Add as a preferred source on Google

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

  • University of Southern Mississippi Starts Construction on Oyster Hatchery

    The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) recently announced that construction has begun on a new oyster hatchery at its Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center (TCMAC) Cedar Point campus in Ocean Springs, Miss., according to a news release.

  • New City School

    Turning Crisis into Opportunity: Transforming New City School

    When New City School in St. Louis suffered catastrophic flood damage in July 2022, the event could have marked a serious setback for the 100-year-old institution. Instead, it became a forward-looking opportunity.

  • iPark 87

    Building a Future-Focused Career and Technical Education Center

    A district superintendent shares his team's journey to aligning student passions with workforce demands, and why their new CTE center could be a model for districts nationwide.

  • LSU Breaks Ground on $200M Residential Project

    Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., recently broke ground on a new residential complex, according to university news. The South Quad residential project will consist of two buildings and add a total of 1,266 beds for freshmen students. The development comes with a price tag of $200 million, and it’s scheduled to open to students in fall 2027.

Digital Edition