DENTON (1080 KRLD)- Students in Denton ISD returned to class Wednesday for the start of the 2024-25 school year. Denton ISD is considered a rapid-growth district, outpacing growth in surrounding areas.
From the 2018/2019 school year to the last school year, enrollment in Denton ISD increased 8.9%, adding 2,697 students. Enrollment for all districts across the western part of the Metroplex increased .2% over the same time.
Denton ISD opened Dorothy Martinez Elementary School in Little Elm to accommodate population growth in the eastern part of the district.
The district also opened rebuilt campuses for Calhoun Middle School and Rayzor Elementary as part of a bond approved by voters.
"The enthusiasm in this building was remarkable this morning," says Superintendent Susannah O'Bara. "This is a fantastic environment. This is a great school for our community, and it has been for a number of years."
Parents lining up with their kids took pictures outside Rayzor Elementary, met teachers, and students high-fived the school resource officer.
"It's exciting, it's been amazing," one mom said. "She started at the old Newton Rayzor, and now we're at the new Calhoun. It's been really neat to see all the old faces but get to see the new, shiny facilities."
"It's a lot more modern. That's what I would say is the most different," a student who was on the planning committee said.
"Space, lots of space," her dad said.
O'Bara says the school was designed with more open seating and natural light. She says that can help kids make friends, build social skills and learn to work together to solve problems.
"I think it represents what modern businesses look like," she says. "A lot of industry is open space, collaborative space, and they allow people to work together."
Denton ISD did have to delay opening of an additional elementary school. The district says it cannot budget for the cost of hiring additional staff.
Districts across Texas have advocated for increased funding from the state legislature. DIstricts receive a base amount of $6,160 per student, which has not changed since 2019.
The non-profit, Raise Your Hand Texas, says the state ranks in the bottom ten for per-student funding and is $4,000 less than the national average.
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