Schools

Hopkins Public Schools Owns How Many Square Feet?

School Board directors oversee millions of dollars worth of school district property.

 At Thursday’s board meeting, Hopkins School Board directors kicked off discussions that could lead to a long-term facilities plan. Yawn, right?

Not really.

owns an amount of property that dwarfs most businesses in the communities they serve.

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Here’s a by-the-numbers look at the school district's properties.

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Find out what's happening in Hopkinswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Total amount of building space owned: 1.7 million square feet. That’s equivalent to 850 2,000-square-foot homes.

  • Largest school facility: , more than 400,000 square feet
  • Smallest school facilities: and , 74,332 square feet

Current property value: $180 million

Number of properties: 13

  • One early childhood center
  • One community center
  • Seven elementary schools
  • Two junior highs
  • One high school
  • One bus depot

Average age of the properties: 39 years

  • Oldest school facility: , built in 1951
  • Newest school facility: , built in 1991

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These properties aren’t just empty shells, like a strip mall or office building, that can be put to a variety of uses. They’re tailored toward specific functions in a way the average commercial building isn’t—with design elements all aiming to foster an engaging learning environment.

The district’s plan also looks a decade into the future. It must be flexible enough to accommodate future learning trends no one can predict with certainty but have enough details to persuade voters when necessary to set aside money to renovate, upgrade or, in some cases, build schools.

The scope of the School Board’s oversight isn’t always apparent when directors first join the board. But it’s as weighty a matter as curriculum, teacher pay or other issues that often galvanize campaigns.

“You start thinking of this and you think, ‘My word, this responsibility is tremendous,’” said Gary Prest, a Cuningham Group executive consultant who would oversee creation of the facilities plan.


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