Describes four new school buildings that received the Association of School Business Officials, International's Certificates of Excellence and three new school buildings and one building renovation and expansion that received Certificates of Merit. Includes the architectural firm; building name and location, grades served, size, and cost; and…

Discusses development of virtual education, including potential and caveats. Describes three virtual school programs: Massachusetts Virtual Education Space, Florida Virtual School, and Star Schools, a federal program. (PKP)

Describes the origin and purpose of Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZAB) and how they work. QZABs were the outgrowth of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 that allowed school districts to borrow money, without paying interest, to fund such educational improvement projects as building renovation, new equipment purchases, and staff development. (PKP)

Describes several key decisions school business officials will need to make when planning for retirement. (PKP)

Discusses challenges and benefits of Arizona's public charter-school system enacted by the state legislature in 1994. Includes descriptions of some charter-school experiences. Arizona was the first state to pass legislation allowing public charter schools to operate independently of local school board control. (PKP)

Techniques submitted by educational administrators to improve the efficiency and economy of school management. (MLF)

Expands Henri Fayol's definition of the administrative process to include a humanistic approach involving planning, organizing, implementing, controlling, evaluating, and satisfying functions. This empirical definition differs from some theoretical approaches by looking beyond resource consumption to consider ecological effects on the environment…

Accounting controls are primarily concerned with methods and procedures that safeguard an entity's assets and ensure the reliability of its financial records. This article discusses internal control objectives as applied to educational institutions, outlines specific steps necessary to develop an effective internal control system, and mentions…

Describes specialized units that increase storage capacity. One involves two stationary units at either end of a track, with three or more movable units and one aisle; the other is an inclined rack. (MLF)

First of a three-part series points out that concern about the physical addiction of drugs has caused society to overlook the disastrous aspect of psychological need or habituation. The use of alcohol along with other drugs results in a multiplying effect that can be fatal. (MLF)

Rented remote computer terminals are being used in a pilot program that has reduced the amount of time school officials spend doing routine clerical duties. (Author/MLF)

As part of the second year of its Schoolhouse Energy Efficiency Demonstration (SEED) program, Tenneco, Inc. recently began a test of experimental window insulation material in three of the schools audited last year. (Author/MLF)

Describes efforts by two school districts to address the potential threats of shootings and other school disruptions: Baltimore City Public Schools in Maryland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools in North Carolina. Also describes the growing costs of providing safety and security in elementary and secondary schools. (Contains 13 references.)…

Describes rules and procedures school districts must follow to comply with IRS arbitrage and rebate rules and exceptions on profits derived from investing yields of tax-exempt bonds in a higher yielding account. Describes consequences of noncompliance and seven ways to be prepared for an IRS audit--for example, answering the IRS promptly. (PKP)

Describes some recent developments in the legal services lawyers and law firms provide to school boards, including, for example, preventive law, alternative dispute resolution (mediation and arbitration), and alternative fee arrangements such as task-based billing and flat-fee billing. (PKP)