General Beadle Elementary

Rapid City, South Dakota

Firm

Neumann Monson Wictor Architects

Client

Rapid City Area School District No. 51-4

Area

98,444 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$11,539,025

Completion Date

08/2008

General Beadle Elementary is a replacement preschool-to-5 facility in a neighborhood with significant social and economic problems. The school and community studied programs, services and the facility location for two years.

The solution was to build a community school with enhanced education programs and shared community services, all at the existing school site.

Medical, dental and mental-health services are provided at an in-house clinic. The media center is shared with the city library. Other shared facilities include family education, evaluation and training spaces for outside agencies.

Classrooms are grouped around extended-learning areas accommodating multi-age, small and large groups. There are one-on-one remedial spaces for core subjects and two outdoor classrooms.

The school commons is near the main entrance to serve neighborhood and community functions.

Without available space to relocate students during construction, the existing building remained until students could move into the new school. That required a two-phase design and construction schedule. The second phase was completed after demolition of the existing building.