Essentials Magazine Essentials Fall 2019 | Page 17

Master Planning
Jordan Public Schools in Minnesota undertook a
master plan to analyze their existing facilities for
educational and operational efficiency, to work with
district and community stakeholders, and to develop
strategy to improve all facilities. As part of this effort,
Jordan Middle School was completely renovated,
resulting in updated learning environments for all
occupants.
©Brandon Stengel, courtesy of DLR Group
During my time working with
districts, I recognized that plans
are frequently born out of internal
and external user frustrations with
existing space and facility condi-
tions, compounded by on-going
requirements to prioritize projects
based on limited funding. Often
the most difficult task is planting
the seed internally to convince
leaders that the timing is right to
undertake a large and extremely
public planning process amidst
many other initiatives the district
may have on the docket. My expe-
rience has proven those district’s
that do recognize the need for a
plan, understand the basic master
plan concepts, and can link its
benefits back to other district goals
and initiatives, are often much bet-
ter positioned to know when and
how to start having the conversa-
tion with their stakeholders.
Common Challenges Facing
School Districts
Realizing potential issues be-
fore they escalate is essential in
the master planning process. This
proactive approach requires districts
to look at their facilities and grounds
holistically, and to understand how
facilities, curriculum, and funding
impact each other.
Some of the most common prob-
lems districts aim to solve through
facility master plans include space
utilization, capacity concerns, fund-
ing requirements, and educational
and operational changes.
• Space utilization is many times
the first indication of a potentially
larger enrollment issue within a
district, especially when designated
spaces are functioning other than
intended. Some of the challenges
I’ve observed include extra class-
rooms being used for storage, which
may signal a decline in enrollment,
or teachers forced to use carts for
mobile instruction, which typically
translates to enrollment growth. In
addition, mismatching classrooms,
such as using science classrooms for
language studies, depicts a change
in educational programming.
• Capacity struggles can be felt
either in a single building or dis-
trict-wide. Challenges at a local level
may be solved by adjusting school
boundaries to allow that building’s
enrollment to flux, while challenges
across the district are more complex.
An increase in overall enrollment
necessitates more space and more
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