2023 Sherman ISD Bond Program
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Thanks to voter approval of a $540 million bond program in May 2023, Sherman ISD will open five new schools over the next two years to accommodate rising student enrollment and further enhance the learning environment.
- New, larger campuses will replace the existing Crutchfield Elementary School and Fairview Elementary School, which were built in the 1950s.
- A brand-new Sherman ISD elementary school will open in 2025 in Heritage Ranch, a master-planned community in northwest Sherman, attracting families moving to or relocating in the Sherman area.
- Another brand-new elementary school is planned to open on the south side of Sherman in 2026 at a location still to be determined.
- Also opening in 2026 at the existing site of Wakefield Elementary is a new, single campus dedicated to serving Sherman ISD’s youngest students. The new school will offer high-quality early childhood programs to prepare 3- and 4-year olds for success in elementary school and beyond.
In addition to the new schools, the 2023 bond program will also fund districtwide safety, security and technology upgrades, as well as a new multipurpose stadium at Sherman High School to serve football, soccer, track, band, color guard, cheer, drill team and other school programs and activities.
Additions and/or renovations are planned at the new Sherman High School, Piner Middle School, Jefferson Learning Center and Dillingham Elementary, which will be converted to the district’s third middle school as enrollment continues to grow.
These exciting projects will provide even more opportunities for students to learn and grow in an innovative, creative and engaging environment.
Bond Updates
NEW AND REPLACEMENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Sherman ISD students, parents, community members, and staff played a vital role in the process to plan for the replacement of Crutchfield Elementary and Fairview Elementary, as well as a brand-new elementary campus on a new site. All three new elementary schools are set to open in August of 2025. The new campus will be built on 22.55 acres of land donated by Covenant Development in the Heritage Ranch master-planned community. Read details on the site location.
Starting in July 2023, groups of staff, parents, and students gathered to provide input on designs for the new schools. Then the whole community had the opportunity to provide comments on the design, site plan and floor plans for Crutchfield and Fairview through a feedback form. The final plans created by architect VLK were reviewed by the Sherman ISD Board of Trustees and approved by the City of Sherman.
Crutchfield and Fairview will remain open and continue to serve students until the new buildings are complete on the opposite side of the school properties. As of March 2024, construction fencing is up at both schools and general contractor CORE Construction is mobilizing to begin work. Some adjustments to normal campus routines will be necessary. Our top priority throughout the construction process will be the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families.
Construction of the new elementary in Heritage Ranch is also expected to begin in spring/summer 2024.
STADIUM AND ADDITIONS AT SHERMAN HIGH SCHOOL
The new multipurpose stadium at Sherman High School will open approximately three years sooner than originally planned. The completion of the stadium will now more closely align with the planned additions to Sherman High School, which are expected to be complete for the start of the 2025-26 school year. Accelerating the timeline for the stadium project to coincide with the high school additions will save the district up to $10 million dollars by reducing inflation costs, saving on construction mobilization expenses, and leveraging purchasing power by purchasing similar materials at one time. It will also reduce the length of time that construction is underway at SHS. Read more at www.shermanisd.net/stadium.
In October 2023, a committee of students, parents, staff and community members representing various stakeholder groups met to share their ideas for the design and configuration of the 8,000-seat facility. The first architectural rendering of the new stadium was presented at the School Board meeting on December 18, 2023.
Construction of the new stadium and 33,000+ square feet of additions to Sherman High School are expected to begin in late spring/summer 2024.
Bond Election Results
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Sherman ISD voters approved both bond propositions on the May 2023 election ballot by large margins. Proposition A passed with 71% of the vote and Proposition B passed with 64% of the vote.
“I am thankful for the strong support our community showed for our Sherman public schools,” said Sherman ISD Superintendent Dr. Tyson Bennett. “I could not be more excited about the future of our district and what these bond projects will mean for our students, staff, families, and community.
“I want to thank the members of our Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee for their time and vision developing this plan, our Board of Trustees for their direction in leading our district, the dedicated community volunteers who spent countless hours rallying support for this plan, and all the people who voted in this election.
“We can’t wait to get started on these projects, which will impact every student and school in our district and benefit all of Sherman for generations to come.”