WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced groundbreaking new legislation to establish the Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park. Rosenwald, a Jewish American business executive and philanthropist, partnered with African American communities to build thousands of schools across the South.

NPCA is a founding member of the Rosenwald Park Campaign, led by longtime national park advocate Dr. Dorothy Canter, which seeks to establish the first national park site to honor a Jewish American: Julius Rosenwald.

Rosenwald, the son of German Jewish immigrants, was a successful business leader at Sears and Roebuck and a prominent philanthropist motivated by tzedakah, a Hebrew term meaning an obligation or calling to pursue righteousness and charity. In partnership with Booker T. Washington and Black communities across the South, Rosenwald helped fund the construction of more than 5,300 schools and related buildings for children with little or no access to quality public education.

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan convened during a two-day ministerial meeting this week in Almaty Kazakhstan to reaffirm their commitment to ensuring safe and resilient schools for children.

The ministerial meeting - co-organized by UNICEF, UNESCO, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the Government of Japan, and the World Bank - brought together high-level government officials, development partners, and education experts to recognise progress made in implementing the Comprehensive Safe Schools Framework (CSSF) 2022-2030 in Central Asia.

Participants shared best practices and explored coordinated efforts to protect children and educational institutions from disasters and climate risks.

“Schools should provide safe learning environments where children protected from risks and disasters,” said Dr. Rashed Mustafa Sarwar, UNICEF Representative in Kazakhstan.

“This meeting is an opportunity for countries to reaffirm their commitment to safeguarding children’s education and to promote a culture of safety and resilience in the education sector.”

BRIDGEPORT — Bridgeport school officials are aiming to wrap up a monthslong study of the district's three-dozen buildings by early next year as they weigh plans to close a half-dozen faltering schools. 
The highly anticipated findings will be used to develop a blueprint for the future of the district's facilities, including potential infrastructure upgrades, reworked attendance zones and new bus routes.
The study “will give us that 10-year roadmap that we need in order to ensure that we're giving the school district exactly what the students, the staff and the parents deserve,” Jorge Garcia, the district’s chief operating officer, told a school board committee Monday.
 

Hundreds of parents flooded the Seattle School Board meeting Wednesday to speak out against proposed school closures.
The outcry comes a week after Seattle Public Schools officials released new proposals that would shutter as many as 21 elementary and K-8 schools next fall and trigger sweeping school boundary changes and other reconfigurations across the district.
The closures are part of the district's efforts to fill a nearly $100 million budget gap. Other belt-tightening measures, like staffing reductions, will also likely be necessary.
Wednesday's school board meeting marked the first chance for families to address the board since the proposals came out with the names of specific schools on the chopping block — and families clearly had some thoughts.
As of Tuesday afternoon, nearly 150 people had signed up to testify — for just 25 available spots.
And on Wednesday afternoon, just before the meeting, more than 300 parents, kids, activists, and former school board members gathered outside, rallying to keep schools open. Many of them wore red and carried signs with messages like, "don't do this to our kids."
 

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Anchorage School District sent a letter to families and staff on Monday with more information about what it calls “rightsizing” the district in the face of declining enrollment.
The letter from district Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt urges parents and family members of students to express their preferences in a district survey that includes questions about what special programs, staffing and building conditions are most important when it comes to considering which schools to close or repurpose.
For example, the survey asks participants to rank the importance of “School sizes that allow a full range of classes such as art, music and PE at the elementary level.”
Another question asks participants to rank the importance of maintenance and utility costs at schools.
The survey closes on Sept. 30.
“Your feedback has been invaluable as we move forward with the next phase of the Rightsizing process,” Bryantt wrote in the letter. “Now, we’d like to seek your input on the metrics that will be used to evaluate our facilities. The insights you provide will play a key role in shaping the District’s Rightsizing plan, which will be submitted to the Anchorage School Board for review and discussion later this year.”
 

Ylenia Aguilar raised her two sons in Arizona — first in Tucson and later Phoenix, so they’re no strangers to scorching heat. Just recently, Phoenix hit its 100th straight day at or above 100 F (37.8 C), shattering the record set in 1993.
She remembers scary moments “seeing soccer kids and my own children pass out and faint from, you know, heat-related illnesses,” she said. “It was seeing my sons dehydrated.”
Scores of U.S. schoolyards like hers are carpeted in heat-absorbing asphalt, with no shade even for play areas. The buildings were often made with wall and roofing materials that radiate heat into indoor spaces. Kids are also more vulnerable to heat illness than adults. Their bodies have a harder time self-regulating in extreme heat in part because they sweat less, so they can become dehydrated faster.
Climate change is heightening the risks. School closures related to heat are becoming more frequent, according to a report by the Center for Climate Integrity and the firm Resilient Analytics.
 

An important area for school safety planning that is often overlooked is school accessibility for students with disabilities. Accessibility barriers in public schools remain pervasive even decades after passage of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which bars disability discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Some of these barriers pose significant problems for ensuring school safety for students with disabilities. For example, students who use wheelchairs or mobility scooters must have an effective means of evacuating during a safety threat situation, such as a fire emergency, when elevators may not be used.

Last September, the board of the Little Rock School District approved the development of a solar power project expected to save the district some $400,000 annually and provide about five megawatts of electricity, a quarter of its total energy needs. 

That may sound like a lot. But it is far smaller than the school district’s original plans, which envisioned a 19 megawatt array that would have met all of the LRSD’s annual needs and reduced its power bill by a projected $1.1 million every year, according to the company constructing the project. 

The LRSD was forced to scale back its plans — and lose out on an estimated $700,000 in potential annual savings — because of a new state law that makes it infeasible for large, commercial-scale consumers such as school districts to build solar projects larger than five megawatts. Arkansas has made remarkable progress in developing solar energy over the last few years, but renewable energy advocates and solar installation companies are warning that the young industry could crater because of the policy change.

Some school districts are struggling to cover routine maintenance costs — even as the state is delivering the largest single investment in school facilities in Idaho history. 

House Bill 521, enacted this year by Idaho Gov. Brad Little and the Idaho Legislature, directed an additional $1.5 billion in state funding to schools over the next decade. The biggest slice is a $1 billion state bond, which will soon be divided between school districts for capital projects. 

But HB 521 had some give and some take. The legislation eliminated August elections for school districts, and it created new rules governing minimum instructional hours and days. The bill also altered the way school districts receive lottery funding — in a way that’s leaving districts cash-strapped in the short term. 

The facilities bill rerouted about $50 million in annual lottery dividends to a restrictive property tax relief fund that must be used to pay off local bonds and levies. Many districts used the lottery money for routine upkeep, from asphalt repairs to new light bulbs, as well as maintenance staff salaries. Those funds can now only be used for debt repayment, and that’s left a potential $30 million gap in funding for day-to-day upkeep.

The Ririe School District, for instance, is short about $100,000, according to superintendent Jeff Gee. That’s a significant chunk for the 700-student, eastern Idaho district with a total budget around $2.7 million.

“We’re kind of scrambling, honestly, to figure out how we’re going to move forward with that,” Gee told Idaho Education News.

Everywhere you look, there are sure signs of fall: big yellow buses, hi-vis crossing guards and flocks of colorful superhero backpacks. 
September is back-to-school time in many parts of the country, and staff are welcoming students into buildings that have been prepared for a new year. 
But while teachers can create materials and lesson plans to support student success inside the classroom, they can’t control conditions outside schools that also influence learning outcomes. 
Studies show air quality, temperature, and even the presence of trees can affect how well students focus and learn.  
Now, with support from the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, four elementary schools in Philadelphia — one in South Philadelphia and three in Southwest — will transform their grounds into vibrant green spaces that benefit students, teachers and their communities. 
Reimagining the learning environment
In partnership with the School District of Philadelphia, The Nature Conservancy received a $1 million grant to replace asphalt and concrete schoolyards with shade trees, outdoor classrooms, pollinator gardens and green stormwater infrastructure, like rain gardens. 
The project is one of six this year supported by funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was directed to the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund for community-driven, green infrastructure projects.  
 

SUNDERLAND — At a special meeting of the Taconic and Green Regional School District Board on Monday, September 9, the Sunderland community firmly rejected the idea of closing their local elementary school – though a reconfiguration of the district appears inevitable.

“The current configuration of educational programming in our five schools is not what's best for teaching and learning,” said Randi Lowe, Superintendent of the Bennington Rutland Supervisory Union (BRSU), of which the Taconic & Green district is a part. “I'm seeing the impact on our students and on our teachers, and I'm saying we really need to look at doing things differently.”

More than a hundred school districts across Pennsylvania are slated to receive $75 million in state funding to improve classroom air quality, install filtered drinking fountains and prevent mold.

State officials announced this week that 109 districts statewide were awarded money through the Department of Education’s Environmental Repairs Grants program.

“This funding will enable schools to repair buildings and provide students and school staff with safe air to breathe, water to drink, and classrooms to learn in,” said Education Secretary Khalid Mumin.

15 school districts, charter schools and career and technical education centers in Allegheny County will receive a combined $10.7 million to make environmental repairs.

MILFORD — The school system needs about $475 million in improvements over the next 20 years, a consultant that assessed its 14 schools has concluded.
The facilities assessment is a piece in a four-prong study that will be used to determine the district's long -range plan for the school buildings and operating infrastructure.While no decisions were made during Monday's meeting, most board members agreed, the information was useful and the work is ongoing.
About 30 members of the public attended the school board meeting at Jonathan Law High School. There were no public comments.  

Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D-Philadelphia) took a victory lap Monday under the Capitol rotunda following a ceremonial signing of a bill she championed that will fund solar projects in Pennsylvania schools. 

“A year and a half ago, we were standing here, we had a solar panel in front of the podium,” Fiedler said. “But we did not know we would get to this point today.”

The Solar for Schools legislation provides $25 million in state funding that can cover up to half approved school solar projects. But the real hope is that that money will serve as a bridge allowing approved school districts to access even more funding provided by the federal government through the Inflation Reduction Act. 

In an ideal situation, between state and federal funding, the majority of the initial costs of installing solar panels would be covered. And moreover, the installation of solar panels could greatly reduce electric costs, freeing up money for other educational programs.

But the cost and scope of projects can vary, as well as access to initial funding that some school districts may require. And Fiedler said she expects many school districts to apply for the available funds, which could be drained quickly.

Extreme heat over the Portland metro area prompted several school districts to release their students early or cancel classes completely on Friday due to a lack of air conditioning units.

School officials and environmental groups connect the absence of AC systems to a lack of funding for school modernization. They suggest such investment is needed to avoid heat-related school closures in the future and to better protect students as the climate crisis continues.

On Friday, temperatures continued to climb throughout most parts of the state prompting an excessive heat warning.

The role neighborhood schools once played as the center of community life is dwindling as public schools shutter across America.

Why it matters: School closures have well-documented impacts on academic outcomes, but more recent research shows they also can lower housing values, raise crime rates and diminish the social fabric of a neighborhood.

Yet districts rarely consider their community value when deciding whether buildings should close, experts tell Axios.
The big picture: More than 5,000 public schools closed across the U.S. between 2017 and 2022, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics.

Urban Institute research dating back to 2003 found that closures happened across urban, suburban and rural geographies and socioeconomic statuses.
Threat level: More districts may be forced to close schools after pandemic-era funding, which many institutions used to plug budget holes, expires at the end of this year, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cautions.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David Banks announced on Wednesday that 24 new school buildings are opening this year.

Their announcement comes the day before the start of the 2024-2025 school year for public school students.

The two dozen new school buildings will include 11,010 new seats across the city. It marks the most new K-12 seats opened by the School Construction Authority since 2003.

The new buildings are spread across four boroughs including nine in Brooklyn, eight in the Bronx, one in Manhattan, and six in Queens. They were constructed with green spaces and environmentally friendly materials.

Key features include innovative learning spaces and classrooms equipped with the latest technology, flexible space and furniture and collaborative work spaces.

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - The Monroe City School Board is focusing on safety and security with updates to its school campuses.

The school board held its facilities committee meeting at the administration building on Wednesday morning (Sept. 4) to talk about maintenance and facility conditions. Within the next two weeks, the school board will work with architect Brian McGuire of The Architecture Alliance Group to begin security assessments at certain schools.

“The safety assessment - I think that is definitely the right direction... to move for our district, so we can get back those reports to see the direction we need to go and prioritize our needs because as we know, majority of our buildings are 50 plus-year-old buildings,” said superintendent Sam Moore III of Monroe City Schools.

At this time, the pavilions at Martin Luther King Junior High School are out for bid, according to McGuire. Those pavilions will be for the new outdoor learning center. McGuire also said that the steel got delivered Wednesday for crews to begin building the new softball batting cage at Neville High School.

Students and teachers experience the challenges of climate change firsthand, including struggles with extreme heat exacerbated by poor air quality and ventilation, and more and more missed days due to heatwaves and wildfire smoke. All harm student performance and make it harder to learn.

A newly coalescing coalition of school districts, teachers, and nonprofits see a solution available to all schools, one that can not only alleviate these inconveniences, but also address inequalities and funding shortfalls and upgrade our crumbling schools. Half the nation’s elementary schools are over a half-century old, with near-failing maintenance scores from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Taking advantage of the IRA
By tapping into funding sources and incentives found in the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, schools can defray the costs of all manner of infrastructure investments that can help improve their resiliency and save money. Organizations such as Undaunted K12 are pushing schools to take advantage of the nation’s largest clean energy investment; of the roughly 13,000 districts in the U.S., just a couple dozen have applied so far.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Renew America’s Schools Program, in partnership with the DOE Efficient and Healthy Schools Program, today opened applications for the 2024-2025 Energy Champions Leading the Advancement of Sustainable Schools Program (Energy CLASS). This initiative, aimed at advancing building and energy management in schools around the country, supports the Biden-Harris administration’s broader Action Plan for Building Better School Infrastructure. Through the 2024-2025 Energy CLASS, participating local educational agencies (LEAs) will develop and advance plans, policies, and projects that make critical clean energy and health improvements, thereby promoting building and energy management in school districts across America. 

Each of the 50 participating LEAs will nominate an energy champion who will engage with Energy CLASS resources and trainings, and receive 1:1 expert advice on strategic energy management, project development, funding pathways, and related topics. Leveraging the outcome-based peer-to-peer learning network of Energy CLASS, champions will deepen bandwidth and knowledge for advancing the fiscal and environmental sustainability of their schools.