Tag

K-12

Jan 26
0

The OC Breaks Ground

By | Clients

The Keith Bell Opportunity Central is a 350,000 sf building that will bring career, college and community opportunities together in Forney ISD. Huckabee joined FISD and its partners to celebrate the groundbreaking in January 2022.

Nicknamed “The OC,” the building offers a new concept for career and college instruction that also engages the community through life-long learning, special events, wellness activities, business partnerships, innovative programs and so much more. The OC will serve Forney ISD students during school hours and remain open into the evening and weekends for college coursework, community activities and special events.

Huckabee helped Forney ISD imagine how this first-of-its-kind facility could accomplish a high degree of adaptability to meet the programmatic needs of its intended users. The opportunity to provide students with real-world experiences led to the inclusion of amenities such as eateries, retail and services that are supported by students. Flexible and technology-rich learning space supports a range of career and technical education programs, dual-credit programs and college coursework. FISD worked diligently with business and college partners—including Dallas College and Texas Tech University—to ensure the highest quality programs for its students.

Career and technology programs will include: automotive, construction technology, computer coding and e-sports, fine arts, entrepreneurship, fashion design, horticulture / floral design, digital arts and communication, marketing, health sciences, emergency services, cosmetology, early childhood education, hospitality, event planning, theater, visual and performing arts and music production, with more on the horizon.

Co-working space is located on the first floor while the second and third floors feature classrooms, labs and multi-purpose instructional space. An arena is located at the heart of the facility and features retractable seating on the first and second floors, along with instructional space on the third floor that overlooks the venue. It can be used for tournaments and sporting events, special events and banquets, and a range of academically-focused activities. A black box theater offers similar flexibility and converts into a small or large lecture hall.

Several spaces within The OC overlook or lead into the “front yard,” a green space that features a paved plaza, rolling hills and an outdoor event venue that spans across the road as part of a plaza that is shared with the nearby intermediate and middle school.

The OC will open in 2023. To learn more about the vision of this exciting new campus, click here.

Oct 07
1

TEA Facility Standards

By | News

Revisions to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Facility Standards have been published in the October 8, 2021 issue of the Texas Register. They will go into effect on Monday with an implementation date of November 1, 2021. Revisions can be read here (start on page 313) and are intended to give school districts more local control as well as guidance and flexibility in the design of 21st-century schools. Key updates include:

  • (1) the inclusion of all projects requiring the hiring of a licensed architect or engineer in Texas,
  • (2) an increase in the space minimum of middle school science laboratories,
  • (3) two methods of compliance,
  • (4) a change to campus-based aggregate square footage compliance, and
  • (5) new safety and security requirements stemming from the passage of Senate Bill 11.

The Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) developed a committee to explore the existing standards and make recommendations to the TEA for revisions. Kerri Brady, Huckabee’s Vice President of Educational Practice, and Dawson Orr, Clinical Professor of Education Policy at Southern Methodist University, co-chaired the years-long engagement with a committee made up of 22 members and 95 subcommittee members. Their committee was charged with evaluating and recommending changes to the TEA School Facilities Standards. The process Kerri designed involved proactively evaluating topics related to 21st-century learning and school design, including school safety and security.

As school districts navigate these changes, Huckabee is committed to ensuring a smooth transition for our partners. We have always been, and will continue to be, an advocate for Texas public schools.

Overview of the TASA School Facilities Committee Process

Jul 29
0

Top 5 Educational Design Firm

By | News

Huckabee was named to the Top 5 Educational Architecture firms in the nation by Engineering News-Record. The 2021 Sourcebook follows the growth and success of architecture and engineering firms within the United States and abroad. Huckabee exclusively serves education and has for 54 years. It’s an honor to be recognized nationally for our service to Texas public schools. This recognition also represents the resiliency and innovation found within our public school systems, who continually focus on what matters most, the success of all students, educators and the communities that embrace them. It’s their innovative spirit that inspires us to do more and be more every day.

For the full list, click here.

Our recent projects

Channelview High School

May 16, 2023

Longfellow Career Exploration Academy

May 15, 2023

Fredericksburg Middle School

May 15, 2023

Godley High School, Phase 2

May 2, 2023

Midway High School CTE

May 2, 2023

Elementary School #59

April 18, 2023

McGhee Elementary School

April 18, 2023

Park Hill Elementary School

March 8, 2023

Righetti High School Addition

July 31, 2022

Mar 30
0

MORE Momentum: Wichita Falls

By | News

Wichita Falls ISD is in the midst of consolidating their three high school campuses into two new facilities. The new high schools are designed to embrace the district’s bold vision for online learning. They feature a unique configuration of spaces that reflect a new approach to “classroom” capacity and utilization. While the district’s vision for online learning started well before 2020, the schools were designed almost entirely through virtual charrettes during the height of the pandemic. This perspective helped inform the design solution in creative ways. Huckabee’s latest MORE Momentum explores the district’s approach to onsite, online learning and how to plan for the types of spaces needed to support a shift in student interaction within a high school campus. 

Our guests include:

  • Michael Kuhrt, Superintendent, Wichita Falls ISD
  • Tom Lueck, AIA, Chief Operating Officer, Huckabee
  • Greg Louviere, AIA, Director of Design, Huckabee
  • Mike Vermeeren, AIA, Director of Planning, Huckabee

We’ve broken out each question for MORE Momentum #8: Educational Transformation below.

Introduction

Huckabee and our partners at BYSP Architects had the privilege of working with Wichita Falls ISD to design a prototype for two new high school campuses. The schools are being constructed at the same time and will replace the district’s three existing high schools when complete. 

Question 1—To kick us off, I’d like to ask Michael about your district and why your community opted to build two high schools at one time.    

Wichita Falls ISD’s oldest high school is a 1922 building. Their two “new” high schools were built in 1961 and 1962. At that point, people anticipated growth but it never came. Today, the high schools range from 900 to 1,600 students and don’t offer parity. The district wouldn’t be able to rebuild three new high schools, and the community didn’t want to consolidate into one large high school. The solution was to design two equal high schools (based on a prototype), that would offer parity in all aspects. 

Preparing for the Bond

Question 2—What process did you take your community through to set the groundwork for today?  

Wichita Falls ISD had a failed bond in 2014 to address the high schools. From that process, the community realized its support of a career tech center. A bond passed in 2015 for a new CTE building, but it didn’t address major facility issues at the high schools. After a facilities study, the district realized that each high school needed over $20 million each to simply fix major problems, but that didn’t account for new or updated items to improve the learning environment or create equity and opportunity. 

In preparation for a 2020 bond election, the district worked with the community and found the right solution that would address the high school needs. The momentum started with the opening of the new career tech center from the 2015 bond. The community saw that building and wanted the same experience for all of their kids at all of their high schools. The bond passed in November 2020 to replace the three high schools with two and start a new era for Wichita Falls ISD.

Guiding Vision

Question 3—What was your guiding vision for these schools?   

Wichita Falls ISD tends to keep buildings for 100 years. The district has seven campuses that are about to be 100 years old. They knew the high schools needed to retain relevance well into the future. They wanted buildings that were flexible and adaptable. The district believed that the way brick and mortar buildings are used today may become obsolete in the future. The design of the high schools integrates spaces for online learning but also emphasizes the value fine arts and athletics brings to a student’s experience. 

Space and Needs for Online Learning

Question 4—Related to online learning, what were your projected needs?   

COVID-19 was an unplanned pilot for the district. Freshman and sophomores struggled more with virtual learning than juniors and seniors. The same is true for online learning outside of a pandemic. The goal of the design is to create a college atmosphere where students have choice in how they take a class (in-person or online) and when (buildings open from 7 AM to 7 PM to accommodate student needs). There are flex spaces designed into the building that support online learning; a student can take a class online while on the campus and still be a part of the culture of learning. 

Planning

Question 5—How did the conversation evolve to address Wichita Falls ISD’s vision?   

As the program was developed, the team realized it would be an innovative approach. They considered the total number of students (a capacity of 1,900) against where they would be at any given moment: in a classroom, at the CTE center, in fine arts or athletics. The total capacity for general ed classrooms was then pared down to about 700 students at a single moment, of which a large percentage could be online learning outside of the classroom. As a result, the team was able to decrease the total number of general ed classrooms and transition that space into flexible environments within classroom wings and the commons. The result was improved efficiency of space and space that was adaptable in a number of ways. The district also removed classroom ownership with the idea that teachers wouldn’t be losing a classroom, they would be gaining a building. This further improved utilization.

Notably, designing in a virtual setting helped the team better understand the holistic needs of students and educators related to the integration of online learning within the campus. The district’s unique approach introduces 9th graders to online learning within the classroom and slowly engages them in online learning outside of the classroom (but within the campus) through 10th grade. By 11th and 12th grade, students have a higher comfort level and more autonomy to take full advantage of the blended environment created through the design of their high school. 

Design Response

Question 6—What was BYSP + Huckabee’s design response to Wichita Falls ISD’s needs?

With blended learning, the team understood that space needed to be engaging and that it wasn’t a static element. The team looked at the design as a way to create a dynamic continuity of choices that could be made. This meant understanding the tools needed by students and educators for face-to-face or online learning, intermixed with individual or group work. The design offers a great deal of flexible learning space. 

The Commons

Question 7—How do you forsee students using the commons?

BYSP + Huckabee worked with Wichita Falls ISD to identify the tools, spaces, activities and zones students needed within this blended environment. The team created spaces that could transform over time or in the next few minutes in response to student needs. The commons became the core of the building and created a gradation of space from the private, individual learning space to places that allowed students to congregate on soft seating and into an active dining zone. The design team used the term “structured flexibility” to define the commons.  

Takeaways

Question 8—What can other districts take away from this approach?

First, we have a better understanding of online learning. As a result, we know that a blended environment that incorporates online learning (on campus and off) can work. Second, the concept of structured flexibility related to utilization applies to all spaces. Wichita Falls used the concept not only in the commons but in the design of their auditorium. They didn’t want a single space in the school that couldn’t be used in multiple ways; the auditorium can be split into small or large group space and used throughout the day for instruction. Finally, the district wanted students to be prepared for the future and to know their value through the investment of the community. The consolidation of three schools into two will give all students better opportunity. 

Bonus Content: Safety and Security

Bonus content—How do you address safety and security within a large, open environment?

The existing high schools in Wichita Falls ISD have 10-12 entrances, yet the two replacement high schools will only have four controlled entrances. Additionally, while the commons was designed to provide a large, open space, the design team embedded short distances to secure locations. With an open and transparent environment, school resource officers can also stand at a single point and observe student behavior; the dark hallways found in the aging high schools are a thing of the past. 

Notably, the compact nature of the building will allow the district to keep the 4-5 minute passing period as opposed to expanding to a 7-8 minute passing period as they move into the larger campus. 

Two New High Schools for Wichita Falls ISD

About MORE Momentum

Huckabee’s MORE Momentum series started as an exploration of how school districts were investing their time, energy and focus to keep the momentum going during the pandemic. In 2021, we are transitioning the series to highlight school planning and design and the unique ways our clients are building toward the future. Follow us @HuckabeeInc on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In for the latest MORE Momentum webinars. 

Dec 18
0

2021 Caudill Class

By | Clients
 
 
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Huckabee is excited to celebrate with our partners, Georgetown ISD and Northwest ISD, in receiving the highest honor for educational design in Texas – the Caudill Award! The TASA/TASB Exhibit of School Architecture competition showcases new and renovated Texas schools and celebrates excellence in planning and design of the learning environment. We are thrilled to have two Caudill award-winning projects in each of the past two years. It is in large part to our partnership with visionary districts who continue to influence school design and pursue the best environments for their students. Read more about the 2020-21 Caudill Award winners by clicking here.

The winning projects received at least four stars from six areas of distinction, making them eligible for the Caudill Award, which is named after Texas architect William Wayne Caudill (1914–1983), whose progressive concepts continue to influence school design.

Georgetown ISD won for the retrofitting of Tippit Middle School. This is the second Caudill Award for Georgetown ISD (Hammerlun Center for Leadership and Learning) and its third project to receive consideration (Wagner Middle School). Click here to learn more about the project. Northwest ISD won for the reimagining of its elementary prototype, Lance Thompson Elementary School. Click here to learn more about the project. 

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Oct 13
0

2020 TASA / TASB Awards

By | Clients
 
 
 
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Northwest ISD, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and Georgetown ISD have been recognized by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) and the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) for their design and instructional vision. Their school designs received Stars of Distinction in this year’s TASA / TASB Exhibit of School Architecture; two of the schools, Lance Thompson Elementary School (Northwest ISD) and James Tippit Middle School (Georgetown ISD), also qualified for the prestigious Caudill Class.

The Exhibit of School Architecture awards are given at the discretion of a 12-member jury, which includes: four school board members, four school administrators, and four members from the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) Southern Region. The juried exhibit awarded Stars of Distinction for Excellence to 25 projects in one or more of the following six areas: design, value, sustainability, community, planning, and school transformation. Click below to view the submissions.

Stars of Distinction for each campus include:

Aug 20
0

Channelview Campus Branding

By | Clients

Huckabee worked with Channelview ISD on a district-wide rebranding process. By looking at the current brand and discussing what messages were important for the district to share, we helped create new logos and branding for each campus. Many stakeholders helped bring life to Channelview’s vision. Those involved felt that school pride, campus involvement and tradition were just a few of the positive results the new brands will foster. For more information on Huckabee’s environmental graphics and branding services, click here.

Aug 20
0

Student Engagement Research

By | Research

The LEx Collaborative’s research was published in Learning Environments Research and continues to explore the impact of flexible furniture in elementary classrooms. In this study, we investigated the various impacts of flexible furniture paired with teacher professional development in 10 elementary classrooms. It’s critical work as educators look to the physical learning environment as an additional resource in meeting learning outcomes. The findings from our research has helped inform design of both space and professional development for our clients.

To access the paper, click here.

LEx-Research_MidwayISD_Dec2019-12
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Jul 21
0

MORE Momentum: Technology

By | News

Our latest MORE momentum webinar focuses on technology, instruction and virtual learning in 2020 and beyond. We discuss the tangible aspects like infrastructure and devices, the instructional aspects like designing learning and the tools to do that well, and the relational aspects like student engagement and teacher support. Each guest offers a unique perspective as we explore the past, present and future of these new waters we are charting.

Our guests include:

  • Jesse Garn, Executive Director of Technology, Midway ISD
  • Dr. Becky Odajima, Director of Innovation and Learning, Midway ISD
  • Wes Kanawyer, Principal at Woodgate Intermediate School, Midway ISD
  • Russ Johnson, CEO, True North Consulting Group
  • Kerri Ranney, Vice President of Educational Practice, Huckabee

We’ve broken out each question for MORE Momentum #7: Technology + Instruction below. You can view the webinar in its entirety by clicking here.

Introduction + Past

Let’s start by looking back at March 2020 when schools closed for the school year. School districts had about a week to prepare amidst significant change. What did that look like in Midway ISD and what did your teams do to solve the challenges you faced?

One of the first things we had to do was mobilize technology to each student in the district and address connectivity (which remains one of the biggest challenges). We also had to support staff, students, devices and services from a remote location to homes across the district. Being a district with an existing 1-to-1 technology initiative helped us deliver instruction. We also focused on professional development to help teachers understand the online tools, resources and learning management systems they’d be using on a daily basis. We released about 100 hours of PD. Our curriculum and instruction team simplified instructional requirements, which helped teachers and parents in this situation.

At the campus level, our number one priority was student wellbeing and ensuring fundamental needs were met. We know that when anxiety goes up, performance goes down—that is true for adults and students. The goal was to lighten anxiety levels, simplify the process and then push out content.

Across the state we saw a lot of innovation in district technology teams. Districts fully embraced collaborative tools so they could maintain engagement with students and staff, but they also had to create new ways to support these tools in remote environments. Districts knew they still had the job of delivering instruction and delivering it to high expectations; this led to exploration of asynchronous PD as well as the #bettertogether movement that opened up new partnerships between school districts and business organizations.

Present

Let’s look at summer 2020. School districts are working feverishly to develop plans to open schools safely in the fall while meeting the needs of families while they deal with this pandemic. What are some of the solutions from the spring that you’re carrying forward into fall?

Instructionally, we are looking at the essential curriculum standards and the best way to deliver them to students. We are implementing a hybrid learning model for students who cannot return to school and supporting the transition for students, teachers and families whose delivery method for learning could change throughout the year. Student interaction is still important, even if learning is taking place remotely. We are re-formulating our approach to interaction and even assessment.

We are also utilizing technology to keep students connected to their peers and developing methods for synchronous instruction that can occur with virtual and at-home students concurrently. At the same time, we are looking to maintain virtual collaboration between teachers and across campuses. Professional development will never be the same, and we are looking at ways to evolve our efforts. 

At the site level, we will have to work to build rapport with new students and families across the district. We will front-load the year with tech proficiency and relationship building.

On the technology side, we have realized more flexibility within our support model. We have also become more comfortable with being uncomfortable and are more flexible mentally. School districts state-wide are remaining focused on connectivity and filling the gaps where needed. We are also seeing the success of content capture in higher ed trickling down into K-12 as school districts incorporate asynchronous learning into curriculum.

Future

Let’s look to the future. What are some of the challenges you already foresee that you’re just now beginning to tackle?

Even once we overcome this virus, we will likely see hybrid learning remain for many different reasons. Some of the main challenges of this environment will be: improving accessibility to fiber networks and community WiFi; cybersecurity threats; and our ability to secure devices and data in an environment that we don’t always control.

We also have to prepare teachers for this hybrid model of learning and set a new standard for best practices in pedagogy. While we hope we never have to close schools so unexpectedly like we did this year, we’ve learned that we need to create a contingency plan in case we ever need to move to a fully virtual learning model again while maintaining consistency.

#InnovationRevolution and the Power in Collaboration

In education, we preach the power of collaboration, and this crisis has continued to show us the importance of collaborating with our colleagues, students and communities. We have found collaborating with different districts in the area to be beneficial as we are able to give one another encouragement and best practices. Our district began using the term #InnovationRevolution to publicly share ways we can all be innovative during this time.

About MORE Momentum

Huckabee’s MORE Momentum series highlights how our educational partners are investing their time, energy and focus to keep the momentum going during this unprecedented “pause.” We will explore themes related to bonds, planning, design and safety and security, among other topics that impact Texas public education. Follow us @HuckabeeInc on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In, or complete the form below to get a first look as new content is released. 

For the full webinar, click below

To learn more about True North Consulting Group, click here.

Keep the momentum going!
Reach out to our Huckabee Communications team to learn MORE.

More Momentum
Sending

Jul 09
0

Cleveland ISD Prototype

By | Clients

Amidst uncertain and challenging times, Cleveland ISD has reason to celebrate! With the favorable pricing we are seeing in the construction market, the district was able to secure a solid, and under budget, bid for Elementary Campus #5. Huckabee is thrilled with the results and is looking forward to working with Cleveland ISD to deliver excellent value and an exceptional educational environment to their community. For the full story, click here.

The new elementary school is based on the prototype of Southside Elementary School in Cleveland (designed by Huckabee nearly 20 years ago). The team modernized the prototype and added a second story to increase capacity, while maintaining equity with existing schools. The 133,000 sf building will have a high-volume library centrally located on the first floor to allow easy access. Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades will be housed on the first floor with 3rd, 4th and 5th grades located on the second floor. The new elementary school will have a secure entrance vestibule designed to have all visitors enter the main administration area before entering the building.

To learn more about the favorable pricing conditions in the construction market and how school districts can take advantage over the next 6-12 months, check out our MORE Momentum: Construction Market episode here.

Jul 07
0

Reappointed to TxSSC Board

By | News

Kerri Ranney was reappointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas School Safety Center Board, remaining the sole architect on the 15-member board. The committee focuses on school safety and security and their voices have been key in discussions involving reopening schools amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. To learn more about recent appointees and sitting board members, click here.

The Texas School Safety Center’s mission is to “serve schools and communities to create safe, secure, and healthy environments.” Kerri serves as our Vice President of Educational Practice; leads our educational research efforts at the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative; led efforts to rewrite the school facility standards for the state of Texas (including school safety revisions); and has participated in several working groups focused on school safety and security. Her passion to create positive changes in education through her work motivates all that she does and is crucial now more than ever.

Jul 01
0

MORE Momentum: Construction

By | News

Part three of Huckabee’s MORE Momentum market update series focuses on the Texas construction market. We discuss the current construction market, what’s changed in the past few months, what school districts can learn from the current state of affairs and the pro/cons of pre-design before passing a bond.

Our guests include:

  • LaShae Baskin, Huckabee’s Austin Office Director
  • Kevin Byrd, Central Texas Vice President of Operations for Bartlett Cocke
  • Dennis Yung, Vice President and General Manager for the Houston and Dallas areas for Skanska
  • Chris Huckabee, CEO of Huckabee

We’ve broken out each question for MORE Momentum #6: Construction Market below. You can view the webinar in its entirety by clicking here.

Austin / San Antonio Market

What is driving the market right now in the Austin and San Antonio areas?

For the first time in 10 years, we are seeing a pricing correction in the market. In recent months, 9/9 project bids have come in significantly under budget, including prototype designs. Factors contributing to savings opportunities include: subcontractor backlog, the supply chain and availability of manpower. If you’re ready, it’s a great time to build.

DFW / Houston Markets

Does this differ from what is going on in the DFW and Houston areas?

In the DFW/Houston markets, commodity prices are favorable. Supply chain updates predict that for the next 6 months, pricing on construction materials and equipment will remain flat and even potentially decrease. This creates ideal conditions for construction projects.

In Houston, 15-20 percent of projects have been delayed, suspended or canceled. Companies are looking to rebuild their backlog. This competitive environment, when combined with favorable commodity prices, creates an ideal time to start construction projects.

Dallas is one of the fastest growing construction markets in the country and is expected to be the second busiest construction market in 2020. However, like other areas throughout Texas, companies, including subcontractors, are looking to fill their backlog.

Impact to School Districts

What are some things that school districts need to be on the lookout for or aware of?

Be diligent when selecting contractors. The K-12 construction and subcontractor market will be flooded with businesses stepping outside their primary sectors. Make sure firms are qualified and capable to deliver K-12 projects. Evaluate their experience and qualifications related to your scope of work.

We have a new normal in the construction industry with new standards for safe work environments. Requirements for social distancing, safe work practices and personal protective equipment all have an impact on productivity. As you build schedules for your projects, make sure they account for these changes.

How Can School Districts Take Advantage of Market Changes

Work with your construction manager and architect to understand the opportunities in your region. While we are not able to see if the price correction will last beyond six months, we see real opportunity right now. If you can take advantage of the current market, do it.

Shovel Ready Pre-Bond

What is critical for school districts to understand about the process of design before a bond is passed? 

The concept of shovel ready pre-bond essentially means getting your project ready to bid so that you can capitalize on a favorable market as soon as funding is available. Districts have adopted the process to help save on inflation. Today, we are looking at a favorable climate where districts can take advantage of the lower prices in the construction market over the next six months.

There are several considerations to determine if this approach is right for your community, including:

  • Mental shift
  • Availability of design funds
  • Community support for this approach
  • Scheduling and time-lost due to COVID-19

It’s critical to ensure that your stakeholders are on board. Your administration, school board and bond steering committee should all be involved in the conversation. Help them understand the pros and cons of this process so you can make an informed decision.

Pros and Cons of Pre-Bond Design

Pre-bond design requires design fees upfront. If this seems like a risk to your community, then this process might not be a good fit. Your decision should be based on data-driven information and what is most logical for your community.

One major benefit of pre-bond design is the ability to keep your projects on schedule. Right now, we are also looking at the opportunity to take advantage of a narrow window for optimum bids. The current market also gives districts the chance to more accurately align costs with contractors, which results in a positive impact on the bottom line.

Final Takeaways

The construction market is very competitive right now, which is driving prices down. Districts can take advantage of this within the next 6 months, because beyond that, we don’t know what pricing will look like. If you have never gone through the process of pre-bond design, and this is something that feels viable for you, start having the conversation with your stakeholders and talk with your architect on what the process looks like for your district. You don’t need to rush anything, but if you are in the position to take advantage of the market right now, you should.

About MORE Momentum

Huckabee’s MORE Momentum series highlights how our educational partners are investing their time, energy and focus to keep the momentum going during this unprecedented “pause.” We will explore themes related to bonds, planning, design and safety and security, among other topics that impact Texas public education. Follow us @HuckabeeInc on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In, or complete the form below to get a first look as new content is released. 

For the full webinar, click below

Keep the momentum going!
Reach out to our Huckabee Communications team to learn MORE.

More Momentum
Sending

Jun 25
0

MORE Momentum: Real Estate

By | News

Huckabee’s most recent on-demand webinars highlight the state of the market in three key areas: Bond Sales / Financing, Real Estate and Construction. The second of this series looks at the real estate market with a focus on selecting and purchasing land for new school buildings.

Our guest is George Curry of JLL, a commercial real estate firm. George has helped Texas public school districts locate and purchase land for dozens of schools (elementary to high school) over the last several years. George is joined by Gary Rademacher, a Principal at Huckabee, who has served as an architect for Texas school districts for nearly 30 years.

We’ve broken out each question for MORE Momentum #5: Real Estate below. You can view the webinar in its entirety by clicking here.

Introduction

Since the start of the pandemic, what are you seeing in the real estate market? Clients are asking how the pandemic will impact their ability to negotiate and purchase land. Is now a good time to buy?

There hasn’t been much of a change to this point. Up until March, the market was hot and Texas was doing well. It has certainly cooled some, but we haven’t seen any changes as far as land prices are concerned. 

In DFW, we continue to have a good market. Globally, as far as Texas is concerned, DFW, Austin and San Antonio are steady, but Houston has taken it on the chin. They’ve been hit with a double whammy from the virus and low oil prices.

Advice for School Districts

Buy Buy Buy! The market has been strong over the past 3-5 years and prices are continuing to escalate, especially around major metroplexes. There may be a small window in the next 3-12 months where prices may not go down, but instead, may take a pause. It’s a good time to lock down sites which may go up in price over the next few years. 

Working with Developers

Recently, developers seem more willing to donate land if they have a mega-site, somewhere between 200-500 acres for a development. However, with smaller acreage sites (100-200 acres), developers aren’t as willing to give land freely for schools. There’s been more resistance to donating land as homes sales have been strong.

Selecting the Right Piece of Land

The school site is important to school districts for many reason. When a school district is receiving donated land or purchasing land, they are making decisions about property that will serve them for decades. What should school districts focus on when considering a purchase?

People look for the best price or low cost, but I advise clients to get the right location. Get the best site near or in the right location and then try and get the best price you can. Some developers will go to a district and donate land, but the site is in a corner, or it’s too small or it’s got topography issues. This means that sometimes the free sites are the most expensive to develop. We try to focus on the best site in the development, and sometimes it doesn’t work out with donated land.

What else are you looking for?

Location is one of the most important things. We’ll meet with demographers and see where the growth is coming from. We’ll then search and try to find a site or multiple sites that could work in the area. Once you’ve identified a site, there are several things to consider: acreage, type of school and amenities, net usable acres, etc. It’s a good time to bring in partners, such as a civil engineer, to assess the site and estimate costs for development.

Additional Advice

Some of the most challenging sites have been the free or the “best deal” sites. Focus on the best site first, and then work on price. Price is about 3-8 percent of the total cost of a school, so you are dealing with a relatively small component of overall price. It’s critical to get it right. Having the right partners (real estate agent, civil engineer, architect) up front will help you down the road. Being diligent is important to respecting your taxpayers.

To learn more about JLL, click here.

About MORE Momentum

Huckabee’s MORE Momentum series highlights how our educational partners are investing their time, energy and focus to keep the momentum going during this unprecedented “pause.” We will explore themes related to bonds, planning, design and safety and security, among other topics that impact Texas public education. Follow us @HuckabeeInc on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In, or complete the form below to get a first look as new content is released. 

For the full webinar, click below

Keep the momentum going!
Reach out to our Huckabee Communications team to learn MORE.

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Jun 23
0

MORE Momentum: Bond Market

By | News

Huckabee’s next three on-demand webinars highlight the state of the market in three key areas: Bond Sales / Financing, Real Estate and Construction. The first of this series looks at the school bond market and the impact of COVID-19 on bond sales. Our guest is Derek Honea of RBC Capital Markets, a financial advisor and underwriter for public school districts.

Derek walks through the current state of the municipal bond market and the impact to school districts who are looking to sell bonds, move up the sale of bonds or refinance, as well as those concerned about underlying credit ratings.

We’ve broken out each question for MORE Momentum #4: Bond Market below. You can view the webinar in its entirety by clicking here.

Introduction

What are you seeing in the bond market today with the impact of COVID-19?

It’s rare to see the municipal bond market shut down. School districts couldn’t access the capital markets, and it’s one of the only times in the past couple of decades that we’ve seen this, except for in 2008 / 2009. We are through that time now and getting back to normalcy.

Interest Rates + Moving up the Sale of Your Bonds

The municipal bond market essentially shut down at the beginning of the pandemic. Today, it’s open for business as usual and rates are steadily returning to at or near all-time lows. It’s an attractive time to lock-in a long-term rate.

Determining if it’s the right time to move up bond sales and take advantage of the rates is case-by-case. Typically, clients fall into two camps: Fast-growth districts who have strategically timed out their capital improvement plans and districts who have bond authorizations approved but have flexibility in their timing to sell. Things we consider in either case include impact to current rates, taxable assessed values, enrollment and the economy.

Interest Rates + Refinancing

We operate in two markets: Tax exempt and taxable interest rates. Both markets were shut down for awhile; tax exempt markets came back much sooner. The taxable market is just now returning to where we were in February, and we are seeing a lot of interest in refinancing taxable rates. These look really attractive, and we are generating a lot of debt-rate savings for school districts. If we can capture significant savings for clients, we will recommend that they refinance now.

Bond Market + Assessed Values

There is increased demand from investors for Permanent School Fund guaranteed paper, some of the highest credit bonds on the market. These are especially appealing given what’s occurring with corporate debt and corporate credits becoming distressed. We are seeing crossover buyers and European buyers investing in taxable bonds. Over the short term, we don’t see this demand decreasing. We are in a stable spot for interest rates over the next six months, although the presidential election could impact the market, including state and local debt.

In regards to taxable assessed values, we anticipate a large protest process which may impact certified values. Values for this school year were assigned before the pandemic; next year’s values will have fully accounted for its impact. We are advising clients who have flexibility in their sales to wait and see what the certified values look like. This gives you more data when structuring the debt. There may be ongoing impact in the coming years as well, and this is something for school districts to consider as they are developing bond programs.

Underlying Credit Ratings

Outside of local issues, RBC has been asked about the impact of COVID-19 to a district’s underlying credit rating, which could increase borrowing costs in the long-run. The rating agencies have put out a lot of information on what the impact could be, but we haven’t seen many credit rating downgrades for Texas school districts. This is something to keep an eye on as the impact of the pandemic continues to flow through the market.

Final Takeaways

The market is open, and school districts who have needs, have a plan in place and feel confident about their local economy can lock in historically-low interest rates. For those who have flexibility, it’s a good idea to stay in touch with your advisors and demographer to asses changes to enrollment, local economy and community needs.

To learn more about RBC Capital Markets, click here.

About MORE Momentum

Huckabee’s MORE Momentum series highlights how our educational partners are investing their time, energy and focus to keep the momentum going during this unprecedented “pause.” We will explore themes related to bonds, planning, design and safety and security, among other topics that impact Texas public education. Follow us @HuckabeeInc on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In, or complete the form below to get a first look as new content is released. 

For the full webinar, click below

Keep the momentum going!
Reach out to our Huckabee Communications team to learn MORE.

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May 12
0

MORE Momentum: Planning

By | News

Huckabee’s MORE Momentum series highlights how our educational partners are investing their time, energy and focus to keep the momentum going during this unprecedented “pause.” We will explore themes related to bonds, planning, design and safety and security, among other topics that impact Texas public education. Follow us @HuckabeeInc on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In, or complete the form below to get a first look as new content is released. 

We’ve broken out each question for MORE Momentum #2: Planning below. You can be view the webinar in its entirety by clicking here.

As we find a sense of normalcy, many unknowns remain, especially for Texas schools. Despite the challenges, school districts can use this time to their advantage. Suzanne Marchman, a Director of Client Communications at Huckabee, visits with Dr. Bill Chapman, Superintendent of Jarrell ISD, and Mike Vermeeren, Director of Planning at Huckabee, to discuss how to gain insight and value into your short and long-term needs. This on-demand webinar focuses on ways Jarrell ISD is being intentional with their construction, operations and planning efforts, as well as ways in which school districts can engage in long-range planning (and its benefits) within a virtual work environment.

Q1: Tell us about Jarrell ISD and your needs going into 2020. 

Jarrell ISD, located north of Austin, is growing at a quick pace with double digit increases in enrollment each year. Until 2007, it had a single K-12 school. Today, it has two elementary schools, a middle school and a high school.

The 2019-2020 school year focused on the opening of Igo Elementary School, construction to Jarrell High School and master planning at multiple campuses to address long-term capacity and evolving needs. Projections prior to COVID-19 placed Jarrell at capacity at the elementary level in 2.5 years and at the middle and high school levels in four. A strategic planning process was set to begin after Spring Break to address future bonds, but it was pushed back to summer following the shut-down of schools.

“We were beginning to look at those long-term growth needs and undergoing a master planning piece at the middle and high school campuses. We wanted to see just what were the capacities of those buildings, what could we do to those buildings to maximize our space. We are blessed with 120 acres at the high school site; how big could I build that structure to meet the needs of Jarrell High School as we grow? Then we can say, here’s what it can be, and what do we want it to be. Same with the middle school.” – Dr. Bill Chapman, Jarrell ISD

Q2: What has changed for Jarrell ISD since COVID-19?

Despite uncertainty, Jarrell ISD has continued to experience an increase in enrollment. They anticipate growth to continue and are working with demographers and developers to examine the pace and how it will impact their bond cycle in the coming year. While construction won’t stop, a slow-down may afford the district time to back off their building spree, push a bond out further and dive deeper into their needs. 

“How do you plan for the future when the kids are here, but they’re not here. In Jarrell ISD, we are still seeing growth; our enrollment has increased during COVID-19. We were speeding along I-35 with our cruise control at 70 miles per hour, but now we’ve backed down to 30. It’s allowed us to back off and really see what our needs are going to be, what does it look like in November, do I have to have a November bond.” – Dr. Bill Chapman, Jarrell ISD

Q3: What are ways school districts can take advantage of this “pause” to be intentional? 

Mike Vermeeren suggests that this “pause” can be viewed as a grace period, a time to reflect and plan. Visioning, master planning and long-range planning can all occur during this time, potentially with greater engagement and participation. 

(1) Long-Range Planning—The foundational elements of long-range planning (facility assessments, educational standards and capacity / utilization) can be addressed even within our current situation. Empty buildings are ideal for facility assessments, and Huckabee has a method to conduct these that requires minimal personnel. To take it further, existing floorpans can be used as a base for utilization analysis; compared against TEA standards and your educational delivery methods, we can develop an educational adequacy report and capacity analysis that complements data gathering efforts.

“In terms of looking at growth needs, aging needs and evolving needs of education, we can do all of that right now. In terms of looking at the future, we are successfully conducting visioning meetings virtually with groups of 5-20. We can do that right now using fun and engaging methods.” – Mike Vermeeren, Huckabee

(2) Engagement—Virtual settings create more opportunity to connect with your internal stakeholders and/or community. Planning is often rushed; we see school districts spend a great deal of time collecting the goods related to educational and facility planning but then rushing through the buy in. If you’ve recently gone through a planning process, or are interested in starting, this is a good time to roll out your plan to your stakeholders and help them understand the need by finding ways to reach them where they are most comfortable. 

TIP: Planning doesn’t have to be complicated. Now is a great time to collect data and start building your case for aging conditions, growth and evolving needs. And, there are many ways (and benefits) to engage your community and stakeholders virtually.

Q4: What are the benefits of long-range planning?

Long-range planning provides school districts with a clear understanding of needs, which helps them move forward strategically. The process creates a roadmap for future success—5, 10 or 20 years into the future. It also creates milestones that “trigger” the next step in the process, ensuring your plan isn’t derailed. Trigger points can be tied to a number of factors, but commonly relate to growth rate and capacity; they are a mechanism that is used to indicate when planning for the next building project should begin. 

TIP: Work with your planning committee to develop “trigger points” to keep you on track when implementing a long-range plan. Trigger points indicate a milestone, typically related to growth and capacity, that prompt you to begin the next step in your process. 

Q5: What opportunities have emerged for Jarrell ISD?

Time is the greatest opportunity for Jarrell ISD. They have been able to slow down (or speed up in one aspect) to capitalize on opportunity in several aspects of their operations, including: 

(1) Construction—Jarrell ISD had a chance to accelerate phases in their high school construction project. Without students in the space, the contractor was able to access the library and cafeteria earlier than expected. Jarrell and the contractor capitalized on this opportunity; this shift has the potential to offset a busy construction period during August, when contractors are wrapping up projects as students return. 

(2) Energy Savings—With schools closed, Jarrell utilized this time to analyze energy costs across all buildings. They realized savings potential in their administration building—an older, and smaller, space with energy cost above a new elementary school. As a result, they are making changes that will result in long-term savings. It’s an area that may have been overlooked had the district not had this opportunity to examine existing processes. 

TIP: Explore opportunities with current and potential construction projects to take advantage of the current climate. Can you accelerate your timeline by giving contractors access to empty spaces? Or, can you push a project to bid in today’s favorable market?

TIP: Look for value. Be open to examination of process and operations. Don’t be afraid of change.

Q6: How has Jarrell ISD addressed planning needs during this pause? What are your successes? 

In Jarrell, like many other school districts, they are constantly working toward the next goal at breakneck speed. This pause gave them time to dig into their goals, analyze their successes and examine what the future may hold (and how they should react). Prior planning efforts and the opportunity to build on those successes will allow Jarrell to best serve their community in this changing environment. 

(1) Technology—A big focus for Jarrell is technology. The planning they’d done before COVID-19 set them up for success when learning went virtual. They were able to react quickly to support their 1:1 culture, expand WiFi at community schools and provide hotspots to families. The district plans to continue their efforts around technology planning and will start targeting teacher and staff development in their next phase. 

(2) Community Engagement—An unexpected boon that may elevate the district’s future approach to community engagement, is the success they found in virtual meetings. “One of the benefits of this is that we had the best attendance to a district improvement plan we’ve ever had because no one had to come to the building. We had a virtual meeting. We had more parent participation, and so maybe we keep looking at this. There is no reason why we can’t use Zoom or Google Hangouts, things that our teachers are using. It’s an unintended consequence in a good way.” – Dr. Chapman

(3) Educational Delivery—Finally, the pause gave Jarrell the opportunity to examine educational delivery and ask, “Why is it this way, does it need to be this way, what is something else we can do?” Dr. Chapman has encouraged a mindset that has allowed for growth without fear of failure—a way of thinking that allows for greater innovation, especially during a crisis. “We have to have that focus on everything we do, and not just this one time transition. I think this will give us a better mindset as we move forward as a district, as a leadership team and as a teaching staff.”  – Dr. Chapman

TIP: Virtual meetings have the potential to create broader engagement with your stakeholders and community. Consider how these can be used to generate feedback, buy-in and collaboration.

Final Thoughts

Despite the unknowns, there is a great deal of opportunity during this time to reflect, assess and plan for the future. In closing, here are a few considerations that have led to success for Jarrell ISD:

TIP: Know the variables, it will help you make better decisions. For Jarrell, growth is one of the key variables. In light of a shifting real estate climate, they’ve increased their demographic reports from bi-annually to quarterly and have stayed in touch with local developers. This gives them real-time and projected insight into the market.
TIP: Don’t look at things the way you’ve always looked at them. Use this time to refocus and set new goals and areas of attention to develop yourself and your district.
TIP: Know your community. Know what they can handle. And, take the time to understand what matters to them. That will help you make better decisions to meet their, and your, needs.
For the full webinar, click below

Keep the momentum going!
Reach out to our Huckabee Communications team to learn MORE.

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Apr 27
0

MORE Momentum: Bonds

By | News

Huckabee’s MORE Momentum series highlights how our educational partners are investing their time, energy and focus to keep the momentum going during this unprecedented “pause.” We will explore themes related to bonds, planning, design and safety and security, among other topics that impact Texas public education. Follow us @HuckabeeInc on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In, or complete the form below to get a first look as new content is released.

Megan Smith, Director of Client Communications, sits down with Tim McClure, Assistant Superintendent for Facilities in Northwest ISD, and Russ Gage, a Northwest ISD parent and Long Range Planning Committee member, in a 30-minute virtual chat about NISD’s postponed $986.6 million May bond election and what both the district and community are doing to keep momentum during this unprecedented time.

The conversation provides insight on steps they are taking to stay ahead of planning, continue to communicate with stakeholders, and prepare for a November election. Whether you have also delayed your bond election to November, were considering calling one in the next year or are in the middle of executing a current bond program, tune in for strategies you may find helpful to apply in your district.

Click the MORE Momentum image below for more takeaways on this topic.

Keep the momentum going!
Reach out to our Huckabee Communications team to learn MORE.

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Feb 10
0

Midway ISD CTE Expansion

By | Clients

Midway ISD and Huckabee started design on a CTE expansion to Midway High School. The first charrette brought together students, teachers and district staff to share ideas and discuss program needs. The project centralizes CTE classrooms and labs into a more modern space. It will create opportunities for greater collaboration between programs and students, while also supporting long-term growth in CTE offerings. To read more, click here.

Feb 02
0

Presentations at SERA Conference

By | Research

The LEx Collaborative was accepted to present all three of our submitted research papers at Southwest Educational Research Association (SERA) conference. SERA is a regional educational research association dedicated to furthering the advancement of research in education. The following papers were presented at the conference:

  • Initial Development and Validation of the Elementary Student Engagement Survey (ESES)
  • Transforming Teacher Pedagogy to Maximize 21st Century Skills Through the Learning Environment
  • Investigating the Impact of Flexible Furniture in the Classroom

In April 17-21, our group will be presenting the ESES paper at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference in San Francisco, CA. AERA is as an organized body of 25,000 members and we’re looking forward to engaging with the educational community.

To learn more about SERA, click here.

Nov 18
0

School Safety Center Board

By | News

Kerri Ranney was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas School Safety Center Board. She is the first architect to be named to the 15-member board, and she joins fellow new appointees, Craig Bessent, Alan Trevino, Terry Deaver and Edwin Flores, Ph.D. The board reports to the Governor, the legislature, the State Board of Education, and the Texas Education Agency regarding school safety and security, and advises the center on its function, budget, and strategic planning initiatives. To learn more about recent appointees and sitting board members, click here.

Kerri is passionate about creating positive change through her work. She serves as our Vice President of Educational Practice; leads our educational research efforts at the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative; led efforts to rewrite the school facility standards for the state of Texas (including school safety revisions); and has participated in several working groups focused on school safety and security. She is a champion for Texas students and educators!

Nov 14
0

Planning Learning Spaces Book Launch

By | Research

Kerri Ranney, Huckabee’s Vice President of Educational Practice, is a contributing author for the new book, Planning Learning Spaces: A Practical Guide for Architects, Designers and School Leaders. Kerri is one of 19 contributors from across the globe who gives unique insight into how design of learning spaces contributes to students’ learning experiences in a quickly changing world. Her chapter, “Applied and Technical Learning,” focuses on authentic, hands-on learning and CTE design and features case studies from three Texas school districts: Georgetown ISD, Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD and Mansfield ISD.

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With experience in architecture, educational planning and educational research, Kerri brings a diverse set of knowledge to the project. She was invited to provide the US perspective and is the only contributing author from this side of the pond. Collectively, the book’s contributors created a planning resource for designers, architects and school leaders.

Kerri is speaking at the book’s international launch in November 2019 at the Education Construction Network’s annual conference in Westminster. She and other contributors will highlight the importance of understanding the intended teaching and learning approach before creating the physical design of a school or classroom environment. We are proud of Kerri’s commitment to the project and her dedication to providing MORE resources for stakeholders around the world to enhance learning opportunities for all students!

To learn more about the book click here or to purchase a copy click here.