Elisa Warner Shapes Educational Planning in Oregon

The veteran planner leads facility development projects across school districts throughout the state.

Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Secondary Education

Screen-print poster illustration of a school model and drafting compasses on a wooden surface, evoking educational planning. — Elisa Warner, senior associate at BRIC Architecture, has led over 30 facilities planning projects for Oregon school districts since 2017. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Elisa Warner serves as a senior associate and educational planner at BRIC Architecture, drawing on more than two decades of experience. She has directed over 30 facilities planning efforts across Oregon since 2017.

Why it matters

Warner provides essential expertise to school districts, acting as a certified assessor for the Oregon Department of Education. Her work helps districts develop long-term strategies that frequently lead to successful bond program outcomes.

Warner has led planning for over 170 buildings across major districts, including 80 in Portland, 30 in North Clackamas, and 60 in Salem-Keizer. Seventy percent of her district planning partners have successfully passed their bond programs.

The players

Elisa Warner

She is a senior associate and educational planner at BRIC Architecture with over 20 years of industry experience.

BRIC Architecture

This is an architectural firm that provides planning and design services for educational facilities.

Oregon Department of Education Office of School Facilities

This state agency oversees and certifies assessors to ensure educational facility standards are met.

The details

As the leader of the educational planning practice at BRIC Architecture, Warner manages large-scale long-range facility plans. She also contributes to industry discourse as a founding member of the BRIC JEDI group and creator of the Media Matters quarterly discussion series.

Warner began leading educational facility planning efforts in Oregon in 2017.
She completed the Portland Public Schools Long-Range Facilities Plan in 2021.
Warner became a founding member of the BRIC JEDI group in 2022.
She completed the North Clackamas School District Long-Range Facilities Plan in 2023.
Warner completed the Salem-Keizer Long-Range Facilities Plan in 2026.

Culture Shift

The professionalization of educational planning reflects a broader shift toward data-driven infrastructure management in the public sector. By adhering to the Oregon Department of Education Office of School Facilities assessment standards, planners align district needs with state-level benchmarks.

Local school districts that engage in formal long-range planning with experts like Warner may increase their chances of securing voter approval for bond measures. Parents and residents should note that these plans directly influence which buildings receive renovation or replacement funding.

The takeaway

Effective facilities planning requires integrating long-term architectural strategy with state regulatory compliance. Districts looking to modernize their infrastructure should prioritize comprehensive planning to ensure transparency and community support for potential funding initiatives.