K-12 Planning

FLO specializes in providing innovative, data-driven, and community-focused planning solutions for K‒12 public school districts across the nation. We are a multifaceted team of former educators, demographers, and GIS analysts who are focused on fostering educational equity for all students. Our team has worked on diverse projects for districts of all sizes, and we excel at creating customized solutions to meet districts’ specific needs. We pride ourselves on being great communicators and prioritize creating collaborative relationships with all our clients.

A group of diverse kindergarteners learning in class

"FLO Analytics’ detailed analyses of our enrollment and special program data provided invaluable insights for our district, enabling us to make data driven decisions in our ongoing mission to optimize student support and success." Michael Phillips, RPS

Services Provided

K-12 Planning

Student enrollment is the foundation of school planning, no matter your district’s size. Make sure that the foundation is strong, with student enrollment forecasts developed using the most reliable data possible and the proven models and methodologies used by our skilled demographers and data analysts.

What Our Enrollment Forecasts Can Help You Do  

  • Prevent imbalanced school enrollment  
  • Determine special program placement  
  • Plan for grade configuration changes  
  • Redraw boundaries  
  • Consolidate, expand, or open schools  
  • Plan for capital facilities 

What we offer is more than a process—it’s a partnership. We work closely with our school district clients to find the right combination of customized mapping technologies, hands-on community engagement, and innovative enrollment analyses to review, redraw, and implement new boundaries that meet the needs of districts and communities. Whether you are reviewing boundaries for five schools or 500, our data-driven and consensus-based boundary review services can help you meet your planning goals.

At FLO, equity isn’t just a buzz word. It is ingrained in our work and our company’s core values. As a company, we strongly believe that all students should have access to educational opportunities that best meet their individual needs. From our student enrollment forecasts that incorporate community demographic data to our school program analyses that determine whether all students by subgroup proportionately access special programs to our boundary scenario modeling that integrates these findings, we produce objective data analyses that give district leaders the information they need to make informed, student-focused decisions. We offer:

  • Innovative software for data visualization
  • Student-focused reporting
  • Data that creates buy-in
  • Effective engagement that earns the trust of communities

As school districts across the nation experience fluctuating student enrollment and implement new types of special programs that change the way educational spaces are used, it has become more important than ever for districts to have a clear process for determining each school’s capacity and setting utilization targets so district leaders can feel confident in knowing when schools are underenrolled or overenrolled. At FLO we can help school districts create facility capacity methodologies and utilization targets that reflect the instructional programming offered at each school and are aligned with state laws, school district priorities, and community values.

As more school districts offer specialized curricular programming like STEAM, International Baccalaureate, and dual language programs, they may face the challenge of ensuring that all students have equitable access to those programs.

At FLO Analytics, we help districts:

  • Understand the geographic placement of programs in comparison to where students live to identify areas where programs are less accessible.
  • Analyze the demographic characteristics of students enrolled in each program compared to the overall student demographics of the district to determine whether programs are proportionally enrolled.
  • Determine ways that programs can be made more accessible, such as recommending alternative or additional placements of programs within specific schools.

As more parents elect to enroll their children in schools other than their zoned neighborhood schools, FLO can help school districts answer questions such as:

  1. Which schools are students choosing to enroll in?
  2. Which schools are students opting out of at higher rates?
  3. Are there school choice patterns based on student enrollment trends over time?
  4. What are the main priorities of parents when choosing a school for their child?

This information can help guide districts in creating or refining their school choice management plans and inform larger decisions around school boundary changes and facility planning.

Understanding enrollment trends over space and time can help districts with their long-term planning for facilities and programs. We help districts by evaluating:

  • Historical grade-progression ratios (district-wide and by attendance area)
  • The geographic distribution of student residences
  • Student participation in special or nontraditional programs
  • Student enrollment trends, including student choice, over time

 

We draw on our unique blend of data analysis, community engagement, forecasting, and strategic planning experience to assist school districts in planning for their futures. Your long-term planning decisions may include building new schools, grade reconfigurations, remodeling school buildings, and school closures. Our team of data analysts and district planners use cutting-edge GIS tools and constructive stakeholder engagement strategies to help districts make these crucial decisions. We understand the sensitivity of these decisions and work closely with district and community leaders to obtain the whole picture to ensure these processes consider and reflect the district’s history, the values of the community, and the current state and long-term goals of the district.

Community input and buy-in is an essential part of any boundary scenario modeling project. Parents and community members feel very strongly about school boundaries and proposed changes. Our team of former education leaders, communications specialists, and GIS analysts have decades of experience leading education projects with robust community engagement components. We help districts make collaborative decisions within the communities they serve.

Whether your district is looking to understand new state legislation, create policies that set a foundation for effective attendance area boundary redistricting processes, or find research on policies that promote educational equity, our policy experts are here to help.

Contact

K-12 Planning Inquiries

Thanks for your interest in FLO. Whether you are looking to start a project, get support, or just have a general question, we'd like to hear from you. Please reach out and we will get back to you.

Kent Martin
Kent Martin
Director of Data Analytics, Senior Planner