Building Excellence

Each facility in this report is given an overall composite facility letter grade, which is drawn from 14 individual facility components. The individual facility component categories have been organized into two sections:

1. Projects to Meet Renewable Energy Resolution Goal (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Suppression - MEPFS)
2. Architectural Components to Complete Facility-Specific Renovations 

The Renewable Energy Resolution Goal costs are interconnected. Therefore, improvements made in one Renewable Energy sub-category without improvements in another Renewable Energy sub-category may result in increased overall costs and missed opportunities. The Architectural Components to Complete Facility-Specific Renovation costs are also connected to the Renewable Energy Resolution Goal (MEPFS) costs. Therefore, improvements made in one or more Architectural Component sub-categories will influence costs and needs within one or more of the Renewable Energy Resolution Goal (MEPFS) sub-categories. The facility improvement costs included in each of the sections represent a value of implementation in current market conditions without projections of future costs.

The proposed Renewable Energy Costs represent an estimate of investments needed to replace an existing Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Suppression system and its associated distribution systems. This includes the costs of replacing ceilings, walls, floors, and all items associated with the dismantling, removing, and installing a new distribution system. It does not include the cost of architectural upgrades to the facility that will not be disturbed (or “not in the way”) of replacing the MEPFS systems. The new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems will be consistent with the District's sustainability goals based on a central geothermal HVAC plant design coupled with fan coil units.

The Architectural Components to Complete Facility-Specific Renovations upgrade costs represent estimates for upgrading the associated building components to an excellent condition. The estimated Architectural costs are based on the implementation of the upgrades simultaneously with the upgrades of Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Suppression systems. Completing the Architectural components upgrades separately will result in higher costs and may result in complexities for practical implementation.

It is important to note that the report provides a conditions “grade” to MMSD’s facilities that should be viewed as a guide to existing facilities’ conditions rather than a plan for renovations. The letter grading should be used as a guide to the most critical needs and provides cost estimates to be used for future planning. Finally, although the summary table provides the costs of the individual facility component categories, the costs should be viewed in total for each school facility. In other words, the MMSD Educational Facilities Condition Assessment Report was created to determine the cost of improving an individual building and not to determine the costs to complete a districtwide upgrade renovation for one of the facility component categories.

Letter Grade - Explanation of Grade

A - Excellent - No action needed

B - Good - General wear as expected

C - Adequate - Meets standard; functions as intended, may be nearing the end of its life expectancy

D - Poor - Below standard; exceeding life cycle expectancy

F - Extremely Poor - Inoperable and should be replaced; may pose a hazard

 

The 12 facility component categories are:

Projects to Meet Renewable Energy Resolution Goal (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Suppression - MEPFS)

• Sustainability and Energy Efficiency - Air sealing, thermal insulation, distribution system Accommodations (demolition and rebuild of ceilings, walls, closets)
• Plumbing - Distribution, terminal equipment, and fixtures
• HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) - Central plant, distribution system, and terminal equipment
• Power - Main service, distribution, and associated equipment
• Lighting - Assessment of all lighting
• Technology - Infrastructure needed for data and Wi-Fi access
• Fire Suppression - Fire sprinkler system

Architectural Components to Complete Facility-Specific Renovations

• Site Elements - Asphalt paving, concrete walks, grounds site prep work, fencing, steps, railings, ramps, playground equipment, sports fields, pick-up and drop-off locations, emergency vehicle access, and dumpsters
• Building Envelope - Siding, entryways, entry columns and entablature, windows, louvers, soffits, trims and roofs
• Life Safety - Fire suppression, life safety and emergency exit doors, access control, fire alarm detection and notification, intrusion detection
• Accessibility - Elevators, lifts, ramps, boiler room access, automatic entrances, door clearances, hardware devices, casework, sink access, stairs, and stage access
• Interior Finishes - Flooring, ceilings, walls, casework, doors, marker boards/chalkboards, corridor lockers, and shades
• Specialty Areas/Needs - Secure entrances, classroom locks, security cameras, administration and reception, mail room, gym lockers, showers, staff lounge, nursing office, cafeteria, after-school program, art room, music, and library/LMC
• Aesthetics - Basic landscaping

• Building tours were used in 2022 to obtain updated information.

• A baseline standard was identified using Paul J. Olson Elementary School, which was built in 2008 and meets the District’s standards.

• Some current components of a facility may be identified as “does not meet code.” This typically represents a component that would not meet today’s current building code, but which met the building code at the time of building or alteration. 

• The letter grading is to be used as a guide to the most critical needs and provides cost estimates to be used for future planning. 

• There have been significant cost increases in the 2022 and 2023 construction market. In years past, it would have been anticipated that an annual increase in construction costs would be 3-5%, while in the past two to three years, the construction industry has experienced increases of 15-40%. Many of the cost increases have been a result of supply chain issues for materials, equipment delivery, labor shortages, and labor cost increases. To offset paying the cost of a general contractor, MMSD Management and Trades teams were consulted at each phase for potential cost saving opportunities. In addition, J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. were asked by MMSD to provide a summary of item costs from the Referendum 2020, which was then used to benchmark cost projections for future construction. The estimated costs in this report include customary professional services of architecture and engineering to provide the identified upgrades. 

• Other costs that are undetermined at this time will increase the final project costs and could include technology hardware, equipment, environmental services costs, move management, storage costs, consulting costs, and management services costs. Based on the projects currently undertaken by the District as part of the Referendum 2020, these additional costs are inevitable in major renovations. 

The 2023 MMSD Educational Facility Condition Assessment Report is organized into three main sections:

• Summary table of PRA cost analysis for selected MMSD facilities
• Summary of PRA facility condition and cost analysis by selected MMSD facility
• Appendix: Detailed PRA facility condition and cost analysis by selected MMSD facility

The following MMSD facilities, including those currently under construction or recently completed, are not included in this updated report: 

• East High School

• West High School

• Robert M. La Follette High School

• Vel Phillips Memorial High School

• Capital High School - Formerly Hoyt Elementary School

• Southside Elementary School with renovations to Badger Rock Middle School to serve the students previously attending Frank Allis Elementary School

• Holzman Learning Center

• Pflaum Road- Building Services

• Thompkins Drive- Fleet Repair Center

• School Forest

• Leased facilities 

• Attendance Area boundary maps, a look at the districts current attendance area boundaries
• Considerations for boundary changes, the six considerations when redrawing boundary lines
• Imagine Madison, for links to reports about demographic trends for the city of Madison

• 2018-2038 Student Enrollment Projections Update, a report prepared by Vandewalle & Associates
• Fall 2018 Enrollment Report Implications and Next Steps (Board Memo)

• East High School Facilities Study and Assessment (2019), produced by Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP
• La Follette High School Study and Assessment (2019), produced by Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP
• Memorial High School Study and Assessment (2019), produced by Zimmerman Architectural Studios, Inc.
• West High School Study and Assessment (2019), produced by Zimmerman Architectural Studios, Inc.
• Periodic Table of Building Condition in MMSD (interactive version)
• Educational Facility Condition Assessment , Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP
• Athletic Facility Assessment, Rettler Corporation

• Personalized Pathways
• Dual Language Immersion (DLI)
• Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Program (4K)
• Ignite Information and Technology Plan

• Guiding Principles for Building Excellence, generated from community input and used moving forward to help guide facilities planning
• Draft Criteria for Capital Improvement Plan Projects, informed by best practice nationwide and community input, and used moving forward to help evaluate potential CIP projects
• Building Excellence Spring 2017 Engagement Plan, delivered to the Board in April 2017
• Building ExcellenceSpring Engagement 2016: Perceptions and Vision, a 2016 report summarizing the major themes in student and staff perceptions of and vision for facilities
• Plan for Engaging the Madison Community, delivered to the Madison Board of Education on July 18, 2016
• 2014 Analysis of Facilities Plan Feedback, a 2014 report about feedback on a draft facilities improvement plan

With this comprehensive information in hand, the Madison Board of Education can make insightful, proactive decisions about our school buildings that reflect our community’s priorities and values.

Research and Results

Read the full Community Engagement and Input Process Report (2021), prepared by the MMSD Research and Program Evaluation Office.

To understand the perspectives of families, students, community members, and staff regarding the post referendum facilities design process, MMSD’s Research and Program Evaluation Office conducted a series of 43 input sessions, sharing information with more than 1,000 participants and soliciting questions and comments from a wide array of community groups. In addition, MMSD launched two community-wide surveys through which community members were asked to share their input on the facilities design process. There were a total of 2,014 respondents (non-students, over age 18) and 1,678 student responses. 

The major themes that emerged from the input sessions and qualitative survey data include

• (1) School Culture and Climate
• (2) Racial Equity and Social Justice
• (3) Positive Learning Environments

Additionally, several sub-themes within each of these large categories were also identified and described in detail with the inclusion of anonymous, direct quotes from participants.

Long Range Facilities Plan

Find below all the links mentioned in the Draft Long Range Facilities Plan, in order of appearance. Please note that some links are repeated throughout the document but only appear on this page once.

Where can you learn more?

• The July 18, 2016 presentation to the MMSD Board of Education by the research team
• The January 23, 2017 presentation to the MMSD Board of Education Operations Work Group
• The July 10, 2017 presentation to the MMSD Board of Education Operations Work Group
• The December 11, 2017 presentation to the MMSD Board of Education Operations Work Group
• The April 16, 2018 presentation to the MMSD Board of Education Operations Work Group

Links:

Educational Facility Condition Assessment 

MMSD Building Condition Chart 

April 2015 Referendum Final Project Summary

2017-2037 Student Enrollment Projections: Preliminary Report for the Madison Metropolitan School District 

MMSD Capital Planning S.W.O.T. Analysis 

MMSD Air Conditioning Status Report 

East High School Facilities Study and Assessment 

La Follette High School Facilities Study and Assessment

Memorial High School Facilities Study and Assessment

West High School Facilities Study and Assessment

Long Range Facilities Plan High School Input Report

2018-2038 Student Enrollment Projections Update

School Capacity Utilization Report Fall 2018

North Side Elementary Schools Enrollment Data and Analysis

South Allis Building Area Analysis

Sprecher School Building Area Analysis

Dohm Farm Property / Acacia Ridge Land Purchase Report

Optional High School Attendance Area Map