Predicting future construction is no easy task. It takes strategic planning, research and a fair amount of risk when putting a construction plan into action.
Funding, in particular, is always a key ingredient to futuristic facility planning, which can be equally difficult to forecast at times. So what do the best organizations do when planning for future construction while being good stewards of finances?
Nixa Public Schools uses a strategy that could be compared to the homebuilders who are trying to create the house of their dreams in the location of their dreams on a budget that is not as dream-like. For example, they might construct a walkout basement home with the main floor completely finished and leave the basement unfinished. The savings on flooring, drywall and finishes may be just what the couple needs to move in. Then, after a few years when the finances aren’t as tight, the couple decides to have children. They decide to finish the basement. The family enjoys the new living space while being thankful they did not miss the opportunity of building the home of their dreams in a prime location.
As a taxpayer-funded organization, Nixa Public Schools implements a similar strategy with construction. The district had approximately 3,500 students in the 2000-01 school year. Since then, Nixa Public Schools has grown to 6,000 students, and it has become necessary to construct new buildings and remodel existing structures. The Nixa community rallied behind the school district, passing several bond elections to pay for construction throughout those 15 years. In order to plan for the rate of growth while at the same time getting the most bang for the taxpayer’s buck, Nixa utilized a construction strategy to build the design of the school with some unfinished space so that as the student population grew and funding was available the space could be completed.
Three schools are now experiencing the benefits of this strategy: High Pointe Elementary, Summit Intermediate and Nixa Junior High.
High Pointe, which serves over 480 students, was constructed in 2006 with six unfinished classrooms and an unfinished bathroom area.
This summer, one of the final classroom shells will be finished to alleviate overcrowding, and the bathroom space will be completed.
At Summit, which was constructed in 2010 and has Nixa’s highest elementary enrollment, additional unfinished shells are to be completed. This will provide much needed space at a school where one classroom was housed in the teacher workroom last year.
Building for the future can be tricky business. Predicting growth and being strategic with finances play critical roles. With student enrollment on a steady climb, the Nixa school district will continue implementing unfinished space with new construction. It’s proven to be an effective strategy to maximize dollars, while putting students in less crowded spaces.
Kevin Kopp is executive director of elementary education for Nixa Public Schools. He can be reached at kevinkopp@nixaschools.net.
