The U.S. birth rate is at a record low and enrollment trends for PreK-12 and college point to continued declines in the coming years, presenting new challenges to those in charge of school facilities planning.

Many districts face deficiencies in their facilities, but don’t have the funding to address critical issues – and many state and federal sources of funding are directly tied to enrollment numbers. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, 24% of U.S. school buildings are in either “fair” or “poor” condition, and the cost of repairs and improvements continue to increase. An additional issue for smaller rural districts with declining enrollment is the threat of consolidation, which means that an increasing number of buildings may be modified, closed, or re-purposed.

The declining enrollment trend means that districts must increasingly compete for students and faculty, while dealing with pressure to increase student performance. High quality facilities can enable districts to meet these ever-growing demands: research has found that students in substandard buildings scored between 5-17 percentile rank points lower than students in functional buildings on academic tests.

Boyd Jones is proud to be a partner in education, helping districts navigate the complex landscape of facilities planning. Our broad range of services includes a facilities assessment program informed through decades of experience delivering high-quality construction, addition, and renovation projects. Our program will provide valuable information to support what’s most important to you, your students, and your community, whether that’s having a detailed maintenance checklist as a result of the assessment or using it as a springboard to formulate your long-term facilities vision. Boyd Jones specializes in developing holistic facilities solutions that enable districts to reach their goals.