District hires FGM for facilities assessment; consultants report need for "more space, storage, safety, sunlight"

FGM, the district's facilities consultant, conducted a multi-day facilities assessment at O'Fallon Township High School District 203 in early May and provided interim findings at the June board meeting.

The assessment process included a staff and faculty survey, 30-minute departmental interviews, and multi-hour campus tours to verify floor plans and inventory spaces. District staff and consultants documented classroom sizes, technology, hallway widths, egress and detailed signage. Jody Seif, the superintendent intern and English department chair, told the board the review “came down, I would say, to the 4 s's: more space, storage, safety, and sunlight.”

FGM plans to survey students and parents over the summer and return in July to study operations; preliminary work on schematic drawings and prioritized recommendations is scheduled for early fall. The board and staff said they will use the final assessment to inform the district’s five-year facilities plan and capital decisions, including identified HVAC projects, roofing and cafeteria upgrades the district is already addressing.

District leaders emphasized FGM’s detailed approach — down to classroom signage and room numbers — and said staff appreciated being included in interviews. No binding purchase or construction decisions were made at the meeting; the assessment will produce options for future board consideration.