Bloomington schools embark on district-wide facilities planning

May 22, 2009

Bloomington Public Schools has begun a comprehensive facilities planning process to determine how the district and its facilities will best meet future global, societal and educational challenges.

A 33-member team of staff, parents, business leaders and community residents has begun work on an ambitious plan to develop a financially feasible facilities plan to support and enhance the delivery of educational programs and services for students. The last major facilities plan was prepared 10 years ago.

The Facilities Planning for Success process is expected to conclude with a series of recommendations in October. The recommendations must be aligned with the District’s Strategic Plan, and will address educational facility plans for the next five years and a timeline of major benchmark dates. District officials say this work and its outcomes are not precursors for a capital tax levy campaign for new or renovated buildings.

“This is an ambitious process that enables us to understand and properly acknowledge what the District is already doing well and building upon those accomplishments,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Nancy Allen-Mastro, who is leading the planning group.

The Facilities Planning Team will meet twice a month throughout summer, and then develop scenarios to be presented to parents and community residents in late September for feedback. Final recommendations will be presented to the Board of Education in early October, with a proposed final approval scheduled for late October.

“Our timeline allows us to make any changes to school schedules and begin the planning process for what revised schedules or educational programs might look like in the 2010-11 school year,” said Allen-Mastro.

The Facilities Planning for Success process is modeled after the District’s recent Budgeting for Success long-range financial planning process that received high public praise for its comprehensive and inclusive approach.

A special Facilities Planning for Success web site is available, and contains presentations and minutes from each Facilities Planning Team meeting, as well as related information to help keep the public informed of the team’s progress and work. The web site is www.bloomingtonschools.info/facilitiesplanning.