No school district becomes excellent without a strategic plan, but many remain mediocre with them. What makes the difference? This book has been written to describe what it means to engage in serious long-range or “strategic” planning and to provide solutions to the inadequacies and inconsistencies found in the way school districts approach this process. The book is intended to be as practical as possible, meaning that by understanding the design and following the suggested strategic planning team activities found in each chapter, you could facilitate this process in your district. All key components are described and multiple examples are used to help the reader understand the intent of each component and how the components fit together. In addition, questionnaires and surveys are included to simplify facilitation. The basic reference used to refine the Stakeholder-Driven Strategic Planning process is the Strategic Planning Category of the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence.

What is school district master planning? This book explains how this planning is done, using a proven process, not theories. The process helps you avoid cost overruns, public outrage, repeated redistricting, and classrooms built in wrong places that all represent poor planning. Planning tools, steps and process check lists are discussed in rich detail, using actual case studies and the planning triangle of programs, demographics and facilities. Process roles are explained for district staff, consultants,and the public at each step. Steps are clearly explained for acquiring, analyzing, and applying critical data to drive planning to redistrict, build, close, renovate or expand schools. Steps are carefully explained for developing the comprehensive masterplan and getting it implemented on time and within budget. This book pulls no punches as to what usually goes wrong and why, along with what must be done, step by step, to avoid such mistakes. It is a guide to developing a district master plan that will work out for the long term and promote public support for public education.

Like any other smoothly-run operation, school districts must operate under a strategic plan - a foundation upon which to build - and one that provides a way to prepare for inevitable changes. Over the last 30 years, author Denny Hill has lived and breathed school district planning, first in the hot seat as a staff member of one of the fastest growing school districts in the nation, and then as a consultant to districts throughout Colorado and neighboring states. School districts have worked with Hill for decades because of his thorough understanding of large and small districts with expanding and contracting enrollment concerns.This book is a compilation of lessons learned over those many years, culminating in a concise strategic planning methodology called The Capital Facility Planning Process(tm). It takes both the new and seasoned planner through the seven concise steps of planning, from the situation audit through managing and monitoring the plan. Hill's thoughtfully-developed, step-by-step process is illustrated through actual examples of good decisions as well as wrong turns to avoid. The Essential Guide to School Facility Planning shows school boards, superintendents and CFOs how to use a strategic process to save time and money. It is filled with informative charts and graphs, case studies, examples of specific tools a planner can use in the process, things to consider along the way, and sage advice. This is truly a school district planner's go-to guide for continuous planning.Denny Hill, self-proclaimed "Schoolonomist", has spent over 30 years fine-tuning a proven approach to strategic and facility master planning. His comprehensive Capital Facility Planning Process(tm) balances immediate needs and future challenges for school districts, with an eye on the optimal long-term solutions. Denny has been responsible for projects involving local government services, growth management, socioeconomic impact analysis and fiscal impact assessment, to name a few. He continues to work as Advising Consultant, helping school boards, superintendents, CFOs and other key personnel navigate school districts through big picture facility and site planning issues.