Board approves up to $61,050 contract with Architecture for Education for updated facilities master plan

The La Canada Unified School District governing board approved an agreement with Architecture for Education (A4E) for facilities master planning services not to exceed $61,050. The board authorized the contract at the meeting, with funding to come from Measure LCF bond funds.

Assistant Superintendent Melissa Shepherd told the board the district issued an RFP, received four proposals and interviewed firms. The recommended firm, Architecture for Education, previously worked with the district on the 2017 master plan and on projects such as the college and career center. Melissa said the selected firm “is familiar with our facilities” and can begin outreach promptly. She described the scope as data gathering, needs assessment, community engagement, visioning and conceptual planning for each site to prioritize remaining bond funds and identify other improvements needed to extend the life of facilities.

Board members discussed timeline and outreach. Melissa and others said the architects could complete community outreach before the end of the school year, write the plan over the summer, and present a final plan for board adoption early in the next school year. A steering committee model like the 2017 process — a small staff committee plus an 8–10 member citizen steering committee — was described as the anticipated outreach structure.

A motion to approve the contract passed. The meeting record shows the board intends to start the work immediately and use the resulting plan to inform any future bond planning or prioritization of remaining Measure LCF funds.