Newly built Thomas Manor Elementary campus opens for start of YISD school year

The Ysleta School District will begin a new year in a few days and one campus torn down and rebuilt will open for the first time in two years.

Thomas Manor Elementary School is located at 7900 Jersey St. in the Lower Valley. It will reopen as a state-of-the-art building to accomodate a new way of learning.

The 2015 voter-approved bond called for the reconstruction of the campus and consolidation with nearby Cadwallader Elementary.

The district website stated the campus was 51 years old with “several systems in catastrophic condition.”

During construction, Thomas Manor was temporarily housed at Cadwallader, but the school is now closed because it was underutilized, according to YISD.

Principal Sandra Stresow joined Thomas Manor at the start of the planning and design phase of the new campus.

“It’s been an adventure as far as bringing two campuses together,” Stresow said.

Stresow said the process of becoming a “new” Thomas Manor meant creating a new mascot.

Thomas Manor is a feeder campus to Riverside High School.

“We wanted to make sure the mascot was aligned to the (Riverside) Rangers, so the students voted and selected their mascot. I think that united the communities,” Stresow said.

Stresow’s focus is to create a 21st century learning environment in every classroom with its four leading components: critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity.

“They are lifelong skills that our students need for higher education and our campus will facilitate that, Stresow said.

The building includes brand new classrooms with glass sliding doors and interactive display boards that serve as partitions. They can be moved to combine two classrooms.

Other amenities include collaborative learning spaces, Apple technology, multiple science labs, performing arts and gallery spaces, fine arts and indoor/outdoor athletic facilities and video intercoms to screen campus visitors.

Stresow said the school will welcome an estimated 700 students on the first day of school. The two-story campus can fit up to 1,000 students.

On Wednesday, the school will host an open house from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“We welcome all parents to come and take a tour and just explore the possibilities that their children will have here,” Stresow said.

YISD is an open enrollment campus district which means that all schools within the district offer another option to parents and students who are interested in schools outside of their attendance area.

The first day of school for YISD is Monday, August 27.