Wold partnered with St. Charles Community Unit School District (CUSD) #303 in 2019 to facilitate a Master Facility Planning effort. Following a community-driven planning process, our team delivered a comprehensive report prioritizing short- and long-term needs. In 2023, the District's review of enrollment patterns highlighted the need to shift program locations to address changing student populations. Following our recommendation of recommissioning an elementary school building for early childhood development, the Haines Center was selected to house the Early Childhood Program given the available space and site advantages. The renovation project, which was fast-tracked to allow for an early construction start and included a complete modernization of a dormant classroom wing, positioned the Haines Center as the new, dedicated home to early childhood learners.
The new location for the CUSD #303 Early Childhood Program has allowed repurposed space to align with the needs of pre-kindergarten students more effectively, offering age-appropriate environments and staff and parent spaces designed to accommodate specific interactions. The Haines Center offers a more central location than the previous early childhood site, giving parents an easier choice in selecting the District’s program over others for their children.
Although the Early Childhood Program leveraged available space within CUSD #303, a fresh view was taken to ensure program facility solutions were improved over the prior elementary school accommodations. Through the collaboration of the program and district facility leaders with Wold’s design team, concepts around appropriate space sizes, daylight opportunities, environmental controls, and playful color were explored to find the best options for a supportive environment. Parent and bus traffic movements were also carefully investigated to ensure student safety while considering several existing site influences.