Facilities ad‑hoc committee delivers guideposts for $1B‑plus district facilities plan, urges county and philanthropic partnerships
Summary
An ad‑hoc facilities liaison presented recommendations from four work groups covering metrics for a comprehensive facilities plan, community engagement, funding strategies with Shelby County and private partners, asset reuse and workforce development links in a plan estimated in the hundreds of millions to over $1 billion.
The Facilities Ad Hoc Committee presented a set of guideposts the district will use to develop a preliminary comprehensive facilities plan. The presentation, delivered by the ad‑hoc liaison, summarized the work of four subgroups: data and asset strategy; community engagement and equity; facilities funding and partnerships; and implementation and partnerships.
The data and asset strategy group recommended a metrics framework that weighs enrollment, utilization, facility condition, facility investments, demographics, community development, educational configuration and transportation — a set of measures the district will apply as it drafts the plan.
The community engagement group recommended a funded outreach plan with neighborhood anchor meetings, stakeholder roundtables, youth sessions and language access to ensure equitable input. The liaison urged a full communications and marketing plan and a public point of contact for the process.
The facilities funding work group recommended collaborating with Shelby County government on a multi‑year funding ask (7–10 years), developing a capital campaign for philanthropic and corporate investments, and pursuing asset reuse strategies for surplus facilities. The group also suggested exploring a Joint Construction Authority to coordinate county, city and district investments and accountability.
On implementation, the committee proposed pilots for partnership applications, integrating workforce development and CCTE (career and technical education) pipelines with construction and renovation work, and using surplus assets to support housing stabilization near schools.
Board members asked how the recommendations will translate into action. The chair said a resolution on a special‑call meeting would accept the recommendations as guideposts and direct the administration to produce a draft preliminary comprehensive plan by mid‑December for committee review, with a preliminary plan expected for board consideration in January.
