McKinley Architecture and Engineering believes a school building is more than a place for our children to attend classes, but it is an integral part of the community and should reflect its values and spirit.

That is why the 55,432 SF Milton Elementary School for Cabell County Schools is designed differently from other schools. We designed a school to meet the unique needs and desires of the Milton community. Cabell County Schools did not want the normal brick and mortar building, they wanted something that would blend into the site. The desire was a “Lodge” themed building design. McKinley captured this image by using a timber framed canopy out front and a wood look fiber cement siding for the building. The theme continues into the front lobby with wood beams on the ceiling.

But community does not just happen outside the school. We designed special places for the students to interact and learn how to have a good relationship with each other and live in a community. The corridors widen out in places to create a place for students to gather and for activities outside the classrooms. The Media Center is central to the school and features folding partitions that allow the space to expand. The interiors are colorful and full of light.

The outside of the building is a mixture of stone, and siding of natural colors. When you are inside, the walls are white with blue and they have wider hallways and classrooms, which is something that the teachers had requested.

McKinley was able to provide a larger gym space for community use by using a partition that separates the activity spaces from the cafeteria during school hours, but can open after hours or for special events.

The 2-story building was designed to accommodate over 450 K-5 students, with the possibility of a Pre-Kindergarten addition in the future.

The building was originally planned to be on the site of the existing Milton Elementary, but because the site was in an existing flood plain a new site had to be found. After a six-month search, a new site was found on Newmans Branch Road. Even with this delay, the project schedule remained the same. At that point, the McKinley Team completed the design and generated construction documents – which usually takes 6 months – in only 1 and a half months to meet the schedule requirements. The project was below the contract price and was completed on schedule.

A Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony was held on December 17, 2024.