Brevard County School District, Florida

The Brevard County School District had an ambitious strategy when it put together a bond referendum in 2003. Contrax Furnishings played an integral role in the district’s development of a detailed seven-year facility plan through the comprehensive furniture survey the company conducted. Although the referendum did not pass, the county proceeded with its plan, which was approved in 2005.

Part of the process was to compile a cost and scope on various programs. With its experience in working with the Brevard County School District, Contrax Furnishings conducted a furniture survey, determining the cost of bringing its schools’ existing furnishings up to a B-plus level (no gouges or chips). The intention was to refurbish the furnishings to a consistent level that would serve the schools for the next 10 years.

Contrax Furnishings surveyed the schools without cost to the district, then provided a school-by-school breakdown as to the amount necessary to bring each up to the desired level in 2004 dollars. The amounts were incorporated into the seven-year plan. As funding became available, the district turned money over to each school to make the necessary improvements.

The plan has, at present, been rolled out as first- second- and third-year projects. Average budget for the furniture component of each facility was $100,000. Cocoa and Eau Gallie High Schools each received an allocation of $60,000.

Contrax Furnishings achieved parity for the district’s furniture quality throughout the course of the facility updates. As schools were provided with upgraded technology infrastructure – and as new schools were constructed – Contrax Furnishings also designed and built custom solutions to accommodate new computer equipment and other electronics.

For example, classrooms to be outfitted with wired computer tables had no effective means of power delivery. Contrax Furnishings found a manufacturer able to pre-wire tables, which provided an alternative to the more expensive models. Working with the district’s technical consultant, the company designed cabinets to accommodate such now-standard classroom equipment as a docu-cam, projector, DVD player and audio enhancement – and their accompanying wires and power cords. Contrax Furnishings also accommodated special placement of the cabinets when made necessary by the room’s layout.

The determination and vision of the Brevard County School District to improve, expand and increase its schools is yielding outstanding results, with those most closely involved in the effort recognizing the work of Contrax Furnishings as instrumental to this success.

“In our view, Contrax Furnishings is a service provider, not a vendor,” said a Brevard County School District manager. “From a customer standpoint, what separates Contrax from other vendors is their service. They know our district, come in and work with individual school staffs to recommend what they think is needed, as opposed to what they can sell. They’re dependable and provide what they say they will. Contrax will come in and work, even when other people fall behind on the schedule. We have confidence they’ll do it for us.”