Spending on construction by the nation's education institutions increased in 2008, reversing four years of declines in total annual expenditures, according to "American School & University"'s 35th annual Official Education Construction Report. One of the reasons for the increase in spending was the fact that the majority of the construction projects were started prior to the escalation of the economic crisis and were locked in to higher prices for materials and labor, among other things. Total spending on new, addition and modernization construction by school districts and higher-education institutions increased to $43.3 billion in 2008 from $32.9 billion the year before. Spending by school districts increased to $25.5 billion in 2008 from $20.3 billion in 2007. New construction spending by K-12 institutions grew 18 percent and addition/modernization spending jumped 46 percent. Colleges and universities spent $17.8 billion on construction in 2008, up from $12.7 billion the year before. Expenditures grew 35 percent for new construction and 48 percent for additions and modernizations. This article presents the authoritative source for education construction data, detailing spending by type of institution; projected spending through 2011; per-square-foot and per student costs; and much more. In addition, data on the impact of green and security on education construction is included, providing insight for future construction projects.