Project Background
Cannon Falls Area School District was in need of a long-term strategic facilities plan to address numerous needs throughout the district. Deferred maintenance resulted in increasing energy and operational costs, and learning environments suffered from inefficient lighting and unmanageable classroom temperatures. The District faced a number of challenges including: maintaining and attracting students and staff in a hyper-competitive suburban market; internal infrastructure systems aged beyond their useful life and in a deteriorated condition; rising energy and operational costs; developing a long-range financial management plan to leverage bonds and levies while minimizing axes for District residents; and limited available budget and resources for repair and improvement. A well-conceived master facility plan and a budget-neutral reinvestment of $11.4 million allowed the district to address both short– and long-term facility needs and secure a viable future. Solutions included:
- Energy control systems were retrofitted, upgraded or replaced in all facilities to reduce operating costs and create more comfortable learning environments, including light fixtures and controls, boiler replacement and conversion to hot water heating, water distribution systems and weather-stripping
- Electrical and ventilation systems were repaired or replaced
- Utilization of data analytics software to maintain estimated energy projections
Because of strategic financing and debt equalization, district tax payers realized a tax increase of only $3 per month (per average household). Additionally, not only did these improvements provide needed redundancy and address capital infrastructure, students, staff, and the community now benefit from safer, healthier, and more functional spaces, while reducing annual operating expenses by nearly $200,000.
Project Specs
Median Facility Age: 33 years District Square Ft: 334,909 No of Facilities: 3
Testimonials
“What’s really nice about SitelogIQ’s data analytics software is to provide visible information right at our fingertips. This is in stark contrast to the building automation system that only relays whether something is running or not. Having this information is a unique benefit that I didn’t even expect to have after the project was complete.” – Dave Petersen, Head of Operations & Maintenance
“I want to thank SitelogIQ for our very good working relationship throughout our project. They were always available to answer questions – whether through numerous emails or 10 pm phone calls.” – Beth Giese, Superintendent