28 | SCHOOL PLANT MANAGER MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2026 R aymore-Peculiar School District’s facilities story is about how a district used long-range planning, phased capital work, and practical partnerships to create learning environments that support students today while also setting up staff for smoother operations tomorrow. At Ray-Pec, that approach has taken shape across multiple projects tied to the district’s 2021 bond program, including new academic spaces, expanded activity and performance facilities, and the adaptive reuse of a vacant retail building into the LEAD Center. Those efforts combined show how facility planning can stay grounded in educational priorities while still addressing schedule, budget, maintenance, and day-to-day operational realities. Collaborating for Long-Range, Student-Centered Facilities By Lee Moore, JE Dunn Construction A facilities strategy built around student needs The district’s mission is centered on preparing each student for a successful and meaningful life, and its capital work reflects that priority. Instead of treating facilities as isolated construction projects, Ray- Pec’s broader program connected building decisions to how students learn, move through the campus, and access hands-on opportunities. That alignment is visible in the range of spaces delivered through the 2021 bond program. JE Dunn served as construction manager for Raymore-Peculiar High School’s $72 million bond program, which included a new two-story education wing with blended learning space, teacher workroom suites, a music room, gym and locker rooms, cafeteria, collaboration rooms, a two-story main entry, a practice field, and circulation improvements for student pick-up and drop-off. The same program also included a 772-seat performing arts addition with specialized theater infrastructure such as catwalks, an orchestra pit, a sound booth, concessions, and support space for set construction. What makes this work notable is the way each project serves a different part of the student experience, from academic learning and campus circulation to career education and fine arts, while still fitting into one larger planning framework. The value of adaptive reuse One of the clearest examples of student-centered planning at Ray-Pec is the LEAD Center. To expand career- oriented education and real-world learning experiences, the district acquired a vacant building and partnered with JE Dunn to convert the former farm and home store into an active learning environment for students. Today, the LEAD Center houses programs such as machining, enterprise and design, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, automation, and robotics. That mix of programs matters because it gives students access to applied, workforce- connected learning in a setting designed around doing, building, and problem- solving rather than fitting those experiences into spaces that were never meant for them. For other districts, the takeaway is that new opportunities do not always require new ground-up facilities. In the right context, adaptive reuse can create high-value educational space more quickly and efficiently, especially when a district is willing to evaluate underused community real estate through the lens of long-term instructional goals. Planning multiple projects Multi-project capital programs succeed when planning extends beyond design and bid packages. At Ray- Pec, construction phasing appears to have been a central strength of the partnership, particularly because the district was managing several major improvements with different users, Serving Missouri Since 1966 636-680-2100 • www.intfs.com » HVAC » Plumbing » Building Automation » Access Controls » Fire Protection » Refrigeration » Energy Services 100% Employee Owned and Operated
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