Fort Worth

‘Aledoness' a Priority for Superintendent Ahead of Planned Growth

The Aledo ISD broke ground this week on a new elementary school at the planned, massive Walsh Ranch Development

Construction is underway on what will be the fifth elementary school in the Aledo Independent School District.

The school, which is scheduled to be completed and ready to open for the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, is being built in the middle of the massive Walsh Ranch development.

Walsh Ranch — a 7,000 acre plot of land that straddles the intersection of interstates 30 and 20 at the eastern edge of Parker County — will include an estimated 18,000 home sites with an estimated population of 44,600 people, according to its developer.

The school site played host to an official groundbreaking Wednesday morning, with Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price among those turning dirt with a ceremonial shovel.

“That really gets you going, to have a chance to see just open ranch land spring up into another small area,” she said. “It’s going to be another small city.”

What is not yet known is who will attend the new elementary school when it opens next year.

“Generally speaking, it will be the kids who live in the northwest part of our district,” Superintendent Dr. Derek Citty said. “There will be a general reshuffling of all four or five of those elementary school zones to accomplish filling this school.”

When plans for the new school were announced, there was concern shared by some that it would be built in Walsh Ranch, away from where the current population center is for much of the Aledo community.

But the developer of Walsh Ranch promised to give the district $1 million up front if the school board members voted to approve the school site in their development, in addition to giving the district the plot of land upon which the school would be built.

In addition to concern about the placement of the school has been the concern of others that such a massive development would fundamentally change the feel of Aledo.

“I totally understand that. I get that. I think everybody does,” Citty said. “But at the same time I think we can welcome the growth to our community and assimilate those folks into our school district and teach them the values that are important in our school district.”

Citty said there is even a name for the feeling many have about Aledo.

“They call it ‘Aledoness.’ There’s an ‘Aledoness,’ there’s a gentility to living in this part of Parker County,” Dr. Citty said. “We feel like we can assimilate [new people] into our community and make them part of the Aledo way.”

Contact Us