School Planner

Durham Public Schools

Job Title: School Planner - Building Services Reports To: Senior Executive Director, Building Services Salary: Based on State and Local Salary Schedules Status: Permanent, 12 months, Classified, Nonexempt SUMMARY The School Planner serves Durham Public Schools (DPS) students by applying their organizational and problem -solving skills to daily tasks and long -term projects that will enhance the learning environment for students in P K through 12 th grade. Core functions include overseeing classroom utilization across the school district, ensuring equitable application of the district's learning environment guidelines, and support for long -range planning that incorporates data from enrollment forecas ts, residential developme nt, and facility conditions assessments.

The ideal candidate is one who will be motivated to achieve excellence given the knowledge that their work supports DPS's mission to provide all students with an outstanding education. This individual will report to the Senior Executive Director of Building Services.

RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES Facility and Classroom Utilization:

• Manage the district's process for requesting and reviewing plans from every school administrator detailing how they are using their school's classrooms. Thorough reviews ensure that utilization is consistent with NC state class-size requirements, as well as DPS desi gn guidelines and educational specifications. Conduct site visits, departmental communication and coordination . Long Range-Planning for Student Enrollment:

• Manage the residential development inventory and report mechanisms with local agency partners, including but not limited to Durham City/County Planning and Durham Housing Authority.

• Support the School Planning team in operationalizing the residential development data for the Annual Enrollment Projection and Long -Range Enrollment Forecast.

Facilitate updates to the Durham School Locator tool, the district's street-level assignment database, which is used by staff and members of the public to look up base school assignments by residential address.

Participate in team meetings related to K -3 class size and EC/PK program placements and classroom suitability needs.

Capital Planning:

• Manage the district's process for reviewing and approving requests for modifications to existing school buildings. Work with school staff to define the problem they are trying to solve and working across departments to identify potential solutions. The School Planner will champion and facilitate any identified projects through the internal review process, while maintainin g clear communication with the school administrator and relevant departments.

• Assist district administrators and committees in the planning and design of school facility renovation or new construction projects.

• Assist in the continued development and updating of the district's educational specifications and Learning Environment Guidelines, defining the characteristics of all spaces in a school building and on a school site.

• Manage real estate functions such as easements, lease agreements, MOU's and other paperwork associated with district sites.

NEEDS STATEMENT

This position is the bridge between academic instruction and school construction. The School Planner will have a working knowledge of the operational and physical needs of a PK-12 school environment. This individual will collaborate across multiple departments, including Construction and Capital Planning, Maintenance; Exceptional Children; Early Education; Curriculum and Instruction; and Student Assignment.

MINIMUM EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND REQUIREMENTS Bachelor's Degree in Urban Planning, Geography, Education, Public Policy, Public Administration , Architecture or a related field , and a minimum of 8 years of related or comparable work experience in educational, institutional, or commercial space planning; or any equivalent combination of training and experience that provides the required skills, knowledge, and abilities. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrated experience with project management, including the production of final reports, data visualization, slide decks, and project schedules.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex ideas simply and succinctly.
• Skill in recognizing, analyzing, and providing solutions to data processing problems.
• Ability to work within a cross-disciplinary environment that is periodically high pressure with tight deadlines.
• May directly supervise the work of any third-party vendor relationships, as necessary.
• Ability to exercise considerable independent judgment and initiative in independently performing assigned projects.
• Preferred to have familiarity working with geospatial data.
• Preferred that the applicant has a working knowledge of planning disciplines including demographic analysis, land use planning, and community engagement.
• High-level of proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google platforms. Preferred experience with Illustrator, InDesign, PowerPoint, Excel, and CAD.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS This position requires work in an office environment, with regular visits to school district sites, including active schools, workshops, and outdoor areas.