Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

277 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 CONCORD COMMUNI T Y SCHOOLS CORPORAT ION Dan Funston, “ [it] needs a lot of carpenters and people that know how to frame walls, and we’ve just seen growth in our construction pathway.” According to Funston, to help support the local economy, Concord even recently invested $4.5 million into a brand new construction and engineering building to prepare the next generation of craftsmen and builders. A Series of Savvy School Investments The new construction building is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to where Concord has been investing its resources. Over the years, the district has made a series of investments to expand opportunities for students and help resolve the shortage of teachers that has recently become more prevalent across the country. In terms of infrastructure, the district has already invested in improving air quality, updating classroom furnishings, refreshing technology, and making needed repairs to ensure schools and classrooms are conducive to learning. The most notable investment, however, absolutely revolves around school safety. “When we consider our needs, the first thing we consider is student safety. So, in 2019, Concord was one of the first [districts] to establish our own police department,” Funston explains.