DISTRICT WIDE MASTER PLANNING
There are a number of different 'planning' models used by school districts:
- Strategic Plans
- Master Plans
- Needs Assessments
- Educational Specifications
All four models assist the district in analyzing where it is and where it is going. They provide a link between the school's mission and its policies. It is good to remember: "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you stand still."
Some school districts will have completed at least one of these "plans" before the decision to build, expand or remodel facilities. In fact, expanding or modernizing the school is often the outcome of such planning. Typically, groups of parents, teachers, administrators, members of the school board, and interested community members do this planning. Hiring a facilitator, skilled in assisting the district through this process, is recommended. Without an outside facilitator, the outcome may be driven purely by internal politics.
A Planning Team is the first team to be organized. If a plan exists, this team will review the document and update it as necessary. If it does not exist, this team will embark upon producing the elements of a plan deemed necessary to support the building of a school.
The goal of "Planning" is to develop consensus about the culture, goals, and processes to guide future decisions on educational issues. It allows the School district to do several important things:
- Control its future
- Maximize human and financial resources
- Develop and sustain a shared sense of direction
- Prepare for the next capital campaign
- Motivate the community to accomplish the objectives
- Improve public relations
- Develop standards to instill quality
The District planning team will be charged with the following:
- Developing a clear vision statement or mission statement that articulates the future goals of the community and the district
- Identifying the goals, objectives, and action steps necessary to fulfill that vision
Ultimately, the design of the project should be based on the goals developed through the planning documents.
Recommendations
- See the plan as a way of thinking, as an ongoing process. The plan is never perfect or complete.
- Keep it simple and manageable.
- Involve the district and community leadership in the process.
- Emphasize creativity, innovation, and imagination. Do not follow a set of planning steps blindly.
- Be certain that strategies developed can be implemented.
- Recognize that the "plan" is a tool to be used to implement the vision.
Educational Specifications
The planning team reviews or develops a set of educational specifications for the district. Together, the planning vision and the educational vision lead the design strategy for the school buildings. Traditionally, educational specifications have been split into two categories: the educational program and the building program. The educational program describes the curricula, learning support programs, activities, and persons to be served. It defines educational requirements and represents local community consensus on educational priorities.
The building program addresses the number of students to be housed and the number and types of spaces required. It describes the areas, spatial relationships, materials, and special features needed to support the educational program. The educational team is responsible for answering the following questions:
- What concepts and philosophies guide the school's curriculum and educational program?
- In what ways will the facility contribute to educational functions?
- How much flexibility can be provided to accommodate future needs?
- How can technology be incorporated into the educational plan?
- What concepts and philosophies guide the building design concepts and the building systems?
Recommendations
- Review the district mission statement and translate it into specific educational goals. List all the curriculum areas missing from the current program that fit into the district vision. Prioritize them.
- Map the current layout of educational spaces in the school (if it is a modernization project) and identify improvements. This could be a need for increased space, better adjacencies or a new type of space entirely.
- Make recommendations for interior and exterior environmental quality of learning spaces. Review current studies on daylighting, acoustics, air quality, and toxic materials Sustainable design experts can assist with this information.
- Determine the community assets that can support the curriculum both inside and outside the school borders. Identify types of spaces to support community programs.
Design Team
The design team consists of hired experts who will work with the Planning Team to review all the data and make the necessary decisions to move the project forward. The architect is the leader of the design team. They provide expertise to conceptualize the building so that it serves the educational program, fits into the community, and provides value for the board's investment. The architect selects or recommends the engineer and other consultants on the project. The architect assists the district in developing their teams and works with them to define the project goals. They have been through this process many times with many districts and can provide a proven structure to the project. The architect guides the project through to completion by assisting the school district with these issues:
- Program planning and design
- Cost estimating
- Site Selection
- Funding Sources
- State Agency documentation
- Engineering
- Special consultants
- Sustainable Design
- Construction Documents
- Bidding
- Construction
- Post Occupancy evaluation
- JoAnn Koplin
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