Pflugerville ISD: A History

Founded in 1860 and named after German immigrant Henry Pfluger, Pflugerville became the center of education for the region by the 1920s, followed by consolidation of rural schools in the ‘30s. Pflugerville Independent School District was formally organized in 1936.

Since its inception, the school district has transitioned from a handful of one-room schools to nearly 25,000 students on 30 campuses and encompassing 96 square miles. PfISD includes all or part of six municipalities including Pflugerville, Austin, Coupland, Hutto, Manor and Round Rock.

The first Pflugerville-area school opened in 1872, in a one-room building. The Lisso School was the first of a circle of rural schools supported by farming communities: Dessau, Richland, Rowe Lane, Center Point Gregg and Highland.

Many of the district’s current campuses were constructed in the 1980s, but its history traces back to the “Red Brick School,” built in 1921 and damaged by a tornado in 1957, as well as campuses for African-American and Mexican-American students in use before integration.

Also, built in 1934 by the Works Progress Administration, the district’s “Rock Gym” received a Texas Historical Marker in October 2012 and remains utilized by the district.

The community gained national attention from 1958 to 1962 when Pflugerville High School won 55 consecutive football games, becoming national schoolboy football champions. A football field was later named Kuempel Stadium in honor of Charles and Hubert “Hub” Kuempel, the coaches who built the winning football program.

Population growth continued after the 1980s, a situation that challenged the district to build schools to accommodate the rapidly expanding student population and, at the same time, maintain the quality of education the community had come to expect.

Campuses most recently were built in 2017, including the district’s fourth high school, Weiss High School; the 21st elementary school, Vernagene Mott Elementary School; as well as a new campus for Timmerman Elementary School.