By David Ardrey, Executive Director, Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools
This article is part three of a series by AIRSS and OPTERRA Energy Services to explore the coming crisis of rural school infrastructure. Traditional, piecemeal solutions are no longer sufficient to address this issue, and rural schools must move beyond traditional vendor relationships to strategic trusted partnerships. This series provides immediate solutions to this crisis. In the present article, Dave Ardrey outlines a new approach to rural school infrastructure planning.
As the representative for 500 rural and small school districts across Illinois, strategic, trusted partnerships are the single most critical factor that distinguishes thriving rural districts from those struggling to maintain operations. The traditional model of project-by-project vendor relationships simply cannot address the comprehensive infrastructure challenges rural education faces today.
Based on extensive research and feedback from our members, we have identified four critical areas where rural districts need specialized partnership support. These four needs form the foundation of a successful long-term partnership model offered by OPTERRA:
#1 – Assessing Infrastructure and Facilities Opportunities at No Cost to the District
Rural districts desperately need professional partners who can provide comprehensive facility assessments and long-range planning services that many districts cannot afford to purchase independently. Unlike urban districts with their own facilities staff and architectural consultants, rural districts typically lack the in-house expertise to conduct thorough infrastructure evaluations, prioritize needs, or create strategic implementation timelines.
Partners like OPTERRA can provide complimentary master planning services that include detailed assessments of a facility’s condition, health and safety compliance audits, operational efficiency analyses, and technology infrastructure evaluations. These assessments go beyond simple inspections, providing an actionable framework to help school boards distinguish between critical needs and desirable improvements. Phasing improvements over multiple years while maintaining a facility’s operational integrity requires a level of sophisticated planning that most rural districts cannot develop internally.
Furthermore, a partner who understands the complex regulatory environment governing public school construction—including prevailing wage requirements, public bidding laws, accessibility compliance, and environmental regulations—is essential. The expertise needed to coordinate multiple regulatory requirements while keeping educational operations running smoothly justifies a long-term public-private partnership over a project-specific arrangement.
#2 – Reduced Risk and Burden for Rural School Modernization
Rural districts need partners like OPTERRA who can assume the project risks that would otherwise overwhelm their administrative capacity. Our members consistently report that their biggest infrastructure concern is not necessarily the cost, but the operational burden of managing complex construction projects while trying to maintain educational continuity.
Effective partnerships should include guaranteed maximum price structures to protect districts from cost overruns and change order management systems to prevent project scope creep. Comprehensive project management is also crucial to minimize disruption to educational operations. Rural districts need partners who can manage regulatory compliance, coordinate multiple contractors, handle supply chain challenges, and resolve construction issues without significant administrative involvement from the district.
Risk mitigation extends beyond project delivery to long-term performance guarantees. Rural districts cannot afford infrastructure systems that fail prematurely or require specialized maintenance expertise that is not available locally. Partnership agreements should include performance guarantees, maintenance training for district staff, and ongoing technical support to ensure long-term operational success.
#3 – Engaging the Local Workforce, Community, and Students
According to Ardrey, “Rural districts should seek vendor-neutral partners who understand and prioritize local economic development and workforce engagement. Unlike urban projects, where contractor relationships are often transactional, rural infrastructure projects represent a significant economic opportunity for local communities and workforce development.”
The most successful partnerships we have seen have incorporated local workforce training, which builds community capacity for ongoing facility maintenance and repair. These programs not only reduce long-term operational costs but also provide career development opportunities for community members and create local expertise for future projects. The economic multiplier effect of directing infrastructure investments through local workforce development programs is incredibly important in rural communities where every economic opportunity matters.
Additionally, effective partners must be able to engage community stakeholders, school boards, and local government officials to build consensus and support for infrastructure investments. Rural communities are often skeptical of outside contractors, but they embrace partners who demonstrate a long-term commitment to community success and local economic development.
#4 – Accelerating Projects Through Funding Expertise
Rural and small districts can rely on partners like OPTERRA with a national network of sophisticated experts that understand funding sources and financial structuring options to reduce upfront capital requirements and ongoing operational costs. The traditional approach of accumulating capital reserves for major projects is not viable for most rural districts due to their limited tax bases and competing operational demands.
Rural districts need partners who can identify and secure federal and state grant opportunities, structure savings and performance-based upfront agreements, navigate utility incentive programs, and create creative financing solutions that align infrastructure investments with operational budgets. The Inflation Reduction Act, USDA rural development programs, and various other grant opportunities are significant funding sources that most rural districts cannot access without specialized expertise.
Partners must also be able to demonstrate and guarantee operational savings that will offset infrastructure investments over time. Long-term operational improvements, maintenance cost reductions, and efficiency gains must be quantified, guaranteed, and monitored to ensure that these investments produce long-term financial benefits rather than simply adding to the operational burden.
The partnership imperative for rural districts goes beyond project delivery to strategic relationship building that addresses the fundamental capacity limitations facing rural education. Districts that embrace this model position themselves for long-term success, while those that stick to traditional vendor relationships will find themselves increasingly unable to compete for talent, maintain their facilities, or provide educational opportunities equal to their urban counterparts. The evidence from successful rural partnerships proves that strategic relationships built on trust, expertise, and long-term commitment can transform rural educational environments while strengthening community economic foundations.
In September, the AIRSS, representing more than 500 member districts, announced its Premier Annual Sponsorship with OPTERRA – Partnering to Power Progress Across Rural and Small Schools. This partnership is designed to bring unprecedented support to rural and small schools by addressing critical infrastructure and facilities needs while reducing financial and operational barriers for school leaders. For more information, please visit the Resources for Facilities and Infrastructure Renewal.
About the Author:
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 directs School Partnerships and Outreach at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and was the Founding Chair of the Rural Schools Collaborative.