Colo-NESCO Community School District
Colo, IA | Education
Overview
ISG collaborates with the District to create and implement a long-term facility maintenance and planning strategy, ultimately leading to a passed referendum for facility upgrades.
Opportunity
ISG worked with Colo-NESCO Community Schools to identify facility issues and maintenance that need to be addressed in the District’s long-term facility plan. This includes generating a long-term plan through a facility assessment and preemptive planning to anticipate growth and identify areas of opportunity. A list of recommendations was provided to the District along with priority ratings based on the District’s needs and goals.
Solution
Following the facility assessment, the District gathered a facilities community task force comprised of community members, parents, and staff. Tours of each school’s existing conditions allowed task force members to identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities for each facility. ISG guided the task force through the assessment findings so they were able to develop a recommended comprehensive facility plan for the School Board.
Each building had accessibility issues and Americans for Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance issues, and needed architectural, mechanical, electrical, and site updates. Through financial considerations, as well as the health and safety of students, staff, and other facility users, ISG and the task force diligently worked together to bring thoughtful and necessary recommendations to the Colo-NESCO School Board. From these recommendations, the School Board approved the recommendation and moved forward with a bond referendum to remodel the middle and high school building to continue to improve the quality of education for their students.
With a successful vote passed, ISG began design work to on the middle and high school projects which consisted of renovations to the existing restrooms and showers and Family and Consumer Science (FACS), art, and work classrooms. The remodeled classrooms will include new floors, paint, casework, and specialties. The main entrance will also include a new vestibule for security and a canopy. The building’s entire HVAC system is being revamped, which entails installing drop ceilings for ventilation, along with replacing the sprinkler system. Security, accessibility, and indoor air quality were all District priorities addressed in this phase.