New Missouri Elementary Features Collaborative Spaces for Each Grade Level

Renderings and floor plans of a new elementary school were shared in the last Washington School District board meeting. The new, two-story elementary school will replace South Point Elementary and is funded by Prop S, a $26 million bond issue approved in April.

Bond Architects and Washington Engineering gave a presentation to board members on the project. The 78,000-square-foot building will be “angular with both rustic and industrial flair inside and out featuring a dynamic color scheme,” Superintendent Dr. Lori VanLeer, told a local newspaper. The school will feature collaborative spaces for each grade level with books available to check out in each space in addition to a library/makerspace with space for full class instruction and room to build projects.

Classrooms for kindergarten through second grade will be on the first floor with third through sixth grade on the second level. The gym, located on the main floor in the center of the building, will also be a storm shelter with adjacent bathrooms and a backup generator.

Construction bids will go out in early January and a contract will be awarded in late January or early February with construction beginning in the spring of 2020.

The new school is estimated to cost $23 to $24 million and slated to open in August 2021.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Hawaii Elementary School Reopens Following $25M Campus Modernization

    Haʻaheo Elementary School in Hilo, Hawaii, has reopened to students following a three-year, $25-million campus modernization and expansion project that significantly increases the school's instructional space while preserving one of the island's oldest educational institutions, according to local news.

  • Homewood-Flossmoor High School NetZero Addition

    Homewood-Flossmoor High School NetZero Addition

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Homewood-Flossmoor High School NetZero Addition has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Nashville Elementary School Receives LEED Gold Certification

    Goodlettsville Elementary School, part of Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tenn., recently achieved LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to a news release. The 81,750-square-foot school opened in 2023 and was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC).

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.