If you haven’t heard, there’s a third middle school under construction in western Travis County — Bee Cave Middle School (BCMS). It’s undoubtedly buzz-worthy in the Lake Travis area.
The new school is near Vail Divide and Highway 71 — just a few miles away from Lake Travis Middle School — and it’s expected to be open and student-ready for the 2019/2020 school year.
You can see the campus taking shape with each passing day. We anticipate the goings-on at BCMS will be a hot topic in 2019, so here’s a quick overview to keep you up-to-speed.
Road closure conversation
Next week, a public hearing will take place to determine if a stretch of Vail Divide Road will need to be closed for crews to reconfigure the road.
The sad part is, the road closure could last for up to 12 months. The good news is by doing this now; it should help ease the traffic flow once the school is open.
Congrats to Ms. Prehn
This past week, Lake Travis ISD announced Ms. Amanda Prehn would be the new Principal of Bee Cave Middle School as of January 22, 2019.
Ms. Prehn has more than 15 years in public education. She joined Lake Travis ISD back in 2015 as Assistant Principal at Serene Hills Elementary School. She’s currently the Principal at West Cypress Hills Elementary School.
Aggie fans will be happy to know she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Texas A&M, as well as a Master of Education degree in Teaching from Schreiner University.
Revving up for the Raiders
As of June 2018, the new school’s mascot was announced, the Bee Cave Middle School Raiders. The primary school colors will be red and silver.
The Raiders seem to fit nicely with the other middle school mascots, the Hudson Bend Middle School Buccaneers and the Lake Travis Middle School Knights.
Lake Travis ISD anticipating growth
Excluding BCMS, the district currently has nine campuses with a total of 10,702 students (as of October 2018). BCMS will accommodate 1,200 students to take pressure off Lake Travis Middle School, which is currently above capacity.
According to the Population and Survey Analysts Demographic Update in February 2017, student enrollment at Lake Travis ISD has increased by approximately 76% since 2007. If you consider a moderate growth rate scenario, projections indicate a continued increase of more than 60% during the next ten years, resulting in a district-wide enrollment of nearly 16,000 students.
Bee Cave Middle School Fun Facts:
- 240,000 square foot campus will accommodate 1,200 students
- Two-story, grade-level houses with outdoor science and art areas, an outdoor gathering space and multipurpose breakout areas, playgrounds, a football field, and tennis courts
- The school is designed for a future conversion to a high school if necessary
- BCMS was designed by Fields & Associates Architects and is being built by American Constructors
- Lake Travis ISD middle school zoning map that includes BCMS has not been released
What’s next for Lake Travis ISD
According to district officials, plans are underway for the construction of a new elementary school in the Rough Hollow subdivision. Middle School 3 and Elementary School 7 are part of the district’s $253 million bond program approved by voters in November 2017.
Image: Cathy Hale
