Elgin ISD Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

The Elgin Independent School District in Elgin, Texas, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new elementary school. Harvest Ridge Elementary will be the fourth elementary school in the district and is part of a $183-million bond program that local voters passed in November 2021, according to a news release.

The district partnered with Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam, Inc. (LAN) for the bond program, which includes constructing two new elementary schools, expanding and upgrading Elgin High School, building a new Transportation Center, renovating CTE facilities, and more.

“This is such an exciting moment for the Elgin community,” said Dr. Jana Rueter, Elgin ISD Superintendent. “Harvest Ridge Elementary will provide a safe and nurturing environment for students to learn and grow, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. Future staff and students will benefit from the school’s overall design, which reflects Elgin ISD’s commitment to providing high-quality education for its students. We are excited to celebrate this investment in our community, and our children, and to see this new facility come to life.”

Harvest Ridge Elementary will have a capacity for 800 students and feature amenities like a library, music room, art room, gym, cafeteria, gymnasium, outdoor learning spaces, upgraded technology, and innovative classroom design, according to the news release. The new school is scheduled to open its doors to students in fall 2024.

“We are honored to have been selected as the program manager for the Elgin ISD bond program and are excited to be a part of the Harvest Ridge Elementary project,” said Tim Strucely, AIA, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, LAN Associate and Program Manager. “Our team is dedicated to delivering a high-quality facility that meets the needs of the district and the community.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Tomball ISD Opens New Tomball West High School

    Tomball Independent School District in Tomball, Texas, recently celebrated the official opening of Tomball West High School, the district's third comprehensive high school, with a community ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to a district news release.