Districtwide Facilities Master Plan 2008
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District Wide Facilities Master Plan update
On March 3, 2008 the Board of School Directors authorized the Administration to issue an RFQ (Request for Qualifications) for planning services related to a comprehensive update to the District Wide Facilities Master Plan (DWFMP). In addition, an Ad Hoc commitee was proposed and assembled to evaluate the RFQ. The members of that committee are as follows:
CAC for Facilities representatives- Jim Fail, Art Anderson, Frank Peno
CAC for Finance representatives- Jim Myers, Richard Bartnik
CAC for Athletics representative- Mac Rayback
CAC for Private Fundraising representative- Nancy VanLandingham
Administration- Dr. Patricia Best, Denny Younkin, Ed Poprik
The District received a total of 24 responses to the RFQ by the deadline of March 24, 2008. The following firms submitted a response: The Ray Group, Lewis and Associates, Quad 3, Roth Marz, Breslin Ridyard Fadero, KCBA Architects, Crabtree Rohrbaugh, Education Environment Planning Consultants, E I Associates, Hayes Large, Schrader Group, Agoos Lovera, Vitetta, McKissick Associates, Gibson Tarquini Group, TKS Architects, DeJong and Associates, Burt Hill, Buchart Horn/Basco, Eckles Architecture, Bink Partnership, DLR Group/John Lew, Foreman Group, and Highland Associates.
The Ad Hoc committee met on April 3, 2008 at 7:00 a.m. to review and discuss the responses submitted by the aforementioned firms, and evaluated the responses against the following six criteria, agreed upon by the CAC for Facilities. The following members of the Ad Hoc committee were present: Art Anderson, Frank Peno, Jim Myers, Richard Bartnik, Mac Rayback, Nancy VanLandingham, Dr. Patricia Best, Denny Younkin, and Ed Poprik. Particular emphasis was placed on the process for community involvement.
1. Interest in the project
2. Firm personnel
3. Individual who will lead the process
4. Consultants
5. Process for community involvement
6. References
Based on this evaluation, the committee narrowed the list of respondents to five firms. All members of the committee were confident that this list reflected the firms that best addressed the established criteria. The methodology and list were shared with the CAC for Facilities at the April 8, 2008 meeting, and the minutes are posted on the CAC for Facilities website. The five firms selected are as follows: Buchart Horn/Basco, DeJong and Associates, Education Environment Planning Consultants, The Ray Group, and Schrader Group.
At the April 14th Board of School Directors meeting, it was determined that further discussion would be necessary to develop the selection process for a Planning Firm.
A Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued to the five firms previously identified by the board, and is due back on May 2, 2008. Following the receipt of the proposals, interviews and/or presentations will be conducted. After this, the final selection will be made through an action of the Board. Further Board discussion will take place at the April 28, 2008 meeting regarding the interview and /or presentation process.
At the April 28 Board meeting, the board discussed the interview process for the five firms selected by the Ad Hoc Committee and chose the following steps:
a. Each firm delivers a 30-40 minute public presentation (day 1)
b. CAC and Ad Hoc Committee conduct five public interviews (day 2) (filmed by CNET)
c. CAC and Ad Hoc committee deliberate privately
c. Recommendation developed for board consideration
e. Public provides input and feedback to board
f. Board vote.
At the May 5 Board of School Directors meeting, the board had received proposals submitted by the five firms. A suggested timeframe for presentations and interviews could include:
Presentations by the firms - Tuesday, June 3, 4 p.m. (CNET- live)
Interviews - Wednesday, June 4, 7 p.m (CNET- taped)
Public comment - June 9
Board action - June 23
Critical factors in the RFP for each of the five selected firms are the development of their timeline for the process, and how they plan to incorporate public involvment/comment throughout the process. The final timeline and process is at the Board's discretion, however, the development of these key pieces plays a large role in the RFP.
A general chart outlining the DWFMP process is offered on the link below:
The Agenda from the Board Work Session to discuss the updating process is offered on the link below (this includes the components required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for this type of plan).
Previous District Wide Facilities Master Plan
On April 24, 2000, the Board of School Directors of the State College Area School District authorized the Citizens Advisory Committee for Facilities (CAC) to prepare recommendations for a District Wide Master Plan. This study was to make recommendations on the remaining phases of the already adopted Elementary School Master Plan, as well as to incorporate the needs of the Secondary Program, Athletic Program, and Support Services. The final document would then be a holistic recommendation that considered each facility, as well as how each function and facility are interconnected.
The CAC hired the architectural firm of Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmenn Asssociates to aid them in preparing these recommendations. Working as a team, the CAC, District staff, and Burt Hill, embarked on a process designed to determine the educational needs of the District, evaluate the physical needs of the facilities, identify the needs of the community, and balance all components in a package that demonstrated fiscal responsibility.
The Burt Hill Planning Team included architects, interior designers, mechanical and electrical engineers, and site designers. They met with approximately 50 District staff, including administrators, maintenance personnel, faculty, and department heads, in interactive planning sessions in order to determine the needs.
The Burt Hill Team performed facility evaluations for buildings that were not evaluated during the Elementary School Feasibility Study to determine each building�s ability to meet the needs of the educational specifications.
After determining the needs, assessing the existing conditions, and reviewing the community input, Burt Hill presented options to the CAC during two, full-day workshops and numerous evening meetings. These options were evaluated and narrowed down to two options that best fit the needs of the District.
In December of 2001, after months of study and two public dialogues, the Citizens Advisory Committee for Facilities presented a recommendation for a District Wide Master Plan. Included in this recommendation was the renovation of the High School campus.
As of February 2006, already completed are three elementary schools, Easterly Parkway, Gray"s Woods, and Park Forest. The high school is the next priority. After that, the remaining elementary schools (Boalsburg-Panorama, Houserville-Lemont, Ferguson Township, Corl Street, Radio Park), as well as the Fairmount Avenue building, Memorial Field, and Nittany Avenue administrative offices need to be addressed.
A cost update for the District Wide Master Plan was made in November 2005.
The complete District Wide Master Plan is available for review in the Central Office, 131 W. Nittany Ave. and at the Schlow Centre Region Library.