100 years of Aledo ISD growth: The modern era

Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series highlighting the growth of the Aledo ISD throughout its history. Read Part One here.

In 1996, the district opened a third campus location south on FM 5. The newest building would separate seventh and eighth grades from the high school building, creating Aledo’s first middle school, and providing more classroom space for high school.

Even with these changes, temporary buildings were utilized for high school classes. An increase in younger students put a strain on Aledo Primary School. Third grade was moved to Aledo Intermediate School, leaving only kindergarten through second grade at the northern campus. Grades three through five were at Aledo Intermediate School. Students in sixth grade through eighth attended the new Aledo Middle School.

As the school district prepared for the new millennium, the community passed a 1998 bond that would forever change the configuration of Aledo ISD. Included in the bond proposal was a fourth campus location that would be home to a brand-new Aledo High School designed to accommodate 1,800 students with an accompanying administration building on the same property.

The old high school would be converted to a junior high facility housing seventh and eighth grades. A reconfigured middle school would house fifth and sixth grades. A new elementary school would be built in a new development in the southern part of the district. The Aledo Primary and Intermediate campuses would be converted to full, independent elementary schools for grades pre-kindergarten to fourth grade.

For the first time in the district’s history, students in the same grade would be split between three different elementary schools. It was during this process that the school board officially adopted the names of the schools we know today. At a January 17, 2000 school board meeting, Aledo Primary became Coder Elementary, Aledo Intermediate became Vandagriff Elementary, the new elementary school in the Deer Creek area would open as Stuard Elementary, and the Middle School would become McAnally Intermediate School.

By 2003, the plan put in place with the passing of the 1998 bond was complete. Coder, Stuard, and Vandagriff Elementary Schools spanned grades pre-kindergarten to fourth. McAnally Intermediate housed grades five and six. Aledo Middle School was home to seventh- and eighth-graders. Aledo High School was in its new home on Bailey Ranch Road.

More bonds

It did, however, require the passage of Proposition No. 1 on a 2001 bond to complete all the projects because of inflation, construction delays, and unforeseen costs not included in initial estimates.

Three other propositions failed in that election, including athletic fields for the new high school, a new stadium, and funds for future growth. As a result, outside athletic competitions continued at the facilities on the old campus serving Aledo Middle School.

As projected, growth in the area continued in the early 2000s. A 2005 bond provided funding to address the growth. A fourth elementary school (McCall) was added north of I-20, classrooms were added to Coder and Stuard Elementary Schools, and the Aledo Learning Center was constructed to offer more opportunities for high school students. In a second proposition, funding was approved for athletic facilities on the new high school campus, including Bearcat Stadium.

By 2008, Aledo ISD had four elementary schools serving kindergarten to fifth grade, a sixth-grade-only intermediate school, a middle school for seventh and eighth graders, and a high school that was just starting to feel the impact from enrollment growth previously addressed at the elementary levels.

Included in the literature from the 1998 Bond that set a new path for Aledo ISD was the recognition of a future choice for the community to make regarding high school:

“When this new facility reaches capacity, the school board and community will face two possibilities: (1) add classrooms to create a 5A high school of 2,000 students, or (2) create a second 4A high school. That decision will need review in eight to ten years.”

In 2008, that decision time had arrived. A 2008 bond provided the funding for the Daniel Ninth Grade campus. Rather than build a second high school, the community at the time decided to expand the current high school campus to its current capacity, creating room to grow into a high school that would meet the state’s highest enrollment classification for UIL competitions.

Ninth-graders moved into their own facility, but utilized the adjacent high school building for some classes and special programs. This is still the case today.

Reconfiguring

Continued growth required some grade level reconfiguration at the elementary school level. Although a 2015 bond approved the construction of a new elementary school, it would not be open for two more years. Fifth-graders joined the sixth-graders at McAnally Intermediate campus between 2015-2017 to accommodate a growing elementary school population.

By 2017, kindergarten enrollment had surpassed 400 students (422) for the first time as the district opened its fifth elementary school, Walsh Elementary School. McAnally Intermediate returned to sixth grade only as the five elementary schools once again welcomed kindergarten through fifth grade. Coder Elementary remained the only school providing pre-kindergarten classes.

As anticipated, more rooftops produced more students, placing more strain on the educational infrastructure in Aledo ISD. More classroom space was needed for elementary school children. Aledo Middle School was experiencing the double trouble of student overcrowding and a deteriorating building. A 2019 bond provided the funding to address both elementary and middle school capacity concerns while securing the continued lifespan of aging buildings.

With these funds, a sixth elementary school (Annetta) opened in 2021, a second middle school (McAnally) opened in 2022, Aledo Middle School was significantly renovated to nearly a brand new campus with added capacity, Vandagriff Elementary had a new, larger home at the renovated former intermediate school campus, pre-K was moved from Coder Elementary to add classroom space, and an Early Childhood Academy now occupies the space of old Vandagriff Elementary housing all district pre-K students and a daycare for district employees.

The 1955 high school building was retired and torn down after serving students for more than 67 years.

As the community approaches the 100-year anniversary of a “bold commitment to education and investment in their children,” reflect for a minute on when you and your family entered this timeline of growth. For the past century, our community has embraced new families moving to the area and welcomed new generations of existing residents as their families grew. We have all contributed to the growth of this area in some way, and the community has always responded by taking care of the next generation. 

Special thanks to Lynn McKinney for her commitment to our children over her many years of service in Aledo ISD and for helping piece together part of our community’s history. Also, thank you to Ben McCarthy for keeping history alive through his Facebook group, Backroads of Aledo.