Add as a preferred source on Google

Nonprofit Releases Renderings for New Uvalde Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/24/23

Local news reports that the nonprofit organization planning a new elementary school for Uvalde, Texas, recently released renderings of the new facility. Robb Elementary School, the site of the school shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead in May 2022, is scheduled for demolition, according to local leaders. The replacement facility is scheduled for completion in 2024 and will have a capacity of 800 students, according to KENS. The new facility will measure in at about 120,000 square feet, about twice the size of the existing campus.

“We haven’t had a new school in Uvalde since 1985,” said Uvalde Precinct 4 Judge Lalo Diaz. “So whatever we are going to give them is state-of-the-art.” Local news reports that Diaz is the co-chair of a committee comprised of educators, parents, and first responders who are collaborating with architects on the new school. Diaz also served as the coroner on the day of the mass shooting.

The new school’s design places a heavy emphasis on security. The executive director of the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, Tim Miller, described security features and additions upon the design’s release. They include fencing around outdoor play areas, keyless entry, 9-foot privacy gates, a secure area for visitors near the building’s entrance, and a new road to provide first responders with quicker access to the school.

Other features include an air-conditioned gymnasium, two playgrounds, and an outdoor courtyard.

“We have had conversations about bullet-resistant film, especially on the windows that serve as the perimeter,” said Natalie Arias, co-chair on the advisory committee and the academic dean at Uvalde High School.

Diaz also revealed that the new school would pay tribute to the 21 victims of the shooting at Robb Elementary, although the specifics of the design are still in development. Local news reports that a separate committee will soon meet to come up with the new school’s name, and the foundation will host another meeting with completed schematics on March 20.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • classroom with crystal ball on top of a desk

    Call for Opinions: Spaces4Learning 2026 Predictions for Educational Facilities

    As 2025 winds to a close, the Spaces4Learning staff is asking its readers—school administrators, architects, engineers, facilities managers, builders, superintendents, designers, vendors, and more—to send us their predictions for educational facilities in 2026.

  • UCNJ Launches $30M Modernization of Physical Education Center

    The Union College of Union County (UCNJ) in Cranford, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $30-million modernization project for its Physical Education Center (PECK), according to a news release. The college partnered with DIGroup Architecture for the project’s design, transitioning the existing 42,000-square-foot structure into a campus hub for student athletics and campus life.

  • University of Kentucky Receives $150M Gift Toward New Arts District

    The University of Kentucky’s Board of Trustees recently received a $150-million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation, according to a university news release, to build a new arts district on the campus in Lexington, Ky. The new district will feature a new College of Fine Arts building and a multi-hundred-seat theater, among other amenities.

  • sapling sprouting from a cracked stone

    Lessons in Resilience: Disaster Recovery in Our Schools

    Facility managers play a pivotal role in how well a school weathers and recovers from a crisis. Whether it's a hurricane, a flood, a tornado, or a man-made event, preparation determines resilience.

Digital Edition