Security of the district’s facilities along with the safety of students, staff, and visitors are a focus of the school district. Measures are taken to provide a safe and secure environment for our students to learn.

The district has invested in technology and programs to assist with safeguarding our students as well as district-owned property including:

• Anti-bullying Programs—reinforce acceptable behaviors and provide training for students with resources and information to help report bullying and foster respect for others.
• Office Visitor Management System 
• Upgraded locks/hardware with secure keys that are not able to be duplicated at the local hardware store
• A card access system has been added to key points of entry at nearly every facility. 
• CCTV camera systems assist school resource officers by recording events that can be recovered via a digital recorder.
• School Resource Officers – a cooperative program between the cities of Cambridge and Isanti. 
• Security alarms—assist with monitoring schools 24-7 to protect the facilities from unlawful entry.

Providing a safe and secure environment for students while receiving an education is of the utmost importance to Cambridge-Isanti Schools.

The Building and Grounds Department strives to communicate with the community concerning:

• Construction Planning Focus and task force groups
• Levels of satisfaction for services provided by the Building and Grounds Department
• Building and Grounds web pages on the school district website
• Community Education use of the school district facilities in a typical year

The facilities are used by the community almost every day of the week 1600+ building permits are issued estimating 500,000 people using the facilities 150+ outdoor permits are issued in estimating 20,000 people using the outdoor facilities.  

The school district is continuing its efforts on an ongoing basis to review and update emergency preparedness planning district-wide. A district committee made up of administrators, nursing staff, local first responders along with input from a health and safety consultant has been meeting regularly to review and update emergency procedures. Training is given for organizational understanding to administrators so that they can conduct training in their respective buildings/departments.

The plans contain the following elements:
Formal plan—including details for all emergencies will be available in the district office and at each facility site. Included are:

• Emergency contact numbers—for local first responder agencies, utility company emergency numbers, and district representative emergency numbers have been developed and will be included.
• Universal Procedures for: Building Security, Evacuation/Relocation, Incident Command System, Lockdown, Media Inquiries, Student Release/Reunification
• Emergency Procedures for:  Assault, Bomb Threat, Bus Accidents, Child Abuse, Fights/disturbances, Fire, Medical Emergency, Severe Weather, Crisis to student, Building Utility Emergencies, Weapons

Cambridge-Isanti Schools works diligently to reduce energy consumption through behavioral and operational methods.  Behavioral methods include: turning off lights when leaving a room, turning off computer monitors when finished, shutting down electronics at night, and more. Some of the operational methods of energy management include turning down thermostats 2 degrees in the wing and up 2 degrees in the summer, being more efficient in operating each building, controlling equipment, upgrading to more efficient lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment and more.

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Cambridge-Isanti Schools utilize a continuous improvement approach to provide facilities that are high quality, clean, efficient, fiscally responsible, that comply with local, state and federal codes and economize district resources.

Capital Facilities Planning is facilitated by the Building and Grounds department with ongoing input from building and departmental administrators. A prioritized list is developed by the building and grounds department that identifies renovation needs at each location. Each prospective project needs to have a defined scope of work as well as anticipated costs for the project. The Building and Grounds Director is responsible for organizing this information and for developing the capital facilities budget and health and safety budget for the district.

The Long Range Facilities Committee is a committee comprised of board members and administrators that review projects focused on long range facilities planning for the district. Projects critical to facilities operation as long range program needs change are reviewed. Recommendations are reviewed at this level before taking them to the full school board for approval. Long range implications that may require construction to meet ever changing district
needs are studied and recommendations to the board are discussed as well.

Life Cycle Costing is an important perspective to measure the effectiveness of a potential capital facilities request. In addition to initial cost considerations, the cost of operations and maintenance over the life of district equipment is considered when making these decisions.

District standards have been developed as guiding principles when making facilities decisions. These standards reflect best facilities practices in sustainability, efficiency and use of technology. Examples of district standards include 30 year warranted roofing, terrazzo flooring and energy star rated equipment.

Cambridge-Isanti Schools is committed to having schools that meet compliance standards. The district has had an active Health and Safety committee dating back to 1996.

The following programs are managed and include management of a written plan, recordkeeping, inspections, employee training, and personal protective equipment:

• American Disabilities Act
• Aerial Lift Compliance
• Air Emissions Monitoring
• Bloodborne Pathogens
• Compressed Gas
• Community Right to Know
• Chemical Hygiene
• Confined Space
• Employee Right to Know
• Hazardous Waste
• Hearing Conservation
• Integrated Pest Management
• Lead in Water
• Lockout Tagout
• Machine Guarding
• Mock Osha Inspections
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Playground Safety
• Respiratory Protection
• Safety Committee AWAIR
• Pool Chemical program
• First Aid/ CPR
• Asbestos
• Indoor Air Quality
• Emergency Action Procedures

School District “Lot Size”: 249 acres of land
• 19 parking lots
• 14 softball fields
• 7 football fields
• 7 tennis courts
• 6 playground structures
• 4 soccer fields
• 2 baseball fields
• 1 track with field events
• 1 outdoor classroom, 1 bog walk, 2 prairie grass plantings

4 full-time grounds custodians provide maintenance and care for all grounds-related attractions.

School District “House”: 992,600 square feet
• 350+ classrooms
• 10 gyms
• 7 cafeterias
• 6 commercial kitchens
• 4 auditoriums
• 1 performing arts center
• 1 pool

26 full-time and 18 part-time custodians provide a clean learning environment for students. This is equivalent to cleaning 397 square foot homes (at 2500 sf) each night.

• Lighting Upgrades to LED for energy savings (all schools)
  ($75K annual savings anticipated)
• Demolition of old boilers at CIHS, CPS, CIS (potential start date May 9)

• Wastewater Treatment System (CMS) (required following a citation from the MPCA)
• Steam to Hot Water Conversion (CPS, CIS & CIHS)
• Asbestos Abatement for Boiler System (CPS, CIS & CIHS)
• Building Automation System Replacement (CPS, CIS, IPS, CMS & CIHS)
• Air Handling and Roof Replacement (CPS & CIS)
• Masonry, Stucco, and Control Joint Repairs (CPS & CIS)
• Waterproofing and Foundation Leaks Repairs (High School Wrestling Room)
• Top Unit Replacement (CPS, CIS & CIHS)
• Water Conservation (CPS & CIS)
• Door Weather Stripping & Roof-Wall Sealant (CPS & CIS)

• Window & Door Replacement (CPS & CIS) (delayed due to supply chain issues)
• Multipurpose Room Roof Replacement (CPS)
• Parking Lot Patching (multiple buildings)

• Window & Door Replacements 

• Multipurpose Room Roof Replacement

• Parking Lot Patching

• The contractors will adhere to all Cambridge City ordinances and expectations.

• Noise or outside work will begin after 7 a.m.

• Contractor Trailers and cranes for hoisting equipment to the roof will be onsite.

• An array of contractors are involved in the project, so expect to see a variety of vehicles in the area.

• Minimal to no impact on traffic.

• Outdoor areas, including playfields, will remain open for public use.

• There will be no indoor access to Cambridge Primary and Cambridge Intermediate Schools.

• If you see suspicious activity after hours, please contact the Cambridge Police Department.

If you have questions or concerns about the project, please contact Chris Wilmot, Director of Buildings and Grounds, 763-689-6211, cwilmot@c-ischools.org.

Minnesota school funding formulas provide capital funds that, by law, can only be used on capital projects for long-term maintenance of school facilities and assets.

This year, federal pandemic funding is also available for indoor air quality and ventilation projects. 

The district will be purchasing the HVAC equipment direct from the manufacturer instead of through the contractor; this saves thousands in sales tax and resale mark-up. We are completing the project as cost-effectively as we can.

No referendum funding is going to this project. The referendum was specifically approved for hiring/retaining high-quality staff and enhancing career-technical education and college readiness.

We have conducted three district facilities studies in the last five years. The building would cost more than $80 million to replace. By investing in the critical infrastructure areas: mechanical systems, heating and air quality systems, roof, and exterior envelope, we can extend the life of the building for decades to come. We may need to modernize the building interior for learning in the future, but renovation is much less expensive than replacement.

Yes, the level of disrepair has reached a point where it is impacting the learning environment.

Critical heating and ventilation systems are on the verge of complete failure, which will inevitably lead to expensive emergency repairs.

The cost of delay is $206K per year in lost energy expenses and $1M in inflationary increases.

We have a fiduciary responsibility to maintain the facilities.