Located at Naval Station Great Lakes, Forrestal Elementary School serves a diverse student population from both military and non-military families. Its sustainable and inclusive design places the library and dining area at the school’s core. The library, open to the heart of the school, provides a welcoming environment, encouraging students to embrace the joy of reading. The dining experience provides a setting that is more intimate, restorative, and non-institutional, enhancing both physical and mental well-being for students. An outdoor town square acts as an arrival area, fostering a sense of community among students and their families from the moment they arrive.

Located on Navy property, Forrestal Elementary School receives funding through the Public School on Military Installations (PSMI) program. This program provides 80 percent of the funding from the federal government, while the remaining 20 percent comes from the local school district, which also owns and operates the building. As part of the PSMI program, the school meets numerous complex requirements, including the Navy’s Antiterrorism/Force Protection standards, which involve a progressive collapse structural system and blast-resistant glazing. Additionally, the building materials conform to the Build America, Buy America Act.

Sustainable design strategies are featured throughout the new school to dramatically reduce operating costs and enhance the learning environment. These measures are achieved in part through minimizing energy consumption while also maximizing on-site sustainable energy production with geothermal wells and solar panels mounted on the roof and over parking areas.