As a school corporation determines the future of its buildings, it must look at both the physical conditions of the existing buildings and systems, as well as their capacity to serve the needs of the educational programs. Step one is a Facility Assessment to develop priorities for upgrading, repairing, or even replacing each building. The Facility Assessment has two components— an assessment of Educational Suitability and a Conditional Assessment.

The Educational Suitability assesses the spaces needed to meet the requirements of educational programs, such as classrooms, cafeterias, media centers, gymnasiums, etc. The Conditional Assessment provides concrete and reliable data to enable achievement of educational goals and objectives. As conditions change, it is critical to apply the most current information to ongoing decision making.

Both the Educational Suitability and Conditional Assessment component require a team experienced in processing, evaluating, and developing environments to support education. The assessments must look at more than space considerations. A comprehensive Facility Assessment also will analyze access to technology to support creative exploration, as well as mechanical and electrical support systems that create efficient, effective, and comfortable learning environments.