Johns Hill Magnet School

Decatur PSD #61 | Decatur, Illinois
<h2>Johns Hill Magnet School </h2>

Through its BOLD Facilities Plan, Decatur Public Schools worked to create 21st-century learning environments. Johns Hill Magnet School, a K-8 facility, features a 750-seat auditorium, 672-seat gym, Art Alley, Learning Stair, and STEAM Suite for grades 6-8. The school's focus on arts integration and English-Language learner curricula further enhances the student experience.

Photos: O'Shea Builders

Features
  • K-8 school
  • 750 seat auditorium
  • 672 seat gymnasium
  • Art alley
  • Learning stair
  • ​STEAM suite for 6-8
The Challenge

The team had to create spaces that would spark K-8 students' creativity, despite a tight budget and growing enrollment.

The Solution

A cutting-edge, arts-focused facility on our existing site, designed to inspire generations of students to discover, nurture, and share their talents and cultural expression with the world.

Bringing a gallery feel to the outdoors, Art Alley fuels students to let their creative juices flow and get messy.

Student-artists display their masterpieces in the open, accessible gallery for the community, bringing arts directly to the revitalized neighborhood. The alley also serves as an innovative and secure second-floor entry point for staff and the community, helping the flow of traffic for multiple events happening simultaneously.