Options for Flexible Learning Spaces

Mars Area School District is refining its plans for a proposed $23.9 million expansion project at Mars Area Elementary School.

On Nov. 6, Mark Scheller, principal architect with DRAW Collective, presented Mars Area School Board with options for creating flexible learning spaces within the new three-story classroom addition that is planned on the northwest corner of the building as well as in the existing building.

“It is really important to let (students) own a little bit more of their education and engage in a way that is not just in a classroom environment,” said Scheller, noting that this can be accomplished by utilizing hallways and otherwise unused areas to create a “tapestry of learning spaces” with resource rooms and project studios as well as learning steps and small group, work and focus areas. 

“There is a great opportunity in the building to create these spaces,” said Scheller. “The key thing here is flexibility and allowing spaces for various groups, from two to three to five to 12, to be used throughout the building.”

The overall project would include a new three-story addition on the northwest corner of the building. The Main Floor Level would have six dedicated kindergarten classrooms as well as two additional classrooms.

The Ground Floor Level would have nine classrooms, two additional learning spaces, and a new cafeteria/kitchen that would be able to accommodate approximately 330 students at a time. The Lower Floor level would have nine traditional classrooms and two special education spaces.

The project also includes extensive renovations to the school’s existing cafeteria/kitchen to convert the space into an enlarged STEAM classroom and a suite to house the school’s guidance offices.

The District is considering additional options for the project, which may include minor alterations to the school’s administration offices and nurse’s suite; a new building-wide public address system, a possible roof replacement; and additional parking, said Jon M. Thomas of Thomas & Williamson Program Management. As part of the project, all parking areas would be expanded and/or reconfigured and the Doc’s Way access road would be straightened to connect directly to the school’s main driveway on the eastern side of the campus.

The latest plans separate Doc’s Way from any the parking areas to avoid any restrictions to traffic flows, said Thomas. A new cross-site roadway planned along the southern edge of the campus will also keep the flow of traffic away from the parking areas.

Plans also include a new, separate parent drop-off/pick-up area along the front of the building in the area of the addition, said Thomas. And, the school’s playground would be relocated to the northeast portion of the campus and would include separate soft play and hard play areas.

Once the final designs for the project are complete and approved, construction is expected to begin in May 2025 and continue through Summer 2026, with the bulk of the work occurring during the summer months.

Mars Area School Board is expected to continue its discussion on the planned project at upcoming meetings. For more information, visit www.marsk12.org.

Mars Area School Board received its first look at interior plans for a proposed $23.9 million expansion project at Mars Area Elementary School.

The project would include a new three-story addition on the northwest corner of the building, said Mark Scheller, principal architect with DRAW Collective. The Main Floor Level would have six dedicated kindergarten classrooms as well as two additional classroom spaces.

On the Ground Floor Level, plans include a new cafeteria/kitchen that would be able to accommodate approximately 300 students at a time, said Scheller. The level would also have nine classrooms, along with two additional special education classrooms and “learning stairs” that would transition to a Lower Floor Level. The Lower Floor Level would have an additional nine classrooms as well as a learning support classroom and sensory room.

On the exterior of the building, the project would establish a new, separate parent drop-off/pick-up area along the front of the building in the area of the addition. And, a new cross-site roadway would be constructed along the southern edge of the school’s parking area.  

The Doc’s Way access road would be straightened to connect directly to the school’s main driveway on the eastern side of the campus and all parking areas would be expanded and/or reconfigured. The school’s playground would be relocated to the northeast portion of the campus and would include separate soft play and hard play areas.

Discussions are continuing on means to avoid any environmental impacts in the areas of the new construction, said Jon M. Thomas of Thomas & Williamson Program Management, noting that survey work is ongoing. The architect is reviewing requests and suggestions from building administrators and staff members regarding specific areas of the plans.  

Once the final designs for the project are approved, construction is expected to begin in May 2025 and continue through Summer 2026, with the bulk of the work occurring during the summer months.

Conceptual Design Summary

Mars Area School Board is reviewing conceptual designs for an approximately $23.9 million expansion project at Mars Area Elementary School.

The initial designs for the project include a two-wing addition at the northwest corner of the building, said Mark Scheller, principal architect with DRAW Collective. The designs include a two- or three-story classroom wing as well as a wing to house a new cafeteria/kitchen and, possibly, additional classroom space.

The project would establish a new, separate parent drop-off/pick-up area along the front of the building in the area of the addition. And, a new cross-site roadway would be constructed along the southern edge of the school’s parking area.

The Doc’s Way access road would be straightened to connect directly to the school’s main driveway on the eastern side of the campus and all parking areas would be expanded and/or reconfigured. In addition, the school’s playground would be relocated to the northeast portion of the campus.

These conceptual plans work in conjunction with the Elementary School’s existing elevations and avoid interfering with the wetlands to the north of the campus, said Jon M. Thomas of Thomas & Williamson Program Management. Once the final designs for the project are approved, construction would begin in May 2025 and continue through Summer 2026, with the bulk of the work occurring during the summer months.

Mars Area School Board is expected to continue to discuss the planned project at its upcoming meeting. For more information, call (724) 625-1518.