Midland ISD held a ribbon-cutting event for Lone Star Trails Elementary School on Thursday morning, marking the inauguration of the district’s 40th school.
The elementary school recently constructed in north Midland’s Lone Star Trails area marks the inaugural educational facility established via2023 school bond.
Superintendent Stephanie Howard stated, “This school represents far more than bricks and mortar; it’s a commitment to the pupils and their families we serve. Bond 2023 signified a dedication to Midland ISD’s future, and Lone Star Trails Elementary will be a vital element in fostering academic achievement and community spirit for many years in the future.”
Classes are set to begin at the school on Tuesday, August 19th, marking its official opening to students.
We’re excited to have our armadillos join us here,” Robertson stated. “Our goal is to connect with each student, building relationships that support their learning and development, so they have an outstanding elementary school experience. We aim to prepare them for success in middle school, high school, and ultimately, their future careers and college endeavors.
Upon its initial opening, the school will accommodate students from pre-kindergarten to sixth grade. However, following a grade restructuring in 2028, it will cater to students in pre-k through fifth grade.
Morgan Robertson, the head of the newly established school, stated that Lone Star Trails has nearly reached 600 students in its inaugural year. Robertson also mentioned that the school can accommodate around 865 students.
A significant number of students heading to the new school formerly went to Franks Elementary, a school with an enrollment exceeding 900. Robertson stated that the new school’s launch would ease the crowded conditions at Franks.
According to Roberston, the school’s catchment area will include a section of the 349 corridor. Some students residing in this zone will attend the new school, while others will be directed to Franks. This arrangement will allow for improved individualized attention for students and a school environment exclusively for their use.
Franks continues to serve students in northeast Midland, despite not being located in the east Midland area.according to MISD’s zoning map. In 2017, the MISD board of trustees voted to close what was then Crockett Elementary after several consecutive years of academic failure. The decision headed off the possibility of the Texas Education Agency appointing a conservator. The campus was rezoned and renamed to Gen. Tommy Franks Elementary shortly thereafter.
The school’s design
Lone Star Trails Elementary is the first new school built since Yarbrough, Fasken and Bunche elementary schools were built. It is a similar to Yarbrough and Fasken and features the same design.
“Using the same floor plan saved a lot of money in design, but we were able to do is go back and talk to the teams in both of those two buildings,” Howard said. “We were able to find out what they love about the building or what they wish was a little different now and were able to make those adjustments.”
The school’s floor plan offers an open concept in the cafeteria and the gym and special education classrooms designed for the students it will serve. It also includes “pods” which is a closed-in area that brings all the same grade level classrooms together, “flex spaces” (or a commons area) for the grade and restrooms.
The school has five classrooms per grade level and a science lab and media center for teachers and students to use.
Howard added that the campus also has a lot of parking spaces, which is an issue the district has seen at many campuses. Lone Star Trails also features a desert landscape, which is more efficient and cost-effective.
“It was really important to me that we did things that we learned from things we haven’t done before,” Howard said. “Even the location of the building is more balanced. We have the parking space, and we don’t have these wide-open spaces of grass that we have to maintain but doesn’t get utilized. We were intentional about the placement of the campus to maximize the space.”
How to Start a New School
One of the challenges that comes with opening a new school is establishing consistent procedures, routines and expectations from the ground up, Robertson said.
“I always love a challenge,” Robertson said. “This has been a very big learning experience, and I have learned how all the departments work together, all the different construction items and what goes into building a school this size.”
To open a new school, they also needed to recruit teachers. Robertson said that she started working with human resources last September to figure out what the staffing needed to look like.
“Once we determined what our staffing was going to be, we actually started with our district employees by letting them know they could apply for a transfer to the campus,” Roberston said. “I set up interviews with those teachers that had applied for that and selected based on our rubric.”
She added that she made sure the teachers weren’t all coming from a single campus. The district also promoted teacher openings on different platforms.
“We have teachers from East Texas, from Central Texas, from Odessa and even one that just moved back from Philadelphia” Robertson said. “We have a great mix from all over the place that we were able to recruit in to work.”
Robertson said school safety is their number one priority and that they want to ensure that students feel safe on campus.
“It’s an expectation that every teacher is greeting every student who walks through their door,” she said. “We’re at the front and we’re welcoming students as they get out of their cares and being visible as an admin team to ensure that students know that we’re here for them.”
Building School Pride
Robertson said that the leadership team is currently working to find traditions and fun activities they can establish at the new school.
“We want it to be different than any campus that our teachers have worked at,” she said.
For example, the school has an armadillo statue, the school’s mascot, that they plan to use to teach students about the election process.
“We will start at the end of September with a primary election and getting to choose the potential names for our mascot,” Robertson said. “Then they will have a big election in November with those primary winners to name our mascot.”
She added that they will also have incentives to allow teachers to win a mascot for a certain amount of time.
