UT Elementary Capital Campaign 
Our Little Longhorns have big dreams. In their school song they proclaim, "We're the future UT Longhorns..." They know that with focused learning their future holds no limits.
We also have big dreams for replacing our temporary portable buildings with a new school building. Parents, students, teachers and community members have worked together to design a permanent school that will provide the physical space to meet our educational needs and support our goals for personal growth and academic success for all children.
The biggest challenge that UT Elementary faces is the lack of space within its temporary portable buildings. All of the school’s special subjects such as art, music, and Spanish share small rooms in which there is little storage space for teacher and student materials. Some crucial programs for the children have been delayed due to space limitations. The classrooms and library are very small, and the children have very constricted space for physical activity. During inclement weather and storms, the safety and well-being of our students is a concern since they must walk from classroom to classroom outside. Because the school has no space for a suitable kitchen in which to serve lunch, the administration is forced to bring in costly catering service each day. The school is currently located near railroad tracks and there are very few parking spaces for parents to park and visit the school. In addition, people who conduct business at the school – student teachers, UT faculty, and volunteers – do not have space to work.
The school seeks to raise $24 million in private gifts for an endowment and a permanent building. The temporary portables that have housed faculty, students, and staff for the past six years are not built to be enduring structures. UT’s Permanent University Fund, which finances construction, is allocated to other projects for the next 10 years. Because institutional funds are not available, UT Elementary School must rely on dedicated alumni and friends of The University of Texas, as well as investors in education, to make the difference. To date, individuals and foundations have contributed $3.5 million in outright gifts and pledges. The school must fully reach its fundraising goal before it can break ground on the new building. The endowment will ensure support for important programming needs now and in the future. The $24 million campaign for the UT Elementary School is part of the University-wide campaign to increase resources across the campus and to create the “disciplined culture of excellence” called for by the Commission of 125, which established goals for the University for the coming 25 years.
The new building will be located on the three acres where the permanent buildings reside now, at the corner of East Sixth Street and Robert Martinez Drive. After years of hard work on the part of parents, staff, and the community, the final building plans are now 100 percent complete and pending approval of the UT System Board of Regents. In addition to the two-story library which includes the Kira Dell Literacy Center, the new building plans include unique spaces for a university classroom and an outdoor ampitheatre. There are several naming opportunities for each area and classroom of the school. In keeping with the goal to be a demonstration school and a good steward of the community, UT Elementary will make the building “green,” with Silver LEEDS certification, two stories and increased open space, including gardens outside and on the roof of the building. In addition to this green building initiative, UT Elementary is also adding classrooms for a vital part of the curriculum tailored to urban education settings - the Social and Emotional Learning Center, which will include five offices. The demonstration aspect of the school also requires an integration of technology into the students’ learning environments in a way that demonstrates best practices from the most recent educational and technology research.
We are extremely grateful to those members of the community who have already contributed to the permanent building fund: Perry Lorenz, The Buena Vista Foundation, Michael and Jeanne Klein, Sandy and Lisa Gottesman, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Sam Barshop, and The University Co-Op.
UT Elementary School must have a permanent building in order to reach its potential as a demonstration school, which is part of its mission. Without the support of outside donors, the school will not be able to reach its goal to acquire a permanent building for its students, faculty, staff, pre-service teachers, and volunteers. Our Little Longhorns have big dreams, and a dream that is shared by many is destined to come true. Please help us reach our goal. If you are interested in supporting the UT Elementary capital campaign, please contact Executive Director of Development for the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Martha Oestreich, at 471-9152.
