Forced by flooding of the Mississippi River to relocate their entire town, residents of tiny Valmeyer, Illinois, built an upgraded, improved school. The new facility serves elementary, middle, and high school students in three separate wings and is equipped to participate in distance learning. (MLF)

Winner of the School Planning & Management 1997 Building Team Contest is the Jackson Memorial Middle School in Massillon, Ohio. Renovation and addition to the middle school (Jackson Local School District)--the original high school built in 1930--preserved the nostalgia that the structure held for many of the townspeople. Lists 15 ways to help…

Construction in and around a school building can be disruptive. With planning, communication, and a willingness to be creative, a school can run smoothly and construction can also be used as a learning opportunity for students. (MLF)

Describes the Ohio School Facilities Commission, whose mission is to provide funding, management oversight, and technical assistance to Ohio's 612 school districts for the construction and renovation of school facilities. Discusses the commission's actions at various stages of the construction process. (EV)

Demographic changes and the obsolescence of many existing school buildings have led to an all-time high in the construction of educational facilities in 1989. Case studies discuss the different needs and design solutions of four communities. (MLF)

The Dade County, Florida, $1.5 billion school construction and renovation project provides an opportunity to promote social change. By 1995 the school board wants to increase to 52 percent the share of construction, purchasing, and special services contracts awarded to businesses owned by minorities and women. (MLF)

A Missouri school district found the most cost-effective means of designing, bidding, and constructing new facilities to be hiring a construction management firm. With a construction manager, the school district's interests come first, and the district can tailor project-delivery strategies to specific needs. Outlines how the process works. (MLF)

Discusses how the Clark County School District (Las Vegas) is able to successfully manage approximately 8% student enrollment growth per year along with one new building opening on an average of every 15 days. Examines managing new facility construction, making provisions for new technology, and using portable buildings to accommodate student…

Discusses the experiences of one school district in Kansas City (Missouri) in gaining community support and involvement in planning for increased student enrollment while providing the best facilities for education in the most efficient way. Discussions also include the planners' experiences in getting approval for building funds. (GR)

Describes how school districts, with the help of a good architect, can construct or renovate schools and avoid most environmental hazards. Issues concerning indoor air quality, asbestos, lead poisoning, ergonomics, and adverse exposure to radon and electric and magnetic fields are addressed. (GR)

Presents the American School & University magazine comparative national data on 1998 new school and college construction and renovation costs, the amount of construction activity planned, and new-school cost trends. Data show a 23% increase in all types of construction over 1997, with modernization and additions topping the list in percentage…

Discusses the benefits of green, or high-performance, buildings, such as health and comfort, cost effectiveness, and sustainability. Explores the barriers to their use by schools--most notably cost. Offers suggestions on overcoming these barriers. (EV)

Presents articles describing recent developments in three Latin American countries (Chile, Brazil, and Venezuela) to expand public education facilities, along with a report on UNESCO's recent seminar in Latin America on architecture for an inclusive education. (EV)

Examines how the Dallas Independent School District (Texas) has been successful in passing new bond issues for school construction and renovation. The school district's strategic methodology is discussed, as are its management tactics in meeting diverse student needs, school safety, and student overcrowding. (GR)

Building a new school can be exciting and creative. The process enables parents, students, educators and the community to explore their dreams and priorities, and create a facility tailored to their unique needs. Unfortunately, the process also can leave education institutions and communities feeling like they've bought an "off-the-rack" facility…