How Winchester Public Schools Built a Strategic Facilities Plan With Gordian

Challenge: The Need to Shift from Reactive Repairs to a Proactive, Data-Driven Plan Emerges

Winchester Public Schools, a district located in Winchester, Virginia, serves approximately 4,200 students across nine buildings and one million square feet of facilities. In recent years, school facilities leaders uncovered a critical truth regarding their approach to capital planning: The district relied on a simplistic approach — fixing what was failing and “fighting fires on an annual basis.” Decisions were made based on urgency and available funds, not long-term priorities.

Ed Smith, Director of Operations with 25 years of experience (12 years at Winchester), recognized the need for a better process to defend capital improvement decisions to stakeholders and taxpayers. Without clear data, the district risked losing trust and falling behind on essential upgrades.

“We wanted to move away from just asking, ‘Can we even get it done with the funds we have?’ and start planning strategically,” said Smith.

Solution: Turning Data Into a Blueprint for Success

Winchester developed a five-year strategic plan and partnered with Gordian through a Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract to conduct a Facility Condition Assessment (FCA). This partnership eliminated procurement hurdles and allowed Gordian to deliver a comprehensive, data-driven evaluation of all district facilities.

The FCA provided an objective picture of building conditions, confirming that most schools were in good shape while identifying one older facility built in 1955 that needed attention. Gordian’s team worked closely with Winchester, staying on-schedule and adapting to district needs.

“They did a fantastic job from beginning to end — no issues, stayed on-schedule and were great to work with,” Smith noted.

Using Gordian’s FCA data and RSMeans Data cost information through Gordian Cloud Platform (GCP), Winchester gained clarity on priorities and realistic cost expectations. This data is now the foundation for the district’s 2026 capital improvement plan, enabling transparent communication with city officials and the public.

Result: Clarity, Confidence and Community Trust

The FCA transformed Winchester’s approach to capital planning. Instead of reacting to emergencies, the district can now:

• Plan for the entire division, not just one building 
• Defend decisions with objective data 
• Build trust with stakeholders through transparency

“This process gave us confirmation of what we thought and confidence in what we’re telling the public. It shows we’re telling the truth — an independent organization backs us up,” said Smith.

Winchester is incorporating high-priority backlog items into its upcoming plan and using Gordian’s data to determine where money is best spent. The result is a proactive, strategic approach that strengthens the district’s relationship with the city and ensures facilities support student success for years to come.

Why Gordian? “Teamwork, adaptability and listening. Gordian did a great job of incorporating feedback and presenting data that helps us make informed decisions,” Smith concluded.