TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple Independent School District celebrated the opening of its first brand new campus in more than 25 years with a grand opening celebration at Sampson-Howard Elementary School on Friday (August 9).
The invitation-only event gave attendees their first look at Sampson-Howard Elementary School, which was approved by voters as part of the $164.8 million Bond 2022 package. It is the first brand new campus to open in Temple ISD since Hector P. Garcia Elementary School, Kennedy-Powell Elementary School, and Raye-Allen Elementary School all opened their doors in 1998. Sampson-Howard Elementary will serve as Temple ISD’s Fine Arts Academy and is named in honor of longtime Temple educators Cornelius Carl Sampson and Durward and Jean Howard.
The new campus covers 102,000 square feet with capacity for almost 800 students. The facility includes 36 regular classrooms and 15 special spaces to include: fine arts rooms, life skills/special needs rooms, a computer lab, a gymnasium, flex rooms, and flex learning spaces.
As a Fine Arts Academy, the new school will offer orchestra and theater classes in addition to main course offerings and music, art, and physical education activity classes. Sampson-Howard also features a black box theater in the facility, along with other indoor and outdoor performance spaces incorporated into the design. The performance stage will have lighting and sound enhancements rarely found on elementary or even middle school campuses.
Chrystal Thomas was introduced as the first principal of Sampson-Howard in March of 2024 after spending the last eight years as principal at TISD’s Scott Elementary School. TISD trustees approved the Cougar as the school mascot for Sampson-Howard after a group of Cater Elementary staff members recommended moving the Cougar mascot to the new school as a way to honor the legacy of the students and staff of Cater. Sampson-Howard’s school colors are blue and gold.
The district will host tours of the new facility for the community on September 4th, September 11th, and October 2nd at 5:30 p.m. each day. People interested in touring the new campus on one of those dates can reserve a spot through forms at the following link tisd.org/sampson-howard/tours/.
Please click the following link for a photo gallery from Friday's event: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBCW6i