We ask our schools to do a lot on a tight budget: Invest in new technology, adapt to national standards, keep teachers and staff happy, maintain discipline, collaborate with other schools, mentor teachers—the list goes on. Little wonder, then, that maintaining the school building itself falls near the bottom of the priority list.

However, the learning environment is fundamentally important to student success. When it underperforms, so do our students. What’s more, overspending on a poorly ventilated and/or uncomfortable learning environment is the worst of both worlds.

If better buildings make for better students, how should cash-strapped schools prioritize and actualize more energy-efficient school facilities?

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For many K-12 districts, the last day of school for students doesn’t necessarily mean the buildings are taking an extended recess. Instead, it marks the kickoff of a busy construction season that relies on superintendents, building operators, project engineers, construction managers, commissioning agents and many others to collaborate on anything from a boiler replacement to a major remodel—and have it completed in less than 12 weeks before classes are back in session.

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One of the great pleasures of McKinstry’s work in the Great Lakes region is working with K-12 school districts every day. Unfortunately—due to budget pressures caused by increasing costs and declining state funding—we find these districts are too-often forced to delay necessary improvements to their school facilities. Accordingly, we often work with districts to find alternative funding sources for much-needed facility and infrastructure upgrades that aim to improve the learning environment.

Project delays due to inadequate funding often lead to costly emergency repairs. Even worse, such delays can further a public perception that a district doesn’t plan or maintain their facilities properly. Most vitally, though, these delays can have an adverse effect on classroom effectiveness.

So, how can school districts avoid disastrous delays while also staying within their budget constraints? McKinstry has the answer!

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