West Elementary School
By: Frances Putman
The Kalamazoo Christian School Association has been in operation for more than 125 years, providing Christian education for students in this city in southern Michigan. Currently, about 1,400 students are enrolled in the system’s three preschools, two elementary schools, middle school and high school, which are sprinkled across the Kalamazoo area.
In the late 1990s, the association operated three elementary schools and one high school. At the time, all three elementary schools were aging and in need of major renovation. Leaders contacted Tower Pinkster Titus Associates, a local architectural and engineering firm, to assist with master plan development, facility studies and preparation for a capital campaign.
Together, they came up with a plan to combine two of the three elementary schools into one, which would move to a more centralized location. The new school would be a K-5 elementary school, with one of the existing schools being renovated for a middle school. The other school building would be sold. The third elementary school would stay in its same location, but would undergo a nearly $2-million renovation.
Because the association has such a long history and each of the elementary schools had long been a part of the neighborhoods where they were located, there was some resistance to the idea of combining the schools and moving to a new location.
Tom Kloosterman, project manager at Tower Pinkster Titus Associates, was also a parent of children in the association schools, and he understood the concerns. He and association leaders from the beginning met with concerned parents, staff and donors to get their input.
“We were sensitive to their concerns,” said Kloosterman. “We talked to parents’ groups and staff to make sure there was plenty of buy-in. We worked hand-in-hand, together.”
In the meetings, long-term goals for the association were discussed, and, once everyone saw that their concerns were being addressed, most were willing to get on board and support the building plan.
Originally, the idea was to purchase 20 to 30 acres for the new elementary school. However, the association had the opportunity to purchase a 96-acre tract in a centralized location. The new elementary school was built on this property, and plans are to later add a middle school and possibly even a high school if needed.
West Elementary School is a 54,000-square-foot facility, including 17 classrooms, a separate preschool area, before-school and after-school care facilities, a resource room, and art, music and computer rooms.
A central lobby, with a vaulted clerestory ceiling, is an impressive entrance into the facility.
“This is one spot that everyone goes through everyday,” Kloosterman said. “It’s also the area where visitors come into the school. A nice first impression speaks well.”
In keeping with the history of the school, brick and block were chosen for the exterior of the building. Kloosterman said these signify the school’s stability and long history of providing a solid education. A light-gauge metal roof is topped with shingles.
The interior begins with load-bearing masonry construction. Porcelain tiles are used in the main lobby, with carpeting throughout the classrooms.
The building itself has a simple layout that is easy for children to understand. The main entrance is easily distinguishable, and the office is located just inside the entrance, making it simple for visitors to find. The school, which could accommodate nearly 600 students, also has a full-sized gymnasium in a compartmentalized area that can be accessed after school hours, without allowing access to the entire school. There isn’t a traditional locker room, but restroom facilities outside the gym have lockers installed.
“The gym is sized far beyond a typical elementary school, but this is part of a larger system, and the gym can be an after-hours practice site for middle school and high school students,” noted Kloosterman.
A folding stage, which comes out from one wall, transforms the gym into an assembly area. This is used not only by the school, but also by local churches for special events.
“One neighboring church used the gym when they were involved in a building project,” Kloosterman said. “Making it available to churches helps to encourage involvement.”
The school also has soccer and softball fields on site.
In a unique arrangement, local public schools provide transportation for students in Kalamazoo Christian School Association schools. Because the new property borders the line of two public school systems, both systems will transport children to and from the school by bus.
There is no cafeteria in the school, so children typically bring lunches and eat in their classrooms. However, local public schools also provide lunches for the children to purchase, if needed.
Because enrollment continues to increase at association schools, much care was taken in planning to allow for growth. West Elementary School was designed with wings, each of which could fairly easily be extended if necessary. Electrical and mechanical systems are powerful enough to withstand growth. Conduits, which are currently valved and capped, could easily be put into use.
Also, each of the classrooms, from preschool through fifth grade, was designed almost identically. This makes it easier to rearrange space for classes if changes are necessary in the future.
Kloosterman said schools considering a similar building project should recognize that a new school becomes a marketing tool for itself.
“Sometimes a new facility is necessary to solidify enrollment, and this project did that,” he said. “And, it brought in new people.”
He said it is important for schools to think beyond the initial cost of building and not try to do everything as inexpensively as possible. Using inferior materials or not designing for expansion may cost more in the long run.
“You have to have an eye beyond the initial enrollment,” he said. “This school has a much better financial projection than it did five or 10 years ago. Be wise with money.”
Tower Pinkster Titus Associates, www.tpta.com, is a full-service architecture and engineering firm that specializes in health care, K-12 education, higher education, industrial plants and government facilities.
Fast Facts
School: West Elementary School, part of the Kalamazoo Christian School Association
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Number of Students: 470
Grades Served: Preschool through Grade 5
Project Goal: Combine two existing K-8 schools into one larger K-5 school, with a separate preschool program, in a central location.
Description of Project: The Kalamazoo Christian School Association purchased 96 acres of property, and the new elementary school was the first phase of a long-range plan to add a middle school and possibly a high school on the property.
Size: 54,000 square feet
Cost: $6.14 million
The Challenge: The biggest challenges to this project were not “bricks and mortar” issues, but rather political concerns. The Kalamazoo Christian School Association has a long history in the community, and the two elementary schools were well-established in the neighborhoods where they were located. Some people resisted the idea of combining the two schools and moving to a new location. There were real concerns about a possible drop in enrollment or donor pull-out, which would have hurt the system financially.
The Solution: The school system and architectural firm worked closely with parents, staff and donors, addressing concerns at every level and giving everyone the opportunity for input. By increasing “buy-in” from these groups, the system was able to strengthen its financial standing and increase enrollment in the new location.
