Case Studies K-12 Education

On a Tuesday afternoon at Macopin Middle School, a cluster of students who once dreaded the school day now race through the hallway to beat the bell — not for gym class or lunch, but for a converted woodshop humming with monitors, headsets, and the sound of friendly trash talk. The room used to smell […]

When one superintendent joked that he wanted his building back after seeing how Acceleration Academies transformed one of the district’s former facilities, Dan Miller knew he had done something right. The space, which used to house a previous district partnership, now boasts inviting, brightly colored walls, comfortable seating arrangements and modern finishes, making the facility […]

Before Daniel Derrick ever managed a stadium project or supervised a synthetic turf conversion, he was the guy behind the drum kit. He has been playing for more than 20 years, gigging with a cover band that swings between Hank Williams Jr. and Charlie Daniels and anywhere else the setlist takes them. It is an […]

David Scarmardo understands that a school district’s most important work often happens quietly. Classrooms open on time. Floors shine. Heating systems run through cold Midwest mornings. Technology connects instantly for students who arrive with Chromebooks rather than notebooks. None of this happens by accident. It is the product of planning, maintenance, and coordination that begins […]

For Grand Rapids Public Schools, facilities are more than brick and mortar—they’re the foundation of equitable, high-quality education. Overseeing this transformation is Dale Cammenga, Director of Planning, Design, Construction, and Renovations. With four decades of experience in the design and construction industries, he leads the district’s ambitious facilities strategy anchored by the $305 million “Reimagine […]

If you ask David Chansilp if he has always been a leader, he’ll hesitate before saying that as his career in real estate, development and construction management has evolved, so have his leadership abilities. But a closer look into Chansilp’s upbringing and background tells a slightly different story. Chansilp grew up in New York City […]

A few years ago, if a light went out or a sink was leaking at Clark County School District, it could take days, or even weeks, before someone could get there to fix it. Now, facilities issues like this are resolved within hours. That’s because, in 2019, the Nevada district started a pilot building engineer […]

Damian Viltz’s first week of the 2017-18 school year at Fort Bend Independent School District began with a career-defining challenge—and an ominous omen. On the Monday before school opened, FBISD’s new executive director of facilities and operations witnessed a full solar eclipse—an eerie sight, he recalls. The next day, students started the school year as […]

As a teenager growing up in San Antonio, Texas, Darrell Thompson believed at the time he had no skills, no future and was a person lacking ambition. That changed when he joined the Navy. Now, 39 years after coming ashore, Thompson’s successfully navigating a sea of high-tech projects as the director of facilities at Center […]

Usually when a school gets new lockers, it’s not that exciting. Students at Fort Wayne Community Schools, however, are ecstatic about theirs. That’s because they’re involved in the locker renovations, along with a host of other school upgrades, from design to completion. Darren Hess, director of facilities for the Indiana school district, and his team […]