Beeville ISD Starts Construction on New Elementary School

The Beeville Independent School District near Corpus Christi, Texas, recently began a construction project that will consolidate two existing, aging schools into a new elementary school, according to a news release. The district is partnering with Pfluger Architects and Spawglass General Contractors for the design and construction, respectively, of the new facility. The school has an estimated opening date of August 2026 and will have the capacity for 1,200 students.

The new, 108,000-square-foot Beeville Elementary School will replace the existing Fadden-McKeown-Chambliss (FMC) and R.A. Hall Elementary Schools, both of which were built in the 1970s. The fully enclosed facility will feature indoor classrooms, collaboration spaces, and 51,000 square feet of natural play areas and outdoor learning spaces, the news release reports.

Rendering courtesy of Pfluger Architects

“This new campus features a pod-based ‘school-within-a-school’ layout where students are grouped into ‘neighborhoods’ for collaboration and learning,” said Pfluger Architects Managing Principal Connie Rivera, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB. “The design emphasizes flexible learning environments, enhanced accessibility, program continuity, and creative discovery.”

Pfluger worked with the district and a Community Advisory Committee to determine the community’s priorities in a new facility, including room for enrollment growth, facility conditions, and safety. It will feature advanced, collaborative learning spaces equipped with new technology. Following the school’s opening, R.A. Hall Elementary will be torn down and FMC Elementary repurposed for other district uses.

“While the community will be saying goodbye to two long-standing schools, we’re creating a learning environment that will enable our students to compete in the global world,” said Travis Fanning, Beeville ISD Superintendent. “Our students will soon be learning in a building that provides a stable, comfortable environment that supports both learning and well-being, empowering students to achieve their unlimited potential.”

Funding comes from a $62-million bond that voters approved in Spring 2024, according to the news release.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Different Starting Points, Same End Goal

    Higher education campuses can enhance student experience by implementing mobile credentials to streamline building access, on-campus payments, and access to other amenities. This enables students to connect to their campuses through the technology they use most: their mobile devices.

  • concentric silhouettes of a human head

    How Physical Space Shapes the Mind: Designing for Better Learning Outcomes

    Research in environmental psychology and neuroscience increasingly suggests that the way a room is designed can influence memory, focus, or even a student's sense of belonging.

  • University of Utah Launches Utah 360 App

    The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, recently announced that it has partnered with digital engagement hub Pathify to launch a new app for the university community, according to a news release.

  • KI Launches K–12 Classroom Furniture Giveaway

    Contract furniture company KI recently announced the launch of its fourth-annual Classroom Furniture Giveaway, which awards $50,000 each to four K–12 educators across the U.S., according to a news release. The goal is to address decreasing student engagement and increasing teacher burnout numbers by updating learning spaces to accommodate modern needs.

Digital Edition