Taos Municipal Schools to start new five-year facilities master plan; consultant outlines rightsizing and timeline
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Summary
Living Design Group Architects told the Taos Municipal Schools board that the district's five-year facility master plan must be updated for 2026, recommended "rightsizing" campuses to current enrollment, and said the study can be completed in about six to 12 months using work already done for the recent bond.
The Taos Municipal Schools Board of Education on Dec. 10 heard a presentation from Living Design Group Architects that outlined the process and timeline for a new five-year facilities master plan.
Doug Patterson, principal with Living Design Group, told the board the master plan's primary purpose is “to identify all your capital needs for the next five years” within the context of current enrollment and utilization. He said the district's existing plan covers 2021—25 and work on the 2026 plan should begin during the 2025—26 school year to stay in compliance with the Public School Facilities Authority (PSFA).
Patterson said rural districts often find buildings are overbuilt for current student populations and described "rightsizing" as a frequent outcome of master plans. He gave the middle school as an example, saying its present footprint is roughly 90,000 square feet while a right-sized facility for current enrollment would be about 60,000 square feet. That mismatch, he said, drives capital decisions including whether to renovate, remove square footage, or build a smaller facility in the longer term.
The consultant outlined a 10-step process that includes: aligning facilities work to the district strategic plan; conducting thorough site assessments and enrollment projections; creating per-site capital improvement plans; and identifying funding sources such as a GO bond or smaller grant programs. Patterson estimated past master plans for Taos cost roughly $70,000 and said, because the district's bond committee has already done much of the legwork, the process could be compressed to as little as six months.
Board members pressed for specifics on cost and schedule. Patterson said the master plan produces detailed prioritization lists for each campus and ballpark cost estimates for recommended projects; those lists often exceed available funding and projects commonly roll forward from one bond cycle to the next. Superintendent Antonio Layton confirmed PSFA will accept a plan developed during the 2025—26 school year as the district works toward implementation.
Next steps: the board discussed whether to issue an RFQ/RFP or continue with Living Design Group as a CES vendor; several board members and staff said they will form or reconvene a facilities/bond committee to guide the process and reduce time and cost by leveraging the committee's prior work.
The board did not make a formal hiring decision during the Dec. 10 meeting; members asked staff to start the procurement process so the district can meet PSFA timing requirements.