A White Paper Series Co-authored by:
- Dave Ardrey, Executive Director, Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools (AIRSS)
- Roger Eddy, Former Executive Director, Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB)
This article is the first in a series exploring the critical condition of rural school infrastructure, and new infrastructure solutions made possible by a partnership between AIRSS and OPTERRA. In this article, AIRSS and OPTERRA state the need for a conversation on rural school infrastructure, and outline the insights offered through the rest of the series.
Introduction: A Coming Crisis
Rural school districts across America, including nearly 500 in Illinois alone, face an unprecedented crisis due to their aging facilities and infrastructure. This challenge is so significant that nearly one-third of Chief School Business Officials (CSBOs) identify deferred maintenance and infrastructure costs as their top financial risk. Traditional, piecemeal solutions are no longer sufficient to address this issue, which has grown to a nationwide deferred maintenance crisis of over $270 billion.
Traditional approaches divert valuable time and resources away from the core mission of rural education leaders: providing a quality education for their students. Fortunately, rural schools now have a unique approach available to them that can significantly reduce the risk and burden of addressing this crisis. This new innovative approach provides access to four crucial resources: complimentary master planning and infrastructure assessments, risk and burden reduction through comprehensive project management, local workforce and community engagement, and accelerated funding through financial expertise.
The framework for successfully leveraging these resources is grounded in evidence and practical examples, demonstrating that rural leaders can solve their infrastructure challenges by moving beyond traditional vendor relationships to strategic trusted partnerships. The time for delaying these critical decisions has passed. Rural schools are now facing the real potential of system failures on a large-scale level. Rural districts must fundamentally rethink their approach to infrastructure management to provide equitable learning environments for students, ensure the long-term sustainability of their communities, and provide a thorough and holistic assessment of the conditions of their facilities to their communities and Boards of Education.
Taking Action: A New Strategic Partnership
In September, AIRSS announced a new premier partnership with OPTERRA Energy Services as a solution to this coming crisis. This partnership is designed to bring unprecedented support to rural and small schools by addressing these critical infrastructure and facilities needs while reducing financial and operational barriers for school leaders.
To detail this opportunity at hand, AIRSS Executive Director David Ardrey and Former IASB Executive Director Roger Eddy have collaborated to produce this white paper series exploring the rural school infrastructure crisis. Over the course of this series, Ardrey and Eddy will detail the ticking time bomb of rural school infrastructure, present a new rural school master planning approach, and offer immediate actions to strengthen all Illinois rural and small schools.
Research and member feedback highlight four critical areas where rural districts need specialized support. The four areas will be explored in depth throughout the series and include:
- Assessing Infrastructure and Facilities Opportunities at No Cost to the District.
- Reduced Risk and Burden for Rural School Modernation.
- Engaging the Local workforce, Community and Students.
- Accelerating Projects Through Funding Expertise.
Following along during this series will demonstrate how strategic public-private partnerships are essential for rural school infrastructure management. These relationships enable districts to modernize facilities, maintain fiscal responsibility, and strengthen community support while remaining adaptable to change.
The series will show how what begins as infrastructure improvement often evolves into strategic planning, grant development, and educational programming. By implementing the steps recommended and utilizing the unique opportunities for by the new AIRSS partnership with OPTERRA, rural schools will be able to effectively assess and address their district infrastructure needs.
About the Authors:
Roger Eddy brings over four decades of experience as an educator and administrator at all levels from PreK to Community College. In addition to being a rural educator, Eddy served five terms in the Illinois House of Representatives and was Executive Director of the Illinois Association of School Boards.
Dave Ardrey has served over a decade as Executive Director of the AIRSS, and has served as the President and Interim Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association. Additionally, Ardrey previously directed School Partnerships and Outreach at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and was the Founding member and Chair of the Rural Schools Collaborative.