As the very first of the school bond construction projects begin to rise on their sites, massive cost increases for future projects loom on the horizon for Guilford County. 

Through ballot referendums in 2020 and 2022, voters approved a historic $2 billion in school bond debt, putting their support behind a plan that aimed to address the poor physical condition of many schools as well as changing enrollment trends, safety concerns and other issues. 

Now, inflation, elevated construction costs and other factors are making it look like the money might only be enough to pay for a fraction of what was planned. 

While county commissioners and school board members had already been through sticker shock over increased costs for the first round of projects, some estimates for future projects appear even worse.  

For example, it looks like costs to replace Vandalia and Bessemer elementary schools could each be nearly triple the original 2019 estimates. Their anticipated $83 million and $84 million price tags put them in the same ballpark as the expected costs to build Kiser Middle School, now about 10% complete, according to the district. 

Across the nation, a new school year is about to start amid record-breaking stretches of scorching heat and sporadic spikes in poor air-quality conditions. Individual districts’ preparedness to confront these weather-related challenges varies widely.

But an aging infrastructure coupled with these increasingly hot temperatures are factoring into districts’ struggles to keep up with cooling demands.

“The average school building is 50 years old,” said Mike Pickens, the executive director of the National Council on School Facilities. “Forty-one percent of schools in our country need their HVAC system updated or replaced.”

Pickens advises districts to be “proactive, preventive, or even predictive” when it comes to maintenance of school buildings’ heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning, or HVAC, systems. But the sudden onslaught of heat and poor air quality that is pummeling most of the nation this summer has increased the urgency for air-controlled school buildings.

CEDAR RAPIDS — Cedar Rapids school leaders will be doing more “fact finding” and “go back to the drawing board to seek out other possibilities” for middle schools based on feedback they received from the city council about a facility plan, Superintendent Tawana Grover said.

The school board and Cedar Rapids City Council held their first joint meeting Wednesday to discuss a facility master plan proposed by the school district. The plan requires a combined $445 million bond referendum to be approved by voters — the first half of which could go to voters in November. The second bond referendum of $225 million could go to voters in November 2029.

Grover, who began as superintendent of the almost 16,000-student school district April 3, said she was “very grateful” the two councils could discuss the plan together. This was the first time the entities held a joint meeting since facility planning began with the school district’s elementary schools in 2018.

The Virginia Board of Education moved Thursday to open a second application period for School Construction Assistance Program funding. About $85 million is still available for school divisions with plans for construction or renovation projects.

In May, the board approved 40 grants for projects in 28 school divisions. Those awards used about 80% of the $450 million allocated by the General Assembly in 2022 for the program. 

The state received 119 applications for the grants this spring. Each was graded on a 100-point scale based on 11 criteria including building age and economic need. 

Projects needed a minimum score of 65 to receive a grant for 10%, 20% or 30% of the project cost.

A second application period means schools that did not submit projects have another chance to do so. It also means that projects that didn’t meet the funding threshold can reapply. 

Indianapolis Public Schools says its planned sale of two school buildings that closed this year is exempt from a state law designed to make such district facilities available to charter schools for $1. 

The school board on Thursday voted unanimously to authorize officials to begin the sales process for Raymond Brandes School 65 and Francis Bellamy School 102, two of the six schools that closed at the end of the 2022-23 school year as part of the district’s Rebuilding Stronger reorganization. 

But the district will only consider transferring the properties to another government agency or selling them to a nonprofit organization for the first 30 days of the process before opening up the sales to other buyers.

The state’s so-called $1 law in general requires districts to make such buildings available to charter schools or state educational institutions for a sale price or annual lease of $1. But IPS maintains that changes to the statute that lawmakers approved earlier this year mean the law does not apply to its sale of the two facilities. That interpretation of the law has garnered pushback from charter supporters. 

CARDIGAN, P.E.I. — A school in Cardigan is gearing up to become the first carbon-neutral school in P.E.I.
Cardigan Consolidated School is replacing its oil boilers with an inground geothermal system for temperature control in the building and installing a 100-kilowatt solar panel array system for basic electricity.
Additional renewable energy and efficiency upgrades are also planned to allow the building to produce as much renewable energy as it consumes annually.
“The education system is already leading by example by reducing transportation by using electric school buses, and Cardigan Consolidated will take the lead in reducing the emissions of our existing government buildings,” said Energy Minister Steven Myers.
“Youth leadership is essential to realizing a net zero future, so the students in Cardigan will also get a front-row seat to the latest net-zero technologies.”
 

Students and staff in the East Ramapo Central School District, about 30 miles north of New York City, cannot drink the tap water in any of the public school buildings, according to a new state-mandated survey, and the chronic state of disrepair has prompted calls for a takeover of the school system.

The East Ramapo public schools serve more than 9,200 K-12 students, and all 13 school buildings received a failing rating in a survey of building conditions completed by a New York-based architecture, engineering and construction management firm. The district’s school administration building also received a failing rating, and other buildings in the district received unsatisfactory ratings.

It would cost more than $230 million to make all the necessary repairs, the firm, CSArch, estimated.

Lead was detected in the water in many of the schools in 2016, and some taps and water fountains were shut off at the time. Tap water is available now for hand-washing and cleaning, but students and staff must rely on bottled water and water from filling stations for drinking, according to a spokesperson for the district.

SEASIDE, Calif. —
Over 400 students attending George C. Marshall Elementary School will spend the entire 2023-2024 school year at a different campus.
Students have been relocated to the Dual Language Academy of the Monterey Peninsula while their original campus undergoes construction.
Thanks to bond dollars from Measure I and P, the school is undergoing several improvements including: ADA stairs and ramp improvements, heating ventilation, new flooring, play structures, security fencing, technology tools like projectors and more.
The effort is part of the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District's ongoing plan to update and modernize aging facilities, which dates back over a decade.
Measure I, which passed in 2010, provided $110 million for critical repairs but was found to be an inadequate amount.
 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As a parent, Brandon Jefferson is excited about the future of PS7 Elementary School in Sacramento's Oak Park neighborhood. 
The school is getting a new campus and Jefferson says it will provide a better educational experience for his two daughters at the school.
"It's a great school," said Jefferson. "We have some of the best teachers. They get kids ready and prepared for college, and I wanted my kids to experience that. The new campus means a lot to me because they are going to be able to go to school in a state of the art facility."
The PS7 Elementary campus was built in the 1950s, making it more than 70-years-old. St. HOPE Public Schools oversees the aging facility. 
The school serves 557 students. According to the California Department of Education, 58% are Black and 25% are Hispanic or Latino. St. HOPE says all students deserve an education without barriers.
 

BEIJING, July 24 (Reuters) - The concrete roof of a school gymnasium collapsed in China's Qiqihar city, killing 11 people, state media reported on Monday, with many victims believed to be young female volleyball players.
Authorities said the illegal stacking of materials on the roof may have caused it to cave in, Xinhua reported.
Initially 15 people were trapped underneath the rubble and state media learned at 10 a.m. (0200 GMT) that authorities had pulled out the last person buried beneath, a student, who showed no vital signs.
The collapse at the No. 34 Middle School in Longsha District in Qiqihar, located in northeast China's Heilongjiang province, was reported at 2:56 p.m. (0656 GMT) on Sunday, according to the provincial fire and rescue department, Xinhua said.
A female volleyball team was training in the gymnasium at the time, a man told China Youth Daily as he waited anxiously at the local hospital for news of his 16-year-old daughter.
 

Every day, students around the country attend school in buildings that are outdated—sometimes more than a century old. Without sufficient budget for infrastructure upgrades, those aging buildings might have leaky roofs, moldy ceilings, or a lack of air conditioning—all of which make for less-than-optimal learning environments.

The Energy CLASS (Champions Leading the Advancement of Sustainable Schools) Prize was designed to give underserved communities a leg up when it comes to making those needed upgrades in their schools. Now, 25 local education agencies (LEAs) have been named Energy CLASS prize winners and awarded $100,000 each, along with the training and one-on-one coaching needed to put those funds to work helping their schools meet health and energy-efficiency goals.

Seven schools in Jefferson County will benefit from energy efficiency and system upgrades that are designed to not only save costs, but create healthier and safer learning environments for students.

Jefferson County Schools (JEFCOED) is among the first-round recipients of a federal Renew America’s Schools grant from the Department of Energy. In partnership with Alabama Power, JEFCOED will use the funds for upgrades at the following facilities.

“This grant award is big for Jefferson County Schools for a lot of reasons,” said Superintendent Walter B. Gonsoulin Jr. “We’ll be able to improve facilities at these schools, not to mention save on energy costs. That money can be put towards other programs that will improve student learning and student outcomes. We are very grateful for this grant and our partnership with Alabama Power.”

On days of extreme heat, schoolyards often turn from joyful sites of play to hazardous environments where asphalt particles fill the air and playgrounds overheat, giving children thermal burns.

With an understanding that extreme heat often disproportionately impacts California's children at school, Cal Fire is providing grants to convert pavement into green spaces, plant trees and other vegetation and create drought-tolerant natural areas on school campuses. It will also fund activities that help children connect with nature.

The first round of funding, which includes $47 million in grants, will provide an implementation grant to a project in the San Francisco Unified School District and includes planning grants for schools in Contra Costa, Sonoma, Monterey, Santa Clara, and Alameda counties.

Work has begun on a $19 million expansion/renovation project at Annville-Cleona’s secondary school.

District superintendent Krista M. Antonis said the project was launched earlier in July and is projected to finish by December 2024.

Construction, which will add approximately 26,324 square feet to the school, should not interfere with classes this coming school year, Antonis added.

“We’re looking to do most of the work during the summer months,” she said. “It will have minimal impact on classes.”

Components of the project include renovations to the cafeteria, expanding it out the back to add more space for students; the addition of an LGI, or large-group instruction room, which can be converted into three individual classrooms if needed; renovations and expansions to the main gymnasium, wrestling room and locker rooms; renovations to the stadium, adding two team rooms under the home bleachers, updating the concession stand, providing additional restroom facilities and making the bleachers and sidewalks ADA compliant; renovations to the metal and wood shop; additions to the office and conference room space; and additions to the auxiliary gym, fitness center, and PE classroom.

MILLCREEK, Utah — The confusing sign outside Oakridge Elementary School in Millcreek currently reads "No dogs allowed, goats at work."
This summer, the Granite School District has employed an unlikely crew to rid outdoor spaces at several schools of pesky weeds and invasive plants.
Utah schoolyards
By: Shanti LernerPosted at 2:22 PM, Jul 18, 2023 and last updated 4:43 PM, Jul 18, 2023
MILLCREEK, Utah — The confusing sign outside Oakridge Elementary School in Millcreek currently reads "No dogs allowed, goats at work."
This summer, the Granite School District has employed an unlikely crew to rid outdoor spaces at several schools of pesky weeds and invasive plants.
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“It takes a lot of man hours or chemicals or other things to control the weeds, and so this is a very cost-effective way to naturally clear those weeds," said Ben Horsely, spokesperson for the district. “These goats, these employees of ours, work really hard and they eat a lot.
"They're very hungry and they do an amazing job.”
The school district has been using this type of vegetation clearing for the last five or six years, and it has become a smart solution to maintaining school grounds across the district.
 

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — After Lynchburg City Schools released the four scenarios for the Facilities Master Plan, school leaders held an open house at Paul Munro Elementary School to start getting feedback from parents.
Each plan calls for the closure or conversion of one or more elementary schools.
According to Lynchburg City Schools, these are the following schools that could be affected:
Fort Hill Community School
Dearington Elementary School
T.C. Miller Elementary School
Paul Munro Elementary School
Sandusky Elementary School
During Monday night's open house, ABC13 spoke to numerous parents about the plans. Many told us that the thought of a neighborhood school possibly closing leaves them uneasy.
Ali Rosenberger has three children at Paul Munro, which is one of the schools that could close. The young mother said she still has a number of questions that haven't been answered.
"Most of my questions were really unanswered or led to more questions," Rosenberger said. "I think we have a ways to go to figure these things out."
The mother said she also fears how school closures will impact the district.
 

Imagine Hawaii’s keiki sitting in hot classrooms.  That has been an issue for our public schools for many years, with then-Governor Ige signing several bills, such as Act 47 of 2016 that appropriated $100 million toward heat abatement upgrades, and Act 260 of 2022 that appropriated another $10 million.

At the time, people in the communities involved were ready and willing to donate air conditioners for the classrooms.  Some did, and to their dismay, found out that the existing circuits in the school simply didn’t have the capacity to handle the unit.  The Department of Education (DOE) found “circuits are blown for a couple of classrooms or even whole wings of campuses.  With that comes a potential fire hazard.”

Following that revelation, facilities geniuses at our DOE came up with the idea of using solar powered air conditioners.  They managed to install them in 880 classrooms and spent $122 million in the process, according to reporting from Hawaii News Now.  This translated into a cost of more than $138,000 per classroom.  Regular air conditioners could be bought for $2,000 per classroom, according to former HSTA president and Campbell High School teacher Corey Rosenlee.

When classes resume in August, White Pine County students will have to continue to make do with century-old elementary and middle school facilities that the district superintendent says will cost more to fix than replace. 

At over 100 years old, David E. Norman Elementary School and White Pine Middle School in Ely are part of state history. But White Pine County School District Superintendent Adam Young said their age also makes them “inadequate and concerning.” 

The elementary school, built in 1909, has poor indoor air quality and lacks a reliable heating and cooling system that can make it tough for students during extreme weather conditions. The middle school, built in 1913, has similar issues. 

Both buildings have limited or noncompliant Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility. One of the biggest challenges the district faces with both facilities is the asbestos within the walls, floors, plumbing and ceiling. That means any upgrades to the facilities will require asbestos abatement, which can make any renovation project more expensive. 

The vast majority of Santa Monica schools are in need of repair according to recent data provided to state regulators, but the reality on the ground may not be as dire as the paperwork suggests. 

The Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Board heard an update to several state-mandated reports last week including a facilities update that said 71 percent of the district’s facilities are not in “good repair.”

School Districts are required to self assess their physical facilities as part of a wide ranging evaluation that also covers topics like teacher assignments, student achievement and professional development. 

For facilities, the system ranks physical assets into four categories, exemplary, good, fair and poor. To be considered “good repair” a building must rank in the exemplary or good category and most local schools scored in the bottom half of the rankings.

“So, yes, the results of our, what is called our FITs inspection or facility inspections, this year is shocking,” said Carey Upton. “And that is not completely our fault.”

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Efficient and Healthy Schools Campaign recently recognized Springfield Public Schools, citing the district’s “exemplary projects to improve the energy and environmental performance of their school’s facilities.”

Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick said the district is one of 17 school districts nationwide to receive such recognition. The district was honored for upgrading facilities with technologies and practices that create healthy and more sustainable learning environments for students and staff and lower their facilities’ energy needs, carbon emissions, and utility bills.