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facilities. It takes a village but, when the construction team communicates with you, it works. We also engage students in our communication efforts. We’ve done commercials and infomercials about updates, having fun with play-by-play commentary like sports reporters, then post these on social media and our website. IASA: Do you get good social media engagement on these updates? JG: Yes, with very positive feedback. Our viewership, clicks, likes, and comments are overwhelmingly positive. Videos get the best engagement — people like to share them with alumni. Alumni groups schedule tours to see “the old before the new.” We hosted a “last chance” open house at Springfield High before renovation that generated great engagement. People follow weekly updates and share progress with others. This engagement leads to tangible outcomes. Alumni donate for specific needs, like new banners at Lanphier. Social media posts — pictures, videos, Facebook, Instagram — generate excitement and great feedback. IASA: Any final advice for superintendents about community communication during building projects? JG: Plan ahead and be transparent. Create a master

plan listing every school, specific needed upgrades, funding sources, and estimated costs. While cost estimates depend on economic conditions — we never anticipated tariffs or other factors — it provides an overview of what needs doing and how to accomplish it. For example, Butler Elementary received security upgrades with a double-door entrance, partial roof replacement, circulation improvements for student flow, and an addition replacing 25 temporary modular classrooms that were 25+ years old. Originally estimated at $4 million, it came in on budget. We’ve dealt with cost escalation at Lanphier and Springfield High, but our strong sales tax performance helped offset increases. Key principles include: providing budget updates, maintaining transparent overviews, documenting construction throughout, and celebrating completions in multiple ways. Consider what the community values. At Springfield High, we preserved exterior and interior mosaics plus beautiful woodworking, documenting and showcasing how these elements will be featured in the renovated school. Most important— document, document, document. Plan ahead and think about using social media, general media, and inviting the public into your schools.

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