A New Space for North Philadelphia Students

New year, new school! Nearly 200 students from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade returned from winter break to a momentous occasion: the opening of the newly renovated Thomas M. Peirce Elementary School.

Replacing its former century-old building, the $44 million, 77,000-square-foot facility is a beacon of hope and progress for the North Philadelphia community.

T.M. Peirce Elementary is an educational milestone, as the first School District of Philadelphia elementary school built in North Philadelphia in over seven decades. The three-story facility features brick, metal panel, and curtain wall systems, built to reflect the residential scale of the neighborhood.

Crafted with both innovation and sustainability in mind, the school is a LEED Gold certified project, showcasing a commitment to modern, environmentally conscious design.

The building features 21st century learning environments with enhanced natural lighting and flexible classroom furniture for collaborative work.  An Integrated Media Center (IMC) overlooks the gymnatorium which doubles as a space for physical education and events. The outdoor schoolyard includes play equipment along with half a basketball court and a track trail.

Community involvement played a significant role in shaping the school’s design.

“The community and children were involved in every step of the process. The building that we were in, our original building, was over a hundred years old. It was very outdated and antiquated. To come into a 21st century space is exciting.”

Principal Anthony Gordon

T.M. Peirce Elementary stands as a testament to the community’s resilience and commitment to providing children with a safe, inviting space to learn and grow.

The new facility is more than a building—it’s a symbol of renewal and opportunity for North Philadelphia.