(Rosenberg, Texas) – The first day of the new year brings the opening of Lamar Consolidated Independent School District’s Fletcher Morgan Jr., Elementary School. Completed in December 2021, 750 students in pre-K through fifth grade officially occupy the new school. Part of the 2017 Bond Election, Morgan Elementary School is the Lamar CISD’s 29th elementary school and VLK Architects’ fourth prototype facility with the district. Lamar CISD developed a building program for the conceptual studies of this school, which mirrored existing elementary schools within the district that have similar student capacities, programs, and teaching spaces.
As part of the planning process, VLK conducted meetings with school leaders to establish project objectives and milestones, including facilitating authentic engagement between curriculum, students, and teachers. “VLK Architects has done a phenomenal job designing our new campus, Morgan Elementary,” said Dr. Roosevelt Nivens, Superintendent of Lamar CISD. “It truly is a beautiful campus equipped with everything that our scholars need to have an exciting and impactful learning environment.
We are grateful for this new addition to our Lamar CISD community.” Learning areas are organized into pods, each with six to eight classrooms, restrooms, storage spaces, printing stations, and collaboration spaces, as well as outdoor areas. Modular furniture, activity walls, and media stations play a vital role in transforming classroom pods into dynamic, adaptable spaces. In order to reduce ambient sound and improve hallway circulation, the music, art, and science rooms are located adjacent to the multifunctional gym/cafeteria and stage.
“It’s an honor to be able to work with Lamar CISD in opening another elementary school that serves the students, faculty, and staff in this fast-growing community,” said Todd J. Lien, AIA, Managing Partner of VLK Architects.
The project’s total cost was $24 million, funded as part of the 2017 Bond. Drymalla Construction served as the general contractor.
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About VLK Architects: With offices throughout Texas, VLK Architects provides architecture, planning, and interior design services to automotive, K-12, higher education, corporate, and institutional clients throughout Texas. For more information, please visit our website: www.vlkarchitects.com or contact 817-344-0344 or tbartley@vlkarchitects.com.
About Lamar CISD: Lamar CISD will always focus on putting students first. Our campuses are designed with smaller enrollments (high schools are designed for no more than 2,000 students) to provide more opportunities for students to assume leadership roles and participate in campus activities. Lamar CISD also has sixth-grade-only campuses (middle schools) which focus on the needs of pre-adolescents, providing a smooth transition to secondary schools. To learn more, visit their website: https://www.lcisd.org/about/.
