The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for safe school facilities that protect the health of children and staff. With the first day of school just weeks away, most K-12 schools are likely to rely on distance learning for the start of the academic year. When schools do reopen, adhering to current guidelines on physical distancing, cleaning,…

For several years, schools and universities have been battered by a sputtering economy that on many campuses has brought about slashed budgets, curtailed programs, shuttered facilities and terminated employees. But throughout the gloomy financial conditions, one of the bright spots for education institutions is the continued growing embrace of…

Building energy-efficient school facilities is not just about being "green." It is about providing high-performance facilities that are safe, healthy, and conducive to learning. It is also about building facilities that are cost-effective from their inception and in the long term. Many school districts are working under ever-tightening…

For new and retrofit projects, which types of flooring work best in education facilities? Opinions vary among facilities specialists. Also, user groups--teachers, students, principals and parents--have preferences. So, education institutions must do research to determine appropriate flooring for various spaces. Touring facilities and talking to…

When Fayette County (Kentucky) school officials began putting together estimates for upcoming renovation projects at two elementary schools, they based their projections on their district construction projects from 2007. But by February, when construction bids were opened for the renovations of Cassidy and Russell Cave elementary schools, the…

Maximizing school resources and managing a shrinking budget--these are two important items affected when a building's roofing system does not perform properly. Rather than acting in haste, school and university administrators should do what every teacher tells a student prior to answering any question: think through the research and studies to…

It's estimated that at least 22 million school days are lost every year because of colds caught by students and faculty, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There's still no cure for the common cold, but there is a time-honored way to prevent it: handwashing, ideally with good old soap and water. It's still the best…

This article is part of a series that has offered insight on planning a facilities project, hiring professionals, delivery system options and owner's responsibilities. In this article, the author focuses on some of the planning and design concepts one may be asked to consider in providing direction to his design and construction team. These…

Public education is one of the central tasks of a democratic society, and the buildings that house this important task not only shape the way one teaches, but provide icons and symbols for the values people hold common as a society. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this context has placed school buildings squarely in a position of debate and innovation…

Despite growing interest in the condition of school facilities as a dimension of school finance adequacy, reliable measures of capital stock for large samples of schools are hard to come by. In this article, we offer new methods for (a) measuring the existing capital stock of public schools, (b) defining adequacy in school facilities, and (c)…

The characteristics of educational specifications are outlined; reasons for developing them stated; and several diagrams illustrate the organizational linkage of educational specifications in the decision-making process of constructing new school facilities. A suggested outline for educational specifications is also offered. (MLF)

Management planning consultants recommended procedural changes to improve the Baltimore school building program. (Author)

A team of experts examined eight representative examples of industrialized building systems in six countries to determine the origins of the system and the approach taken by its originators; the reasons that led school building agencies to adopt the system; the quality and other characteristics of the finished product; system costs compared with…

This manual contains provisions of Delaware state law and recommended procedures for construction programs. Areas discussed include--(1) financing, (2) school construction formulae for space allowances, (3) proposed school building budget, (4) procedures for school building construction, (5) a check list for an accounting system, (6) purchase…

List of standards for architects and construction managers used at Columbia University to prevent poorly designed and constructed buildings. (Author/MLF)