Dallas-Area District Debuts Three New Facilities

The Duncanville Independent School District in southwest Dallas, Texas, recently held ribbon-cutting ceremonies for three new facilities that resulted from a $170-million bond program passed in 2023, according to a news release. The district partnered with Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) as program manager for the Duncanville High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Addition, the Clint Q. Smith Early Learning Academy, and the Central Fine Arts Academy.

"These projects represent an important investment in Duncanville ISD's future,” said Tim Strucely, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP,  LAN senior program manager. “Each facility was designed to meet a different educational need, and together they will serve students from their earliest years through career readiness.”

The Duncanville High School CTE Addition included 36,000 square feet of new construction and renovations to the existing CTE space. The new facility supports 24 CTE programs including culinary arts, robotics, architecture, cosmetology, broadcasting, and more.

The Clint Q. Smith Early Learning Academy measures 46,389 square feet and comes from renovations to the former home of Smith Elementary School. The facility is designed for pre-kindergarten students and supports “play-based learning, language development and social-emotional growth” in a “purpose-built environment,” the news release reports.

Finally, Central Fine Arts Academy is the product of renovations to Central Elementary School and covers 52,186 square feet. Work included building system upgrades, accessibility accommodations, and learning spaces designed specifically for visual and performing arts classes.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.

  • California Middle School Breaks Ground on Major Renovation Project

    The Hillsborough City School District (HCSD) in Hillsborough, Calif., recently began construction on new multipurpose and administration facilities for Crocker Middle School, according to a news release.