.png)
A large oak tree with two independent trunks that have intertwined to become one over time is a sight worthy of recognition, according to Elgin Independent School District officials.
Elgin ISD trustees voted unanimously Aug. 19 to name the district’s next campus Legacy Oak Middle School. Officials said the choice reflects both the history of the site and the district’s tradition of connecting school names to their locations.
“As we start off a project, it’s exciting to select a name for a school,” said Rainey Lann, the district’s executive director of bond projects. “It’s a very rural site, and while it’s mostly prairie grass, there is a very notable oak tree.”
A hike through brush on the 100-plus-acre site reveals the namesake tree. The wood has lived decades and survived a direct lighting strike, according to the land’s previous owner. That fractured limb still lies on the ground, underneath a canopy stretching wide.
Officials said the enduring tree symbolizes the district’s legacy, becoming a theme for the project and inspiring design choices such as materials and color palettes.
“It is quite unique, and arborists have looked at it and agreed that it is very uncommon,” Lann said.
The 174,000-squarefoot Legacy Oak campus is located along FM 1704, about 10 minutes south of downtown Elgin, and is projected for a June 2027 completion.
Construction is scheduled to begin with site work, utilities, foundation and steel erection under a first guaranteed maximum price package approved last month. A second package, covering the remainder of the project, is expected to come before the board in their meeting Sept. 15.
Lann said contractors are ready to mobilize as soon as they receive notice to proceed. Coordination is underway with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
A groundbreaking ceremony will be held Thursday, Sept. 4, beginning at 9 a.m. at 2005 FM 1704.
Legacy Oak is part of the $375 million bond referendum approved by voters last year. Along with the new campus, the package aims to address rapid enrollment growth and includes plans for a sixth elementary school, career and technical education upgrades, athletic improvements and a slate of campus enhancements.
