Las Animas Elementary School

Site & Outdoor Areas

The campus includes blacktop play areas, kindergarten and upper-grade play structures, grass fields, garden spaces, shaded lunch areas, and small landscaped courtyards. The perimeter is secured with a combination of chain-link and ornamental fencing. While outdoor spaces are abundant, the play structures are undersized and outdated, and do not adequately support the current student population. Both kindergarten and upper-grade structures lack accessibility and, in the case of kindergarten, are not age-appropriate.

Recently painted asphalt areas are in good condition. The primary grass field shows signs of inconsistent irrigation but remains generally usable. Two fabric shade structures provide cover for lunch tables between the field and the multi-purpose building. A landscaped courtyard with shade trees and benches is formed between the multi-purpose building and the adjacent classroom wing. The main campus entry and drop-off areas lack adequate shading. The school garden is not accessible due to the absence of ADA-compliant pathways.

Parking & Traffic

The campus is served by an elongated parking lot along Cimino Street, with a centralized drop-off lane in front of the administration building. Internal drive aisles connect two additional parking areas, creating multiple access points along Cimino Street and at Charles Lux Drive. This configuration leads to congestion and confusion during peak drop-off and pick-up periods, with the central ingress/egress point presenting the greatest traffic conflict. Several high-traffic crosswalks remain unmonitored, contributing to safety concerns.

Administration, Computer Lab, Library Building & Main Campus Entry

The administration building (Building A) and main campus entrance face Cimino Street. In addition to administrative functions, Building A houses the library and computer lab facing the grass field. Administrative spaces include a reception and waiting area, nurse’s office, principal’s office, conference room, staff lounge/workroom, staff storage, and two all-gender restrooms. The nurse’s office is undersized relative to current demand, resulting in students frequently waiting in the corridor. The principal’s office provides sightlines to the campus entry and kindergarten quad but lacks visibility of upper-grade play and classroom areas. The staff lounge doubles as the workroom, limiting dedicated space for staff use.

The library provides a vibrant environment with tall ceilings, clerestory windows, exposed wood beams, tackable wall surfaces, and perimeter book stacks. The adjacent computer lab is equipped with large tables suitable for group activities.

Two-Story Classroom Wing & Multi-Purpose Building

The two-story classroom wing and multi-purpose building are located along Charles Lux Drive and form a courtyard entrance facing the campus interior. The classroom wing includes wide corridors, naturally lit and artificially lit stairwells, an elevator, and flexible classrooms furnished with heavy desks, perimeter casework, technology monitors, colorful wall displays, and full-height windows providing unobstructed views. Staff and student restrooms are generally accessible, with minor non-compliant plumbing accessories noted.

The multi-purpose room functions as both a cafeteria and assembly space and includes perimeter lunch tables, upper-height acoustic wall panels, and a stage equipped with stairs and an accessible lift. The kitchen opens directly into the MPR and operates as a full-service facility; however, it is undersized for the number of meals served, resulting in equipment being stored within the MPR. An outdoor stage extends from the multi-purpose building and faces a shaded lunch area.

Standard Classroom Buildings & Portables

Additional instructional buildings include a permanent kindergarten wing, kindergarten portables, special education portables, and an upper-grade two-story building. The permanent kindergarten building features high corridors, clerestory windows, and colorful interior finishes. Kindergarten portables provide similar interior conditions but exhibit exterior deterioration. Special education portables are in good exterior condition but have interior finishes and amenities of lesser quality than permanent classrooms.

The upper-grade two-story building includes an exterior corridor and stairway with a deep awning providing shade. Classroom interiors are in good condition and are configured to support co-teaching.

Finishes

The administration and two-story classroom buildings (separate from the multi-purpose building) incorporate sheet-lap wood-panel exterior finishes, which show signs of cracking, water infiltration beneath overhangs, and sun damage. Overall, portable and permanent building exteriors would benefit from repainting and minor repairs but remain in fair condition.