March 18, 2016
School Board receives look at 
updated design of Elementary #5


As Highland Park ISD prepares for construction of its first new elementary school in nearly 70 years, the Board of Trustees received an updated look at the design of the campus. The presentation was made during the March 15 School Board meeting.
 
Updated features on the proposed design of the school include:
  • The library at the front of the school now features a more traditional design.
  • The south side of the campus facing Durham has been updated, and now features a symmetrical design.
  • The north side of the gym now has doors leading directly to the outdoor play area.
"I appreciate the feedback we have received from community members regarding the design of this school," HPISD Superintendent Dr. Tom Trigg said. "This community has a long-standing love for its schools, and the district strives to create a school that fits into HPISD's proud tradition of excellence."
 
The school will be located in the northeast corner of the district on land currently owned by Northway Christian Church. The property is a challenging location on which to build a school because it slopes 20 feet from north to south.
 
"The slope on the property created a unique challenge for the architects, but they have designed it so that students can quickly and easily move from one side of the building to the other," said Jim Hitzelberger, Facilities Committee Chair for the School Board. "This campus was designed from the inside out, with the best interests of our students considered at all times."
 
In addition to these features, the Trustees and administrative staff received a first glimpse at potential designs for flexible learning spaces. The interior design will likely evolve as faculty and staff provide their feedback to create learning environments best suited for elementary students.
 
With an eye toward safety, HPISD has requested a traffic engineer to take another look at traffic management around the campus. The district is focused on creating a safe environment for students as they enter and leave school each day, while also creating efficient queuing lanes for parents. The entrance to the underground garage will feature a solid door for safety and security reasons. Faculty and staff will likely receive badges to allow access into the garage, and the garage will remain closed for the majority of the day.
 
The school will be located next to Northway Christian Church and will be bounded by the church to the west, Northwest Parkway (the access road to NW Hwy.) to the north, Durham to the east and Wentwood to the south. The sale of the property to Highland Park ISD is still on schedule to be completed in late spring. Current plans for the school call for construction to be completed in the summer of 2017 with an opening in August 2017. HPISD is working with the Dallas City Plan Commission and neighbors of the new campus to ensure that this timeline is met.