GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Georgetown is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, and with all that growth, the city is planning ahead.
"We have to plan for the future," said Georgetown Independent School District Superintendent Devin Padavil.
As more people move to the city, which is about 30 miles north of Austin, some are bringing their kids or plan on starting a family.
Padavil says preparing for growth in the schools is key.
"We thought we were going to have 13,743 kids when this school year began and we actually have 13,920 students," Padavil said.
In 2022, more than 86,000 people lived in Georgetown. Fast forward one year and in 2023, that number jumped to more than 96,000, which is about an 11% increase.
The district says more schools are on the way to accommodate the growth.
"We have an additional high school opening in 2028 and a middle school and elementary opening in Fall of 2026," Padavil said.
The high school will be able to hold about 2,200 students when it is completed, according to the district.
"I think 10 years ago, no one ever thought this was possible in Georgetown, but if you drive around Georgetown you are going to see the growth is happening; the traffic is here and homes are being built," Padavil said.
"It is a wonderful community with a vibrant town square, very family friendly," said Louise Brazitis a realtor with Roxan Coffman Properties.
In Austin, the average home price is about $515,000, according to Zillow, but in Georgetown, the average price is lower.
"The average home price as of last month was approximately $433,000, which is significantly less than what you would see in Austin and closer to the city," Brazitis said. "Home prices -- particularly in Georgetown compared to this time last year -- they are just over 3% lower than what you would have found last year."
With prices continuing to drop, that could mean even more growth in Georgetown and surrounding communities in the future.
"There is a lot of opportunity here," Padavil said.
The district just broke ground on the middle school and elementary and will break ground on the high school site in March.
