LEWIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | NEW CONSTRUCTION
Location: Excelsior Springs School District
Size: 72,000 SF
cost: $29,500,000
As part of phase two of the long-range facility plan, the district moved forward with a no tax increase measure on the April 2023 ballot to allow for the replacement of the aging, 71-year-old Lewis Elementary School and the subsequent demolition of the existing building.
Located in the heart of Downtown Excelsior Springs, the existing Lewis Elementary School served the community well, however it exceeded its lifespan. The brand-new, two-story school is a site adaption of Cornerstone Elementary School, which iDS completed for the district in 2021. With a goal of maintaining consistent architectural vocabulary across all new and renovated district facilities, the new elementary school utilizes a similar floor layout while addressing unique site challenges – such as a landlocked downtown location and a relatively flat site, in contrast to Cornerstone’s upper-level entry and sloped terrain. Due to the site constraints, the Lewis floor plan reduces Cornerstone’s Core Learning Spaces from 26 to 24 total, and includes 4 Special Education spaces (3 resource, and 1 flex resource), computer lab, a counseling suite, and miscellaneous support facilities.
In the new Lewis Elementary, the administration and secure entry components shifted to the first level and are located directly adjacent to the cafeteria and gymnasium instead of the media center.
The new school features salvaged keepsakes from the existing building including graduated student portrait tiles and mosaic, a tiger monument sign and mural, and the old gymnasium flooring. Alongside the keepsakes, the halls of the new building are lined with informational wall graphics and display surfaces for new student work. The main entrance includes a large art installation and colorful lighting which the district has coined as the “beacon” of the city.
Simultaneously with Lewis Elementary, iDS also completed minor renovations at Cornerstone and Elkhorn Elementary Schools, Excelsior Springs Area Career Center, and Excelsior Springs High School football field improvements.
Lewis Elementary School was completed and opened during the 2024/2025 school year.