Princeton Independent School District’s long-range planning committee commenced its planned series of meetings Monday, Dec. 5 and heard the obvious from a demographer: the district is growing and is likely going to need to build more classrooms to handle a burgeoning student enrollment.

The 49-member citizen committee met at Southard Middle School. The committee chairman, selected by acclamation, is Joe Gilliam, a former school trustee.

Trent Smith, a demographer associated with Zonda Demographics, kicked off the meeting with a detailed projection of Princeton ISD’s growth. The district, Smith said, added 1,050 students in the current school year from the previous year, however, increasing interest rates and the threat of economic recession have “tempered demand” within the school district.

The current student enrollment, he said, stands at 7,812, but by 2032, Princeton ISD will comprise 18,199 students. Smith cautioned committee members, though, to look at him as if he was a weatherman. “These are not exact projections,” he said. “We’re going to add 12,500 kids. It could be in four years. It could be in six years.”

The committee is expected to meet three more times before presenting a recommendation to the school board Jan. 23 on whether to call for a bond issue election to occur in May 2023.

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