CONVERSE, Texas – It’s already back to school at East Central ISD.

Students returned to class on Wednesday, and it was especially exciting for the students and teachers at Honor Elementary School.

“Oh, my gosh, this was such an amazing experience,” Honor Elementary School principal Stephanie Orsak told KSAT. “This morning, we had all of our parents and our students coming in excited, dancing to the music, coming in and just knowing that this is the first day that our students and our parents are entering the first day of Honor Elementary School.”

They are starting the year in a brand-new school that was built as part of a bond that passed in 2022. The $240 million package included the construction of new schools, like Honor, to address overcrowding.

East Central ISD is one of the fastest-growing districts in the state. Its current enrollment stands at over 11,000 students.

The district said it is projected to reach 13,215 students by the end of 2025.

“We are one of the fastest-growing districts in Texas,” said Orsak. “And, just knowing today, that we have about 800 kiddos walk through the school doors this morning when we were expecting less than that. So, knowing that we are the place where people want to be and they’re choosing to come here and knowing that we’re going to need more amazing facilities like this in our district.”

Alba Jackson, a parent of a kindergarten student and a second grader, said her kids were also excited for their first day at Honor Elementary. Jackson also said she sees the need for more schools as the district continues to grow.

“We’ve been in this area for about 10 years, and I think the area has quadrupled in size since we first moved in,” said Jackson. “We are excited about the new school and the expansion of East Central ISD.”

More Back to School coverage on KSAT: