Most public school districts in Texas are growing in attendance, but their revenue is dropping as property taxes fall and state and federal funding are reduced. While the Texas Association of School Board’s website outlines a number of resources available to fund school construction, many fast-growing Texas districts are forced to make difficult choices. They must increase the number of children in each classroom, shut down some schools while expanding others, or find more cost effective ways to design and construct new schools. Some Districts believe they have found an answer: Ramtech’s design-build Construction Process and its Accelerated Building System.
According to Gary White, Vice-President Sales of Ramtech Building Systems, “The advantages are simple: lower design cost, lower construction cost, and faster completion.” Ramtech’s design-build, permanent modular approach to construction works well for large school districts that need to expand their campuses. Arlington ISD needed to permanently expand 38 separate elementary campuses all within 15 months, including site design, building design, city permitting, and construction. Ramtech was successful in completing each campus on time and under budget. Their design-build approach and Accelerated Building System are also ideal for rural school districts like Blue Ridge ISD. Blue Ridge needed to expand its rural campus but could not find an A/E firm that could meet its budgetary needs. Ramtech provided the solution!
Under today’s economic conditions, “high quality” is not defined by how fancy the school looks, but by how long the building lasts, the cost of maintenance and the cost of utilities. In other words: VALUE. Schools must be well engineered, attractive, and highly efficient, but not judged simply by how beautiful they are. Schools must be designed to the district’s budget! At no cost to the district, Ramtech provides preliminary floor-plans, color renderings, site plans, and a budget for the entire project.
Clearly, school financing is a major problem for virtually every public school district in Texas; however, Ramtech’s design-build approach continues to serve the educational community’s construction needs during these challenging times.
