Task force members were given an introduction and overview of the process that would be completed over the course of time that the task force meets. This provided everyone with an understanding of the work they will be doing, the expectations of the task force, and how they will create recommendations for the Grand Forks School Board to consider.

Bringing together a diverse group of people with different backgrounds, perspective, priorities, and opinions and asking them to develop a consensus recommendation requires that they have a common understanding and respect of each other, the purpose of the work to be done, and the importance to the students of the District.

Having a general understanding of the District was important, particularly to those task force members that do not have a current connection to the district. This involved outlining the number of schools, locations of schools, enrollment at each of the schools, the organization structure of the District, number of employees, etc.

The strategic plan is the roadmap for student success in the district and informs not only the mission, vision, and values, but the strategic initiatives involved in achieving student success. The Master Facility Plan must support the strategic initiatives and the strategic plan overall. Therefore, a good understanding of the strategic plan was necessary by the task force.

An understanding of the existing conditions of the facilities in the District provided a perspective for developing priorities and ultimately options and a recommendation. It is an insight into the work and investments required to both address deferred maintenance as well as initiatives that support the strategic plan. Existing conditions are best explored through an understanding of previous facility assessments and tours. Since there are 19 schools in the District, a dedicated amount of time was required by the task force to gain this understanding. This area included a review of safety and security systems, ADA accessibility, lighting, electrical distribution, plumbing, HVAC, noise levels, and other mechanical and building systems. Also included was a review physical/structural components, such as roofing, building envelope, sidewalks/parking lots, and energy efficiency.

Nothing can take the place of seeing schools first-hand when it comes to understanding how schools function today versus when many adults were in school; understanding the challenges faced by staff and students, and the concerns addressed in the facility assessment reports. While the task force was unable to visit every school, they toured 10 schools throughout the city of Grand Forks.

This was an opportunity for task force members to hear from school administrators and/or teachers on programming and curriculum, best practices, and how education is delivered to students today. This understanding is valuable for understanding how facilities impact teaching and learning and why improvements and/or changes are necessary.

In a larger school district, it was important for the task force to consider the community geography and population, student enrollment, and demographics. This is especially true as it relates to where schools are located and any consolidation or new schools that may be considered as part of the plan. Additionally, as enrollment trends are analyzed, it is important to understand where population and/or enrollment growth and/or decline is occurring.

In a larger district with many facilities, equity is an important factor that needs to be considered in meeting the needs of all students.

Special Education is an extremely important component of the services offered by the school district and can be misunderstood by community members because it is delivered differently today than in years prior. Specific consideration of special education programming is important because of the higher investment and larger impact it has on the budget versus regular education.

Task force members received information on what modern learning environments look like, how space is used to maximize learning, and how this connects to the educational plan/design of the school district. Task force members could explore the options between remodeling existing learning spaces and building new while incorporating concepts like equity into the conversation.

School district operations go into a wide array of aspects that impact that school district, the budget, and ultimately the Master Facility Plan. This involves reviewing enrollment trends, grade configuration, scheduling concerns, general/regular maintenance and custodial work, etc.

Task force members learned about school funding and how facility and capital funding is different than operational funding.

This topic provided the task force with an understanding of the current fiscal health of the district and why many of the items that may be a part of the Master Facilities Plan are a priority, not only from an educational standpoint but also from a budget standpoint. It also provided the opportunity to explain how investing in resolving deferred maintenance items and addressing operational concerns can make funds available for programmatic/educational initiatives that have a direct impact on students.

Task Force members received insight on how different financing options impact the funding for the Master Facility Plan. This included a review of how school bonds work, repayment terms, interest rates, and ultimately, the tax impact for various project options.

Operational costs play a significant factor in the budget but often the community members do not understand the significance of these costs and how they relate to a Facility Master Plan. The task force explored items such as maintenance costs per square foot and per student at each building, utility costs per square foot, and per student at each building. This information has a connection to equity and provides a good basis when discussing priorities and prioritization of projects.