Uvalde School District Approves Plans for New Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/24/23

The school board for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District in Uvalde, Texas, recently approved the design of a new elementary school to replace Robb Elementary, according to local news. The new facility will have a capacity for 800 students—almost twice that of the original school—and will prominently feature a memorial to the victims of last year’s shooting. The Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation will now begin creating construction documents for the new school, which is scheduled to break ground in middle or late summer, according to local news.

A tree near the school’s entrance will serve as a reminder of the massacre at Robb Elementary School in May 2022. “It’s going to have two large limbs representing the two teachers and 19 smaller limbs representing the children,” said Uvalde Precinct 4 Judge Lalo Diaz. “Technically, this is going to be the center focus of the school and the vision of what we’re doing. Technically, this is holding up our school. This tree is going to be symbolizing the school for years to come.”

New safety measures will include fenced-in playgrounds and fields, keyless entry points, nine-for privacy gates, and a secure waiting area for visitors. A new road will also provide easy access to first responders during emergencies.

Funding for the $60-million project is coming largely through donations and fundraising, according to local news. The foundation has raised almost 70% of the goal and is accepting donations online.

“The Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation is honored to begin the next phase of our work to build a new elementary school in the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District,” said Tim Miller, the foundation’s executive director. “With this evening’s approval of the schematic design by the UCISD school board, we now move to the initial phases of the construction phase through the creation of construction documents.”

The new school will measure in at two stories and 120,000 square feet, according to local news. It’s scheduled to open its doors in time for the 2025–26 academic year.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Fellowes Launches New 3D Modular, Product Configurators

    Contract interiors and architectural solutions provider Fellowes recently announced the launch of new 3D modular and product configurators for several of its product lines, according to a news release. The new products offer SIF file integration and pricing for the Volo, Markerboards, Sena, and Rising product lines in connection with 3D Cloud, which provides 3D product visualization and 3D digital asset management.

  • Austin International School Library Renovation

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Austin International School has been recognized with an EDS 2025 Grand Prize award in the category of Renovation.

  • Springfield Breaks Ground on $53.7M Pipkin Middle School Rebuild

    Construction is underway on a new, state-of-the-art Pipkin Middle School in Springfield, Mo., a major step in Springfield Public Schools’ (SPS) long-term facility improvement plan, according to local news. The $53.7-million project officially broke ground in early June, following years of planning and community input aimed at modernizing aging infrastructure and addressing student capacity concerns.

  • New Jersey PreK–12 School Breaks Ground on New STEM Building

    Saddle River Day School (SRDS) in Saddle River, N.J., recently announced that it has broken ground on the new Dr. Kristen Walsh Hall of Science & Entrepreneurship, according to a news release. The school partnered with DIGroup Architecture for the design of the new facility, which will provide the school with space to expand its STEM and business education classes.

Digital Edition