RISD Updates Board on Middle School Construction and Transportation

Richardson Independent School District leadership presented several updates to the Board of Trustees during a work session on August 20. The district highlighted progress on the Middle School Transformation Project, noting that all six campus construction sites have opened for students ahead of the Fall 2026 semester.

Construction activities are currently underway at Liberty, Apollo, Parkhill, Richardson North, Westwood, and Richardson middle schools. At Liberty Middle School, fencing, site mobilization, and temporary parking are complete, with ongoing work on the new building. Apollo Middle School has completed fencing, portable classrooms with covered walkways known as Panther Village, and a temporary administration suite.

Parkhill Middle School has finished fencing and temporary parking, while underground utility work continues. Richardson North Middle School has completed portables, covered walkways, and demolition of the northwest building corner. Westwood Middle School is conducting soil conditioning, basement excavation, and new building construction after completing fencing and fire lane construction.

Richardson Middle School has demolished the Richardson High School baseball field and is installing storm water infrastructure.

The Transportation Department also reported on its operations for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The district operates 189 buses that transport approximately 6,000 students daily, covering more than 1.1 million miles annually. Each bus is equipped with Samsara AI technology and six cameras for safety and diagnostics. Families can use StopFinder to track buses, while Wayfinder manages student ID badging.

The department employs 260 staff members who participate in ongoing safety training. In FY 2025-26, the department operated with approximately $11 million in expenditures, supported by about $2 million in state funding and local funds. The district is also expanding its Teacher Incentive Allotment system to recognize high-performing teachers.

Residents can find full project details on the RISD Bond 2025 Website.