Recommends the establishment of a 529 college-savings program as part of a school district employee-benefits package. Includes how it works, the benefits to employees, the advantages to school districts, and how to get started. (PKP)

Discusses "Owasso Independent School District v. Falvo," wherein a unanimous Supreme Court held that the Oklahoma school board did not violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act by allowing teachers to use students to grade the papers of their classmates. Includes a legal analysis of the Court's opinion and implications for…

A teacher in Iowa introduced computers and a video game that teaches typing skills into her typing classroom. The game is successfully helping students master typing skills. (MD)

Describes how to use demographic studies to project school enrollments. Includes collecting historical enrollment data, contacting the state department of health and vital statistics, selecting an enrollment-projection method, meeting with local planning and construction department officials, determining the age of the community, and performing…

Describes campaign to successfully pass a 4-year property tax referendum in Sarasota County, Florida. (PKP)

Describes the effect of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) on student health, the cost of safeguarding good IAQ, the cause of poor IAQ in schools, how to tell whether a school has an IAQ problem, and how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can help schools improve indoor air quality though the use of their free "Indoor Air Quality Tools for…

Discusses issues related to school district implementation of June 2001 Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement 34 designed to change how schools report fixed assets. Includes planning for GASB implementation, conducting fixed-asset inventories, and making time for GASB reporting. (PKP)

Describes maintenance tips to prolong the life of school building roofs. (PKP)

Describes several issues related to school districts' lobbying efforts, including lobbying targets, internal versus external efforts, and employee versus a contract lobbyist. Also includes a list of things to consider when hiring a lobbyist. (PKP)

Describes the layout and elements of an effective school computer lab. Includes configuration, storage spaces, cabling and electrical requirements, lighting, furniture, and computer hardware and peripherals. (PKP)

Describes how to build a Gantt chart using a spreadsheet program to manage a school building project. (PKP)

Describes new features, system specifications, upgrading procedures, and package options (including costs) for Office XP. (PKP)

Describes new incentive packages employed by several states and school districts to recruit prospective teachers, including signing bonuses, housing incentives, loan forgiveness and tuition waivers, scholarships, waiver of retirement rules, and child-care services. Discusses implications and describes procedures for school districts to develop…

Summarizes the rules governing Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 403 (b) annuity plans and IRC section 427 deferred compensation plans. On balance, the burdensome annual form 550 filing requirement of 403 (b) plans seems more than offset by the disadvantages and increased responsibility associated with 427 plans. (MLH)

A systematic roof maintenance program is characterized by carefully prepared long- and short-range plans. An essential feature of a systematic approach to roof maintenance is the stress on preventive measures rather than the patching of leaks. (Author)