MARYLAND: Dozens of Baltimore schools are slated to receive new heating, lighting and other energy-efficient upgrades under a deal that school officials say will pay for itself. The system will use the money it saves in energy costs to pay for the upgrades - estimated at $25 million for an initial batch of 76 schools plus administrative headquarters. The savings will also cover interest on a loan and $727,874 in fees paid to energy savings companies implementing the project. System officials are promoting the project as a creative way to make desperately needed repairs despite limited funding for school construction. The system estimates its schools have $1 billion in maintenance needs. This school year, it received $18.8 million from the state for construction and renovation, plus $17 million from the city. Mayor Martin O'Malley has pledged to create a $75 million city fund for future assistance.

RUSSIA: The head of the Russian parliamentary commission investigating last year's Beslan school siege that left 331 dead said local law enforcement officials were negligent and ignored instructions to strengthen school security. Alexander Torshin told the upper house of parliament that Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev and his deputy had sent telegrams less than two weeks before the militants' raid instructing the regional police department in North Ossetia, where Beslan is located, to beef up security on the first day of school. But only a single policewoman was posted outside the Beslan school the day of the siege in September 2004, and she was taken hostage, he said. Torshin also criticized authorities for sharply underreporting the number of hostages involved during the early stages of the crisis. Survivors have said that the misinformation infuriated the militants. The release of the parliamentary investigation came a day after prosecutors exonerated security forces in the bloody police raid that ended the three-day school siege.

Islamic militants seized Beslan's School No. 1 on the first day of school, taking more than 1,100 children, parents and staff hostage and herding them into the gymnasium, which they rigged with explosives. The hostages suffered in hot, unsanitary conditions and were denied water by their captors during the ordeal, which ended in explosions and gunfire on the third day of the standoff. The dead hostages included 186 children. The rebels, who were demanding that Russian troops withdraw from the nearby Chechnya region after a decade of separatist warfare there, had crossed heavily policed territory to reach Beslan, and victims' relatives are convinced they got help from corrupt officials. Families of the hostages have strongly criticized the rescue operation, saying hostages died needlessly because special forces soldiers used flame-throwers, grenade launchers and tanks against the militants.

KENTUCKY: The Kentucky Department of Education has determined that Northern Kentucky's 14 public school districts need $90.2 million to build, repair and rehabilitate schools. But the region's school districts say the state's estimate is not even close to meeting the local construction needs of almost $300 million. Even with the state's own assessment reaching almost $100 million in just Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties, only about $15 million will be spent statewide this year on school construction. The disparity between what will be spent, what the state determines as a school district's construction needs and what local education officials say is reality has left lawmakers and educators frustrated as they grapple with the dual challenge of repairing and replacing aging schools while trying to build new ones in Northern Kentucky's booming suburbs.

NORTH CAROLINA: Starting next fall, schools in Orange County will have high-tech digital cameras that will allow police, district administrators and security officers to see the schools -- even from remote locations. The county school district, along with the Orange County Sheriff's Department, has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to improve security on school grounds. The district plans to put cameras at as many schools as it can with the money -- which totals about $284,000. High schools will be first, followed by middle and elementary schools.

This winter, COPS gave $14.7 million in grants to local law enforcement agencies to enhance school safety in 43 states. Part of the Secure Our Schools program, the grants seek to improve security on school grounds through cameras, locks, lighting, metal detectors and training for employees. "Creating the safest schools possible is a priority shared by the law enforcement community, educators and the public," said Carl Peed, director of COPS. "We are pleased to assist with local school safety initiatives."

FLORIDA: Florida's public schools will have millions more dollars to spend on construction and renovation projects next year if legislators give the nod to a revised budget request approved by the State Board of Education. The board revamped its construction budget request after getting word from state forecasters that more money than expected will be available next year. The board also pumped up its recommended construction budget for Florida's 28 community colleges. The total amount the state board now wants spent for public-school construction projects is more than double what it budgeted in September. The revised request earmarks more than $514 million compared with less than $211 million previously. Only about $41 million was to be spent on new construction in that earlier budget, compared with more than $242 million in the new one.

WYOMING: Construction of three schools here is expected to be delayed while the state School Facilities Commission slashes by more than half the school district's construction funding for the next two years. The commission has proposed cutting the district's construction budget for 2007 and 2008 from $76 million to $36 million. Statewide, the School Facilities Commission, which oversees a court-ordered project to build and renovate dozens of schools statewide, has proposed cutting the $637 million in building requests from school districts to $221 million.

NEW JERSEY: The agency in charge of building schools in New Jersey's neediest districts suffers from management problems and confusion over some of its employees' roles, according to a report issued by the state inspector general. The Schools Construction Corporation is in charge of a fund to repair, build and expand schools in 31 so-called Abbott districts. Costs have been higher and progress slower than expected when the agency was established in 2002.

This year, Inspector General Mary Jane Cooper issued a blistering report on waste and the potential for malfeasance and conflicts of interest in the agency. That report led to sweeping changes in policies and personnel. The new leaders asked Cooper to delve deeply into the agency's Design and Construction Division and suggest changes, prompting the new report. "Our review revealed the absence of an overall coordinated plan to enable Design and Construction to efficiently build schools," Cooper said in a statement. The report said relationships between the state-employed project officers and the private firms managing construction were murky. In some cases, the state workers had a hard time getting the firms to follow direction; in others, the report said, the state workers provided little oversight.

LOUISIANA: The two campuses that will be operated as New Orleans public schools this school year have nearly reached capacity, but district officials say it's doubtful they'll open more before next fall. Parents still looking for school placement should consider enrolling their children in one of the 15 charter schools already operating in the city or opening in January, officials said.

IDAHO: The state Supreme Court ruled Idaho has failed to effectively provide its children a public education in a safe environment, concluding a lawsuit filed by a group of school districts 15 years ago. The justices say the way Idaho funds the major repairs or replacement of school facilities is unconstitutional. In a 21-page ruling, the court said the Legislature must make sure there are adequate funds to pay for new school facilities, especially in the state's poorest districts. They say overwhelming evidence shows the state has allowed classroom conditions to worsen, and the current system of depending on voter bonds to pay for construction of new schools is unconstitutional. Traditionally, the state does not pay to replace school facilities. Local property tax payers have, which is why it can be difficult to get voters to pass the bonds necessary to get even the most run-down schools replaced. Lawmakers should appropriate $32 to $38 million toward school facilities during the next legislative session.

CALIFORNIA: Cesar Chavez Elementary, the newest Long Beach school, has won seven awards from construction experts and regulatory agencies for design and energy efficiency. The downtown school recently received a 2005 "Savings by Design" award for "expert integration of energy efficiency" and earned certification by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools for an environmentally sound design. "The ability to integrate innovative environmental technologies into a well-sculpted building is a tough job and done extremely well in this project," said the jurors of the "Savings by Design" awards, co-sponsored by the American Institute of Architects and administered by Southern California Edison, the Southern California Gas Co. and other utilities. The judging panel noted the building's choice of color, use of limited urban space and efficient design.

The 470-student school, which opened in the fall of 2004, surpassed state energy efficiency requirements by more than 34 percent, resulting in annual utility savings of nearly $30,000 compared with minimally compliant buildings, according to the Long Beach Unified School District. The school incorporated recycled materials, including post-consumer recycled ceiling tiles and a rubberized playground. The lighting system has cut costs through dimming systems, daylight sensors and occupancy sensors. The LBUSD used materials that emitted fewer chemicals in ceiling tiles, wall insulation, flooring and other building components.Efficient irrigation and landscaping cut outdoor water consumption by 100,000 gallons annually compared with standard buildings, according to the district.

The school has an on-site health clinic and gymnasium. The school partnered with the city of Long Beach to allow the public to use the school's gymnasium on weekends and after school on weekdays. During school hours, a section of the adjacent Cesar Chavez Park is sectioned off as a playground for the elementary school's students. The school's other five awards were bestowed by the American Institute of Architects Orange County Chapter, the Coalition for Adequate School Housing/American Institute of Architects California Council and the American Institute of Architects Long Beach/South Bay Chapter.

CALIFORNIA: Cesar Chavez Elementary, the newest Long Beach school, has won seven awards from construction experts and regulatory agencies for design and energy efficiency. The downtown school recently received a 2005 "Savings by Design" award for "expert integration of energy efficiency" and earned certification by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools for an environmentally sound design. "The ability to integrate innovative environmental technologies into a well-sculpted building is a tough job and done extremely well in this project," said the jurors of the "Savings by Design" awards, co-sponsored by the American Institute of Architects and administered by Southern California Edison, the Southern California Gas Co. and other utilities. The judging panel noted the building's choice of color, use of limited urban space and efficient design.

The 470-student school, which opened in the fall of 2004, surpassed state energy efficiency requirements by more than 34 percent, resulting in annual utility savings of nearly $30,000 compared with minimally compliant buildings, according to the Long Beach Unified School District. The school incorporated recycled materials, including post-consumer recycled ceiling tiles and a rubberized playground. The lighting system has cut costs through dimming systems, daylight sensors and occupancy sensors. The LBUSD used materials that emitted fewer chemicals in ceiling tiles, wall insulation, flooring and other building components.Efficient irrigation and landscaping cut outdoor water consumption by 100,000 gallons annually compared with standard buildings, according to the district.

The school has an on-site health clinic and gymnasium. The school partnered with the city of Long Beach to allow the public to use the school's gymnasium on weekends and after school on weekdays. During school hours, a section of the adjacent Cesar Chavez Park is sectioned off as a playground for the elementary school's students. The school's other five awards were bestowed by the American Institute of Architects Orange County Chapter, the Coalition for Adequate School Housing/American Institute of Architects California Council and the American Institute of Architects Long Beach/South Bay Chapter.

NEW JERSEY: In a ruling education advocates hope will return a sense of urgency to the stalled school construction program, the state Supreme Court ordered the state to provide cost estimates for hundreds of approved projects that have gone unfunded. The ruling orders the Department of Education to deliver its 2005 annual report by February 15. The report will include cost estimates for more than 300 approved school projects that have been in limbo since the Schools Construction Corporation tapped out its $6 billion fund for building in mostly poor, urban districts. David Sciarra, a lawyer who represents students in the 31 so-called Abbott school districts, said the report should give lawmakers information they need to provide more funding for school construction and renovation. "This should be a wake-up call to both the governor and the Legislature that they've got to take quick action on getting the school construction program in shape and restarted as quickly as possible," said Sciarra, executive director for the Newark-based Education Law Center.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : A D.C. Council committee listened for seven hours as charter school proponents made their case for four former school properties that the city has said it doesn't need. At a time when many of the city's regular school buildings are underused, public charter schools are scrambling for any scrap of space they can get. The number of charter school students jumped from about 6,000 in 1999-2000 to more than 15,000 last school year, according to the District's State Education Office. Some public charter schools have had a tough time finding affordable and suitable space in the midst of the city's real estate boom.

NEW YORK: A project to spruce up dreary hallways at inner city schools is based on a simple idea: Bright walls make for brighter students. Publicolor, a program in which students are permitted to paint over the industrial shades of their schools' interiors, is credited by school officials with lowering dropout rates, decreasing discipline problems and increasing attendance. The program, now a decade old, has already redecorated 71 schools in blighted city neighborhoods.

Ruth Lande Shuman, an industrial designer who created the program, said Publicolor has far surpassed her expectations and won over once skeptical city school officials. "They didn't understand that schools are not meant to look like prisons," Shuman said. "I was, frankly, horrified by how hostile these schools looked and felt." Alarmed by accounts of the city's dropout rates at some schools in the early 1990s, Shuman said she wondered how to help engage disinterested students. "I thought color," said Shuman, who has researched the colors' psychological effects. "Color has enormous power. It can make you feel sad. It can make you feel happy. It can make you feel energetic or lethargic." Shuman began simply, by providing paint and brushes to students and letting them transform drab walls and doorways into colorful entrances and pathways that set them apart in blighted neighborhoods.

MASSACHUSETTS: Whether it's to ease overcrowding, provide temporary shelter during renovations, or keep class sizes small, many schools around Massachusetts are adding temporary classrooms. School officials in several suburban Boston districts -- including Stoughton, Avon, and Framingham -- say that modular classrooms are their only solution to stem overcrowding. They say they have been adding modular structures, particularly in recent years, because of a state moratorium on new construction that began in 2003 and lasts until July 2007. But the head of the new state school building authority, plus teachers' union and health officials, say they worry that the trend may do more harm than good. Kept too long, modular classrooms can grow mold and create unhealthy conditions for schoolchildren, they say. School officials said they began using modular classrooms because they are cheaper than new construction projects, take less time to build, and, in the case of newer models, resemble regular buildings.

MARYLAND: Pointing to the example of an elementary school that opened with 200 more pupils than it was built to hold, Baltimore County Council members are looking to strengthen a law that is designed to cut off residential development near crowded schools. The council is to vote on a bill that would prohibit homes from being built if they, along with other planned developments, would lead to a school exceeding its capacity by 15 percent. Under the current adequate facilities law, the county could approve two residential projects that, individually, would not cause a school to become crowded, even if the combined effect of the two plans would be to raise school enrollment to more than 115 percent of capacity. All seven council members have sponsored the proposed legislation.

SOUTH CAROLINA: A lot can be learned at the new North Charleston Elementary School without even stepping foot inside a class. That's because the architects, contractors and school district committed to making the school an environmental model. First, they tried to recycle the original 1922 building, but it was too susceptible to earthquakes and had to be taken down, says architect John Ciccarelli of McKellar Associates. When designing the new school, McKellar chose to replicate the original building's footprint, height and roof shape, a logical decision for a school that blended in well with the surrounding neighborhood off Park Circle. Much more was recycled than the old school's size and scale. About 87 percent of the original school's material was not tossed in a Dumpster, but reused. Inside, the heart of the school is given over to a chiller the size of two SUVs, which makes ice that chills piped water and cools the air in the classrooms. The icemaking is done mostly at night, when the power costs are lower. While that chunk of equipment is the most obvious difference, the school's design also saves energy by maximizing the amount of natural light in classrooms and using motion sensors to turn on lights in classrooms and water in sinks.

MASSACHUSETTS: There are mysterious stains on the ceiling at the Fiske Elementary School, spongy floors at Hardy Elementary, cracks in the walls at Hunnewell, a high likelihood of lead in the water at Upham, and there's no library at Schofield. These grade schools are all in Wellesley, but a collection of similarly afflicted schools could probably be found in many other districts in the nation. The elementary schools built in the 1950s and '60s for the baby boomers are, like their original students, showing their age.

The average age of a public school in the Northeast is 46, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Five of Wellesley's seven elementary schools have had major additions but never been renovated. They range from the 42-year-old Schofield to the 81-year-old Hardy. The five schools just got their report cards, which were prepared by an architectural planning firm. While noting that the buildings have been kept in good repair by custodial staff, the study recorded numerous instances of leaky roofs, worn carpets, poor ventilation, dim lighting, plumbing that could allow lead in drinking water, and little or no accessibility for students in wheelchairs.

ARKANSAS: The state has retreated from its obligation to adequately support public education and must reverse its course within a year, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled. Governor Mike Huckabee said it was too early for him to decide whether to call a special session to address the court's concerns. The governor said he would review the opinion and build legislative consensus before committing to a session. In a 5-2 decision, the high court ruled the Legislature failed to make education spending its top priority in this year's regular session and "grossly underfunded" school building repairs and construction. This year, the Legislature appropriated more than $110 million toward a 10-year, $1.9 billion overhaul of public school buildings and equipment.

The court set a December 1, 2006, deadline for lawmakers to remedy what Justice Robert Brown called "a constitutional infirmity which must be corrected immediately." Huckabee dismissed suggestions that the state dip into a $123 million budget surplus to address the high court decision. Budgets fluctuate, he said.

CALIFORNIA: Fanno Academy, one of 33 charter schools in San Diego, opened in September at an Emerald Hills church, holding some classes in rooms not much bigger than walk-in closets. KIPP Adelante Preparatory Academy opened two years ago in a downtown office building. As charter programs, both public schools operate independently of the San Diego Unified School District. Both serve mostly poor and minority children. But unlike other public schools, they spend thousands of dollars each month on rent, leaving less for teachers and instructional materials.

After the district repeatedly denied their requests to use its campuses, the schools filed a lawsuit to force San Diego Unified to make buildings available. Fanno and KIPP, along with the California Charter Schools Association, want the district to comply with voter-approved Proposition 39, a measure that entitles charter schools to the use of district-owned buildings. Passed in 2000, the law says districts must provide to charter schools facilities that are "reasonably equivalent" to those their students would be housed in if they were attending district schools. The law has been the subject of several lawsuits. In two cases, charter schools have won. If Fanno and KIPP prevail, the ruling could force districts statewide to do a better job of complying with Proposition 39.

Most San Diego charter schools are housed in non-district facilities. Ten use district-owned campuses under Proposition 39. Most of them are traditional public schools that converted to charters and remained at their locations. The school board has had several discussions on how to comply with Proposition 39 while also preserving the district's financial interests. Money is a key issue. This year, the district expects to make $2.5 million from renting out nine vacant campuses to mostly private schools and organizations. Under the law, the district is restricted in how much it can charge charter schools.

VIRGINIA: The Loudoun County School Board approved a plan that called for building 19 schools and renovating several others over the next six years at a cost of about $915 million. The schools would be built across the county and include 12 elementary schools, three middle schools, three high schools and a technology academy, all intended to house the thousands of students arriving in Loudoun each year. According to the plan, voters could be asked in November to decide on a bond referendum of as much as $260 million to fund construction of two elementary schools, a high school and the technology academy in Ashburn and to complete renovations at four middle schools. Last month, county voters approved school bonds totaling a record $180 million.

VIRGINIA: The Loudoun County School Board approved a plan that called for building 19 schools and renovating several others over the next six years at a cost of about $915 million. The schools would be built across the county and include 12 elementary schools, three middle schools, three high schools and a technology academy, all intended to house the thousands of students arriving in Loudoun each year. According to the plan, voters could be asked in November to decide on a bond referendum of as much as $260 million to fund construction of two elementary schools, a high school and the technology academy in Ashburn and to complete renovations at four middle schools. Last month, county voters approved school bonds totaling a record $180 million.

CALIFORNIA: Over the pleas of some South Los Angeles residents, the Los Angeles Board of Education unanimously approved a plan to build a $100-million school on a contaminated property that will require the demolition of dozens of homes and businesses, and cost millions of dollars to clean. The site is tainted with a type of carcinogen commonly called PCBs and other toxic substances, according to studies conducted by the state Department of Toxic Substances Control. It also contains potentially explosive methane deposits from runoff left by an old carwash, and is near railroad tracks.

NATIONAL : Schools in the Northern and Mountain states may be asking students to bundle up this winter. Lowering the thermostat is one way that districts are bracing for predicted higher heating costs. Some districts are also looking at alternative fuel sources and energy-efficient building materials for longer-term savings. According to the federal Energy Information Administration, natural-gas prices are projected to rise an average of 38 percent nationally this winter, compared with last winter. The average price of propane is projected to go up 14 percent this winter, while heating-oil prices are expected to jump 24 percent. Districts saw a rise in gasoline costs after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita disrupted oil production this fall. And while those prices have come down, they are still projected to average $2.43 per gallon at the pump in 2006, up from $2.29 in 2005, according to the EIA.

Some districts are making tentative plans to lower thermostats during school hours and to limit access to schools when classes are not in session. Some districts have banded together to buy electricity in bulk; others have banned small appliances such as coffeemakers in teachers’ classrooms. Districts in New York are trying various tactics to compensate for the expected shortfalls: creating or enforcing energy-conservation policies, looking to reserve funds, or cutting school programs. The districts may also ask state lawmakers for relief aid when they convene in January. Some school districts are making longer-range plans for cost control by looking to a variety of products that are not dependent on traditional energy sources. New sources include geothermal heat, hydrogen-cell technology, solar energy, and biomass products such as wood and animal refuse. Sustainable architecture—which promotes environmentally building friendly materials and energy-efficient products—has been a trend for several years and is growing in popularity.

MICHIGAN: On the University of Michigan campus, one venerable building is beginning its second century decked out in a trendy new color. Green. Sunflower seed hull cabinets, bamboo floors, solar panels and composting toilets are among the green -- meaning environmentally friendly and energy-efficient -- components of the recently renovated Dana Building, home to the School of Natural Resources and Environment.

A few blocks away in Ann Arbor, construction is to begin next year on another green building: U-M's new $145-million Ross Business School. When complete, it will have plants growing on part of its roof, a feature intended to reduce storm water runoff and keep classrooms and offices warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Across Michigan and the nation, many schools are opting for more energy-efficient structures to save money on energy and water use. In the process, they become highly visible models of green construction.

NEW YORK: Most people think all asbestos was removed from New York City public schools years ago. So participants in a New York State Assembly hearing on healthy schools earlier this year were shocked to learn that last year construction workers who were replacing a gym floor at P.S. 219 in Brownsville, Brooklyn inadvertently released the flaky white substance throughout the building. The school was shut down immediately for an emergency cleanup. Student and faculty health was jeopardized, and valuable learning time was lost. The legislators were even more shocked to learn that no one knows how many other New York City school buildings still contain asbestos; records at the Department of Education are incomplete.

There is some good news to report. Coal boilers, which remained in some New York City schools for more than 20 years after they were outlawed in other facilities, have now all been removed. In 1999, the state Education Department issued minimal standards and procedures for school indoor environmental quality and health and safety. State legislation has banned arsenic-infused pressure treated wood (commonly used in playground equipment), pesticide-laden cake toilet deodorizers and elemental mercury (a potent neurotoxin) in schools. Schools must now provide notification when they plan to apply toxic pesticides. In August, Governor George Pataki signed legislation requiring schools to use environmentally preferable (green) cleaning products. The state Office of General Services already does this for state facilities, so the healthy products are readily available. Reducing student and staff exposure to industrial strength chemicals will help reduce school absenteeism. The program will take effect with the start of the September 2006 school year.

CALIFORNIA: The Los Angeles school district's aggressive push to build schools is leading officials to consider campuses in dense, industrial and residential neighborhoods, often requiring extensive cleanup and relocation costs. The latest of these, which the district acknowledges is far from ideal, is a contaminated South Los Angeles site that would require officials to take dozens of homes and businesses — either by buying them or seizing them through eminent domain — and spend millions of dollars to clean.

The district already has built 46 new schools, and officials have said they are at the point now that they are looking at more "brownfield" properties — former industrial sites with potentially contaminated soil. With construction underway on many campuses, the board is expected to decide on about 20 more proposed sites in coming months. In all, the district plans to build about 150 schools by 2012 in an ambitious effort to end overcrowding, forced busing and year-round calendars.

NORTH CAROLINA: Faced with a high demand for new classrooms across the state, North Carolina lawmakers made sure that some of the proceeds from a state lottery would help pay for school construction. Forty percent of the net proceeds - the money leftover after prizes are paid out and overhead costs are figured in - would be earmarked for school construction needs. Estimates suggest that during its first five years, the lottery will provide somewhere between $160 million and $200 million a year to be used for school construction. The most recent estimates - which are about five years old - place North Carolina's school construction demands at $6.2 billion, a figure that is expected to rise when new estimates are released in spring.

Elaine Mejia, director of the N.C. Budget and Tax Center, which opposed the lottery, said that most counties would not receive enough money from the lottery in one year to build one school. Todd McGee, a spokesman for the N.C. Association of County Commissioners, acknowledged that lottery revenues wouldn't control all construction needs. "It's certainly going to be a help," he said. "But it's not going to come anywhere close to doing what counties need." "There never was a promise that it would generate enough funds to meet all our educational needs," said Cecil Banks, manager of government relations for the N.C Association of Educators, which supported the lottery. "And that's especially true with school construction."

NEW YORK: New York City will be forced to delay more than 23 major school construction projects scheduled to begin this fiscal year unless New York State begins to comply with a court order mandating billions more in aid for the city schools, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said. Among the projects in danger are proposed new school buildings that community groups fought to have included in the mayor's five-year, $13.1 billion capital plan for the schools, including a campus of small high schools in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx and a high school in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Mr. Bloomberg announced the $13.1 billion plan, the most ambitious school construction proposal in city history, in November 2003. And from the outset, he has insisted that Albany pick up more than half of the costs - $6.5 billion - on top of the state's normal contribution to school construction efforts. The mayor has said the $6.5 billion should be viewed as a down payment on more than $9 billion in additional capital funds that a state court has ordered Albany to pay in a long-running lawsuit over school financing. The Pataki administration has appealed the court decision, which also awarded the city schools $5.6 billion in additional operating aid each year. Last year, after the state refused to provide the added school construction money, Mr. Bloomberg accelerated the city's part of the plan, increasing the city's total outlay for the 2005 fiscal year to $2.6 billion. The mayor said the city could do no more to keep the plan going.

MARYLAND: Baltimore school system officials are asking the public to stand with them as they prepare to close several schools around the city in the next few years. In exchange, they are promising to build new schools and renovate old ones. Mayor Martin O'Malley unveiled a strategy to create a $75 million fund for school construction.

But the options for school construction and renovation presented by the school system this week would require a lot more than $75 million. The least expensive proposals on the table would cost $1.8 billion over the next decade, according to a Sun analysis. The most expensive would cost $2.1 billion. And that doesn't include the cost of upgrading the city's high schools, the proposals for which will be released next month. David Lever, executive director of the state's Public School Construction Program, called the figures "staggering." "They're going to have to prioritize," he said.

The bulk of school construction funding in Baltimore comes from the state, which allocated $250 million for all 24 school systems in Maryland this year. For next school year, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has indicated he will budget about $150 million for school construction. The Maryland Association of Counties is asking the state for $400 million.

MASSACHUSETTS: When it begins approving new projects in 2007, the state board responsible for funding and approving school improvement and construction projects plans to narrow the scope of reimbursable expenses and reduce how much money cities and towns receive in state payments. Under the recent state law that created the Massachusetts School Building Authority and dedicated a penny of the state’s sales tax to funding school improvements, the authority is set to issue draft regulations in January that will go into effect in July. The payment and reimbursement eligibility changes will be included in those regulations. The new law dictated that state reimbursements to cities and towns for school projects must be between 40 and 80 percent of the eligible costs. The average reimbursement will drop to 62 percent under the new system, as the state tries to bring expenses under control in a program that critics have claimed is marked by runaway spending.

NORTH CAROLINA: Wake County might need billions of dollars for school construction and renovations, but school board members were ambivalent about how much money to seek. School administrators presented five options for dealing with school growth that call for spending between $4.25 billion and $5.59 billion through 2015 -- all scenarios that probably would require major property tax increases. The dollar figures left school board members uncertain how much they could realistically ask county commissioners and voters to approve. The board wants to decide in January or February how much to ask for an initial bond issue that will be on the November 2006 ballot. [Related columns discuss the five options, how bond issues work, and graph school growth over the next ten years.]

NORTH CAROLINA: Wake County might need billions of dollars for school construction and renovations, but school board members were ambivalent about how much money to seek. School administrators presented five options for dealing with school growth that call for spending between $4.25 billion and $5.59 billion through 2015 -- all scenarios that probably would require major property tax increases. The dollar figures left school board members uncertain how much they could realistically ask county commissioners and voters to approve. The board wants to decide in January or February how much to ask for an initial bond issue that will be on the November 2006 ballot. [Related columns discuss the five options, how bond issues work, and graph school growth over the next ten years.]

FLORIDA: Hurricane Wilma's impact on the Broward County School District is estimated at $267 million, due in large part to the cost of fixing and replacing roofs. State code mandates that a roof must be entirely replaced -- and must meet current codes -- if more than 25 percent of it is damaged. Plus, a shortage of materials has driven prices way up, and the multiple hurricanes this season may make it difficult to find the supplies needed for new buildings.

OHIO: School districts already struggling with budget cuts and levy defeats are fighting another uphill battle -- increased heating costs. Thermostats aren't being turned down -- they are at or below 72 degrees at most schools. Students aren't being asked to wear long underwear or sweaters yet, as their predecessors did during fuel shortages in the '70s. But schools are doing whatever they can to reduce electricity and natural gas costs. Burkhart said the district has 1.16 million square feet over 17 buildings. During the 2004-05 school year, the gas bill was $621,000. The estimated cost this school year is $798,622, he said. Burkhart said the district recently joined the Metropolitan Educational Council, a consortium of schools that have banded together to purchase natural gas from Energy USA. He said the group purchase will save about $48,000. The district also recently joined a new electric cooperative purchasing program Burkhart said will reduce electricity costs.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : McKinley Technology High School sits on a hill in Northeast Washington, a $73 million campus of imposing brick and stone. But resurrecting the once crumbling and empty school cost taxpayers $21 million more than expected, making it one of the most expensive school construction projects in the city's history. The complicated story of why McKinley went so far over budget offers a lesson during the current debate on whether the city should raise an additional $1 billion to renovate its aging schools.

McKinley's case involves finger-pointing in every direction, including criticism that school officials paid too little attention to the project, that the design contained errors, that the project was poorly managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and that it was plagued by unrealistic cost estimates and timetables.

WYOMING: Governor Dave Freudenthal's recommended budget calls for substantial increases in funding for school construction. The governor announced that his recommendation will call for about $541 million for the School Facilities Commission to continue the construction of school buildings for the K-12 system for the 2007-08 biennium.

"With this appropriation, Wyoming will have spent more than $1 billion on new school construction since 1999 without raising taxes and without incurring debt," Freudenthal said. "I'm glad that the state has the opportunity to remove some of that pressure from the backs of local governments, who otherwise would have faced the challenge of raising that funding themselves." Michael McVay, administrator of the Budget Division of the state Department of Administration and Information, said state funding for school construction for the 2005-06 budget was $371.5 million. He said Freudenthal's recommendation for the coming budget cycle represents a substantial increase in school construction funding. McVay said the project opportunities money will help school districts manage several construction projects together so contractors can bid on them in a single bid. The program is intended to help school districts get the best deal possible, he said. Of the proposed $541 million, about $131 million is school foundation funding and about $419 million is from state and federal mineral royalties and coal lease bonus dollars.

FLORIDA: While Dunedin's old middle school has fallen to the wrecking ball, a new elementary school will rise in its place. The new and improved Dunedin Elementary will be larger, more secure, and beefed up to meet hurricane standards. Fleischman-Garcia Architects designed the new facility to fit in with the community aesthetically, said Jeff Pelszynski, a senior associate with the firm and project manager for the school. "It will be broken up into smaller units so it won't look like a huge box and will be less intimidating to the youngsters," he said. The proposed design incorporates five buildings, most of which are two stories high, connected by covered walkways.

In today's world, safety is front and center. "The overall design is in keeping with the latest advances in security and surveillance," said Pelszynski. The entire area will be fenced, with gates open at arrival and dismissal times. "No one will be able to gain access to the campus without going through the administration office," Pelszynski said. Thirty-two cameras for full-time surveillance are incorporated into the plan. The media center and multipurpose rooms on the west side of the 12-acre site may be accessed separately after hours for community programs, school functions and other meetings.

NORTH CAROLINA: The frustrations many voters expressed about Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on Election Day in defeating a $427 million bond package have been building for a while. But most of those frustrations are not unique to Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Crowded schools, aging facilities in disrepair and strained budgets are an increasing and familiar refrain for public schools nationwide. Resolving these conflicts is challenging communities and school administrators everywhere. In CMS, public distrust of the school board and school officials, management problems and a tendency toward secrecy exacerbate the situation. But the fundamental problems remain the same all over. U.S. Census data track a big upsurge in school-age children starting in the early 1980s. That's exactly when CMS officials began projecting booming student populations here. By 2004, U.S. public enrollment in kindergarten through grade 12 was nearing a record 50 million. As enrollment grew, public school facilities were aging tremendously. Notes the National Center for Education Statistics, 28 percent of all public schools last year were built before 1950 and 45 percent were built between 1950 and 1969. In addition, school systems nationwide are wrestling with providing equitable facilities in inner-city communities as enrollment soared. Those realities have forced school systems to become inventive. As CMS and Mecklenburg County officials examine how to proceed following the November bond defeat, they might benefit from the experiences of other school systems facing similar dilemmas.

NEW JERSEY: New Jersey taxpayers today face a larger bill to rebuild schools in the state's poorest districts than they did five years and $6 billion ago. A Star-Ledger review of proposals for further school construction in 11 of the state's Abbott districts shows a projected price tag of $6.5 billion. That means the requests from these 11 districts alone, including Newark, Jersey City and Camden, would cost more than the $6 billion allocated in 2000 for the entire 31-district program. The Schools Construction Corporation exhausted those funds with most projects incomplete or never begun. The other Abbott communities, including Paterson and Elizabeth, have yet to file their proposals, so the new round is on track to approach $14 billion. The entire tab for the court-ordered program could come to $20 billion. The $6.537 billion in requests from those 11 districts comes on top of $2.55 billion already spent there, and it is likely to lead to more borrowing by the state. New Jersey borrowed all of the initial $6 billion, and taxpayers currently face $600 million annual payments through 2021. Officials say new projections are soaring because they incorporate realistic construction and land-acquisition costs. Five years ago, officials didn't include the land costs and were directed by the state to assume average construction costs of $125 per square foot. The new plans are running above $210 per square foot and include estimates to acquire properties.

CALIFORNIA: In an effort to build a showcase performing and visual arts high school downtown, the Los Angeles Board of Education is considering an unusual fundraising agreement that includes a $5-million contribution from billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad. Board members are scheduled to vote on whether to partner with Discovering the Arts, a nonprofit organization formed to serve as the future school's fundraising arm. Broad has already committed the money to the group to help offset the high building and operating costs of the Grand Avenue campus. The district anticipates the school will cost about $120 million, significantly more than previous estimates. The agreement, which calls for the nonprofit group to pay the salary of an executive director and advise on the school's management, is uncharted territory for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Supporters of the plan have scrambled in recent weeks to assuage concerns of some board members and union leaders that the unusual relationship could threaten the district's control over the school.

PENNSYLVANIA: Pennsylvania school officials are constructing a legacy that's sure to stand for generations. It takes the form of massive debt -- an annual average of $10,450 for each of the state's 1.8 million students, federal statistics show. Pennsylvania ranks first in the nation in long-term debt, spending nearly $1,500 more per student each year than Michigan, the state carrying the second-largest debt load. In the Moon Area School District, taxpayers will be paying $6.5 million in debt each year for the next 25 years. The Highlands School District is spending 7 percent to 8 percent of its $33 million annual budget on debt. The Norwin School District estimates it will have to raise taxes by 2.17 mills to pay for building and operating a new $13.95 million elementary school.

More money for buildings can mean less money in the classroom. Pennsylvania districts spend an average of 54.2 percent of their budgets on instruction. But in a state where more than a fourth of schools were built before 1950, school officials say aging structures and keeping up with technology leave them with little choice but to stack up bricks, mortar and debt.

LOUISIANA: Nearly 50 New Orleans public schools devastated. Three hundred buses destroyed. Hundreds of millions of dollars in storm losses. And as officials begin filing insurance claims, 'grossly negligent' record-keeping has only made it worse.

Of the 117 schools the district was operating before the storm, Thompson said 47 were severely damaged, many beyond repair. Another 38 suffered moderate damage and the remaining 32 suffered light damage or none. The district carried about $200 million in property insurance -- about average for a system its size, since it's difficult to obtain blanket coverage -- and Thompson estimates total storm losses at about $800 million. The district also lost 300 school buses, which have been stored in an eastern New Orleans lot since Katrina and are now branded with pink or black X's indicating they're totaled. The transportation fleet was grossly underinsured, Thompson said, at $5 million. It will cost $15 million to replace the buses alone. Now school system officials are trying to decide which schools -- and how many -- to rebuild. In the city's hardest-hit areas, rebuilding would have to be from the ground up.

But despite the devastation and a severe lack of insurance, the district is still likely to come out ahead. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has agreed to reimburse the district for 90 percent of uninsured losses to fix damaged schools. With officials expecting less than half of the city's 460,000 residents to return, the school system is also likely to end up with less than half of the 60,000 students the district typically had enrolled before Katrina. Since it's likely many schools will no longer be needed and some areas of the city might never fully repopulate, Thompson said the district can use 75 percent of the FEMA money it receives from damaged schools to build entirely new schools in other areas. "In a long-term scenario, there will be the opportunity to build great schools, and the money and financing will be there to do it," he said. But the remaining challenge is filing those claims.

LOUISIANA: Nearly 50 New Orleans public schools devastated. Three hundred buses destroyed. Hundreds of millions of dollars in storm losses. And as officials begin filing insurance claims, 'grossly negligent' record-keeping has only made it worse.

Of the 117 schools the district was operating before the storm, Thompson said 47 were severely damaged, many beyond repair. Another 38 suffered moderate damage and the remaining 32 suffered light damage or none. The district carried about $200 million in property insurance -- about average for a system its size, since it's difficult to obtain blanket coverage -- and Thompson estimates total storm losses at about $800 million. The district also lost 300 school buses, which have been stored in an eastern New Orleans lot since Katrina and are now branded with pink or black X's indicating they're totaled. The transportation fleet was grossly underinsured, Thompson said, at $5 million. It will cost $15 million to replace the buses alone. Now school system officials are trying to decide which schools -- and how many -- to rebuild. In the city's hardest-hit areas, rebuilding would have to be from the ground up.

But despite the devastation and a severe lack of insurance, the district is still likely to come out ahead. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has agreed to reimburse the district for 90 percent of uninsured losses to fix damaged schools. With officials expecting less than half of the city's 460,000 residents to return, the school system is also likely to end up with less than half of the 60,000 students the district typically had enrolled before Katrina. Since it's likely many schools will no longer be needed and some areas of the city might never fully repopulate, Thompson said the district can use 75 percent of the FEMA money it receives from damaged schools to build entirely new schools in other areas. "In a long-term scenario, there will be the opportunity to build great schools, and the money and financing will be there to do it," he said. But the remaining challenge is filing those claims.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : Between 30 and 40 percent of New Orleans schools -- many of them crumbling, sadly beautiful art deco hulks even before the storm -- will probably have to be bulldozed, said Sajan George, a managing director of the private firm hired by the state to oversee the school system's finances this spring. The school system probably will have more than $1 billion in insurance claims, he said. The school system is in such disarray that to assess damage, workers have had to break into some schools, smashing windows or drilling through doors, because no one with keys -- not a principal or teacher or janitor -- can be found. Many of the schools will cease to exist because they are ruined or will be closed for years for repairs. The enrollment figures are low throughout the city, in dry neighborhoods and wet ones, but are worst in the most damaged parts of town.

CALIFORNIA: Revisions to a campus security policy largely intended to make Encinitas schools safer has some residents arguing that the mandates will force students onto traffic-clogged streets and unfairly ban dog walkers from school grounds. The policy amendments that went before the school board would close campus play fields and playgrounds to the public after sunset unless people have an agreement with the Encinitas Union School District; secure the perimeter of each campus with locked gates during the school day so visitors must check in through the main office; and seal off school entrances and exits in the back of campuses so students would be unable to walk through private or unsafe property to reach school.

CALIFORNIA: To control skyrocketing construction costs, the Vista school district will use a rent-to-own strategy to build two magnet high schools at a cost of $79 million. With the school board's unanimous vote, Vista Unified joined the growing ranks of districts pursuing creative ways of financing projects while bond money keeps coming up short. The method, also called "lease-lease back," has drawn protests from some low-bid contractors who say it goes against competitive bidding by allowing public agencies to favor local builders.

Here's how the method works. The district purchases land, selects a builder and leases the land to that company for at least $1 a year. The district makes payments to the developer as construction proceeds. By the time construction ends, the school has been paid for. In between is where a district can save money. The contractor must set a cap on the project's price upfront, precluding it from asking for change orders later in the process. Only the school board can bring changes forward. The company chosen for the work must look in advance at the district's building plans and decide which frills its budget allows – a process called "value engineering."

CALIFORNIA: First they found the explosive methane gas. Then it was the earthquake fault line under the half-built high school. Twice they have tried to finish Belmont Learning Complex. Twice it has been abandoned. Now, eight years and about $175 million after construction first started, the deeply troubled downtown campus is again on the verge of resurrection.

Los Angeles schools Superintendent Roy Romer will ask the Board of Education to approve a $132-million construction contract to complete a scaled-back version of the school. Using outdated estimates that did not fully account for the dramatic rise in the price of building materials, district officials had expected construction costs to be about $40 million less. All told, including new design, inspection and equipment costs, the final cost is expected to approach $350 million. It is believed to be the nation's most expensive public school. A divided school board, which agreed to finish the troubled campus in 2003, is expected to vote on the construction contract. The staggering figures, and an unusual plan to use money from developer fees to pay for the school, have rekindled long-running concerns over the wisdom of pursuing the project.

FLORIDA: Massive concrete walls toppled, temporary fences tipped and portions of roofs tore away. But school construction sites in Palm Beach County mostly withstood the worst of Hurricane Wilma. Officials say damage and work delays are not major setbacks for at least two-dozen building jobs in progress. Only one project, a $32.7 million replacement of John F. Kennedy Middle School in Riviera Beach, had major damage that likely will force the postponement of an August opening into 2007.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : After years of deferred maintenance, funding cuts, and mismanagement of capital programs, most of the D.C. school system's 147 schools are in desperate need of repair and renovation. The buildings average 73 years old, and many have leaky roofs, faulty plumbing, dimly lighted halls, and air-handling systems that leave classrooms too cold in winter and too warm in spring and summer. Everyone agrees that the needs are glaring. But a D.C. Council member's proposal to generate $1 billion in school renovation funds over the next decade through various tax increases has revived concerns about the scope and cost of a major renovation project.

Among the issues being debated by city officials, business leaders and education activists: How can the school system ensure that a bigger construction budget won't lead to cost overruns like those that plagued some of the earlier capital projects? What is the right balance between upgrading basic infrastructure and spending more to create state-of-the-art media centers and science labs? What is the appropriate scope of renovations in a system that is losing enrollment every year? And what claim do the city's fast-growing public charter schools have on the revamped buildings?

ILLINOIS: Superintendents for the O'Fallon High School, O'Fallon elementary, Shiloh and Central school districts proposed requiring developers and builders to pay a fee every time they plan or build houses. Edwardsville and Glen Carbon have taken that step, and the Highland and Triad school districts are discussing it. The fees, broadly referred to as school impact fees, would go directly to schools to pay for expansions needed to accommodate the student influx. It sounds simple, but the idea that "growth should pay its own way" is controversial, especially with those in the building industry. They say the fees unfairly punish newcomers, discourage development, and ultimately slow local economies. While developers and builders pay the fees, those fees get passed to home buyers - and that, critics say, unfairly penalizes those buyers. Some won't even have children in the local schools.

MASSACHUSETTS: In Boxford, a chemical often found in explosives recently turned up in the drinking water of the Spofford Pond elementary school, reigniting questions about potential contamination from a nearby capped landfill. In Lynn, the $40 million Classical High School, built on a landfill six years ago, is sinking into the ground. Repair estimates run as high as $10 million. In Salem, a $16 million renovation of the Witchcraft Heights Elementary School three years ago uncovered tons of arsenic buried underneath the site, forcing the city to scrounge for another $2 million for cleanup.

Now, state Treasurer Timothy Cahill, the head of a new authority charged with overhauling the state's school construction assistance program, said he is likely to require communities to test all sites for contamination long before the backhoes roll in. Under the old system, run by the state Department of Education, environmental assessments were mandated in 2003 but only for new schools built on new sites. Expansion and renovation projects were exempt. So, too, were 425 projects statewide on a list that the department had approved before the new authority took over in July 2004. Facing more than $5 billion in reimbursements to communities for already-approved school construction projects, the state in 2003 imposed a moratorium on new applications until July 2007. Cahill said he intends to release draft regulations that include environmental assessment requirements well before then. He also said the new system would probably help reimburse communities for the cost of any required environmental reviews.

MISSISSIPPI: To the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the modular classrooms lined up next to the soon-to-be demolished former Mississippi school show, as the billboard out front boasts, "Katrina Recovery in Progress." But to critics, the 450 portable classrooms being installed across Mississippi are prime examples in their case against FEMA and its federal partner, the Army Corps of Engineers, for wasteful spending and favoritism in the $62 billion hurricane relief effort.

Provided by a politically connected Alaskan-owned business under a $40 million no-bid contract, the classrooms cost FEMA nearly $90,000 each, including transportation, according to contracting documents. That is double the wholesale price and nearly 60 percent higher than the price offered by two small Mississippi businesses dropped from the deal. In addition, the portable buildings were not secured in a concrete foundation, as usually required by state regulations because of safety concerns in a region prone to hurricanes and tornados. The classroom contract has already prompted a lawsuit from one of the Mississippi companies and a government investigation.

FLORIDA: Computer textbooks. Handprint ID scanners. Super-sized high schools with "expandable" hallways and wireless Internet hot spots. School of the future? Not really. Public schools in South Florida already are testing these and other high-tech ideas, from energy-saving reflective windows to computerized gizmos that will alter the way teachers and students communicate. In Hollywood, for example, South Broward High is letting police peek into campus with a $5 million computer system that links school security cameras to police cruisers. At Boca Raton's Don Estridge High Tech Middle, students, as an experiment, will pay for lunch and check out library books using an ID scanner that measures the unique shape of their hands. And North Miami Senior High is replacing its sprawling, low-slung campus with a mammoth four-story building, a $78 million project complete with tree-lined "skypatios" on the third floor and a state-of-the-art theater.

"For many decades now we've shortchanged the public in the quality of school design," said Rose Diamond, the chief facilities officer for Miami-Dade County schools. "We've solved overcrowding so far with trailers, turning them into trailer parks. My mission is to change that." School designers are always mulling over new classroom shapes, "expandable" learning nooks in hallways and other ideas that promise to make life better for students. It's hard to say which will become standard issue and which will bust. But administrators say the next generation of schools will follow a few distinct trends.

FLORIDA: Computer textbooks. Handprint ID scanners. Super-sized high schools with "expandable" hallways and wireless Internet hot spots. School of the future? Not really. Public schools in South Florida already are