Project Details:
In 2018 DCS worked with Springfield School District RE4 (SSD) to develop a Facility Action Plan to address very immediate safety and security concerns. The Action Plan was used to support a 2019 BEST Grant application that resulted in an award to address immediate concerns and later become the catalyst for the district to embark on a campus-wide program. Later in 2019, DCS and RTA Architects began the process of augmenting the Action Plan to develop a full facility Master Plan.
SSD was operating within 12 separate learning facilities that students and staff had to travel between throughout the school day. DCS and RTA Architects completed a facility assessment, collected facility data from various sources and generated budget recommendations. During this process DCS and RTA evaluated each facility with safety & security, ADA accessibility, educational adequacy, and building infrastructure/systems as the primary tenants.
All 12 campus buildings were identified as operating well beyond their useful life. Additionally, the disjointed nature of the campus was identified as a major safety and security risk. DCS helped create consensus around a plan to consolidate all freestanding district facilities with the existing Jr./Sr. High School. This approach would raze the 1940’s era Elementary School, library and separate freestanding preschool and kindergarten buildings.
DCS and RTA assisted SSD in the development of a second BEST Grant application to support funding for the consolidation of the district into one facility. SSD was awarded a BEST Grant in Spring 2020 for a total of $34M. DCS supported SSD during the 2020 local bond campaign that successfully generated $6M in matching funds. DCS and RTA are currently working with SSD on the resulting campus consolidation project with an anticipated completion of June 2024.
