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NCEF News summarizes and provides links to news stories about educational facilities nationwide. To search the NCEF News pages quickly, enter a keyword using your browser's "Find on This Page"
function (Ctrl+F). Or you may use the NCEF Search or Advanced Search functions above. Links to older articles may no longer be active.
2007
Solving a Sticky Plague in the Name of School Pride?
Bob Harp, KVIA.com
December 26, 2007 TEXAS: A sticky problem that has plagued schools, students and teachers for as long as anyone can remember, Picacho Middle School officials say they've solved the dilemma: what to do with chewing gum? Mary Sanchez and her 8th-grade students have devised a plan to keep gum off the campus walls, walkways and out from underneath tables and chairs. A statue of the school's mascot - a scorpion - will be fashioned from the multi-colored, multi-flavored gobs of gum that would ordinarily end in the wrong places. But Sanchez said the idea is to keep the campus clean and have the gum-chewers from sticking their wares just anywhere. Other teachers at the school have said they will allow students to stick their gum to it to help keep the campus clean. "It's not the kids who are here now, but the kids who have been here since the school opened. They have been putting gum on the floor and it has accumulated into quite a nasty problem in the long term," Sanchez said. For obvious sanitary reasons, a school maintenance worker will douse the 'scorpion project' each day with a sealant to dissolve and re-mesh all of the pieces stuck to it.
Maryland School Officials Decry Asbestos Rules
Kenneth R. Fletcher , Baltimore Sun
December 25, 2007 MARYLAND: Maryland schools officials say they could be forced to test every new tile, pipe or wall put into school buildings for asbestos, under new guidance on Environmental Protection Agency regulations. State schools have relied in the past on material safety data sheets from manufacturers to determine whether hazardous materials, including asbestos, are in the products they are buying. But the EPA said it never accepted the data sheets under asbestos regulations. After the Maryland Department of the Environment asked the EPA a "clarifying question," Maryland schools were notified in September 2006 that the manufacturer's sheets could not be used to determine whether products contain asbestos, said EPA spokeswoman Donna Heron. Schools say that requiring them, instead of the manufacturer, to determine whether a product contains asbestos is an unfair burden. The EPA said schools could test all the materials they use, but they do not have to. If schools do not test all new building materials for asbestos, they either need a manufacturer's letter certifying the product is asbestos-free or they must assume that the materials contain the dangerous fiber. "The practical reality of it is that if they assume that it contains asbestos, all they are really required to do is to note that in their management plan," Heron said.
Here Comes the Sun. Lower Energy Bills Could Follow at 2 New Jersey Schools.
Andrea Alexander, NorthJersey.com
December 25, 2007 NEW JERSEY: Solar panels will go up next spring at two school buildings as the first phase of a groundbreaking project that will use a mix of alternative energy sources projected to save millions in utility costs. Plans call for a cogeneration plant, solar power, some geothermal heating and cooling and even a wind turbine. The project will provide heating and cooling to township buildings and nearby schools off Nellis Drive. The entire project will be completed in about a year. Solar panels will be installed at Wayne Valley High School and James Fallon Elementary School by May. Energy upgrades at the schools will be made over the summer and construction of the cogeneration plant will also start in the summer. The project passed the final major hurdle last week. The Board of Education voted 7-1 on a shared services agreement to buy energy with the township. "It's good for the environment and it's good economically," Board Vice President Cindy Simon said. The township and schools do not have to pay any capital costs. According to the project terms, Pepco Energy Services will build a gas-fired cogeneration plant off Nellis Drive that will provide electricity to Town Hall, the library, Police Department, Wayne Valley High, James Fallon Elementary and the school board administration building. Pepco will recover the cost of construction by selling energy to the township and Board of Education through the Wayne Energy Corp. The not-for-profit corporation will own the cogeneration plant. The corporation was set up to protect the township and the school district from any liability. The system will be fully operational early 2009. It would reduce carbon emissions by 2,000 tons a year, the equivalent of taking 385 cars off the road, according to Gary Fechter, president of Princeton Energy Systems, an engineering firm working with the township. The project would provide heating and cooling to the buildings. Plans also call for using geothermal energy to cool and heat the township Police Department. Geothermal units run pipes underground to take advantage of the earth's core temperature of 55 degrees to reduce the energy needed for heating and cooling.
Old High School a Source of Pride
Herb Meeker, Journal Gazette Times Courier Online
December 24, 2007 ILLINOIS: When Casey welcomed its first high school, part of the world was aflame with war and the night skies around the town were illuminated with oil well flares. A copy of the 1927 edition of the Casey High School yearbook “The Flame” tells of how construction started on the brick and tile structure in 1917, the year America entered World War I. But, despite a labor shortage, the high school was fully equipped and ready for students by September 1918. Work started on the school with a $70,000 bond issue in the Casey school district. The 1917 school building incorporated an all-in-one design with classrooms, science labs, study hall, library and downstairs gymnasium. The new school on the north end of the community was a great source of pride. “You will read in the yearbooks how the school was so advanced for its time. They really took great pride in it,” said Casey-Westfield High School Principal Clyde Frankie in reference to the yearbook articles from 80-plus years ago. The Casey community aimed to be progressive when the oil industry was prospering in that part of Illinois. “I’ve been told the yearbook was named ‘The Flame’ because the well flares would light up the night around here back then,” said Bob Rue, a 1957 graduate of Casey High School. “You can still see some flares north of town, but it’s not as bright as it used to be.” The local legend is the oil industry helped build up the Casey education system during the early 20th century, including the 1917 high school and the gymnasium that opened in 1929. “As the oil industry is partly responsible for our wonderful school building ...” an article in a 1920s era edition of “The Flame” states. But during the past two years, the Casey-Westfield school district had to let go of a piece of history when settling floors led to the condemnation of the 90-year-old building. A referendum on the issue of building anew decided there was no future for the shuttered high school. Many district residents talked about the great memories and the mystique of the structure, but some tours of the building helped turn the tide of opinion, said Christy Thomas, a guidance counselor and active with the referendum committee. “Tours of the building helped make it clear for a lot of people the true condition of the building. Some people had not been in the building for a long time. They didn’t realize the condition it was in,” she said Saturday after the demolition began. But she agreed that the school’s history helped bring people out on a rainy Saturday to watch the demolition. “Yes, it’s part of history. It’s kind of a way of saying goodbye,” she said.
More Texas School Districts Considering Surveillance Cameras
Ryan Holeywell, The Monitor
December 23, 2007 TEXAS: The idea of installing surveillance camera systems in schools to deter unsafe activity is picking up steam in at least three area school districts. South Texas, Donna and Sharyland school districts are among the districts that are considering implementation of the monitoring systems. “We just want to improve the security of the schools,” said South Texas spokeswoman Andi Atkinson said. “Basically we just want to take any preventive measure we can for the safety of our students.” The Texas Education Agency does not track how many campuses have surveillance cameras and does not make recommendations on how to implement surveillance programs. But the Center for Safe Communities & Schools at Texas State University offers a guide to school districts considering surveillance cameras. According to the center, surveillance cameras can deter outsiders who don’t belong on campus as well as deter students from engaging in malicious activity In a report on surveillance cameras, the Department of Justice explains that administrators and security personnel should understand that, for the most part, cameras are more effective identifying crime after the fact as opposed to stopping an ongoing incident.
No One Size Fits All for Ohio Schools
Simone Sebastian and Encarnacion Pyle, Columbus Dispatch
December 23, 2007 OHIO: In 1909, the Columbus schools opened the nation's first junior high. Educators thought it would reduce the number of students who dropped out before ninth grade. Seventy years later, junior high schools were squashed. Middle schools opened, and ninth-graders were moved to high schools in hopes of reducing discipline problems. Now Columbus school officials say middle schools aren't working, either. Superintendent Gene Harris announced that she wants to eliminate intermediate schools altogether. Sixth-graders would attend elementary schools while seventh- and eighth-graders would move to high schools. Columbus, like other school districts nationwide, has long debated where to place 11- to 14-year-olds, who are thought to be the most difficult students to teach. Schools have experimented with numerous grade groupings, but none has proven to improve student learning.
Students Rally to Show Need for New School Building in Iowa
Molly Hottle, Des Moines Register
December 22, 2007 IOWA: A group of about 20 students staged a rally at West Central Valley High School in Stuart, where they say taxpayer aversion to new construction has left them in a dangerous building. Voters in the district have rejected six consecutive bond issues that would have paid for a new school. A seventh measure is scheduled for a spring vote. But school officials noticed foundation cracks in a wing of the school a few weeks ago, and students were moved out of the affected area on the advice of an engineer who inspected the damage. "I asked them if the students would be safe in the building. They said they couldn't guarantee it, so we moved all students out of that wing," principal Debbie Wilson said. West Central senior Tom Stiles, 18, of Dexter, organized his classmates to protest. "We as a student body are tired of feeling like we're cheated," he said. "We need a safe and better learning environment." The students have had to attend classes in a boardroom at the administration building down the street. Makeshift classrooms have taken over the library and the industrial technology room. In some cases, teachers have doubled up. The students hope the problem will help inspire the required 60 percent of voters needed to pass a referendum for a new school. Just to make sure, they orchestrated Friday's rally. "We wanted it to be as positive as it could be so we could get the attention of the public," Stiles said. Voters in March turned down a $13.3 million plan to build a new high school in Stuart and turn the old one into an elementary school. Previous votes have failed amid infighting in the four-town district, which in 2001 became the product of two merged districts, Dexfield and Stuart-Menlo. Redfield voters, who led the opposition to past bond issues between September 2002 and June 2005, voted 2-to-1 against the most recent proposal. Friday's protest plan involved a pre-announced "walkout" and pro-bond placards. Wilson gave the OK. "The point they want to get across is that please, we need a new high school," she said. "This is something they wanted to do and they didn't want it to look rebellious. They didn't want people to think it was kids just wanting to get out of school earlier." Organizer Jayme Cotten, 17, of Dexter said even though she won't be in a new building if the bond issue passes, she wanted to stand up for the younger students. "I've gone to this school my whole life, and we have a lot of overcrowding problems. We just feel like the younger students, including my nieces and nephews and cousins, deserve a better place to learn and be safe," Cotten said, adding that the majority of voters who resisted earlier borrowing plans "should really rethink things and look at the environment that we're learning in."
Health Concerns Raised at Tempe, Arizona School
Katie Nelson and JJ Hensley, Arizona Republic
December 21, 2007 Arizona: The Tempe Union High School District is making a dramatic statement as it pressures the state to pay for $17 million in repairs at one high school. It is telling state and local officials that malfunctioning ventilation equipment, dripping mold and high carbon dioxide levels at Tempe's Corona del Sol High School could be making people sick. District studies and the findings of a consultant, compiled and presented to officials, say that the school is plagued by smelly classrooms, mold and high levels of carbon dioxide in the air. The move is the latest battle in an ongoing war between school districts and the state School Facilities Board over renovation funds. The Tempe district says it needs emergency funding from the School Facilities Board to fix its ventilation problems and is threatening to join a lawsuit against the state if it doesn't get it. The state board reviewed the district's request this summer. While it acknowledged problems, including high CO-2 levels, it determined that they didn't merit emergency funding. The matter goes before the board again in January. Meanwhile, teachers at the school fear what's in the air, walls and carpet - some believe it's even causing tumors. The high school serves 2,712 students, who generally come from some of the city's most affluent neighborhoods. Another 200 or so administrators, teachers and support staff also spend their days there. Built in 1977 with federal funds, Corona was heralded as a leading innovation in energy conservation. Few windows and tight ceiling space for mechanical equipment created less space to chill and warm. But ultimately, officials say, this unusual design caused unintended consequences. Classroom air is stagnant because there is no place for old air to flow. The small ceiling space leaves little room for new air units hefty enough to do the job properly. The result: smelly classrooms, mold and high CO{-2} levels. The School Facilities Board did tests in 2001 that showed the air met muster, but they were conducted early in the day before students arrived. The district, concerned with the methods of those tests, hired Health Effects Group to do a comprehensive air-quality survey in 2006. The group concluded that the levels of carbon dioxide present in Corona buildings during the school day exceeded levels accepted by trade groups and the School Facilities Board's minimum requirements for air quality. The facilities board has so far refused to help fix the high school. As a result, the district is considering joining a lawsuit against the state if the board again refuses to help at a Jan. 25 hearing.
The Future of Aging Lansing, Michigan Schools
Derek Wallbank , Lansing State Journal
December 20, 2007 MICHIGAN: Every year, Lansing taxpayers foot the bill for about 5,000 students who never step foot inside a city school. Not for textbooks or teachers, but in costs related to the buildings that were built for them a generation or two ago - aging buildings that now are under-used because of a steady decline in students over the past 10 years. "Most of our buildings were built when we were a 20,000-student district," said Chief Operations Officer Brian Ralph. "Now we're a 15,000-student district, but the buildings are still here." Ralph chairs the district's Facilities and Support Services task force, one of 11 such groups mapping a strategic plan to improve the district in all areas. A large part of that, he said, is deciding what to do with excess building space. While Ralph said his group won't discuss specific school closures, it will lay out a facilities plan, which will include criteria by which such decisions could be made. "The utilities still have to be paid and gas prices aren't getting any cheaper," said task force member Marty Ruiter, an architect with DLZ Michigan who helped design the new Pattengill Middle School. But the mission is not just figuring out how to shoehorn a new-looking district into old-model buildings. Many of those buildings aren't making the grade. The district rates buildings into three categories, good, fair and repairs or upgrades needed. Only one building - the new Pattengill Middle School that opened this year - is listed in good condition. It's also the only one constructed in the last 30 years. And after years of cutting corners to reduce costs, all but nine of the district's 36 school buildings need repairs or upgrades. "We have older buildings, many of them in a state of need because of years of deferred maintenance," Ralph said.
Dozens of Chicago's Grade Schools Could Close
Carlos Sadovi , Chicago Tribune
December 20, 2007 ILLINOIS: Chicago could close 10 to 15 public elementary schools in each of the next five years, officials are expected to announce, as enrollment plummets on the city's Near West and South Sides. Even as overcrowding reaches critical levels in some neighborhoods, the district says 147 of its 417 neighborhood elementary schools are well below capacity, due mostly to families moving out of the neighborhoods and a decline in the number of children per family. On the list are 79 schools at between 40 percent and 50 percent of their enrollment capacity. Twenty-five schools are at less than 30 percent capacity and these are at the greatest risk of closing, according to James Dispensa, director of school demographics and planning for the district.
Mississippi District Praised for Maintenance, But New Buildings Needed
Julie Finley , Natchez Democrat
December 20, 2007 MISSISSIPPI: On average, school buildings in the Natchez-Adams School District are half a century old. The newest of the six schools housing grades kindergarten through 12th grade is Frazier Primary, which is 43 years old. The oldest is McLaurin Elementary, which is 54 years old. The buildings have been patched, partially rewired, painted and re-roofed several times over in some cases. And the district’s efforts in making old buildings work is something of which they are proud. But the buildings aren’t getting any younger, and good maintenance can only go so far. Administrators know that soon the challenge has to move from maintaining old buildings to funding new ones, but they don’t have a plan they think will work just yet. Building a new school would take a bond issue, Superintendent Anthony Morris said. And that means higher taxes. “Before we start considering any buildings, you have to investigate the community environment,” Morris said. “The first thing that’s going to be said is, ‘That’s going to raise my taxes and I don’t want taxes raised.’” Morris said he feels certain the community would not embrace a bond issue right now, despite the need. “A bond issue is somewhere out in the future,” he said. “For now, we need to study community perception of the idea.”
Albuquerque Schools Going Green
Staff Writer, New Mexico Business Weekly
December 19, 2007 NEW MEXICO: A new grade school being built by Albuquerque Public Schools will be the first to seek a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. APS is pursuing a LEED Silver rating for its Southwest Elementary School, which is being designed by Garrett Smith LTD and is expected to be completed by February 2009. Other projects for which APS is aiming for Silver certification include: kindergarten additions at six grade schools (Montoya, Alvarado, Alamosa, Apache, Emerson and McCollum); classroom additions at Barcelona and John Baker elementary schools; the rebuilding of Figge Hall at Highland High School; the administrative building addition at Kit Carson Elementary; and expansions and/or additions at Susie Rayos Marmon Elementary School, Family School Core Facilities, Evening High School, Georgia O'Keefe Elementary School and the Central Kitchen. There are a total of 17 LEED Silver APS projects in the works. "The greatest benefit to students of LEED schools is creating a healthy learning environment through improved lighting and indoor air quality, two of the most rigorous certification areas," said Karen Alarid, director of APS's Facilities Design and Construction. APS foresees an increase of 2 to 5 percent in budget costs for LEED design and construction, but also expects to save the same amount in utility costs within 10 years.
Baltimore's Smaller Schools Experiment Yields Higher Test Scores
Greg Toppo, USA Today
December 19, 2007 MARYLAND: The five-year effort to break Baltimore's big high schools into smaller, more autonomous schools seems to be paying off with better academic results and attendance, offering new evidence backing a reform that has stalled nationwide in recent years. An analysis released this week by the Washington-based Urban Institute finds that scores on required state math and English tests in the city's six "innovation schools" are higher than those of students in larger comprehensive schools, neighborhood schools and other schools, even after controlling for skill levels before entering high school. On average, innovation high school students score 14 to 30 points higher on a scale from 240 to 650. The schools also offer more supportive environments, and innovation school students go to school 16 to 40 days more a year than other students. Innovation high schools basically operate like publicly funded private schools, freed from most restrictions on hiring, curriculum and spending. But the study, which used student records and student and teacher surveys, also found that they enroll a slightly more accomplished student body, with fewer "academically challenging students" than other schools. Study author Becky Smerdon says she had been expecting to find larger gaps between students in innovation high schools and those in the city's elite, selective-admissions high schools. The innovation schools, she says, "looked a lot more like the selective schools than I would have expected." But she also says that even with the improved results, Baltimore students' skills "remain low overall" — only one in four students who took the state English exam in 2005-2006 passed it. Reformers over the past decade have touted small high schools, but disappointing results and high expenses in a few big cities have slowed the pace of new efforts. In Baltimore, where the small-schools push began in 2002, a handful of big high schools are still waiting to be broken up. Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank, says the study is helpful if people can use it to learn from innovative schools' example. "It's not such a good thing if you're seeking a cookie-cutter solution." "One of the reasons innovative schools tend to perform higher is directly related to our autonomy to tailor our programs to match the needs of the majority of our students," says principal Jeffrey Robinson.
Asbestos Testing in Maryland Schools Would be a Costly Measure
Jennifer Raley, Cumberland Times-News
December 19, 2007 MARYLAND: If a new interpretation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's asbestos regulations stands, school systems in Maryland and neighboring states could be faced with major expenses. Maryland schools were notified in 2006 that manufacturers' sheets could not be used to determine whether products contain asbestos, according to EPA spokeswoman Donna Heron. The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), which was established in 1986 and clarified in 1999, allows schools to use those data safety sheets to determine whether products contain asbestos, according to Vince Montana, director of facilities for the Allegany County Board of Education. "It was a part of the law," said Montana. Having to presume all building materials contain asbestos, or testing all materials when the manufacturers have already specified that they do not contain asbestos, is unnecessary and costly, according to Montana. David Lever, executive director of the state public school construction program, has written a letter requesting some clarification on the issue, said Montana. "If you assume there is asbestos, the smallest repair you make you either have to abate asbestos, which might not be there, or you might have to set up very involved protection," said Lever. "The new structure, which does not allow for MSDS (manufacturers' data) sheets, has huge consequences on school systems and buildings." The interpretation applies only to EPA region 3, which includes Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Washington, according to Montana.
Demolition of New Orleans School Heralded as a Fresh Start
Darran Simon , Times-Picayune
December 19, 2007 LOUISIANA: A backhoe tore into a crumbling building on the future campus of a new high-tech academy in New Orleans, an early step in a plan to build and renovate five schools that will open in September 2009. The five schools are an attempt to show progress in a city where shuttered buildings still languish after the 2005 flood, and to jump-start a facilities master plan expected to be done in the spring. The master plan will change the landscape of what once was a singular system of about 130 campuses. That means some campuses will remain as schools, while others could be redeveloped or possibly sold for use as offices, condos or community centers. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover the more than $120 million in construction costs of the five schools. But city and state officials still must solve the looming issue of how to find other financing to implement a master plan that could cost "well over a billion dollars," said Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas. In late July, state Superintendent Paul Pastorek announced plans to rebuild and renovate the five schools. He encouraged neighborhood groups and organizations to submit proposals, explaining why their site should be included in the "quick start" plan, but gave groups less than a month to cobble together their pitches. Officials tapped into a new source of FEMA money designated for temporary repairs. Rather than using the FEMA money allotted to build modular facilities, school officials were allowed to use the money to work on permanent facilities, with the caveat that the construction could not cost more than a temporary facility. The option allowed the district to toss plans for additional modular buildings, an unpopular option that cost about $70 million this year. Furthermore, the Recovery School District has secured permits to demolish Helen S. Edwards and Joseph A. Hardin elementary schools and Alfred Lawless High School. FEMA will cover the demolition and construction costs of the campuses, which have surpassed FEMA's 50 percent damage threshold. Demolition requests were submitted in November and approved in early December, officials said. The district also sought permits to demolish Ray Abrams Elementary; Marion Abramson Senior High; Ernest "Dutch" Morial Elementary; and Mary Coghill Elementary, officials said. FEMA will also cover the cost of this batch of schools. Officials also outlined the school buildings slated for demolition and plans for portable buildings on several campuses that will also be demolished. The facilities master plan will lay out options for the locations and uses of buildings based on factors such as the amount of money available, community input, projected demographics of neighborhoods and location of the city's Office of Recovery Management investment zones. The planners will hold several public meetings in early January to collect input on proposals for individual school sites. The master plan will also lay out financing options, which Vallas said Wednesday could cost well over a billion dollars. Officials said the pot of federal money they expect to receive from FEMA will fall short. The state, though it operates schools in a large chunk of New Orleans, does not pay for school construction. FEMA has obligated more than $300 million to the Recovery District for the cost of construction and contents. Officials expect that figure to grow to more than $500 million as the district and FEMA reassess damage to buildings. Vallas said options to pay for the master plan could include seeking more state and federal money, as well as securing federal tax credits designed to redevelop poor neighborhoods, which would require partnering with the School Board to use its bonding authority as collateral. School Board Chief Financial Officer Stan Smith said that bonding is an option, although no decision has been made. Issuing bonds could depend on whether residents vote to renew a property tax millage that expires in 2008.
UK Government Unveils Green Schools Funding Plan
Staff Writer, Business Green
December 19, 2007 UNITED KINGDOM: Schools Secretary Ed Balls announced 200 new eco-friendly building projects as part of the government's plan to make all new school buildings zero-carbon by 2016. The projects, which will provide another boost to the booming green construction industry, will cost £110m over three years. In a statement to MPs, Balls said that a typical secondary school will receive around £500,000 under the scheme to reduce carbon emissions in new school buildings. The projects are expected to include investments in onsite renewable energy technologies as well as efforts to improve energy efficiency through improved insulation, lower-energy lighting and energy efficient computers. "We are taking action now to reduce carbon emissions in new school buildings while we work towards the zero-carbon goal," Balls said. The target for all new schools to be zero carbon by 2016 was published as part of the government's new Childrens Plan. Under the plan the government is to appoint a taskforce to investigate how schools could work with local authorities and construction firms to limit their environmental impact. The plan also includes a separate target to reduce emissions from the school run by 2020.
Green Schools Conference: California State Architect Discusses Grid Neutrality
Matthew Crawford, Green Building News
December 18, 2007 CALIFORNIA: With the goal of achieving grid neutrality at all new schools, California State Architect David Thorman is working to change the way school administrators think about construction projects. California, which has more than 1,000 school districts that serve more than 6 million students, spends $5 billion annually on new construction and renovation projects. With energy costs at about $1.43 per square foot, schools have the potential to save a total of $21.5 million annually if grid neutrality is achieved, plus the potential to make profits from selling electricity back to utilities, according to Thorman's office. There are four key steps to reach the grid-neutrality goal, according to Thorman: a comprehensive planning team, the most energy efficient designs, greater advances in energy-generating technology and innovative financing methods.
Illinois Schools are Graduating to Green Cleaning
Jim Newton, Lake County News-Sun
December 18, 2007 ILLINOIS: Some Lake County districts are already moving toward the use of more environmentally-friendly cleaning solutions in schools, an effort that will be mandated next year by a new state law. Final guidelines are being developed for the Green Cleaning Schools Act, which directs elementary and secondary schools in Illinois to use cleaners that meet certain environmental standards that will improve indoor air quality. Officials said the new law will help remove chemicals that can cause adverse reactions in children and adults. Examples include ammonia- and acid-based cleaners. Gurnee Elementary School District Superintendent John Hutton said School Board members and administrators in the district have already initiated the conversion to green cleaning solutions to improve air quality and to set an example for students. The district's director of facilities, Mike Nichols, said the district is incorporating Green Seal-certified cleaners into its supplies as other products are used up. Two of the district's four schools are already using "green" hand soap, he said, and the district is also starting to purchase environmentally-friendly glass cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, disinfectant and trash bags.
Carbon Neutral New Schools Plan in the United Kingdom
Staff Writer, BBC World News
December 18, 2007 UNITED KINGDOM: England's Schools Secretary Ed Balls has announced 200 projects, costing £110m over three years. These will include using greener technologies such as wind turbines, solar power and biomass boilers. Under the Children's Plan, there is a target for all new school buildings to be carbon neutral by 2016. The 10-year strategy, published last week, sets out the ambition for greener schools - but also acknowledges that it might not be practical on existing school sites. Mr Balls says he will be appointing a taskforce to examine how schools could reduce their environmental damage - and the Children's Plan says it will look at "whether the timescale is realistic and how to reduce carbon emissions in the intervening period". "The taskforce will work closely with designers, builders, local authorities and other key stakeholders to develop a road map to zero carbon schools," says the Children's Plan. There is also a separate target to make school travel more environmentally friendly by 2020 as part of a wider plan for "sustainable" schools. This includes promoting greener power, reducing energy consumption and encouraging more recycling. Under the projects announced by Mr Balls, a typical secondary school will receive £500,000 to promote energy efficiency and to reduce carbon emissions. This could include measures such as improving insulation, using lower-energy lighting and energy-saving devices on school computers.
Richmond's Old School Buildings Go Unused
Olympia Meola, Times-Dispatch
December 17, 2007 VIRGINIA: Whitcomb Court Elementary School sits on a trash-strewn lot, its windows covered in boards marked by crude graffiti. Since it closed to students in June 2006, Richmond police have been dispatched there 43 times for problems ranging from fires to fights. It's a disheartening situation for School Board member Lisa Dawson, who told Whitcomb parents in 2005 that although they were losing their neighborhood school, it wouldn't become an eyesore. "I sat in the cafeteria and basically promised that what has happened will not happen," Dawson said recently. In the past two years, the School Board has closed six buildings and recently recommended closing an additional five by 2015. Board members are growing concerned as more schools are added to the chopping block because the sites have no immediate plan for reuse and will sit vacant for vandals. One mothballed school even had its televisions stolen over the summer. As a result, the board wants to talk to the City Council about the options for the closed buildings. City administration officials say they can alleviate some of the heartburn. The city - not the School Board - owns the buildings, and when schools move out, they are supposed to revert control of the buildings to the city. It's the city's job to figure out what to do with them. "This process is based on city and state code. Thereafter, the city will seek to find new uses for those facilities through private development and other avenues," Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder said recently. Wilder's "City of the Future" plan involves building 15 schools after the School Board consolidates and closes current facilities with light attendance. "We continue to wait for this to happen," Wilder said. "Great opportunities exist for retrofitting the closed schools in ways that could help rejuvenate those neighborhoods," he said. "Because of the strong need for work-force housing, one possibility would be to develop additional residential units so that our police officers, firemen, schoolteachers, bus drivers and cafeteria workers can either rent or purchase a home that would be close to where they work." The buildings also could become community centers to provide training or recreation. Some city school buildings are historic, charming and located in sought-after neighborhoods. Others are small, architecturally unappealing and located in high-crime areas.
10 Santa Rosa Schools Could Get Solar Power by Fall
Associated Press, Mercury News
December 17, 2007 CALIFORNIA: A $23 million deal between the school board and a solar power company could have 10 Santa Rosa schools running on solar energy by the fall. The school board voted to work out a deal with Solar Power Integrators of Roseville for the solar roof systems. The company would arrange for private investors to put up the money in exchange for tax credits and other write-offs for solar power systems. The district would then buy the electricity for a prearranged price. This deal would lower the costs for the school district. It also would let the school take advantage of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Million Solar Roofs Program, a $2 billion tax incentive program.
Funding West Virginia School Construction Projects
Staff Writer, WVMetroNews
December 17, 2007 WEST VIRGINIA: The Executive Director of the State School Building Authority says the response has been guarded, but positive so far, when it comes to a proposal that would allow the SBA to sell bonds to pay for school construction projects in West Virginia. Mark Manchin says the State Legislature will have that proposal to consider when the regular legislative session begins on Jan. 9. "We have delayed the selection process for this cycle of need projects in anticipation of introducing the legislation and, hopefully, being successful," he said. Right now, Manchin says 43 school construction projects have been proposed throughout West Virginia for a total of $254 million. Without the bond sales, the SBA will have $50 million to allocate. "The requests are five times greater than the money we actually have, and every year you let that go that those needs are exacerbated and grow. It just becomes more difficult to address those needs," Manchin said in an interview with MetroNews. He says selling bonds could possibly generate between $100 million and $135 million over three years. "If we don't address a renovation or an upgrade to a facility this year, the costs, with anywhere from a three to five increase in costs, are greater next year and it just continues to build and accumulate," he said. The rising costs of construction have hit school construction projects hard in recent years. In 2004, Manchin says it cost $6.4 million to build a basic elementary school. Today's cost, for that same school, is almost $10 million. He says an average size high school costs $40 million, almost all of the total amount the SBA has, right now, to give
Green School Buildings Making a Surge
Meris Stansbury, eSchool News
December 17, 2007 NATIONAL : School systems nationwide are beginning to realize the benefits of "going green" when building new schools, according to experts who follow school construction trends. Though the initial building costs can run higher, schools are seeing a return on their up-front investment through a reduction in monthly energy costs. Another important (and often unexpected) side benefit has been a boost in student achievement resulting from more healthy, productive, and comfortable learning environments. John Weekes, an architect who is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on Architecture for Education, says "green," or environmentally friendly, school buildings aren't just a West Coast concept anymore. "Of course, places like California have been thinking green for a while, but it's really all over now--the Pacific Northwest, the upper Midwest, and the Northeast," he said. "Recently, it's also been [occurring in] the Southeast. It's certainly [a] mainstream [concept], but not entirely even across the board. Every region has its own rate." There are many levels of "green," and each green building can vary in its degree of energy efficiency. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has its own set of measurements, called the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, which measures design, construction, and operation of green buildings. To date, the LEED certificate-available in bronze, silver, and gold-has been given to 55 schools around the country. However, another 370 reportedly were waiting for certification as of press time. LEED also has a special certification for green schools, which takes into account joint-use agreements that allow other groups to use the facility and also has stricter requirements for features such as minimum acoustic standards. According to Deane Evans, a research professor and executive director of the Center for Architecture and Building Science Research at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, a high-performance green school has "healthy, productive, and comfortable environments for students and teachers that provide high levels of acoustic, thermal, and visual comfort." Features of green schools include windows and skylights that admit generous amounts of daylight; buildings that are safe, secure, and cost-effective to own and operate, because they use durable products and systems; materials that are chosen using life-cycle cost analysis, rather than the cheapest first cost; and availability to non-students during hours when the school is not in operation. (Community participation during design also is encouraged.) Already, many states and school systems are using LEED guidelines to structure future school design. For example, in September the Ohio School Facility Fund passed a requirement that all new schools and major renovations in the state be certified LEED Silver, using $4.1 billion in state money to help cover the costs. The plan will create at least 250 more green schools in Ohio in the next two years. In California, 23 school districts, including San Francisco and San Diego, have pledged to meet criteria for the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), a system similar to LEED. Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, Washington, and New Hampshire also are using measurement processes based on CHPS building standards. Pennsylvania even provides up to $500,000 in state funding to school districts for each new building that is LEED certified.
Asbestos Actions Against Maryland Schools Rise
Kenneth Fletcher, Capital News Service
December 17, 2007 MARYLAND: Environmental Protection Agency enforcement against Maryland schools for asbestos-related violations have exploded in the past year, from less than one per year from 2001 to 2006 to 16 actions since September 2006. The 16 actions filed between September 2006 and September 2007 included everything from small private schools to some of the largest school systems in the state, according to a Capital News Service analysis of EPA data. None of the violations are related to dangerous exposure to the carcinogen, school and environmental officials said. The actions mostly involve problems with the paperwork schools must keep to track asbestos, and the increase is due to a rise in state inspections and stricter enforcement. But the EPA does not take violations lightly: Penalties for schools in violation run up to $6,500 per day, or schools can escape the fine by spending the same amount to bring themselves up to code. Major violators include school systems in Baltimore City and county. The EPA reported in September 2006 that the city spent $305,730 to bring schools up to code, while the county spent $245,538, all for violations related to record keeping. Schools are supposed to maintain asbestos management plans, but it is often not a top priority for busy educators, said Mardel Knight, head of Maryland's asbestos inspection unit. Schools are selected for inspection randomly. In the past two years, inspections by Ms. Knight and her three inspectors have increased from about 25 each year to 60. Even though it seems like a technicality, Ms. Knight said the plans need to be taken seriously. Schools must know where asbestos is, or renovation could be done in an area with undocumented asbestos, releasing the fibers and posing a threat to students and staff.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Safety a Question of Funds
Ann Doss Helms, Charlotte Observer
December 17, 2007 NORTH CAROLINA: An adult signing in to visit Davidson Elementary recently swiped his driver's license through the school's donated LobbyGuard security system. It flagged him as a registered sex offender, and school officials escorted him out. The incident poses a powerful question: Can technology help keep kids safe, and how much are taxpayers willing to spend to do it? With guns turning up frequently at local schools and public shooting rampages making national news, safety is likely to be a hot topic as the system starts crafting its 2008 budget. "Once you get past student achievement, safety is probably our No. 2 priority," board chairman Joe White said. But he notes that district leaders routinely cut worthy proposals to boost the odds that county commissioners will pay for the most pressing needs. No technology can protect students from every threat. Ralph Taylor, CMS's safe schools director, said students are more likely to encounter problems with other students than with intruders. His vision: Create a districtwide system of student IDs that would make it easy for staff to know who belongs on which campus. That would also help screen students who have been banned from games and other after-hours activities because of serious discipline violations, he said. Some individual high schools already have student IDs; he did not know the cost of a countywide system. Putting LobbyGuard systems like the one at Davidson in elementary schools would alone cost more than $500,000, Cesena said. Facial-recognition cameras would cost $800,000 for elementaries, and more than $2 million to cover all schools. Both use databases to flag people who shouldn't be in schools.
New Jersey School Construction Bond Failures Laid to Tax-Weary Voters
Debra Nussbaum , New York Times
December 16, 2007 NEW JERSEY: Tax-fatigued voters said no to $189 million in school construction proposals on bond issues throughout the state. While 8 of 14 school districts approved bonds, less than half the $347 million sought by school boards and administrators was approved by voters. The rejections continued a turnaround since 16 of 18 bond proposals were approved in April; only four of nine proposals passed in September. School budget and bond votes are among the few opportunities voters have to tell government to rein in spending, said Brigid C. Harrison, a political science and law professor at Montclair State University. “When voters are feeling belt tightening in their own homes, they want government to spend less,” she said. Bond and budget votes “are one of the few forms of direct democracy we have in New Jersey,” she said. Before Tuesday’s elections, New Jersey voters had approved bond issues in 23 of 35 districts in 2007, said Frank Belluscio, director of communications for the New Jersey School Boards Association. Of 49 districts’ bond votes this year, voters approved 31 proposals totaling $354 million in construction. That is a 63 percent approval rate, a slight improvement over 2006 (60 percent) and 2005 (59 percent), but down significantly from 2003 (78 percent) and 2000 (77 percent).
Air Rights, Swapped for New Schools in New York City
C. J. Hughes, New York Times
December 16, 2007 NEW YORK: The thought of shrieks from playgrounds during recess may till now have distanced developers from choosing sites near schools. But with buildable city lots in such short supply, they now appear willing to reconsider. Two Manhattan buildings are to rise close enough to schools that they will almost seem part of campus: the Azure, at 33 East 91st Street, and a condo-rental at 250 East 57th Street. And if the schools and apartments end up looking similar, it’s because the same developers are to build both, under deals hammered out with city’s Educational Construction Fund, a division of the Department of Education. Created in 1967 but dormant for some time, the fund works to ease overcrowding in schools by leasing unused air rights over low-slung buildings, in exchange for new classrooms. In the past 40 years, the fund has added 18,000 school seats, said Jamie Smarr, its director, adding that the two new projects alone will create 2,700. “We’re getting $300 million of new construction out of this,” he said, “and none of it is going on the city’s books.” The Azure, which broke ground in September, will be a “co-op with condo rules,” which means subletters won’t require board approval, said John Caiazzo, a vice president of the DeMatteis Organizations, based in Elmont on Long Island. It is a developer of the 32-story tower, along with the Mattone Group of College Point, Queens. The Azure’s L-shaped lot had been home to Public School 151, which closed in 2000. The new structure, with 80,000 square feet across five floors, will serve Middle School 114, whose 350 students are now shoehorned into a nearby elementary school. It is set to open in September 2009, Mr. Caiazzo said. The Azure’s 127 units will range from 600-square-foot studios to 1,970-square-foot three bedrooms, he added. Priced from $713,000 to $3.7 million, the units went on sale in October, though “only a few contracts have gone out.” Mr. Caiazzo played down concerns about noise; the school’s 40-foot-wide recreation area will be away from apartments, he said. In fact, proximity might be a plus. “We’ve gotten quite a few inquiries about people moving here, so their kids could attend that school,” he said. The high-rise at 250 East 57th Street, as designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, is an angular 59-story glass tower over a retail base. Its offering plan still requires state approval. But David Lowenfeld, a principal with World-Wide Group, its Manhattan-based developer, envisions a total of 320 units, from studios to three-bedrooms. Sixty percent will be condos, priced at $1,500 a square foot, he said. The 1.5-acre site now houses P.S. 59 and the High School of Art and Design, which faces Second Avenue. For the 2011 school year, the schools will have roomier new quarters. The elementary will triple in size, and the high school will grow 40 percent, Mr. Smarr said. First, though, World-Wide Group must build P.S. 59 a temporary facility; It is currently under construction on East 63rd Street. But what about noise from P.S. 59’s future rooftop playground? “This is the middle of New York,” Mr. Lowenfeld said. “People are used to noise.”
Plan for Joint Use of LAUSD Campuses Inches Ahead
Rick Orlov, Daily News
December 12, 2007 CALIFORNIA: Calling it a logical step that maximizes public land, the Los Angeles City Council approved a plan to expand agreements with the Los Angeles Unified School District to keep schools open on nights and weekends for the public. "The time has definitely come for this," Councilwoman Janice Hahn said. "I will tell you that the people I talk with all want to know why we can't work together to make better use of these facilities. "They see these facilities and wonder why we can't work together and make better use of them." Under the proposal, a master joint use agreement is to be developed - the school board is scheduled to take up a similar proposal soon - in which the the district and city would agree to develop more sites at which the public can use the facilities after school hours. In the past, such agreements have stalled over liability concerns and cost of maintenance and operation. Councilman Tom LaBonge, who has been spearheading the project, said costs for both sides can be reduced by working together to make the land available. "We are finally (able to) make a step forward for increased joint use," LaBonge said, adding that the initial program is to identify 17 sites throughout the city in addition to 30 already in place. "What we are doing is developing a framework of agreement for the city and the LAUSD," LaBonge said. Officials with the city Recreation and Parks Department said the program fits with plans to add 1,000 acres of park space over the next five years. Councilman Richard Alarcon, who chairs the council's Education and Neighborhoods Committee, said park space should be the first areas to have common use. "We should be looking at other areas where we can work together," Alarc n said, adding he is planning to hold hearings on areas of mutual interest. "I would bet there are a number of things the city and the schools can do to help each other. I think it's time we did this ... to use it as a model for future agreements."
A Movable Feast
John K. Waters, THE Journal
December 11, 2007 NATIONAL : Furniture on wheels! Wireless islands! Cutting-edge K-12 classroom design marries digital technologies with thoughtful architecture, challenging traditional ideas about where and how learning takes place.
Wyoming Deals With School Construction Decisions
Rena Delbridge, Casper Star Tribune
December 09, 2007 WYOMING: At least one school building in Douglas County is rapidly running out of room, with enrollment increasing even as unprecedented community growth is forecast for the next 10 to 25 years. Superintendent Dan Espeland wants to prepare now for when those young students grow into their middle and high school years, but is somewhat strapped in advance planning. He’s facing skepticism from lawmakers and School Facilities Commission officials, and a reluctance to build now for projected needs. “I think there is some skepticism in the Legislature about whether, actually, we will experience the continued growth some people are predicting,” Espeland said. The local economic development organization recently publicized information suggesting the city’s population could double within seven to 15 years due to energy development. “There is that fear we may hit a bust down the line. And there’s some concern with overbuilding -- that’s not a good situation, either," Espeland said. Espeland anticipates a School Facilities Commission report in about three weeks that will prioritize capital construction projects across the state, including a new primary school for Douglas. The best news, however, may be that the commission has decided to hold back some of the capital construction money it expects to receive from the state this biennium, as a backup for emergency situations. Following a joint meeting of the Select School Facilities Committee and School Facilities Commission Friday in Casper, director Ken Daraie said about $20 million of the commission's appropriation will be reserved until the last six to nine months of the biennium, when money typically runs out but needs are more clear. “It’s a lot of money, and yet it’s not a lot, depending on what you wish to be able to do with it,” Daraie said. At that point, the $20 million could fund a new elementary school and a few emergencies, such as boiler or roof problems, Daraie said. If no emergencies arise, the money would fund the next item down on the commission’s priority list. Sen. Jim Anderson, R-Glenrock, chairs the legislative select committee. He said the committee and School Facilities Commission are considering ways to be more flexible, including shifting projects on the priority list when districts experience unusual changes, or when projects are delayed several years due to property constraints or other issues. That way, money can be spent on projects that are ready to go. That could be good news for Douglas schools, which have enjoyed moderate enrollment increases for a number of years, even as other districts slipped in numbers. Recently, however, enrollment is significantly higher -- especially in the youngest grades -- and is continuing to grow as the school year plays out, a trend that is “quite unusual,” Espeland said.
$100,000 Grant to Make Lake Forest School Building More Energy Efficient
Staff Writer, Lake County News-Sun
December 07, 2007 ILLINOIS: Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn was in Lake Bluff to honor Lake Bluff School District 65 for designing what will be one of the state's first certified "green" schools. The district received a $100,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to pay for environmental design features that will make the new school -- planned for 350 W. Washington Ave. -- more energy efficient. "This energy-efficient building will help Lake Bluff School District 65 save money on ever-increasing costs of heating and cooling," Quinn said. "This model of green construction will certainly help our students understand the importance of energy conservation," Superintendent David Vick said. State Sen. Susan Garrett, D-Lake Forest, said the new building is setting a precedent and she was impressed with the fact that residents took the initiative. "What makes this such a great project is it was a real partnership between the school district and everyday citizens of the community who felt strongly about the environment," she said. "The residents thought it was important enough to get involved in a grass roots movement that helped push this proposal," she said, "It will be a much better building because of it." Garrett said that the project will add about $200,000 in extra costs to the school's construction and she said the district will try and secure the other $100,000 through other sources.
Sales Tax New Option for Illinois School Construction
Bob Susnjara , Daily Herald
December 07, 2007 ILLINOIS: School districts now have a shot at asking voters to approve a sales tax increase as a way to help pay for construction-related expenses in all but one Illinois county. Under a state law that became effective in October, school boards representing at least 51 percent of the student population of a county are allowed to pass resolutions to get the sales tax question on the ballot. A local county board also can put the school construction sales tax to a vote. Cook County was excluded from the law, which was detailed for some Grayslake High School District 127 school board members Thursday night. Deanna Sullivan, director of governmental relations for the Illinois Association of School Boards, said the countywide sales tax hike cannot exceed one percentage point. She said the school construction tax must be in quarter percentage-point increments. Sullivan said school districts statewide have indicated strong interest in the tax since legislators in the state House and Senate overrode Gov. Rod Blagojevich's veto of the measure in early October. She said the sales tax would be a good way to help fund new buildings, renovations, architects, land acquisition and other construction-related costs. If a school district's slice of the pie isn't enough to cover a construction project, said Sullivan, a local property tax increase referendum could be sought to pay for the balance.
Bill to Create Standardized Plans for School Facilities Proposed in Indiana
Staff Writer, Rensselaer Republican
December 07, 2007 INDIANA: A bill to help taxpayers control school construction costs and reduce debt service payments on new facilities by creating standardized plans for school facilities was filed by state Sen. Brandt Hershman (R-Wheatfield). Senate Bill 13 will create standardized plans for school facilities to control construction costs and debt service payments for those facilities. Approximately 50 percent of property taxes collected in Indiana are used to fund local schools. Of those tax dollars, a significant amount is used to pay for debt service. “Hoosiers want significant, permanent property tax reform,” Hershman said. “In order to achieve that, we must contain costs. Since school spending accounts for approximately 50 percent of our property taxes, this seemed a logical place to start.” Senate Bill 13 is part of a package introduced by the Senate Republican Caucus to provide significant and permanent property tax relief. The bill: Requires that a contract for professional services for design of school facilities must provide that any completed plans and specifications developed under the contract become the joint property of the person providing the services, the school corporation and the State. Requires the DOE with the assistance of the State Building Law Compliance Officer to develop and update standard plans and specifications for the construction of school buildings and athletic facilities. Requires State DLGF approval (in addition to County Review Board approval) for schools that elect to use a non-standard design for a school facility. The General Assembly enacted legislation for development of stock school plans in 1951, but funds were never appropriated for the measure and it was repealed in 1972. In 2005 Gov. Daniels asked the DLGF to implement new cost-containment measures because Indiana was constructing school buildings 27 percent larger and 46 percent more expensive than the national average. Those new thresholds for costs per square foot have resulted in a 65 percent reduction in total costs for new construction, Hershman said. Many states have adopted plans to help contain school construction costs and help school corporations with construction projects, Hershman said. California1s state architect reviews all school schematics to ensure all building and educational requirements are being met, and the California Offices of Public School Construction and State Allocation websites provide a website where school corporations can share and review other school plans. North Carolina has taken a different approach, creating a clearinghouse in the Department of Education which allows school corporations to compare existing plans and modify them for their own use. Officials in Johnston County, N.C. estimate design costs for new schools have been cut by more than six percent thanks to the clearinghouse program, Hershman said.
Artificial Turf Runs Afoul of Science
Ryan Tracy, The Times
December 06, 2007 NEW JERSEY: When athletes in the township school district sprint past their opponents in future years, they might be kicking up tiny grains of rubber instead of the usual cloud of dust. The small rubber particles would be part of three synthetic fields that would replace the overused grass football fields with a softer, more durable artificial surface. But the pieces of rubber, which create a soil-like layer in a cutting-edge synthetic field system, have also been at the center of a controversy about the health impacts of the popular artificial fields, especially as their use has become widespread. Synthetic turf fields at each of Hamilton's three high schools account for $2.8 million of an $81 million school construction referendum township voters will be asked to endorse in its entirety or not at all. Meanwhile, the synthetic turf fields have been installed at more than 100 parks, schools and stadiums across the state, including Princeton University's football field and two high school fields in the West Windsor-Plainsboro School District. Controversy was sparked after a Rutgers University study released about a year ago detected the presence of potentially carcinogenic chemicals called polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in recycled tire rubber used as an ingredient in the synthetic fields. One part of the study looked at FieldTurf-brand fields, the same brand name that Hamilton school officials are considering. That study stopped short of concluding that athletes who come in contact with the rubber or ingest the particles could be at risk, but it did call for more research and suggested a "moratorium" on building synthetic turf fields. Clamor about the issue in New York led a state senator there to introduce a bill last month that would suspend construction of the fields for six months.
Arizona Schools in Catch 22 When it Comes to State Funding of Facilities
Editorial, Vail Sun
December 04, 2007 Arizona: The state's educational institutions are quickly finding themselves between a rock and a hard place. What is occurring is a classic Catch 22 when it comes to funding education. In the November election, 33 school districts throughout Arizona asked their voters to approve overrides or bond issues. Bond issues allow the districts to supplement state facilities board funds for capital improvements. Overrides permit districts to go beyond their approved budgets. Of the 33 districts seeking voter approval, 22, or two-thirds, were turned down. Only 11 districts received the additional funding. For many of them, it was a close vote. And last year, Cochise Community College's bond issue was soundly defeated by county voters. It's easy to understand the voters' point of view. A yes vote means higher property taxes. In the last few years, as real estate values have jumped, so have tax valuations. Now that the market has cooled and some of that real estate has lost value, the valuations and tax rates remain unchanged. A lot of people feel they just can't afford any more taxes. But this leaves school and community college districts in a quandary. For growing districts, money available from the School Facilities Board lags growth by a couple of years. Moreover, the state has failed to recognize increases in construction costs for schools, so it becomes an instance of too little, too late. Moreover, the Arizona Legislature, rarely a champion of public education, tends to look at voter behavior as an indication of voter interest in education. That is specious reasoning at best, but it is convenient for a legislative body that has historically had little interest in "book learnin'." As a result, schools can't get money from overrides and bond issues, but when they go to the Legislature, they are ignored because they couldn't get their bond issues and overrides passed. If the state would properly fund education, they wouldn't need to go to voters. On the other hand, if voters would approve their requests, state funding would be less critical. What's an educator to do? Unfortunately, there is no simple answer. There is nothing paid for with taxes that is more important than educating young people. But districts are going to have to conduct sophisticated public relations campaigns on an ongoing basis - not just when they need money. Nearby, Benson has done that, and their bond issue and override passed with a 75 percent majority. Higher taxes are a tough sell, no matter what they buy.
Schools Look to Voters for Exit from 'Corridor of Shame'
Bill Robinson , The Columbia State
December 04, 2007 SOUTH CAROLINA: Dillon County voters go to the polls to decide whether to infuse as much as $60 million into construction of public schools that serve Lake View, Latta and Dillon. At issue is whether county residents support using money generated by a local one-penny-on-the-dollar sales tax to leverage loans for building new schools or additions in all three communities. The centerpiece is a proposed middle school for Dillon 2, which uses a mixture of buildings that date to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. J.V. Martin Junior High is featured prominently in a 2005 documentary about substandard conditions of rural schools along Interstate 95 in eastern South Carolina. "We want to shed that stigma of being in the 'Corridor of Shame,'" said Carl Altman, who heads a committee that supports school construction. "I don't think I live in a corridor of shame. I'm happy and proud to live here." The average age of schools across Dillon County is about 40 years. The last new school built was Dillon High, which opened in 1970. Since 2003, Dillon County has collected an extra penny on the dollar in sales taxes to generate $11.7 million for various capital projects the county government asked voters to support in a referendum. Collections have gone so well the county anticipates reaching its goal in mid-2008 two years ahead of schedule. Enter the Dillon County Board of Education, which has struggled to help the three local school systems it oversees find a way to pay for school repairs and upgrades. Dillon County has high unemployment, low-wage jobs and widespread poverty, a recipe that makes raising property taxes specifically earmarked for school construction a difficult sell.
A Thriftier School Building Program
Editorial, Milford Daily News
December 04, 2007 MASSACHUSETTS: Massachusetts is getting back into the school building business, after taking three years off for a major reorganization of the program governing it. The school building boom of the 1990s left the School Building Assistance program's finances unsustainable. Its oversight was criticized for failing to set standards, police practices and find efficiencies to help control costs. The old SBA program was mostly a list, and once a project rose to the top of the list, the state picked up a big share - generally 60 to 90 percent, depending on a variety of factors - of whatever it was local officials spent. In 2004, the Legislature responded to problems with the program by setting up a new revenue stream for the SBA and moving it from the Department of Education to the office of state Treasurer Tim Cahill. Since then, while Cahill has been rewriting the rules, dozens of school districts have been waiting to find out how much - and if - the state would help them with critical school needs. Last week Cahill released a new list, but even communities on it don't know yet exactly what they will be able to build. The new SBA will provide immediate help for 27 schools in need of immediate repairs. Another 56 schools, including many that local officials say need to be replaced, not repaired, have been accepted for a feasibility process in which state and local officials will weigh different options to remedy school shortcomings. The 83 schools selected will have a shot at $2.5 billion the SBA plans to distribute over the next five years. Among the winners in the MetroWest/495 region are schools in Natick, Hopkinton, Hudson, Northborough, Medway, Sherborn, Uxbridge, Wellesley, Wayland, Norwood, Shrewsbury and Dedham. Another 340 schools, however, are out of luck at this time. Among the projects left off the list entirely are schools in Franklin, Milford, Marlborough and Newton. Cahill has made it clear there are no blank checks being written by the new SBA. All options are on the table for the feasibility process, including not just renovation and repairs, but alternatives like regionalization, redistricting and reprogramming existing spaces. Even when new construction is approved, the generous reimbursement rates of the past won't return, and Cahill promises the state will be an active collaborator when it comes to choosing designs and funding strategies. The effectiveness of Cahill's approach will be seen when schools are actually built. The old system included incentives for overspending: architects and engineers paid as a percentage of the gross cost, rigid guidelines for athletic fields and square footage that made renovating or rebuilding on downtown sites difficult, reimbursement rates that encouraged school officials to load up on new equipment and furniture. The old system helped fuel school construction inflation, resulting in projects like the $155 million high school now being built in Newton. Parents and school officials understandably want nothing but the best. But it's good to see policy-makers recognize there are limits to how much the state should have to pay for it
Utah Lawmakers Look at Income Tax to Fund School Buildings
Lisa Schencker, Salt Lake Tribune
December 04, 2007 UTAH: Legislators are no longer looking to more equally fund school construction across the state by raising property taxes, but they are hoping to keep new districts from opening until they've figured it out for sure. A legislative school building equalization task force approved a proposed bill that would keep new school districts - such as the one that will result from the Jordan School District split - from opening to students until, at the earliest, July 1, 2009 with an equalization law or until July 1, 2012 without one. The task force, however, also moved one step closer to passing such a law by approving a proposed bill that would equalize money for school buildings throughout the state by using income tax revenue from the Uniform School Fund instead of by raising property taxes. A previous proposal would have likely meant property tax increases for residents of about 25 school districts. Several legislators said they decided to support the new proposal because they felt it had a better chance of becoming law. The idea behind the proposal is that legislators would give a total of $52.8 million in income tax from the Uniform School Fund to the Utah State Board of Education each year to be put toward school buildings. Though some school districts might raise property taxes to get a maximum amount of money from the state, no district would have to, Eastman said. Some school districts would see millions in additional money.
New Charleston Middle School Called 'a Dream'
Kelly L. Holleran, Charleston Daily Mail
December 03, 2007 WEST VIRGINIA: When Sissonville Middle School Principal Brian Eddy walks through the doors of the newly built school Dec. 19, he may have to pinch himself a few times to make sure he is not dreaming. After nearly five years of planning, the new Sissonville Middle School soon will open its doors to Eddy and about 490 students. "For anybody in education, this is a dream," he said. As Eddy gives a tour of the $17.5 million new school, he can't help but constantly grin. The school, for which the state School Building Authority provided about $7 million in funding, is a sprawling, state-of-the-art complex where technology and academics have taken a front seat to athletics. For example, all students will have a computer class. They will have access to two wired labs - one with 30 computers and another with 33. In addition, there will be a wireless computer lab for each grade in the school. The wireless labs consist of 30 laptop computers that can be carted between classrooms. Every classroom will have a 42-inch, flat-screen television. Teachers will be able to use white boards, also known as smart boards. Teachers and students can write on the boards with electronic pens. All teachers will have their own laptop computer and printer at their workstation. Every classroom will have three computers. The latest technology is evident everywhere, even in the cafeteria, which can double as an auditorium. A huge data projector hangs on a wall in the cafeteria above a classroom that can be converted into a stage. Two steps lead from the cafeteria to the stage. While school is in session, the stage will serve as a health classroom. A retractable wall will separate the cafeteria from the classroom. When the wall is in place, the entrance to the room is through a door adjacent to the gym. The community was desperately in need of a new school. The old school, which was built in 1939, had flooded twice, and there were heating and cooling concerns. Although the old middle school had plenty of room for its occupants, personal space had become an issue. No sixth graders have lockers at the old middle school. Now, with 580 lockers, there will be more than enough for all students to have individual spaces. School board member Barbara Welch thinks the community will be awed when they see the school. "It is absolutely more than I ever dreamed," she said. "It's beyond my wildest imagination. I cry when I go through it. It is one of the most beautiful structures. The technology is second to none. I'm so anxious for my community to see it." The school has already started to impact the community, she said. "We're seeing several businesses moving into our community," she said. "They know that that is going to draw people into this community."
Sluggish Housing Starts Could Mean Savings for School Projects in Massachusetts
Margo Sullivan , Eagle-Tribune
December 02, 2007 MASSACHUSETTS: The housing slump could translate into savings for some school building projects, according to managers at several construction companies. "It's sort of a buyer's market," said Steve Ingram, an owner of Ingram Construction Co. in West Swanzey. "If I had a municipal building or a school to do, or even a private building, this would be the time to do it. "We have seen fuel now over $3 a gallon. We can expect it to go up even more. That ripples through every industry - not just construction," he said. "Because of the fact there are fewer projects out there and work is less plentiful, contractors are willing to reduce (profit) margins." That could be good news for towns like Pelham, where school officials are considering building a new high school. But it's not such good news for Windham, which has already started to build a new high school. "It's kind of late for us to take advantage," said Glenn Davis, the engineer overseeing the new Windham High School construction. Most of the work at Windham High has already been bid and awarded. But Davis said the bids for subcontracting jobs have been coming in under budget. On average, the bids have come in 3 percent to 4 percent under the target. "We're hoping that trend will continue," he said, estimating 76 percent of the bids have been received to date. Davis noted some quotes have been higher than expected, but the trend in prices has been downward. Contractors are adjusting to the new economic hard times out of necessity and trimming their prices, he said. A sampling of companies doing business in New Hampshire found only Gilbane Building Co.'s corporate spokesman saying business was still strong. "Nationwide, business has never been better," Wes Cotter said. But Gary Bertram of Hutter Construction Corp. in New Ipswich said the price drop is not going to be dramatic and likely will be temporary. He estimated costs will go down by 2 percent due to competition, but doubts they will go lower. Contractors still have to pay for materials and fuel, he said. Meanwhile, Bertram said, school officials would be prudent to continue including 5 percent inflation rates when they estimate a project's price. "Nobody can predict exactly what's going to happen," he said. "My gut tells me it's going to be a little bit lower than that (5 percent)." Salem and Pelham have school construction projects moving into the pipeline. Paul Marinace, an architect who has been designing renovations at both Salem and Pelham high schools, did not immediately return calls for comment. Marinace's firm has estimated the Salem High renovation will cost $41 million. Last month, the School Board hired consultant Gino Baroni of the Trident Group to scrutinize the project's cost. Pelham is considering a $44.6 million new high school building, plus a $3.2 million renovation to convert the existing high school building to a middle school. It's too soon to predict if voters will agree to build a new Pelham High School. And if they do, it's too soon to say where school building prices will be if ground is finally broken. Pelham Schools Superintendent Frank Bass said he was not sure school construction costs would go lower, due to the price of steel. Ingram said it's really debatable whether school construction costs should be going down. Contractors are seeing increases in their costs - and not just for building materials like steel. It also costs more for gas to drive the materials and the workers to the job site, he said. But the reality is, there's an industrywide building slowdown, and it's not just the housing market that's been hit. The slump has also spread into industrial and commercial jobs. Statewide, construction company managers and owners are battling one another for jobs by cutting their profit margins, Ingram said. "The margins are smaller," he said. "They just have to be." Ingram did not want to quote a number, but estimated construction costs could be down 1 percent to 2 percent.
Schools Watching Indiana Statehouse. Tax Reforms May Hit Building Plans.
Bryan Corbin , Courier Press
December 02, 2007 INDIANA: The 2008 Legislature will consider sweeping property tax reform legislation. Among proposals offered by Gov. Mitch Daniels is a plan to have voters approve or reject large capital projects, such as school construction, through referendums, instead of the current petition-drive remonstrance process. Meanwhile, Senate Republican leaders have introduced their own property tax reform legislation — three proposed constitutional amendments and 11 bills. One of them, Senate Bill 13, is aimed at the debt on school bond i |
