BLOG: Right-Sizing Public Facilities Through Innovation in Program Alignment
When A Community’s Population Changes, Capital Planning Must Change Too
Across Oregon and Washington, many publicly funded municipalities are navigating a new reality. Enrollment and population patterns are shifting. Some communities are growing more slowly than expected. Others are flat, and some are seeing steady declines tied to a variety of factors like housing costs, birth rates, and changing family patterns.
At the same time, facilities that were previously built for growth still need to be heated, maintained, and staffed. Operating costs do not decline at the same pace as the number of people being served.
This creates a hard but necessary question for boards, councils, and executive leadership. How do we plan responsibly when the population we serve is changing?
The answer is not to stop investing. The answer is to invest differently.
Capacity Planning is No Longer Just About Growth
For decades, capital planning focused on expansion. New schools, new campuses, and larger facilities were logical responses to a growing population, rising enrollment, and increased usage.
Today, planning requires a broader lens. It must account for:
Where are residents actually living?
How are buildings being used?
What does it cost to operate underutilized spaces?
What programs and services matter most for the future of the community?
In many cases, the smartest move is not to build more space, but to make better use of what already exists. Right-sizing is not about shrinking ambition, it is about matching facilities to real needs.
Consolidation as a Strategic Tool, Not a Last Resort
Consolidation is often viewed as a failure or a political risk. In reality, it can be a strategic choice when guided by data and service priorities.
At Centennial School District, leadership faced the challenge of shifting enrollment patterns and aging facilities. When planning for their bond program, rather than spreading limited resources across too many buildings, the district took a different approach.
An elementary school was converted into a middle school to better serve student populations and align grade configurations with enrollment trends. This allowed the district to focus investment where it would have the greatest impact.
At the high school level, improvements were targeted toward long-term value and community experience. Work included enhanced safety and security, renovations and upgrades to the gym & pool, major roofing replacement, improvements to heating systems, and investments in athletic fields and complexes.
These decisions were not about doing less. They were about doing what mattered most.
By consolidating thoughtfully and reinvesting strategically, the district strengthened programs while reducing long-term operational strain.
Educational and Workforce Programming Should Drive Facilities
When enrollment and population change, municipalities have an opportunity to rethink not just where people gather, but what they are prepared for.
For school districts and higher education institutions, Career and Technical Education and workforce-aligned programs are reshaping how facilities are used. Workshops, kitchens, labs, and flexible learning areas often matter more than traditional classroom counts.
At Gervais School District, leadership focused on educational relevance alongside facility needs. Through a successful CTE Revitalization grant, the district expanded its culinary program by building a food truck that students now operate as part of their coursework.
This investment did more than add a program. It connected students to entrepreneurship, workforce skills, and the local business community. For a smaller district, it demonstrated that scale is not what defines impact. Purpose does.
When facilities are aligned with educational and service goals, they become tools for opportunity rather than just places to occupy.
Community Engagement Matters More When Change is Hard
Decisions about consolidation or repurposing buildings are emotional. Schools, campuses, and civic facilities carry history and identity. Families and residents worry about loss before they see benefit.
That is why engagement becomes even more important when population and enrollment or usage are declining. Strong public agencies do not avoid these conversations. They walk through them with their communities. They explain:
Why change is being considered
What the trade-offs are
How services and outcomes are protected
How taxpayer investment is respected
Transparency builds understanding and understanding builds alignment. You cannot message your way around difficult decisions; you must involve people in them.
Bond and Levy Programs Must Reflect the Future, Not the Past
Bond and levy programs are long-term commitments. They should be shaped by where a community is going, not where it has been. When a population is changing, that means:
Avoiding excess capacity
Focusing on safety and core systems
Prioritizing spaces that support user & service needs and workforce development
Designing flexibility instead of permanence
A disciplined bond and levy scope is not a sign of caution; it is a sign of stewardship. Build what will be used, not what used to be needed.
Right-Sizing Is About Respect
Right-sizing facilities is not about lowering expectations, it is about respecting:
Facility staff, end-users, and community members
Taxpayers and their trust
Staff and their work
The long-term health of public institutions
Centennial and Gervais demonstrate what this looks like in practice. One adjusted grade configurations and reinvested in key campuses. The other focused on educational relevance and workforce connection.
Different paths. Same principle.
Plan for the community you have and the people you will serve, not the ones you once anticipated.
In a time of shifting enrollment, population change, and rising costs, the public agencies that succeed will be the ones that adapt early, align their investments with purpose, and build programs that fit their future.
Right-sizing is not about doing less. It is about building wisely.
Dive deeper into planning for your bond or levy program here: BLOG Series: What Makes a Successful Bond Program? - for Oregon and Washington Districts — R&C Management Group, LLC