Lawton Elementary School, MI

Lawton Elementary School’s campus had been in use for more than 60 years. In addition to structural wear and tear, its traditional desks and chairs were inflexible, mismatched, and often in need of repair. To support their mission to create a safe and inspiring 21st century learning community, the school needed to bring 22 classrooms up to date and find modern furnishings to complement the renovation.

One major area of concern for Lawton Elementary School teachers was the size of the classrooms. They worried the spaces would not be large enough to fit the required number of desks comfortably while still allowing the freedom to reconfigure for individual, small-group, and large-group learning.

With this in mind, the Demco team used uniquely shaped desks sized for K–5 students to minimize wasted space and maximize the number of individual workspaces that can be spread throughout the room. Because of the thoughtful design, they can be comfortably configured for groups of up to six. Casters make it easy to rearrange between classes or from one activity to the next.

In each of the K–5 and special education classrooms, desks are paired with a variety of flexible seating to enable student choice. Students can sit facing any direction in fun four-position chairs, which are offered in three heights and color-coded to make finding the right fit easy. If children don’t want to sit in a traditional chair, they can choose a versatile wobble stool to burn energy without disrupting class. Each of these desk-height stools can be disassembled into three shorter seats for story time and other floor-level work. In the alternative high school classroom, seats with flexible backs allow gentle movement for all-day comfort.

For the teachers, each of the new spaces features both a small desk and a mobile sit-to-stand station, allowing them to move freely around the classroom and adjust their teaching style as needed — including getting down to a student’s level for individual instruction. Chairs with patented tilt technology support ergonomic alignment that is more comfortable than a standard seat.

In addition to maximum flexibility, Lawton wanted furniture durable enough to last into the future, a modern aesthetic to match the building’s new floor and finishes as well as the other classrooms on campus, and mobile storage options to house everything they need throughout the day.

Grounded in proven best practices for effective and engaging learning environments, the new 21st century Lawton Elementary School is poised to achieve the district’s mission to educate and inspire all children to reach their potential for decades to come.

Chris Rice, Superintendent of Lawton Community Schools, says schools with similar needs should consider Demco for the following reasons:

• The convenience of a single partner from the early stages of the project through installation and beyond
• Designs that are informed by a deep understanding 21st century modes of learning
• The opportunity to sample selected products before purchase
• Responsible spending of taxpayer funds through budget-friendly solutions
• Quick delivery and installation fully facilitated by the Demco team, making on-time completion possible