
The new Sam Houston Elementary School opened in August of 2017 as a renovated facility from the old Sam Houston Middle School. The renovation was part of the Legacy 2017 building program born out of the passage of a $109,200,000.00 bond issue approved by MISD voters in May 2015. Huckabee, Inc., served as the architect for the Legacy 2017 building program, with WRL General Contractors, Ltd., serving as the general contractor for the Sam Houston renovation. Project Manager for the Legacy 2017 building program was Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), of Houston, Texas.
The original Sam Houston Middle School opened in September 1964 to serve students in grades 7-8 and was originally named Marshall Junior High School. The facility was constructed out of funds made available in a $4.6 million bond issue in 1962. When MISD reorganized in 1981 under court order, the eighth-grade campus became one of two new middle schools for fifth and sixth graders. The old Sam Houston Elementary School closed that year, and the newly organized middle school assumed the name.
The district's STEM program began at South Marshall Elementary in 2014. The South Marshall building was originally constructed in 1916. The school was repeatedly recognized for its academic excellence and achievement, with designation as a "High Performing, High Progress" school in back-to-back years prior to closing upon opening of the "new" Sam Houston.
In recognition of the long heritage of both Sam Houston Elementary and South Marshall Elementary, the new school includes areas that have been named in honor of past educators and campus communities that make up the new campus. The
Jake Matthews Administrative Offices are named after Mr. Jake Matthews, who served as principal at South Marshall from 1976 until he retired from MISD in 1994. The
Della Washington Learning Center is in honor of Mrs. Della Washington, who taught at South Marshall for 47 years (1962-2008) and then returned in 2012 following a brief retirement. "Miss Della" still teaches third grade at Sam Houston, having taught a total of 60 years in Marshall. Additionally, the
Lady Else Gymnasium honors Coach Lady Else, who taught P.E. at Sam Houston Middle School from 1989 until 2017.