(Seguin) — They didn’t just come to watch a groundbreaking — they came to see their future school. A busload of children was among those in attendance Thursday morning as the Navarro ISD celebrated the start of construction of its first second elementary campus.
Community members waving purple pom poms formed a human tunnel Tuesday morning, welcoming the future students of Navarro South Elementary School at 1680 E. Martindale Rd.
Just across from the construction site, homes in the growing Navarro Oaks neighborhood can be seen on the horizon. Navarro Oaks is just one of the many indicators of residential growth driving the district’s expansion south.
Navarro ISD Superintendent Dr. Mandy Epley says the moment was more than just about construction plans. She says it was about students and families who will benefit from a closer neighborhood campus.
“I’m just thrilled to see the kids’ excitement, to know that families who live in the southern border of our district have a closer 2-5 campus. It’s exciting and it is such a testament to the commitment that families have to providing the best for their kids. It’s exciting to see a campus that is close to neighborhoods so kids can walk. Kids can ride their bikes, and I think there is a lot of value in having a campus close to the neighborhood that they live,” said Dr. Epley.
The new campus represents a historic shift for Navarro ISD, whose schools have traditionally been clustered in the heart of Geronimo. Dr. Epley says this will be the district’s first campus built away from that central pod.
“This is the first (school) to be off that Link (Road) and 123 intersection. Certainly, we have seen our staff adjusting to not being able to walk to all of the campuses and I think that is difficult. We really enjoy being able to, by foot, get to wherever we needed to go and so we will be adjusting to that and having to travel in cars to visit the campuses but knowing that we are being proactive in serving the growth in every corner of the district, I think is really important,” said Dr. Epley.
Epley says Thursday’s celebration reminded her of the groundbreaking for the newly opened high school – a task she immediately took over as the district’s new superintendent. Now, she says, it feels like another chapter of growth for the “Panther family.”
Speaking directly to the children gathered during the celebration, Dr. Epley stated, “you are the reason we dream big in the Navarro ISD.”
The new elementary school is being funded through the $120 million bond package voters approved in May 2024.
Navarro ISD Board Vice President Clint Scheib says the campus is the result of careful planning — following enrollment projections.
“About two years ago, we really buckled down and put a committee together and made a 10-year plan. This is a step in the plan. So, the next step would be obviously with the growth — the next bond that we called and updating the junior high. If the growth continues, we are going to follow the plan because our demographers have really set together a good estimate of how many students we are going to see. So, as long as we follow the plan, the next step is obviously going to be probably a new elementary. Quite a few years out from there, we might even be looking at an addition to the high school. It’s the plan that we put into place that is really driving this,’ said Scheib.
Despite the district’s expansion, Scheib says maintaining Navarro’s close-knit culture remains a priority.
“I really wish — because we have a really tight knit community — I’ve lived in the area for a long time, and everybody is so personal. Everybody is so inviting and as we grow, we want to try to keep that same environment. We really want to keep that feel of a tight knit community so it’s going to be a little different, obviously, having a campus off site so it’s going to be different for us having maintenance crews that have to come over here, having buses that have to come over here. It’s going to be different, so we are really going to focus on trying to keep the feel of a community,” said Scheib.
As growth continues to blur the lines between Seguin and Navarro ISD, Seguin Mayor Donna Dodgen says she believes the campus will help unite and strengthen all communities.
“We are literally kissing cousins. We got here so fast. It’s a neighborhood school. We are a neighborhood and we are all a part of this. Families that are coming and houses that are around –they are going to be able to walk to things. Parents aren’t going to have to worry about where they park. They are just going to come here. And, we all are one. Our region is growing and we all need to be involved in that and be supported of that as well,” said Dodgen.
Construction of Navarro South Elementary is expected to be completed in time to welcome students in August 2027.