During the Nov. 13 Regular Board Meeting, Manor ISD leadership announced that the opening of Wildhorse Elementary School will be delayed to provide the district with the opportunity to increase the utilization of current facilities and account for changes in district growth resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The project was approved for construction through the passage of the 2019 Bond. The campus was placed on the 2019 Bond project list based on demographic projections and other reliable growth measures that determined it to be a valid need for Manor ISD at the time of its proposal. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused unforeseen changes to the district’s need for the campus as it resulted in an enrollment decrease for Manor ISD and school districts across Texas and housing and business development delays in the community.  

“It was a tough decision not to open the campus to serve our elementary students next year, but it boils down to ensuring we serve our scholars, staff, and families as best as possible while working in the best interest of our taxpayers,” Superintendent Dr. Robert Sormani said. “While there will be a need for the campus in the future, it would not be in our best interest to completely open the campus for teaching and learning at this time and increase district operation costs when we can make adjustments to serve our current scholar population just as effectively with our existing facilities.” 

Until Wildhorse opens to serve students as an elementary campus, a portion of the school will be used to support other student programming. 

Given the over 4.7% enrollment increase the district has seen this year and projections, Manor ISD leadership currently believes that the opening of Wildhorse could be delayed by two to three years, meaning the campus could open for elementary students as early as Fall 2027. That time frame could change based on realized growth and need in the coming years. 

The delay in the opening of Wildhorse Elementary for teaching and learning will result in an estimated $1.2 million in savings for Manor ISD.