School districts face unique challenges when constructing and maintaining effective learning environments, from outdated buildings to the rise of technology in the classroom. The A/E/C industry has had a front-row seat to witnessing firsthand the evolutionary changes in educational infrastructure that school districts must address.

“For 100+ years, S. M. Wilson has worked to provide our clients with amazing experiences. Sometimes, our teams face challenges out of their control, forcing us to think outside the box. We understand this is no different from our school district clients, who must plan strategically and creatively regularly to deal with the continuous challenges facing them from aging infrastructure to lack of funding to finance improvements,” said Mark Cochran, Chief Operating Officer, S. M. Wilson & Co.

“We also understand the importance of being a true partner to our clients by bringing expertise and knowledge to the table to help navigate those challenges with creative solutions and ideas.”

Of the challenges facing school districts, these are often the ones plaguing district officials, leaving them with the same question at the end of the day – where will the money come from?

Aging Infrastructure

One of the most pressing issues is the state of aging schools. Many districts are dealing with outdated buildings, requiring extensive renovations or complete replacements. These older structures often present challenges such as:

  • Accessibility: To meet modern accessibility standards in older buildings, they must be retrofitted, often cost-prohibited. School districts must ensure all students have equal access to facilities regardless of physical limitations.

  • Safety: Outdated electrical systems, asbestos, and lead paint are hazards in aging schools.

  • Efficiency: Older buildings are often energy inefficient, leading to higher operating costs.

In Illinois, school districts conduct 10-Year Health Life Safety Plans for each building within their district to ensure its continued compliance by the state. The survey reports list any necessary items to be completed at each building to bring them full or continual compliance.

S. M. Wilson has completed Health Life Safety improvements for many Illinois school districts. At Alton Community Unit School District #11, multiple district-wide improvements have been completed over the years courtesy of Health Life Safety funds. S. M. Wilson has worked with Alton on many of these projects to help improve aging facilities and enhance the buildings for current and future students.

“These past several years have brought back to life the insides of our seven Elementary Schools (Gilson Brown, Eunice Smith, East, West, North, Lovejoy, and Lewis & Clark) along with fresh new looks to restrooms in two of our Middle School buildings (Olin and Main) and our sports complex at the High School. These upgrades are ones that our District can be proud of for years to come,” said David McClintock, Director of Maintenance at Alton CUSD #11, about one particular set of Health Life Safety improvements completed by S. M. Wilson.

Alton CUSD #11 Gilson Brown Elementary School was one of the schools improved through HLS Funds.

Technology Demands

Future-ready learning environments have increased the demand for school infrastructure. Classrooms now need to be equipped with reliable internet access, interactive whiteboards, and device charging stations.

  • Connectivity: The ability to handle the demands of hundreds of students with a robust Wi-Fi simultaneously is critical. Disruptions to lessons and hindrances to learning are not viable solutions with the increase in technology.

  • Infrastructure: Older buildings were not designed to accommodate today’s classrooms’ increased power and data needs, leading to complex and costly school retrofitting.

Funding Constraints

School districts constantly face challenges with limited budgets. Balancing the need for renovations, technology upgrades, and new construction within tight financial constraints requires careful planning and prioritization.

  • Difficult Choices: School districts often face a constant balancing act and difficult decisions about where to invest their school funds—whether to invest in aging buildings or new programs.

  • Creative Solutions: District officials explore alternative funding sources – public-private partnerships and grant opportunities – to supplement the budget.

Security Concerns

School safety is a top priority for school districts. Investments in security measures protect students and staff from potential threats.

  • Access Control: Construction of secure entry systems and installation of surveillance cameras to monitor campuses creates a safer school environment.

  • Emergency Preparedness: Students are trained through regular drills and training exercises to ensure that everyone knows how to respond in an emergency if something happens on campus.

Edwardsville CUSD #7’s Lincoln Middle School is in the middle of an extensive renovation and addition to this historic building. Once completed, it will be a next-generation learning environment. Rendering courtesy of BLDD Architects.

Future Ready Learning Environments

By addressing these challenges head-on and working together, school districts and the A/E/C industry partners can build schools that support the success of our students for generations to come.

“Collaboration, innovation, and strategic planning are important to address these issues, and they are imperative for any school district,” Cochran said. “By working closely with school district officials and understanding their unique needs, we can create learning environments that are not only functional but also inspirational and supportive for that next generation of students.”

Essential collaborative tools include:

  • Flexibility: Understanding the need to design spaces that can adapt to the changing educational needs. Flexible classrooms and collaborative areas are essential in today’s learning environments.

  • Sustainability: Incorporating sustainable building materials and energy-efficient systems benefits the environment and teaches students about environmental responsibility. It also reinforces the importance of this generation leaving the world better than it was found. Sustainable building materials include recycled materials, renewable resources like bamboo, and energy-efficient materials like insulated concrete.

The challenges facing school districts today are numerous and complex, but they are not insurmountable. By working together, innovative solutions can be developed to address aging infrastructure, technology demands, funding constraints, and security concerns.

“S. M. Wilson can assist school districts in building brighter futures for its students through collaborative construction processes,” Cochran said.

Tackling any of the challenges facing school districts today? Contact Mark Cochran, Chief Operating Officer, at mark.cochran@smwilson.com, to discuss how to move forward through strategic planning and creative solutions.


As a trusted partner, the company has built its reputation for 100+ years as a design/build, construction management and general contracting firm. Always putting people first, our company is committed to adding significant value and building client partnerships. S. M. Wilson enriches lives by creating spaces to live, work, heal, learn and play. Our expertise is in many specialty markets, primarily education, commercial, municipal, healthcare, industrial and retail. S. M. Wilson continues transforming landscapes and communities throughout the country, especially in the Midwest. For more information, go to smwilson.com.