LA JOYA ISD hires MGT/Parsons for data-driven facilities condition assessment and master plan

LA JOYA ISD trustees met consultants from MGT and partner Parsons to begin a comprehensive facilities condition assessment and long-range facilities master-plan process.

Rob Tanner, vice president with MGT’s facility solutions group, told trustees the approach will be data-driven and student-centered, combining room-by-room condition assessments, education-program adequacy reviews, GIS mapping and a demographic forecast. Eduardo Lopez (Parsons) explained the field inspection process—building exteriors, interiors, systems, site elements, code and ADA compliance—documented with photographs and entered into a web-based platform to produce condition reports and capital-need estimates.

Demographer Cameron Arseno described how the team will use district enrollment histories, birth data, planned residential developments and mapping to forecast future enrollment and program demand at each campus. The consultants emphasized stakeholder engagement—town halls, focus groups, surveys and interviews—to surface community priorities that will inform actionable options and capital investment scenarios.

Chief Operations Officer SB Pearson said the district will use the assessment to shift from a reactive approach to strategic, prioritized capital planning after roughly 20 years of deferred maintenance. Superintendent Dr. Sylvia Ivara and trustees stressed transparency, community access to findings, and the intention to align any recommended investments with the district’s long-range fiscal planning.

Consultants said they will provide periodic reporting at the board’s direction and support adoption and implementation of the final master plan, including training and post-adoption support to help the district use the tools and data generated by the assessment.

Next steps include data collection and inspections, the demographic forecast, and a schedule for stakeholder engagement; the consultants asked the board to expect regular updates and to indicate how often the board wishes to receive progress reports.