By Lindsey Coulter

The 糖心少女 Design + Construction Symposium brought education leaders, architects, designers, contractors, developers and facilities professionals together Aug. 5 at Denver鈥檚 historic Tivoli Turnhalle to examine how evolving needs are reshaping the design and delivery of K-12 and higher education environments.听

Held on the Auraria Campus, the event focused on project-driven discussions around student belonging, school safety, community engagement, mass timber, urban听development听and the increasingly compressed construction schedules facing school districts. The symposium was designed to move beyond broad industry trends and examine real projects and lessons that can be applied to future work.听

Designing for Belonging听

The program opened with a keynote from Dr. Drew Coleman, Chief of Schools for Jeffco Public Schools, who challenged attendees to consider the relationship between school environments, student听experience听and educational outcomes.听

Coleman鈥檚 presentation, 鈥淏uilding Belonging: Designing Schools Where Students Feel Safe Enough to Learn and Prepared Enough to Lead,鈥� examined how the physical environment can either support or hinder student success. His perspective connected education leadership, school听culture听and the built environment, reinforcing the symposium鈥檚 emphasis on designing schools around the needs of the people who use them.听

The keynote was followed by a district-level perspective from Micah Ali, president of Compton Unified School District. Ali discussed the development of Compton High School and the importance of trust,听continuity听and community partnerships in delivering major educational facilities projects.听

Born and raised in Compton, Ali played a foundational role in the development of听the high听school and has extensive experience in land use, development and partnerships aimed at expanding opportunities for students.听He also is helping guide the district’s upcoming Centennial and Dominguez Hills High School projects.听听

The discussion illustrated a broader theme that ran throughout the symposium: successful school construction is not simply about delivering a building, but about creating facilities that reflect community priorities and support long-term educational goals.听

Beyond Safety and Security听

The morning continued with a design panel examining how safety, security,听belonging听and well-being can coexist in school environments.听

Panelists听Erika Ashauer, Human Experience Research Lead for HCM鈥檚 PK-12 Studio; Joel Williams, Studio Director at QKA; Guy Grace, vice chair of the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools; and Pat Tackney, Security & Architectural Sales Consultant for McGrory Glass Systems,听expanded the traditional definition of school safety beyond access control and security hardware. Panelists considered how visibility, privacy, supervision,听comfort听and a sense of belonging can influence the experience of students and staff.听

The discussion reflected a broader shift in school design toward environments that address both physical safety and the emotional and social conditions that help students learn.听

Summit House Provides a Case Study in Innovation听

After a networking break, the symposium shifted from K-12 schools to higher education and student听housing听with a case study听on听Metropolitan State University of Denver鈥檚 Summit House.听

Presented by听Martha Nelson, Director of Planning, Design and Construction for MSU Denver; Ben Diaz, Senior Development Manager for Columbia Ventures; Macy Huffaker, Project Architect with SAR+ Architects; Ryan Marshall 鈥� Superintendent at PCL Construction,听the听session, moderated by Leone Dick, Chief of Staff to the Vice President of Administration at MSU Denver,听explored the planning,听design听and delivery of MSU Denver鈥檚 first residence hall.听

Summit House听represents听a significant milestone for the university and for Colorado construction. The 12-story student residence is being delivered using mass timber and is positioned to become the tallest mass-timber structure in the state. The project also incorporates an urban construction environment and a public-private delivery model. (糖心少女)听

Rather than focusing on mass timber as a standalone innovation, the presentation examined the combination of decisions and partnerships听required听to make the project possible. Those included material听selection, planning,听logistics,听development听and construction delivery.听

The case study also gave attendees a closer look at the increasingly complex role of construction teams working in dense urban environments and managing innovative structural systems.听

Racing the Summer Construction Clock听

The symposium concluded its formal program with a panel focused on one of the most persistent challenges in K-12 construction: delivering projects within the limited summer construction window.听

Moderated by Chuck Amos, CEO of听SchoolBondFinder, the panel featured David J. Henderson,听Deputy听Chief of听Operations for Cherry Creek School District, and Justin Sinnott,听Vice听President of听Corporate听Operations at Erickson-Hall.听

Dubbed 鈥淭he Summer Sprint,鈥� the discussion听addressed听planning, coordination, risk听management听and project delivery during the period when schools are vacant but must be ready for students when the new academic year begins.听

Henderson brought more than 25 years of K-12 construction and听facilities听leadership to the discussion, including oversight of approximately听2 million square feet听of capital improvement,听construction听and renovation projects across Colorado school districts.听Sinnott contributed experience in project planning, execution, risk management and operational efficiency.听

The panel underscored how compressed schedules are placing greater emphasis on early planning,听coordination听and delivery strategies that can reduce risk while听maintaining听quality.听

The topic also reflected broader pressures facing districts nationwide. 糖心少女 recently examined the 鈥淪ummer Sprint鈥� as an increasingly demanding period in which districts must complete everything from HVAC replacements and classroom renovations to larger capital projects before students return.听

From Conversation to Job Site听

Attendees also听had the opportunity to take the听morning鈥檚听discussion into the field with an exclusive tour of MSU Denver鈥檚 Summit House.听

The tour provided a firsthand look at the mass-timber residence hall and connected the project鈥檚 planning and delivery discussion with its physical construction. According to 糖心少女, the project听represents听the intersection of student housing demand, urban development, innovative听materials听and alternative approaches to project delivery.听

Across its sessions, the symposium emphasized a common challenge facing both K-12 and higher education: making increasingly complex capital investments serve long-term institutional and community goals.听

From Coleman鈥檚 examination of belonging to Ali鈥檚 discussion of community trust, the design panel鈥檚 exploration of safety and well-being, Summit House鈥檚 innovative delivery and the final panel鈥檚 focus on compressed construction schedules, the event demonstrated that the future of educational construction will require collaboration across disciplines.听

Rather than treating design, construction, operations and educational outcomes as separate considerations, the symposium brought those perspectives together around a shared question:听How can the industry create schools and campuses that are not only built successfully, but equipped to serve the people and communities who depend on them?听

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By Lindsey Coulter听

A school building is more than the backdrop for education. It is where students develop relationships, teachers build community and young people begin to understand their place in the world. For Dr. Drew Coleman, Chief of Schools at Jeffco Public Schools, the physical environment is an important 鈥� and sometimes overlooked 鈥� part of that experience.听

At the recent 2026 糖心少女 Design + Construction Symposium, Coleman served as the keynote speaker. In his presentation, 鈥淏uilding Belonging: Designing Schools Where Students Feel Safe Enough to Learn and Prepared Enough to Lead,鈥� Coleman examined how school environments can support belonging,听safety听and student success.听The symposium brought together education leaders and the A/E/C community to explore the trends, challenges and projects shaping K-12 and higher education facilities.听

In advance of the event, 糖心少女听(SCN)听spoke with Coleman about his path from classroom teacher to district leader, what he has learned about the relationship between physical spaces and student outcomes, and why designing听鈥斕齩r redesigning听鈥斕齛 school should begin with how the people inside it experience that space.听

SCN: What initially drew you to education?听

Coleman:听I believe education听is a great equalizer. I had an awesome educational experience, with parents who viewed public education as听very important听and educators who invested in me. They pushed me academically, challenged me through听activities听and helped me build character.听

I went into public education wanting to ensure that other people had听that听same experience.听I realized my experience wasn’t the experience of all of my friends and counterparts, so I wanted everyone else to have that same opportunity.听

SCN: How did your classroom experience shape the way you think about learning environments?听

Coleman:听Once I became a teacher, I realized education was more than putting standards and information in front of students.听Students have to understand that we care about them.听

I taught in Title I schools and some of our most impoverished schools, where buildings were often听old听and classrooms听hadn’t听received much investment. I wanted my students to have the kind of experience I had, so I invested in my own classroom.听

A college professor once told me, 鈥淵our classroom should make your students feel like home.鈥� I created little nooks and听reading听corners with a couch and bookshelf. I would put a lamp there. It was about reminding students what reading could be like and creating a space where they felt comfortable.听

SCN: What have you learned about the relationship between belonging, the physical听environment听and student success?听

Coleman:听When a leader creates a sense of belonging, educators take pride in their space.听I’ve听worked in old buildings where educators were given the ability to make modifications and updates to their classrooms. They made their classrooms their own.听

That听translated听to the students. They took ownership and pride in their classrooms, too.听When students feel safe, feel like they belong and feel like they matter, it makes a difference.听I’ve听seen that听reflected in听academic outcomes.听

The听flip side听is also true. If students walk into an old building where paint is chipping off the walls and they听don’t听have spaces that feel uniquely theirs, that has an emotional and mental impact on how they view education and learning. It also affects how they perceive how adults feel about them.听

SCN: Does creating that environment always require a new building or major capital investment?听

Coleman:听No. I know money and finances are difficult for most schools and districts. New, innovative buildings are great, but听it’s听also about how we reimagine our current听spaces听so they align with 21st-century learning and what students need.听

You can take an old home and fix it up on the inside. The same thing applies to schools. It听isn’t听necessarily about the neighborhood or location of the building.听It’s听about how we make the building and how we make students feel.听

If students don’t feel they matter or don’t have a sense of belonging, it shows up in their academic outcomes and their behavior data.听

SCN: How has your expanded role in safety and security changed how you think about the built environment?听

Coleman:听Safety and security听is听a unique space. There is the physical safety of the building鈥攎aking sure we have the technical things in听place听so buildings are physically secure and feel safe. In Jeffco,听we’ve听done an extremely听good job听ensuring that our buildings have that sense of physical safety.听

But听there’s听also a sense of safety and belonging. A building can be physically safe, but there can still be people in our communities who听don’t听feel safe.听

That’s听why listening is so important. We听have to听ask, 鈥淚f you don’t feel safe, what would make you feel safe?鈥澨齌hen we have to determine what we can actually do.听

SCN: What do you hope attendees听took听away from your symposium keynote?听

Coleman:听What we do in K-12 education is going to be so important, especially as we think about the next generation and what happens after high school. What we do in our schools makes a difference.听

When听we’re听able to create an environment where students really feel that they belong,听we’re听able to decrease the dropout rate and increase the graduation rate.听

The space听matters. It matters more than people sometimes realize.听

That’s听why conversations between educators and the design and construction community are so important. Educators understand what students and teachers experience every day. Architects,听engineers听and contractors bring听expertise听about what is possible within the built environment. When those perspectives come together early and thoughtfully, we have an opportunity to create spaces that don’t just look听good, but听actually support the people who use them.听

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By Petra Sucher听

For school districts across the country, summer signals the beginning of the busiest season for capital planning and construction. As students leave campus, crews mobilize to complete renovations, infrastructure improvements and new construction projects, many of which are made possible through voter-approved bond referendums. Understanding where districts are in the funding pipeline 鈥� and where the next opportunities are emerging 鈥� has become increasingly important for architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturers and service providers looking to support K-12 capital programs. By tracking bond activity from the earliest planning stages through election outcomes, SchoolBondFinder provides a real-time view of how districts are prioritizing facility investments and where the market is headed.听听

SchoolBondFinder听specializes in tracking K-12 capital project bonds across the nation.听The听platform monitors school district bond initiatives across key stages, providing stakeholders with crucial data on project scope, financing, and voter outcomes.听

• Watch List:听Districts may be added to this list following initial activities such as a facilities study, demographic study, capital improvement plans review or a feasibility survey.听
• Proposed List: A bond is moved to this list once a school board officially approves a referendum for a vote. At this point, the vote date, official ballot language, use and amount are finalized.听
• Passed/Failed List:听Updates on school bond referendum votes 鈥� both passed听and听failed 鈥� are typically available on the platform within 24 to 72 hours of the official results being released.听

Quarter 2 (April 1-June 30):听

For the second quarter,听$22.6 billion in referendums have been approved as of听June 15. There are currently听10听voting opportunities听remaining听through the end of June, with an estimated value of听$632 Million. To date, June elections have passed听25听bonds and听13听have听failed, resulting in a听52%听pass rate. Currently there is听a strong听support and focus on bonds that address physical facility needs and safety upgrades.

One pattern emerging is that school districts are combining physical infrastructure and safety upgrades into single, comprehensive bond packages rather than funding them separately. Approximately 47%听of passed bonds for Q2 focused on听allocated funds for safety and security upgrades. Examples of safety and security enhancements听are听installing secure entrances, security cameras and alarm systems.听听

听Top 3 States for Q2 Bond Measures:听

1. Texas: $11 billion across 92 measures听
2. Georgia: $1 billion across 13 measures听
3. Michigan: $1 billion across 33 measures听

The Start of the Fiscal Year

The K-12 education funding cycle begins on July 1 and concludes on June 30 for 46 states. This period serves as “go time” for school districts, as they activate new funding streams, issue bonds and authorize summer capital construction projects. The end of the school year provides an ideal window for infrastructure work, such as roof replacements and HVAC upgrades, to begin.听

The timing is critical because many local school boards submit architectural plans to state education agencies before the July 1 deadline to secure early approval for both plans and funding. To effectively capture capital projects and bond opportunities, education companies must prioritize early engagement with school boards and districts before the new fiscal year begins. It is critical for firms to establish themselves as a trusted, value-add partner and to ensure their offerings align with specific district needs.听

Upcoming Elections and Events

Currently SchoolBondFinder is tracking $50 billion in opportunities for 2026, with many watchlist items with no funds attached yet. August elections are around the corner with 28听bonds on the proposed list. These elections will primarily take place in Oklahoma and Michigan. 听

On Aug. 5, SchoolBondFinder will be in Denver presenting at the 糖心少女 Design & Construction Symposium. Experts will be talking about 2026 State of School Tax Elections: Outcomes & Outlooks. This informative session will review the current K-12 school referendum landscape in the U.S., including total funding and approved opportunities, trends in capital projects and spending, and forecasts for the rest of 2026 into 2027. Register today.

With nearly $50 billion in tracked opportunities already on the horizon for 2026鈥攁nd many additional projects still in the planning stages before funding amounts are determined 鈥� the K-12 capital market continues to present significant opportunities for industry partners. For firms serving the education sector, success depends not only on monitoring election results but on understanding where districts are in the planning process and engaging well before projects reach the construction phase. As the new fiscal year begins and districts move from planning to procurement, those that establish themselves as trusted resources early will be best positioned to support the next generation of school facilities. SchoolBondFinder will continue to monitor these trends throughout the year, providing timely data and insights into the evolving landscape of school funding, capital investment and construction nationwide.听

The post Exploring the K-12 Bond Market: Quarter 2 Updates and a Preview of the Upcoming Opportunities for 2026 appeared first on 糖心少女.

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The architecture firm 听鈥斕齱ith听offices听in Santa Rosa, Calif.,听and Oakland,听Calif. 鈥斕齬ecently advanced听it鈥檚听2030 vision by听establishing听an office in Castle Rock, Colo.听The听nearly 80-person听firm now has three employees in Colorado听supporting听projects across the company and听as they听look to build a strategic pipeline of opportunities in听the region.听Led by Studio Director Joel听Williams,听AIA,听LEED AP, ALEP,听the team also includes听Project听Designers Joseph Puyot and Spencer Robinson.听

Williams joined听QKA in 2020听and听has more than 18 years of experience in education design, from听small classroom renovations to large-scale campus master planning projects. With a leadership听style rooted in collaboration and听communication,听he will build on his established client and听partner relationships to grow QKA鈥檚 presence in the Rocky Mountains.听听

“This听expansion is a natural extension of our community-minded work in听California and听offers great听opportunities to build our talent pipeline in a听highly desirable听region to live and work,鈥� Williams said.听

Williams, who will also share his insights at the 糖心少女 (SCN)听Design & Construction Symposium听in August, spoke recently with SCN to explain why Colorado is a compelling market for K-12 design, and how architecture can help schools do more with limited resources.听

SCN:听Colorado has seen significant growth and voter support for school bonds. How do you see those market conditions shaping the next generation of school design in the state?听

Williams:听Colorado voters approved听nearly听$6 billion听in new school bond funding in the 2024 election cycle, with听additional听measures听anticipated听on the 2026 ballot. That sustained community investment reflects the same conviction听we鈥檝e听seen across the Bay Area: that well-designed schools are worth funding, and that communities will听back听that commitment at the ballot box.听

The policy landscape is similarly aligned. Evolving energy codes in both states are driving demand for schools that prioritize efficiency, renewable generation, and reduced fossil fuel reliance. Sustainability strategies that were once aspirational鈥攄aylighting, natural ventilation, solar generation, stormwater management鈥攁re now baseline expectations in both markets. The frontier of the conversation has moved upstream, from operational energy use to the embodied carbon inherent in the materials and processes听required听to build and renovate in the first place.听听

The key distinction between the two markets is demographic. California enrollment is听largely stable听or slightly declining, while Colorado鈥檚 population growth is driving enrollment increases and expanding housing development across the region. That translates into demand for both new campuses and significant modernization of existing ones.听

SCN:听Many districts are balancing enrollment growth, aging infrastructure, and budget pressure. How can architecture help schools do more with limited resources?听

Williams:听There is no universal answer to the gap between funding and听need听that every public school district faces. Sometimes a creative renovation is the right investment; sometimes demolition and replacement of an aging facility is the better long-term decision. What matters is that the solution fits the place.听

In every case, the goal is the same: buildings that meet today鈥檚 needs while听remaining听adaptable, and that incorporate systems district facilities staff can听actually operate听and maintain effectively. Architecture helps schools do more with limited resources when听it鈥檚听rigorous about long-term cost of ownership, not just first cost鈥攁nd when听it鈥檚听honest about which investments will still be paying dividends in 20 or 30 years.听

SCN:听Colorado districts vary widely鈥攆rom fast-growing suburban systems to rural communities. How should education design adapt to听very different听local needs rather than relying on one-size-fits-all solutions?听

Williams:听Every project starts with active listening. Before we reach for a solution, we work to understand what a particular district, campus, and community actually听need. We have decades of experience in school design, but we focus more on bringing that听expertise听to creatively respond to a client鈥檚 goals than on telling them what they should think. The best designs respond to the constraints that make a school community and site unique鈥攏ot necessarily those with the largest footprint or the biggest budgets. Across a state as varied as Colorado, that posture听isn鈥檛听optional;听it鈥檚听the only approach that works.听

SCN:听You bring听nearly听20听years of education design experience. What are the biggest shifts听you鈥檝e听seen in learning environments over that time, and how will those lessons influence your Colorado work?听

Williams:听The biggest shifts听haven鈥檛听been in classroom layout or building configuration;听they鈥檝e听come from the systems, technology, and construction methods that make schools work听over time. As I mentioned previously, this is听apparent听in the shift in priorities听regarding听sustainability strategies. As certain strategies become the baseline, we can move to听focusing听more on concerns like embodied carbon.听听

That whole-lifecycle thinking, developed through years of California work, is a direct asset as Colorado districts make long-term infrastructure decisions. Our Colorado presence听isn鈥檛听designed to function as a stand-alone regional office; the vision is a distributed studio model鈥攐ne firm,听operating听across multiple geographies, carrying the same design standards, technical rigor, and culture that have defined QKA for four decades. For Colorado districts, that means access not just to a local team, but to the full depth of QKA鈥檚 institutional knowledge, built project by project, district by district, over 40 years.听

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