3.30.10 | Muscatine, IA | While some public school districts have experienced little or no growth during the past decade, schools in Texas have enjoyed nearly two percent enrollment increases each year, with close to a 20 percent enrollment boost in districts statewide since 1997. Keller ISD, conveniently located between the bustling hubs of Dallas and Fort Worth, is one of the state's fastest growing school districts. Enrollment at this desirable district, which is comprised of students from more than nine cities, has virtually doubled during the past decade. That number is expected to continue to rise with a projected student body of 40,000 students by 2019.

An educational giant, Keller ISD currently has 36 campuses serving more than 31,000 students in grades kindergarten through 12. To accommodate this rapid growth, the school district embarked upon a major construction initiative to develop 11 new campuses totaling 1.4 million square feet of space.  A new high school, bringing the district total to four, was among the new facilities built in this most recent round of construction expansion.  Architects designed Timbercreek High School with a collaborative learning experience in mind, planning the entire building's footprint and interior scheme around an open, flexible learning strategy which supported technology.  For this reason, it was important to furnish this 440,000-square foot, two-story school with customizable desks, tables and seating that promote an interactive, easily configurable learning environment for every teacher and pupil. "Going into this project, we wanted an affordable, holistic, technology-centric furniture solution that not only looked appealing,  but also provided our teachers with the flexibility to configure their classrooms to better support their individual teaching styles," notes  Dr. James Veitenheimer, Keller ISD superintendent.   "We found the adaptable solution we were looking for in SmartLink classroom furniture from The HON Company."  

Opportunity/Goal

To ensure SmartLink was the right choice for Keller, district officials displayed the product on school premises to allow the educational community to personally try it out.  For more than one month, school board members, teachers, students and the public were encouraged to use the furniture and critique the station's capabilities.  The test process yielded positive feedback with an overwhelming opinion that SmartLink exceeded expectations when it came to the district's top priorities for a furniture system - collaboration, mobility and value. "Although the Keller district has been a HON customer for more than a decade, we were only familiar with the company's administrative offerings," said Veitenheimer.  "Seeing the unique benefits and features of SmartLink opened up our eyes to an entirely new way of thinking about present and future classroom design."

Solution 

After careful consideration and review of several competitive products, the district chose to purchase a variety of SmartLink offerings for throughout Timbercreek High School, including 128 teacher stations, 2,000 student desks, 3,200 stacker chairs and 128 modular storage cabinets. "Walking through Timbercreek's hallways today, I can honestly say no two classroom configurations look alike," notes Veitenheimer.  "It's a testament to the extreme flexibility and innovative collaborative capabilities SmartLink offers. The students and teachers can't say enough good things about how it's changed the teaching and learning process for everyone involved."

Looking to the future, district officials foresee more construction projects as Keller's student body continues to expand.  In fact, two additional building projects are currently in the design phase as part of a hybrid school that will house fifth through eighth graders.  It is scheduled to open in August of 2010.

"Based on the positive experience we've had with HON and the local dealer, Texas Furniture, I can't imagine using anything but SmartLink in the new facility," Veitenheimer said.  "We've had tremendous success with the system at Timber Creek; so obviously, it will be highly considered when we begin the process of assessing furniture plans and bids for the new hybrid school."

"We've only had the SmartLink furniture in our school for six weeks, and I can't even imagine what it was like teaching without it.  The desks are very easy to move and reconfigure, which is important to me because I like my students to collaborate in groups.  Plus, even with thirty students in my room, the SmartLink furniture makes the room seem spacious, which gives me more room to get to every student quickly."

-Mindy Martin, 9^th Grade English Teacher
Timbercreek High School

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About The HON Company

Inspired by practicality and invested in understanding the needs of its customers, The HON Company strives to establish meaningful connections resulting in product solutions and customer support that exceed market demands. As a leading designer and manufacturer of workplace furniture including chairs, storage, panel systems, tables and desks, HON's commitment to serving its customers is rooted in reliable performance and a member culture that is approachable, confident, smart and ready to serve.  Headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa, The HON Company has numerous manufacturing facilities strategically located throughout the United States, and markets its products through a nationwide network of loyal dealers and retailers. The HON Company is an operating company of HNI Corporation (formerly HON INDUSTRIES). For more information, visit hon.com.