Round Rock ISD looks to stay hot, implement STEAM at new school

​​NORTH AUSTIN - Round Rock ISD’s newest elementary school will specialize in science, technology, engineering, arts and math, or STEAM, education. (Also known as STEM).

Corey Ryan, Round Rock ​​ISD executive director of communications and community relations, said the STEAM academy at Joe Lee Johnson Elementary School, which is under construction at 2800 Sauls Dr., would focus on project-based learning, an instructional style that incorporates more than one area of study and tasks students with solving a real world problem.

Johnson Elementary School Principal Gabi Niño said the furniture and building design on the campus would be influenced by the skills children need to be ready to join the workforce in the future.

"The concept of STEAM learning is inspiring and influencing changes in furniture, open classrooms and collaborative spaces," Niño said. "Our campus will look different in both the classroom areas and library."

The new school will also include elements from the "Library of the Future" project, which allowed students from Cedar Ridge High School to design an innovative school library in partnership with Dell Inc.

Ryan said the school would also include concepts from the district’s Next Generation Digital Classroom pilot program, which puts an emphasis on incorporating more technology into RRISD schools.

The attendance zone for the new school will include a small portion of Bluebonnet Elementary School students who live south of SH 45 as well as half of the students who live north of Merrilltown Dr. and currently attend Wells Branch Elementary.

The school will have more than 500 students when it opens in August for the 2016-17 school year. Its capacity will be more than 900 students.