At the center of every Facilities Master Plan are the students.  A major challenge when creating a District facilities master plan is aligning the physical learning environment with the desired educational approach. To tackle this challenge, Encinitas Union School District (EUSD) engaged in an educational visioning process to inform the master plan and create a framework for improving the educational spaces across the District. The District assembled groups of key individuals to collaborate with LPA in a series of focus group meetings to create a set of visionary guidelines for the future of EUSD’s education, the Educational Specifications.

Recommendations from this vision are overlaid on each existing school site to determine the potential impact of the educational goals on the District’s existing facilities infrastructure. As projects are implemented, these Educational Specifications will serve as a guideline for consistency across similar facilities and programs in the District. Educational Specifications are aspirational by nature, therefore implementation will vary depending on the configuration of existing facilities and in context with improvements that have been made to-date. 

The purpose of design guidelines is to ensure the following:

A Common Baseline
To guide a consistent approach in developing each school site master plan proposed improvements.

Common Goals
To engage District stakeholders in a participatory process in developing their vision.

Outcome Focused
To document educator’s intent for program delivery and goals.

Equitable Quality
To be used for assessing existing facilities and budgeting projects for a long-term financial plan.

Continuous Improvement
As a tool for the reevaluation, adjustment and measurement of the plan over time.