Why are we creating a master plan?

The Newport Mesa Unified School District contracted with the DLR Group to conduct an outreach effort and guide the District, its Staff, and its community through a process that would result in a master plan. The master plan will be a tool, used by the district, to collect the vision for the continued development and improvements of its facilities and campuses over the next 30 to 50 years.

At this point, it will be helpful to define what a master plan is. According to the California Department of Education, a Long Range Facilities Master Plan (FMP) is “a compilation of information, policies, and statistical data about a school district. It is organized to provide: 1) A continuous basis for planning educational facilities that will meet the changing needs of a community; and 2) Alternatives in allocating facility resources to achieve the district’s goals and objectives. It is used for planning facilities needs for either pupil enrollment growth or decline.” Further simplified, it is a road map that the Newport Mesa Unified School District will use to manage changes in facilities, your community, and how education is delivered.

It is also helpful to note what a Master Plan is NOT.

It is NOT a tool that defines educational curriculum or programs. (It does define spaces and facilities that support existing or planned programs). It does NOT prioritize projects or define an implementation schedule. (It DOES however provide lists of all potential projects so that your board and community can begin the process of prioritizing work without the risk of invalidating future needed improvements.)

The District’s design consultants, DLR Group, conducted extensive site assessments of each district campus and facility. Included in the assessments were documented discussions and interviews with key site staff to learn about how facilities are used and how instruction and learning are conducted. Site assessments also included evaluations of the conditions of facilities, its site access, and other issues related to educational campus planning.