Just as the state has been trumpeting its opening 13 public preschool classrooms well in advance of its Ready Keiki plan to open 50 to 80 by August, a bill is advancing to repeal the relatively new state School Facilities Authority and move all school construction back again to the state Department of Education, and the authority’s founding executive director has abruptly resigned.

Supporters of state Senate Bill 3328, introduced by a dozen senators led by Senate Vice President and Education Chair Michelle Kidani (D, Mililani Town-Waipio Gentry-Royal Kunia), say moving construction back into the DOE’s purview is best for efficiency, and the School Facilities Authority has run out of political will.

But some observers are asking whether the DOE is fit to take back new-facilities construction when it is already struggling with a backlog of more than $2 billion in construction projects. DOE has about $876 million obligated in contracts for ongoing projects, while another $893 million is set to lapse June 30 and another $331 million lapses in June 2026, according to a DOE Even one of the bill’s introducers, state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim (D, Kalihi-Fort Shafter-Red Hill), expressed some skepticism about its proposed changes during a Feb. 7 hearing of the Senate Education Committee, of which Kim is vice chair.

At a meeting with Chicago Public Schools officials last week, local parents said area schools are in need of infrastructural repairs and program improvements, and pushed back on schools being characterized as “underutilized.”

The Feb. 8 meeting was a roundtable discussion to gather input on the state of local school facilities for CPS’ upcoming five-year Educational Facilities Master Plan, which will inform how CPS spends its money on building repairs and improvements over the next five years. Held at Ray Elementary School, 5631 S. Kimbark Ave., the meeting was the latest of 16 planned across the city.

As part of the master plan process, CPS conducts a neighborhood-by-neighborhood analysis of the current state of its facilities, as well as enrollment trends, program offerings, demographics, and unique community needs, per the plan’s description.

The average school building in America is nearly half a century old, and almost a third of the nation’s public schools have at least one portable or non-permanent structure on their campus, new federal data show.

A growing body of research shows students perform better on tests when their school buildings are well-maintained and modern. The health consequences of prolonged exposure to toxins like mold and asbestos in school buildings can last long into adulthood. And the emergence of COVID put renewed pressure on schools to ensure students and staff are breathing clean air.

But a large share of the nation’s 100,000 schools have buildings in major disrepair. Close to half of educators surveyed by the EdWeek Research Center in 2023 gave their buildings a “C” grade or worse. Advocates estimate the nation would need to collectively spend $85 billion a year on top of its current school facilities investments in order to ensure every school building gets adequately renovated.

WASHINGTON (February 15, 2024)—Nearly one-third of public schools (31 percent) have one or more non-permanent (portable) buildings in use on campus, according to data released today by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the statistical center within the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Additionally, major repair, renovation, or modernization work was being performed in 21 percent of all public schools as of December of this academic year, when the survey was administered. The average age of the main instructional building among reporting U.S. public schools is 49 years, with 38 percent constructed before 1970.1

“The condition of our school facilities plays a critical role in the education of more than 49 million U.S public school students,” said NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr. “School facilities provide a setting for learning and affect health and comfort of the school’s students and staff. As such, these data provide insight into the current condition of our schools as the nation continues down the road to learning recovery.”

Feb. 15—CHEYENNE — The construction of school facility projects has long been funded at the state level, but lawmakers in the Wyoming Senate now suggest passing that off to the local districts.

A joint resolution introduced in the Senate on Thursday calls for an amendment to the state constitution, which would transfer the responsibility for all school facility construction projects to local school districts. Senate Joint Resolution 5, "School capital construction-constitutional amendment," was sponsored and introduced on the floor by Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper.

"Our current system really is not going to work any longer," Scott said. "As a practical matter, we've got to do something differently."

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday announced a “long overdue” plan to build new facilities to better serve deaf, blind and visually-impaired students at historic but dilapidated schools in Little Rock. 

The disrepair of the Arkansas School for the Deaf and the Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired was highlighted last fall when the governor and a group of bipartisan lawmakers toured the facilities, which are located about a mile west of the state Capitol.

“We will invest significant resources to build a new state-of-the-art facility on the current campus, combine administrative functions and provide additional high-quality instruction on a regional basis,” Sanders said. “And we’re going to prioritize student safety and happiness so that ASD and ASB will thrive as they were intended to right here in the heart of our capital city.” 

Sanders said there will be further discussions about construction and funding, and while there’s not yet a specific timeline for the project, she said the goal is to work as quickly as possible. 

The state has received some estimates on the project, Sanders said, and the Legislature previously set aside roughly $30 million in 2022 for the schools.

PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles School District’s aging infrastructure has been kept in good working order through regular preventive maintenance and responding promptly to emergency repairs, Superintendent Marty Brewer told the board.
Nonetheless, five schools that are between 45 and 70 years old have deteriorated to the point where they need to be replaced.
“We have a responsibility to address our facilities’ needs before it gets to the point where we don’t have solutions,” Brewer said during a review of the district’s 30-year plan on Thursday.
Brewer’s presentation and that of Nolan Duce, director of maintenance and facilities, were preludes to the district’s intention in November to ask voters to support a bond issue that would fund construction of new Port Angeles High and Franklin Elementary schools.
The board would need to approve such a measure and it has not yet been presented with one.
 

The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in northern Nevada broke ground Friday on a new school that will replace a 70-year-old building tribal leaders have linked to many cancer deaths in the community.

“It’s quite the accomplishment,” said tribal Chairman Brian Mason. “It was a big effort by just not myself, but everybody involved. And it couldn’t have benefited a better demographic group than the children. And that’s all that really matters.”

The Owyhee Combined School, where generations of tribal members were educated, sits adjacent to hydrocarbon plumes that Mason believes is the cause of more than 100 cancer cases among tribal members over the years.

In the 1950s, a maintenance shop owned by the Bureau of Indian Affairs began disposing of diesel and other oils through a shallow injection well. By the 1980s, the school’s water began tasting and smelling like fuel, according to Mason.

Although the old drinking water wells were capped and replaced by new ones, tribal leaders fear the contaminants could remain in the old school pipes.

The Madison School Board on Monday discussed its plan to transition the school district to 100% renewable energy by 2040 — a goal that will likely require revisions given the scale of the proposed changes.
The necessary updates to district buildings, which would focus on electrifying heating systems, will cost around $1 billion. These upgrades would be made alongside other building renovations.
Most of this money would be generated through regular referendums, which could potentially begin as soon as November 2024 and last through 2044, according to board materials. Other money would come from fundraising or federal grants, according to Bob Soldner, the district’s assistant superintendent for financial services.
“I think it’s fair to say the majority of these funds are going to need to be approved by voters, but there could clearly be other fundraising to supplement what voters would approve,” Soldner told the Wisconsin State Journal Monday.
 

Here in Hawaii, our Department of Education is unique in several respects.  In most states, K-12 education is handled by localities such as towns and counties and is largely funded by property tax.  Our DOE, however, is descended from royalty – it was established by King Kamehameha III in 1840 – and it now runs education statewide.  No property tax is used to fund education; our state constitution now says that the property tax is the exclusive kuleana of the counties.

The DOE also is unique in that it is the only state agency with the power to impose a tax.  (Even the Department of Taxation only administers and enforces taxes imposed by laws enacted by the legislature.)  The tax that DOE imposes is called the school impact fee.  We have written about it before.  Basically, developers of housing projects are required to provide land for school facilities depending on the number of kids that the projects are expected to house and the amount of capacity (or lack thereof) in the schools that now serve those projects.  Builders in the same districts that are too small to be expected to provide land are required to cough up some money instead.  In addition, all home builders or buyers must pay a construction cost fee.

BAY CITY, Mich. (WNEM) - Heading to the polls in just over two weeks, voters will decide if they want to keep paying to help one school district maintain and care for its buildings.
Voters in Bay City approved the millage when it first appeared on the ballot in 2018 with 56 percent saying yes and 44 percent no.
The Bay City Public Schools Superintendent, Stephen Bigelow, said he’s hoping for the same outcome this time around.
“Something that is incredibly important for Bay City Public Schools,” Bigelow said about a 10-year renewal of the sinking fund millage.
He said voters renewing the sinking fund millage through 2034 is vital to the school district.
“What a sinking fund does is, it provides districts with money that they can count on to put specifically towards maintenance and care of facilities,” he explained.
If approved, the sinking fund millage will bring in about $1.4 million annually for the upkeep of 13 buildings in the school district.
“Our newest building is 50-years-old and our oldest building, Bay City Central, is over 100-years-old, so they take a lot of care,” Bigelow said. “We certainly want to make sure that we’re keeping all of our buildings up to spec and making sure that things are looking good and working properly.”
 

Flood control measures installed to protect Valley High School and its campus, including the New Kensington-Arnold School District’s football stadium, are overdue for needed maintenance.

A debris basin at the upper end of the campus is 80% full and “minimally functioning,” said Jim Pillsbury, a hydraulic engineer with the Westmoreland Conservation District.

A dozen V-shaped deflectors in Little Pucketa Creek, made from rocks and intended to help the stream keep itself clean as it flows past the school, also need maintenance, he said.

And while the district is working to replace the twin pedestrian bridges over the creek, it also would be helpful if the district avails itself of the opportunity to remove sediment from the channel, which Pillsbury said there would be less of if the basin had been maintained more regularly.

School board member Bob Pallone and other district officials recently met with Pillsbury about the creek. Pallone, who returned to the board following last year’s election, heads the board’s buildings and grounds committee.

Harrisburg, PA - Recognizing that students cannot learn, grow, and thrive without access to safe and healthy school facilities, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) today announced $75 million in grant funding to help schools to make environmental repairs and improvements. 

“Preparing and nurturing the next generation of successful Pennsylvanians starts with making sure all students have a safe, healthy environment to learn in,” said Secretary Dr. Khalid N. Mumin. “These grants help school districts make necessary upgrades and repairs to their buildings and learning spaces to ensure that our students and school staff have safe air to breathe, water to drink, and classrooms to learn in.”

Eliminating lead and asbestos along with other environmental contaminants in schools lowers cumulative exposure across childhood, leads to better cognitive and overall health outcomes for children, and increases the likelihood of academic and career success.

In fall 2023, the leaders of the Milton Town School District unveiled the design for its new elementary and middle school. 
The existing Milton Elementary School was first built in the 1950s to serve grades 1-6 and expanded piecemeal over the following decades, eventually becoming the district’s pre-K-8 school. 
By 2020, the oldest parts of the building had long been showing their age. A perennial mold problem had plagued the school for decades, and the school boilers were on their last legs. Leaders said upgrades were sorely needed.
The initial cost estimate of almost $200 million gave the community pause, but it was the challenges of the current annual budget cycle that ultimately led the district to table the much-needed project this year. 
The latest projections indicate that property taxes could increase statewide by an average of 20% next year. That figure, local and statewide school officials have said, is largely due to ballooning health care costs, maintenance and student mental health needs resulting in higher education spending, with less federal support available as a result of expiring Covid-era relief funding. 
Some are also pointing fingers at Act 127, a new law taking effect this budget season that changes the way statewide education funding is distributed. Its purpose is, in short, to direct more funding to schools with pupils who are more expensive to teach, such as English language learners, rural students and students living in poverty.
 

KATY, TX (Covering Katy News) – The Katy Independent School District was awarded $391,502 this year as part of the CenterPoint Energy SCORE (Schools Conserving Resources and Energy) Program for its energy-saving efforts throughout the district. This figure represents a substantial increase of nearly $140,000 compared to the amount received at the same time last year.

With the opening of each new school, renovations to existing campuses, incorporating new Building Automation Systems, and replacing essential components such as HVAC systems, lighting, chillers, and boilers, these decisions and enhancements have proven cost-effective and energy-efficient.

“We take immense pride in the great strides we have been able to make to reduce energy consumption district-wide,” said Ted Vierling, Chief Operations Officer at Katy ISD. “The energy-saving practices implemented across our schools and facilities are a testament to Katy ISD’s responsible stewardship of taxpayer funds. As part of our ongoing effort, we will continue to pursue Energy Star Certifications for all our schools."

Idaho Republican leaders introduced a bill Thursday that would provide $1.5 billion in new funding over 10 years for school districts to repair and replace their aging and overcrowded school buildings — a proposal they said would mark the largest investment in school facilities in state history.
The bill would create the School Modernization Facilities Fund, which districts could use for construction and maintenance needs. It would also provide money through an existing fund to help school districts pay off their bonds and levies, which are used to finance school facilities and district operating costs.
School districts across Idaho have for decades faced challenges to fixing or replacing their aging, deteriorating schools and to building new ones to accommodate growth. Last year, an Idaho Statesman and ProPublica series showed how the state’s restrictive school funding policies and the Legislature’s reluctance to make significant investments in school facilities have challenged teachers and affected student learning. Some students have had to learn in schools with leaky ceilings, discolored water, failing plumbing and freezing classrooms.
During Gov. Brad Little’s State of the State address earlier this year, he announced he wanted to make funding for school facilities “priority No. 1.” He proposed putting $2 billion toward school facilities over 10 years, or $200 million per year.
 

The Paradise Valley Unified School District Governing Board approved on Thursday night to close three schools because of lack of enrollment.

The board voted 4-1 to eliminate Sunset Canyon Elementary, Desert Springs Preparatory and Vista Verde Middle School. The closures will happen for the 2024-2025 school year. The measure also includes redoing the boundaries for Desert Trails Elementary School and Sonoran Sky Elementary School. Hidden Hills Elementary was on the chopping block but the Governing Board voted against closing that school.

Here are the new proposed school changes:
Consolidate Sunset Canyon Elementary students with Eagle Ridge Elementary School
Consolidate Desert Springs Preparatory Elementary School with North Ranch Elementary School, Liberty Elementary School and Desert Shadows Elementary School
Consolidate Vista Verde Middle School students with Greenway Middle School and Sunrise Middle School
Proposed boundary changes:
Reboundary Desert Trails Elementary School east of 56th St. to Pinnacle Peak Preparatory (north of Deer Valley) and Grayhawk Elementary School (south of Deer Valley)
Reboundary Sonoran Sky Elementary School triangle west of Scottsdale Rd. to North Ranch Elementary School

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WFXR)—U.S. Senator Tim Kaine cosponsored a bill to improve public school infrastructure across the country.

The bill, ‘Rebuild America’s Schools Act,’ would help ensure school facilities are safe, healthy, and sustainable and offer positive learning environments for all students. School infrastructure projects developed through the bill would also create over two million jobs across America.

“Our students and educators deserve the safe, healthy, and up-to-date learning environments they need to succeed,” said Senator Kaine. “This bill will help make much-needed infrastructure upgrades to schools in Virginia while boosting our economy and creating millions of jobs.”

School districts can now access uncapped, noncompetitive and unlimited direct payment in lieu of federal tax credits to finance clean energy initiatives like solar panels, ground source heat pumps and electric buses. 

These investments can result in reduced costs and air pollution and provide resilient infrastructure, said those supportive of the new initiative. 

Known as the ”direct pay″ provision in the Inflation Reduction Act, the program allows tax-exempt entities like schools to receive tax-free cash payment for qualifying projects for the tax year their clean energy initiatives were put into service. This funding can be combined with other revenue sources, such as grants and utility rebates, and covers projects that began service after Jan. 1, 2023.

More than 100 schools in England with dangerous concrete will need to have blocks rebuilt or refurbished, the Government has announced.

The Department for Education (DfE) published a final list of 234 schools with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) on Thursday.

They include 119 of schools where one or more buildings need to be rebuilt or refurbished through the Government’s School Rebuilding Programme.

A further 110 schools and colleges where the presence of Raac was found to be less extensive will receive a grant to help them remove the concrete.

Hundreds of schools and colleges in England have been identified as having the crumbly concrete in some areas of their buildings since the Government first raised the alarm in August last year about the risk of buildings collapsing.