Vision 2030 Team takes on facilities, space, and sustainability

The Reimagine Rdale: Vision 2030 Team gathered on May 20 at Sandburg Middle School to explore how school buildings, space, and infrastructure shape the learning experience—and to begin identifying the facilities that are best suited for a long-term, sustainable future.

Superintendent Dr. Teri Staloch welcomed the group and set the tone for the evening’s deep dive into facility condition, capacity, and alignment with the district’s evolving academic vision. With more than 17,500 community engagement points collected to date, the process continues to be grounded in transparency and input from students, staff, families, and community members.

The team first reviewed feedback gathered from stakeholders and Vision Team members on what excellent instruction and learning should look like in Rdale. They revisited a set of core values—strong relationships, engaging classrooms, equity, trust, and leadership—that should guide future decisions about academic programming and facilities planning.

From there, the focus shifted to the state of district facilities. Using a comprehensive Facility Condition Assessment conducted by engineers and architects, team members studied building data that evaluated nearly 2.4 million square feet of school space. With over 1,000 documented deficiencies across 19 schools—ranging from roofs and HVAC systems to ADA accessibility and fire safety—the team gained a clear picture of the investment needed to maintain and modernize buildings across the district.

Next, the team reviewed facility capacity and utilization data to understand how school spaces are being used relative to student enrollment. This analysis provided a framework to consider whether current building use is efficient and sustainable—and where consolidations, modernizations, or attendance boundary changes might be necessary in the future.

Through hands-on group activities, team members used both facility condition and capacity data to rank schools based on which are most feasible and desirable for long-term use—setting aside considerations like geography or programming to focus purely on infrastructure readiness.

The meeting closed with reflections on how “instruction drives construction,” reinforcing that facilities decisions must be guided by the district’s academic vision and student needs. As the Vision 2030 process continues, the team will deepen this analysis to help inform future recommendations on school buildings and investments.

Key Messages from the Meeting

• Instruction Must Drive Facilities Planning – Schools must be built and maintained to support the kind of learning environments we want for students.
• Our Buildings Vary Widely – There’s significant variation in the condition and capacity of our schools, and long-term planning must reflect those realities.
• Informed by Data – The team is using real data—on building condition, capacity, and usage—to inform thoughtful, transparent decisions.
• Sustainability is a Priority – Creating a sustainable district means right-sizing our footprint and investing wisely in the spaces students and staff rely on every day.
• Equity, Access, and Excellence – Future facility decisions must reflect our commitment to equity and delivering high-quality learning experiences across all schools.

The Vision 2030 Team will reconvene in June to continue this facilities-focused work, with upcoming meetings focused on potential school consolidation criteria and long-term investment strategies.

About Reimagine Rdale: Vision 2030

The Reimagine Rdale: Vision 2030 initiative is built around three key components: the Vision 2030 Team, a community engagement process, and a districtwide survey. The Vision 2030 Team, made up of community members, students, staff, and district leaders, will collaborate to develop a forward-thinking roadmap for Rdale. This effort will align with the district’s strategic pillars—Academic Achievement, Student Engagement and Wellness, Collaboration and Partnership, and Staff Investment and Impact—ensuring that future decisions are rooted in the district’s mission to inspire and educate all learners.

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