Willis ISD, Texas eyes expansive new high school football stadium in $115.4 Million bond package

By Kayode Akinwumi

Modified Oct 24, 2024 11:00 GMT

A new high school football stadium is one of the decisions on the ballot in a school district in Texas come November. According to On3's Keegan Pope, Willis Independent School District is proposing a $68.8 million football stadium as part of a $115.4 million bond package. This comes after similar projects in the Katy and Mckinney ISD where over $70 million went into the building of high school football stadiums.

Willis ISD is made up of six elementary schools and three middle schools. However, Willis High is the only high school supported by the district. The district is seeking to replace its current facility, Berton A. Yates Stadium, built in 1974 and with a capacity of 3,500 seats. A new facility, subject to voters’ approval in November, would expand capacity to contain 8,500 seats.

Additional amenities provided for in the plan include a community room of 400-person capacity. In addition, 3,400 parking spots will be included along with a field house, concessions and facilities for track & field events. Making a case for the new facility, the district noted that the current facility is outdated and was built initially to cater to a far lesser number of students.

Willis High had a population of just 399 students when the current facility was completed in 1974. This has grown to a large population of 2,790 in 2024, highlighting the need for a larger, more modern facility.

How would the proposed Willis ISD high school football stadium compare with other stadiums?

The estimated cost for the Willis ISD checks out with the figures from similar projects in other districts. According to Front Office Sports, the Katy and Mckinney districts, for instance, spent $72 million and $70 million, respectively to complete their new high school football stadium projects. Similarly, Prosper ISD spent a little below $60 million for its new facility completed within the past five years.

When inflationary adjustments are made, the proposed Willis ISD project would rank seventh among the most expensive high school football stadiums erected in Texas in the past 20 years.

The local population of the district is put at over 7,000, having grown by more than 10% from the most recent census figure from 2020. However, Willis High also depends on surrounding areas for kids to populate the school.

The Willis High football program has provided great motivation for voters to support the project. The Wildkats went 12-1 in the 2023 season, losing the state title game to DeSoto. They are off to an undefeated start in 2024, with an 8-0 record so far. The program also has the bragging right of producing the top-rated quarterback of the 2023 class, DJ Lagway, who is now a freshman with the Florida Gators.