Liberty Hill Independent School District (LHISD) announced that enrollment has surpassed the 11,000‑student mark for the first time in its history. The district’s September 21 board meeting revealed that 625 more students are enrolled compared with the same time last year, reflecting continued, though slightly slower, population growth.
Enrollment numbers and housing trends
Superintendent Travis Motal told the board, “We’re continuing to grow, just not at the same pace that we were before.” The district projects that enrollment will reach 18,746 students within the next ten years.
Housing data help explain the trend. Over the past year, 1,175 new homes began construction, with 344 of those located in the attendance zone for Lariat Trails Elementary School. Lariat Trails also recorded the highest number of new home sales among LHISD elementary schools, with 323 sales. An additional 359 lots zoned for Lariat Trails remain undeveloped.
Liberty Hill Elementary School has more than 2,000 undeveloped lots within its boundaries, while Louine Noble Elementary School has nearly 1,700. District‑wide, 622 new home sales closed during the first two quarters of 2026—the fewest in that period since 2019. Meanwhile, 577 new homes broke ground, marking the lowest start rate for the same timeframe since 2023.
Future development outlook
According to the district’s demographer, a total of 2,429 new homes were either under construction or had closed over the past year, placing LHISD third among Austin‑area districts for new‑home activity, behind Georgetown ISD and Hays CISD.
New neighborhoods continue to emerge within district boundaries. Twenty‑eight subdivisions are actively under construction, and an additional 13 are in the planning stages. Those future neighborhoods will contain roughly 9,500 lots, based on Zonda Demographics data.
Beyond single‑family housing, more than 1,300 multifamily rental units are currently being built across the district, with over a dozen multifamily development sites slated for the near future.
Implications for families and the community
The enrollment surge underscores the appeal of Liberty Hill’s schools and the broader community for families seeking quality education and a family‑friendly environment. While the pace of growth is moderating, the district’s long‑term projections suggest sustained demand for classroom space, teachers, and support services.
District officials plan to use the data to guide future facility planning, staffing, and budget decisions, ensuring that the district can continue to provide a strong educational foundation for its expanding student body.
Parents and community members are encouraged to stay engaged with upcoming board meetings, where detailed discussions about school capacity, new construction impacts, and resource allocation will continue.
Original reporting: Community Impact — Austin — read the source article.
