Why Now? Developing a Blueprint for Greatness
When you think about students, you naturally think about schools, and MSCS is certainly one of the county’s largest property managers. With more than 200 schools, we monitor and address issues every day that arise from 200-plus HVAC systems, boilers and alarm systems.
This is in addition to responding to damage from natural factors, such as tornadoes and flooding, and tens of thousands of windows, locks, desks, sinks, toilets, whiteboards, bubblers, tablets, and more, that need to be maintained regularly and, over time, replaced.
With the increasing age of most of our buildings and limited resources for replacements, we have mounting deferred maintenance and outdated technology.
Our students and our educators deserve clean, modern, functional environments built for now, not back then.
Some schools have fundamental issues that are nearly impossible to mitigate. Others are structurally viable and have a lot of life left in them but do not meet the 21st century needs of today’s teachers and students.
This topic has many complexities, and we are committed to approaching it with the care and consideration it deserves. The Shelby County Board of Education Facilities Ad Hoc Committee, led by Chair Sable Otey and Co-Chair Natalie McKinney, has assembled a knowledgeable group of community leaders to review our portfolio of schools and develop solutions for long-term district success.
Additionally, we want to hear ideas and feedback from our families, students, educators, and staff. We encourage you to attend an upcoming community meeting or you can share your thoughts with us here: LINK.
Thank you for your interest in this topic and our next chapter as we develop our Blueprint for MSCS Greatness.