BRUNSWICK — During a brisk November recess, four giggling fourth graders sat atop a slide embedded in a shrub-covered hillside. They inched down as one, arms and legs intertwined, to elude monsters lurking among the nearby boulders.
“There’s the monster!” said Monroe Forgues, pointing at a stand of tall native grasses. The girls shrieked. “Oh no! I’m slipping,” line leader Abrielle Mackenzie-Hinkley said. “Stick together,” Royalty Steed urged her friends. “It can’t get us if we stick together!”
The foursome bested their imaginary foe, repeatedly, racing each other up and down the hillside at the center of Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School’s new nature-based playground. Built in 2024, the yard features native plants, rock and stump-lined paths and a nearby tunnel. Next to it is a greenhouse and garden.
“The kids just love it, especially the open-ended nature of it,” Principal Heather Blanchard said. “Do we have more skinned knees? Give out more Band-Aids? Probably. But it’s also the perfect low-stakes setting for our students to get dirty, take chances and test their limits.”
The school is one of at least three dozen in Maine, from South Portland to Skowhegan, that have embraced outdoor play and learning areas that use natural elements like boulders, logs, plants and water to encourage exploration, problem solving and an affinity for the environment.
 

Mayor Muriel Bowser, DC Public Schools Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee, and community leaders recently celebrated the completion of a $63 million renovation of Dorothy I. Height Elementary School in Ward 4. The 86,000-square-foot facility serves students’ academic needs and honors civil rights leader Dorothy Height.
The renovated school, which opened for the 2024–2025 school year, now serves nearly 400 students and features new playgrounds, a rooftop activity area, an all-electric kitchen, and a modern cafeteria. Mayor Bowser's office reported that the project has received multiple industry awards for its innovative design and construction.
 

In the summer of 2021, Duval Pre-K through 8 school in Lincoln County closed its doors due to issues with settling ground and flooding, making the school unsafe.

As a result of the closure, students were moved into temporary classrooms, other schools and the central office of Lincoln County Schools.

"I'm sure the students are excited because as it stands right now they are in the internal side of the building," Lincoln County Schools Superintendent Frank Barnett said. "There are no exterior windows, no natural light coming in the classrooms. They are about a little over half the size of what they will be in the new facility. This used to be a career center so a lot of the classrooms are actually like automotive bays, welding shops, things of that nature with just concrete floors."

Now, four years after the closure, a new school is being built in place of the old one.

Barnett said he's excited for the students and faculty to finally have a school to call their own once construction wraps up.

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. —
Students, parents and teachers urged officials at the Howard County Board of Education to revive plans for renovations at a high school.
The group gathered Thursday night to vouch for Oakland Mills High School, even though the proposal was not formally on the meeting agenda.
Still, several community members planned to speak during the public comment period to demand action.
Protesters said the condition of the building, which was constructed in 1973, has worsened to the point of being unsafe.
"It's only right that our taxpayer dollars give them water they can drink, air they can breathe and classrooms that are climate-controlled enough that they can focus," said Amy Brooks, a teacher at Oakland Mills who has been advocating for improvements.
 

The Archuleta School District (ASD) Board of Education (BoE) held a community listening session on Tuesday, Dec. 2, where numerous community members shared their thoughts on the school district’s plans to build a new school, either uptown at the Vista Boulevard site or downtown on the south end of the high school campus site.

BoE president Bob Lynch opened the discussion by explaining that the district is assessing the two possible sites and information that has been provided by the district’s Master Planning Advisory Committee (MPAC).

“The assessment, not a recommendation, has come to us,” he said.

With it being a work session, the BoE allowed members of the public more than the traditional three minutes to speak.

“We’re here to listen,” Lynch said, noting the goal was to have a “respectful discussion all around.”

Palisades Charter High School students are scheduled to return to their campus in January, one year after the Palisades fire devastated their community and badly damaged the popular school, displacing some 3,000 students.

The plan is for students to use the approximately 70% of campus that was damaged by smoke but not destroyed as well as portable buildings that will temporarily occupy the baseball field.

“For the buildings ... that are intact, we’re going through the industrial cleaning process and getting those buildings repaired,” Issam Dahdul, a senior facilities administrator, said in a presentation Tuesday to a committee of the Board of Education. The property occupied by the independent charter school is owned by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

“We’re hoping they’ll be able to return after winter break,” Dahdul said. “They have not cleared all of the environmental clearances yet, so we’re still working on that, and we’re going to continue to work with that community to inform them as to when it’s safe to return to those buildings.”

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Wichita Public Schools will vacate one of the district’s oldest school buildings after discovering structural damage to Chester Lewis Academic Learning Center’s foundation.

The district found mold, air quality issues and growing cracks in and around the building’s structure. Students and staff will relocate to the former Cleveland Elementary School building in southwest Wichita over winter break.

District inspections reveal widespread issues
Wichita Public Schools discovered structural problems at East and North high schools, which led to large financial investments for repairs in 2021. This prompted WPS to start inspections on all older buildings, leading to the discoveries at Chester Lewis last month.

“Our facilities teams have worked hard to extend the life of our buildings and our systems that go far beyond expectations. But sometimes our efforts can only go so far,” said Wichita Public Schools Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld. “And because of the findings at Chester-Lewis, we are relocating students and staff.”

In the heart of Watertown, Massachusetts, a new kind of high school is rising. The new Watertown High School will be the first LEED Platinum 4.0 and Net Zero Energy high school in the United States, a building that will produce as much energy as it uses over the course of a year. It is a flagship project for a community that has made climate resiliency part of its building code and part of its identity. 

"When it opens this spring, the new Watertown High will be completely self-sustaining and all electric," said Mark Sideris, president of the Watertown City Council. 

A tiny site with big ambitions 
The four-story high school sits on just four acres near the center of the city. To make it work, designers went up instead of out. 

Two stories of community space sit on top of a 128-space underground parking garage for staff. Above that is a compact four-story academic tower, wrapped around a central atrium. The site will also include an outdoor dining option, student gardens, hard surface play and learning zones above the garage, and a flexible field where the old high school once stood. 

Ten North Carolina school districts will share more than $392 million in state lottery-funded grants to replace and renovate aging facilities, state education officials said Wednesday.

The grants target some of the state’s most economically distressed counties. The projects cover seven elementary schools, two high schools, and one Career and Technical Education center. They involve the complete renovation of two existing buildings and the construction of 14 replacements.

State officials said several of the facilities slated for demolition were built in the 1950s and 1960s.

“This funding is critical to sustaining and nurturing excellence in North Carolina public schools. It’s an important step in our journey to ensure that a zip code does not determine the quality of a child’s education,” state Superintendent of Public InstructionMo Green said during a press conference.

Altogether, the state received 92 applications totaling nearly $2 billion in requested funding, but only 10 districts were selected, according to officials. The Department of Public Instruction reviewed each proposal against seven criteria established in state law, including the county’s economic tier designation and the severity of facility deficiencies.

“These projects will transform the learning environments and positively impact the daily lives of thousands of children and families across the state,” said Nathan Maune, Director of the Office of School Facilities.

Four eastern North Carolina school districts have hit the jackpot, being awarded millions in state lottery-funded grants for school construction and renovation projects. But Pitt County Schools did not receive the funding it had sought for security enhancements when the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction announced grants last week.

School districts in Greene and Wilson counties received $42 million each for the construction of new elementary schools, according to NCDPI. Greene County Schools will use the funds to replace West Greene Elementary School in Snow Hill. Wilson County Schools will construct a new Wilson Elementary School to consolidate two outdated elementary schools.

They were among 10 North Carolina school districts that will share more than $392 million in state lottery-funded grant awards for school construction and renovation projects. Five eastern North Carolina districts received the grants aimed at schools in economically distressed counties.

WAYNE, NJ — When Wayne voters rejected the $169.8 million facilities referendum nearly two years ago, the district was left with the same aging buildings, the same infrastructure problems, and few funding sources to address them. A newly filed Comprehensive Maintenance Plan required by the New Jersey Department of Education outlines how Wayne Township Public Schools is managing repairs across all 15 school buildings — and it shows that the work is being funded through annual maintenance appropriations, reserve accounts and, in at least one case, state grant funding tied to preschool facility expansion.

“I wanted to point out something that was a recurring theme — a complaint that people were throwing out there during our referendum," said Board of Ed Trustee, Harry Prassakos. “They were saying, ‘Oh, all these years they never put any money aside for maintenance.’ Well, if you pick up today’s agenda — which I know 99% of residents don’t really read — but if you look at today’s agenda, the November 13, 2025 Regular Meeting agenda, item O.4, we approved the Comprehensive Maintenance Plan, which is a requirement. So every year there is maintenance in the budget."

"That’s what we can budget," he added. “We need to budget more, but we don’t have that money.”

The Wooster City School District board is considering several options for its master facilities plan to address aging buildings, enrollment pressures and long-term financial stability.

Superintendent Gabe Tudor presented the options during a Board of Education meeting Nov. 20. The update outlined approaches designed to meet immediate needs while responding to community feedback about affordability and sustainability.

“For students to thrive, they must have access to safe, comfortable schools,” Tudor said. “These proposed plans reflect both the immediate needs of our students and our commitment to remaining fiscally responsible.”

For more than a decade, the Kuspuk School District asked Alaska's education department for the money to fix a rotting elementary school. The school, in the small and predominantly Indigenous community of Aniak in western Alaska, was in deep need of repairs. The nearby Kuskokwim River had flooded the 88-year-old building several times. The walls were moldy. Sewage was leaking into a space below the school's kitchen.
In 2018, the department finally approved the school district's $18.6 million funding request to build a new elementary school wing onto Aniak's middle and high school building, which was owned by the state.
But on Page 4 of the funding contract for the project, Alaska's education department included a catch.
"The State would only build the new school if the local school board agreed to own it when completed," former superintendent James Anderson said in an email to KYUK Public Media, NPR and ProPublica.
 

INOLA, Okla — The Inola community will vote on a $60 million school bond proposed by Inola Public Schools on Nov 18.
Early voting started Nov 13.
According to Superintendent Jeff Unrau, the bond is aiming to help students study more efficiently, as overcrowding has become an issue.
“We're just totally out of classrooms," he said. "Our faculty, our elementary administration, and our elementary teachers and faculty just do a great job of maintaining what we can do.”
school buildings
Proposed bond would ease cramped Inola school buildings
Inola PS School bond
By: Isabel Flores
Posted 6:10 PM, Nov 16, 2025 and last updated 11:04 PM, Nov 16, 2025
INOLA, Okla — The Inola community will vote on a $60 million school bond proposed by Inola Public Schools on Nov 18.
Early voting started Nov 13.
WATCH: Proposed bond would ease cramped Inola school buildings:

According to Superintendent Jeff Unrau, the bond is aiming to help students study more efficiently, as overcrowding has become an issue.
“We're just totally out of classrooms," he said. "Our faculty, our elementary administration, and our elementary teachers and faculty just do a great job of maintaining what we can do.”
Superintendent Unrau said fifth-grade students have had to be moved to the high school building, with many students already having to study in portable trailers.
He also said there are a few other things the school would have to focus on building.

Educational institutions across Connecticut, from public schools to colleges and universities, continue searching for ways to make their buildings and campuses more environmentally sustainable.
More are installing fuel cells — a form of technology that produces electricity, water and heat through a chemical reaction, without harmful emissions.
Some institutions, like the University of Connecticut, have been using fuel cells for years, and others, like Hamden High School, are turning to them now. Hamden High recently installed its first fuel cell. 
"Hamden, the town and schools, come out a big winner. ... We have a cleaner outcome that offers clean energy, reliable energy and resilience in the event of a disaster," said Gary Hale with Daisy Solutions LLC, which helps schools use clean energy. 
Daisy Solutions works with the Area Cooperative Educational Services, a regional organization that serves 25 school districts in south central Connecticut, to bring renewable energy to school districts. 
 

It’s four steps down, 18 to go.
Three towns in Oxford County took the fourth step last week when voters approved a referendum article to pursue withdrawal from Regional School Unit 10.
The long path ahead is now set. The Maine Department of Education has outlined a 22‑step timeline that towns must follow to withdraw from a school district. The first step came when an ad hoc committee was formed to explore secession.
The Nov. 4 vote marked the fourth step. The total vote was 920 in favor and 609 opposed.
If the process runs its course, the next time voters in the three towns would be involved is the 16th step, which is holding a special town meeting in each community to vote on the agreement of withdrawal. If the agreement passes, the final six steps would involve certification and notification of the results.
Special town meeting votes do not always match early referendum results, but for now the three towns have voted to pursue withdrawal.
The Nov. 4 votes pushed the project into the fifth step, requiring town clerks to officially notify Superintendent Deborah Alden of RSU 10 and Commissioner Pender Makin of the Maine Department of Education of the results. The commissioner, in turn, is expected to direct the towns to appoint a committee to prepare an agreement of withdrawal.
That is the sixth step, and it could come quickly.
 

A proposal to merge some elementary schools and create neighborhood resource centers is under consideration in Pueblo's District 60.

The plan involves combining the student populations from six D60 facilities in three areas of the city, according to a recent press release. The vacated buildings would then be repurposed for pre-schools, staff training and what the district is calling community resource hubs.

This so-called rightsizing proposal will help address declining student numbers across the district and repurpose underutilized buildings, according to a website for the project. The district began the process to address these issues, along with budgetary concerns and input from the public, about a year ago.

Two charter school companies submitted letters to the School District of Manatee County indicating interest in taking over district facilities under a new state law. On Tuesday, Florida’s “Schools of Hope” law went into effect, which allows charter school companies to “co-locate” in unused or underperforming public school facilities. The School District of Manatee County received letters from two companies vying for the same spaces.
Both companies are interested in using Lincoln Memorial Middle School and the Sara Scott Harllee Center as “co-location” sites and transforming them into charter schools. If the facilities are chosen as viable sites, a charter school company could occupy the space while the School District of Manatee County would be responsible for providing cafeteria services, utilities, busing and custodial services.
 

EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) – Effingham County residents voted to continue the Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST), keeping funding in place for school construction, facility upgrades and safety improvements across the district.
“Our community is growing, and people want nice schools. They want nice facilities for their children,” district spokesperson Tiffany Altman said.
The one-penny sales tax does not raise property taxes, but it does help the district fund major projects. Altman said those funds have already made a significant impact.
“A lot of our schools have been upgraded recently with new air conditioning systems or new wings. We’ve added a lot of new additions and new wings to a lot of our elementaries because our school and our community’s growing and we needed the space. Nobody wants kids crammed in a classroom,” she said.
One of the largest projects underway is Creekside Elementary, a new school expected to open in fall 2026.
 

Six high schools are set to get either new synthetic turf fields or replacement fields as part of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) proposed six-year capital improvements program (CIP), a plan that sparked debate among county school board members Tuesday over whether the district should move forward with turf or explore installing more natural grass fields.  

MCPS Athletics Director Jeffrey Sullivan and Capital Budget and Projects Manager Donald Connelly joined the school board Tuesday to talk about the proposal for fields during a CIP work session at the school board headquarters at 15 W. Gude Drive in Rockville. They discussed the costs, benefits and drawbacks of natural and turf fields as part of the board’s review of the district’s $2.7 billion proposed CIP plan.  

In recent weeks, the board has held several work sessions to review the proposed CIP, and is expected to vote on the proposal during its Nov. 20 business meeting.   

The CIP calls for the district to spend $15 million during fiscal year 2027 for six turf installations or replacements. The amount also includes money for three or four playground replacements.