Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Texas Debuts New Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/10/22

The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (Lamar CISD) in Fort Bend County, Texas, about 40 miles west of Houston, celebrated the start of 2022 with the opening of a new elementary school. Fletcher Morgan Jr. Elementary School finished construction in December 2021 and now plays home to about 750 students in grades PreK–5.

According to a news release, Morgan Elementary is the district’s 29th elementary school and the fourth to be designed by VLK Architects. VLK held meetings with school leaders to design a space that would increase engagement among the curriculum, students, teachers and parents.

“VLK Architects has done a phenomenal job designing our new campus, Morgan Elementary,” said Dr. Roosevelt Nivens, Lamar CISD Superintendent. “It truly is a beautiful campus equipped with everything that our scholars need to have an exciting and impactful learning environment. We are grateful for this new addition to our Lamar CISD community.”

The new facility was proposed as part of the 2017 bond election. It features learning areas organized into pods containing 6–8 classrooms, restrooms, storage space, collaboration space and outdoor areas. The design also includes modular furniture, media stations and activity walls to ensure a dynamic, active learning environment. Collaborative spaces like music and art rooms are located next to the gym and cafeteria to reduce ambient noise throughout the building. The full facility covers about 48,400 square feet.

“It’s an honor to be able to work with Lamar CISD in opening another elementary school that serves the students, faculty, and staff in this fast-growing community,” said Todd J. Lien, AIA, Managing Partner of VLK Architects.

The total cost of the project came in at $24 million, funded as part of the bond. The district partnered with VLK Architects for design and Drymalla Construction as the general contractor.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • LAN, Inc. Opens Office in College Station, Texas

    Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) recently announced the opening of a new office in College Station, Texas, to support its regional client base, according to a news release. The organization provides engineering, design, and program management services for water, wastewater, transportation, stormwater, and education clients in the Brazos Valley.

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.