Page 9 - School Planning & Management, April/May 2019

work with her team to alter product design to more closely meet classroom needs. As one example, the company has a teacher station wherein the top could be lifted so that items could be stored beneath. “We asked if they could change it from a lift top to a drawer,” she says. “They were willing to take our ideas and suggestions and implement them to meet our needs. We wanted that. We didn’t want to buy product that didn’t meet our needs.”
Pearson is now working with other administrators in the Johnston Community School District, which serves approximately 7,400 students with general fund budget of $85 million, according to its website (www. johnstoncsd.org), to transform its other schools to student-centered environments.
Keep building those relationships:
Relationships are key to specifying the right product. Helgerson says that, after trying
to save money in the past by doing things inhouse only to later learn that those things did not meet code, he now works with an ar- chitect. This relationship has been especially helpful as the district has been converting operating systems such as boilers, chillers, and HVAC controls in the last five years. “We meet with our contact, do an assess- ment, talk about problems we’re incurring and share our goals, he explains. “The archi- tect helps with specifications to ensure we meet building code and budget requirements, and solve the problem we want to solve.”
Be willing to make changes: New prod- ucts are continually being introduced. Some are valid options, some are not. Existing products are continually being improved upon, some for the better, some not. With this in mind, it’s important to be willing
to make changes when replacing worn out products and renovating existing facilities. This is true even if it means that you end up changing a standardized product.
In recent years, Upson has worked to make changes, with the goal of purchas- ing products that require less maintenance and/or last longer than what was previ- ously specified. One example is a change in roofing retrofits from modified bitumen to
TPO to PCV membranes. “I believe this evolution is giving us the best value and best life span,” he explains. He has also moved from sheet tile to carpet tile, which is low-maintenance and easy to replace.
It’s clear that there’s a lot to take into consideration when specifying the right
product for your school or district, which may be a source of frustration. Following the experts’ recommendations to search for the product that solves the problem, seek help when it’s needed, build relationships and be willing to make changes may ease that frustration. SPM
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APRIL/MAY 2019 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 9
Photo Credit: Birmingham Hippodrome