.
Over the past five years, NCISD saw a 19% increase in enrollment growth, putting it among the fastest-growing districts in greater Houston. The district currently serves about 19,420 students, and projections over the next decade estimate a 23% to 58% increase, with enrollment reaching up to 30,600 students. A Population and Survey Analysts (PASA) report finds six campuses are already over capacity and at the current growth rate, 17 of the district’s 22 schools will be over capacity by the 2034-2035 school year.
The issue will become critical for some schools in the district within the next two years. New Caney Elementary and Porter Elementary are the first schools expected to exceed 120% capacity in the 2027-2028 school year, according to current projections. Keefer Crossing Middle School and Porter High School are predicted to follow suit, exceeding 120% capacity by the 2028-2030 school years.
PASA studies find a steadily increasing birth rate and an increase in the availability of housing are major contributing drivers for the enrollment boom. NCISD expects about 18,500 new residential units to be built inside the district by 2034.
NCISD’s board of trustees voted unanimously Sept. 15 to authorize negotiations on two parcels of land: a 100-acre parcel is located near FM1485 and Gene Campbell Road and a second, smaller parcel of land is located near Crippen Elementary School at FM1314 and Cumberland Boulevard.
District officials anticipate the area could need three new elementary schools and a new high school. In 2023, voters approved a $695 million bond package, which included funding for several expansion projects. Those projects include the construction of two new elementary schools, two new middle schools and a high school expansion. Those improvements combined are expected to add nearly 5,000 seats across the district.
Construction on the 2023 bond projects is underway. A $56 million administration building is scheduled for completion in December 2026. Work on a transportation/operations facility will begin in November and run through January 2027. Design and architecture firms have been selected for some new schools, though not all locations have been finalized.
Voters must authorize bonds through an election, and bond proceeds can be used for land acquisition, new buildings, renovations, technology and more. A timeline for calling future bonds has not been set.
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