Special School District of St. Louis County (SSD), the largest specialized education provider in the state, equips and empowers students of all learning abilities to excel to their greatest potential.
The district first partnered with BLDD in 2010 to develop a comprehensive facilities assessment and improvement strategy that addressed both immediate challenges and long-term aspirations. This partnership came at a crucial time as the district implemented its “Righting the Ship” initiative, a strategic plan designed to ensure fiscal stability while maintaining educational excellence.
BLDD’s assessment revealed significant opportunities within SSD’s aging infrastructure, particularly regarding ADA accessibility – a critical component for a district dedicated to serving students with diverse needs.
Special School District of St. Louis County needed to modernize their aging infrastructure and improve ADA accessibility for their diverse student population while maintaining strict fiscal responsibility during their "Righting the Ship" initiative.
Through a data-driven partnership with BLDD, the district transformed facilities upgrades into strategic planning to align infrastructure improvements with both educational goals and financial constraints.
The partnership between BLDD and SSD represents more than a traditional facilities assessment – it’s a commitment to preserving and enhancing a vital educational resource that impacts every corner of St. Louis County. The resulting master plan serves as a roadmap for strategic facility improvements that align with both fiscal realities and educational excellence.
“BLDD has been a true collaborative partner for Special School District of St. Louis County. BLDD has taken the time to learn our district, understand our unique challenges, and offer solutions that both meet the needs of our school community and fiscal restraints as a public school district.”
Kevin Andert | Chief of Technical Education & Operations
In 2017, District 186 embarked on a two-year comprehensive master plan that led to a successful sales-tax referendum. The journey involved the coordination and cooperation of many entities with differing missions uniting for a common goal.
As the Iowa City Community School District grappled with the challenges of rapid enrollment growth, aging facilities, equity concerns, and a desire for future-focused learning environments, they turned to the BLDD/Unicom•ARC team. The mission: conduct a comprehensive community engagement planning process to shape a long-term facilities master plan.
Just over 10 years ago, prior to working with BLDD, the district sought a referendum. Community engagement was minimal and the community did not approve the plan. Utilizing BLDD’s planning process with QLEO in 2024, the community engagement was successful and the referendum passed 70/30 overall.