Creating community around education
Set in the sweeping plains of northeast Amarillo, the newly developed Buffalo Highlands community will define the next chapter of Highland Park ISD. In partnership with the Buffalo Highlands Development Foundation, the district is creating a unique 552-acre master-planned community centered on education and quality housing. Shiver-Megert & Associates completed a broad conceptual plan to give stakeholders a glimpse of how a thoughtfully designed community will attract residents, entice teachers to live nearby, and support long-term enrollment and economic growth.
Funded by a $130 million bond – the district’s first since 2015 – Buffalo Highlands will be centered on a 114,000 SF Early Learning Academy and Career Technical Education (CTE) Campus. PRISM developed the animation to highlight the school’s layered purpose and its connection to surrounding commercial and community areas. The campus will provide the continuum of education Amarilloans want: a primary school, daycare, and, most critically, a hands-on technical education center for emerging careers.
The educational campus will be a landmark within the new community. As such, Shiver-Megert imbued it with many distinctive elements. The youngest learners (and their parents) will appreciate the daycare center, which emphasizes safety, health, and development. The adjacent primary school also prioritizes student safety within an engaged learning environment. Students have easy access to flexible educational spaces and secure outdoor play areas.
Setting the campus apart, the CTE Center, known as The Cube, is designed to empower students to develop critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration skills. It will engage local businesses in student development, preparing them for careers after graduation. The CTE campus is highly transparent, with plenty of windows to spark a dialogue about the curriculum, and so students can see different career options available to them.
Covered canopies around the facility extend instructional spaces outdoors. A central courtyard will be a social hub for community engagement, hosting town recreation programs as well as student activities.
Though part of the masterplan is still conceptual at this point, Buffalo Highlands is planned for 700 homes built over the next 10 years. Over time, a commercial district for grocery and retail, dining, green spaces, and apartments will grow around the school and housing, ensuring the community remains vibrant, accessible, and welcoming.
PRISM’s animation captures the vision behind the Shiver-Megert plan: a walkable, inclusive community designed for connection, education, health, and opportunity. Once fully realized, Buffalo Highlands will bring Highland Park ISD’s mission to life—engaging students through quality education, supporting families through affordable housing, and strengthening the local economy through strategic growth.
