Are you renovating or expanding your school facility? Whether you’re looking to add a gymnasium, basketball court, library, science laboratory, or need additional classrooms to accommodate growing enrollment, the construction process presents an opportunity to further your school’s mission and enrich the educational experience for your students.

Here’s how to set your project up for success from the get-go.

1. Establish Clear Goals by Setting the Budget and Target Delivery Date

At the heart of every successful construction project lies a clear set of goals, including a well-defined budget and a target timeline for delivery of the new space. By setting realistic expectations and working towards them collaboratively, project stakeholders can align their efforts and minimize the risk of costly delays or overruns.

2. Build a Strong Team

Assembling a strong and cohesive project team is key. The architect plays a pivotal role in leading the design process and orchestrating the efforts of other key stakeholders, such as engineers, consultants, and contractors. Additionally, having an experienced owner’s representative onboard can provide valuable guidance and oversight throughout the project. Selecting the most qualified and experienced architect and contractor for your project is crucial for success.

3. Conduct a Competitive Bidding Process

Don’t go with the first bid you receive! Project owners can make informed decisions and secure the best possible partners for their endeavors by conducting a Request for Proposal (RFP) process for the architect, owner’s representative, and contractor. It’s best practice to have at least 3 to 4 firms to compare against.

4. Navigate the Entitlements and Permitting Process

Be proactive in identifying and addressing regulatory requirements early in the process. From zoning approvals to building permits, thorough due diligence is key to staying on track and within budget. You’ll avoid the potential of costly setbacks. Seek guidance from an experienced architect, land use attorney, owner’s representative, or permit expeditor to help your team identify all the potential entitlements and permits you’ll need to secure before you can start construction on your project.

Embarking on a construction project to enhance your school’s facilities is more than just a physical endeavor – it’s about creating spaces that align with your institution’s mission and support its educational goals. With the right approach and adherence to best practices, a school building can become a powerful tool in advancing the mission and vision of your school.

About the Author

Michael Soh helps schools expand and improve their facilities. Along with a degree from USC in Civil Engineering, Michael has nearly a decade of experience—having managed projects in New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. He has expertise in mixed-use, multifamily, office, and commercial projects, allowing him to support schools through ground-up construction, building and space improvements, and redevelopment initiatives.

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Webinar Recap: 5 Key Aspects of Managing Your School Building

Delve into the essential aspects of school building management in this webinar, 5 Key Aspects of Managing Your School Building. The panel of experts covered a spectrum of topics crucial for school leaders managing their buildings, including best practices and considerations for building improvement, renovation, and management. You can watch the webinar on-demand anytime here. […]

Tuesday Tips: Construction Projects and Negotiating Your Lease

In Tuesday Tips episode 34, Michael Soh and Mary Dillon joined us to discuss construction projects and lease negotiations. Hear tips from Michael Soh and Mary Dillon on how to manage your building, including how to:

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Build Your School

In this guide, you’ll find information on what to plan for in each phase of your construction project. Gain insight into the roles and responsibilities in each phase and how you can get expert guidance with a partnership.

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Delve into the essential aspects of school building management in this webinar, 5 Key Aspects of Managing Your School Building. The panel of experts covered a spectrum of topics crucial for school leaders managing their buildings, including best practices and considerations for building improvement, renovation, and management.

You can watch the webinar on-demand anytime here. Here’s a recap of what was covered.

Construction Best Practices

Expert Michael Soh shared best practices for ensuring your construction project stays on track and within budget. Here are a few of his recommendations:

Plan and design with precision
Assemble a strong team
Implement competitive bidding
Engage experienced consultants

How to Make the Most of Your Lease

Next, we heard from Tabatha Martins and Mary Dillon on how schools can make the most of lease agreements.

They discussed understanding your lease terms, rent details, property conditions, and tenant rights. This is crucial for negotiating favorable terms and fostering clear communication with landlords.

Facility Financing Options

Tommy Alberini shared financing options for school facilities, discussing factors like eventual ownership, lease terms, buyout and refinancing options, and payment structures to strike a balance between flexibility and stability.

How to Work with a Broker

Next, Maddy Marlton shared the benefits of working with a broker. She emphasized how partnering with a commercial real estate broker offers access to market insights, listings, negotiation expertise, and regulatory guidance, streamlining the process and enhancing the likelihood of securing an ideal facility.

Real-World Experiences

Lastly, we heard from Christin Barkas and Ryan Eldridge, who shared real-world experiences of schools accomplishing their mission through strategic building upgrades.

Partner for Support

If you’re embarking on a building upgrade or building purchase, we’re here to help. Get in touch with our team and browse additional free resources below.

Tuesday Tips: Using a Broker to Find Your School’s Forever Home

In this Tuesday Tips, Maddy Marlton and Graham Taylor discussed the advantages of working with a broker when searching for a school facility, emphasizing three main benefits: time-saving expertise, comprehensive market coverage, and tailored solutions to meet unique school requirements. Watch the conversation for more on how brokers streamline the process, handle negotiations, and guide […]

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Timing to Buy Your School

The decision to buy or expand a school is a pivotal moment in the life of any school. It represents an opportunity for growth, stability, and the chance to provide an ideal learning environment for students. However, in today’s educational landscape, this decision is not without its challenges. Let’s explore why timing is everything when […]

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Buy Your School

The Charter School Facility Financing Guide provides information about the school building marketplace, the planning process, and the four primary funding structures. You’ll come away ready to balance your school’s plans for growth with budget realities.

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The quest to find the ideal home for your school can be complex—and feel daunting. This is why it can make a huge difference to have a broker to guide you through the process. Here are just three key benefits of working with a broker that can make all the difference when seeking your school’s forever home.

1. You will save time and energy.

With their deep understanding of the industry, brokers can efficiently lead your school through the intricate processes surrounding property transactions—whether it’s buying, selling, or leasing a facility. Brokers have the knowledge and resources to streamline the process, allowing you to focus on running your school.

2. You’ll benefit from their network.

Brokers can offer your school access to a vast network and comprehensive market coverage, ensuring that no stone is left unturned in the search for the perfect facility. They can explore all available property options, including off-market opportunities that schools wouldn’t typically have access to. By leveraging their connections and expertise, brokers can present you with a wide range of choices tailored to your specific needs and preferences.

3. You’ll stay on mission and on budget.

Brokers closely collaborate with your school to gain a deep understanding of their goals and priorities; brokers can align property searches accordingly. Whether it’s location, size, amenities, or budget constraints, brokers work to find properties that perfectly match your school’s criteria.

In addition to these three key advantages, it’s important to engage with a broker early in the process. By starting the conversation well in advance, preferably 12 to 18 months before seeking occupancy, you can better manage expectations and streamline your search for an ideal facility.

With their time-saving expertise, comprehensive market coverage, and ability to provide tailored solutions, brokers serve as invaluable allies, offering guidance and support every step of the way.

About the Author

Maddy Marlton has a strong background in industrial real estate, including property management, leasing, acquisitions, and development. As an integral member of Grow Schools’s Operations team, Maddy establishes relationships with brokers that can help get schools into their forever homes.

Tuesday Tips: Using a Broker to Find Your School’s Forever Home

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Timing to Buy Your School

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Your website serves as the digital front door to your school. A user-friendly design creates a positive first impression, making it more likely that visitors will explore further and consider enrollment. It ensures that prospective families, who may or may not be tech-savvy, can easily navigate the site, find information, and complete enrollment processes without frustration.

Here are 5 tips for a user-friendly website.

1. Understand Your Audience

One of the foundational steps in creating a meaningful digital experience is gaining a deep understanding of your audience. Identify the different user groups, whether they are potential families, current students, or community supporters, and conduct interviews, surveys, and empathy mapping exercises to comprehend their needs, motivations, and experiences. By putting yourself in the shoes of your users, you can tailor your website to resonate with them on a personal level.

2. Goal Setting: Define Success Metrics from the Start

Set clear goals for your website. Establish SMART goals—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, rather than a broad goal like increasing enrollment, aim to increase the number of applications submitted through the website by a specific percentage within a defined timeframe. Setting goals ensures alignment among stakeholders and provides benchmarks for measuring success.

3. Monitor Your Progress Effectively

Implement analytics and tracking tools to monitor user behavior on your website. Track metrics that align with your goals, but be cautious of potential misleading indicators. High traffic numbers may not always translate to genuine user engagement. Combine quantitative data with qualitative insights gathered through interviews and feedback to gain a comprehensive understanding of user interactions.

4. Balance Statistics with Storytelling: Humanize Your Data

While statistics and awards add credibility, experts stressed that it’s crucial to balance them with compelling storytelling. Share success stories, testimonials, and impactful narratives that humanize the data. Use multimedia elements, such as videos and photos, to create an emotional connection with your audience. A well-crafted narrative not only informs but also engages and resonates with visitors.

5. Create an Inclusive Experience

As charter schools strive to attract more diverse students, a school’s website is a prime opportunity to set the tone and stand out.

School websites—and all websites—should consider all types of users, not just the majority. They must be accessible (able to be used by people of all abilities) and inclusive (not exclusionary in their form or content).

Niki Blaker is a design strategist and founder of Five Sigma Studio—a design firm focused on bringing brand strategy, user experience, design, and content together. Her work is guided by an emphasis on cross-discipline collaboration and in-depth research that makes meaningful brand strategy and design experiences possible.

For more website design tips, watch the on-demand webinar Click to Enroll: Redesign Your School’s Website for Growth.

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3 Things Charter Schools Can Do for Website Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The search bar is where it all begins. SEO, or search engine optimization, is a key component to designing your charter school website. In short, good SEO means your website is easy to find. When done right, SEO leads to lots of “organic” traffic to your site—if a parent in your city is looking for a […]

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3 Tips for Data-Driven Enrollment Marketing

Search data show that families start looking for schools between January and April. This marks a critical time for you to showcase your school—and ensure your content and ads are getting in front of families. This foresight avoids last-minute scrambling as the enrollment season approaches in June, July, and August. Here are some data-driven strategies […]

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Create a Successful Website

This guide is your roadmap to crafting a seamless, user-centric website that sets your school apart. The insights offered by experts Shaina Rozen and Niki Blaker will help transform your website into a hub of information that’s not only functional but easy to use—and that drives enrollment.

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In Click to Enroll: Redesign Your Website for Growth, the panel of experts explored website best practices that promise not only to attract prospective families but also to enhance the online experience for your existing school community. We delved into the world of design and branding principles tailored to showcase your school’s unique identity, unearthing how small changes can make a big impact on your online presence, enrollment, and retention.

If you missed it, Here’s a sneak peek and a written recap.

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1. Understand Your Audience

Creating a meaningful digital experience starts with knowing your audience. Identify user groups through interviews, surveys, and empathy mapping. By understanding their needs, motivations, and experiences, you can tailor your website to resonate personally.

2. Set Goals for Success

Define clear goals for your website with SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound). Instead of broad objectives, focus on specifics like increasing form submissions within a set timeframe. Aligned goals provide benchmarks for success.

3. Monitor User Behavior

Implement analytics tools to monitor user behavior. Be cautious of misleading indicators; high traffic numbers don’t always translate to genuine engagement.

4. Balance Statistics with Storytelling

Humanize data with compelling storytelling. Share success stories, testimonials, and impactful narratives through multimedia elements like videos and photos. A well-crafted narrative engages and resonates with visitors.

5. Merge Aesthetics with Functionality

Opt for a visually appealing design aligned with your school’s brand. Choose colors, fonts, and imagery that evoke desired emotions. Ensure design elements guide users seamlessly through the website, enhancing both aesthetics and functionality.

6. Seamless User Experience: Navigating with Intuition

Craft a website with a seamless and intuitive user experience. Prioritize user-friendly navigation, logical content organization, and responsive design. Conduct usability testing to identify and address obstacles, fostering a positive overall experience.

7. Maintain a Cohesive Design

Consistency in design is crucial for a strong brand identity. Establish a design system with guidelines for colors, fonts, and logo usage. This ensures a unified and professional look across your site

8. Embrace Diversity and Accessibility

Foster diversity and inclusion in your digital presence. Implement inclusive design practices to make your website accessible to users of all abilities. Consider diverse perspectives, learning styles, and abilities when creating content and design elements.

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5 Tips for Making Online Connections with Prospective Families

According to a survey conducted by the nonprofit National School Choice Awareness Foundation (NSCAF), 53.7 percent of parents are considering new schools for their children. Most school searches start online, which means it’s important for your school to be both searchable and have online curb appeal. Here are 5 ways you can improve searchability and […]

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Unlocking Enrollment Success: Easy SEO Tips for School Websites

In an era where digital landscapes shape the future of education, a school’s online presence isn’t just a checkbox – it’s the gateway to a thriving school. Every school boasts a unique mission and offerings waiting to be discovered by those seeking an exceptional educational journey. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the key to unlocking […]

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The Charter School Digital Marketing Guide

Download this workbook will help you achieve your enrollment goals. Refine your school’s messaging, set strategic marketing goals, and achieve them through a variety of digital marketing programs.

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