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BCSD | Building A Brighter Future
The Bedford City School District is reviving the community process to review and make recommendations to address our aging buildings.
The current six school buildings range in age from 53 to 117 years old and are outdated, inefficient, and don’t provide the quality of education our students deserve. Roofs leak, many buildings are not ADA compliant, and major systems like HVAC and windows have past their useful life and need to be replaced.
Dr. Cassandra Johnson, Interim Superintendent, said the district must move forward and decide how best to serve students and ensure they're prepared to compete in a global market.
“Our students deserve facilities that prepare them for life after graduation and updated buildings are overdue. Our students deserve an excellent education and to learn in 21st century buildings. Our neighboring districts have upgraded buildings and now is our time," she said.
A 2018 report found deficiencies across the district; from facilities that have aged beyond their useful life to security, electrical, plumbing and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. These aging systems are costly and inefficient. The district will determine how to plan for the future by engaging the community and listening to stakeholders.
"Our students deserve facilities that prepare them for life after graduation and to be on a level playing field with their counterparts who graduate from neighboring school districts," Dr. Johnson said.
The district is reinstating our Facilities Project Committee, sidelined by COVID in 2020. The district is in the process of selecting an architectural firm to help with the planning process. The Facilities Project Committee will meet up to five times this fall and winter and will hear from architectural, financial, and educational experts about possible options and costs. Ultimately, the committee will make a recommendation to the Board of Education about the best path forward. The Bedford Board of Education, with recommendations from both the committee and district leadership, will decide how buildings should be constructed, including the number, location and grade alignment. It is anticipated that any facilities plan will require asking voters to approve a bond issue in 2023.
Our district will continue providing updates on district happenings, including the facilities process, and taking community feedback. To sign up for our enewsletter, please click here:
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