Everything to Know About Dripping Springs ISD's New High School #2
If you've driven out toward Cypress Springs Elementary lately, you've probably noticed the dirt moving. That's the site of Dripping Springs ISD's second comprehensive high school — the largest construction project in district history — and it's a story worth understanding whether you're a current DSISD parent or house-hunting in the area.
Why the District Needs a Second High School
The short answer: growth. DSISD has added over 1,500 students in the past five years and more than 3,000 over the past ten, with enrollment now sitting at roughly 8,800 students districtwide. That kind of sustained growth eventually outpaces even a well-designed campus, and district leaders have been planning for this moment for several years.
As DSISD board member Stefani Reinold put it at the April groundbreaking, the new school is more than a response to rising numbers — it's meant to be a commitment that academic standards won't slip as enrollment climbs.
The Groundbreaking and Timeline
The district held its official groundbreaking ceremony on April 13, 2026, at the site off Darden Hill Road, next to Cypress Springs Elementary School. Superintendent Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz and board president Dr. Stefani Reinold spoke at the event, with the Sycamore Springs Middle School band providing music and light refreshments served to attendees.
Here's how the funding and planning came together:
2023 bond: Voters approved funding for the campus's initial design work.
May 2025 bond: Voters approved construction funding, with more than 70% support — this measure earmarked $298,783,000 specifically for High School No. 2 and related campus improvements.
Construction: Expected to run through late September 2026 for the main building, with the campus overall projected to open for the 2028–29 school year.
What the New Campus Will Look Like
This isn't a small addition — it's a full comprehensive high school built to serve the eastern portion of the district:
Capacity: 2,500 students, grades 9–12
Size: Approximately 506,000 square feet
Amenities: Baseball and softball fields, tennis courts, two practice fields, a band practice lot, and an agricultural barn
Athletics note: The new campus will not have its own competition stadium — both DSISD high schools will continue to share Tiger Stadium for varsity football games and graduation ceremonies
The school doesn't have an official name yet. DSISD ran a community survey earlier this year gathering input on naming, branding, and even mascot ideas, with results feeding into a recommendation for the board of trustees.
The Infrastructure Piece: Darden Hill Road
Building a school for 2,500 students changes traffic patterns, and the district knows it. Darden Hill Road is slated for widening and improvement before the new campus opens — Hays County plans to construct a four-lane divided roadway spanning 1.7 miles, from the Sawyer Ranch roundabout to RM 1826. If you live or plan to live in that corridor, this is worth watching over the next couple of years.
What This Means If You're House-Hunting
We touched on this in our recent Dripping Springs real estate market breakdown — school district boundaries are a real value driver here, and a second high school is a strong signal that DSISD is investing to keep pace with the area's growth rather than letting overcrowding erode the experience. For families specifically weighing the eastern side of the district near Driftwood, this project is likely to be a meaningful factor in home values and demand over the next few years, though how directly it plays out will depend on exact attendance zone decisions the district hasn't finalized yet.
Bottom Line
High School No. 2 is a multi-year story, and this is just the beginning of it — groundbreaking is done, funding is secured, and now it's a matter of watching construction, the naming process, and eventually attendance boundaries take shape.
We'll keep following it here as new details come out.
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