The Leander ISD Board of Trustees has approved names for two new buildings, the Denise Geiger Compass Center and the Linda Lippe Instructional Materials Center.
After a thoughtful review of the nine unique name submissions, a committee recommended that the 18+ Transition Services Center be named after Leander ISD SPED Transition Services Senior Coordinator Denise Geiger.
Geiger has been an educator in Leander ISD for 32 years. She was the founder of Transition Services in the district and facilitated the creation of 18+ services. The program provides young adults, 18 to 22 years old, with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful transition into community and adult living. Under Geiger’s guidance, the program has grown from serving one student to 140 students yearly.
“We champion every student to have self-determination and independence, and she has dedicated her career to the belief that all students should have that opportunity to find their path and their true north in fulfilling their life to their highest level of independence. So we chose Denise not only to honor her dedication to this commitment but also to her years of education and her belief that all children can be the best that they can be,” said committee chair and 18+ Transition Services Team Leader Debbie Gauna.
The naming committee for the Science Materials Center carefully deliberated over seven unique submissions, and recommended that the building be named in honor of former Leander ISD Elementary Science Coordinator Linda Lippe, who created the vision for the SMC.
Lippe was an educator in Leander ISD for 31 years before retiring in 2015. She’s credited with introducing and pursuing the idea of creating ready-made science kits for all of the district’s elementary school classrooms. The kits provide students with hands-on learning and ensure that all students, regardless of campus or teacher, have access to the same quality science education and learning opportunities.
“Linda Lippe was a visionary and an innovator,” said Brenda Howard, Sr. Specialist of the Science Materials Center. “Her leadership transformed science teaching and learning and empowered teachers to put science in students’ hands. Naming this facility after Linda is a powerful way to honor her pioneering spirit and her unwavering commitment to science education.”
The committee recommended modifying Science Materials Center to Instructional Materials Center because of the evolving use for this new facility. It will be designed to store not just science materials but a broader range of instructional materials for ELA, math and secondary education as well.
The Denise Geiger Compass Center and Linda Lippe Instructional Materials Center will be located next to each other on the northwest corner of Lakeline Blvd. and New Hope Dr. in Cedar Park, which will further accommodate the work-based learning opportunities available to 18+ students at the Instructional Materials Center.
Both are scheduled to open in August 2025.
