The culmination of master planning recommendations and current Missoula County Public Schools elementary school programming, this new K-5 school reflects community identity through both the form and functionality of its design. In effectively designing a school to accommodate 500 students, it was vital to gain insight into the school’s impact on residents and school staff. A&E Design established an Education Innovation Team to provide guidance throughout all phases of the design project and tasked members with community outreach.

The resulting design created ample classroom space for each grade level, accommodating a variety of teaching modalities and enabling breakout learning opportunities. The school boasts a flexible learning lab, STEAM lab, gymnasium, commons, library, and music classrooms. Site planning allowed for walkability, controlled traffic flow, and increased overall safety.

Through strategic planning and community engagement, this project achieved the creation of a functional, sustainable, and student-centered learning environment.