In August 2021, Desert Canyons Elementary School opened its doors to new futures for hundreds of little Aviators, who celebrated the completion of their new elementary school with an airplane flyover. The Aviator mascot was inspired by the school’s aviation industry ties and proximity to the St. George airport – a special relationship evidenced throughout the school’s design.

The school’s arched entryway mimics the curvature of the surrounding dusty red hills from the outside, while from the inside, the roof’s structure overhead seems to echo the curved ceiling of an airplane hangar. Built to serve up to 800 students, the 55,650-square-foot school was designed with ample room for growth – a must for the burgeoning Southern Utah community that lies just north of the Utah-Arizona border. Constructed from tilt-up concrete panels, Desert Canyons Elementary was designed as a prototype for the Washington County School District and features 25 classrooms in wings that surround centralized shared administration, gym, cafeteria, and media areas.

Construction of the school began in April 2020 and was finished in June 2021, resulting in a modern, innovative educational facility designed for students to communicate new ideas, navigate new paths with confidence, and above all, soar to new heights.