Celina High School students started the school year Aug. 12 with a new 233,000-square-foot career and technical education wing for engineering, welding and animal science.
The new wing, built with bond funds, is part of nearly 450,000 square feet of construction Celina ISD completed over the summer. The other half is Willard Middle School, the district's second middle school, which added 203,000 square feet funded by the 2019 bond.
"We added 233,000 square feet for the high school, and at Willard we added 203,000 square feet … So this summer alone, we opened up almost 450,000 square feet," David Fink, Celina ISD's director of Construction Services and Facility Planning, said at the Aug. 17 Board of Trustees meeting, according to Community Impact.
Beyond engineering, welding and animal science, the CTE wing organizes programs into career clusters. Those include health science, information technology, construction, business and finance, and arts and communications, according to the district's CTE website. Ryan Contreras, the district's CTE director, oversees the programs.
Three elementary schools next
The building push is not over.
Three new elementary campuses are scheduled to open for the 2027-28 school year: Alma Jo Scott Elementary, Ophelia Grumbles Elementary and Janet H. Calvert Elementary. Alma Jo Scott is being built with 2019 bond funds. Ophelia Grumbles and Janet H. Calvert are funded by the $2.295 billion bond Celina ISD voters approved in May 2025.
As of Wednesday, Aug. 26, construction had gone vertical at Ophelia Grumbles. Crews were working on roads and infrastructure at the other two sites.
The 2025 bond package also funds a second high school, two more middle schools and five additional elementary schools beyond the three named for next year. The Celina ISD Board approved the package unanimously on Feb. 3, 2025, based on recommendations from a 48-member citizen steering committee. On Election Day in May 2025, the district said the bond could be funded at the existing tax rate, the same approach used for the 2019 bond.
Growth driving the construction
The scale of building reflects Celina's pace of growth. More than 800 people move to the city every month, according to district bond materials. The district expects enrollment to quadruple within a decade.
Celina's population grew 269% from 2020 to 2025, according to data from the North Central Texas Council of Governments cited by Community Impact.
The 2025 bond's remaining projects include a second high school, two middle schools and five more elementary campuses beyond the three set to open next fall.
