Royal ISD officials plan $72M, 7,500-seat stadium near future high school

Voters in Royal Independent School District (ISD), the public school district serving Brookshire and Pattison in Waller County, approved an up to $72 million bond to fund a new districtwide multiuse stadium and track. The May 2 result closed out a string of previous failed attempts to upgrade the district’s athletics facilities. 

The new stadium is planned for the site of the future Royal High School on FM 362, south of FM 529 and north of the future Morton Road, putting it about 4.5 miles from the current Falcon Stadium. 

District planning documents describe a 7,500-seat multiuse venue designed to support football, soccer, track, band, cheer, graduation ceremonies and broader community events. 

Project plans call for: 

• About 7,500 fixed seats on steel and aluminum bleacher framing 
• A press box with a coaches’ film deck 
• A synthetic turf or natural grass playing field 
• A new eight-lane track 
• A game-day field house with separate accommodations for home teams, visiting teams and officials 
• Stadium-grade sports lighting suitable for evening competition 
• A video board with distributed audio and broadcast support 
• Concession stands and restroom facilities 
• Plazas, parking areas and supporting site infrastructure 

The district has set the planning-level estimate at about $72 million, with the published range of $68 million to $72 million reflecting design choices, construction timing and market conditions. The bond will be repaid through the district’s Interest & Sinking (I&S) tax rate, which under Texas law, may be used only for voter-approved capital projects. 

The May 2026 measure follows two previously rejected stadium proposals in 2023 and 2025, both of which would have renovated the current Falcon Stadium rather than replaced it. Voters had approved larger packages in those same elections, including funding for the new high school and additional land acquisition, but stopped short of backing athletics improvements until this cycle. 

Falcon Stadium, located next to the current Royal High School campus in Brookshire, has been in continuous use for more than 60 years. Recent structural assessments commissioned by the district identified corrosion, cracking and section loss within the existing support structures, along with guardrail concerns and recommended bleacher repairs. Those assessments also flagged needed updates to accessibility, lighting, restrooms, concessions and the track and field areas. 

The vote also comes as Royal ISD continues to absorb rapid enrollment growth along the Interstate 10 corridor west of Houston, with district figures reaching 3,219 students by April 2026 and projections from a Population and Survey Analysts (PASA) demographic study exceeding 8,700 within the next 10 years. The new stadium is expected to anchor the long-term buildout at the future Royal High School site, a roughly 3,000-student campus scheduled to open for the 2028-29 school year. 

Superintendent Megan Pape said the board’s immediate focus following voter approval is determining how to structure and manage the building process. No groundbreaking or opening date has been set, nor has the district publicly named an architect, construction manager or general contractor.  

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