Fort Knox to Replace 63-Year-Old Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 08/25/21

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) has announced a new elementary school on the grounds of Fort Knox in Kentucky. It will replace the existing, 63-year-old facility for Van Voorhis Elementary School with what a news release calls a “state-of-the-art, 21st-century school.”

“All of our schools at Fort Knox are well known for providing a high-quality education for on-post children, and though it’s the oldest school on post, Van Voorhis Elementary is no different,” said Fort Knox Garrison Commander Col. Lance O’Bryan. “The staff at that school have done a truly wonderful job teaching our children with the tools at their disposal, so with a brand-new facility and the latest technology, the sky’s the limit.”

Van Voorhis is one of four DoDEA schools at Fort Knox, alongside Kingsolver Elementary School, Scott Intermediate School and Fort Knox Middle High School. Construction work on the new facility will be done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Louisville District. Work is scheduled to begin during the current academic year and be finished in time for the 2024­–25 school year. The facility will measure in at 104,000 square feet and cost about $58.9 million.

“You could hear exclamations of joy across the school when we learned the new school is on its way,” said Van Voorhis Elementary School Principal Angelique Johnson. “Everyone is looking forward to stepping into a new Van Voorhis Elementary School. Teachers love the idea of collaborative spaces, and the students love the idea of being connected to the outdoors. We cannot wait.”

According to a news release, all DoDEA schools take a “student-centered, participatory and experientially oriented” approach to school design. The facilities are designed within an open neighborhood concept that allows all students in a given neighborhood to work and collaborate during the day. Each grade level has its own multipurpose space surrounded by various-sized instructional spaces for breakout group work or one-to-one instruction.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Massachusetts Charter School Opens New Academic Building

    The Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School (AMSA) in Marlborough, Mass., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new academic building, according to a news release. The 17,000-square-foot space will serve as a classroom and science lab building for the student population of almost a thousand in grades 6–12.

  • Minnesota High School Completes $226M Addition, Renovation Project

    White Bear Lake Area High School – North Campus in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $226-million renovation and addition project, according to a news release. The district partnered with Kraus-Anderson for the project’s construction, which involved creating a single high-school site for the White Bear Lake Area School District.

  • Studio G Announces Completion of New Massachusetts Elementary School

    The Groton-Dunstable Regional School District in Groton, Mass., recently announced the completion of a new elementary school, according to a news release. Florence Roche Elementary School measures in at 110,000 square feet and has the capacity for 645 students in grades K–4.

  • diverse, simplified human figures in various colors seated around a curved table, with floating icons like light bulbs and speech bubbles above them

    Spaces4Learning Relaunches Advisory Board, Announces 12 Members

    Spaces4Learning is pleased to announce the relaunch of its advisory board and the introduction of its 12 distinguished members.