Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

How Can We Do More With Less?

  • By Amy Kiefer
  • 08/01/11
Lets face it. The current economic climate is challenging on multiple levels. Educational budgets are tighter than ever, oftentimes frozen or no longer even existent within K-12. But with every challenge lies an opportunity. Here are areas for consideration in creating "more with less."

FOCUS -- List and prioritize furnishing needs both for today and into the future. What is the five-year plan? Ten-year plan? How do the plans for furnishings tie to the overall goals and vision for the institution? Rationalize and validate the plan and related prioritization with your stakeholders (stakeholders should include, but not be limited to your faculty, administration, students, parent liaisons and district partners). Input that drives dialogue will allow you more effective, validated decisions for both the short- and long-term.

CALCULATE THE ROI -- Calculate the return on investment (ROI) for those purchases selected (your areas of focus from step 1). Consider both the tangible and intangible value that purchase will drive. Be creative and forward thinking. Include items such as inventory management (flexibility in use), SKU reduction (district standardization), ease of use and repair (JIT maintenance or adjustment), student learning (validation of the institutions' success measures). Although the short-term needs may feel urgent, you're best served to keep focus on the long-term goals and needs of the learning spaces.

CIRCLE BACK -- Ensure the original plan is still warranted, validated by the ROI given the institution's goals and vision. If everything checks out, deploy.

Make no mistake. The goal of achieving more with less is certainly challenging. Especially if less equates to a null budget. But don't throw in the towel. There are too many precious students out there who need improved and optimized learning spaces. Even small, focused gains are better than no change and stagnation.

After all, these are future leaders!

Amy Kiefer is vice president of the Education Market division of KI.

Featured

  • TCU Marks Campus Expansion Milestone

    Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a topping-out ceremony to mark progress on a major campus expansion effort including four new residential facilities and a five-story parking garage, according to a news release.

  • Wold Completes Geothermal Projects at Two Minnesota Schools

    Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has completed two geothermal expansion projects for Mounds View Public Schools in Shoreview, Minn., according to a news release. The work at Highview Middle School and Irondale High School serves the district’s long-term goal of reducing energy costs and dependency on non-renewable fuel sources, as well as improving building performance.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.