Over the last three years, the Aurora Public School District has been deliberate in our work to thoroughly examine the condition of our facilities and what they need to look like to better serve ALL our students — from our youngest learners in PreK through our graduating seniors. I want to take this opportunity to update the public on the work that has been done and prepare the community for the rollout of a plan and next steps to address our facility needs.
Where We've Been- Since 2022, our district has taken a careful, step-by-step approach to understanding our facilities.
• Developed a Strategic Plan to establish the short term and long term direction/goals of the district (2022)
• Hired an architectural firm (BVH Architects) to conduct a facility assessment of the district’s facilities (2023)
• Engaged in a Master Planning Process to explore options on how to address facility needs identified in the facility assessment (2024-25)
• Established a Community Advisory Committee to engage stakeholders in the process to address facility needs (2025-26)
• Conducted a Community Survey to engage our community and solicit feedback regarding the district’s facilities (2026)
Four Themes Guiding Our Facilities Work- Through this process, our Board of Education identified four themes that guided how we evaluated our facility needs and will serve as the lens through which every recommendation is evaluated.
• Safety and Security — Ensuring our buildings protect students and staff, with secure entrances, updated systems, and spaces designed with safety in mind.
• Improved Efficiency — Making the most of taxpayer investment by addressing aging infrastructure, reducing long-term maintenance and operating costs, and using our spaces wisely.
• Educational Spaces and Opportunities — Ensuring our classrooms, labs, and shared spaces support the academic programming and extra-curricular opportunities our students deserve, from PreK through 12th grade.
• Future Ready — Planning facilities that are flexible enough to serve the Aurora Public Schools students well beyond today, adapting to changes in enrollment, technology, and how students learn.
Where We're Headed - We are now preparing to share a comprehensive plan to reflect what we have learned and will lay out our priorities for maintaining, improving, replacing, and/or expanding our elementary, middle, and high school facilities. In the coming weeks/months, you can expect:
• A message from the Superintendent with information about the initial plan to address the facility needs of the district
• Community Forums to share information about our current facilities, future construction projects, and allow community members to ask questions and provide feedback
• Open Houses at the elementary, middle, and high schools to allow community members the opportunity to view current conditions of our facilities
• Community Surveys to solicit feedback from our communities regarding the proposed plan
• Continued Board of Education meetings and conversations to determine the best plan to moving forward
Why This Matters - Our facilities are more than buildings — they are where our students learn, grow, and build the traditions that make Aurora Public Schools a place of excellence.
Making sound, forward-looking decisions about our facilities is an investment in our students, our staff, and our entire community. By keeping Safety and Security, Improved Efficiency, Educational Spaces and Opportunities, and Future Ready at the center of this work, we are committed to a plan that reflects both our community's values and our students' needs for decades to come.
We are proud of the thoughtful, thorough process that has brought us to this point, and we are grateful for the input and patience of our staff, families, and community members along the way. We look forward to sharing more details soon and continuing to move forward together with a plan to better serve our current students and ALL the students yet to walk through our doors.
Sincerely,
Mr. Jody Phillips
Superintendent of Schools