Presenter outlines 10-year plan to upgrade Lincoln Public Schools outdoor spaces

A presenter for the meeting outlined a districtwide, needs-based 10-year plan to upgrade outdoor amenities across Lincoln Public Schools, saying the planning committee completed an inventory of K–12 outdoor spaces, set baselines and identified gaps to guide future projects.

The presenter said the district developed a schedule to address roughly four elementary schools per year and created an evaluation matrix (led by operations under Brooke Hay) that looks at play types, capacity, grade-level suitability, inclusivity and accessibility. "We developed a 10-year plan and created a schedule where we would then focus on about four schools a year," the presenter said.

The plan groups work by school level. At the elementary level the focus is on bringing sites up to a new district baseline and partnering with PTOs or the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools for school-specific projects. At middle schools the highest priority that emerged was adding or replacing seating elements — picnic tables and benches — to give students places to socialize during lunch, the presenter said.

After consulting experts and peer districts, the presenter recommended against converting additional fields to dense, irrigated grass. The district said such conversions would require irrigation and drainage investments, extra grounds staffing, and would make fields available for only part of the year. "That would be a very significant investment, not only of financial resources, it would also redirect a lot of our staffing," the presenter said.

For high schools, the district worked with design firm Clark Enerson to inventory eight high schools and district athletic complexes and to recommend consistent baseline standards. The presenter noted disparities across sites — for example, less investment in baseball and softball facilities — and singled out the Beechner Athletic Complex as lacking a video board that other stadiums have. The presentation recommended adding lights to the primary fields inside high-school tracks to extend usable hours for turf surfaces, marching band and evening practices.

The presenter tied the facilities recommendations to budget planning and funding. Possible funding sources mentioned included measured contributions from the general fund for grounds work, the depreciation fund for turf and track replacement, and the building fund; the presenter noted some capital-purpose funds are not permitted for athletic and activities expenses. The presenter said the next steps are to refine site-specific recommendations, develop an initial project list, identify funding and partners, and create a project schedule for work targeted to the 2026–27 school year.

Barb, a committee member, thanked the team and said the study addresses long-standing equity issues. "I think that it's excellent and addressing a number of long-standing equity issues, and I'm really pleased to see that we're moving forward," Barb said. Mara, a committee member, praised staff transparency and their willingness to engage community partners. Dr. Rana commended the prioritization and the fairness of the approach.

The board moved on to the next agenda item after the presentation; staff will return with a refined project list and funding plan to support decisions for the 2026–27 schedule.