Topeka board hears multi‑year facilities master‑plan pitch from DLR Group
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Summary
DLR Group told the Topeka Public Schools board it will perform a facility condition and educational‑suitability assessment across district properties, produce a digital dashboard and a facilities master plan by the end of the school year, and begin fieldwork with a pilot campus this month.
The Topeka Public Schools Board of Education on Dec. 5 heard a presentation from DLR Group outlining a districtwide facilities conditions assessment and a companion educational‑suitability review that will feed a 3‑, 5‑ and 10‑year facilities master plan.
DLR Group representatives said the work begins with a district‑driven pre‑survey and a pilot site visit, followed by a 2–3 month field‑work period and roughly four months of analysis and dashboard development. Ian Kilpatrick, who leads DLR’s education practice in Kansas City, said the deliverables will include both an internal dashboard for district staff and a public portal that shows building condition scores, usage statistics and phased recommendations.
The proposal is intended to help the district prioritize deferred maintenance and programmatic improvements. "We want this to be a living document, not a binder on a shelf," Kilpatrick said, describing the planned online dashboards and scenario tools that can show the cost implications of different investment choices.
Judy Hoskins, a K–12 planner with DLR, said the process pairs a physical facilities inspection — covering roofing, mechanical systems, lighting and interior finishes — with an educational‑suitability assessment that evaluates whether the district has the right kinds of learning spaces. "We ask a lot of questions and then we listen," Hoskins said, emphasizing that principals, maintenance staff and central office personnel will help shape the assessment criteria.
Board members pressed DLR on scope and logistics: with 32 district buildings, how many teams will be deployed, which properties will be assessed and whether buildings slated for demolition are included. DLR said Bureau Veritas will assist with on‑site assessments and that the focus will be on existing buildings with viable uses; properties known to be scheduled for removal would be handled differently.
DLR also said the data tools are intended to increase transparency ahead of future capital decisions or a potential bond referendum. Kilpatrick pointed to work DLR did for Kansas City Public Schools where public dashboards supported community buy‑in for a bond measure.
The board did not take action on the master plan at the meeting. DLR and district staff are scheduled to proceed with the pilot inspection and follow the timeline described to deliver the master‑plan materials to the board later in the school year.