Beyond Rentals: Facilities as Strategic Assets
School buildings are more than classrooms. Campuses are more than costs. And “extra property” isn’t extra — it’s opportunity.
That was the big idea behind one of the most future-focused panels at Facilitron University 5, where real estate leaders from Los Angeles and San Diego joined a national real estate advisor to ask a bold question:
What if school facilities weren’t just spaces to manage but strategic levers to support mission-driven goals?
Moderated by Teault Marcille, this panel reimagined facilities not as liabilities, but as valuable assets capable of driving solutions for housing, wellness, access, and financial resilience.
From Cost Center to Strategic Asset
Too often, district real estate beyond instructional buildings, including vacant sites, maintenance yards, bus lots, and more, gets labeled as a burden. It drains funds, requires security, and isn’t used day-to-day.
But as Al Grazioli of Brailsford & Dunlavey put it:
“Facilities aren’t just buildings. They’re the means to achieve your long-term goals.”
With the right data, legal guidance, and mission alignment, these assets can serve a bigger purpose.
Real Examples of Facilities Used Strategically
- Workforce Housing = Teacher Retention
Both LAUSD and San Diego Unified shared how they’re converting property into staff housing — not to become developers, but to solve a real HR crisis: educators and staff can’t afford to live in the communities they serve.
“We’re not pursuing housing to be developers. We’re doing it because staff retention depends on it.” — Mark Horst, LAUSD - Clinics & Services = Better Student Outcomes
LAUSD’s campus-based dental program revealed a staggering level of unmet need. Strategic use of space for health and wellness services isn’t just efficient, it’s equity in action. - Shared-Use Parks = Community Partnerships
By opening select campuses to serve as parks after school hours, districts are expanding access without expanding budgets. These agreements work best when scheduling and access are governed clearly and consistently — another win for strategic facility management.
Don’t Wait for a Crisis to Get Strategic
One of the most important lessons? Have a plan before you close a school.
Vacant sites without a reuse plan often become the next problem, attracting vandalism, deteriorating, and frustrating the same communities the district is trying to support.
As Gene Fuller of San Diego USD said:
“If you don’t have a plan when you close a site, you create a whole new set of problems.”
What Strategic Governance Looks Like
Districts that are turning facilities into strategic assets are doing things differently.
- Maintaining a live, detailed inventory of every property — not just instructional buildings
- Using zoning, utilization, and maintenance data to identify sites with future potential
- Aligning real estate decisions to mission-based goals (like housing or health access)
- Preparing proposals before the board asks — so leaders have real options
- Leading with purpose, not profit — because trust matters more than margin
So Where Should Districts Start?
The panel shared a few simple first steps:
- Make an asset list. What do you own? Where is it? What’s the condition and current use?
- Layer on key data. Look at enrollment trends, facility utilization, and operating costs.
- Understand your legal options. What can you lease, sell, or develop under current law?
- Align to a goal. Don’t just pursue revenue — pursue impact: retention, wellness, access.
- Tell the story. Even without internal data, you can use case studies from other districts to frame your vision.
Final Word: Governance Turns Space into Strategy
You don’t need to be a large urban district to think strategically. You just need a clear picture of your assets, a plan that aligns with your district’s mission, and governance structures that support action when the time is right.
Facilities aren't just square footage. They're leverage, opportunity, and they're the infrastructure behind real change, and the districts that treat them that way, with purpose and readiness, will be the ones that lead.
Next: Session 10: The Works →