Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

DFW-Area K–12 District Breaks Ground on New STEAM Academy

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/05/23

Last week, the Waxahachie Independent School District near Dallas, Texas, held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new STEAM school, according to a news release. The Wilemon STEAM Academy will have space for about 800 students in grades K–5 and was designed by VLK Architects. Funding for the project came from a bond that local voters passed in May 2023.

The campus will measure in at 102,000 square feet and feature amenities like an open-concept library; creation spaces featuring a wood engraver, LEGO station, and science and robotics labs; an outdoor courtyard; recording studio; flex spaces; a gymnasium; and a cafeteria. The release reports that the new school’s mission is to “create an innovative learning environment in which students thrive, using critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration to solve real-world problems and promote career awareness.”

“The construction of a new home for the incredibly successful Wilemon STEAM Academy is an exciting step in the continued growth of Waxahachie ISD,” said Jonathan Aldis, VLK Architects Principal. “The new campus allows for even more students in Waxahachie to engage in an education focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math in an innovative and collaborative learning environment.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • ed tech conference calendar

    Upcoming Awards, Events & Webinars

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Myrtle Grove Elementary

    Phased Construction Keeps Students on Campus During Rebuild

    When Escambia County School District needed to replace most of Myrtle Grove Elementary School in Pensacola, Fla., it had three distinct challenges: honor the school's legacy in the community, bring state-of-the-art learning environments to the county, and be seamlessly built on the same site as the active school campus.

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.