The Central Texas chapter of the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) held its monthly meeting at Blanco’s renovated historical building on Wednesday. Approximately fifty educational planners from throughout the region were in attendance.
“This project is an answer for what communities can do when they are faced with similar concerns that we were faced with,” said Superintendent Dr. Buck Ford.
“Many communities may have an old school building that has deteriorated over the years. That was the case with Blanco’s historical building. Maintenance and repairs to the building were not cost effective. It was a safety hazard for students. It no longer served an instructional purpose.”
“At the same time, the building had historical, cultural, and artistic significance for the local community and many of its alumni. Preservation of the building was their passionate objective.”
“For years, there didn’t seem to be a resolution to the issue.”
At Wednesday’s meeting, attendees learned the story of how Blanco arrived at an answer for its problem—a story that involved community members coming together to both preserve their historical building, and upgrade elementary facilities that had students in 20-year old portable buildings.
Architect Randy Fromberg said, “Wednesday’s CEFPI presentation was a huge success and demonstrated how Blanco’s history has been honored throughout the project.”
“I know that many of the attending facility planners were from large districts that do “big box” schools—they seemed to really appreciate a project that can be both interesting and fun.”
“This has been a great example of how community based planning can identify common values and unite many in a shared vision.”
“It’s a great example of how a school building should happen.”
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