Dallas ISD has broken ground on its new $34.5 million Urban Park STEAM Academy.
Construction of the school is among dozens of projects funded through the district’s $3.4 billion bond package approved by voters in 2020. The groundbreaking was on Tuesday, CBS News Texas reported.
The science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics school is home to 650 pre-kindergarten through 5th-grade students.
“Urban Park STEAM Academy is known for cultivating rigorous learning by meeting the needs of its students and promoting growth through data-driven instruction,” according to the district’s website. “Their vision is to achieve excellence for every student who walks the halls of their building. The school is slated for a replacement campus for 650 students.”
The 73,000-square-foot campus will be built at the site of the existing school on Military Parkway. The new Urban Park is scheduled to open in June 2025.
Dallas ISD voters approved two propositions to fund improvements and repairs at more than 200 campuses. The $3.7 billion bond election in 2020 — the largest in Texas history, according to The Dallas Morning News — included five propositions, but voters rejected those that would have funded the construction of a performing arts center, stadium, and natatorium improvements. At the time of the election, the average age of Dallas ISD campuses was almost 52 years old — more than seven years higher than the national average.
Other campuses in the design stage include Dallas Environmental Science Academy, Edwin J. Kiest Elementary School, William Lipscomb Elementary School, Victor H. Hexter Elementary School, Lincoln High School, Justin F. Kimball High School, and Harry C. Withers Elementary School. Fourteen campuses are under construction, and four have been completed.
