Overcrowded buildings. Leaky pipes. Hot or icy cold classrooms. Buildings reaching the end of their useful lives, and students learning 21st-century concepts in schools built when JFK was president. When the Kansas City metro area\u2019s third-largest school district faced large-scale facilities needs, they turned to us for help.<\/p>\n\n\n
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) knew its buildings were long overdue for some serious improvements. In 2016, voters overwhelmingly agreed, approving a $235 million no tax increase bond package for upgrades, replacements and repurposing at each of the district\u2019s schools. MKEC teamed with local architecture firms to provide survey, civil engineering, and landscape architecture services for this massive undertaking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our primary engineering success was designing and permitting an estimated\n$167.5 million in construction costs in just a two-year period. This included\nreplacing five outdated schools \u2013 three elementary and two middle schools \u2013\nwith modern new facilities; five significant school additions; and total\nre-plumbing at three 1930s-era schools, where we separated the sanitary and\nstorm sewer lines on the buildings\u2019 exteriors. These are just a few of the many\nchanges implemented. Thanks to enhanced access control implemented at building\nentrances, more KCKPS are safer and more secure than before. The district\u2019s\nhigh schools now boast 21st<\/sup> century learning spaces, modern science\nlabs and space for new College & Career Academies. In a district where 93\npercent of the students qualify for free or reduced lunches, our work supported\nkitchen and cafeteria renovations and additions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Significant site constraints presented us with some unique engineering\nchallenges. Even though plans called for tearing down several existing\nfacilities, KCKPS didn\u2019t always have the luxury of moving students to other\nbuildings. Working closely with our design and construction team, we made sure\nour plans allowed for uninterrupted operations at the older buildings \u2013\nensuring the safety of students and teachers \u2013 while the new schools were under\nconstruction just steps away. Through it all we took a lead role, acting as the\nmain contact with the Unified Government and scheduling bi-weekly meetings to promote\ncoordination with the Unified Government and other stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter the project, we do what\u2019s best for our client in terms\nof budget. The District Design Team contributed cost-saving efficiencies during\nthe KCKPS project that have allowed the bond projects to be on time and below\nbudget. That is true engineering success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mkec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Gloria-Willis-Middle-School_8-scaled.jpg\")
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