Ruth Ann Monroe Primary School
Relieving district-wide growth
Faced with rapid enrollment spikes across southeastern Hagerstown, Washington County Public Schools hit a critical tipping point with four elementary schools operating well over capacity.
To solve the bottleneck, the district developed a two-school campus concept at the existing Eastern Elementary site.
Construction of the new Ruth Ann Monroe Primary School created a dedicated home for 695 students in pre-K through second grade, allowing the original Eastern building to be converted into an intermediate school for grades 3-5, relieving overcrowding.
Small-community grade houses
To keep a large primary school from feeling overwhelming to young learners, the floor plan divides the student body into three distinct grade-level houses.
Each house brings together nine general classrooms, a special education room, and dedicated spaces for teacher planning, itinerant staff, and enrichment. Grouping classrooms this way promotes team-teaching strategies while giving students a tight-knit, approachable home base.
Centralized hub with community access
The grade-level wings wrap around a central core housing the media center, cafeteria, gym, music rooms, and art studios.
Placing these shared spaces in the middle minimizes hallway travel times and cuts down on student foot traffic.
As an added bonus, security doors allow the district to lock down the academic wings during evenings and weekends while opening the central gym and support areas for public community use.