Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Austin Area Debuts New Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/13/21

The Luling Independent School District in Luling, Texas—part of the Austin metropolitan area—recently celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newest facility. Shanklin Elementary School came as a result of a bond program passed by voters in May 2019 to upgrade and replace five district facilities in poor condition. The two-story facility cost $23.6 million and measures in at 86,000 square feet.

“The new Shanklin Elementary continues the tradition of excellence so many generations of Luling ISD students have experienced,” said Erin Warren, Luling ISD Superintendent. “The district is excited to welcome our community to see firsthand the extraordinary instructional opportunities in place for future generations of students.”

Shanklin Elementary School
Photo courtesy of Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN)

The new facility will replace two existing schools, Luling Primary and Leonard Shanklin Elementary Schools, and consolidate their students, faculty and staff into a single campus. The move will allow the district to divert maintenance and operations funds for Luling Primary School to other purposes.

Amenities in the new school include 42 new classrooms, two playgrounds, a gymnasium, a media center, a cafeteria and kitchen, and an administrative suite, according to a news release. It has also integrated a variety of life-safety and security enhancement measures to keep students safe.

“The new elementary school will meet Luling ISD’s needs for the next 50 years and provide students the infrastructure needed to succeed in the 21st century,” said JP Grom, AIA, vice president of Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), which managed the bond program. “In addition to providing a safe environment for students, the facility will also be used by the community for various purposes.”

The school district partnered with Claycomb Associates, Architects for design and Weaver & Jacobs Constructors, Inc. for construction.

The Luling 2019 bond program totaled $31.9 million, and it also included renovations at Gilbert Gerdes Junior High School and converting an existing elementary school into a staff and visitor parking lot.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, OR

    Preserving Legacy, Designing for the Future

    As historic academic buildings age, institutions face a difficult decision: preserve and adapt or demolish and rebuild. How do we honor the legacy of these spaces while adapting them to meet the needs of modern learners?