Design Goals

• To create environmental classroom spaces using the natural spaces surrounding the Sloan Campus (streams, trees, wetlands, etc.)

• To create outdoor recreation spaces for both student and community usage (trails, fishing areas, gardens, etc.)

• To utilize natural light throughout both buildings to enhance learning environment and reduce energy costs

• To utilize modern and green HVAC, lighting, plumbing, and building technologies to create resource efficiencies and long-term operational savings

Traditional classrooms often lack the necessary space and resources for students to participate in real-world learning projects. Therefore, Innovation Centers and STREAM classrooms will be conveniently located throughout the renovated K-2 primary school building and the new grades 3-5 intermediate school building to ensure equitable access to resources and collaborative spaces for all students and classrooms.   

In addition to enabling Franklin Regional to offer students STREAM focused courses specializing in Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STREAM) in STREAM classrooms, the Innovation Centers and STREAM classrooms will better enable teachers in other contact areas to provide our students with engaging hands-on and minds-on learning experiences.  The existing Newlonsburg, Heritage, and Sloan Elementary school buildings currently have limited to no classroom spaces equipped to support these educational experiences which is restricting the ability of the teaching staff to provide these specialized learning experiences that are so vital to a 21st-century world class education. 

The newly designed Innovation Centers and STREAM classrooms for the K-5 grades will be larger than any currently available spaces in the existing Sloan, Newlonsburg, or Heritage buildings. These specially-designed spaces will appropriately replicate how students will collaborate and work in the future. These areas are designed to support the meaningful integration of content-specific equipment, various digital resources, interactive/flexible furniture, and other technological tools, while students collaborate to solve real-world problems and develop new and innovative ideas.  For instance, students will engage in the study of additive manufacturing (3D Printing), computer programming, electronic circuitry, Hummingbird Robotics Kits, LEGO MINDSTORM Robotics kits, virtual reality, and other STREAM concepts. 

Both elementary facilities will feature dedicated spaces designed to support the creative, performing, and visual arts.  Individual classrooms will be designed so that teachers can successfully facilitate individualized, small group, and whole class instruction.   

In addition, each building will provide a larger performance venue that will accommodate entire grade level and general public performances.  Through strategic and creative design, these larger spaces will also support multi-class academic learning experiences, academic competitions, community gatherings, and other school and community-related events.

Whether the students need small-group music lessons, a venue to rehearse for larger performances, a space to work with a visiting artist, or a facility to host a regional academic competition, our newly designed elementary school buildings will be able to support these critical instructional needs.

Our three current elementary schools were designed and constructed prior to the passage of the original legislation to protect individuals with disabilities in 1975. Since the passage of this groundbreaking legislation, Congress approved many bills that ensure ALL students are afforded a free and appropriate public education.  In addition to various special education services (learning support, life skills, autistic support, etc.), modern schools are now also charged with providing other critical services such as school counseling, English Language Learner programs, gifted education, mental health services, occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, and Title I services.

The fundamental objective of these legislative actions is to ensure that children with disabilities or other students who may face specific barriers to learning are afforded the same opportunity for an education as students who do not have a disability or face learning challenges. Due to these additional legal obligations and the evolution of educational best practice, the demand for inclusive and strategically-designed school facilities also evolved since our buildings were originally designed and constructed.

The newly renovated and constructed elementary buildings will provide spaces optimally designed to support the educational needs of ALL students. These locations will house equipment or resources that meet the specific learning needs of our students who face learning challenges or barriers to success.

In addition to creating specialized space for the delivery of these critical services, the design of the buildings will also offer new logistical benefit to our students and staff.  These specialized educational support classrooms and instructional extension areas will be located in close proximity to each respective grade level. Thereby, this strategic design will increase instructional time and efficiency by reducing the need for students to travel to remote locations in the school building for the purpose of receiving support services.