VLK Architects Breaks Ground on Jacinto City Elementary School Replacement
Houston, Texas – On May 29th, VLK Architects attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Galena Park ISD’s Jacinto City Elementary School Replacement. The new Jacinto City Elementary will replace the existing Jacinto City Elementary and will be located on the same site. At approximately 114,000 sf, this facility will serve 900 students in grades Pre-K through 5th grade.
“I was very fortunate to begin my educational career as a second-grade teacher at Jacinto City Elementary School in Galena Park ISD,” said Dalane Bouillion Ed. D., VLK Education Planner and Principal. “I have fantastic memories of receiving incredible support from strong leaders within this great community. I cannot adequately describe the blessing it is to be a part of VLK’s design team now as we replace this aging building. The legacy will continue in a modern school, purposefully designed for the leaders of tomorrow.”
VLK│LAUNCH® was used to create the conceptual design that will serve as the new neighborhood school. Curriculum-based outdoor spaces will help to create flexible learning environments for students at each grade level. The media center provides areas for research, gathering, and teaching. It is also equipped with operable partitions that can be opened to create larger group spaces beyond its walls. Dynamic collaboration spaces are located within the education areas to allow for varied scales of group learning that can be monitored by teachers. Each collaborative area fosters student engagement and interactive learning activities and is equipped with writable surfaces and the current district technology. The new school will be two stories and will incorporate the desires of the community as expressed by design teams composed of district and campus leaders, teachers, community members, and students. The rich history of the school will live on in the preserved front wall that so many have admired for decades.
“As we lift the first shovel, let this be the start to a great new facility for our children and all they will learn from here in Jacinto City,” said Dr. Angi Williams, Galena Park ISD Superintendent.
Jacinto City Elementary School is expected to open its door to students for the 2020-21 school year.