VJS and Project Partners Present Real-World Facility Planning Strategies at the Wisconsin State Education Convention

At this year’s Wisconsin State Education Convention, our VJS team had the chance to team up with our project partners at EUA and the School District of Menomonee Falls (SDMF) to deliver a session built for the real world—where budgets are tight, timelines matter, and you don’t always have a full set of drawings before you need to move forward with planning.

Led by Chris Coggins, Project Executive, EUA and SDMF the session—Creative Funding, Early Planning & Smart Partnership: A Real-World Approach to School Success—shared practical ways school districts can unlock funding opportunities and confidently plan facility improvements.

A real-life case study: SDMF Community Center & Riverside Elementary Expansion

Instead of talking in theory, we grounded the session in an actual project: the School District of Menomonee Falls Community Center & Riverside Elementary Expansion. It’s a great example of what can happen when districts lean into early planning and bring the right partners to the table from the start.

Chris, EUA and SDMF walked attendees through tools and strategies that help districts move forward sooner and smarter—without guessing. We talked through the art of defeasance and other creative financing options, ways to free up levy space, and how to build accurate early budgets and schedules that reflect district needs.