K-12 + school districts
Bond passed. Now what?
A school district passes a bond and then has to turn a ballot number into buildings, usually with a facilities team of two or three people who already have full-time jobs. Framework E takes that on. We run K-12 facility master plans, bond and sinking fund programs, additions, renovations, gymnasiums and athletic facilities, and full replacements, from the board presentation through opening day. One team, one contract, and a price the district can defend to taxpayers.
What the work aligns
Performance begins with clear priorities.
- Facility master plans that survive board turnover
- Bond and sinking fund scope that matches what the money allows
- Construction phased around an occupied, operating school
- Board and community presentations we help you deliver
Before the bond: build a plan the community will vote for.
The strongest bond campaigns rest on a facility assessment and master plan the public can actually read. We document building conditions across the district, prioritize needs against enrollment projections, produce cost models with escalation applied, and give you the imagery and plain-language explanations that make a ballot proposal credible instead of abstract.
After the bond: scope that matches the money.
Bond and sinking fund dollars carry rules about what they can and cannot pay for, and those rules shape scope. We build the program against the actual funding envelope, phase the work across the life of the bond, and keep a running reconciliation so the district always knows what remains committed and what remains available.
Build around the school year, not through it.
A school does not close for construction. Phasing, summer windows, swing space, secured separation between construction and student areas, noise and air quality, bus and parent circulation, and clear communication to staff and families are design inputs from the first meeting. Getting this wrong is how a district loses community trust mid-project.
Athletics and gymnasiums that serve the whole district.
Gyms, fieldhouses, pools, and athletic facilities are among the most used and most visible buildings a district owns. They also host graduations, elections, community meetings, and emergency shelter. We design them for that full range of use, with the durability and operating cost profile a district can sustain for forty years.
We help you face the board and the public.
Facilities directors and superintendents are the ones standing in front of a board or a packed cafeteria explaining cost and disruption. We produce the materials for those meetings and, when it helps, we stand up and present alongside you. Public accountability is part of the work, not an afterthought.
Relevant work
Proof in the portfolio.
Useful answers
Questions owners ask early.
Our bond just passed. What is the first thing we should do?
Reconcile scope to money before anyone draws anything. Bond language is written before design exists, escalation moves between the campaign and the first shovel, and priorities shift. A Design Framework Report re-prices the promised scope against current costs and tells the board what is fully funded, what is partially funded, and what needs phasing.
Can you help us before a bond, during the planning stage?
Yes, and this is where districts get the most value from us. Facility assessments, enrollment-informed master planning, cost modeling, and community-ready presentation materials all support a ballot proposal that voters understand and trust.
What can sinking fund money be used for?
Michigan sinking fund revenue is restricted to specific capital purposes such as repair and construction of school buildings, with limits that differ from bond proceeds and that have changed with legislation. We scope sinking fund work against current rules and coordinate with your district’s legal and financial advisors so the program stays compliant.
How do you keep construction safe with students in the building?
Through hard separation of construction and occupied areas, controlled and badged site access, work sequenced into summers and breaks where possible, air quality and noise management, and revised circulation for buses, parents, and emergency access. These are planned before construction begins, not negotiated once it starts.
Do you work with charter and independent schools?
Yes. Charter, independent, and parochial schools face the same facility questions with different funding mechanics, and often with tighter capital constraints. The planning and delivery approach is the same, with the funding strategy built around the sources actually available to the school.
Start before the scope hardens