Round Rock and Hutto ISDs opened new elementary schools in August. Here's a look inside the districts’ latest facilities.
Joe Lee Johnson Elementary School
District: Round Rock ISD 2016-17 projected enrollment: 485 students Capacity: 750 people Size: 118,324 sq. ft. Staff members: 55
School notes:
Gabby Nino, Joe Lee Johnson Elementary School principal, said she worked with the building’s architect to make sure the building accommodated 21st-century skills and learning techniques.
“Our building is an instructional resource for students,” Nino said. “You’ll notice immediately our building design is different from what kids might expect.”
Nino said the building is designed so there are common learning spaces among classrooms, with one wall serving as a sliding glass door so teachers can communicate and be cooperative with other classrooms.
Furthermore, Nino said the school will feature Lightspeed technology in the classrooms, which equally distributes the teacher’s voice throughout the classroom space. She said the technology helps students who have learning challenges.
Howard Norman Elementary School
District: Hutto ISD 2016-17 projected enrollment: approximately 540 students Capacity: 800 people Size: approximately 94,000 sq. ft. Staff members: 53
School notes:
Howard Norman Elementary School includes several renewable energy features, including a windmill that pumps rainwater to irrigate the property, solar panels on the roof and the south side of the building, and a rainwater-collection system. Televisions in the school will display how much energy the school is collecting throughout the day.
“It’ll be a great learning tool for the kids,” Principal Greg Nestle said.
The school has other features to help it adapt as it grows and ages, including desks that can be moved to form a circle or put side by side. Murals in the school are laid out on vinyl wraps that school officials can update.
The school was built with four extra classrooms to accommodate the future growth, Nestle said. The school has a capacity of 800 students and is starting with around 580 students, he said.
