VLK Architects Joins Midlothian ISD for Jean Coleman Elementary School's Beam Signing Ceremony
(Midlothian, Texas) – On March 29, 2022, VLK Architects joined Midlothian Independent School Districts for a beam signing ceremony at Jean Coleman Elementary School, marking the end of the framing phase of the school’s construction. Students, teachers, and community members came to be a part of the district’s newest school’s history.
“A large crowd of about 150 people were on hand Tuesday afternoon as MISD Communications, VLK Architects, and Imperial Construction hosted a beam signing for the Jean Coleman Elementary School being built for Midlothian ISD,” said Jim Norris, Midlothian ISD Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Operations. The school’s namesake, Jean Coleman, served MISD for over 25 years as a second-grade teacher at L.A. Mills Elementary School. Coleman was a mentor to fellow teachers and an active member in the Midlothian community. Members of Mrs. Coleman's family, MISD school board members, staff, students, and Midlothian citizens were in attendance.
Jean Coleman came from a long line of educators, including her grandfather, Mr. T. A. Howard, who served as the first Superintendent of Schools for Mansfield ISD and has a middle school named for him there. Mrs. Coleman, who passed away in 2011, “represents all the wonderful and dedicated teachers who have worked in MISD over the years, and it is fitting that this campus bears her name,” said Norris.
Funded by the district’s 2016 Bond Program, the new elementary school will have the capacity for 750 students in grades pre-K through 5. The school will feature three classroom wings with high ceilings and clerestory windows. Each two-grade classroom wing connects to the central library, which features a tiered wood reading hill. In addition, every classroom has folding glass walls with an adjacent collaboration area to provide flexible learning environments. The cafeteria performance space extends to an outdoor platform and learning courtyard.
“Every successful project is the realization of the hard work put forth by many individuals,” said Ross Rivers, Principal of VLK Architects. “To celebrate these efforts, Imperial Construction is hosting a beam signing for recognition and inclusion of those who participated in the preparation, planning, design and construction of the new Jean Coleman Elementary School.”
The project is scheduled to be complete by August 2022.