The New Bethel Park Elementary School
The new Bethel Park elementary school supports students in grades K–5 through a safe, thoughtfully designed building layout. It features flexible seating, collaborative breakout spaces, outdoor learning environments, and functional classrooms that strengthen the student-teacher relationship.
DRAW Collective recently toured the new facility in depth while it was still under construction, with several areas nearing completion. The school is set to open for the 2026–27 school year. Its nature-inspired design creates a colorful, creative, and welcoming environment for all students.
A Safe & Welcoming Entrance
The new elementary school sits on a newly developed campus designed specifically for this building. The main entrance serves both parent drop-off and visitor access. It includes a secure vestibule with security staff offices positioned at the entrance. Inside, a two-story ceiling and abundant natural light welcome visitors—a design feature carried throughout the building.
Large Group Instruction (LGI) and the Gymnasium
Just beyond the secure vestibule, a large, two-story LGI space hosts school assemblies and small performances, accommodating up to 300 people.
To serve students across multiple grade levels, the design team created two gymnasium experiences. For older students, they included a traditional elementary gym. For younger students, they designed a smaller “slim” gym with lower ceilings, added padding, and lowered basketball hoops to better suit their needs.
Cafeteria & Libraries
The cafeteria accommodates all five grade levels with an open-concept layout divided into two sections—one for lower grades and one for upper grades. Each dining area connects directly to separate playgrounds for grades K–2 and 3–5. Because of its size, the team paid special attention to acoustics. They incorporated leaf-shaped acoustic panels (not pictured) and extended the exterior cultured stone into the space to reinforce the nature-inspired theme.
To support different reading levels and learning needs, the school includes two libraries. The primary library features a smaller, playful design with animals, cartoons, and soft colors for younger students. The secondary library offers a larger space with expanded seating and teaching areas for older students.
The Classroom Wings
Wayfinding was an important element for the new elementary school’s design. Between the building size, just under 300,000 square feet, and young students learning their way around the school, having the proper signage is imperative to the building’s accessibility.
Keeping with the nature park theme, the DRAW Collective team worked with teachers and staff members to determine the best route for the students’ wayfinding. For every two grades, there is a coordinating color, shape, and nature element. For kindergarten and first grade on the ground floor, the classrooms, corridors, and design elements feature triangles, blue accents, and ferns; the second- and third-grade wing on the first floor is designed with circles, yellow accents, and dandelions; and the fourth and fifth-grade wing on the second floor is designed with diamonds, green accents, and pinecones. Each grade has a designated color used in the classrooms to help students distinguish the two grades within the wing.
For every grade, classrooms are designed to support the student-teacher relationship by providing a large, open space that promotes mobility, accessibility, and flexibility. The kindergarten classrooms have a connecting Jack-and-Jill-style bathroom to maintain student safety and security.
21st Century Learning at the New Elementary School
The design team maximized every square foot of the building to support diverse learning styles and needs. Students can use breakout spaces to decompress, meet in small tutoring nooks, or gather in flexible seating areas along the main street.
Outdoor classrooms in the courtyard give students hands-on learning opportunities in nature. Features like a rainwater basin and a native-species pond support STREAM education and encourage curiosity.
The new Bethel Park elementary school stands as a strong example of 21st-century learning in a K–12 environment. DRAW Collective combined expertise and creativity to create a space that supports not only daily learning but also collaboration, connection, and community.
The school is scheduled to open in September 2026, with an Open House planned for the community at a later date.