Long before closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, many Pennsylvania schools faced a different health crisis: unsafe facilities. Crumbling buildings, asbestos, lead, and other school facility health and safety risks plague many schools across Pennsylvania, particularly in low-income districts and those that enroll a high percentage of Black and…

School districts held an exclusive franchise on public education services until 1991, when Minnesota passed the first law permitting public charter schools. Charter schools are publicly funded, authorized by various agencies designated in public law, but independently managed. They operate outside district control, and most can draw students from…

For many schools and universities, constructing a new facility isn't always a viable option. The envisioned facility may be too costly for a school system struggling with budget deficits. Maybe administrators can't find enough land in the right area to accommodate the type of facility needed. In some cases, the residents and businesses surrounding…

The nation's major city public school districts have substantial construction, renovation, modernization, and deferred maintenance needs because of the age and size of their school buildings, shifting populations, and the need to devote substantial resources to instructional personnel to meet their core academic mission. For instance, the average…

THIS GUIDE PROVIDES STEP BY STEP ASSISTANCE TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR A SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECT. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE SCHOOL STAFF ARE EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND MAKING STUDIES OF THE SCHOOL POPULATION. ADVISORY SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. THE FOLLOWING STEPS ARE AMONG THOSE CITED AS…

In recent years, New York State has encouraged school districts to ensure that their facilities are adequate to educate students by offering financial incentives through building aid formulas. In 1997, legislation was enacted to increase state support for school capital projects by restructuring building aid. The laws of 2000 and 2001 further…

This report from the New York State Comptroller's Office details problems with the State's approach to school facilities in recent years, describes why serious physical deficiencies remain unaddressed despite greatly increased spending, and makes recommendations for improvement. The report concludes that state policy for school facilities has…

In 1995, a federal report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) estimated that $112 billion was needed to bring the nation's school facilities into good repair. Subsequent studies estimated it would take more than $320 billion to build new schools to handle swelling enrollments, renovate aging buildings, and equip all buildings with the…

Generally, construction projects undertaken by school districts in New York State are financed in part by state aid. The Education Department's Facilities Planning unit approves state aid for school-district construction projects outside New York City. This report presents findings of an audit that evaluated whether the Unit management's oversight…

The objective of this report is to answer the big questions about whether in the foreseeable future most school overcrowding in New York City will be eliminated and all city children will have class sizes and access to school libraries, science labs, art/music rooms, and physical fitness activities that are the norm for students in the rest of the…

The Fourth International Congress of School Hygiene, held at Buffalo, New York, August 25-30, was a notable event in the progress of health supervision as a part of public education. Because of its importance, the author was detailed to attend this conference and prepare a report of it. This report contains three parts: (1) An introduction giving…