Real Estate Photographer in Del Valle, TX

Ask (enough times) and you shall receive. At least that's what happened when a small yet booming town recently welcomed its first-ever H-E-B after decades of pleading for the beloved grocery chain to open a store there. Now, another Central Texas suburb is hoping the San Antonio-based grocer will soon do the same.

Last week, H-E-B officially opened the doors to its first store in Manor, a town about 15 miles northeast of Austin. This sparked an all too familiar conversation among the residents of Del Valle, another growing suburb east of Austin in need of a grocery store.

Located along Texas 71 near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Del Valle is home to nearly 29,000 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Despite Del Valle's rapid population growth over the past decade, the city has often been classified as a food desert.

In various social media posts showcasing the grand opening of the H-E-B in Manor, several Del Valle residents replied with their wishes for H-E-B to move in. TikTok videos, including my own, were full of comments from Del Valle residents asking for an H-E-B.

On my own video of the Manor opening, I received comments like "When is Del Valle next?!!!" from @mcardenas1102 and @erosa620 wrote, "HEB I love your store!!! How about you open a much needed store in Del Valle?! Don’t keep us waiting much longer!"

"When will Del Valle get some love?" TikTok user @lori58578 wrote under @ness.im.a.mess' video. Another resident, @JMastro2962 commented under @meredithonfox7's video, "Now Del Valle."

But this isn't the first time Del Valle residents have been longing for an H-E-B. Five years ago, the Red Cross Club of Del Valle High School launched an online petition calling for H-E-B to bring a grocery store to the community. That petition, which is still active, has garnered over 1,130 signatures.

In 2016, H-E-B purchased land in Del Valle, which sparked hope among residents that the grocery chain would finally construct a store in the neighborhood. However, last year H-E-B said in a release it was going to sell that land back to the developers with plans to build a new store in nearby southeast Austin.

The proposed site at McKinney Falls Parkway and William Cannon Drive would be about nine miles miles away from Del Valle. MySA visited the site on Tuesday, October 28, but construction has yet to begin.

MySA reached out to H-E-B for a construction update on the McKinney Falls store, but a company spokesperson confirmed there has been no changes.

Dripping Springs (7–1) hosts Del Valle (1–6) Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Dripping Springs

The Del Valle vs Dripping Springs Live matchup features the Dripping Springs Tigers hosting the Del Valle Cardinals at Dripping Springs High School in Dripping Springs, TX. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, with live streaming and digital tickets available for fans.

The Dripping Springs Tigers enter with a 7–1 overall record, including a 3–0 home record, averaging 41.6 points per game while allowing 88 points. Dripping Springs has been dominant offensively, particularly in the first three quarters (12.0, 12.7, and 12.0 points on average), giving them a strong mid-game advantage. Their 3–1 district record highlights their position as one of Texas’ top programs.

The Del Valle Cardinals come in at 1–6 overall, including a 0–4 road record, averaging 18.7 points per game while conceding 268 points. Del Valle has struggled to generate consistent scoring, with most production coming in the third and fourth quarters (10.0 and 7.0 points on average), making this a challenging matchup against a high-powered Tigers offense.

This contest features Dripping Springs’ high-scoring offense and undefeated home record against Del Valle’s Cardinals, creating a compelling conference matchup with playoff implications and district standings on the line.

How to Watch and Get TicketsFans can stream Del Valle @ Dripping Springs Live on GoFan, accessible on computers, tablets, and mobile devices starting at 7:30 p.m. for full coverage.

Tickets are available via GoFan—early purchase is recommended for guaranteed entry and smoother stadium access. Don’t miss the chance to see the Tigers take on the Cardinals in this key Texas conference matchup.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Dripping Springs, TX.

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This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »

A nine-member naming committee has recommended four names — Barbara Jordan, Eva Mireles, Andrew Zuniga and North Del Valle — as the Board of Trustees’ preferred options for Del Valle ISD High School No. 2, district staff told trustees at the Oct. 21 board meeting.

The committee’s process followed Board Policy CW(Local), which sets a schedule and membership for facility-naming committees. Toni Cordova, who presented the committee’s report, said the panel received 246 nominations and met Oct. 6 to select its ranked recommendations. Cordova said the board will consider and may adopt the final name at the Nov. 4 meeting. The district plans to open the new high school in August 2027.

The committee described the reasons for each recommendation. The Barbara Jordan nomination cited Jordan’s role as the first Black woman from the South elected to the U.S. House and her public service; the Eva Mireles nomination noted Mireles’s death at Robb Elementary in Uvalde and a connection between Del Valle and families in that community; and the Andrew Zuniga nomination described a longtime district teacher and contributor to Del Valle traditions. The fourth recommendation, North Del Valle, was offered as a geographic, inclusive alternative for the campus that will serve areas north of Whisper Valley.

Cordova emphasized the recommendation was informational only at the Oct. 21 meeting and that the board will be asked to take action at the Nov. 4 meeting. Trustees asked clarifying questions about the committee composition and timeline; Vice President Susana Ledesma Woody and others thanked the committee for its work.

District staff stated the chosen name, once adopted, will be integrated into communications, branding and signage in the run-up to the campus opening in August 2027. Cordova also noted the naming process required committee meetings to be posted and open consistent with the policy and that the board would follow the policy’s requirement to consider the committee’s recommendations at least two weeks after they were posted.

No vote on the name occurred Oct. 21; the item was presented for information and will return for possible action Nov. 4.

Ending: The board must act formally to adopt a name; until then the district continues planning for opening the campus in August 2027 and preparing branding and signage once the name is selected.

This article is based on a recent meeting—watch the full video and explore the complete transcript for deeper insights into the discussion.

View full meeting

Del Valle and Lubbock Cooper left it all on the field on in the bidistrict round of the Class 5A, Division 2 high school football playoffs.

In the end, the Pirates were just a little bit better in a 45-42 road win at Conquest Stadium.

The Pirates improve to 7-4 and advance to the area round of the playoffs vs. Walnut Grove or Seguin. Del Valle. which shared the District 1-5A, Division 2 title with Andress and Chapin, finishes 9-2 and its two losses were by a total of four points.

Del Valle was seeking its third bidistrict win for coach Rudy Contreras.

How Lubbock Cooper won the game

The Pirates took advantage of a Del Valle turnover on special teams with under five minutes left to go up 10, 45-35, on a Chamayne Johnson on an 8-yard touchdown run. Del Valle forced a punt down 42-35, but the fumble gave the Pirates the ball at the Del Valle 13 to set up Johnson's score.

Del Valle countered wth a 73-yard scoring run by quarterback Jake Fette with 2:32 left but the Pirates recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.

Lubbock Cooper trailed 28-24 in the third quarter but scored 14 straight to go up 38-28.

The Pirates led 24-21 at halftime and scored on the final play of the first half on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Rodriguez to Johnson.

Johnson also scored on a short touchdown run and Rodriguez also threw touchdown pass to Cade Gant. A 26-yard field goal by Michael Rodriguez was the difference in the halftime lead for the Pirates.

Johnson finished with 99 yards rushing and Rodriguez passed for 290 yards.

Del Valle offensive highights

Fette, who is a senior and who will play in college at Arizona State, capped his high school carrer with three touchdown passes and three rushing touchdowns. He finished the season with 28 passing touchdowns and 18 rushing touchdowns. He threw just two interceptions.

Wide receiver Dylan Gonzalez caught two touchdowns and fellow wide receiver Josiah Nunez caught a touchdown.

Fette rushed for 240 yards and passed for 180 yards.

What did Del Valle coach Rudy Contreras say after the game?

"I'm really proud of our team," Contreras said. "We made big play after big play to stay in the game. It was a great game. The effort was amazing by both teams."

What did Del Valle players Jake Fette and Dylan Gonzalez said say after the game?

"We gave our best effort," Gonzalez said. "We fought hard, kept coming back. The game came down to a few plays. We did a lot of good things."

Added Fette: "At end of day it's football, the little things will kill and it's a game of inches. I did some big things, but it's all the people around me. I had great coaches and teammate and I couldn't have done it without them."

What Lubbock Cooper coach Chip Darden said

"Jake Fette helps elevate Del Valle and he's a great talent. This was a big win for us. Del Valle is a great program and has been for a long time," Darden said. "Our kids were tremendous, we fought so hard for this win. We made big plays all night and I'm proud of them."

Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X

Editor’s Note: The video above is from November 2023, when Del Valle ISD broke ground on its new high school.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The name of Del Valle Independent School District’s new high school will soon be chosen, and the district’s board of trustees now has a shortlist of names to choose from.

A naming committee recommended four names: Barbara Jordan, Eva Mireles, Andrew Zuniga and North Del Valle, according to board documents. Those will be presented to the board at a meeting Tuesday evening.

The four names came from a public submission period where people could nominate names for the school, along with reasons why they believe that name should be chosen.

In total, 258 nominations were received, some giving a nod to the geographic location of the new school, while others nominated influential people in the community and beyond. Here are the four shortlisted by the naming committee, in order of their preference:

The school will be located in the Whisper Valley neighborhood. As such, Whisper Valley High School was the most popular name suggestion, with 39 nominations.

“It reflects both the location and the spirit of the community it will serve,” one nomination said. “The name builds continuity with the district’s existing high school, Del Valle High School, by maintaining the ‘valley’ connection while establishing its own unique identity. This balance of familiarity and individuality ensures that Whisper Valley High School will be instantly recognizable as part of the district’s family of schools, while also giving its students, staff and community the opportunity to take pride in a name that is distinctly their own.”

Another nomination said Whisper Valley High School sounds like it “could be in a movie or the name of a book series.”

There were also eight nominations for Whisper Valle High School — in a subtle nod to the district’s name, Del Valle.

Twelve people suggested naming the school after Maurice Walker, Sr., the first African American to serve on the district’s board of trustees.

“Naming the school after Maurice Walker, Sr. would be a meaningful way to honor someone whose life was deeply woven into the fabric of our community,” one nomination said. “His [underlying] dedication reflects the values of service, leadership and commitment to people and education that we want to instill in future generations. A school that carries his name would remind students, families and staff every day of the impact one person can make through hard work, humility and service to others.”

There were also eight nominations for Bernard Blanchard High School, named after the district’s former superintendent who had been with Del Valle ISD for almost 40 years. Another recommended Bernard Blanchard Memorial High School.

Other nominations came in to name the school after Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Elon Musk and even Matthew McConaughey.

“[McConaughey’s] from Texas and loves and is very involved in the Austin community,” the nomination said. “I think this would be a wonderful name for the new high school. He is an amazing example of a good person for our children and community to look up to.”

After the public submission period ended, a nine-person committee reviewed all the nominations. Each board member appointed someone to the committee, while an administrator was appointed by the superintendent.

The committee will make recommendations to the board at Tuesday’s meeting. The board will then adopt a final name, likely on Nov. 4.

Whatever name is chosen, the new school is set to open in the fall of 2027. The 430,000-square-foot building is being built in the Whisper Valley neighborhood off Taylor Lane, north of Webberville Road.

“The new building will use a geothermal energy system and is solar-ready — an energy-conscious design compatible with Whisper Valley’s focus on environmental responsibility,” Pfluger Architects said in a press release. “Additionally, condensation from the HVAC system will be collected and reused on-site for irrigation, reducing water demand on city infrastructure. Pfluger sourced local and naturally occurring materials for the structure, including Texas limestone and locally manufactured brick.”

The school’s design is shaped around open courtyards and promenades, meaning all classrooms will have “ample natural light and outdoor views,” Pfluger Architects said.

“Central to the whole design is the Learning Courtyard that creates both visual and physical connections — encouraging interaction and supporting a sense of belonging across campus,” Heather Rule, senior project manager, said. “The design was inspired by vibrant city centers where people naturally gather, connect, and learn from one another. This vision aligns with the diverse Del Valle community and reflects a desire to create a welcoming environment where different cultures, experiences and voices are celebrated equitably.”

After several years of decline, enrollment in Del Valle ISD has been increasing steadily since 2020, spurred on by new development in the southeastern portion of Travis County. As of the 2024-25 school year, 11,715 students were enrolled in the district, according to data from the Texas Education Agency.

Del Valle High School, currently the district’s only high school, has a capacity of 2,700, but enrollment in the school is closer to 3,600. District leaders have been pushing for funding to build a second high school to alleviate capacity concerns for years.

In 2022, voters approved a $300 million bond to help pay for the new school. The district then broke ground on the new campus in November 2023.

“This is going to be a world-class facility. What you’ll see in this new building is that it’s every bit as equitable as the current comprehensive high school,” then-Superintendent Annette Tielle said at the groundbreaking. “We will be able to offer all the programs that we offer at the comprehensive high school, like our CTE programs.”