“Estes assisted our district in short-term and long-range facilities planning efforts. A team from Estes spent a week in our district studying our facilities and helping us put together a realistic look at our district needs in the near future as well as twenty-year projections. Estes was a critical partner for us in this work that has become the cornerstone of our facilities vision, budget and planning for our school district.”

“We contacted Estes for advice regarding a design team issue we were experiencing. With the assistance of ICAT, we have moved forward with selecting a new architectural firm and are creating a district-wide master plan. They have made the transition from needing help to keeping the process in motion seamlessly. I relied on ICAT and its expertise to represent the district. Their communication skills are unmatched. They always inform me of the next steps or updates in a timely manner. I cannot express the gratitude we have for their support.”

“I use the ICAT program as a resource. The district engaged with ICAT to help us with a facilities assessment, identify a design partner, our master plan, and bond referendum support. While we utilized the ICAT team for mechanical upgrades, I realized we needed some assistance due to our business manager leaving, and I did not have a complete understanding of ESSER-funded projects. ICAT helped design a scope of work for our projects, which they’ll evaluate closer to when the projects start. Along with our upcoming project, they are helping with our athletic facilities and a primary school playground installation. They are amazing when it comes to clear communication because when I call, they always answer, plain and simple.”

“ICAT understands rural school districts’ needs and are dedicated advocates for identifying priorities and needs in order to complete a project. With this knowledge, I utilized the ICAT program for two different Iowa school districts. We experienced a derecho that caused major damage throughout Iowa. The day after the storm, I called Estes, and they were there the same day. They represented the district in the initial walkthrough with our insurance and made recommendations in the best interest of East Marshall. Estes Construction and their ICAT team have assisted us with an assessment of facilities, architecture selection and are currently in the process of master planning for the next 15 years.”

“With help from ICAT, our district conducted community meetings and used that feedback to put a survey out to the community. I appreciated the partnership when we needed to begin winnowing down the project list. There were a lot of great ideas out there, but each one came with a price tag. Working with the architect and us, Estes got the proposed project down to the type of project we thought would be acceptable to the voters. Having a bond referendum in the middle of a pandemic with over 70% of the voters supporting it was a powerful statement. It was a win-win all around from my perspective.”