It wasn't that long ago that when education architects and administrators raised the notion of green construction or sustainable-design strategies, they were met with head scratches and raised eyebrows. But in 2009, the energy-saving, water-conserving, environmentally friendly philosophies championed by those in the vanguard of the green schools…

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…

The old adage, "what goes up must come down," can be used to describe education construction spending in 2005. After impressive gains in expenditures during the first half of the decade, total construction spending by schools and universities pulled back from historic highs. A combination of factors, including skyrocketing fuel and…