Beasley Lower School Renovations

We are preparing for an ambitious future for the MICDS Beasley Lower School campus. For nearly 75 years, our Lower School has steadfastly served the youngest learners on our campus. The buildings have grown and changed over the decades, and it is time for growth once again. After careful deliberation and planning, the MICDS Board of Trustees has reviewed and approved the preliminary designs for a renovation and expansion of the Beasley Lower School. Learn more about the exciting renovations by visiting this web page and reading below!

Please bear in mind that, while these designs have been extensively reviewed and approved by numerous stakeholders, focus groups, administrators, and Trustees, future alterations may be required to accommodate discoveries during our planning process or modifications requested by Ladue officials. We do expect, however, that the major design elements they depict will be realized in the completed project.

"We aspire to nothing less than the creation of a learning environment for elementary-aged students that reflects the caliber of our extraordinary faculty and curriculum and that becomes a shining example for educational excellence in our region."
Jason Brauer ’94 and Jay Rainey
Board of Trustees Chair and Head of School

renderings

View renderings, project goals, and details.

Glimpse how students will benefit from the following renovations.

Lower School Entry

A beautiful and vibrant Lower School entrance facing Warson Road will assert the presence of the Beasley Lower School alongside its Middle and Upper School counterparts. A dedicated main doorway off Carpe Diem Drive will be flanked by the new dining pavilion to the south and our current Beasley classroom hallway to the north. Additionally, even the pavement is slated for improvement, with plans for smoother and more efficient carpool routines and parking accommodations. Carpool lanes will be modestly expanded to ease congestion, and the adjacent bank of parking spaces will be separated from the vehicle lanes and reversed, making it easier and safer for parents to park and then exit while dropping off and picking up their children.

View of Dining Hall from Outside, looking North

Welcome and Waiting Area

Beasley Lower School’s dedicated entrance will be designed to welcome current and prospective families with warmth and comfort. Large windows will allow natural light to pour in, and offices for both Lower School administrators and Admission staff, as well as meeting and testing rooms, will be conveniently located on the perimeter.

Dining Pavilion

The new Beasley Lower School dining pavilion and adjacent servery will be a beautiful, light-filled space offering versatile functionality. Fourteen round tables will preserve the community feel during lunch and will be removable to nearby storage to allow 252 chairs to be set up, theater-style, for special events. The servery and kitchen will be separate from the dining room to facilitate efficient food service, and floor-to-ceiling windows will invite views toward our lovely south campus buildings and lawns. On beautiful days, a covered patio will beckon outdoor dining.

Library and Atrium

The library and new learning commons will sit at the heart of our enhanced Beasley Lower School. What is now the dining room will be transformed into a learning space that includes, yes, books, but also a dedicated makerspace and discovery room, along with a reading nook and areas for classroom work and group study. Our Beasley readers will access the library and learning commons through a bright atrium at the intersection of the administrative and Admission entry area, the dining pavilion, and the classroom hallway.

Junior Kindergarten Classroom

At the north end of the existing classroom hallway, a bright, shared space for junior kindergarten students will be designed and added solely with our littlest learners in mind. The oversized room will be scaled for small children, the entry corridor to which will feature interactive sensory pathways. Classroom resources will include facilities for dramatic play, building, and arts, and additional multisensory design elements. An adjacent outdoor classroom will offer even more opportunities for learning, complete with a tricycle track, mud kitchen, musical wall, shaded areas for quiet activities, and zones for constructive and dramatic play. The new junior kindergarten facility will also allow more direct and convenient playground access for students.

Logistics

Project Timeline, Logistics, and Communications

Estimated Timeline
Our goal is to begin preliminary construction work in March 2025, with a commitment to minimizing school-day impacts on students and faculty in the current academic year. Full construction will commence in early June and is projected to be completed in time for the beginning of the 2026-2027 year.
Impact on 2024-25 and 2025-26 School Years
We do not anticipate significant campus impacts or any class relocations before the completion of the current 2024-2025 school year, and careful planning to minimize such impacts in the 2025-2026 academic year is well underway. Some minor process changes will be required before the end of the current school year, mostly affecting late arrivals and early dismissals, which we will communicate to families at a later date. Also, we anticipate that all Lower School students will use current MICDS facilities throughout construction and that temporary learning facilities will not be required.

We are working diligently to minimize impact on students, parents, faculty, and staff as construction begins, and we are grateful for your shared patience and excitement as we embark on this new adventure.
Project Communications
Community Emails:
- - December 12, 2024 – Beasley Lower School Project Renderings email to full MICDS Community
  - October 4, 2024 – Initial announcement to full MICDS Community

We invite you to please reach out if you have any questions.