Challenges to Consider
The USD 294 Board of Education evaluated our current buildings and looked at how facilities can help fuel student and community success for the next 50 years.
We hosted two tour nights in December 2022 and invited the community to walk through Decatur Community Junior/Senior High School and Oberlin Elementary
to see firsthand the current conditions of each building.
A summary of the facility challenges is outlined below, but we would encourage you to read the full facility assessment here.
Our community’s ability to thrive in the future depends on the quality of our schools, and facilities play a major role.
We’re at a crossroads. Many buildings—including the HVAC, electrical, and other systems within them—have exceeded their life expectancy. Now is the time to look at plans that will allow us to continue to serve the community and our children for the next fifty years.
CHALLENGE #1
Learning Environment
When it comes to learning, the physical environment matters. Many USD 294 classrooms present barriers for student success, including:
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Poor temperature regulation
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Insufficient infrastructure for technology
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Lack of space for group learning
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Poor lighting
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Outdated furnishings
These factors limit learning opportunities and are distractions for students and staff. In addition, in today’s project-driven classrooms, students and staff need flexible space for collaboration.
FACILITIES IMPACT LEARNING
Hattie, John. “Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement.” (2008)
Nye, Barbara, Spyros Konstantopoulos, and Larry Hedges. “How large Are Teachers effects?” Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 26, no. 3 (2004): 237-57
Barrett, Peter, Fay Davies, Yufan Zhang, and Lucinda Barrett. “The impact of classroom design on pupils’ learning: Final results of a holistic, multi-level analysis.” Building and Environment 89 (2015): 118-133.
OUR BUILDINGS ARE AGING
CHALLENGE #2
Aging Facilities
The expected lifespan for a typical school building is 50 years. Once a facility reaches this age, its mechanical systems and structures need extensive renovations or to be replaced entirely.
Both of our district buildings have exceeded that number.
In addition, older buildings were not designed with sufficient safety and security measures.
Contact Us
131 East Commercial
Oberlin, KS 67749
785.475.3805