School Business Insider – "Leading the Charge on School Facilities and Infrastructure"

Podcast: School Business Insider
Host: John Brucato
Guests: Dr. Jeff Vincent (Principal Investigator and Director, National Center on School Infrastructure - NIXI), Joanne Armstrong (Chief Financial and Operations Officer, Belvidere CUSD 100, Illinois; Member, NIXI Advisory Committee)
Date: September 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of School Business Insider dives into the work of the National Center on School Infrastructure (NIXI), a relatively new but rapidly growing initiative designed to be a hub for school facilities leadership across America. Host John Brucato is joined by Dr. Jeff Vincent and Joanne Armstrong to discuss the challenges facing school districts, how NIXI is strengthening district capacity, supporting modernization, and providing a one-stop resource for school business officials (SBOs) nationwide.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Origins & Rationale for NIXI

Guest: Dr. Jeff Vincent [03:35]

• Dr. Vincent shares his journey from city planning to focusing on school environments.
  • Noted silos between city planning and school districts, with schools often overlooked in broader community planning despite their central role.
  • Observed disparities in school building quality, particularly in lower-income areas, which drove his research and policy focus.

“What you tend to see across America is schools in lower income communities… tend to have schools that are also aging and in disrepair and don’t have the science labs, the other things… So that really led me to sort of asking why...”
(Dr. Jeff Vincent, 02:57)

Practitioner Perspective: The District Challenge

Guest: Joanne Armstrong [03:46, 15:22]

• Highlights absence of consistent, research-based information for school officials.
• Stresses energy costs and lack of guidance on facilities as persistent obstacles.
• NIXI fills a critical gap, serving as a data-rich, actionable resource for CSBOs.

“It was like an answer to a question I didn’t even know I had... As we’re doing capital planning... this is the perfect resource that I can pull the data I need to support with my board and my community.”
(Joanne Armstrong, 04:14)

Core Mission & Partnerships

Dr. Jeff Vincent [05:34, 08:55]

• Established through a US Department of Education grant, NIXI aims to:
  • Serve as a resource hub/clearinghouse of best practices, templates, guidance, and case studies.
  • Offer technical assistance to districts and states—covering facility modernization, capital planning, energy management, community engagement, and more.
• Collaboration is central: NIXI works with institutions like the 21st Century School Fund, National Council on School Facilities, and Child Trends, as well as state agencies.

Data & Resources: Curation and Practicality

Data Collection Approach [08:55]

• NIXI carefully curates its resources, emphasizing quality and usability over volume.
  • Interactive data dashboards allow district and state-level exploration of funding, spending, and investment trends.
  • Searchable clearinghouse includes research, best practices, tools, and real-world case studies.

“The trick is, of course, not to throw everything in the kitchen sink. ...we have been trying to do is really carefully curate the best and most useful and applicable material for folks in the field.”
(Dr. Jeff Vincent, 09:13)

How to Use the Resource Library [21:02]

• Library includes:
  • Best practice guides, reports, research, templates, and checklists.
  • “Voices from the Field” profiles (practitioner stories).
  • State policy profiles and event calendars.
  • Webinars and community events.

Upcoming Webinars [24:10, 25:49]

• September 30: How and why school facilities matter for student success.
• October: Facility Condition Assessments.
• Third webinar: Master planning and stakeholder engagement.

Newsletter and Feedback Loop [25:57]

• Users encouraged to subscribe to NIXI’s newsletter for updates and to reach out with questions/requests, directly influencing resource development and webinars.

State and Local Engagement: The Policy Gap

Diverse State Environments [12:23, 15:22]

• Roughly half of US states provide regular capital funding for school facilities; the rest leave districts to find local solutions.
• Some, like Illinois, offer only limited matching grants ($50,000) which barely scratch the surface for districts with buildings spanning from 18 to 127 years old.

Equity and Evolving Needs [12:23, 15:22]

• Emphasis on schools as more than buildings:
  • Infrastructure encompasses play-based learning, social-emotional support, technology, and energy efficiency.
  • Modern school designs must support new instructional models.

“They [state leaders] tend to think of it very unilaterally, that it is a building, a building is a building. Kids can go in and they can learn. Well, as Jeff alluded to, the way we deliver instruction is very different.”
(Joanne Armstrong, 18:01)

What Districts Are Asking For: Most In-Demand Resources

Indoor Air Quality & Energy Efficiency [27:00]

• Post-pandemic, interest in indoor air quality has surged, especially in tandem with energy cost concerns.
• Guidance is in high demand for balancing air quality improvements with sustainable costs.

“I think in terms of the most inquiry we’ve had... has been around indoor air quality issues, and particularly as they relate to energy costs and energy expenditures.”
(Dr. Jeff Vincent, 27:15)

Real-World Application [28:28]

• Joanne shares practical strategies: comprehensive air quality testing, publicly sharing reports, and leveraging NIXI’s templates for needs assessments and RFPs.

Case Study: Long-Range Facilities Planning in Belvidere

Joanne Armstrong’s Process [31:41]

• On arrival, facilities plan was a basic spreadsheet with little community engagement or strategic foresight.
• Conducted needs assessment, convened a facilities committee, and built a 10-year master plan with board approval and ongoing stakeholder involvement.
• Challenges include deferred maintenance, unpredictable emergencies (e.g., severe storms), and adapting plans to shifting priorities.

“It’s just like a personal budget. It can blow up in a heartbeat if something breaks or something happens...”
(Joanne Armstrong, 33:18)

How NIXI Supported This Work

• Provided reliable, vetted starting points for RFP writing and standards, especially given Midwestern climate and disaster risks.
• Offers an ever-growing resource pool previously unavailable to SBOs.

Looking Ahead: The Future of NIXI

Roadmap and Responsiveness [35:48, 39:05]

• NIXI aims to go beyond a static library; the goal is active engagement, incorporating feedback and frontline stories through roundtables, podcasts, and new resources.
• New podcast, "Stretch," spotlights district leaders implementing best practices.
• Organization’s priorities are set by field needs—“We really do want to hear from folks to help shape that.”

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• "It was like an answer to a question I didn’t even know I had."
  (Joanne Armstrong, 04:14)

• "When you’re trying to make a decision in real time... getting a list of 145 things to look at just is that really helpful? Nobody has the time to do that."
  (Dr. Jeff Vincent, 09:04)

• "I have 11 school buildings and they range in age between 18 years and 127 years... but $50,000... isn’t going to help tremendously when I'm trying to look at putting in a new boiler in my high school."
  (Joanne Armstrong, 16:14)

• "They are taking a look at the school infrastructure and its totality: technology, energy, instruction, all of those aspects."
  (Joanne Armstrong, 19:12)

• "The transparency is 100% the need and what is happening... districts, when we talk about funding, there’s a lot of things we can save money on if we have the resources and the knowledge of where to start."
  (Joanne Armstrong, 29:43)

How to Engage: Ways SBOs Can Connect with NIXI

• Website: school-instrastructure.org (see note on correct spelling: should be “school-infrastructure.org”)
• Newsletter & Questions: Signup and submission portals on website for updates and direct inquiries.
• Webinars: Participate in upcoming or recorded sessions.
• Share Stories: Contact NIXI to have your district profiled or to share successful RFPs, facility assessments, and master plans.

“We’re responsible for being responsive to you. So, we can’t do that unless you ask.”
(Dr. Jeff Vincent, 40:16)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [01:28] – Jeff Vincent’s background and motivation for NIXI
• [03:46] – Joanne Armstrong on the practitioner’s perspective and NIXI’s value
• [05:34] – NIXI’s creation, mission, and partnerships
• [08:55] – Data collection and curation methods
• [12:23] – State funding, policy challenges, and funding disparities
• [15:22] – Realities in Illinois and Wisconsin (Joanne's district example)
• [21:02] – Details on available NIXI resources and upcoming webinars
• [27:00] – Most in-demand topics: Indoor air quality and energy
• [31:41] – Belvidere’s long-range facilities planning process
• [35:48] – NIXI’s evolving roadmap and direct engagement opportunities
• [39:05] – How school business officials and district leaders can connect and contribute

Conclusion

This episode shines a spotlight on the urgent need for improved and equitable school infrastructure, the practical hurdles facing districts, and the pivotal role NIXI plays as a responsive, comprehensive resource hub. By bridging policy, practice, and community engagement, NIXI empowers district leaders to modernize schools, plan strategically, and advocate for funding and design that meets 21st-century educational needs.

To get involved, visit school-infrastructure.org, sign up for the newsletter, and consider sharing your district’s story or facility-related challenges with NIXI.

This summary covers the critical insights, memorable moments, and actionable guidance from the episode, offering a complete overview for busy school business officials or anyone interested in the future of school facilities and infrastructure.