North Richland Hills breaking ground for new elementary school
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
By Elizabeth Campbell
January 31, 2020
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS - Construction will start soon to replace the aging Smithfield Elementary school with a new building with updated technology and security.
Mark Thomas, a spokesman for the Birdville school district, said in an email to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the groundbreaking on the new campus is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. March 18.
The school should be ready for the fall of 2021.
On Monday night, the city council approved a final plat of 23.239 acres between Smithfield Road and Davis Boulevard. The new Smithfield campus will be on 10.94 acres of that property.
Mary Peters, a spokeswoman for North Richland Hills, said in an email that the city is exploring private public partnerships for a mixed use development on the remaining land which would tie in to Main Street and the TexRail station to the south.
Northeast Parkway will also be extended west from Davis Boulevard to Smithfield Road to serve both the school and future development, Peters said.
“Smithfield Elementary is a highly regarded campus and was honored in 2017 as a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon School. Having a new, modern building will make it an even more desirable school for families to send their children. The new campus will be a nice compliment to other redevelopment taking place in this part of North Richland Hills,” Peters said.
The new campus will feature amenities including a sensory garden for special needs students and play areas, and it is near the Smithfield TEXRail station which is along the route from downtown Fort Worth to Terminal B at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.
When the new school is finished, the old building will be torn down to make way for a playground.
Funding for the new Smithfield Elementary school came from a $252.8 million bond package that over 70 percent of Birdville school district voters approved in 2018.
The bond projects include replacing five campuses with four, upgrading technology and security in the district and renovations and repairs.