Newport News Public Schools has launched a Capital Improvement and Facilities Master Plan Dashboard to increase public visibility and accountability for the school division's capital needs and facilities master plan.

The dashboard presents cost and management data for school facilities. It gives the public a one-stop location for capital data for each school (year of construction, total square footage, program capacity and student enrollment). The online tool also identifies major renovation needs, facility conditions, and deferred maintenance costs.

The dashboard tracks the school division's progress on key initiatives identified by the NNPS Facilities Master Plan Steering Committee including safety and security enhancements, the replacement of learning cottages, maintenance projects deferred due to the lack of available funding, and computer lab renovations. The dashboard gives users an in-depth, transparent look at facility needs through a variety of visualizations, including maps, charts and graphs.  

"The new dashboard is a significant milestone in our long-standing efforts to provide greater transparency and accountability around NNPS school facilities. It provides insight on maintenance needs and the funding needed to support the division's aging facilities," said Dr. George Parker, superintendent of schools.

TORRINGTON — A recent review of the city's school buildings revealed an estimated $32 million needed for repairs and upgrades at Vogel Wetmore, Forbes, Torringford, Southwest and Torrington Middle School.

The estimate was presented by the Board of Education to the City Council this week. Petrucelli, Silver and Associates, an engineering firm employed by the school board, gave a review of each building and its needs, giving the council an idea of the state of the four elementary schools and middle school.

Included are heating and air-conditioning work, plumbing repairs, roof repairs and renovations to various areas of the buildings. Much of the needs are maintenance-related, according to Petrucelli, Silver and Associates. 

EAST BRUNSWICK – A high level of arsenic concentration was discovered in an environmental evaluation of the grounds of East Brunswick High School that could be the location of a new high school.

The arsenic contamination was found in a field used intermittently for cross country practices near the northeast corner of Summerhill and Cranbury roads. About 40 years ago, the area also was used as a fitness trail for physical education classes and community use.

The area has been cordoned off-limits to all students, staff and community members, Superintendent of Schools Victor Valeski said at the Dec. 1 Board of Education meeting.

"I want to emphasize the contamination does not extend to any other portions of the high school property," Valeski said. "This is purely precautionary, because the levels required by the Department of Environmental Protection are of a level that we can't allow anybody else in there."

Lynchburg City Schools’ new proposed five-year capital improvement plan lays out a road map for more than $100 million in building improvements, including potential large-scale renovations beginning in fiscal year 2026.
Administrators shared the division’s fiscal year 2024-2028 plan with the school board Tuesday night.
As the division balances a separate facilities master plan project, which will determine the future of school buildings in the city, Deputy Superintendent of Operations and Strategic Planning Reid Wodicka said the division wanted to be “respectful” to the master plan as it projects its capital improvement needs over the next few years.
Because of this, Wodicka said the first two years of the capital improvement plan call for several smaller projects more focused on increasing school security and exterior repairs to aging school buildings than on larger renovation projects.
“Over the next couple of years, the projects that we put forward are projects that I think are critical to the long-term, structural stability of our existing buildings,” Wodicka said.
 

The Reading School District needs applicants to fill 45 openings in the district's custodial and maintenance department.

To help attract candidates the school board approved an increase in hourly wages and starting rates for all custodians and trades workers in the district.

Beginning this week, the average hourly rate for custodial workers will rise to $21.97 from $19.34.

The new starting hourly rate will be $17.50 for first-shift custodial, $18.25 for second-shift custodial and $18.75 for third-shift custodial.

Starting rates for identified tradespeople, including carpenters, HVAC mechanics and plumbers will range from $25.69 to $26.44, depending on the shift.

"By increasing wages, we hope to attract more adults committed to the maintenance and upkeep of our schools and buildings, as well as developing strong relationships with our students," said Dr. Jennifer Murray, superintendent.

Researchers have found that the quality of school facilities impact student learning, she said.

"Students focus better when they're comfortable, are more likely to attend classes and may be less likely to become ill," Murray said. "These qualities all come from classrooms that have proper ventilation, are well-lit, and maintain efficient cleaning schedules."

Since Kansas City Public Schools unveiled a proposal to close 10 schools, neighbors have banded together to urge the school board to delay a vote until the district has hired its next superintendent. Some community leaders worry about the district pushing forward an overhaul of the system before having a new leader in place, concerned that neighborhoods could be left cluttered with empty schools and unfulfilled promises. “Moving forward with this would put the district in an untenable position based upon the fact that leadership may change. If there’s different leadership, certainly there may be a different focus in terms of servicing students properly,” said Garry Cain, a board member of the Central Alumni Organization. “And the bottom line is that the students are the ones who will suffer the most. I think it’s ill advised to move on a recommendation like this in the absence of permanent leadership.”
The school board is expected on Dec. 14 to vote on the proposal to close under-enrolled and outdated schools, in order to free up money to expand programs and improve district offerings. KCPS officials told The Star that the district will present “revised recommendations” for the board to consider during that evening’s meeting. Under the current proposal, the district would shutter eight elementary schools and two high schools — Central and Northeast — over the next several years. Central and three elementary buildings could close as early as next fall.
 

Children living in impoverished areas are exposed to increased levels of air pollution, which can lead to reduced cognitive abilities down the line.
That’s according to new research published Wednesday in the journal ScienceAdvances. Investigators explored the effects of early exposure to 50 pollutants known or suspected to harm the central nervous system. Data from 10,000 U.S. children were included in the analysis. 
“Our findings suggest that children in poor neighborhoods are—disproportionately and with alarming frequency—poisoned by their environments from the moment they take their first breaths,” researchers wrote.
All children were born around 2001 and followed by researchers until they entered kindergarten. Researchers then assessed their early reading and math skills and compared findings based on neighborhood socioeconomic status and air pollution concentrations. 
Exposure to pollutants during infancy reduced cognitive abilities measured at age 4 by about one-tenth of a standard deviation — equivalent to the learning loss that would typically occur after one month of missed elementary school.
Around one-third of the effect is a result of air quality disparities, while exposure to particulate matter, traffic-related pollutants, industrial-source heavy metals and several petrochemicals may have the most impact on cognitive abilities in early childhood. However, due to the difficulty of singling out effects of individual toxins, researchers urged caution when discussing the impacts of specific pollutants.
Although previous research has detailed an association between growing up in a poor neighborhood and diminished cognitive abilities and lower levels of educational attainment, authors set out to understand the mechanisms behind these effects. 
Major roadways and other infrastructure are more likely to be located in, near or upwind of poor neighborhoods, disproportionately exposing these residents to air pollutants that can harm the central nervous system, they wrote. 
 

More than 100 schools statewide have applied for a share of a $150 million state grant to improve school indoor air quality, ahead of the Dec. 1 deadline.

But to access that money, municipalities must provide matching grants. That’s left some schools with fewer resources feeling excluded, while other districts are struggling to find any avenue of relief for the enormous costs involved with upgrading or replacing an HVAC system in a school.

In Old Saybrook, the school district is installing air conditioning in three schools. The elementary, middle and high schools are situated between the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound on fairly marshy ground with a high water table.

“We have had days we've had to send everybody home, because the humidity was at a point where floors were slippery, walls were slippery, and it was very difficult for our staff and students,” schools Superintendent Jan Perruccio said at a public hearing Wednesday.

Then there are secondary costs: like reworking electrical systems in school buildings to provide enough power for the upgraded HVAC systems. In Old Saybrook, the district says the project cost across three schools is estimated at $7.2 million.

A new state-run grant for school construction looks set to get rolling in early 2023.

Localities will be able to apply for state money to help build, renovate, or update school buildings. The General Assembly has allocated about half a billion dollars for the new competitive grants.

This week, Virginia Department of Education’s Kent Dickey told members of the Commission on School Construction and Modernization they should be ready to start accepting applications sometime in January.

“So really the emphasis here is on new and emerging projects in high need localities that need state support,” Dickey said, adding that they’ve already received a lot of interest and questions from superintendents. “Phone calls, emails, contacts at meetings.”

Ken Nicely superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools says his district is ready to apply.

“School divisions like ourselves have been eager and have a huge level of high interest to pursue those,” Nicely told members of the commission. “We’ve been eager since summer to know what the criteria is going to be and to be able to hit that send button. We’re ready to hit the send button.”

Unfortunately demand is likely to outstrip supply. According to the commission's work, over half of Virginia’s school buildings are at least a century old. And replacement costs could exceed 25 billion dollars.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jefferson County Public Schools wants to spend millions of dollars on a plan to rebuild and renovate schools over the next four years, starting in 2023.
The district's chief operations officer said there is over $1 billion in unmet facility needs at JCPS schools, and district leaders said they're already working on improvements.
The schools chosen to be built, or rebuilt, were not only picked because of the state of their current buildings — whether they are too old, too small, or past the point of renovation — but also the needs of its student population. 
"I would say I remember the schools that I went to already seeming rundown," Brock Barnett, former JCPS student, said. "It makes sense to start rebuilding."
JCPS said it's time to start tackling its most serious facility needs. 
"Historically, what we've done at JCPS just because of available bonding capacity and capital dollars allocated, is to just renovate buildings to keep them afloat, if you will," said Chris Perkins, JCPS' chief operations officer. 
The district has already discussed building a new Grace James Academy, W.E.B. DuBois Academy, and a new west end middle school. New to the list is a brand new Seneca High School, as well as Kerrick and Okolona Elementary schools. For middle schools, Westport Middle and Olmstead Academy South, and a new early childhood center.
 

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) updated the Texas school safety standards earlier this month to amend certain safety requirements for schools to follow. 
“In light of recent events, ongoing public concern, and the charge by Governor Abbott, the Commissioner… is proposing §61.1031 to address school safety and ensure minimum school safety standards to address the safety of students and staff alike in our public schools,” said the TEA.
In the new standards, the TEA established modifications structurally and systematically for school districts to adopt. The TEA is also providing grant opportunities for school districts seeking funding for the upgrades needed and schools must implement these plans for construction or modification during the 2022-2023 school year. August of 2023 is the deadline to have a contractor procured.
First, the TEA outlined structural requirements for school facilities to modify. The TEA outlined that if the school has a wall or fence, it must be at least 6 feet high and have unscalable measures to it. Or it must be 8 feet high. If it is gated, school districts must prevent the gate openings from being accessed from the outside without a key or system to unlock it. 
 

UPDATED, Dec. 1, 11:08 a.m., to include the total taxpayers would pay per $100,000 of taxable property ($91), based on what the district is currently collecting ($59) and would collect ($32) if the new bond issue passes.

The Nampa School District decided to put a $210.2 million bond on the ballot in March to replace two schools and build a new career and technical center, among other projects. 

The district’s board of trustees voted during a special meeting Monday to float the bond, a decision that comes after Idaho Falls School District’s $250 million bond failed earlier this month. 

If passed with the required two-thirds majority, the bond would go toward replacing, renovating, and maintaining facilities and improving student access to special education, preschool, fine arts, and athletics programs. The district says the bond financing will lead to students in every part of town having equal facilities and opportunities. 

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the first round of a new grant that will fund energy improvements in schools.
The Renew America’s Schools grant program provides a total of $500 million in funding. The first round of grants will provide up to $80 million for schools to install energy efficient lighting and HVAC systems, improve the insulation of their buildings, switch to electric vehicles, and convert facilities to renewable energy sources like solar and wind.
The grant program was included in the $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that President Joe Biden signed Nov. 15. While it touches on key priorities of green building advocates, the grant falls far short of the $100 billion in new federal funding for school infrastructure Biden originally proposed.
The Energy Department “is working diligently to deploy these critical funds so that schools can start turning infrastructure improvements into healthier learning environments and big cost savings, as soon as possible,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in a statement Tuesday.
Here’s what you need to know.
 

The D.C. agency responsible for maintenance and repairs in school buildings and other government property has “multiple failures” in the way it manages work orders, according to a report from the city’s auditor.
The report, released Monday, described the Department of General Services’ use of a management system that is supposed to help it handle service requests. But auditors said the system has “serious shortcomings” — including incomplete data on work order costs, inconsistent photo documentation of repairs and a failure to provide requesters with an estimated completion date.
Auditors also said the agency fails to meet response times. Routine work orders must be completed within 45 days, but it takes DGS an average of 55 days to finish or close requests, according to data from more than 48,000 work orders. Sixty-two percent of work orders considered to be “high priority” were not finished within the mandatory 10 days, according to the report.
 

BOISE — Lawmakers on a special interim legislative panel examining funding for school construction in Idaho appear to be coalescing around a proposal to tap the state’s annual endowment payments to schools to create a new funding stream for school facilities, partially relieving local property taxpayers in the process from bearing the full cost of repaying school bonds, as one piece of the solution.

Sen. Jeff Agenbroad, R-Nampa, presented a revised version of the proposal to the panel on Monday, and at the end of the meeting, when each member identified his or her top priorities among the ideas that have been laid out thus far, seven of eight specifically mentioned the endowment plan.

The lawmakers haven’t yet made any decisions. Second-most popular among the ideas they’ve discussed, according to their comments at Tuesday’s meeting, is a re-examination of the current two-third supermajority requirement to pass a school construction bond. Ideas range from amending the Idaho Constitution to lower that to 60%, to following Montana’s lead and requiring lower margins when more voters turn out to vote on the bond.

Scott Miller had an offer on the table.
The superintendent of Hammond City Schools had a couple of older buildings that were no longer needed for classroom instruction, Gavit and Clark high schools.
“I actually have a buyer,” said Miller.
It was the city of Hammond. Miller said the city government was interested in repurposing the structures for economic development. Not all the details were worked out, but the superintendent shared this much, “It would be in the millions. I don’t have an exact number, but it would be in the millions.”
Potentially, a pretty nice windfall for an urban school district with declining enrollment and decades of maintenance invested in both buildings.
But there would be no deal.
A state law that went into effect in July 2021 requires any local school building used for student instruction that is closed must be sold or leased to a charter school that wants it for one dollar.
Miller has kept control of the two high schools by keeping some level of activity at the buildings although student instruction has been moved to two other Hammond high schools.
“We haven’t officially said they’re worthless or unused is probably a better word. We haven’t said that officially in Hammond,” explains Miller.
What Miller did instead was successfully urge Hammond schools to join school districts from Lake Ridge and West Lafayette to challenge the state law in court claiming the dollar-for-a-school law violated both state and federal constitutions.
 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — One Providence elementary school now offers its students a “unique nature space.”

The city’s first “green schoolyard” opened Monday at Bailey Elementary School near Baxter Park.

The Bailey Baxter Green Schoolyard is the flagship project of the Providence Green Schoolyard Initiative.

The goal of the initiative, according to the city, is to develop formerly under-resourced urban school grounds into places that improve student learning outcomes, community health and neighborhood pride.

“Parks continue to be one of the most critical investments we can prioritize in our city,” Mayor Jorge Elorza said. “I’m excited that work is already underway to have even more of these beautiful spaces for learning and play right here in Providence.”

The green schoolyard serves as a connection between the park and school, according to the city. Baxter Park was expanded onto two previously-blighted properties, while the Bailey School playground encompassed two additional lots.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state School Building Authority approved more than $10 million in supplemental funding Monday for ongoing school construction projects in three West Virginia counties because of increasing construction costs.
The SBA has been dealing with the inflation-fueled construction cost increases for about a year and has even put on hold the funding of any new projects.
SBA Chairman Brian Abraham said Monday’s move is part of a new temporary policy that allows for supplemental funding. He said the money is only approved after the counties do some budget trimming with their project architects.
“The counties shared in the pain here,” Abraham told MetroNews. “It’s not simply providing extra money. This is after everything has been gone through and they still can’t meet their budget. The SBA is trying to keep these projects going.”
The SBA approved $2.2 million in supplemental funding for the Central Elementary School project in Hampshire County, an additional $6 million for work at Frankfort Elementary School in Mineral County and nearly $2 million more for the Alderson Elementary project in Greenbrier County.
 

Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington said the district has paused the process it’s developed to decide on upgrades to school facilities, in order to align it more closely to the district’s future five-year strategic plan. 

During a school board meeting Thursday, Watlington said the facilities planning process will be put on hold until the district adopts that strategic blueprint, but added that building work that’s already been approved will proceed. 

The district’s “facilities planning process” sets long-term priorities for building and other infrastructure upgrades. In April, Philadelphia officials unveiled an interactive map that let people learn about specific conditions at neighborhood schools. And in May, the district announced public forums where people could discuss the best way to repair and upgrade the city’s aging public schools; the average Philadelphia school building is about 75 years old. 

However, those moves occurred before Watlington took over as superintendent in mid-June. Since then, Watlington has focused much of his attention on trying to create that five-year roadmap for schools by — among other things — gathering input from the public and different groups and officials. The district aims to adopt that roadmap next year.

It's typical for school buildings to become shelter locations during a hurricane. The infrastructure is secure and the amenities are suited for hosting those who need help and refuge from a storm. But in Sarasota County, shelters had to remain open, some for more than a week, meaning they couldn't welcome students back in. Other schools were so badly damaged during the storm, they still require extensive repairs.