Education

For one of Lamar CISD’s newest high school communities, getting a full-size football venue has been a two-step process.

Gene Tomas High School opened in Richmond for the 2025-26 school year with a stadium already in place beside the campus. It was functional, but still modest by Texas high school football standards, with roughly 650 home-side seats and 300 visitor-side seats.

This summer, Lamar CISD completed the next phase.

A 3,100-seat grandstand expansion added substantial new visitor-side bleachers and extended the home-side seating, transforming the Tomas stadium into a roughly 4,500-seat venue that will now carry the name Paul Scherer Memorial Stadium.

Lamar CISD will officially dedicate the expanded stadium on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, before theFulshear High School Chargers face the Andy Dekaney High School Wildcats. The dedication begins at 6 p.m., followed by kickoff at 6:30 p.m.

For families in Richmond, Fulshear and across the district, the bigger stadium gives Lamar CISD another place to host varsity football and other major school events as the district continues to grow.

The Stadium Was Already There When Tomas High School Opened

Paul Scherer Memorial Stadium was not built from scratch this summer.

The original stadium-related work was completed as Gene Tomas High School opened in 2025, with Lamar CISD developing the existing competition track and field into a usable stadium facility.

That first phase included new locker rooms, concessions, restrooms, parking and a press box, along with the initial seating areas.

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records for the earlier project, filed as Gene Tomas High School Stadium, listed an estimated construction cost of $24.5 million and approximately 21,421 square feet of construction.

Lamar CISD trustees also approved a $24.5 million guaranteed maximum price for that initial work.

At the time, district officials made clear that the stadium was being designed with future expansion in mind.

The first configuration included approximately 650 seats on the home side and 300 on the visitor side, with plans that could accommodate a larger crowd later.

That “later” arrived this summer.

Phase II Added 3,100 Seats for the 2026 Football Season

The second phase is the work many residents will notice most immediately.

A separate TDLR filing for LCISD Stadium Expansion Phase II lists an estimated cost of $3,259,635 and describes the project as a 3,100-seat grandstand addition to an existing stadium facility on the Gene Tomas High School campus.

The work began in September 2025 and carried a listed completion date of Aug. 7, 2026.

During earlier district discussions, officials described the expansion as adding roughly 2,000 seats on the visitor side and more than 1,000 additional seats on the home side.

That work brings the stadium to approximately 4,500 seats, according to Lamar CISD Athletics.

In practical terms, the summer project took a smaller campus stadium and turned it into a venue capable of handling a much larger share of Lamar CISD’s varsity football schedule.

The Initial $24.5 Million Phase Used Earlier Bond Savings

The project also has a notable funding history.

When Lamar CISD administrators presented the initial stadium project to trustees in 2024, district officials said the $24.5 million phase would be paid for using available savings from the district’s 2014 and 2017 bond programs.

Those bond programs had already been approved by voters, and district officials said remaining proceeds could be used for eligible capital expenses such as construction, renovations, equipment, land development and land acquisition.

That funding source applies to the initial stadium development.

Public records reviewed for this article do not identify the funding source for the separate $3.26 million Phase II seating expansion with the same level of clarity, so the full $27.76 million should not be described as coming entirely from 2014 and 2017 bond savings without additional district confirmation.

This Is Not the $194.9 Million Stadium Voters Rejected in 2022

Another important point for taxpayers: Paul Scherer Memorial Stadium is not the same project voters rejected in Lamar CISD’s 2022 bond election.

In 2022, Lamar CISD asked voters to approve approximately $194.9 million under Proposition E for a second district stadium and related facilities.

That proposal envisioned a considerably larger venue, including approximately 10,000 seats along with locker rooms, band storage and Career and Technical Education classroom space.

Voters rejected the proposition.

Lamar CISD later pursued a smaller approach at the Tomas High School complex, using an existing competition field and building the stadium in phases.

The result is a roughly 4,500-seat venue rather than the much larger stadium envisioned in Proposition E.

That distinction helps explain how the district arrived at Paul Scherer Memorial Stadium even after voters declined to fund the larger second-stadium proposal.

A New Football Option for a Growing Lamar CISD

The new seating also addresses a practical scheduling issue.

Lamar CISD now has seven high schools competing for football dates, and district officials have said the expanded stadium will allow schedules to be divided between Paul Scherer Memorial Stadium and longtime Guy K. Traylor Memorial Stadium in Rosenberg.

Traylor is not being replaced or left unused.

Both facilities will continue to host Lamar CISD athletic events and district activities.

That additional capacity matters as the district continues to add students and campuses across Fort Bend County.

For some families in Richmond and Fulshear, it could also mean more games closer to home rather than every major football date being routed through Rosenberg.

Traylor Stadium Remains Part of the District’s Football Future

Traylor Memorial Stadium has served Lamar CISD for decades and remains central to district athletics.

At the same time, voters have rejected several recent bond proposals for major improvements there.

In 2022, voters rejected a roughly $4.98 million proposition that would have funded turf and LED lighting at Traylor.

In 2023, voters rejected a separate approximately $15 million renovation proposal involving bleacher, foundation, roof and locker-room repairs, turf replacement and lighting.

Most recently, voters rejected 2025 Proposition B, a $26.7 million proposal that included replacing and reducing bleachers, replacing and adding restrooms and concession areas, and upgrading the sound system and scoreboard.

Despite those unsuccessful proposals, Traylor remains active.

The addition of Paul Scherer Memorial Stadium gives Lamar CISD more flexibility without eliminating the district’s longtime Rosenberg venue.

Who Was Paul Scherer?

The stadium’s new name honors a longtime Fort Bend County attorney and community leader with deep ties to Lamar CISD.

Paul Scherer served 21 years on the Lamar CISD Board of Trustees, including multiple terms as board president.

His public service extended beyond the district through civic and community organizations in the Richmond-Rosenberg area.

Lamar CISD selected his name through a formal process that included a public nomination period, public hearing, trustee review and final Board consideration.

The naming also creates a meaningful pairing at one of Lamar CISD’s newest campuses.

The high school honors longtime district educator Gene Tomas, while the stadium honors a longtime trustee who spent decades serving local schools from the governance side.

Together, the two names connect a brand-new campus complex with people whose service reaches far back into Lamar CISD’s history.

Fulshear Chargers Will Help Open the Expanded Stadium

The formal dedication will quickly give way to football.

The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by the Fulshear Chargers vs. Andy Dekaney Wildcats at 6:30 p.m.

The event will be cashless. Lamar CISD says tickets must be purchased through GoFan, and debit cards, credit cards and mobile payments will be accepted for tickets and concessions.

For players, band members, cheerleaders, drill teams, parents and fans, the evening will be the first major showcase for the stadium in its expanded form.

What opened last year as a smaller stadium beside a brand-new high school is entering the 2026 season with thousands of additional seats and a larger districtwide role.

For Lamar CISD, that means another place to put Friday night football on the calendar.

For the community, it means another place where school traditions can start to take root.

Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more Lamar CISD news, Fort Bend County school construction updates, local high school football coverage and community development news.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.