Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Celebrates New Texas Elementary School
By Lisa Kopochinski
CLUTE, Texas – On September 5, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to commemorate the opening of T.W. Ogg Elementary School in Clute, Texas.
Located on Lazy Lane and Lakeview Drive in Brazosport ISD, the new elementary school is a two-story replacement of the existing facility. This new state-of-the-art facility was designed to accommodate the variety of learning styles to better serve its 750 Pre-K through fourth-grade students.
VLK Architects designed the new school. Sterling Construction was the general contractor on this $19.1 million project.
Said BISD Superintendent Dr. Danny Massey, “This is a school with a rich history and proud traditions. BISD has been thankful to have tremendous community support. We are honored to be a part of a community that puts the education of our students at the forefront and sees the need to provide them with facilities that are better constructed for their safety and security, are more conducive to 21st-century learning, and will meet the needs of our students and staff. We cannot thank VLK Architects and Sterling Construction enough for this beautiful new campus!”
The new Ogg Elementary School is organized around a media center, with connected green space to encourage healthy outdoor learning experiences. A large multipurpose area will function as the facility’s cafeteria, gym and event space. Durable and sustainable building materials are installed throughout the project, as well as energy-efficient LED lighting fixtures. The design of this new campus allows for extensive natural light in each classroom, as well as dedicated collaboration spaces within each classroom wing.
“VLK is so fortunate to work with a district whose true passion is to serve their communities,” said Monika Castillo, principal, VLK Architects. “Brazosport ISD continually strives for excellence for their students and it a pleasure to partner with them and help bring these goals to fruition.”
The original Ogg Elementary School opened in 1957 and was named after Terrell W. Ogg, Brazosport ISD’s first superintendent. Ogg was a respected and accomplished educator who served for 11 years as the district superintendent, the longest in Brazosport ISD history. As a result of Ogg’s guidance, Brazosport ISD gained the community’s support to pass multiple bond that expanded and improved the facility and campuses throughout the district.
BISD was established in 1944 and is comprised of 10 elementary, two middle, three intermediate, and two high schools. Currently, BISD serves approximately 12,400 students and is accredited by the Texas Education Agency. The district provides quality education for PreK-12th grade, in addition to special education programs for pre-school age children, and a career and technology education program on the secondary level.