The following is a list of frequently asked questions to provide answers to the most commonly asked questions related to this type of planning effort. As we begin to gather input from the community, this list will be amended.
What is a comprehensive facilities master plan?
A comprehensive facilities master plan is a document that communicates a strategy to address the need for facility improvements and capital investments that will support current and future educational programs in a school district. This plan is comprehensive because an array of variables are considered in the decision-making process to develop a plan that will meet the overall needs of the district, including the facility condition needs, the educational program, demographic patterns, community needs, and financial availability. A consensus is established throughout the district by an extensive community engagement process. Through this process, the stakeholders in the community are able to weigh-in on the important decisions regarding their local schools, and the district as a whole. Since the stakeholders in a district are the day-to-day users of the schools, this aspect is essential in order to create an authentic and meaningful plan.
Why is a master plan important to the school system?
A comprehensive facilities master plan is important because it establishes the long range vision of the district and outlines a road map for how to achieve the goals and objectives. Without a master plan, facilities improvements cannot properly be budgeted and scheduled.
What factors led to the need for a master plan?
A grass roots effort led by the League of Women Voters and the Community Coalition prompted the school board to undertake this effort. The school board recognized that the district’s facilities were aging and some were reaching the end of their useful life. There was also an acknowledgement that most are now outdated for today’s teaching and learning methods with inadequate technology and infrastructure to support it. In order to efficiently and effectively make improvements, the board agreed that a clear vision of the future was necessary to guide the necessary improvements.
What elements are addressed in the master plan?
The master planning effort looks at the existing condition of school facilities, district-wide demographic forecasts, and educational standards to formulate a plan that will ensure that the needs of all students are met for years to come. The plan incorporates the social, political, economic, psychological, and physical perspectives into a single vision to prioritize the overall needs of the school district.
Who is conducting the planning process?
The board has contracted with a team of local professionals led by CSRS, Inc. out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The team includes CSRS, Architects Southwest, Planning Alliance, M&E Consulting, Futch Design Group, McKee & Deville, and McKibben Demographics Research.
Why is the school system using consultants to help with the master planning process?
The school board recognized that although existing staff can provide input into the planning process and provide valuable institutional data for consideration, the comprehensive master planning process must be done by professionals with the experience needed to accomplish such a major endeavor. The wide range of expertise necessary to properly conduct such a planning effort is beyond the personnel normally employed by a school system. Staff are, and should be, focused on Education.
What is the timeline for completion of the master plan?
The current schedule shows the master plan being completed in May 2010 for formal adoption by the School Board.
How can I give input to the planning of my school?
There are several opportunities to provide input into the planning process. The team will hold a series of community wide dialogs in which community input will be gathered. The dialog meetings include topics such as, visioning, sharing of data, and discussion of site-based facility options, and the district-wide Master Plan.
How can interested parties participate in the process?
Anyone interested in participating in the planning process is welcome to participate in any number of ways. In addition to the community dialog meetings, the planning team would welcome volunteers to participate as a Key Communicator. The role of a Key Communicator is to serve as a catalyst for the distribution of information to their constituent groups. The Key Communicators will be involved throughout the process and will serve as a small group facilitator during each Community Dialogue. These individuals will be well-versed on the data gathered by the master planning team, and will be asked to share this information throughout their community.
Will the master plan change where my child goes to school?
The master plan in itself will not deal with district boundaries. However, the master plan may identify a need to revisit the quantity of schools in the various areas throughout the district. The demographer’s findings will be presented during the Key Communicator Meetings and the Community Dialogues. The attendees will have the opportunity to provide feedback of the effect that the demographic projections have on the comprehensive facility master plan.
How long will it take to implement the master plan?
The master plan is a long range vision of where the community would like to see school facilities ten years in the future. The implementation of the plan will relate directly to the financial ability of the school system to fund projects. It will be up to the community to determine the level of financial support undertaken for implementation of the plan.
What will the implementation of the master plan cost?
At this time, there is no dollar value assigned to the implementation of the master plan. The planning process will determine the overall cost of achieving the desired goals and objectives of the system. The community will determine how much each phase of the implementation will cost.