Comal ISD administrators, students and community members, including many from the Clyde Johnson family, turned out for the Johnson Ranch Elementary groundbreaking near the corner of FM 1863 and Hwy. 281 on Feb. 13. Pictured are students from Specht and Rahe Bulverde, including (left to right) Tyler Pham, Matthew Bottelberghe, Madeleine Lusk, Weston Maze, Kendall Sanders, Joshua Dillon, Huner Shields, and Alexis Mott. Courtesy photo

Special to the Bulverde News

Comal ISD broke ground Feb. 13 for Johnson Ranch Elementary School located in the planned Johnson Ranch development approximately one mile east of U.S. Highway 281 on the north side of FM 1863.

The 16-acre school site was donated by the developer, DH Investments, and will be named after the Johnson family in recognition of this generous contribution to the community. CISD Superintendent Marc Walker and CISD board members attended the ceremony and thanked the Johnson family and DH Investments for their support and generosity toward the project.

“It is exciting to see that we all have the same goals in mind. At the end of the day we want to see these children succeed and with the contribution by the Johnson family and the developer, they will have a great site for their new school,” said David Spencer, a CISD board member. “What a great opportunity and unique thing to finally have an elementary school built in the early stages of a residential development rather than after the homes are built.”

Walker noted that it was the largest attendance they had ever had at any of their ground breaking ceremonies and recognized the attendance of many local city representatives, including Bulverde Mayor Sarah Stevick, City Administrator John Hobson as well as some Bulverde City Council members.

The general contractor for the project is F.T. Woods, based in Georgetown. Construction will begin next week and will be completed in time for the fall 2009 school year. The school will serve approximately 800 to 1,000 students.

In addition to being an asset for the existing neighborhoods in the area, the school will serve as a great amenity for the community at Johnson Ranch.

According to Charlie Hill, a representative for the developer, this master-planned community will include a diverse range of single-family, hill country-styled homes interconnected by an extensive hike-and-bike trail system throughout the development that will provide linkage to the school.

“To have a new elementary school that is truly connected to the community by sidewalks and trails will offer a great lifestyle,” said Spencer.

Additionally, there will be a state-of-the-art amenity center, multiple pocket parks, interconnected open spaces, and a town center-style, mixed-use area. The development will be governed by strict design guidelines and restrictive covenants that, among other things, will include water conservation requirements for all property owners within the community.

The school and the overall community will be served by a centralized wastewater system that will allow for re-use of treated wastewater to irrigate open spaces throughout the development. Additionally, it will be served by surface water provided by GBRA.

“This location is strategic in meeting the future needs of our growing district, and we look forward to opening in the fall of 2009,” said Walker.