Early Learning Center

Challenge

As one of the last districts in New York State offering half-day kindergarten, Shenendehowa Central School District sought to transition to a full-day program while accommodating approximately 500 kindergarten students. Mosaic conducted a comprehensive facilities assessment, evaluating options to meet the district’s long-term educational needs. When a three-story office building was donated for educational use, it presented a unique opportunity to transform the building into a dedicated Early Learning Center—creating space for full-day kindergarten, allowing for a future pre-kindergarten program, and freeing valuable classroom capacity within the district’s eight elementary schools.

Results

The renovation transforms 110,000 square feet of office space into Atrea, a purpose-designed Early Learning Center that supports full-day kindergarten while providing capacity for future growth. The facility features 41 kindergarten classrooms, including 10 designed to accommodate a future pre-kindergarten program, along with a library, art and music classrooms, two gymnasiums, a cafeteria, and dedicated spaces for health, speech, and student support services. Nature-inspired interiors—including a welcoming lobby and flexible learning spaces designed as indoor parks—create engaging environments for exploration, creativity, and play-based learning, while thoughtfully planned outdoor play areas and separated parent and bus circulation enhance safety and accessibility. Through the adaptive reuse of an existing building, the district creates a vibrant early childhood campus while expanding educational opportunities and creating capacity across its elementary schools.