HUTTO – The Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) and Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) have announced Nadine Johnson Elementary School Renovations (Design and Value) were among the 55 projects that will be included in the 2022-23 Exhibit of School Architecture.
This exhibit of new and renovated Texas school facilities includes projects from 36 school districts and two colleges that were submitted by 16 architectural firms.
Eligible projects are newly constructed or renovated public education facilities completed in the past five years and not previously submitted in this annual exhibit.
“We are proud to learn of the recognition bestowed on VLK Architects, Inc. for the design and value of the Nadine Johnson Elementary School renovation, and I hope other school administrators and board members benefit from seeing the exhibit on Nadine Johnson at the TASA | TASB Convention in San Antonio today and tomorrow,” said Dr. Celina Estrada Thomas, Superintendent of Hutto ISD.
The project was among other capital improvements undertaken in the past five years which reflects the Board Goal 7 of the district’s strategic plan: Address facility needs to accommodate growth and maximize efficiency through innovation in support of student success. Hutto ISD enrollment has increased by 29% since 2015 and is approaching 10,000 students. By 2026, Hutto ISD is expected to reach an enrollment of 12,800 students and by 2031, Hutto ISD will surpass 17,200 in enrollment growth. In addition to addressing growth, the Board of Trustees and community stakeholders developed a road map in developing SP (Strategic Plan) 2025 that included addressing equity as well as safety with respect to all capital improvement projects. The modernizations and improvements to Nadine Johnson Elementary School reflect the desire of the district to address growth and provide equity at all of our “legacy” campuses. As the educational delivery models change over time, the way students and staff utilize space also changes and necessitates the need to upgrade and modernize as a priority equity decision. Working with VLK, the district’s administration and operations departments tackled not only Nadine Johnson Elementary School, but also Cottonwood Creek, Veterans’ Hill, Ray, and Hutto elementary schools to update the existing facilities and learning spaces to current educational delivery models. This included a complete refresh of furnishings and technology.
“Fundamentally, while addressing growth and equity, whether renovating existing facilities or building anew, the Board and district administration work closely with the district’s architects to also address energy efficiencies, building control systems, lighting and indoor air quality upgrades, and deferred maintenance projects,” said Henry Gideon, assistant superintendent of operations at Hutto ISD.
“In addition to the design process, much attention was given to include safety systems including access controls, protected vestibules, cameras, and other physical improvements to enable staff and students to learn in secure environments,” added Gideon.
The Exhibit of School Architecture awards are given at the discretion of a 12-member jury, which includes: four school board members, four school administrators, and four members from the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) Southern Region. The juried exhibit awarded Stars of Distinction for Excellence to 34 projects in one or more of the following six areas: design, value, innovation, community, planning, and school transformation.
The TASA | TASB Exhibit of School Architecture in collaboration with the A4LE - Southern Region Foundation will showcase 55 projects at txEDCON22, The TASA | TASB Convention, in San Antonio Sept. 23-24.
The projects will also soon be featured in the online exhibit at https://texasschoolarchitecture. org/.
