Consultants from Turner, Townsend & Heery and DLR Group presented the results of a comprehensive facilities condition assessment (FCA) and a new learning environment guidelines (LEGs) guidebook to the Durham Public Schools Board on Thursday.

"Based on our assessment, Durham Public Schools facilities have a total 10‑year facility need of nearly $966,000,000," Jessica Killian, vice president at Turner and Townsend Heery, told the board. She added that about $539 million of the need is a current requirement: systems that have already exceeded expected useful life.

The consultants said their team walked every square foot of roughly six million square feet of district facilities and compiled the observations into a living Microsoft Access database the district can use for capital planning and project prioritization. The database includes system‑level inventories, remaining useful life estimates, priority ratings and cost estimates. Killian said the analysis factors in escalation (5% for the first three years, 7% thereafter) and that the $966 million figure represents total project costs for needed systems and installations.

Consultants presented several ways to view the condition data: background replacement costs, a 10‑year profile of needs by year, and facility condition index (FCI) scores by region and school type. They reported that many elementary and secondary buildings have immediate needs that represent more than half of their 10‑year replacement value. New Northern High School, by contrast, has a very low FCI because it is recently built.

Julie McLaurin, who led the district engagement work, said the LEGs were grounded in nearly 3,000 inputs gathered through student focus groups, principal interviews, educator surveys (more than 800 respondents), community surveys (about 1,700 responses), and subject‑matter workshops. Key principles that emerged include maintaining all schools in good condition, expanding hands‑on and real‑world learning, designing inclusive and universally accessible spaces, and improving restroom design and location for safety and dignity.

The LEGs provide model space programs for elementary, middle and high schools, adjacency diagrams, and room data sheets with finishes and equipment guidance. Consultants said the LEGs are intended to be a "North Star" for future capital projects so that new and renovated facilities are consistent with district values and community priorities.

The consultants said next steps include using the FCA database to produce a school‑by‑school capital improvement plan, grouping projects to achieve economies of scale, and coordinating with the county on funding strategies. Board staff said they will provide the full FCA database and the LEGs guidebook to the board and make both publicly available.

Ending note: The FCA and LEGs give the district a data‑driven starting point for capital planning; board members asked administration to break out immediate safety and life‑safety items for urgent attention and to return with a draft capital improvement plan.