On June 29, Royal ISD celebrated a significant milestone – the groundbreaking for its new high school.

The campus will be located on a piece of land at FM 362 and Mourning Dove Blvd. that the district purchased in February 2026, which spans approximately 141 acres. The high school design is currently approximately 586,337 square-feet and designed to serve up to 3,000 students at full capacity.

“This high school will accommodate the district's rapid enrollment growth, where Royal ISD is projected to have more than 10,000 students in the next 10 years,” said Royal ISD spokesperson Norma Martinez.

The anticipated opening is in the fall of 2028 and will serve as the single high school for the district. The current campus at 34499 Royal Rd. in Brookshire will be repurposed for a different use, possibly as a junior high school, officials said.

The new high school will offer state-of-the-art educational and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, including automotive technology, welding, cosmetology, and culinary arts. The culinary arts program will feature a full-service student-operated bistro, providing students with hands-on learning opportunities while creating a unique dining experience for the campus community. In addition, the campus will include an Early College component, allowing students the opportunity to continue to earn an associate's degree while attending RHS through the district's early college high school.

Fine arts and student life will be central to the campus experience, highlighted by an approximately 1,000-seat performing arts theater, a state-of-the-art media center, and a campus student-run store where students can make items in all classes, such as CTE and life skills, and sell them in the space designed specifically for this student leadership and ownership experience.

Athletics will also play a significant role in the campus design, with facilities including a competition gymnasium, auxiliary gym, and practice gym, along with extensive outdoor athletic amenities such as turfed baseball fields, softball fields, two practice football fields, and a junior varsity football field with spectator seating.

To further support agricultural and hands-on learning opportunities, the campus will also feature a husbandry barn, providing students access to agricultural sciences and livestock programs, housing and caring for their animals right on site.

The district has partnered with LAN as the program manager, PBK as the architect, and Durotech as the general contractor.