This week, the public got its first look at renderings of new football stadiums, auditoriums and cafeterias coming to Northwest ISD schools.
“To best meet the needs of their 6A student populations, Byron Nelson and Eaton high schools will soon undergo expansions to extracurricular areas and cafeterias,” the district said in a statement. “These updates include home stadiums, which have been designed to focus on providing a positive community atmosphere for events.”
At Monday’s board meeting, Northwest ISD trustees previewed the first preliminary renderings of these upgrades, which were approved by voters in the 2023 bond referendum. The upgrades will ensure heavily used common spaces meet each school’s 3,200-student capacity. Northwest High School, the district’s remaining comprehensive high school, is already undergoing upgrades as approved by voters in both the 2021 and 2023 bond packages. The district’s upcoming fourth comprehensive high school is being designed to meet the same standards.
Timelines for projects at both schools are still being finalized, though Northwest ISD expects to complete every component of the projects no later than early 2027.
Currently, all three NISD high schools play home games at the NISD Stadium near Northwest High School During the planning process for the 2023 bond election, the district’s Long-Range Planning Committee analyzed long-term needs as Northwest ISD prepares for eight or more high schools. The committee, which is composed primarily of community members, discussed whether to add more district stadiums for football or replace existing sub-varsity fields at high school campuses with home stadiums, according to a district news release.
When discussing the best option for students, the committee unanimously agreed that home stadiums would reduce time away from the classroom to travel to district stadiums and provide a strong foundation for community atmosphere. Voters approved this recommendation at the polls, and since then, district and school leaders have met with architects and construction managers to plan for these new stadiums as well as other common space expansions.
The stadium at each school will remain in the same general location as the school’s existing sub-varsity field, with some alterations. Both schools will also receive parking additions for increased crowds, though overflow parking is planned for the elementary school and middle school located near each high school. Each stadium will seat 7,500 total spectators, with 4,500 seats on the home side and 3,000 seats on the visitor side. Full press boxes, concession areas and similar features are planned for both stadiums.
Bobcat Stadium, the upgraded home facility for Byron Nelson in Trophy Club, has been designed to make the best use of space available on campus while retaining and expanding parking, according to the district. The stadium features a front entry facing the school, with a design that integrates into existing campus components such as the field house.
To conserve space and retain practice fields, architects Glenn Partners designed the home side of the stadium to be built above the existing fire lane, with ample room for emergency vehicles to traverse below. VIP parking next to the stadium and golf cart parking are also planned to best meet the needs of the community.
The stadium will serve a variety of sports and activities, including wrestling. Notably, Byron Nelson’s wrestling team will have a practice room in the stadium, as the current undersized wrestling room cannot be expanded without significant structural cost. Additionally, the school’s track will be upgraded from a seven-lane track to a competition-standard eight-lane track to host meets.
While both Byron Nelson and Eaton have received classroom expansions in recent years to accommodate a 6A capacity of 3,200 students, several common areas were not addressed at the same time. Voter approval of the bond package will expand these areas – auditoriums, cafeterias and competition gyms – to accommodate each school’s population.
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