Avoiding an Edifice Complex

Construction projects seem to be a constant in the education field. Existing buildings need renovation and retrofit for more modern ways of teaching and learning new learning environments that require more space. There is also relentless pressure to keep up with what other schools are building in the same market. Given the pressure to build at schools, we think school leaders need a structured way to consider which projects to undertake and which to eschew.

A series of strategic and generative questions, in particular, can be useful in helping start and finish the necessary conversations:

• What are the current facilities like? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Which lag far behind your peer schools?

• How well do the existing facilities support the school's educational philosophy and mission?

• What are the school's programmatic goals for the next 5-10 years? How can new facilities support those goals?

• What kind of learning environment do we want to create for our students? 

• How will the proposed facilities impact all students, including those from marginalized groups?

• How will the proposed facilities help with other strategic priorities?

• How will we maintain and operate the new facilities over time?

Absent a question rubric of this sort, we find boards and leadership teams struggle to move beyond the merely fiduciary aspects of a project.