Issues

Why I'm Running

Experience

Leadership

Capital Improvement

Capital Improvement – AN INVESTMENT IN QUALITY SCHOOLS WITH CHALLENGES AHEAD

Background
I came onto the School Board in 1996. At that time, our capital program was relatively small and had run into a number of problems. A capital improvement program, or CIP, had been begun in 1988, but at that time it was assumed some simple upgrades of windows and carpeting was all that was needed. However, our schools had not been thoroughly renovated in many years and much needed to be done. School needs and the amount of work overwhelmed the school system for a while. Newspaper headlines talked about the “CIP Mess” and missing millions of dollars.

Since then, we have instituted a number of strong management and oversight procedures which got our CIP on a good footing and we now have a hard earned reputation for building award winning school buildings on time and one budget.

We have now renovated, upgraded and built about 28 school facilities in a timely, cost-effective way. Thanks to the support of Arlington voters throughout the years, we have provided permanent space for all Arlington’s schoolchildren and preserved Arlington’s capital investment by assuring that the buildings remain up-to-date structurally and mechanically. Our school buildings provide safe, technologically advanced learning environments for all children and we strive to maintain small class sizes at all levels.

We have systematically invested in our schools reflecting the belief that maintaining our schools in good physical condition pays off for all of Arlington. Maintaining our schools helps the county to attract new businesses, encourage residential stability, maintain an outstanding bond rating, promote community pride, and ensures widespread community use of our schools.

We have not, however, completed our renovation cycle and several large projects need to be done: Washington Lee is well underway and the first phase is being completed and the next phases are almost completely funded; Yorktown High School has begun its renovation, but is not complete nor is the funding yet obtained; Wakefield High School is in the design phase, as are the Career Center and Thomas Jefferson Middle School. These are large, expensive and much needed projects that will benefit not only our students, but our larger Arlington community. During my next term on the School Board I will be working with my School and County Board colleagues to continue to move our capital program forward in a time of tight bond funding. I am committed to making sure that all our buildings are up-to-date, safe, and provide 21st Century learning environments for our children.

Citizen Involvement

Community involvement is crucial to our capital planning process. School and community stakeholders (local school communities, parents, citizen and civic groups, the broader Arlington community, County staff members and system-wide teacher/administrative staff) provide valuable feedback that shapes the scope of the projects included in the CIP, although the overall scope is shaped by the building guidelines that have been adopted by the School Board. The Advisory Council on School Facilities and Capital Programs, a citizen group, reports directly to the School Board. At the school level, the Building Level Planning Committees (BLPCs) participate directly in the design of individual projects. For each school project, the BLPC works with an architect appointed by the School Board to determine how best to meet the goals and objectives for the project approved in the CIP. Through consensus, the BLPC creates a schematic design that is presented to and approved by the School Board.

Working with our County Board colleagues, we have just begun a new process that brings together County interests and our BLPC process. This is called the Public Facilities Review Committee (PFRC) (link?). As we move forward with these last large projects, it is important to assure that all interests in the County are represented. It is also important that we work together efficiently to keep the projects moving forward in a timely manner. Wakefield High School will be the first project that works with the PFRC and that is in process now.

Keys to Success

The key to our successful CIP record has been the development and implementation of processes to:

Our CIP process provides for the board’s consideration detailed analysis of:

The Arlington Facilities and Student Accommodation Plan (AFSAP) provides a comprehensive look at student enrollment and building capacity within Arlington Public Schools. It provides specific information about each school, as well as an overall look at enrollment and capacity issues throughout the county.

The project ranking system for major construction projects examines facility needs based on four criteria: building condition, capacity utilization, educational adequacy and special considerations.

Funding for the Capital Improvement Plan is provided by bond financing and by current revenues. Early in my tenure, the School Board initiated a practice of funding the design of a major construction project in one bond year followed by construction funding the next bond year. Funding design and construction of projects in separate bond years has allowed the project design to be well underway prior to the time in next bond year when we must make funding decisions. It has provided more accurate construction costs and reflects a capital planning approach that starts with a basic project estimate followed by subsequent refinement over time. Each CIP is a planning document and it reflects new input and information about projects over a multi-year period.

I am proud of the innovative practices that we have created and implemented. They have resulted in a systematic, appropriate and financially responsible capital program for our school system. In every area of Arlington County you will see evidence of my and my School Board colleagues’ stewardship of the Arlington taxpayer’s dollars. The following is a list of the projects completed during my tenure.

Renewals and/or Expansions

School Replacement/Reconstruction Projects

New Schools

Other Projects

Projects Underway

Challenges Ahead

Heating and Air Conditioning (HVAC): Over the years we have continued to experience problems with our heating and air conditioning, despite many efforts to assure good quality and performance and a variety of systems tried, including one geothermal system at Taylor Elementary School. Repairs and replacement of HVAC systems are expensive and often involve structural changes in our buildings. The fiscally prudent time to make these changes is when the building is being renovated.

A blue ribbon panel has been asked to take a thorough look at our HVAC systems and compare them to those in other school systems, so we have a better idea if the difficulties we continue to experience are the norm, or if there are obvious, or not so obvious, changes that we should be making. Every school should be a comfortable place in which to teach and learn.

Large Bond Projects: As bond funds become tight and the need for both County and school projects continues, I believe we must have a good community discussion about which projects, both County and schools, should take priority for our limited funds. I fully expect that some hard choices will need to be made, and that it will not be an easy process. I intend to work hard to make this community discussion a healthy and helpful one. I believe it is important that everyone understands clearly what the trade-offs are and why which projects are built instead of others as we move forward.