Our Path to Improving Our Facilities

  • Creating the Foundation

    San Rafael City Schools undertook a comprehensive master facilities planning process to develop a long-term roadmap of improvements to move our school facilities into the 21st Century.


    Master Facilities Plan  Over a period of two years, the District collaborated with members of the greater SRCS community to build the District-wide Master Facilities Plan (MFP). Extensive input was gathered and incorporated through many workshops and sessions at schools and throughout the community. The MFP was approved by the Board of Education in July 2015. It identified approximately $273 million in need for the Elementary School District and $181 million in need for the High School District. Click here to download the MFP.


    In November 2015, the San Rafael community overwhelmingly supported Measures A and B to fun a portion of the MFP. Measure A provides approximately $108 million to fund updates to the District’s elementary and middle schools and Measure B provides approximately $161 million for the high schools.


    Building the Program with Community Input

    Soon after the measures passed, with the master plan as the foundation, SRCS began developing the details of the bond program. Again engaging the greater community, the District embarked on a series of workshops to establish the District-wide priorities and timeline, which would ultimately make up the program map and implementation plan for each district.


    More than 200 people attended the three community workshops throughout March 2016. The workshops provided opportunities for the District to solicit input and feedback to inform the development of the implementation plans, with the goal of developing plans that reflected the project priorities identified by the community. In addition to the workshops, online feedback surveys, feedback forms and follow-up sessions at school sites provided additional opportunities for stakeholders to share feedback on priorities and needs. Click here to learn more about the workshops.


    Program Maps Approved,
    Will Guide Development of Master Implementation Plan

    The process of gathering input from the school community and District leadership resulted in a program map for each district. At the conclusion of the series of workshops and school sessions, the Board of Education received an update in April 2016 and took action on several key elements of the bond program. Click here to view the presentation.


    At the meeting:

     

    The program maps identify the rough outline of the projects, anticipated schedule and estimated budgets for the program. Additionally, based on currently available and anticipated funding, the program maps balance estimated revenue and expenditures, projecting cash flow and projecting management costs, escalation and contingencies. Detailed cost estimates and schedules will need to be developed, monitored and adjusted throughout the program. It is vital that the District leadership and Board revisit the program maps' scope, schedule and budget at regular intervals to update and reflect any fluctuations in estimates for revenue, costs and escalation.


    The program maps serve as the foundation and guide to the District and our program management team as the Master Implementaiton Plan is built.


    Next Steps

    Soon after the Master Implementation Plan is complete, detailed project design and planning for implementation will begin for the next two years of the program. Under the guidance of District staff and the construction management team, project teams will soon form. Critical to the success of the site work is collaboration with the school communities on project designs and details. Students, teachers, staff, parents and community members will give feedback to the project teams, primarily though site facilities committees.