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Facilities News - Since 2001
Why is building and renovating schools so expensive?-- The Maine Monitor Maine: September 21, 2024 [ abstract] The price tag on a new elementary school in Bar Harbor is $63 million. An Auburn high school completed in 2023 came in at $122 million. And at the ballot box this fall, Cape Elizabeth voters will consider a $94.7 million bond that would be used to build a new middle school and renovate the district’s elementary and high schools.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the average price of school construction in the United States has increased by 32 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
There is no statewide data showing the change in the average per-square-foot cost of school construction, but Maine Department of Education data of state-funded major construction projects shows how construction costs have grown in recent years.
-- Lana Cohen Explaining Chicago Public Schools: The buildings-- Chalklbeat Chicago Illinois: September 19, 2024 [ abstract] The Chicago Board of Education owns more than 800 school buildings, annexes, and other property.
The average age of a Chicago public school building is 83 years and 70 schools operate in facilities built before 1900. The oldest building — James Ward Elementary — was built in 1874 and is 149 years old.
According to the district’s most recent Educational Facilities Master Plan, it would cost $14.4 billion to update and repair all of Chicago’s public school buildings, and of that, $3 billion is considered critical.
Across the nation, school buildings are considered public infrastructure owned by the community and decisions about facilities upgrades and construction typically filter through elected officials who sit on the local school board.
-- Becky Vevea Parks Group Lauds New Legislation to Establish Rosenwald Schools National Park Site-- National Parks Conservation Association National: September 19, 2024 [ abstract] 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.
-- Kyle Groetzinger Solar power is thriving in Arkansas schools " but a new state law may end the growth-- Arkansas Times Arkansas: September 16, 2024 [ abstract] 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.
-- Phillip Powell New York City to open 24 new school buildings with modern classrooms, community spaces and more-- abc7ny.com New York: September 05, 2024 [ abstract] 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.
-- Staff Writer ‘Just amazing’: Trinity Intermediate students start school year in state-of-the-art building-- Observer Reporter Pennsylvania: September 03, 2024 [ abstract] “It’s absolutely beautiful. I love it. It’s incredible, just amazing,” said Trinity Area School District resident Lauren Leeper, standing in the middle of Trinity Intermediate School’s second-floor media center.
Leeper, accompanied by her sons, Ryan, a third-grader, and Henry, a second-grader, was among the hundreds of parents, students and residents who turned out Thursday when the school district – which celebrates its 100th anniversary this school year – welcomed the public to tour the 106,658-square-foot intermediate school at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house.
On Tuesday, the first day of school, about 600 fourth- and fifth-graders will walk into the state-of-the-art, three-story building, and launch Trinity Intermediate School’s inaugural academic year.
The open house capped off three years of planning and construction. The school board voted in 2021 to move forward with construction of the new school, in response to a rapidly growing student population in the district.
-- Karen Mansfield Rock Valley schools to start Sept. 5 with new temporary facility after floods-- Iowa Capital Dispatch Iowa: August 29, 2024 [ abstract] As the city of Rock Valley recovers from recent severe flooding, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the opening of a temporary school facility for the Rock Valley Community School District.
Rock Valley students will return to the school classrooms Thursday, Sept. 5, with some middle school classes hosted in the new temporary building. The 7,000-square-foot facility will have six classrooms, bathrooms, offices and a common area for use by 150 students in the Rock Valley district, according to a news release by the governor’s office. The modular school was built by Hegg construction in under seven weeks, at a cost of $2 million.
Joined by Rock Valley Community School District (RVCSD) and Rock Valley Christian School officials, Reynolds spoke in front of the new temporary building at a news conference Thursday. The governor reflected on her previous visit to Rock Valley in June when the public school building was “an island that was completely surrounded by water.”
“Following the flood, it really did seem unlikely that we could start on time or bring some students back to school,” Reynolds said. “But if I know one thing about this community, where there is a will, there is a way.”
-- Robin Opsahl ‘One of us’: Delaware community celebrates local educator during opening of Wilmington’s first new school in half a cent-- WHYY PBS Delaware: August 26, 2024 [ abstract] Students will soon begin attending classes in the Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy, the first new Wilmington school in 50 years.
A ribbon cutting and block party last week drew hundreds of people, with Christina School District staff, Gov. John Carney, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, state lawmakers and the Pritchett family speaking to the crowd.
The $84 million building was named after longtime educator Maurice Pritchett, a student at the Bancroft School in the city’s East Side neighborhood who served as the school’s principal from 1975 to 2005. Pritchett died last year. construction for the school that will serve students in grades one through eight was fully funded by the state.
-- Sarah Mueller Ozark High School celebrates opening of new activities center, final storm shelter-- Springfield News-Leader Missouri: August 23, 2024 [ abstract]
With much fanfare, Ozark school officials cut the ribbon on a final storm shelter and celebrated a new indoor activities center on Thursday.
The two projects, both located on the northeast part of the Ozark High School campus, represent the end of substantial work associated with a $19 million bond issue approved in April 2022.
"It's the completion of our major projects," said Superintendent Lori Wilson. She added the district is "grateful to our community."
The "no tax increase" bond issue — which extended the district's debt but did not alter the tax rate — was heavily focused on safety. To ensure each campus had access to a storm shelter, three were constructed.
-- Claudette Riley Superintendent Says He’s Managing School Facilities Better " But Should That Even Be His Job?-- Honolulu Civil Beat Hawaii: August 23, 2024 [ abstract] Superintendent Keith Hayashi promised state legislators late last year that he would reform the Department of Education’s approach to managing school facilities. DOE had just proposed relinquishing nearly half a billion in construction funds, and state leaders wanted greater accountability from school leaders in the new year.
Now the Hawaii Board of Education is holding Hayashi accountable in his annual review. Hayashi has identified overall real estate optimization, a strategy to improve DOE’s management of facilities and school lands, as one of his top priorities for the 2023-24 school year.
In a self-evaluation Hayashi presented to the board last week, he said he’s making effective progress on the so-called “OREO” plan. But some educational leaders say they want more details on Hayashi’s work and remain concerned the department is moving in the wrong direction when it comes to overseeing over 260 campuses across the state.
-- Megan Tagami Rochester schools move ahead with $475M modernization projects-- WXXI News NPR New York: August 22, 2024 [ abstract] With a new school year on the horizon, the Rochester City School District is preparing to undergo significant changes in some buildings as part of a Facilities Modernization Plan.
The district is entering the third phase of its school modernization program which started more than a decade ago. In this round of renovations, six school buildings will be upgraded to the tune of $475 million.
“It provides a very unique amount of money into this community and into this school district,” former Rochester Mayor Tom Richards, chair of the Rochester Joint Schools construction Board (RJSCB) said during a school board meeting Tuesday. RJSCB oversees the modernization program.
“Those of you who have had a chance to go into the schools that have been modernized, it really is a different feel to it,” Richards said. “There's no reason why our kids shouldn't have that kind of impression, and that kind of facility, just as much as some kid who lives in Victor.”
The most expensive project, with a projected cost of $140.7 million, is at Franklin Campus which will house the new Padilla High School.
-- Noelle E. C. Evans School mold prevention programs help keep schools healthy-- USGBC.org National: August 22, 2024 [ abstract] Learn the key elements of an effective mold prevention program for schools.
As students and staff return to school, anticipation for the year ahead is palpable. However, one unwelcome surprise that everyone hopes to avoid in their classrooms is the presence of mold.
During summer break, the combination of reduced ventilation to conserve energy and increased cleaning and construction projects can contribute to elevated indoor humidity levels, which creates the perfect conditions for mold to thrive in schools. Understanding the factors that contribute to mold growth in schools and engaging staff in the preventative maintenance and early reporting of moisture problems can be effective strategies in school mold prevention programs.
Understanding suitable conditions for mold growth
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends keeping indoor relative humidity between 30 and 50% to prevent mold growth, which presents a unique challenge in regions with high relative humidity in the outdoor environment. When warm, moist air enters a building envelope, water vapor may form condensation on building materials. Saturated wallboard, insulation or ceiling tiles can serve as a food source for mold spores and a catalyst for fungal growth in the indoor environment.
Exposure to mold may cause respiratory or allergic symptoms, especially for building occupants with existing health conditions. Mold is able to grow wherever there is moisture and an organic substrate, like wood or drywall. Therefore, the key to prevent or minimize indoor mold growth is to actively maintain, inspect and correct buildings for moisture problems.
-- Lauren Bolton Pender County Schools kicks off start of construction on the district's newest K-8 school-- Star News Online North Carolina: August 21, 2024 [ abstract] Pender County officials gathered this week to kick off the start of construction for the school district's newest K-8 school.
The new school is designed to accommodate the district's increasing student population and went through a significant redesign earlier in the year, according to a press release from the district. The redesign added an additional 24,000 square feet of classroom space by incorporating a second story on the middle school wing. This will enable the school to accommodate 312 more students, bringing the total school capacity to 2,312.
"Today's groundbreaking is a testament to our district's commitment to providing exceptional educational facilities that meet the evolving needs of our community," Superintendent Brad Breedlove said, according to the release. "The expanded capacity of this new K-8 school will ensure that our students have access to the resources and space they need to thrive academically and socially."
-- Madison Lipe COVID-19 aid funded big repairs at high-poverty schools. Will that give academics a boost too?-- Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News National: August 08, 2024 [ abstract]
When the air conditioning broke in a Terrebonne Parish school, it sometimes got so hot that kids fainted or had asthma attacks, and the school had to call an ambulance.
More often, the school sent kids home early. In the best-case scenario, students packed into classrooms with working AC or relocated to the gym or cafeteria to escape the southeast Louisiana heat.
So when the school district got its final federal COVID-19 relief package in 2021, school officials made fixing the AC a top priority. Nearly $23 million — more than 40% of the district's aid allotment — went to replace the most dire HVAC systems in seven schools.
"It gives us the confidence that we're not going to have to cancel school, the kids are not going to get sick," Superintendent Bubba Orgeron said. "When it's either too hot or too cold … kids are focused on that instead of learning."
Handed billions of dollars with few strings attached, thousands of school leaders made a similar calculation that year. Across 21 states with publicly available data, schools on average planned to spend 18% of their third and largest COVID-19 aid package on facilities, a Chalkbeat analysis found. That's nearly as much as they were required to spend on academic recovery.
In Mississippi, schools put nearly 40% of their final aid package toward buildings. In South Dakota, it was more than half.
As the nation takes stock of its return on this massive one-time investment, many school leaders stand behind their decision to go big on facilities, and say this will pay dividends for academics and student engagement. A growing body of research suggests a child's learning environment affects their test scores and attendance.
But recent research points to a potentially troubling trend: High-poverty districts, like Terrebonne Parish, were more likely to budget a greater share of their final aid package for facilities and operations, especially costly projects like new construction and building repairs. That left them less to spend on academic recovery — even though they educate the kids who've had the most academic ground to make up.
-- Kalyn Belsha New work group on school construction focusing on aging facilities, overcrowding-- The Frederick News-Post Maryland: August 02, 2024 [ abstract] A new Frederick County work group on school construction met for the first time on Thursday to discuss solutions for overcrowded schools and aging buildings.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed HB1016 into law in April, which mandated the formation of a committee to address significant Frederick County Public Schools facility construction issues.
Del. April Miller (R-4), who was voted chair of the work group at the meeting, said the biggest issues in FCPS are a rapid increase in county population growth, which leads to overcrowding, and an aging school infrastructure.
She said in an interview that she hopes the nine other members, leaders at the state and county levels, can be innovative in coming up with solutions to the lack of funding for school construction.
-- Esther Frances 'Sticker shock:' Construction of Stamford's new Westhill High School balloons 53% to $461M-- stamford advocate Connecticut: July 31, 2024 [ abstract] STAMFORD — A revised estimate for the total cost of a new Westhill High School has shot up 53 percent since the original budget for the project was presented in 2022.
The new total is now $461 million, a big jump from the $301 million project city officials originally expected.
Kemp Morhardt, a principal at SLAM Architects, described the elevated price as "sticker shock," but said the team working on the project has looked for ways to find savings.
“We have scrutinized this project and it is where the market is today," he said during a special meeting of the Board of Finance held Tuesday morning.
A big driver of the increased cost is escalation, which has "continued to increase in an unprecedented fashion since the pandemic," read an update posted to a website created by the city and dedicated to Stamford Public Schools construction projects.
-- Ignacio Laguarda NC officials estimate the tab for air-quality safety in public schools at $85 million-- WUNC North Carolina: July 31, 2024 [ abstract] The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction took a first pass Wednesday at telling state lawmakers how much it would cost to fully protect students from the risks of carbon monoxide and radon gas in classrooms.
The answer: $85 million, though school facilities director Nathan Maune told the state Board of Education that numbers are preliminary.
Many older North Carolina schools don’t have carbon monoxide detectors, and radon mitigation systems in schools are almost unheard of.
Last year, the General Assembly ordered DPI to survey schools to figure out the cost of adding carbon monoxide detectors to older schools, as the building code now requires for new construction, and testing for radon.
Maune said not all school districts have responded to the survey, but so far it looks like almost 3,800 classroom buildings have fuel-burning boilers or appliances that could create a carbon monoxide leak.
-- Ann Doss Helms TCAPS bond could mean more energy efficiency for schools-- Interlochen Public Radio Michigan: July 31, 2024 [ abstract] Central Grade School, a stately, red-brick building in Traverse City, has a long history. The first school building was constructed there in the 1870s, got expanded, and was severely damaged by a fire in the 1930s before getting rebuilt.
“You can see on that sign it used to be a junior high school,” said Suzannah Tobin, walking around the outside of the school, which is three stories tall at its highest point and stretches for a block on each side. Tobin is an architect who grew up in the area. Until recently, she served on the Historic Districts Commission.
Discussions of maintenance and renovations to Central Grade go back years; officials have said it needs major updates, like reopening a shuttered third floor that hasn’t been used by students since the 1970s due to health concerns. A 2023 facilities assessment recommended replacing the entire electrical distribution system.
-- Izzy Ross After 2 years of construction, Springdale Elementary opens doors to new building-- 13WMAZ Georgia: July 29, 2024 [ abstract]
MACON, Ga. — Some Central Georgians are already headed back to school. In Macon-Bibb one elementary school is so excited for the new school year, that they decided to walk through the halls for a grand tour a week before classes start.
At Springdale Elementary, everyone's excited for the first day of school.
"I think the excitement on the children's faces when they walk in and see it all brand new, I think that's what I'm looking forward to the most," media specialist Meagin Jiles said.
In May, Jiles told 13WMAZ she's wanted to teach at Springdale since she was a student in the '90s.
This year, she's getting some upgrades to her library, like better storage, better technology and a special library feature the superintendent is a big fan of.
"There's this stage area where students can sit and listen, have a story told, or get to do some mini-performances," Superintendent Dan Sims said. "I just see so much life coming out of that one corner of the building, that's kinda cool to me."
In addition to the renovated classrooms and larger cafeteria, the school's natural lighting is one of the first things you'll notice when you enter the new building.
Amore Edwards graduated from Mercer in May and this school year will be her first as a teacher. She thinks the school's upgrades will make a big impact.
"The windows are really big and there's a lot of them in the building so I think it'll uplift the spirits of everyone in the building," third-grade teacher Amore Edwards said. "Natural light's really healthy for you so I'm excited about that."
-- Fareeha Abrar More community schoolyards coming for Tacoma-- Tacoma Weekly Washington: July 29, 2024 [ abstract] Tacoma Public Schools is celebrating the completion of 17 new playgrounds, marking a significant milestone in the district’s commitment to fostering vibrant and inclusive recreational spaces.
Stanley Elementary recently unveiled its new Pre-k and K-5 playground set. The Pre-k play area is designed to support students with diverse needs. The K-5 playground equipment includes an outdoor fitness obstacle course, safety surfacing, slides, shaded area, swings and climbing structures that are ADA compliant. The new play structures have perimeter fencing that secures the site while also providing access for the public to use the play areas during non-school hours.
Newly constructed schools Skyline, Downing, Fawcett, and Bryant (currently under construction) also got new playgrounds with their new building.
Additionally, as part of the Community School Yard program, Reed and Stafford received new playgrounds, while Mann, Larchmont and Whitman elementary schools will receive new playgrounds next year.
Community School Yards is a national project of The Trust for Public Lands in partnership with Metro Parks Tacoma. Learn more at metroparkstacoma.org/project/community-schoolyards.
-- Staff Writer Cape Elizabeth residents threaten legal action over school construction plans-- News Center Maine Maine: July 26, 2024 [ abstract] CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — A group of residents in Cape Elizabeth is threatening to take legal action against the town council—and, by extension, the town—over a proposal to renovate the town’s school buildings that was submitted by the council chair and undercuts a version approved by the school board.
Earlier this month, the council sent two different school building improvement plans forward for public comment, the next step before a measure can land on the ballot. The first proposal was approved by the school board. It calls for $89.9 million to go toward refurbishing schools in Cape Elizabeth and reconstructing the middle school entirely.
The council approved this plan, but also pushed forward an alternative proposal by the chair, Timothy Reiniger, to instead use $42 million on the school projects and hold off on building a new middle school. The Cape Elizabeth School Board had voted against this plan.
-- Donovan Lynch New High School Building Proposal Appears To Be Off the Table After Community Survey Results-- WLDS.com Illinois: July 26, 2024 [ abstract]
A proposal for a brand new high school building for the Winchester School District appears to be off the table.
Members of St. Louis-based marketing and research firm Creative Entourage Research presented the results of a community-wide survey conducted over the last two months to the Winchester School Board on Tuesday night.
The survey received 840 responses across the district. The survey graded perceptions of the school district, perceptions of the state of the high school building, perceptions of perceived costs to build a new building or renovate the current building, and any perceptions of current need for new construction.
According to an executive summary, about half of the respondents to the survey said that they had a positive view of the education provided by the district.
Approximately 74% of respondents said they could not afford a raise on property taxes no matter the cause in the county. Similarly, approximately the same amount said they would not support the building of a new facility. Meanwhile, another portion of the survey demonstrated that there was a perceived need for updates and/or there is a problem with the school’s current facilities. More than 40% said one of the biggest problems was that the current high school is not ADA compliant, while about 32% said that there was a general perception of need for improvement at the building.
-- Benjamin Cox 'Rolling along pretty good': Amherst officials get look at high school construction-- Amherst New Era-Progress Virginia: July 23, 2024 [ abstract] About nine months after construction kicked into high gear on Amherst County High School’s addition and renovation project, the county board of supervisors and school board took a recent tour of the work being done.
The $32 million project includes a new 1,400-seat auditorium with three classrooms in the back of the school, a remodel of the cafeteria into a new dining commons area, a new fieldhouse next to the baseball field and conversion of existing space into more career and technical education (CTE) classrooms.
“Pretty much we’re on schedule and feel good,” Amherst County Public Schools Superintendent William Wells told the group of local officials July 16.
Wells said the hope is the new dining commons area can be used in the February and March timeframe and the new auditorium and adjoining classrooms for theater, band and chorus can be ready by late March or early April.
-- Justin Faulconer Most school districts plan to take facilities money in lump sum-- IDedNews.org Idaho: July 18, 2024 [ abstract]
Most Idaho school districts want their new facilities money all at once.
House Bill 521, passed into law this year, will deliver $1 billion to schools for facilities upgrades, and districts have the option to take their share in a lump sum or in annualized installments over the next decade.
The $1 billion comes from state bonds, part of a total $1.5 billion investment in school facilities through HB 521. The Department of Education — which is responsible for distributing the funds — doesn’t yet have concrete data on school districts’ preferred method for receiving the money.
“But everything we’re hearing from schools anecdotally is that most plan to take the lump sum payment,” said Scott Graf, communications director for the department.
That includes large and small districts. Murtaugh School District — enrollment 388 — plans to take the lump sum, said Superintendent Michele Capps. Same goes for the Lewiston Independent School District, which has 4,512 students.
Lewiston will receive about $17 million from HB 521. The money is slated for upgrades to windows and doors along with potential building expansions that would give programs, such as orchestra, more space, according to Lewiston Superintendent Lance Hansen.
Hansen said there are a couple reasons that the lump sum is more advantageous. First, districts can maximize the value of the money in the short term. Facilities construction and maintenance costs increase regularly, making far-off expenses difficult to predict.
“We’ve seen projects escalate 10, 15, 20% just in a year,” Hansen said.
At the same time, inflation is driving down the value of the dollar, meaning $1.7 million — what Lewiston would receive in 10-year installments — won’t go as far in years to come if inflation persists.
-- Ryan Suppe Several construction projects underway at Modesto City Schools ahead of new school year-- abc10.com California: July 18, 2024 [ abstract]
MODESTO, Calif. — There was no silent reading time at James C. Enochs High School in Modesto Thursday. Instead, the on-campus scene involved cones, caution tape, scissor lifts and drills.
"We’re painting the exterior and we’re also adding a solar array in the front large student parking lot," said Roger Orth, senior director of Maintenance and Operations for Modesto City Schools. "We’re also adding a synthetic track and field."
The ruckus doesn't stop at Enochs High School.
"In the 36 years I have been in the school district, we've never done anything close to what we're doing right now," Orth said. "We have 34 total schools. Most of our campuses have work going on right now and that includes new gyms, cafeterias, solar projects and shop buildings."
With just 26 days until the hard hats are replaced with backpacks for the Aug. 13 start of the fall semester, it’s crunch time.
"All the projects that entail having instructional space ready for the start of school... those will all be ready for school to start," Orth said. "These other projects will run into the fall and sometimes beyond the fall."
-- Gabriel Porras Prince George's approves deal to build schools through public-private partnership-- nbcwashington.com Maryland: July 16, 2024 [ abstract] The Prince George’s County Council passed a resolution Tuesday that will allow several new schools to be built through a public-private partnership. The same resolution failed last week.
The decision went down to the wire, as the funding deal had to be approved by the end of the month and Tuesday was the last day before the council went on break.
The county executive’s P3 school construction deal will fast-track building eight new schools, using $850 million in state funds.
Last week, several council members abstained from the vote.
Supporters held a news conference to make sure it got through this time.
“We don’t play when it comes to our kids,” District 2 council member Wanika Fisher said. “And we don’t play when it comes to our children in District 2. But I have colleagues that don’t mind playing with our kids’ future for politics.”
If it failed again, supporters say, the project would have been in jeopardy and the county stood to lose millions of dollars to build those schools.
-- Darcy Spencer Linn-Mar breaking ground on 5-year facility plan-- The Gazette Iowa: July 14, 2024 [ abstract]
MARION — A five-year facility plan for Linn-Mar schools that began in 2022 included construction of a new administration building, a larger performance venue and an indoor athletic center added to the high school, among other projects.
The cost estimate for all the projects at the time was between $48 and $60 million, which included design fees, construction costs and equipment expenses.
After the new administration building is finished this fall, the plan is to renovate its former space at the Learning Resource Center, 2999 N. 10th St. in Marion, as additional space for Linn-Mar High School and for other academic programs.
The Learning Resource Center was built in 1948 when 17 one-room rural schools joined together to become the Marion Rural Independent School. It was renamed Linn-Mar in 1959. The center currently houses the administrative offices for the district as well as the COMPASS Alternative High School and Venture Academics Program, a project-based learning program.
Funding for the five-year plan will come from the following streams:
-- Grace King Boscobel School Dist. $21.5 million school construction underway-- WKOW.com Wisconsin: July 11, 2024 [ abstract] BOSCOBEL, Wis. (WXOW) - After a failed referendum in 2017, the Boscobel Area School District broke ground on a $21.5 million school back in May.
Thursday, members of the district’s board of education toured the construction of the addition to the rear of the current high school.
“It’s a lot of hard work from a lot of different people,” Nate Copsey, Director of Facilities and Grounds said. “From administration to school board to the community. Just a lot of hands in. We all worked toward a common goal and kind of got there.”
The high school, which was built in the 1950’s, currently houses 6th through 12th grades. The addition of the referendum will bring grades 4 and 5 to the new part of the building.
“It really creates a new modern learning environment. We’re a little outdated in some of our areas so we’re excited to see some changes. We’ve always tackled and had problems with gym space,” Copsey said. “So to accommodate a lot more practices and things like that it just gives us a lot more opportunities going forward.”
-- Chandler Brindley Two metro-east school districts consider proposal to merge. What happens next?-- Belleville News-Democrat Illinois: July 11, 2024 [ abstract]
Madison School District 12 and Venice School District 3 began discussing a proposal to consolidate during special meetings each board of education held Wednesday evening. At the meetings, local education officials gave a presentation on the benefits of a potential merger to the two Madison County school boards and community members.
Madison District 12 is a pre-K through 12th grade district with an elementary school and combined junior high and high school. Its enrollment was about 675 at the end of the 2023-24 school year. Venice District 3 is a pre-K through eighth grade district consisting of an elementary school that enrolled about 67 students at the end of the 2023-24 school year. It is currently building a new school to serve up to 160 students with a $26 million emergency construction grant from the state after the former school was condemned in 2020 due to structural issues. Venice High School closed in 2004 with an enrollment of 58 after a voter referendum, according to past BND reporting.
-- KELLY SMITS Albemarle County Public Schools will have a new elementary school for the first time in 20 years-- Charlottesville Tomorrow Virginia: July 10, 2024 [ abstract] Albemarle County is expecting an increase in its student population over the next few years, but it doesn’t have enough space for them. The solution? More schools.
Albemarle County Public Schools is constructing its 16th elementary school, the first new elementary school in the county in 20 years, near the southern end of the county.
The new elementary school will open for the 2026-2027 school year, wrote Matt Wertman, interim director of building services at ACPS, in an email to Charlottesville Tomorrow. The new elementary school is within walking distance of Mountain View Elementary School, off of Galaxie Farm Lane.
-- TAMICA JEAN-CHARLES $3 million needed to keep Logan Middle School from ‘sinking into the Guyandotte River’-- wowktv.com West Virginia: July 08, 2024 [ abstract] UPDATE: (7 p.m. July 8, 2024) – Logan County Schools Superintendent Jeff Huffman says Logan Middle School is still safe for students and staff to be in despite structural issues with the foundation. He also says they hope for the structural work to be finished before the school year starts on August 19.
“There has been zero safety threat. That is something we just wanted to confirm was one of the reasons we brought in the structural engineers when we did,” Huffman said. “I have no reason to believe that this will not be a successful construction activity.”
LOGAN COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – The West Virginia Department of Education says nearly $3 million may be needed to fix the foundation of Logan Middle School, and they’re looking for answers as to why the foundation needs to be fixed in the first place.
During a meeting of the West Virginia Board of Education Monday, the board mentioned that the school is only around 27 years old, and should not be sinking. Logan County School officials say they’re working on a structural stabilization project due to the settlement of the fitters.
-- Jessica Patterson, Sam DeCoste School construction alleged to damage nearby San Mateo homes-- The Daily Journal California: July 08, 2024 [ abstract] construction for a new multi-purpose room at Parkside Montessori in the San Mateo-Foster City School District has neighbors worried over damage to their homes and quality of life due to drilling and noise pollution.
With her house right behind the construction site, Farz Yountchi said she and her direct neighbors have noticed cracks in their walls and driveways. Doors are shifting, she said, and her house is “shaking all day, non stop.”
The K-8 school is going through a few upgrades, including replacing the air conditioning system to existing buildings and installing solar shade structures. The facilities upgrade project also includes replacing the blacktop landscaping, converting existing grass to turf, reconfiguring the parking lot and the construction of a new multi-purpose room.
-- Ana Mata Hundreds of new school seats on the way for Staten Island: Here’s where they’ll be located-- silive.com New York: July 06, 2024 [ abstract]
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Hundreds of new school seats will be available to Staten Island over the next few years, as New York City works to tackle overcrowding in school buildings, a growing student population, and a new law that would reduce class sizes.
New schools are being constructed throughout the borough, while other seats may be acquired by leasing or buying and renovating space. Additionally, charter schools are also expanding opportunities for more seats.
The city School construction Authority (SCA) 2020-2024 Capital Program includes more than $539 million in funding for 11 buildings, adding 4,989 seats on Staten Island.
Here’s a look at the new school seats expected for the borough.
-- Annalise Knudson Medina Public School holds groundbreaking for addition project-- The Jamestown Sun North Dakota: July 06, 2024 [ abstract] MEDINA, N.D. — Work will begin on the first new construction at the Medina Public School in the next weeks after a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, July 3.
Damon Bosche, superintendent of Medina school, said the project will add four classrooms and four breakout rooms at the southwest corner of the existing building. Planned construction costs are $3 million.
Bosche said the addition is in response to an increasing enrollment at the district. The school currently has about 200 students in prekindergarten through the 12th grade. This compares to about 150 students in the same grades five years ago.
Some of the increased enrollment comes from open enrollment students from outside the Medina Public School District. About 40% of the students are from outside the district.
“It is a good thing,” said Rory Hoffmann, president of the Medina School Board, of the project. “We needed it, we are busting at the seams. I wish we could have done more.”
-- Keith Norman Preserving history: Renovating Texas' oldest standing schoolhouse-- kten.com Texas: July 06, 2024 [ abstract] DENISON, Texas (KTEN) — At Denison's Frontier Village and Museum, the restoration of what is believed to be Texas' oldest standing schoolhouse is nearing its final stages.
The Holder family, among the earliest settlers in Grayson County, is believed to have constructed the historic building back in 1855. But Its true origin as a one-room schoolhouse dating back to 1830 have come to light in a recent study, further solidifying its status as the oldest surviving educational structure in the Lone Star State.
"Due to research that we've done, we found that it's more possible that it was purchased in 1855, but built in 1830 as a one-room schoolhouse," said Frontier Village executive director Aaron Thornhill. "That would make this the oldest standing schoolhouse in the State of Texas."
-- Aidan Jo Farris A quiet revolution is taking place in Scottish schools-- The Herald International: July 05, 2024 [ abstract] An estimated 35 Scottish schools - either recently completed or under construction - are aiming to meet the international Passivhaus standard for energy efficiency, which can cut a building’s heating energy use by up to 80 percent. Designing this way also delivers exceptional levels of interior comfort, wellbeing and durability.
As the country aims for net zero, a proposed ‘Scottish Passivhaus equivalent’ policy for new build housing will be consulted on this summer – and there’s a lot to be learned from the education sector.
This quiet revolution in the way schools are built largely came about when The Scottish Futures Trust set clear funding criteria to ensure new schools are energy efficient, not just on completion but throughout their lifespan.
Almost overnight, designing to Passivhaus standards became the go-to way for councils to secure funding, because it delivers what it says on the tin – it ensures a school’s actual energy use is extremely close to the amount predicted by models. As architects of four Scottish Passivhaus schools – one complete, the other three in progress - we are certainly witnessing a rapid transformation of the Scottish school building sector.
-- Ryan Holmes Bids sought for new K-5 elementary school in Amherst-- Daily Hampshire Gazette Massachusetts: July 04, 2024 [ abstract] AMHERST — A municipal advertisement is seeking bids from general contractors interested in constructing the planned $97.5 million, net-zero energy elementary school building next to the existing Fort River Elementary School at 70 South East St.
On Wednesday, the advertisement for bids was published in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and bid forms and contract documents were posted online for the 105,750-square-foot building where 575 students in kindergarten through grade 5 will be taught beginning in the fall of 2026. Electronic bids are due by Aug. 14 at 2 p.m., with an optional prebid conference and site visit set for July 17 at 9 a.m.
The advertisement states that $78 million is the estimated cost of construction for the building designs, completed by DiNisco Design of Boston. The total cost for the project includes so-called soft costs, such as equipment and furnishings.
-- SCOTT MERZBACH Addressing Excessive Heat in the Workplace Including Schools-- NEA.org National: July 03, 2024 [ abstract] Extreme temperatures affect every member of the school community, from food service workers preparing lunch in poorly ventilated kitchens, bus drivers driving students home without air conditioning, school groundskeepers doing campus maintenance, and students testing on hot days. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration published a proposed rule that aims to protect workers from excessive heat in the workplace, including public schools in in states with OSHA-approved State plans.
Currently, there is no federal OSHA heat standard. The proposal has the potential to create significant change, especially for educators working in buildings without proper ventilation and air conditioning.
Few school districts have mandated temperature maximums. “The absence of standards …means we are allowing kids to sit in 95-degree classrooms leaving students unable to concentrate on learning due to high heat and humidity levels,” Connecticut Education Association President Kate Dias told NEA.
Under the rule, OSHA would require covered employers to create a plan to evaluate and control heat hazards in the workplace with the goal of reducing the number of occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. This regulation applies to workplaces which fall under OSHA’s jurisdiction, including public schools in OSHA-approved State Plans, general industry, construction, maritime, and agriculture sectors.
-- Grace Hagerman Portland Public Schools’ construction bond wish list nears $3 billion-- The Oregonian Oregon: June 29, 2024 [ abstract] Portland Public Schools has a $2.9 billion wish list for a proposed construction and maintenance bond it plans to put before voters in May.
That massive tranche of money would pay for new high schools in three quadrants of the city, plus deferred maintenance, new athletics facilities, updated curriculum materials and more.
Were the district to settle on that figure, it would be far and away the largest bond ask in Oregon history, nearly 2 ½ times the $1.2 billion that the district sought and won approval for in 2020.
By comparison, the San Francisco United School District, which enrolls about 6,000 more students than Portland, is seeking approval for a $790 million bond this November, while voters in Austin, Texas — a district nearly twice the size of Portland — passed a $2.4 billion bond in 2022.
-- Julia Silverman House Changes School Construction Language; Leaders Say Another Solution Is Needed-- CT News Junkie Connecticut: June 27, 2024 [ abstract] HARTFORD, CT – While the House added language banning school construction managers from bidding on subcontracts back into statute Thursday, leadership in the chamber thinks a solution to funding those projects still needs to be found.
Senate Bill 501 is full of different provisions, one of which revisited the decision by the General Assembly to remove language from the current statute preventing school construction project managers from bidding on subcontracts within the same project. That language had been removed as part of an omnibus bonding bill that was passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Ned Lamont.
That change would have gone into effect in October, but the two chambers decided to re-address the issue and add the language back during their special session this week.
House Majority Leader Jason Rojas said Thursday that there are two competing issues within the provision: policy and timing.
“Part of it is a timing issue,” Rojas said during a news conference before Thursday’s House session. “I think the policy issue can be revisited – probably will be in the next legislative session – to try to figure out, is there a way to save money here on a really significant cost to the state?”
-- Hudson Kamphausen Arizona schools allege the state is violating the constitution-- 12news.com Arizona: June 25, 2024 [ abstract] PHOENIX — A Maricopa County Judge will soon determine whether the state makes it too difficult for school districts to obtain money for equipment, repairs and construction. That’s the allegation from plaintiffs in a major lawsuit that began seven years ago. The judge’s decision could significantly change the way the state funds schools in the future.
An alliance of school administrators, teachers and school boards sued the state in 2017, accusing leaders of not providing a “general and uniform public school system” as required by the state constitution. The trial finally began earlier this month and is expected to wrap up this week.
"The state needs to provide enough funding so that all districts can do things for their kids that the wealthy districts can do now," said Danny Adelman, attorney for the plaintiffs.
-- Joe Dana Bond bill: 5 school districts will share $160 million for projects-- Delaware Live Delaware: June 25, 2024 [ abstract] The state will invest $160 million for school projects in six districts and $100 million in deferred maintenance and capital improvements in state buildings, according to the $1.1 billion capital budget introduced Monday.
The $160 million for school construction projects is the largest amount of money designated and will go to Smyrna, Red Clay, Colonial, New Castle County Vo-Tech, Polytech and Christina school districts. It represents the state’s share of construction after all six districts applied for the construction money, were approved and then had to get residents to vote for tax increases to pay the district share.
The capital budget includes investments in roadway enhancements, school construction, state building renovations, economic development initiatives, and various projects to protect Delaware’s natural resources.
House Bill 475, known as the Fiscal Year 2025 Bond Bill, is created by the Joint Capital Improvement Committee, a 12-member panel of legislators who draft the state’s capital spending plan.
-- Betsy Price Elementary school relocation, APS debt debated as School Board approves $570M CIP-- ARLnow Virginia: June 24, 2024 [ abstract] Impassioned discussion surrounded a split Arlington School Board vote on Thursday to approve a $570 million Capital Improvement Plan for the next decade.
At issue in the 3-2 vote on the 2025-2034 CIP were disagreements over Arlington Public Schools debt service as well as a plan to relocate the Montessori Public School of Arlington (MPSA) to the current Career Center building.
Board members Miranda Turner and Mary Kadera cast dissenting votes. Other critics of the CIP include the Arlington County Council of PTAs, the current chair of the Joint Facilities Advisory Commission (JFAC), several former chairs of JFAC and four former chairs of the Facility Advisory Committee to the School Board.
School Board Chair Cristina Diaz-Torres defended the plan, which includes $302 million for long-range renovations, $120 million for major infrastructure projects, $73 million for construction of the Grace Hopper Center and $45 million for relocating MPSA. However, she reiterated concerns that APS lacks sufficient funding to meet community needs.
-- Daniel Egitto Greenbrier public schools invest $14M in renewable energy -- therealwv.com West Virginia: June 19, 2024 [ abstract] Behind the joint campus of Western Greenbrier Middle School and Rupert Elementary School, engineers with CMTA have transformed once-empty fields into renewable energy sources. A solar array nearly the size of a football field sits directly beside 81 geothermal wells which are all around 500 feet deep. And that’s just the beginning.
“This project touches every school in Greenbrier County,” says Jason Tyler, construction Manager for CMTA. “We’re really proud to be part of it.”
In total, Greenbrier County Schools (GCS) is spending $14 million on the comprehensive energy savings project. They will receive a $2 million credit as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and will save $500,000 annually on their utility bills.
-- Stephen Baldwin, RealWV Behind the scenes, a battle looms over fair funding for school construction-- EdSource California: June 18, 2024 [ abstract] In the coming days, Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to confirm his commitment to place a state school construction bond on the November ballot.
What he hasn’t committed to yet — but must decide in the next 10 days — is whether to reform a method of sharing state matching money that has long favored property-rich districts over their property-poor neighbors.
Along with a June 27 deadline to write ballot language, Newsom and legislative leaders face the threat of a lawsuit challenging the legality of the present system that ignores vast inequalities in districts’ ability to upgrade and repair schools. The public interest law firm Public Advocates filed its warning, a 21-page demand letter, with state officials in February. Public Advocates is calling for a new method that shares more state bond proceeds with districts that need more help. Their proposal focuses only on repairing and renovating facilities, not new construction.
The possibility of litigation drawing attention to funding inequalities would endanger the chances that a bond would pass — just when the state will run out of distributing the last matching money from the last bond, eight years ago. That would leave the state with no funding to help districts meet the rising cost of school construction.
-- JOHN FENSTERWALD Connecticut lawmakers to reconsider loosening school construction rules after scandal-- CTInsider Connecticut: June 18, 2024 [ abstract] Connecticut lawmakers will attempt to rescind a recently-enacted change to contracting rules surrounding school construction following pushback from Gov. Ned Lamont, legislative leaders said Monday.
The governor and lawmakers are currently negotiating the agenda for a two-day session beginning June 26, which they mostly agree will focus on technical fixes to banking regulations and the assessment of local car taxes.
Among the items being pushed by Lamont is the repeal of a new law allowing construction managers on state-funded school construction projects to bid and perform work on smaller subcontracts that they are supposed to be overseeing.
-- John Moritz Council Chairman calls for pause of DCPS renovation project around Nalle Elementary-- WUSA9 District of Columbia: June 18, 2024 [ abstract]
WASHINGTON — One D.C. leader wants answers about a construction project that could mean no outdoor green space for students for years.
D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) has plans to establish a "swing space" for Drew Elementary School during planned renovations. A swing space is a series of trailers meant to house the entire school while construction takes place.
That swing space is planned to be in the field outside JC Nalle Elementary School.
After WUSA9's reporting on parents whose children attend Nalle Elementary, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson is calling for more clarity surrounding the DCPS plan.
He sent a letter DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee demanding answers and strongly encouraging a pause on the project and construction.
"This loss is unacceptable and the lack of notice to the community is worse," Mendelson said in the letter.
-- Matt Pusatory, Delia Goncalves, Stephanie Wilson RIDE accuses Providence of mismanaging school construction funds-- WPRI.com Rhode Island: June 18, 2024 [ abstract]
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — State officials are blasting Providence Mayor Brett Smiley’s administration for allegedly mismanaging major school construction projects and potentially jeopardizing millions of dollars in funding.
In a scathing letter obtained by Target 12, R.I. Department of Education chief operating officer Mario Carreño told Smiley: “RIDE is deeply concerned by the city’s inability to properly track and manage facilities funds, anticipate cash flow, and pay vendors in a timely manner for several of the school constructions projects underway.”
Carreño put the blame squarely on Providence’s Public Property Office, which he said has had 10 different directors over the last six years, a period that stretches back into Jorge Elorza’s administration.
The office “seems unqualified to manage these critical projects,” he wrote.
The letter ticks off a variety of accounting issues that RIDE has seen in Providence, from rapid shifts in project budgets to questionable requests for reimbursement. Carreño warned that the city is now at risk of losing over $8 million in state funds that expire at the end of this month, despite being urged repeatedly to claim the money.
Additionally, Carreño said due to the failure to complete projects at Classical High School and Pleasant View Elementary School by June 30, the city stands to lose $7 million in housing aid reimbursements included in the mayor’s most recent budget proposal.
-- Alexandra Leslie, Ted Nesi Inflation impacts school construction projects-- WJAR Rhode Island: June 13, 2024 [ abstract] Voters in Warwick approved $350 million in bonds in 2022 to replace Toll Gate and Pilgrim High Schools, but rising construction costs are impacting the price tags.
"We have had to make some alterations so that way we can get those schools done within the $350 million price point," said Warwick School Committee Member Shaun Galligan. He added, "For Toll Gate, we had to change up the initial design to minimize the excavation costs, so we had to follow the lay of the land over on that side of the city."
In November of 2022, voters approved a bond measure to build two new high schools on the fields of the existing schools.
Since then, construction costs have spiked across the nation.
-- LIZ BATESON California Struggles With Classroom Space For Transitional Kindergarten-- KQED.org California: June 11, 2024 [ abstract] When Thomas Pace, director of facilities at San Bernardino City Unified, thinks about all the construction that needs to happen at the schools in his district, he struggles to get the math to work.
Many of the existing kindergarten classrooms don’t meet state standards, and now, they’re preparing to layer in another grade for young children: transitional kindergarten.
In 2021, California embarked on a $2.7 billion plan to offer TK to all 4-year-olds by the 2025–26 school year in what’s poised to be the largest free pre-K program in the country.
But school districts across the state, like Pace’s, are struggling to build or modify the facilities most appropriate for these new young learners.
Why the rollout is expensive and hard
San Bernardino City Unified is at the tail end of using $250 million in bond money the city raised over a decade ago for school improvements.
“All of the specialized space is highly expensive, and for those school districts that lack the local resources, we struggle to make those improvements on a grand scale,” Pace said. “So we were already struggling to catch up even in the kinder realm. Now, you add in a greater offering for TK, it just puts a larger burden on local school districts.”
-- Elly Yu Community reacts to construction of west Louisville’s first middle school in 90 years-- Wave3.com Kentucky: June 07, 2024 [ abstract] LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A skeleton of bare, rusted, steel remnants of an incomplete building stands as a symbol of economic failure in west Louisville.
Abandoned when Passport Health halted construction in 2019, the 20-acre property at the corner of 18th and West Broadway was also where Walmart abandoned plans to build in 2016.
Participant of this development Rubin Pulliam said it has long been a troubling sight and reminds him of lost jobs and opportunities.
“It’s been rough,” Pulliam said. “I hate to come by there now because of what it stood for, what we started out for, and we didn’t know if it was over. But we kept pushing, kept pushing.”
-- David Mattingly School district weighs options following defeat of $99 million Woodstock high school bond-- Valley News Vermont: May 31, 2024 [ abstract] WOODSTOCK — On Monday night, the Mountain Views School District Board will consider cost estimates on three options for addressing the maintenance needs of the Woodstock Union Middle and High School buildings. The board hopes to bring another bond measure to voters in September.
The board’s consideration comes following the voters’ defeat on Town Meeting Day in March of a $99 million bond to fund construction of a new middle and high school building. Voters in the Vermont school district’s seven member towns — Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading and Woodstock — rejected the proposal by a margin of 340 votes, 1,910-1,570.
Following the defeat, the board conducted a survey of community members and began to explore other strategies to meet the needs of the aging school building, which serves 440 students and was built in 1956, with the middle school addition completed in 1968.
-- Christina Dolan Some emergency officials dropping the word ‘shelter’ as Hawaii buildings don’t meet standards-- khon2.com Hawaii: May 31, 2024 [ abstract] HONOLULU (KHON2) – From an engineering standpoint, emergency officials say most Hawaii buildings do not meet hurricane shelter criteria.
“The state has criteria for shelters depending on construction and design and most of the buildings in our inventory don’t meet that criteria,” explained Honolulu’s Department of Emergency Management Director Hiro Toiya.
Kauai and Honolulu have sought alternatives known as hurricane refuge areas which are mostly in state Department of Education school buildings, like gyms or cafeterias.
“So, while these buildings do not meet the criteria and definition of a hurricane shelter, they do serve as better alternative and they are the best we have in our building inventory to make available to the public,” Toiya explained.
-- Nikki Schenfeld Polk schools get $174M in impact fees from county. Most would to toward a new high school-- The Ledger Florida: May 24, 2024 [ abstract] Polk County commissioners approved the release of more than $115 million in educational impact fees on Tuesday for a new Poinciana area high school among other school projects to accommodate the county's growing student population.
In all, educational impact fees of more than $174.2 million were released for the modernization and construction of additional capacity within the school system. The approval was by a unanimous decision of the County Commission.
New high school building costs
Among the funds released, Polk County Public Schools received $115.368 million to construct a new 2,500-student high school in Polk County’s Poinciana area, according to a staff analysis by the county’s Office of Planning and Development.
-- Paul Nutcher Virginia has history of underfunding school construction-- VPM NPR Virginia: May 17, 2024 [ abstract] Nature inspired the design of John Lewis Elementary School in Northwest D.C.
"We have our outside treehouse. I was pretty scared when I first saw that,” said Principal Nikeysha Jackson. “The kids loved it. It is their favorite thing in the building."
The district’s first net-zero building has all the bells and whistles: an outside amphitheater, eco-friendly ponds and solar panels. And as Jackson points out, all of the classrooms have retractable garage doors.
“Usually in the mornings, they'll be open as kids are walking in, and then they close them,” Jackson said. Some people teach with them open all day long.”
This new building is part of a long-term city effort to get all its schools in good shape. Not all of them are as impressive as John Lewis, but many were in worse shape a few decades ago.
‘Planning isn’t reacting’
In 1992, a group of parents filed a lawsuit against Washington over fire code violations. Mary Filardo, executive director of the 21st Century School Fund, had children in D.C. Public Schools at the time.
She said there were a number of fire code violations: “because doors were chained shut, so that kids wouldn't be able to get out. Because the doors weren't working properly. There were breaches in the plaster and in the ceilings, because of roof leaks and other problems.”
-- Megan Pauly, Sean McGoey School facilities drive Mississippi COVID spending-- K-12 Dive Mississippi: April 26, 2024 [ abstract] Many Mississippi districts are using notable portions of their federal COVID-19 emergency funding to improve school buildings, most likely to address long-standing issues around underfunding for capital projects, according to research from FutureEd, an education analysis organization affiliated with Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.
Of the 60% spent through March of this year across the state in American Rescue Plan funds, 42% — or $362.6 million — had gone toward building improvements, according to FutureEd.
The lion’s share — $296.8 million — funded reconstruction and remodeling projects like HVAC replacements and upgrades. That was followed by maintenance and upkeep at $27.6 million, new building purchases and construction at $20.5 million, and architecture and engineering fees at $14.8 million.
-- Kara Arundel Santa Monica school expansion delayed by toxic dry cleaning chemicals in soil-- Los Angeles Times California: April 22, 2024 [ abstract] For years, school district officials had grand designs to revamp the campus of McKinley Elementary in Santa Monica.
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District intended to build a two-story building with eight state-of-the-art classrooms and a modernized front office. The project had already been funded by a previous bond measure and splashy renderings were publicized by district staff.
Last year, however, a district-hired inspector discovered dangerous levels of toxic vapors percolating in the soil at the proposed construction site, a parking lot on the northeast end of campus. Since then, state regulators have concluded the contaminants likely migrated underground from a dry cleaner across the street.
Although these hazardous fumes were not detected above state health limits inside school buildings, regulators determined the contamination could pose a risk to public health if the ground were disturbed or new construction was sited on top.
-- Tony Briscoe Political Fight Over School Construction Could Slow Hawaii’s Preschool Expansion Plans-- Honolulu Civil Beat Hawaii: April 21, 2024 [ abstract] Four years after its creation, a state agency created to expedite school construction projects is at risk of losing all of its staff and funding.
Several bills in the Legislature aim to strip the School Facilities Authority of its responsibility over construction funding and projects, including a historic $200 million investment in the creation of pre-kindergarten classrooms.
The authority was established in 2020 to take over the construction of new school facilities from the Hawaii Department of Education. Legislators have since tasked SFA with building a new school on Maui, constructing teacher housing and creating pre-kindergarten classrooms to advance the state’s goal of providing all 3- and 4-year-olds access to preschool by 2032.
Some legislators say the authority has fallen short of its intended goal, citing SFA’s struggle to hire staff and make headway on projects over the past two years. For example, while the state initially tasked SFA with spending $200 million on constructing pre-kindergarten classrooms by June — enough money for roughly 200 classrooms — only 13 classrooms have been completed so far.
-- Megan Tagami Carmel Clay Schools did not violate state law by refusing to sell building to charter school, court rules-- Indianapolis Business Journal Indiana: April 18, 2024 [ abstract] The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a ruling Wednesday that Carmel Clay Schools did not violate Indiana’s “dollar law” when it closed an elementary school and refused to sell the building to a charter school.
In 2011, the Indiana General Assembly first approved a law that required a school corporation, under certain circumstances, to either lease an unused school building to a charter school for one dollar per year or to sell the school building to the charter school for one dollar.
Since then, the dollar statute has been amended several times.
In 2018, Carmel Clay approved the construction of a new Orchard Park Elementary School building and decided that the students wouldn’t be moved to the new location until 2021.
Carmel Clay used the old location for storage space for the school district.
-- Alexa Shrake School facilities funds cut as part of agreement to reduce California’s budget shortfall-- EdSource California: April 16, 2024 [ abstract] An agreement between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature that will reduce the state’s budget shortfall by $17.3 billion also will mean less money for school facilities.
The agreement, signed April 4, cuts the state School Facility Aid Program by $500 million, reducing the funding from $875 million to $375 million. The program provides funds to school districts for school construction, deferred maintenance and emergency repairs.
-- Diana Lambert To tax or not to tax? Governor Youngkin and Democrats battle over building new schools in Virginia-- wtvr.com Virginia: April 16, 2024 [ abstract]
RICHMOND, Va. -- The way localities can choose to help pay for new school construction and renovation is up for debate this week at the Virginia General Assembly.
Governor Glenn Youngkin (R - Virginia) vetoed a bill passed by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly that would have allowed Virginia cities and counties to add a one-percent sales tax to fund school construction and renovation projects if approved by voters in a referendum.
in Virginia
The way localities can choose to help pay for new school construction and renovation is up for debate this week at the Virginia General Assembly.
By: Cameron ThompsonPosted at 4:44 PM, Apr 16, 2024 and last updated 4:44 PM, Apr 16, 2024
RICHMOND, Va. -- The way localities can choose to help pay for new school construction and renovation is up for debate this week at the Virginia General Assembly.
Governor Glenn Youngkin (R - Virginia) vetoed a bill passed by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly that would have allowed Virginia cities and counties to add a one-percent sales tax to fund school construction and renovation projects if approved by voters in a referendum.
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A 2021 report found over half of Virginia's schools are over 50 years old and replacing them would cost around $25 billion.
"We know from a state perspective we can't fund, from the Commonwealth, all $25 billion. And so, this [bill] is really adding a tool to the toolbox for localities with pretty tough thresholds," Sen. Jeremy McPike (D - Prince William), who sponsored one of the bills, said about the tax.
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers supported the bill in the General Assembly.
Governor Youngkin offered a different perspective.
"The reality, of course, is this bill is just another tax increase at a time when Virginians really can't afford it," the governor said.
-- Cameron Thompson Wake County Public Schools adding new schools as population continues to grow-- abc11.com North Carolina: April 16, 2024 [ abstract] WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Wake County Board of Education is dealing with growing pains across the district. We're now learning more about their 7-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
The plan, which now extends through fiscal year 2031, includes school programs, improving current schools, and adding some new schools to keep up with population growth.
Of the total $2.8 billion budget, $475 million is going towards new schools. The most pressing need right now is the booming western part of the county.
Parkside Middle School in Morrisville is already under construction and set to be done by next year, and Morrisville is also set to get another high school by 2028.
For some young parents like Ramchendra Koirala who moved to Morrisville from New York, he says one of the selling points was the schools, and he's glad by the time his kids are old enough they'll have a school close by they can call home.
-- Tom George First phase of LCSD1 school facilities study complete; more to come-- Wyomingnews.com Wyoming: April 12, 2024 [ abstract] CHEYENNE — It’s been almost a year since students from Arp Elementary School were moved into a swing space, and it’s been more than two years since the local school district asked for money to demolish and rebuild the south Cheyenne school.
The good news is that the funds to design and build two new elementary schools in Laramie County School District 1 has been secured from the Wyoming Legislature. However, school district officials are still in conversation with the State construction Department (SCD) about where those buildings should go.
-- Hannah Shields Surprise, surprise: Students excel in modernized K-12 school buildings-- Building Design + Construction National: April 10, 2024 [ abstract] More than 49 million students were enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools as of fall 2021, according to the Digest of Education Statistics. Coincidentally, that number (the “49” in 49 million) matches the average age of a main instructional school building in the U.S., according to the National Center for Education Statistics. More alarming, nearly four in 10 schools (38%) were built before 1970—and half of those have never had a major building renovation or addition.
Clearly, too many of the nation’s school districts are having to make it work with less-than-ideal educational facilities. But at what cost to student performance and staff satisfaction?
Newly released findings from a 28-school research study by Drexel University and Perkins Eastman reveal a strong correlation between the quality of school building environments and key educational indicators like test scores, graduation rates, enrollment, teacher retention—even community health and wellness.
The study, “Addressing a Multi-Billion Dollar Challenge” (140-page PDF download at BDCnetwork.com/2024-school-study), investigated the differences between modernized and non-modernized elementary, middle, and high schools—17 modernized, 11 non-modernized—throughout Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.
-- DAVID BARISTA West Virginia officials approve $87 million for school building projects-- WCHSTV.com West Virginia: April 10, 2024 [ abstract] KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — The West Virginia School Building Authority on Wednesday approved $87 million in construction and repair projects for the state’s schools.
The approval covers projects and construction plans that were rejected in December due to lack of funding during the fiscal cycle. The new funding is coming from the state’s $150 million budget surplus.
Among the funding approved Wednesday was $16 million for a new state-of-the-art Ona Elementary School in Cabell County.
About $1 million was approved for a STEM class addition and cafeteria expansion at Cabell Midland High School.
In Wayne County, a project to create an addition to Buffalo Elementary School for a PK-8 was awarded more than $20 million.
-- BOB AARON, SHANNON STOWERS Bringing staff and student voices into the school design process-- K-12 Dive National: April 09, 2024 [ abstract] When the class of 2021 at Putnam City High School was asked where they wanted to hold their prom, district administrators were anticipating suggestions for a variety of picturesque venues around Oklahoma City.
But their request was a pleasant surprise to staff — the students chose to hold prom at nearby James L. Capps Middle School, a then-new building in Putnam City Schools.
The school, which opened in 2020, sits on 38 acres and features a spring-fed creek that runs under a glass skybridge connecting different wings of the building. With its tall glass windows and large indoor gathering areas, Capps is a source of pride for the community.
“It has become a destination for all of our schools,” said Putnam Superintendent Fred Rhodes. “It’s just off-the-charts cool.”
The enthusiasm for the building can be traced to the district’s efforts to include student and staff voice in the school design process, Rhodes said.
-- Kara Arundel Youngkin vetoes bills proposing 1% sales tax option to fund new schools-- The Smithfield Times Virginia: April 09, 2024 [ abstract] Gov. Glenn Youngkin, minutes ahead of his 11:59 p.m. deadline on April 8 to act on this year’s General Assembly bills, vetoed legislation that would have authorized any Virginia city or county to raise its sales tax 1% by voter referendum to fund school construction. Only nine Virginia localities – Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick and Pittsylvania counties and the city of Danville – are afforded the option under current state law. Isle of Wight County has been lobbying for the referendum option for the past three years as a possible means of paying back more than $30 million it borrowed in 2020 and 2021 to replace the circa-1961 Hardy Elementary with a new, larger Hardy that opened in 2023, and to fund the estimated $71 million cost of replacing another 1960s-era school, Westside Elementary. House of Delegates Bill 805, sponsored by Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, and Senate Bill 14, a nearly identical bill by Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William, would each have abolished the list of authorized localities and expanded the option to all cities and counties.
-- Stephen Faleski RPS 205 finishes public feedback for $180 million Facilities Master Plan-- WREX.com Illinois: April 04, 2024 [ abstract] ROCKFORD, Ill. — In front of a curious crowd, public input concluded for Rockford Public Schools' nearly quarter billion dollar project on Wednesday night.
The final community feedback session steers RPS 205 in its $180 million Facilities Master Plan. With 45 buildings in the district, RPS officials outlined what they hope to achieve between 2025-2030.
A room of parents, teachers and community members provided questions and comments as well. Concerns included elementary school expansion "overpowering" classroom camaraderie, school safety and construction during the school year.
One Lincoln Middle School teacher also shared their hope the nearly 100-year-old building will continue be focused on despite recent improvements.
-- Nathan Langley Wisconsin voters OK more than $1B in school construction projects-- Finance & Commerce Wisconsin: April 04, 2024 [ abstract] MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin voters decided on dozens of school district referendums on Tuesday, including approval for the $252 million Milwaukee Public Schools referendum. More than 90 school district referendums asked for $1.3 billion in repairs and renovation projects.
In Milwaukee, the MPS referendum was more than 51% of the vote and passed Tuesday night. The referendum aims to stop budget cuts to schools but is estimated to raise property taxes. The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and Greater Milwaukee Foundation were both openly against the proposal.
The referendum would allow MPS to raise its revenue limit by $252 million phased in over four years, MPS officials said. The district will exceed the revenue limit by $140 million for the 2024-25 school year. The estimated increase in property taxes would be $216 per $100,000 of assessed property value in the first year, but taxes for the school district would remain flat after.
-- Ethan Duran, BridgeTower Media Newswires Constitutional concerns hang over blockbuster facilities bill-- Idaho Ed News Idaho: April 01, 2024 [ abstract] Nearly two decades after the Idaho Supreme Court ruled that the Legislature was shirking its constitutional duty to fully fund public school facilities, lawmakers recently took a major step to address the problem.
On Friday, Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 521, which the Republican governor co-authored with a handful of powerful GOP legislators, including House Speaker Mike Moyle. Under the sweeping legislation, the state will spend an additional $1.5 billion over the next decade to help fund building construction and maintenance.
While tidying up one constitutional conundrum, however, the bill sponsors may have created another: HB 521 itself could be unconstitutional. That’s because it doesn’t only address school facilities; it also cuts income taxes, eliminates a school election date and even gives the state’s public defender’s office a funding boost, among other things.
Why does the bill’s broad scope matter? The Idaho Constitution explicitly prohibits legislation that embraces more than one subject.
-- Ryan Suppe Falling Marijuana Tax Revenue Cutting Into School Construction Grants-- Westword Colorado: March 29, 2024 [ abstract] Declining retail marijuana sales in Colorado could pause millions of dollars in school construction grants, according to lawmakers and the state Department of Education.
Colorado dispensary sales increased for seven straight years after recreational sales began in 2014, topping out at nearly $2.23 billion in 2021, according to the state Department of Revenue. Marijuana sales began dropping after the pandemic ended, however, decreasing about 20 percent from 2021 to 2022, and then another 14.5 percent from 2022 to 2023.
Annual tax revenue from marijuana sales and business licensing fees has experienced a similar decline, falling almost 46 percent from 2021 to 2023. But lawmakers continued going to the well of marijuana revenue for bill funding, according to State Representative Rick Taggert, and now a crunch has hit.
Taggert, a college professor who represents Mesa County, is sponsoring a bill that would pause an annual $20 million transfer from the state's Marijuana Tax Cash Fund to the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) fund, a matching grant program intended to help spur new construction at Colorado schools.
-- Thomas Mitchell Tom McKone: Deteriorating schools need attention and funding-- vtdigger Vermont: March 29, 2024 [ abstract] The build-up to Town Meeting Day and the record failure of 30 school budgets have overshadowed an earlier, stunning report that has received only modest coverage: Vermont faces at least $6.3 billion in school construction costs over the next two decades — even more, if we don’t start putting $300 million per year into this right away.
An immediate question is: If taxpayers don’t support their local school budget, how likely are they to vote to spend even more on aging school buildings — even if the Legislature establishes a new school construction aid program that would cover part of the cost?
The comprehensive, 42-page, School construction Aid Task Force Report presented to the House and Senate Committees on Education last month, provides a sobering picture of the condition of Vermont’s 384 school buildings and recommendations of ways to move forward, with the conclusion that “a paradigm shift is necessary.”
-- Opinion - Tom McKone Canada - B.C. puts $291.9 million towards school upgrades-- Journal of Commerce International: March 25, 2024 [ abstract] VICTORIA – The Government of British Columbia is putting $291.9 million towards school maintenance projects as part of its 2024 budget.
To reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency, the provincial Ministry of Education and Childcare is providing up to $26.8 million in energy and electrical upgrades across 51 school districts through the Carbon Neutral Capital Program including upgrades of heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
The province is increasing the Annual Facility Grant by an additional $3.1 million for routine repairs throughout the year and $150.2 million is also available to districts to address maintenance needs, as well as other improvements, such as replacing playground equipment or enhancing traffic safety, a release said.
Other school spending in the budget includes $5 million annually through the Feeding Futures program to “create, improve or expand infrastructure through projects, such as food-delivery vans and kitchen upgrades, including electrical upgrades and the purchase of commercial-kitchen equipment,” the release said, as well as $23.8 million to purchase school buses, of which $9 million has been allocated for the purchase of electric school buses.
-- Staff Writer NC public schools are testing for lead in drinking water with ‘once-in-a-generation’ funding-- WUNC North Carolina: March 19, 2024 [ abstract]
Walking into the Maureen Joy Charter School building is a little like stepping back in time. The lacquered wood floors creak as students walk to class. Sunlight streams across high ceilings. The school’s chief operating officer Samantha Amaral offers a tour of the building.
“It was built in 1910, so this is a historic building, and we love it,” Amaral says.
A black-and-white photograph hanging in the lobby shows a street view of the original school building in 1910, seemingly unchanged. Maureen Joy Charter School renovated the old Y.E. Smith public school building in 2012 before moving in.
“They redid all of the piping, all of the paint,” Amaral explained. “All that was left was the skeleton of the school.”
Amaral said she hopes that means the school doesn’t have to worry as much about lead in the pipes or asbestos in the paint, but given the age of the building, administrators still wanted to check.
More than half of North Carolina public schools were built before the federal government began regulating lead and asbestos in new construction in the 1980s, putting today’s students at risk for lead exposure. Lead in drinking water is a health risk to young children and can cause intellectual and developmental issues. Asbestos is a known carcinogen.
Now, with a large block of federal funding from the American Rescue Plan and allocated by the state, every one of the roughly 3,100 public schools in North Carolina this spring will be able to test for lead and asbestos.
-- Liz Schlemmer Rural California schools are desperate for state help, from special education to construction-- Jefferson Public Radio California: March 10, 2024 [ abstract] When Denise Massey’s daughter was 6 years old, she put the girl, who has Down Syndrome, on a van every morning for speech therapy in El Centro: 100 miles round trip, sometimes braving 120-degree heat, monsoons and severe dust storms known in the desert as haboobs.
Thirteen years later she’s still making that daily trek, because her Imperial County school district is so small it can’t offer a full gamut of special education services, and so remote that there’s nothing closer.
“It was hard at first. My daughter was really tired, and she’d act out,” Massey said. “But it’s been worth it because it’s so important my daughter gets the services she needs.”
Special education is only one of the challenges in rural districts like San Pasqual Valley Unified, a 591-student district in the southeastern corner of the state where Massey’s daughter, Annabelle, is enrolled. Transportation, recruiting teachers, finding contractors, tracking mountains of paperwork and complying with state regulations have become so burdensome that superintendents in those districts are begging for relief. Meanwhile, students like Annabelle sometimes miss out on opportunities that their peers in more populated areas take for granted.
-- Carolyn Jones Burrillville council approves $6.4 million bond to finance school repairs-- NRI Now Rhode Island: March 07, 2024 [ abstract]
BURRILLVILLE – Members of the Town Council voted unanimously to approve a bond of up to $6.4 million to finance repairs to school facilities, including a costly but urgent boiler replacement for Steere Farm Elementary School.
“It needs to be done sooner rather than later,” explained Finance Director Leslie McGovern at a meeting with the council on Wednesday, Feb. 28.
To finance the project, McGovern told councilors they could wait until November to seek voter approval, or approve it under their own authority under state law. Rhode Island General Law and the Town Charter allow the council to borrow up to 3 percent of the total assessed value of the tax base without putting the issue on a ballot.
“You can put it to the voters, but you’ll be waiting for that vote to take place in November,” McGovern said.
McGovern noted that for the last bond for a school construction projects in Burrillville, a $7 million referendum was approved by voters in 2020. But if the council were to wait this time, funds would not be available until March of 2025 and interest rates, which are now low, would be subject to change, she said.
-- Sandy Hall Passaic to build a new high school with $328 million in state funds-- northjersey.com New Jersey: March 06, 2024 [ abstract] PASSAIC — Plans for a new city high school that will cost $328 million are moving forward and will be paid for with funds from the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, the district's school board announced.
The announcement comes two years after the SDA gave its approval for the project in April 2022.
In a Feb. 7 memo, the SDA estimated the cost to demolish the current high school at 170 Paulison Ave. and build a new one at $328.1 million, which includes the cost of housing the students during the construction.
"This achievement underscores our unwavering commitment to providing our students with state-of-the-art facilities conducive to learning and growth," said Passaic Board of Education President L. Daniel Rodriguez. "I extend heartfelt gratitude to the SDA, Gov. [Phil] Murphy, Assemblyman [Gary] Schaer and Mayor [Hector] Lora for their invaluable support and advocacy in securing this opportunity for our community."
-- Matt Fagan $94 million in school construction projects identified-- The Transylvania Times North Carolina: March 05, 2024 [ abstract] The county’s recent school facilities assessment recommends spending at least $94 million dollars on construction projects in the next 10 years on all structures owned by the Board of Education.
That proposed price tag, which is expected to increase to $121 million once all design fees, permits, insurance and professional fees are factored in, was presented to members of the Board of Education and the Transylvania County Board of Commissioners at a special joint meeting of the two boards Monday afternoon.
Last year both boards established a special education capital work group composed of Transylvania County Manager Jaime Laughter, School Superintendent Lisa Fletcher, retired Henderson County Manager Steve Wyatt, retired Henderson County Schools Superintendent Bo Caldwell and representatives from the Axias consulting firm to assess all school buildings and identify repairs that need to be made throughout the school system within the next decade.
“Our recommendation is that you take the reality of where you are and you make the best decisions that you can make,” Wyatt said to the gathering of the two groups Monday. “Those decisions lead to investments because time is money and you’ll get more bang for your buck the sooner you can make decisions and move forward.”
“Now is the opportunity to fix things and fix them right,” added Caldwell. “Here you have an opportunity as county commissioners and the school board to work as a group to provide the facilities that these children can learn in for the next several years.”
-- Jonathan Rich GA Senate Passes Bill to Allow Impact Fees for School Systems Affected by Development-- The Georgia Virtue Georgia: March 05, 2024 [ abstract]
The Georgia Senate approved a measure last week that will allow school systems to assess impact fees for development when the development alters the educational infrastructure needed.
Last week, the Georgia State Senate approved Senate Bill 208 and Senate Resolution 189, both measures sponsored by Sen. Greg Dolezal, a Republican from Cumming.
SB 208 introduces development impact fees for education, as the current law only allows impact fees to be imposed by county governments and municipalities. Specifically, the bill would require that a school system be considered ‘high growth’ in that it expects:
a total increase in system wide student enrollment of 20 percent or more during the immediately preceding ten-year period; AND
total expenditures of $250 million or more on the construction of new educational facilities during the immediately preceding ten-year period.
-- Staff Writer $150 million would fund school projects across the state " and be a signal to federal authorities-- WV Metro News West Virginia: March 04, 2024 [ abstract] Delegates reviewed a $150 million allocation for school construction and maintenance, and they were a little puzzled. It was just that the list was so… expansive.
Delegate Clay Riley, R-Harrison, asked if the allocation would take care of everything proposed but not already funded by the School Building Authority. “So this wipes the backlog completely clean?” he asked at a House Finance Committee meeting last Thursday.
Delegate Marty Gearheart, R-Mercer, had a similar reaction.
“Every application is on this list. When was the last time the School Building Authority funded every single application?” Gearheart said. Then he responded to his own question. “I can answer that. I think it’s never.”
These are unusual times with an unusual, big pressure.
West Virginia is under pressure from the federal government to make good on the terms for hundreds of millions of dollars from covid relief meant to support education. The main requirement is known as maintenance of effort, which means the state had to keep the same proportional level of funding for schools as it had before the pandemic.
The state fell short, as a matter of percentage, in 2023 and now is negotiating to try to get a waiver and avoid a clawback of about $465 million.
-- Brad McElhinny How a student protest plan helped get a playground reopened-- NY1 New York: March 04, 2024 [ abstract]
Students at the Children's Workshop School in the East Village recently got a lesson in the power of protest.
The school’s playground had been shut for nearly two months, after a neighboring building’s facade began crumbling on Jan. 7. construction on the wall wrapped up nearly six weeks ago, but the playground remained closed, in need of a sign-off from the city's Department of Buildings.
So students planned a protest for Friday afternoon. Even before it happened, they got action.
“The word got out. And the Department of Buildings and the Department of Education heard the students' voices, and they came, and it happened right away,” Maria Velez-Clarke, the school’s principal, said.
Overnight Thursday, the Department of Education built a fence, which led the Department of Buildings to approve opening the schoolyard. Students got the news at their weekly Friday assembly, bursting into applause.
“In some ways, my kids were surprised. Like, ‘Wait, we didn't even have our protest yet! And the problem got fixed, like I want to protest,’” third grade teacher Miriam Sicherman said.
Sicherman helped the students organize their protest, which ultimately turned into a celebration.
-- JILLIAN JORGENSEN With North Dakota schools facing 'an impending cliff,' lawmakers consider ways to help fund rebuilding-- Grand Forks Herald North Dakota: March 02, 2024 [ abstract] GRAND FORKS — North Dakota’s K-12 schools are getting old. Some state lawmakers say many buildings need major infrastructure updates or entirely new construction to educate children safely.
But many small districts can’t afford to pay for replacements if a critical system breaks. Just ask Anna Sell, superintendent of Oakes Public School District. Her district’s high school turned 100 last year and the elementary school was built 63 years ago. The district is home to nearly 500 students.
“We actually had a terminal breakdown of our chiller (last year). We spent months and months trying to figure out a way to replace it but the system is so old, about 50 years old, that to retrofit it would cost around $400,000-$500,000. We don’t have that kind of money,” she said. “We’ve been asked, ‘What’s plan B?’ We don’t have a plan B because we don’t have enough money for a plan B.”
-- Carrie McDermott Alaska’s education board sends a $500M wish list for construction and maintenance to lawmakers-- Alaska Beacon Alaska: February 29, 2024 [ abstract] The state’s Board of Education and Early Development approved a priority list for half a billion dollars in construction and upkeep for schools at its regularly scheduled meeting in Juneau on Wednesday.
The list will go to the governor and the Legislature to be considered for funding.
Typically, only projects from among the top 10 funding requests are granted. This year the governor’s proposed budget includes funding for only the No. 1 school construction priority and top two maintenance projects, totaling less than $9 million.
The construction priority is $4 million towards a project to relocate and replace the Newtok K-12 school. The school was partially destroyed in a fire last year and was threatened by erosion from the Ninglick River.
Major maintenance would include a nearly $4 million rehabilitation at the elementary and middle schools in Craig and nearly $300,000 copper pipe replacement project in the Allakaket School.
State School Finance and Facilities Manager Lori Weed said that in the last 10 years, due to fiscal constraints, the state has funded fewer projects for school construction and maintenance projects. Between the fiscal years from 2015 to 2025, the state has funded anywhere from roughly 1-35% of the grant requests.
-- CLAIRE STREMPLE ‘A perfect mess’: School construction needs in a chaotic budget year-- Mountain Times Vermont: February 28, 2024 [ abstract] In fall 2023, the leaders of the Milton Town School District unveiled the design for its new elementary and middle school (pre-K-8) at a cost of $200 million, which 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.
Initial projections that indicated that property taxes could increase statewide by an average of 20% have the state and district school boards scrambling.
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. Coupled with the sharp rise in property values statewide over the last three years — which is reflected in a town-by-town tax rate adjustment called the Common Level of Appraisal, or CLA — many district boards are bracing for the public’s reaction to eye-popping tax increases.
“To me it’s just the perfect mess,” said Amy Rex, superintendent of the Milton district.
“I mean with Act 127 and the CLA mess that exists right now and, you know, 20- to 40-cent increases on homestead tax rates, people don’t even want to hear the word ‘bond’ — especially in this community,” she said. “And I get that. I get it.”
-- Habib Sabet and Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger 'Crumbling Schools': Baltimore City schools has 11K+ outstanding repair work orders | Exclusive-- WBALTV11 Maryland: February 26, 2024 [ abstract]
BALTIMORE —
From broken doors to collapsed ceilings and buildings with no heat, 11 News Investigates learned there are more than 11,000 requests for repairs to Baltimore City Public School buildings waiting to be addressed — more than 2,300 of which are over a year old.
The data obtained by 11 News Investigates provides certain information on more than 1,000 reports of plumbing issues, 95 work orders for security and 77 for fire systems.
To get at what's causing this backlog of work orders, 11 News Investigates went inside one of the district's oldest schools and talked to the district official who oversees it all.
Problems persist amid open repair work orders
No single camera lens can capture the more than 15 million square feet that comprise the Baltimore City Public School System's buildings — that's roughly the size of 270 football fields.
Maurice Gaskins, City Schools' director of construction, listed problems at Baltimore City College that include plaster failure, a broken dehumidification system and antiquated pool filters.
"It's been out of commission for so long that we probably have a group of students that probably never experienced this," Gaskins told 11 News Investigates.
The pool lane lines hang suspended in mid-air, a reminder of the championship teams that swam there until 2019.
-- Tolly Taylor Construction of DoDEA 21st Century School taking shape at Fort Campbell-- U.S. Army DoDEA: February 26, 2024 [ abstract] construction of DoDEA 21st Century School taking shape at Fort Campbell
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A new 167,000 square-foot Department of Defense Education Activity middle school at Fort Campbell, Kentucky., is more than 70 percent complete with a majority of the 35 learning neighborhoods having drywall in place.
"constructing the new Fort Campbell Middle School is not just building walls and classrooms,” said Charles King, Facilities Engineer and DoDEA Project Manager. “We're creating a student-centered 21st Century learning environment where future generations will thrive.”
Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, 55th Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer toured the middle school and spoke with USACE personnel and contractors to get an overview of how DoDEA’s 21st century learning concepts are designed into the school.
The project includes 69,000 square feet of building demolition and 41,000 square feet of renovation to the old middle school.
-- Charles Delano Wyoming Senate Axes $118M In Major School Construction Projects From Budget-- Cowboy State Daily Wyoming: February 22, 2024 [ abstract]
State Rep. Landon Brown, R-Cheyenne, likened the approach the Senate took Thursday in cutting $111.8 million in proposed major Wyoming school construction projects to performing surgery with a bludgeon instead of a scalpel.
“They could have gone in with a scalpel instead of a bludgeon, and they went in with a bludgeon hammer,” Brown said.
The Wyoming Senate voted 16-15 twice to cut funding for the design and construction of seven school projects around the state in the next biennium. The cuts were primarily in response to concern about the way two high schools were selected for the state money, one in Jackson and another in Rock Springs.
“The problem I have with that is, go after those two if you don’t like those particular two,” Brown said. “The rest of the process was followed with complete fidelity.”
Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs, proposed both amendments, arguing the Legislature should follow its own rules no matter the circumstance. He said the Legislature was “putting the cart in front of the horse” by approving the construction projects.
“I want to be prospective and say from this point going forward, we in the Legislature, to the maximum extent possible, should follow our own laws,” he said. “Follow the rules of the agency and have a high degree of fidelity to the process.”
-- Leo Wolfson Iowa City schools to transition from junior high to middle school model-- The Daily Iowan Iowa: February 21, 2024 [ abstract] The Iowa City Community School District is transitioning its junior high model to a middle school model by adding sixth graders to South East, Northwest, and North Central schools for the 2024-25 school year.
The decision to initiate this transition was made in the spring of 2022 after receiving approval from the school board. Since then, a committee of district representatives, administrators, and teachers looked at the best way to transition students from elementary schools to a new building, as well as what would most benefit students in middle school.
construction has been underway on all three existing buildings to accommodate the new students and staff. Just over $56 million from the facilities master plan budget was allocated for the project of building new classrooms and common spaces for the 300-400 plus new students entering each building in the fall.
-- Grace Olson Over half of WA school bond measures get majority vote, but fail-- Crosscut Cascade PBS Washington: February 20, 2024 [ abstract] Last week was a nailbiter for the Eastmont School District. For most of the week after last Tuesday’s special election, the $117 million school bond for this district in East Wenatchee hovered around 59% approval – just short of passage, according to state law.
In Washington, school bonds, often used for construction projects, require a 60% supermajority of voters. That is a higher threshold than that of school levies, most often used for programs and people, which require only a simple majority of 50% plus one vote.
For some districts, that supermajority can be a heavy lift. Last week, seven of the 21 school bonds statewide on the Feb. 13 special election ballots – 33% – hit the supermajority and passed. As of Friday, 11 of the 21 bond measures – 52% – got more than 50% support, yet failed.
In contrast, 172 out of 192 local school district levies – or 89% – passed statewide, according to figures supplied by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Looking just at operations levies that pay for instruction, that percentage is higher – with 91% of them passing.
In the Eastmont district, in Douglas County, it was the second time the district put this construction proposal on the ballot, after a November 2022 failure.
“We have really dramatically reduced the ask,” said Eastmont Superintendent Becky Berg. “From $185 million to $117 million, after interacting with about 900 community members.”
-- Venice Buhain Bill proposes moving Hawaii school construction oversight back to DOE-- Hawaii Tribune Herald Hawaii: February 17, 2024 [ abstract] 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.
-- ESME M. INFANTE Nearly One-Third of Public Schools Have One or More Portable Buildings in Use-- National Center for Education Statistics National: February 15, 2024 [ abstract] 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.”
-- Staff Writer Resolution to fund Wyoming school construction projects at local level advances in the Senate-- yahoo! News Wyoming: February 15, 2024 [ abstract] 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."
-- Hannah Shields, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle Aging schools deteriorating, PASD chief says-- Peninsula Daily News Washington: February 14, 2024 [ abstract]
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.
-- Paula Hunt Arkansas governor commits to improving facilities for deaf, blind students-- News From The States Arkansas: February 14, 2024 [ abstract] 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.
-- Antoinette Grajeda Hoarding School Impact Fees-- Hawaii Reporter Hawaii: February 12, 2024 [ abstract] 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.
-- Tom Yamachika ‘A perfect mess’: School construction needs may fall by the wayside in a chaotic budget year-- vtdigger Vermont: February 12, 2024 [ abstract]
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.
-- Habib Sabet and Ethan Weinstein Idaho Legislature Takes Up Bill to Help School Districts Repair and Replace Buildings-- ProPublica Idaho: February 09, 2024 [ abstract]
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.
-- Becca Savransky - Idaho Statesman Hawaii School Facilities Authority Director Steps Down From Post-- Honolulu Civil Beat Hawaii: February 07, 2024 [ abstract]
The School Facilities Authority is in search of a new leader after its former executive director, Chad Farias, resigned from his position at the end of last month.
SFA’s board appointed Riki Fujitani as interim executive director Tuesday. Fujitani previously served as director of the Office of Facilities and Operations’ auxiliary service branch within the Department of Education.
Fujitani’s effective start date has yet to be determined, said SFA Board Chair Alan Oshima during Tuesday’s meeting.
“There’s a huge amount of promise and money associated with the SFA at this moment that needs to be back on track as soon as possible,” Fujitani said following his appointment on Tuesday.
When SFA was created in 2020, it was intended to oversee schools’ capital improvement projects. In a December interview, Farias said the agency has primarily focused on constructing projects for charter schools and the state’s public pre-kindergarten program so far.
The agency had plans to take responsibility for all of the CIP funds allocated for public school facilities within the next two years, Farias said at the time.
-- Megan Tagami Several AISD schools had damage from recent arctic blast. Here's how the 2022 bond may help-- Austin American Statesman Texas: February 05, 2024 [ abstract]
After an arctic blast plunged Central Texas into dangerous, subfreezing conditions in January, some parents were frustrated to learn of heating and plumbing issues at 39 Austin schools.
Austin Independent School District officials immediately sent employees to fix the problems once they were discovered, according to the district.
Administrators hope the $2.4 billion bond package that voters approved in 2022 will alleviate many of the issues that surfaced at Austin schools last month due to a combination of the subfreezing weather and aged infrastructure.
The arctic blast enveloped the Austin area Jan. 14-17. Most area students returned to class Jan. 16, a day after the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
Because the roads were largely clear of ice, the Austin district decided students should return, though with a two-hour delay. That decision came as schools across the state reported issues with busted pipes and heating equipment, including more than three dozen campuses in Austin.
The district found weather-related maintenance issues at 39 campuses, said Michael Mann, AISD's executive director of construction management. However, none of the issues was severe, he said.
-- Keri Heath Fort Smith Public School Board approves district master plan to upgrade facilities-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: February 04, 2024 [ abstract] FORT SMITH -- The Fort Smith School District plans to spend almost $23 million in the next six years to update district facilities.
Joseph Velasquez, district construction project manager, told board members Jan. 22 a new, six-year plan has to be submitted to the state every three years.
Superintendent Terry Morawski said the plan needs to be submitted, but the projects don't have to be completed according to the timeline, if at all, if the district changes its mind for some reason.
Velasquez said projects remaining in the 2023-24 school year include underground roof drainage at Peak Innovation Center for $250,000; an art space at Peak for $800,000; roof and HVAC replacement at Kimmons Middle School for $3 million; roof replacement at Southside High School for $2.8 million; and roof replacement at Chaffin Middle School for $1.7 million.
He said a lot of the planned roof projects will be covered by insurance funding due to hail damage, which is where the cost estimates originate. Velasquez said more definitive prices will be available when the contractors are hired.
-- Monica Brich Proposed State Funding Support for Priority School Construction Projects Outlined-- Connecticut by The Numbers Connecticut: February 04, 2024 [ abstract] In testimony provided to the state legislature’s Education Committee in recent weeks, the Department of Administrative Services has outlined eligible school building projects in Connecticut, including Priority List Projects in Bristol, Danbury, Hartford, Newington, Stamford and Waterford. The committee meeting was held in advance of the start of the legislative session, which begins on Wednesday, February 7.
DAS Commissioner Michelle Gilman noted that “projects for three high schools, three elementary schools, two middle schools, two magnet schools, and one Pre-K school. Five are renovation projects, three are categorized as “Extension/Alteration” projects, two are new school projects, and one is categorized as the purchase of a facility.”
Gilman explained that the “proposed Priority List includes an estimated total project cost of $583,320,021. If the legislature and Governor approve, the State’s maximum grant amount for these projects would be $470,235,824. In addition, there are two requests for reauthorization with an estimated project costs of $41,086,326 and a potential grant change of $39,032,010, along with a request for forgiveness of the unpaid balance of a grant due to the State for $202,538.”
-- Staff Writer ‘It's not conducive for learning’: Eastmont building conditions pose challenges for students and staff-- ncwlife.com Washington: February 02, 2024 [ abstract]
EAST WENATCHEE — On Jan. 16, it was 58 degrees in Amelia Lehman’s classroom at Cascade Elementary School.
Lehman, who teaches fourth grade, said her students were bundled up in their winter coats as they sat in class. That week, it was too cold outside for Eastmont students to go outside for recess as a bitter cold froze North Central Washington. For kids at Cascade and Kenroy schools, they'd need to go outside anyway if they were going to the library or cafeteria.
Students and teachers at Lee and Rock Island Elementary Schools are familiar with heating and cooling issues. They’re also familiar with security concerns and maintenance problems.
Cascade, Kenroy, Lee and Rock Island are all named in a $117.1 million school construction bond that Eastmont modeled from the community input they gathered after a similar bond failed in 2022.
This bond aims to modernize Cascade, Kenroy and Lee, and construct a single point of entry and replace the roof and HVAC systems at Rock Island. The bond would also upgrade safety and security at all the other schools around the district.
In an attempt to learn more about the building conditions that would be addressed by the bond, NCWLIFE was granted access to all four schools over a several hour period and was given tours of each school.
Throughout the day, NCWLIFE learned about how the buildings are posing challenges to the students and staff inside.
-- Jordan Gonzalez Report suggests lawmakers could use construction aid to encourage Vermont schools to consolidate-- VermontPublic.org Vermont: February 01, 2024 [ abstract] Lawmakers say they want to get back in the business of school construction aid. But how they’ll pay for it, how generously they’ll subsidize it, and what kinds of conditions they’ll attach to it remain very much in the air.
A report delivered to lawmakers this week by a task force created to study the matter suggests one strategy that is sure to prompt debate in Montpelier — an approach that would see construction aid used, at least in some circumstances, as an incentive to consolidate schools.
“The cost to replace all 384 school buildings is simply beyond our state's resources,” Jill Briggs Campbell, the director of operations for the Agency of Education, told lawmakers in the House’s education and tax-writing committees Thursday. “We're never going to be able to replace in-kind.”
School districts have been on their own to pass and finance construction bonds since 2007, when Vermont suspended its state school construction aid program. But in recent years, it’s become increasingly clear that the state’s aging campuses require major investments — soon.
-- Lola Duffort Community questions future of current elementary school buildings-- The Warren Record North Carolina: January 31, 2024 [ abstract] Northside Elementary School was the final stop as Warren County Schools concluded its series of community meetings for discussion about a proposed consolidated elementary school last week. A number of parents and community members asked about whether the current elementary schools would be preserved to maintain part of local history.
Warren County Schools is considering renovation and construction work at the former Warren New Tech High School building as the site for a consolidated school serving all of the county’s elementary students. The existing building would serve as the center of the new school.
To provide more information to the community and to hear local concerns, the school system conducted information meetings at each of the three elementary schools. During meetings at Vaughan and Mariam Boyd elementary schools, common questions have involved whether new construction is the best resolution, and whether the existing elementary school buildings would be preserved. Again at Northside, audiences members voices concerns about preserving local history.
-- Luci Weldon Virginia Senate passes bill to let localities increase sales tax to pay for school construction-- News From The States Virginia: January 29, 2024 [ abstract]
The Virginia Senate on Monday passed a bill authorizing local governments to increase their local sales tax to fund school construction projects if voters approve the hike in a referendum.
The proposal received support from the Senate during the past two sessions, but it faltered both times in the House, which was then controlled by Republicans. This year, Democrats have control of both chambers of the legislature, fueling lawmakers’ hopes it will reach Gov. Glenn Youngkin for approval.
On Monday, party members cast the decision as a nonpartisan goal.
“I think it’s important to recognize that kids, when they go to school, don’t go to Democrat schools or Republican schools. This is something that all the reports indicate impact every single one of our areas,” said Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William.
-- Nathaniel Cline State Funds Earmarked For Construction Projects At Parsippany Schools-- Patch New Jersey: January 26, 2024 [ abstract] PARSIPPANY, NJ — The Parsippany-Troy Hills School District will be getting new state funding to address critical facility needs.
The New Jersey Department of Education and the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) announced recently that $75 million would be appropriated to school districts across the state to assist with emergency construction and other capital needs.
“Every New Jersey student and school staff member deserves a space for learning that is safe, secure, and supportive of the highest educational outcomes,” said Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan, Acting Commissioner of the Department of Education.
The Parsippany-Troy Hills School District will receive $167,152, according to the state's figures.
-- Vianella Burns Bill to allow localities to charge 1% sales tax to fund construction, renovation of schools advances in Senate -- WRIC.com Virginia: January 23, 2024 [ abstract] RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Help could be on the way for schools across Virginia, because on Jan. 23, the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee advanced a proposal designed to dedicate more money toward school infrastructure.
The bill, authored by State Senator Jeremy McPike (D-Prince William), would allow all localities in Virginia to charge an additional 1% sales tax to fund school construction and renovation, but only if voters of that locality approve the increase through a referendum.
“This will give the local citizens the opportunity to choose whether they want to increase the local sales tax so they can improve schools for kids in their community,” explained Washington County School Superintendent Keith Perrigan, who also represents 81 school districts as President of The Coalition of Small and Rural Schools of Virginia.
Currently, only nine municipalities have approval from the Virginia General Assembly to charge such a tax.
Perrigan said many localities can’t afford the cost of renovating their existing schools or building new ones.
-- Tyler Englander Governor Hochul Announces $100 Million in Environmental Bond Act Funding Now Available for Clean Green Schools-- New York State Governor New York: January 23, 2024 [ abstract] Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $100 million is now available through the Clean Green Schools Initiative under the historic $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act. The initiative will allow for the advancement of construction projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help public schools improve environmental sustainability and decarbonize school buildings. Today’s announcement supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050 and ensure at least 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits from clean energy investments be directed to disadvantaged communities.
“Creating a safe and healthy learning environment is critical to providing our children the best education possible,” Governor Hochul said. “These investments will make our school facilities cleaner and more sustainable – and will have a tremendous positive effect on future generations of students.”
-- Staff Writer In with the new: Stow, Munroe Falls residents embrace proposal to replace aging schools-- Akron Beacon Journal Ohio: January 23, 2024 [ abstract] Residents of Stow and Munroe Falls would rather scrap and replace many of their current school buildings than renovate those facilities at a modestly lower cost, according to feedback the district has collected so far.
During a public forum Thursday at Kimpton Middle School, the Stow-Munroe Falls City School district received positive responses to proposals to:
Build a total of four new elementary schools to replace the current six.
construct a new middle school at the current site shared by Highland Elementary and Lakeview Intermediate schools.
Place new elementary buildings at the current sites of Kimpton Middle and Fishcreek and Woodland elementary as well as on district-owned property on Housley Road.
Feedback from Thursday's forum — along with another public meeting this week and community surveys — will help the district to finalize its master plan for facilities ahead of an opportunity to put a bond issue on the November ballot.
-- April Helms Prince George's County Schools may cut programs after change to school construction plan-- wjla.com Maryland: January 22, 2024 [ abstract] At an afternoon committee meeting Monday, some members of the Prince George’s County Council expressed worry the county’s public school system will have to make cuts to programs for kids because of a change to the way it pays for new schools.
Prince George’s County has begun building new schools through a public-private partnership in which developers build and maintain the schools, and the county pays the developers back over 30 years.
Six new schools opened this school year under the program, and now Prince George’s County is starting a second phase in which eight more new schools are expected to be built.
Supporters of the public-private program said it’s a way to get new schools built much faster and much cheaper, and in addition, will help keep schools from falling into disrepair.
-- Tom Roussey Newport school leaders celebrate as final steel beam is placed on new Rogers building-- The Newport Daily News Rhode Island: January 18, 2024 [ abstract] Bundled in coats and mittens to stave off the frigid winter air, a group of school leaders, staff, parents and construction workers watched as the final steel beam for the new Rogers High School building was set in place on Thursday, marking a major milestone for a project that has hit more than a few barriers along the way.
“This generational build will impact families and students for far longer than we will be around and so I'm so thankful to be a part of this and enjoyed learning all about high schools being built,” Principal Jared Vance said. “I just can’t thank the community and city enough for what they’ve done in supporting us.”
The final beam was signed by several students and staff members at Rogers High School, affixed with a small tree and an American flag, then raised by a crane and set into place on the new building’s steel frame.
-- Savana Dunning Plan to demolish Alamo Heights High School building divides council review board-- San Antonio Report Texas: January 17, 2024 [ abstract]
When school lets out this summer, crews could begin the work to take down the 1949 academic building at Alamo Heights High School.
But during a hearing in Alamo Heights City Council chambers on Tuesday, a panel charged with reviewing the school district’s request to demolish the building hit an impasse.
The architectural review board (ARB) voted not to recommend approval or denial of a request to raze the school building at 6900 Broadway St. In its place, the district wants to construct a new academic building that would open in 2026.
Instead, the board agreed to disagree, leaving the council to decide if the district can proceed with its plans.
The case is scheduled to be considered by the City Council in February.
-- Shari Biediger Should We Make it Easier to Pass a School Bond in Washington State?-- 560KPQ Washington: January 17, 2024 [ abstract] Is it a good idea to reduce the public support needed tp pass a school construction bond? The 50% plus 1 vote is the standard to pass a property tax levy, raise sales taxes in taxing districts and elect candidate who can raise your taxes without a vote in many instances.
A school construction bond has to meet a much higher super majority standard of 60% voter approval and some lawmakers want to pass an amendment to the state constitution making it easier they argue to pass bond measures in the future.
-- Staff Writer New Haven to begin review of school buildings as enrollment projections decline and facilities age-- New Haven Register Connecticut: January 13, 2024 [ abstract] NEW HAVEN — With both a projected decrease in enrollment and aging schools, New Haven officials have announced that they are beginning the process of evaluating school closures.
Across the region, municipal leaders are reckoning with how to navigate keeping enough public school classroom space for their needs in well-maintained buildings amid a projected decrease in public school enrollment and ballooning construction costs.
-- Brian Zahn Federal grant will provide nearly $5 million to AZ for school facility improvements-- kjzz.org Arizona: January 05, 2024 [ abstract] The Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA) is getting nearly $5 million from the U.S. Department of Education.
The funds come from one of eight grants being disbursed under the federal government’s Supporting America’s School Infrastructure (SASI) program.
The goal is to help districts in various states to improve their school facilities.
ADOA received endorsements from the Legislature, Governor’s Office, school districts and statewide education organizations to get the grant.
A department spokesperson said the money will help modernize Arizona’s Building Inventory Database so the state can more quickly address preventative-maintenance issues and new-school construction.
-- Bridget Dowd House panel confronts ‘eye popping’ cost of school construction needs-- vtdigger Vermont: January 03, 2024 [ abstract] On the first day of the 2024 legislative session, state education officials presented lawmakers with the latest estimates for Vermont’s school construction needs — a whopping $6.3 billion in the next 21 years.
And that number, Agency of Education staff cautioned, is likely a significant underestimate.
Rep. Peter Conlon, D-Cornwall, chair of the House Committee on Education, called the figure “eye popping.” He signaled that his committee would make addressing school construction needs a priority this session.
The cost estimate came as part of a school facilities assessment ordered by the Legislature in 2021, which gathered baseline data on 384 school buildings in Vermont and translated the findings into cost projections for every district statewide. The Agency of Education expects to create a public dashboard with that data later this year.
From fiscal years 2000-2008, the state provided more than $280 million in construction aid to schools, but amid the Great Recession it suspended state assistance for such projects. This year, lawmakers will consider how the state could revive some funding, though Conlon made clear that footing the entire bill was out of the question.
-- Ethan Weinstein Maryland Energy Administration to help public schools reduce carbon emissions-- Maryland Daily Record Maryland: January 03, 2024 [ abstract] The Maryland Energy Administration on Wednesday unveiled an ambitious plan to help K-12 public schools across the state reduce and eliminate carbon emissions. The Decarbonizing Public Schools Program will provide capital to help local education agencies more fully incorporate a wide range of clean energy and energy efficiency measures into Maryland’s public schools.
The program provides incentives for a comprehensive suite of grants focused on capacity building, infrastructure upgrades, renewable energy adoption and the use of new, sustainable construction methods. Notably, the Decarbonizing Public Schools Program will expand statewide construction and access to net zero energy schools – school buildings that create and save as much renewable energy as they use.
Under a precursor to this program, Maryland built and opened its first three net zero energy schools. The first was Wilde Lake Middle School in Howard County, followed by Holabird Academy and the Graceland Park/O’Donnell Heights Elementary/Middle School, both in Baltimore City. This new initiative will help local education agencies retrofit, design and construct state-of-the-art, net zero energy campuses that produce enough on-location renewable energy to meet their total annual electricity demands.
-- Staff Writer The Cost of Unusable Toilets in Schools-- CleanLink International: January 03, 2024 [ abstract] Nearly 540 million children globally go to a school with no usable toilet, affecting them physically and emotionally during crucial education years. New research from Economist Impact reveals that almost half of these children are affected by 'toilet loss' — toilets have been built in their school, but they have been lost and are not usable due to lack of operation and maintenance (O&M). This hidden worldwide problem puts school infrastructure maintenance sharply in focus.
Economist Impact's year-long study supported by Unilever across Ecuador, India, Nigeria and the Philippines found that poor maintenance led to 1.2 million 'lost' school toilets; that's toilets that have been built but are no longer usable. This equates to a combined infrastructure loss of US$1.9 billion and a societal and economic cost amounting to US$10 billion. The four countries, indicative of others worldwide, could be 10 percent closer to the goal of providing all children access to usable school toilets if toilet construction had been supported by maintenance.
-- Staff Writer Building Northwest schools so they can shake off the region’s next megaquake-- Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon: January 02, 2024 [ abstract]
Whenever the next Big One hits – a magnitude 9 Cascadia megaquake – it sure would be nice if fire trucks could still drive out of their stations and your neighborhood school could function as a shelter.
Current seismic codes require public buildings to be built strong enough so they don’t fall down in a quake. Now, some emergency preparedness advocates want to raise the bar. Not only should essential buildings resist collapse in a strong earthquake, but also newly constructed schools, in particular, should be built so in the immediate aftermath they can be counted on to serve as relief centers.
This matters to millions of Northwest residents because buildings erected in the near future stand a good chance of being violently shaken by an earthquake. The most recent magnitude 9 rip of the offshore Cascadia Subduction Zone happened over three centuries ago, in 1700. Seismologists say that means the region is now well into the window for the next catastrophic temblor.
Additionally, the Northwest faces risks from a multitude of shallow crustal faults and deep slab quakes. Each of these is capable of unleashing up to 7.0-7.5 magnitude shaking in a more localized area.
In Oregon, the state chapter of the American Institute of Architects intends to press the Legislature to require new schools and community college buildings in earthquake country west of the Cascades and in Klamath County to be built with more resilience.
-- Tom Banse Thousands of Schools Don’t Have Working Fire Sprinklers-- Education Week National: January 02, 2024 [ abstract]
The Gillett school district in eastern Wisconsin has three school buildings. None has a sprinkler system installed to put out a fire.
The buildings were constructed between 50 and 100 years ago, well before fire codes were updated to require sprinkler systems for all newly constructed buildings. Installing a modern sprinkler system in the aging facilities would be too expensive. And new buildings, for now, are out of the question.
“The only way we could see to replace these buildings would be a local referendum, which has zero chance of passing,” said Wayne Johnson, the Gillett district’s superintendent. “You’ve got folks that don’t have any money, they’re not going to support a referendum to increase their property taxes.”
The Gillett schools are hardly an outlier.
In a survey conducted between Sept. 27 and Oct. 13, 2023, the EdWeek Research Center asked a nationally representative sample of 110 school principals whether the building where they most often work has working sprinklers.
Forty percent of respondents—2 in 5—said no, translating into tens of thousands of school buildings nationwide. Another 13 percent said they’re not sure if the currently installed sprinklers in their buildings work.
-- Mark Lieberman Proposed Arizona House Bill could have impacts on school funding projects-- abc15 Arizona: December 29, 2023 [ abstract] PHOENIX — A proposed bill in the legislature could make it harder for Arizona school districts to fund new projects.
House Bill 2088, proposed by Republicans, Rep. Laurin Hendrix and Rep. Barbara Parker, said it would prohibit any businesses that give money for school bonds and override campaigns – that pass – from being able to bid on the projects that may happen.
For example, if a school district passes a bond measure to build a new school, the construction companies that donated money to the campaign would not be able to do the construction.
-- Elenee Dao Vt. lawmakers to consider opening spigot for school construction-- WCAX3 Vermont: December 29, 2023 [ abstract] BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - It’s time for Vermont to start paying for school construction, according to House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington.
Vermont has not supported school renovation projects since 2007 and many are in disrepair. Added to that are concerns about PCB contamination in a number of buildings that were built before 1980.
Krowinski says a study committee put forth recommendations on how the state can help and they’re on the table this upcoming session. “We want to look at a sustainable way to help support our schools,” she said. “I don’t think we have a choice at this point. I think the need is so great.”
She says a school construction bill would likely also incorporate PCB testing efforts.
-- Darren Perron After Spending Debacle, DOE Appoints New Assistant Superintendent To Oversee School Facilities-- Honolulu Civil Beat Hawaii: December 28, 2023 [ abstract] The Hawaii Department of Education has a new official responsible for overseeing campus facilities as it struggles to handle millions of dollars in capital improvement project funds.
Audrey Hidano was appointed as interim assistant superintendent of the Office of Facilities and Operations last week, according to DOE’s website. Before joining the DOE earlier this year, Hidano served as deputy comptroller for the state Department of Accounting and General Services as well as deputy director of the Department of Transportation and the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
She was also co-founder of Hidano construction Inc., which specialized in residential projects before it dissolved in 2016.
-- Megan Tagami State committee still saying maybe on state funds for Buckingham Elementary replacement-- OC Today Maryland: December 21, 2023 [ abstract] Maryland’s Interagency Commission on School construction, or IAC, didn’t allocate any state funding to Buckingham Elementary’s replacement project in the agency’s preliminary 2025 capital improvement plan budget, but this could change once the budget is finalized in May.
At a meeting over Zoom last Thursday, the IAC approved staff recommendations for preliminary allocations and planning approvals for the 75 percent authorization round of their 2025 capital improvement plan after hearing testimony from the leaders of several education agencies in Maryland.
Superintendent of Worcester County Schools Lou Taylor, State Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-38) and County Commissioner President Chip Bertino testified for Buckingham’s construction funding.
-- Hunter Hine With $2B in unspent construction money, schools superintendent pledges to overhaul process-- Hawaii News Now Hawaii: December 21, 2023 [ abstract]
Hawaii’s school superintendent is promising to reorganize his department to deal with a huge backlog of school construction projects.
The pressure is coming primarily from lawmakers, but public school advocates think the priorities may be misplaced. At Thursday’s meeting of the Hawaii Board of Education, teachers union president Osa Tui told members they should be asking tougher questions of school executives.
“The integrity of the department, which is overseen by this board, is on the line as legislators become increasingly distrustful of what they hear from the Department,” Tui said.
A day earlier at the state Capitol, state senators grilled Superintendent Keith Hayashi over about $2 billion in unspent construction dollars, including nearly half a billion in dollars that could be lapsed — and taken off the books — after missing construction deadlines.
State Sen. Donna Kim said she was shocked that Hayashi didn’t learn about the lapsing projects until late November.
“It’s it’s crazy that you folks are not aware of like the billion dollars’ worth of projects that’s sitting there and you don’t have all the funding,” Kim said.
Molokai and East Maui Sen. Lynne DeCoite said lawmakers can’t assume that projects they’ve approved and funded are making progress.
-- Daryl Huff Grand jury probe into CT’s school construction program continuing-- CT Mirror Connecticut: December 20, 2023 [ abstract] A federal grand jury’s investigation into how contracts were awarded through the state’s school construction grant program has quietly continued in recent months, with four detailed subpoenas issued this year — two as recently as October.
The subpoenas, as well as two previously undisclosed from 2022, seek phone records, emails and calendar entries of as many as 16 state employees, according to the attorney who reviews Freedom of Information Act requests concerning subpoenas.
All names in the subpoenas are redacted, except for Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, the former state representative who became the head of the state’s school construction program and a deputy secretary at the Office of Policy and Management. Diamantis retired in late 2021.
Diamantis declined to comment for this story. A spokesperson for Gov. Ned Lamont’s office also declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
-- Dave Altimari and Andrew Brown Hirono bill would give $1B to federally impacted school districts-- Spectrum News National: December 20, 2023 [ abstract] WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, introduced legislation Monday that would devote $1 billion over the next four years for Impact Aid construction Grants to ease the backlog of facility needs at federally impacted school districts.
A companion bill was introduced in the House by Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif.
“Federal Impact Aid provides critical funding for federally impacted schools,” said Hirono, co-chair of the Senate Impact Aid Coalition, in a statement released on Monday. “But too often, that funding is not enough to meet maintenance needs. By providing $1 billion for needed upgrades, this legislation will enable schools to address the significant backlog of school construction, repair and maintenance needs to help our students learn in a suitable learning environment.”
Under the Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act, 25% of funding would be made available via formula funding to all eligible school districts. The U.S. Department of Education would disburse the remaining 75% as competitive grants with priority given to those school districts with acute emergencies in their facilities.
-- MICHAEL TSAI Rhode Island education council approves $1 billion in school construction projects-- WJAR10 Rhode Island: December 20, 2023 [ abstract] The Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary Education approved over $1 billion in new school construction projects across Rhode Island.
The funding will go to 48 projects benefiting almost 25,000 students, including construction of seven new and like-new schools, according to Rhode Island Department of Education. This is the largest school construction approval in Rhode Island K-12 history.
“The council’s approval of these school construction projects sets the tone for prioritizing students’ year-round learning, while ensuring they are in state-of-the-art facilities,” said Gov. Dan McKee. “I commend their approval of these investments in Rhode Island students and future generations and look forward to seeing the positive impact of these new projects statewide.”
Notable projects include a new South Kingstown High School, two new PK-8 school in Providence, one new unified high school in Pawtucket and a new Mount Hope High School in Bristol-Warren, RIDE said.
-- Staff Writer State adds $8M to Celina schools building project-- The Daily Standard Ohio: December 20, 2023 [ abstract] CELINA - The Ohio Facilities construction Commission has agreed to pitch in an additional $7.87 million toward Celina City School's building project, upping its total contribution to about $59 million.
School board members at this week's regular meeting signed off on a number of resolutions related to the building project, including one accepting the additional state dollars.
The extra funds were released to help the district with rising construction costs, according to superintendent Ken Schmiesing. They can be applied to the entire project - the consolidated pre-K-sixth grade facility under construction and the 7-12 grade building set to start going up this summer.
"They're working with us because they definitely want to see us have the success in getting the building completed," Schmiesing told The Daily Standard.
As part of the agreement with OFCC, the local share of the project will increase by $9.7 million.
-- William Kincaid Proposal Would Subject School Construction To Competitive Bidding-- Urban Milwaukee Wisconsin: December 15, 2023 [ abstract]
School districts in Wisconsin would have to comply with competitive bidding requirements for construction projects costing more than $150,000 under a new legislative proposal.
Wisconsin is one of only three states that allows a project of any size to be awarded on a no-bid basis, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Municipalities, meanwhile, have to seek a competitive bid for any project over $25,000. The same proposed legislation would increase that threshold for municipalities to $50,000.
During a public hearing Thursday before the Assembly Committee on Local Government, Chris Kulow, government relations director for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, testified against the bill. He argued that requiring a competitive bidding process would take away local control.
Kulow said most school boards are already using competitive bidding. He said having to choose the lowest bidder could mean having to sacrifice the best quality.
“Currently, districts that have long-standing relationships with local contractors have the opportunity to work with them to negotiate deals that include spending resources locally, keeping those dollars in the community,” Kulow said. “They result in the hiring of parents whose children attend the schools. They want to do a good job, and they’re less likely to ask for extra charges.”
-- Corri Hess Dems reintroduce bill to let Virginia localities fund school capital projects through sales tax-- Viginia Mercury Virginia: December 11, 2023 [ abstract]
Democrats are again pushing for legislation that would allow local governments to hold referenda on increasing their sales and use tax to pay for school capital projects such as construction and renovations.
The party hopes the effort, which has been tried twice before but defeated by Republicans, will be successful now that Democrats are set to control both the House of Delegates and the Senate following the November elections.
“We think with the change in the dynamics in the House that this bill has a very good chance,” said Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William, adding that a similar version of the bill passed with bipartisan support last year in the Democratic-controlled Senate before dying in the House.
Under current law, only nine localities can impose a 1% sales tax to fund school construction and renovation projects. They are the counties of Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick and Pittsylvania and the city of Danville.
Local governments have control over adjustments to their property tax rates — but aren’t allowed to change the sales tax rate without explicit permission from the General Assembly.
-- NATHANIEL CLINE SBA Awards Money For School Construction, Renovation-- WV Public Broadcasting West Virginia: December 11, 2023 [ abstract] The West Virginia School Building Authority announced Monday $111,687,534 is headed to 19 counties for Fiscal Year 2024. This is the largest single year award from the SBA in more than a decade.
The money will be used to construct 10 new schools and perform major renovations on 13 existing schools.
“I am truly proud to vote for this historic investment in our schools, because it represents our unwavering commitment to providing West Virginia students with the best possible learning environment,” Gov. Jim Justice, as chairman of the SBA, said. “This funding doubles down on our belief that every student deserves access to a high-quality education. These new and upgraded facilities will ensure our students have the resources and technology needed to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”
The biggest single award goes to Wyoming County for construction of the new Mullens PK-8 school. The school system will receive $15.7 million.
Six of the counties are receiving money for new school construction.
Berkeley County is receiving $8.3 million, but that is one of three annual payments for a total of $25 million for the construction of a primary and intermediate school.
-- Eric Douglas Schools press state lawmakers for more construction, renovation funds-- Potomac Local News Virginia: December 08, 2023 [ abstract] Stafford County Public Schools: “The Stafford County School Board hosted its second annual Legislative Summit on Tuesday, December 5, at Stafford High School. Attendees included Senator McPike, current Delegate and Senator-Elect Durant, and Delegates-Elect Cole and Milde. During the event, legislators were provided with information regarding the School System’s current legislative priorities and proposed bills aimed to support the burgeoning school system.”
“The Superintendent and School Board provided tangible ways to improve student outcomes, urging legislators to provide Stafford County with increased funding necessary to support high expectations for student performance, provide a safe, positive learning environment, and provide better conditions to recruit, retain and develop staff. Additional discussion focused on the need for a reduction in the burden of unfunded mandates and inefficient government practices.”
-- Uriah Kiser The DOE Is Giving Up $465M In School Construction Funds. What Happened?-- Honolulu Civil Beat Hawaii: December 06, 2023 [ abstract] The state Department of Education plans to surrender $465 million that lawmakers had earmarked for school construction projects across the state, a move that will delay and possibly jeopardize funding for new classrooms, play courts and athletic facilities.
That decision may make more money available for other state initiatives such as affordable housing or the Maui wildfire recovery, but that would come at a cost to Hawaii’s public educational system.
The move by the DOE to lapse so many capital improvement projects has upset state lawmakers who lobbied hard to secure state funding for school projects for their districts, only to learn that funding is about to slip away because the projects did not move forward in time.
“I don’t understand why this is happening,” said House Speaker Scott Saiki. “This is a big problem. If anything, DOE should come to the Legislature and say, ‘We can’t handle all of these projects for the following reasons,’ and just be honest about it.”
The House Finance and Education committees have scheduled a public briefing at 2 p.m. Thursday to question top officials in the DOE and the Department of Budget and Finance about plans to lapse funding for the DOE projects.
-- Kevin Dayton New Jersey lawmakers edge closer to school construction fix-- New Jersey Monitor New Jersey: December 04, 2023 [ abstract] Changes to how the state constructs new schools edged closer to reality Monday after Assembly lawmakers approved a bill with amendments that would shed direct funding for charter and renaissance school development in favor of a loan program.
The bill, sponsored by Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex), would retool the long-troubled Schools Development Authority, requiring authority-funded projects in certain districts to meet model specifications while offering loans to fund remediation to charter and renaissance school facilities.
“We think that this is the best version of this bill that we’ve seen since discussion on the bill first started in the Assembly Education Committee a year ago, nearly to the day,” Jessie Young, legislative advocate for the New Jersey School Boards Association told the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
During a hearing held last December, public school advocates worried that allowing charter and renaissance schools to receive Schools Development Authority funding through grants could leave public dollars in private hands if such a school closed. They noted that few charters own their buildings, and such closures are not uncommon.
The Schools Development Authority is responsible for capital improvements — including modernizations, renovations, and new construction — in 31 court-identified districts, which are typically low-income school districts, and funds similar work in other school districts, albeit at lower amounts.
Lawmakers have sought to retool the agency amid growing dilapidation in a broad portfolio of aging school buildings.
-- NIKITA BIRYUKOV Cost for fixing Duval school buildings could hit $3.9 billion, putting payment in question-- Jacksonville Florida Times-Union Florida: December 03, 2023 [ abstract]
The $1.9 billion slate of school repairs and construction that Duval County voters agreed in 2020 to help finance through a half-penny sales tax could end up costing $3.9 billion, school administrators now project.
The sticker shock is being compounded by a forecast that tax revenues earmarked to pay for the 15-year worklist could fall $1.4 billion short of the new final price.
Neither budget cuts nor tax hikes have been ordered to bridge the gap, and it’s not certain the new counts will be entirely accurate either.
But the twin forecasts underscore the administrative headaches the school system is facing trying to deliver all 180 separate projects, including building 28 new schools, in the school district’s master facility plan.
“We’re going to have to make some decisions in terms of funding” for the work, Erika Harding, the district’s assistant superintendent for operations, told School Board members in a workshop last month. “And some of the projects are going to require some cutbacks.”
While it’s not clear how the board will respond, the forecasts will be “what’s driving future decisions and conversations,” School Board member Lori Hershey said after the board took up the subject recently.
-- Steve Patterson Eastwood to address aging facilities; enters state funding program-- Sentinel-Tribune Ohio: November 29, 2023 [ abstract] PEMBERVILLE – Eastwood Local Schools has started to address the future of its middle school and high school.
At its Nov. 20 meeting, the board of education approved a resolution of intent to participate in the Expedited Local Partnership Program with the Ohio Facilities construction Commission.
Superintendent Brent Welker said the district was starting a fact-finding process to fully understand the scope and costs associated with new construction or renovation of the two schools.
“So we will be ready if our number is called,” he said Monday.
He said the district sent a letter of interest to OFCC in 2021, but at that time was far down the list for funding. The district was bumped up in the last couple months due to completion of the elementary school portion of its master facilities plan.
Functionality and maintenance have become issues at both the middle and high schools, Welker said.
The high school was built in 1960 and added onto in 2000.
“We’ve kept it in pretty good shape,” he said. But finding replacement parts for the mechanical systems “is a big deal.”
The middle school was built in 1970.
There has been some interest in getting the middle school and high school under one roof but providing a 21st-century learning environment is a priority, Welker said.
-- Marie Thomas Many rural California communities are desperate for school construction money. Will a new bond measure offer enough help-- Jefferson Public Radio California: November 27, 2023 [ abstract] As California’s fund to fix crumbling schools dwindles to nothing, lawmakers are negotiating behind the scenes to craft a ballot measure that would be the state’s largest school construction bond in decades.
But some beleaguered school superintendents say the money will not be nearly enough to fix all the dry rot, leaky roofs and broken air conditioners in the state’s thousands of school buildings. And it won’t change a system that they say favors wealthy, urban, left-leaning areas that can easily pass local bond measures to make needed repairs.
“The big question is, why can’t our kids have school buildings that are safe and as nice as other kids’ schools, just a few miles away?” said Helio Brasil, superintendent of Keyes Union School District, a rural TK-8 district in a low-income area south of Modesto. “This school is in such bad shape it can feel like a jail. … I’m speaking up about this because I feel the system needs to be fixed. I don’t want the next generation of students to have to experience this.”
-- Carolyn Jones Baltimore County breaks ground on Maryland’s first net-zero elementary school-- WYPR Maryland: November 20, 2023 [ abstract] A vacant field right next to the current Deer Park Elementary School in Baltimore County will transform into Maryland’s first net-zero elementary school by 2025.
County and state leaders joined Deer Park students and staff to break ground on the $70.6-million-dollar project on Monday morning, wearing white and yellow construction hats to mark the occasion.
Superintendent Myriam Rogers said the new school will serve as a leading example for state environmental efforts, by producing and saving as much – or more – energy than it uses each year.
“You will see solar paneling on the roof, geothermal heating in the boiler room, smart technology that monitors when lights are on and off and when electric plugs can be used,” Rogers said. “I’m especially interested in seeing the school's light tubes, which will be used to import natural sunlight to use in classrooms instead of artificial lighting.”
Three other net-zero schools exist in Maryland. Two serve kindergarten through eighth grade students in Baltimore City. Wilde Lake Middle School in Howard County became the first net-zero school constructed in the state in 2017.
The new Deer Park school will also alleviate enrollment pressures in a rapidly-growing community, Rogers said.
-- Bri Hatch “Toilet Loss” in schools costs $1.9bn finds Economist Impact study-- Unilever International: November 16, 2023 [ abstract]
Launched for the upcoming World Toilet Day, the research supported by Unilever, identifies urgent need for school toilet maintenance. The cost of neglecting toilets has now hit $1.9bn in lost infrastructure, with an additional hidden economic cost estimated at over $10bn.
But an extra cent per education dollar would help countries get clean and safe toilets for all school children by 2030.
Nearly 540 million children globally go to a school with no usable toilet, affecting them physically and emotionally during crucial education years. New research from Economist Impact reveals that almost half of these children are affected by ‘toilet loss’ - toilets have been built in their school, but they have been lost and are not usable due to lack of operation and maintenance (O&M). This hidden worldwide problem puts school infrastructure maintenance sharply in focus.
Economist Impact’s year-long study supported by Unilever across Ecuador, India, Nigeria and the Philippines found that poor maintenance led to 1.2 million ‘lost’ school toilets; that’s toilets that have been built but are no longer usable. This equates to a combined infrastructure loss of US$1.9 billion and a societal and economic cost amounting to US$10 billion. The four countries, indicative of others worldwide, could be 10% closer to the goal of providing all children access to usable school toilets if toilet construction had been supported by maintenance.
-- Staff Writer LAUSD Board approves wellness center at L.A. High School-- Beverly Press California: November 15, 2023 [ abstract] The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education approved more than $195.7 million in bond-funded projects to provide upgraded, state-of-the-art facilities.
The board approved $45 million for the development of wellness centers at Los Angeles High School and Wilmington Middle School STEAM Magnet. Wellness centers are LAUSD-built facilities operated by independent medical providers and partners who focus on prevention, education, early intervention and screening. The wellness centers will offer free and low-cost comprehensive medical, dental and mental health services for students, families and community members.
The 32nd Street USC Magnets School was also approved for a $108 million major modernization project. The multi-phase project will construct 23 new general and specialty classrooms including media, filmmaking, engineering and graphic design spaces, as well as a chemistry lab.
-- Staff Writer Texas schools asked voters for $18 billion in new debt to fix its campuses. They largely said yes-- The Texas Tribune Texas: November 09, 2023 [ abstract]
ODESSA — Delma Abalos was stunned.
In the years she has served as a vice president of the school board in Ector County, there was never enough cash to pay for every pressing maintenance repair that came up. She would fret over every loose wire, broken air conditioning unit, or portable classroom, never mind building new facilities.
The lifelong Odessan had attempted over the last decade to bring together her community to create a blueprint she and the school board would translate into a bond proposal, one of few ways schools can obtain cash for large-scale infrastructure projects by asking voters to approve new debt.
Voters said no. Until Tuesday night.
Ector County voters surprised Abalos this week when they approved the school board’s plea for over $400 million to finance extensive upkeep in the local schools, which public school officials and civic leaders have said was long overdue.
“It’s unbelievable,” Abalos said at the school district’s watch party. “But now the real work starts.”
Similar scenes took place across Texas as school leaders crowded around laptops examining results of bond elections trickle in. Seventy-five Texas school districts put bond measures on the ballot, asking voters to allow districts to borrow nearly $18 billion, according to the Texas Bond Review Board.
According to an early analysis of results by The Texas Tribune, at least 50% of those proposals passed and some 30% failed. Failed bond proposals included the construction of new athletic facilities, such as swimming pools and football stadiums, and some new school buildings.
-- CARLOS NOGUERAS RAMOS AND POOJA SALHOTRA Centennial Celebration: Wallace marks 100 years as a school building-- Bristol Herald Caurier Virginia: November 06, 2023 [ abstract] WALLACE, Va. — Wallace Middle School is now celebrating a century since the core of the iconic school building was constructed on the outskirts of Bristol, Virginia.
The school remains the center of the Wallace community — once served by its own post office, railroad depot and mill along the banks of Clear Creek.
Today, the name of early community leader John Houston Wallace remains on the school, the nearby Wallace Meadows housing subdivision and an automobile repair shop — among other landmarks.
A portion of the school — the auditorium and four classrooms — was constructed in 1923. Over time, the school has expanded. A new wing was built about a dozen years ago.
Wallace has served as a high school and elementary school and has now been a middle school for more than 30 years.
-- Joe Tennis Should schools have more security? Voters in 5 N.J. districts asked to approve upgrades.-- nj.com New Jersey: November 06, 2023 [ abstract] Voters in five New Jersey school districts are being asked to approve more funding for school security when they vote this Election Day.
The fiver security-related referendums are among more than 30 school district ballot questions that will be decided by local voters Tuesday. They include questions about approving school construction projects, hiring additional teachers, reducing the number of seats on school boards, and more.
The five school construction projects on the ballots total $57.15 million for school renovations and other upgrades in Millburn, Woodbury, Princeton, South River and Lakehurst, according to the New Jersey Schools Boards Association. If the projects are approved by voters, the total cost of the construction projects will be partially offset by $20.6 million in state aid.
Separately, the five security-related referendums add up to just over $4 million and appear to reflect a trend. Voters are being asked to approve the funding as school districts in New Jersey and elsewhere continue to wrestle with safety considerations after high-profile school violence incidents — including the mass shooting that killed 21 people last year at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
-- Rob Jennings $82m construction project underway at Rickards Middle School after roof collapse-- NBC Miami Florida: November 03, 2023 [ abstract] The backhoes and bulldozers and earth movers are ready to go, but first, a groundbreaking ceremony must be held to mark the occasion. The new James S. Rickards Middle School campus is officially under construction.
“On behalf of the Rickards family, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” said principal Erick Gurreonero.
It’s an $82 million project, and it’s state-of-the-art in every way.
“It’s important that every child gets to walk through the doors of a beautiful school and this is going to be a beautiful, beautiful place,” said Dr. Peter Licata, superintendent of Broward County Public Schools.
The old building was demolished after a section of the roof collapsed in 2021. Students have been learning in portable classrooms since then, actually, a small city of temporary structures. The community had been asking for a new school even before the roof collapsed, so for some, this is a better-late-than-never situation.
-- Ari Odzer Farallone View students, staff adjust to life without water-- Half Moon Bay Review California: November 02, 2023 [ abstract] Parents gathered at Farallone View Elementary School on Thursday morning to hear administration plans after the Montara Water and Sanitary District shut off water service to the school today due to its public health concerns caused by construction at the site.
For many children at the school, it was also time to face their first Porta-Potty. Cabrillo Unified School District officials scrambled to get portable sanitation stations in place for the school day and to assure some potable water was in place.
At issue was new construction at the school, work MWSD says is being done without proper notice and without a backflow device that protects other users.
-- Peter Tokofsky Advocates demanded $1.25 billion to make NYC schools more accessible. They got $800 million-- Chalkbeat.org New York: November 01, 2023 [ abstract] New York City plans to spend $800 million over the next five years to boost school building accessibility for people with physical disabilities, officials revealed Wednesday. That figure is far short of what advocates had demanded.
Fewer than 1 in 3 of the city’s public schools are fully accessible to students and staff with mobility impairments, according to a recent report from the group Advocates for Children. The organization previously called on the city to dramatically ramp up spending to $1.25 billion to ensure that at least half of buildings would become fully accessible over the term of the new capital plan, which runs from 2025 through 2029.
With many budget concerns on the horizon — including the expiration of billions of dollars in federal relief money and additional cuts to city agencies ordered by Mayor Eric Adams — accessibility funding hewed closely to current levels.
The capital plan will increase funding for accessibility from $750 million under the current five-year plan, which runs from 2020 through 2024, to $800 million in the new one, according to documents released Wednesday. Advocates contend that is not enough to keep the current pace because of inflation and rising construction costs.
“Given the decades of inadequate attention that preceded this investment, nearly two-thirds of City schools will still not be fully accessible by the time the construction funded by the current Capital Plan is complete,” Kim Sweet, executive director of Advocates for Children, said in a statement. “It is not acceptable to postpone compliance with [the federal Americans with Disabilities Act] for yet another generation.”
-- Alex Zimmerman School Building Authority approves 46% increase in square footage allowance on school construction projects-- WV Metro News West Virginia: October 30, 2023 [ abstract] CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state School Building Authority took a vote Monday that SBA Chairman Brian Abraham believes will hit the “sweet spot” when it comes to school construction projects.
The SBA approved a 46% increase in the square footage cost allowance, the first increase in the allowance since 2019.
Abraham, Gov. Jim Justice’s chief of staff, who also chairs the SBA. said the current allowance cost of just more than $300 a square foot is way below what construction costs actually are in the current inflationary times.
“We’re hoping with this change that projects should be pretty well priced. So hopefully they’ll come in on estimate and we won’t have to fall back on the counties either,” Abraham said.
-- Jeff Jenkins Transformative changes in Duval County schools underway due to half-penny sales tax-- CBS47 Florida: October 29, 2023 [ abstract] JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) recently announced transformative developments and changes in their schools, all made possible by the half-penny sales tax.
The ongoing projects are set to reportedly enhance educational opportunities and improve the overall infrastructure, demonstrating the district’s commitment to providing the best learning environment for its students.
These projects encompass a wide range of improvements, from constructing new classroom buildings to addressing vital repairs and ensuring safety and security upgrades across multiple campuses.
-- Staff Writer Seattle school board approves adding $5M to $79.8M school construction project-- The Center Square Washington: October 27, 2023 [ abstract] (The Center Square) – The Seattle School Board unanimously approved $5 million to increase the Montlake Elementary School modernization project’s budget to a total of $84.9 million.
East Seattle’s Montlake Elementary School modernization project is funded through the Building Excellence V (BEX V) Capital Levy. The levy rate for 2023 is set at 68 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for 2023 and is expected to generate $1.4 billion from 2020 through 2025.
Half of the $5 million in one-time additional funding comes from the BEX V Capital Levy. The other half comes from the Buildings, Technology, and Academics/Athletics Capital Levy, which has a rate of 47 cents per $1,000 in assessed value.
-- Spencer Pauley Abell-Hanger Foundation explores how school construction affects students in new study-- Your Basin National: October 26, 2023 [ abstract] MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – The Abell-Hanger Foundation recently released findings of a study which explores the impact of capital expenditures for school construction and renovation on student, teacher, and community outcomes.
Commissioned by the Foundation, the American Institutes of Research conducted an unbiased and objective analysis of available research on the topic, according to a release from the Abell-Hanger Foundation. They say the goal is to provide information for residents of Midland and surrounding communities.
AIR is a non-profit organization that conducts and applies research to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities. Here are some of the study’s key findings divided into categories:
Time Dependent Effects
Capital projects positively influence student test score, though these effects may take some time to materialize. New schools or major renovations often undergo a transition period that can lead to unchanged student achievement, initially.
-- Zachary Bordner School district addresses $39M questions-- Stowe Reporter Vermont: October 26, 2023 [ abstract]
Stowe School District officials have faced innumerable questions about a proposed $39 million construction bond they say is necessary to fix an aging middle and high school campus that has seen so few infrastructure improvements over the decades that a recent $400,000 project erecting the second floor’s first-ever classroom walls was seen as a big deal.
How will the $39 million affect property taxes, and will all Stowe taxpayers be on the hook?
Is too much of the estimated construction cost dedicated toward wish-list items like improved athletic facilities?
Are there dangerous chemicals in the walls that could blow up the costs, a la Burlington High School?
Why now? Why not wait until Town Meeting Day?
The questions have been asked at a trio of live forums at Stowe High School, in daily long-form arguments in online forums, in letters to the editor, on the sidewalk, and, presumably, at dinner tables all around town.
In the face of all those questions, and as the Nov. 7 bond vote approaches, local education officials last week attempted to collect all those queries into one spot.
-- Tommy Gardner St. Johns County plans to open 5 new schools in next 3 years; superintendent says district will hire 200 teachers a year-- News4 Jax Florida: October 25, 2023 [ abstract] ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – There are plans in St. Johns County to open five new schools over the next three years as the school district tries to keep up with student population growth.
The district added another 1,400 students this year and Superintendent Tim Forson told News4JAX on Wednesday that growth means new schools are a necessity.
“I think what we recognize is that there is, you know, rapid growth in those two areas both in Nocatee and in Silverleaf,” Forson said.
Keeping up with rapid growth in the county is the challenge that the school district is trying to overcome. A quarterly report released Tuesday revealed plans for two new K-8 schools in the Nocatee and SilverLeaf developments. That’s in addition to three other K-8 schools currently under construction.
Currently, some schools are at or over capacity, especially in the northern part of the county where the district uses portables.
-- Ariel Schiller Roanoke school renovations total $95 million across six projects-- The Roanoke Times Virginia: October 24, 2023 [ abstract] Renovations at two Roanoke schools are wrapping up, as $95 million worth of school construction continues across the city.
James Breckinridge Middle School used $6 million from coronavirus recovery funds for new band, orchestra and chorus chambers, which students now occupy, according to school board documents.
Federal relief money paid for most of the total $8.5 million renovation project, said Chris Perkins, chief operations officer for Roanoke City Public Schools.
“These are large projects that have only been available due to one-time funding sources,” Perkins said during a school board workshop Tuesday night.
Morningside Elementary School is opening a new classroom wing, playground and parking on Nov. 2. That project cost $5.6 million, mostly using city debt service funds.
“Morningside is about the size of a postage stamp,” Perkins said. “But we were able to do a lot with a very small space.”
Looking toward 2024, Charles W. Day Technical Education Center will open Jan. 15, in time for the third nine-week grading period of the school year.
-- Luke Weir School Building Authority continues discussion about changing what can be spent on building schools-- WV Metro News West Virginia: October 23, 2023 [ abstract] CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia School Building Authority continues to work behind the scenes on a possible change in the way school construction projects are funded.
The SBA’s construction Committee met recently to continue discussions on possibly recommending a change in the current square footage allowance for projects.
The agency’s square footage allowance for building schools has been around $307 per square foot since 2019 but the actual cost to build schools these days is significantly more expensive after covid and inflation.
SBA Executive Director Andy Neptune said the agency is trying to determine a more realistic cost.
“We’re trying to find a comparable number that we’ll be able to work with because we’re faced with the fact that supplemental funding is coming back to us,” Neptune said.
The SBA has had to add money to a number of projects in recent months because the original amount of money awarded wasn’t enough because of increasing costs due to inflation and other factors. The SBA has almost handed out enough in supplemental funding to build another school, according to Neptune.
-- Jeff Jenkins With 22 portable classrooms on one campus, a growing Texas school district is asking voters for $2 billion-- The Texas Tribune Texas: October 23, 2023 [ abstract] CONROE — Curtis Null, the superintendent of Conroe Independent School District, is accustomed to managing growth at his suburban school district. For more than a decade, the student body has grown by about 1,500 students a year, enough to open a new campus annually.
But over the past two school years, that growth has ballooned to about 3,000 new students each year, and campuses district-wide are bursting at their seams. Administrators have done what they can to accommodate the influx, from bringing in portable buildings, hiring more teachers, rezoning schools and reallocating programs to balance out classrooms. But some of the district’s schools are still operating beyond their capacity, Null said, and a few have no room to add on more portable buildings.
“We have a whole village of portable buildings,” Null said. One elementary school has 22 portable classrooms on its campus. “When you’re dealing with growth, it’s not just about the buildings. It’s buses – we’re buying twice as many new buses as we’ve historically gotten.”
To manage the growth, the Conroe school board approved a $1.9 billion bond proposal that will appear on the November ballot. Conroe voters will decide whether the district takes on almost $2 billion in debt to fund the construction of eight new schools, additional classroom space, new technology, an outdoor swimming pool and other campus renovations.
-- POOJA SALHOTRA Poolesville Construction Concerns-- The Sentinel Maryland: October 22, 2023 [ abstract]
Poolesville High School students and parents expressed concerns about the ongoing construction and how it has affected students’ health.
construction has not only physically affected the school, making it difficult and inaccessible for students to get to class, but also physically affects the students themselves. Bella Sabett, a senior at Poolesville High School, expressed how she got styes due to dust from the construction.
“When the wind would blow, dust would fly in my eyes near the science building,” she said. The science building had an open scaffolding up until this year, but they recently placed roofing over top of the pathway.
Yehun Cho, another senior, described the construction as limiting and disruptive. Areas such as the auditorium and the old main entrances are blocked off, which affects extracurriculars that require space outside of the school day. Cho is the president of Poolesville’s Dance Club and she described the difficulty of finding spaces to use for practices.
In addition, she stated that construction limits walkability during the school day and is very inaccessible for those with disabilities.
-- Alena Lorn, student of Journalism at the Universit N.J. doesn’t have long-term plans to fund school construction in Newark. Who will pay for it?-- Chalkbeat Newark New Jersey: October 20, 2023 [ abstract]
During the first week of school, temperatures soared into the 90s causing sweltering heat in some of Newark’s oldest buildings with no air conditioners and faulty water fountains.
Parents packed frozen water bottles for their children to cool off during the day while others wondered why some classrooms in New Jersey’s largest school system were unprepared to deal with high temperatures.
“No air conditioner in these schools is crazy,” wrote Jacquetta Thomas last month in a Facebook group after her grandson stained his polo shirt with blood due to a nosebleed caused by the heat. A handful of parents responded to Thomas’ post with their own concerns about hot classrooms and deteriorating conditions in city schools.
But this wasn’t the first time that Newark students dealt with uncomfortable conditions in city classrooms.
Newark’s public school buildings are among the oldest in the state, and Superintendent Roger León estimated last month that it would take more than $2 billion to fully repair and update them. The state is responsible for funding school construction projects in high-poverty districts like Newark, but a judge in a long-standing legal case said the state has not created a long-term financing plan to support the work.
-- Jessie Gomez GL long-range facilities plan sparks more debate-- Latrobe Bulletin Pennsylvania: October 18, 2023 [ abstract] The Greater Latrobe School District’s recently adopted facilities master plan continues to spark discord from taxpayers as several took the opportunity to speak out Tuesday against tax increases attached to the plan.
During the portion of public comment when those in attendance may speak on any subject, several people got up and spoke out against the board’s decision to plan, design and construct new facilities rather than just simply maintain the buildings they have. Both options presented to the board and recommended by the facilities, operations and planning committee involved a significant and long-term tax increase.
Nick Carota, a 1968 graduate of Greater Latrobe, said he wanted to have an open mind about the process, but he is concerned that the tax increases could be a burden on too many taxpayers, a burden that they just can’t handle.
It is estimated that tax increases of up to 2.5 mills would be required yearly for anywhere from 10 to 15 years.
-- Amy Fauth Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Ensure Safe Schools-- New York State Governor New York: October 18, 2023 [ abstract] Governor Kathy Hochul signed the “Safe Schools by Design Act” that will require all school districts’ five-year capital facilities plans to consider incorporating design principles that will provide a safe, secure, and healthy school environment. The legislation also expands eligible expenses for Extended Day and School Violence Prevention Grants to include programs that facilitate and promote community involvement in school facility planning.
“A safe school environment is an essential component to providing the best education for our students,” Governor Hochul said. “This legislation highlights our commitment to our students and educators by ensuring that health and safety are considered at the outset of all school construction projects.”
Current law requires that five-year capital facilities plans are developed by each school district to include a building inventory, estimated expenses for building construction, repairs, or renovation, and estimated expenses for building maintenance and energy consumption.
Legislation S.2629A/A.286A amends the education law by requiring that school districts consider the incorporation of design principles and strategies, pursuant to guidance issued by the Commissioner of Education, in their five-year capital plan as part of a comprehensive approach to providing a healthy, secure, and safe school environment. In addition, the legislation includes programs which facilitate and promote community involvement in school facility planning to be eligible expenses for Extended Day and School Violence Prevention Grants.
-- Staff Writer Construction of new Buckingham Elementary School paused due to lack of state funding-- WMDT.com Maryland: October 17, 2023 [ abstract] SNOW HILL, Md. – Due to the lack of state funding for design plans, the Worcester County Commissioners voted on Tuesday to pause construction of the new Buckingham Elementary School.
Worcester County Government staff members completed an internal review of the Capital Improvement Plan and discovered an irregularity. It was then that they contacted school Board of Education officials, who confirmed that they had known since February 2023 that the state would not allocate any funds for the design or construction of the new school.
“The commissioners understand the concerns of parents and the community and remain committed to the BES project,” Commissioner President Chip Bertino said. “Before moving the project forward, however, it is incumbent upon the BOE to take the necessary steps to determine a path forward.
Bertino added that the commissions were not aware that no state funding was available, even as plans continued moving forward.
-- Sarah Ash Rural Vermont schools fund school renovation projects-- WCAX Vermont: October 17, 2023 [ abstract] FRANKLIN, Vt. (WCAX) - Many Vermont school buildings are outdated and in need of upgrades. The state stopped funding construction projects in 2007, so schools are left to figure out different ways to get their buildings up to snuff.
The Franklin Central School is home to 146 students in rural northwestern Vermont, and district leaders say it’s been a tight squeeze since the day the doors opened.
“They are all tucked right in there tightly, and there is no space for preschool. They share that room with music class,” Missisquoi Valley Supervisory Union Superintendent Julie Regimbal said.
The building was constructed in 1992 when the largest influx was 24 preschool students per year. The district is using $4.1 million of its $7.9 million federal pandemic funds to upgrade the building. They’re adding 6,000 square feet of new space and renovating an additional 2,000. The goal is to meet the basic needs of students who could benefit from some legroom, especially after the pandemic.
“This will allow for a dedicated preschool service classroom. We wanted more options for OT, PT and psychological services, but having preschool have its own dedicated space supports our youngest, more vulnerable students,” said Regimbal.
She says adding space for psychological services will be especially helpful for kids who are struggling, noting oftentimes students receive support in one room separated by dividers. The project will be completed by next fall.
Meanwhile, in northeastern Vermont, leaders say the 30-year-old Coventry Village school is bursting at its seams, too. Sarah Bathalon, who sits on the local school board, says the school currently has 137 students but held 150 at its peak.
“We need more one-on-one spaces, individual speech rooms, and special ed rooms. The ways we’ve taught have changed from 30 years ago,” said Bathalon.
-- Melissa Cooney State to fund Southington school project defeated at referendum-- My Record Journal Connecticut: October 12, 2023 [ abstract] Nearly a year after voters rejected a $17 million upgrade to sports facilities at Southington High School, the state has committed partial funding for athletic field reconstruction, allocating $500,000 that will be matched by $206,663 in town funds.
Cheshire, meanwhile, received $500,000 to construct an outdoor “splash pad” on the west side of the Cheshire Community Pool, as well as upgrading a similar feature within the facility. The town is expected to contribute $364,303 for design and construction work.
The state money comes in the form of Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grants, and is specifically designated for “infrastructure improvements, such as road safety reconstruction projects, sewer and drainage upgrades, sidewalk and pedestrian safety enhancements, recreational facility upgrades, and other kinds of capital improvement projects,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a Sept. 29 statement announcing the funding.
In total, the state will provide $24.5 million in STEAP grant funding for 60 communities.
-- Peter Prohaska Howard's council and school board say they're not content with school construction funding process-- Yahoo News Maryland: October 11, 2023 [ abstract] Members of the Howard County Council and Board of Education expressed frustrations with recent changes in the county's school construction funding priorities during a joint meeting Wednesday. Funding for construction and infrastructure projects is based on the facilities condition index, which serves as a ranking of Howard County public schools by building condition and has been especially prone to change in the last several months.
The council has been presented with three versions of the school system's capital budget request since May, which council member Liz Walsh said is a problem because it gives the impression that decisions have been made without reliable information and with no accountability to impacted community members.
"This, to me, is a farce," Walsh said. "There is no reliability, there is no accountability, there is no consistency across the numbers. The only thing that is consistent is that, year-by-year, the approved budget that comes here underinvests. ... We are never going to overcome any of this deficit by whatever device we choose if we do not actually follow through with what we put on these pieces of paper."
The Board of Education voted on Sept. 28 to fund renovations and additions for Oakland Mills and Dunloggin middle schools instead of previously scheduled full replacement buildings for those schools.
-- Thomas Goodwin Smith, Howard County Times MAP: How Much Voter Support Schools Need to Fix Their Buildings, by State-- Education Week National: October 06, 2023 [ abstract] Across the country, schools generally pay for major building upgrades by taking on debt through bonds that they pay back over a number of years. And in most of the United States, school districts need support merely from a simple majority of voters to pass those bonds.
But 10 states buck that trend, requiring more than a simple majority. School districts in those states have a steeper path to funding large projects, whether the construction of new buildings or the replacement of an outdated HVAC system.
California requires 55 percent in favor; Missouri requires 57 percent; seven states require 60 percent; and one state—Idaho—requires support from a whopping two-thirds of voters. So even if a majority of voters in those states back school facilities bonds, it might not be enough.
Those 10 states collectively are home to 4,000 of the nation’s roughly 13,000 public school districts. They enroll 5 million students—roughly 10 percent of the nation’s total public K-12 enrollment.
-- Mark Lieberman New York City DOE working group shares proposals for class size reduction-- Columbia Spectator New York: October 05, 2023 [ abstract] The working group on class sizes for the New York City Department of Education unveiled its preliminary proposals for smaller class sizes at the Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Campus auditorium on Monday.
During the event, working group members—comprised of parents, teachers, and school principals—and other stakeholders presented their proposals under six subcommittees: enrollment planning, capital planning, staffing and hiring, instructional implications and programming options, special education and integrated co-teaching, and budgeting and financing. Each subcommittee was dedicated to addressing different challenges with reducing class sizes.
The working group’s co-chairs, Johanna Garcia, chief of staff for State Sen. Robert Jackson, and David Marmor, a Queens high school principal, moderated the event to hear feedback from parents and other stakeholders.
The working group laid out five recommendations with regard to enrollment planning, including supporting schools that are already in compliance with the law, surveying key stakeholders such as principals, teachers, and support staff, limiting enrollment at overcrowded schools that do not have the space to comply with the new class size caps, and relocating 3-K and pre-K programs from district schools.
Members of the working group said one of the biggest issues for small class sizes is finding adequate space for classrooms. The capital planning committee, whose duties include addressing challenges related to the construction of new schools, planning existing spaces, and consolidating schools, proposed 25 preliminary recommendations. Some suggested measures included repurposing existing “unutilized or underutilized” facilities, merging co-located schools, and building new school buildings.
-- AISSATOU DIALLO Schools officials ready to complete construction projects as soon as funding is in place-- The Register-Herald West Virginia: October 05, 2023 [ abstract] As soon as funding becomes available, Wyoming County schools officials are ready to begin construction on several major projects – including a new school in Mullens, a multi-purpose facility for the Career and Technical Center, in addition to safety enhancements and other improvements at schools across the county.
All the projects are shovel-ready, with the exception of the new artificial turf football fields at both Westside and Wyoming County East high schools which have already been completed and are being used by students.
Total cost for all the proposed projects is nearly $34 million.
Funding sources will include a $20.1 million facilities bond sale approved by county voters in November, the West Virginia School Building Authority, local monies, among others.
Last year, the West Virginia School Building Authority halted Needs Grant awards as a result of soaring construction material costs and inflation.
-- Mary Catherine Brooks Baltimore’s school building program could offer model to close gaps in Massachusetts-- The Boston Globe Massachusetts: October 03, 2023 [ abstract]
BALTIMORE — Ten years ago, the Montebello Elementary/Middle School in Northeast Baltimore was a drab, dingy, and virtually windowless campus, typical of the aging school buildings across the city.
But in January, after a two-year renovation, the school reopened with bright, wide hallways. A modern cafeteria building replaced the dim basement where students used to eat. In the spring, pre-K children learning in a new outdoor amphitheater marveled as butterflies fluttered in their tiny hands. The once bricked-over windows of the school now offer panoramic views of Lake Montebello, a reservoir where families picnic, walk, and bike.
Montebello’s transformation demonstrates what can be done when state lawmakers are goaded into action. Appalled by the decrepit conditions of the city’s school buildings, the ACLU, other community activists, and Baltimore officials successfully lobbied the Legislature in 2013 to create a school construction program specifically for Baltimore, so that the city would no longer have to compete with better-funded districts for sought-after funds. The program has allowed one of the nation’s poorest cities to extensively renovate or replace 29 school buildings — a fifth of its inventory — in less than a decade.
But it also involved a tough tradeoff — a commitment to close 26 schools with declining enrollment or particularly poor conditions, a painful process that led to regret and broken relationships between the district and some of its families and teachers.
-- Christopher Huffaker and James Vaznis Draft Report Stunner: Wilton Faces $100 Million Price Tag on School Building Repairs/Upgrades Over 10 Years-- Good Morning Wilton Connecticut: October 03, 2023 [ abstract]
With little fanfare, First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice added an agenda item to the Oct. 2 Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting about the status of an ongoing needs assessment being conducted for Wilton’s school buildings.
She then delivered some truly stunning news, from the draft report which outlined the repairs, improvements and upgrades needed in Wilton schools over the next 10 years.
“The cost is in excess of $100,000,000,” she said.
“It’s still a draft and I wouldn’t normally speak about a draft, [but] with the upcoming election and my term ending shortly, I think it’s important, now that I have seen the 10-year projected costs, that I share it in advance of the report,” Vanderslice said.
“It’s a lot of money,” she added, especially considering that cost escalation factors were only included through 2026, making the actual cost of the 10-year plan even higher.
Vanderslice discussed the school buildings assessment in the context of other infrastructure investment and as part of a longterm financial planning process.
“Over the last eight years, we have focused on investment in infrastructure with almost $42 million in the renovation and reconfiguration of Miller-Driscoll [School], assisted by $6 million in state grants; the restoration of roads…; the study by the state of all our bridges, and we have a plan to get that work done; we have done trail building; and of course the construction of the police headquarters. The last three were all assisted with about $30 million in grants.”
-- Kathy Bonnist Is Amidon-Bowen Swinging Too Far?-- Hillrag District of Columbia: October 02, 2023 [ abstract] The Amidon-Bowen Elementary School community is reeling, frustrated after DC Public Schools (DCPS) suggested a swing space for the 2027 fiscal year that is 3.5 miles away from their home campus at 401 I St. SW.
Amidon-Bowen is slated to be modernized in 2027 and reopened in 2029. The Amidon-Bowen population is set to move into a temporary space from 2027 to 2029 during the planning, design and construction phases. The fully modernized school is scheduled to reopen for the 2029-2030 school year. The project will cost an estmiated $84.2 million and the new building will be able to serve 373 students.
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!
Through the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Planning Actively for Comprehensive Education Facilities (PACE) Annual Supplement for Fiscal Year 2024-2029, Amidon-Bowen community members learned the former Meyer Elementary School (2501 11th St. NW) would be the temporary campus for their PreK to Fifth grade students.
“It was frustrating to hear about the swing space plan for the first time because a parent happened to see the reference to Meyer in the Mayor’s CIP plan,” said Sarah Buckley,a member of the Amidon-Bowen PTA Advocacy Group (ABPTAAG). “We feel like we can’t count on DCPS to keep us informed, let alone take the community’s views into account.”
-- Rachel Royster Pr. George’s school board approves next phase of public-private partnership for new buildings-- The Washington Post Maryland: September 30, 2023 [ abstract]
The Prince George’s County Board of Education has approved the second phase of a school construction project funded through a mix of public-private funds.
The vote Thursday night to move ahead comes a week after a similar vote failed. School board members conveyed a sense of urgency Thursday to approve the work.
“We need to stop wasting time,” Madeline LaSalle Frazier (appointed, District 8) said during the meeting. “Let’s get these buildings done.”
The second phase of the project includes eight new buildings: Fairwood Area Elementary School in Bowie, Margaret Brent Elementary School in New Carrollton, Springhill Lake Elementary School in Greenbelt, Templeton Elementary School in Riverdale Park, James Duckworth Elementary School in Beltsville, Hyattsville Elementary School, Robert Frost Area PK-8 Academy in New Carrollton, and Brandywine Area PK-8 Academy.
-- Nicole Asbury ‘Long overdue’: Here’s the status on some big construction projects at Western Pa. school districts-- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pennsylvania: September 30, 2023 [ abstract] The former Franklin Primary Center in Munhall stood quiet this week, an almost empty shell of what was once a bustling Steel Valley elementary school.
Hallways that formerly swarmed with excited students were still, the classrooms blank of posters and lessons. Sparse conference rooms gave few signs they were still in use, the only sounds echoing from the front of the building where a handful of administrators are still housed.
While plans are delayed, Franklin Primary Center will soon be demolished to make way for a new elementary school that will combine students in kindergarten through fourth grade who are currently split between Barrett Elementary in Homestead, built in 1934, and Park Elementary in Munhall, constructed in the early 1900s. The project, which is expected to be completed by 2027, could cost around $56 million.
“We have gotten to the point where the buildings we currently have are no longer adequate to our needs,” Michael Sullivan, Steel Valley’s director of facilities, said Monday. “At some point we had to make a move. The longer we wait the more we risk having something happen at the schools where we have a failure in a major system or something and then we’re out of school and we’re scrambling to get kids in place. It’s long overdue.”
-- MEGAN TOMASIC Take a look inside Rockford’s new $28M elementary school before it opens next year-- MLive Michigan: September 28, 2023 [ abstract]
ROCKFORD, MI – construction is well underway on a new Rockford elementary school building that was intentionally designed to strengthen student identity and belonging.
The new, $28 million Edgerton Trails Elementary School is expected to be completed by summer 2024 after over two years of construction. The building, located at 9605 Edgerton Ave. NE, is the ninth elementary school being added to the Rockford Public School District that serves around 7,700 students.
The 85,000-square-foot building will be able to house up to 750 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. It features two main academic wings, collaborative learning areas, a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) room, an outdoor learning patio, and more.
Rockford school administrators visited schools across the state, including some schools in Washington D.C., to come up with the designs for Edgerton Trails.
-- Melissa Frick DODEA awards $125 million contract for fifth ‘21st Century’ school on Okinawa-- Stars and Stripes DoDEA: September 27, 2023 [ abstract] CAMP MCTUREOUS, Okinawa — A Tokyo construction firm won a $125 million contract last month to update a Defense Department school on Okinawa based on a state-of-the-art design.
Nishimatsu construction Co. Ltd. will start renovations and new construction for Bechtel Elementary on Marine Corps base Camp McTureous sometime this fall, Miranda Ferguson, spokeswoman for Department of Defense Education Activity-Pacific, said by email Tuesday.
The project, expected to take three years, will make Bechtel the island’s fifth “21st Century school,” after Bob Hope and Kadena elementary schools on Kadena Air Base and Killin and Zukeran schools on Camp Foster, she said.
As part of a decade-old building campaign, DODEA has built and renovated schools according to the same concept at several other bases in the Pacific and Europe.
-- MATTHEW M. BURKE New Report Reveals Decline In Harford County Schools Maintenance Standards-- Havre de Grace Patch Maryland: September 27, 2023 [ abstract] HARFORD COUNTY - A recent report from the Interagency Commission on School construction (IAC) points to a significant drop in maintenance standards for Harford County schools. According to the IAC's 2023 report, Harford County's score dropped by 8.99% compared to the previous year.
Harford County's Maintenance-Effectiveness Assessment (MEA) performance earned it a "Not Adequate" rating for fiscal year 2023. The county's score of 67.42% positioned it as the fifth lowest among Maryland counties, only outdone by Carroll, Prince George's, St. Mary's, and Somerset counties.
Harford County is responsible for 52 active school facilities, with an average age of 31.9 years. With over 6 million square feet of educational space under its purview, the county ranks 8th in terms of square footage among Maryland's Local Education Agencies (LEAs).
-- Van Fisher Anne Arundel Schools Receive Top Scores For Exemplary Maintenance Standards-- Annapolis Patch Maryland: September 26, 2023 [ abstract] ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY - Anne Arundel County Schools were recognized for their exemplary maintenance standards in the Interagency Commission on School construction's (IAC) 2023 Fiscal Year report.
The commission awarded Anne Arundel County an "Adequate" rating across all 21 active facilities, amounting to an average overall score of 75.51%—the highest among Maryland school districts.
Per the report, the county boasts 121 active school facilities with an average age of 30.1 years. Combined, these facilities span an impressive 13,902,130 square feet, averaging 170 square feet per student.
The report praised Anne Arundel County for its proactive maintenance measures, emphasizing its annual inspections of roofing components to enhance structure longevity. The county also performed well in terms of safety, with all assessed schools having functional exterior doors and consistently checked emergency exits. Additionally, four schools achieved a "Superior" rating in conveyance for their impeccable chairlifts and elevators.
-- Van Fisher Eastern Kentucky school ravaged by 2022 flood likely won’t reopen until next year-- Lexington Herald Leader Kentucky: September 24, 2023 [ abstract]
One of the hardest hit schools in the Eastern Kentucky floods is slated to reopen by August 2024, Perry County school administrators told parents at a local school board meeting Thursday. When widespread deadly flooding devastated multiple Eastern Kentucky counties in July 2022, Squabble Creek crested its banks and destroyed the interior of the rural K-12 Buckhorn School.
Since the flood, Buckhorn students have been attending classes at the old A.B. Combs Elementary School — resulting in more than an hour-long, one-way bus ride for kids living in the furthest reaches of the county. Before the flood, Buckhorn had over 300 students, data from the Kentucky Department of Education showed. A collection of parents and other supporters of the Buckhorn School packed a local school board meeting Thursday to request an update on the construction of the school.
-- Rick Childress New Worcester school construction projects detailed-- Ocean City Today Maryland: September 21, 2023 [ abstract] The Capital Improvement Program for the 2025 fiscal year was approved by the Worcester County Board of Education at their meeting Tuesday.
Facilities Planner Joe Price presented the program outline to the board, stating that every year they are required to submit a CIP to the State of Maryland Interagency Commission on School construction. The six-year plan allows the commission to identify public school construction needs so they can move establish a reasonable schedule for funding and implementation.
The program for the 2025 fiscal year included a summary of previously approved projects as well as requests for state construction funding for ongoing projects, including Snow Hill Middle School/Cedar Chapel Special School roof replacement project, and design funding for the Pocomoke Elementary School roof replacement project.
-- Remy Andersen Lynn Officials Ask State For Help To Update 100-Year-Old School Buildings-- WBZ Massachusetts: September 19, 2023 [ abstract]
LYNN, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Officials in Lynn are asking the state for help to give its school buildings a long overdue update.
Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson and school officials urged members of the Joint Committee on Education on Monday to support bills that would overhaul the funding model for the Massachusetts School Building Authority with the goal of getting major upgrades to school buildings.
The bills, called Acts Modernizing School construction, are set to change the way schools are funded. The reforms would alter the state's school construction formula giving low-income students equitable access to modern buildings and double the money dedicated to school construction projects.
Lynn School Superintendent Evonne Alvarez said 41% of Lynn's school buildings are over a hundred years old. Another 26% of the buildings are between 71 and 100 years old.
"Those outdated infrastructures of our school buildings hinder the ability to provide 21st-century education," Alvarez said. "It sends a clear message to our students and community that equity is often mentioned but not taken seriously by a system that should be funding equitable access to education."
She told the committee that the schools are in dire need of an upgrade as the decades-old buildings are negatively impacting students' education.
-- Staff Writer Park City School District used junior high to store waste, failed to get construction permits, audit finds-- The Salt Lake Tribune Utah: September 18, 2023 [ abstract] Park City School District did not comply with environmental laws and local ordinances when it came to contaminated soil discovered behind one of its junior high schools last month, according to findings released by state auditors Monday.
The district also lacked compliance with school construction regulations, auditors found — such as not having the proper local permits.
The findings come as the district looks at an estimated $3 million soil cleanup behind Treasure Mountain Junior High School, which serves eighth and ninth graders. The audit itself began in December 2022 after the district was selected by the state’s Office of the Legislative Auditor General to partake.
Auditors found five areas where it recommended the district make improvements: compliance with environmental regulations; compliance with school construction regulations; helping “bolster” its underperforming student groups; its strategic plans to help it make “informed decisions and set meaningful goals”; and better utilizing its student analytics tool.
The district, along with the Park City Board of Education, “appreciates the opportunity to further study the report and to implement actions that increase compliance, efficiency and accountability,” district spokesperson Heidi Matthews wrote in a statement Monday.
-- Michael Lee Woodstock races to prepare school’s balky heating system for another winter as vote on new school building looms-- Valley News New Hampshire: September 17, 2023 [ abstract] WOODSTOCK — Fundraising efforts for a new Woodstock Union Middle and High School building have crested the $3 million mark, according to Mountain Views Supervisory Union officials.
Voters in the supervisory union — which includes the towns of Woodstock, Barnard, Bridgewater, Pomfret, Reading, Killington and Plymouth — will be asked in March 2024 to approve an $85 million bond to fund construction of the new building, said Ben Ford, the School Board’s vice chairman.
Meanwhile, the supervisory union’s buildings and grounds crew is working overtime to brace the school’s existing 60-year-old structure for the upcoming heating season.
Last March, the supervisory union’s voters gave approval to replace the aging steam system with a $1.3 million hot water heating alternative. The high school portion of the building weathered “multiple failures” last winter in its steam heating system, said Joe Rigoli, buildings and grounds director.
The 2021-2022 school year saw upwards of $150,000 in heating and cooling repairs, Rigoli said.
-- Frances Mize Lawmakers consider complexities in prioritizing school facilities funding-- Wyoming Tribune Eagle Wyoming: September 15, 2023 [ abstract] CHEYENNE — An inability to clearly defend which schools should be prioritized for state funding has Wyoming lawmakers hesitant to forward the School Facilities Commission’s budget to the chamber floor.
The SFC has two remediation schedules. One is the condition schedule, which lists the physical quality scores of the buildings, and the other is the capacity schedule, which is related to the maximum number of students in a classroom.The condition schedule is reflected by both the facility condition score, which covers the individual components of the facility, and the facility index score, which scores the building as a whole.
Members of the Legislature’s Select Committee on School Facilities, during their meeting Thursday in Casper, expressed concern over not having a consistently prioritized list of school construction needs so that they could explain the budgeting process on the chamber floor. Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, explained that the FCI score failed to address the urgency levels of any specific issue within a school.
-- Hannah Shields WA Supreme Court sides with state in suit over school building costs-- Seattle Times Washington: September 07, 2023 [ abstract] Out of options to fund repairs to its decaying buildings, a 400-student school district in one of Washington’s poorest counties launched a legal challenge against the state two years ago.
On Thursday, the Wahkiakum School District lost in a unanimous ruling from the Washington Supreme Court. Local taxpayers are still expected to share in the costs of maintaining and constructing school buildings, even if, like Wahkiakum, they haven’t approved a bond in 20-plus years.
But the debate over the state’s investment in school construction funding costs will continue. While the opinion says the state isn’t required to cover 100% of basic school capital construction costs, it offers a legal path for school districts to challenge how much and where the state is currently chipping in.
“They’ve left the door open,” said Wahkiakum Superintendent Brent Freeman.
There is little reprieve for school districts that fail to pass a bond in Washington state, which are often the smallest and poorest. Without a bond, these districts are also locked out of qualifying for the state’s largest construction assistance program. Another state grant program, which is more flexible and is aimed at small school districts, hasn’t offered sufficient funds for substantive repairs. It was funded for about $100 million in the last legislative session.
-- Dahlia Bazzaz COLUMN: Is A/C the new ABC? As the country gets hotter, schools need upgrades-- The Hechinger Report National: September 06, 2023 [ abstract] Tempers get short. Test scores suffer. On the worst days, schools close, and students lose days of learning while parents’ schedules are disrupted.
Yorkwood Elementary in Baltimore, before it finally got air conditioning last year, was subject to closure by the district on any day the forecast hit 90 degrees by 10 a.m. And the number of those days has been rising over time.
“I remember one year we literally had seven [closure] days before we were able to have a full week of school because of the heat,” said Tonya Redd, the principal.
July 2023 was the world’s hottest month on record. And America’s schools weren’t built for this. According to a 2021 study by the Center for Climate Integrity, more than 13,700 public schools that did not need cooling systems in 1970 have installed — or will need to install — HVAC systems by 2025,based on the increasing number of very hot days during the school year. Total estimated cost: over $40 billion.
The good news is, there are many design and architectural innovations that can keep students, faculty and staff comfortable, while also creating healthier, greener and even more engaging places to learn. And there’s federal funding to pay for it.
But, installing air conditioners without making other renovations, which is often the cheapest and most expedient option, raises a school’s fossil fuel consumption, ultimately making the problem of climate change worse.
Baltimore is an example of a district that’s had to rapidly upgrade for a changing climate. Six years ago, 75 out of its 140 school buildings, including Yorkwood Elementary, lacked air conditioning.
Now, that number is down to 11, according to Cyndi Smith, the district’s executive director for facilities planning, design and construction. “It has been a big challenge,” she said. “We have the oldest average-age buildings [of every district] in the state, going back to the late 1800s.”
-- ANYA KAMENETZ Accelerated repair projects approved for Holyoke schools-- Masslive.com Massachusetts: September 01, 2023 [ abstract] The Massachusetts School Building Authority has given the green light for facility upgrades in four Holyoke public schools as part of the state’s Accelerated Repair Projects.
The initiative aims to improve learning environments in schools while making strides in energy efficiency and achieving cost savings.
State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg recently announced the approval of these projects. “The Accelerated Repair Program allows us to make critical repairs to more schools in less time,” she said. “By improving the learning environment for our children, the Program also makes schools more energy efficient and generates significant cost savings.”
The MSBA’s recent allocation covers up to $25,897,256 for Accelerated Repair Projects. The MSBA reimburses school districts up to 80% of the cost for improvement or complete construction projects.
Holyoke schools have been designated a substantial portion of the latest amount, primarily targeting structurally, functionally, and educationally buildings needing specific repairs or replacements.
-- Dennis Hohenberger District 91 clashes with tax commission over funding for new elementary school-- East Idaho News Idaho: September 01, 2023 [ abstract]
IDAHO FALLS — The path to building a new elementary school in Idaho Falls School District 91 has hit a major roadblock. It doesn’t appear the Idaho State Tax Commission is going to certify a voter-approved 10-year $3.3 million-per-year plant facilities levy.
Without certification, the school district cannot collect the $33 million in property taxes to build the elementary school. This is despite the measure winning a supermajority vote during May’s election.
At the heart of the issue is whether the school district can have multiple plant facility levies. The district says it can, and the state says it can’t.
As a result, the school district is taking the state to court.
Background on the issue
For the past several years, District 91 has been trying unsuccessfully to pass large general school bonds to fund renovation and build new schools to accommodate growth.
The latest large-scale attempt in November was a $250 million bond to build a new high school, two new elementary schools and do various renovations. It failed to receive the supermajority vote required to pass.
So, the district and its school board opted to take an unconventional approach. They asked voters for a plant facility levy for the construction of a single new elementary school through a lease-purchasing agreement. The vote for a plant facility levy only required a simple 55% percent majority to pass, as opposed to the 66.6% supermajority requirement for a general school bond.
-- Mary Boyle New Miller Middle School building is taking shape-- The Durango Herald Colorado: September 01, 2023 [ abstract] Steel beams have been erected for the new Miller Middle School building, according to Durango School District 9-R Chief Operations Officer Christopher Coleman.
In January, the middle school began constructing a 60,000 square-foot three story building east of the existing school building where the football field used to be. The project will cost $45 million.
The Cuningham Group, in collaboration with Reynolds Ash + Associates, helped design the new building and the renovations to the existing school.
The plan also called for keeping a more modern portion of the building, which was added in 2004. That part is located on the school’s east wing. An elevated bridge will connect the buildings.
“It is exciting to see the structure taking shape, and other work is progressing in the background including site utilities and renovations,” Coleman said.
-- Tyler Brown State has money for new Cheyenne elementary school; details to be worked out-- Wyoming Tribune Eagle Wyoming: September 01, 2023 [ abstract]
CHEYENNE — The Wyoming School Facilities Commission announced during a special meeting Wednesday the proposed replacement of a Cheyenne elementary school as part of the $95 million the Legislature set aside for school construction this year.
Laramie County School District 1, under the design and construction portion of the state’s budget, flags on three capacities and three conditions, with two of the conditions being “very high,” according to Jerry Vincent, director of the State construction Department. Three Laramie County elementary schools have the highest capacity need in the state, with Arp Elementary School in the lead, according to the SCD report
Capacity need refers to the number of students which can be legally contained in a classroom, and condition refers to the safety and functioning space of the physical building.
Andy Knapp, executive director of facilities and planning for LCSD1, said the state would not specifically name what the project funds are for, and there are “several schools in need of condition remedies” in the district.
“I would anticipate we would be making some sort of plan to deal with Arp,” said Knapp, who confirmed the south Cheyenne elementary school was one of the top priorities.
-- Hannah Shields England - More Than 100 Schools in England Ordered to Close Buildings Over Faulty Concrete-- New York Times International: August 31, 2023 [ abstract] LONDON — More than 100 schools across England were ordered to close buildings because they were constructed using unsafe concrete, the Department for Education said in a statement Thursday afternoon, a few days before the start of a new school year for most students.
The affected buildings contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, a lightweight concrete material known as RAAC, (pronounced Rack), that was used between the 1950s and mid-1990s and has been determined to be prone to failures and crumbling.
In all, 104 schools were ordered to close buildings. The concerns about the concrete have been known for years, and schools had been told to prepare for the possibility that evacuations would be necessary at some point. Some 156 schools were confirmed to have used the lightweight material in their buildings, but 52 have put in safety measures to mitigate the risks.
The government said it would work with local authorities on “individual solutions” for the affected schools. That could mean using other buildings for classes, sharing space with other schools or, in some cases, erecting temporary buildings. Online classes are a last resort, the government said.
England’s education secretary, Gillian Keegan, said the government was trying to be vigilant for the safety of students and staff.
-- Megan Specia Security still top priority during Canton school’s construction project-- WWNYTV New York: August 30, 2023 [ abstract] CANTON, New York (WWNY) - Canton Central will be a secured school even as a $38 million construction project continues into the new school year.
This September, the campus will not only have students and buses, but construction equipment and crews as well.
According to Scott Sanderson, the district’s operations director, the school will be as secure as other years.
Security cameras and key-fob accessible doors will be working too to prevent any non-school related personnel from walking the halls.
“School’s security is always in the forefront of our mind. A locked door saves lives. Every door on the perimeter of our district, the doors are always locked. People have badges to get in and out of the school building. The doors will continue to be locked whether we have a project going on with contractors in or out of the building,” he said.
-- Sean Brynda Court ruling on Pa. education funding puts school infrastructure in spotlight-- Triblive.com Pennsylvania: August 27, 2023 [ abstract] As residents of Hempfield recently learned, the cost associated with school building projects can easily climb above $100 million.
For decades, school administrators could turn to what was known as PlanCon to pursue state funding to help ease the local burden.
PlanCon — short for the Planning and construction Workbook — was a set of forms and procedures school districts could use to apply for state reimbursement of large building projects.
That ground to a halt in 2012.
PlanCon has fallen by the wayside as a potential funding source for new projects, but a recent state court decision has led to an upcoming series of fall hearings across the state, where school infrastructure once again will be a big part of the discussion.
When PlanCon was active, school districts underwent a lengthy process to enroll renovation and construction projects in the program in order to secure a percentage of reimbursement, but a backlog of projects waiting on those payments — estimated at more than $1 billion in the mid-2010s — ultimately led to a 2012 moratorium on new applications.
While partial state reimbursement for school construction projects has been happening in some form since the 1950s, PlanCon’s current form took shape in the 1970s, and the state has contributed more than $8 billion to the program since the late 1970s.
-- Patrick Varine New York’s School Construction Authority is preparing for a school building boom-- Archinect News New York: August 25, 2023 [ abstract] The body in charge of K-12 planning and construction in New York City was recently profiled by the AIA New York as it prepares for a surge in student enrollment that’s expected over the next decade.
The New York School construction Authority (or SCA) is a specialty city agency that employs 1,100 people and is tasked with the delivery and maintenance of school buildings in the New York City Public Schools arsenal, a charge which makes it directly responsible for the well-being, safety, and learning environments of more than 1.1 million students.
With a staff that currently includes 170 architects, Stephen Zacks for the AIANY writes the SCA has a unique talent when it comes to the delivery of high-quality structures within challenging construction schedules and have become national examples of the implementation of efficient project management at a time when the cost of labor and construction materials are hampering projects of all different building types across the country.
-- Josh Niland Valpo Community Schools moving ahead with energy saving projects-- Lakeshore Public Media Indiana: August 25, 2023 [ abstract] Energy savings projects are moving forward at Valparaiso Community Schools. The school board Thursday approved various agreements for a $5.8 million guaranteed savings contract.
That means the work will have to pay for itself over the next 20 years, or the contractor, Veregy, will have to pay the difference. The project should pay for itself and then some, according to Bob McKinney with construction manager Stratelign.
"Over the 20 years is a net-positive [roughly] $12 million savings, when you pay off the loan and the interest, apply the rebates, incentives and grant from the [Inflation Reduction Act] and then monetize the savings over the 20 years," McKinney explained.
The project includes solar panels at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School, new boilers at Thomas Jefferson Middle School and LED lighting in nine school buildings.
It will be financed through a lease/purchase agreement. Superintendent Dr. Jim McCall said that allows the school corporation to pay for the work without issuing additional bonds.
-- Michael Gallenberger England - ‘Staggering incompetence’: DfE under fire as new school buildings closed-- The Guardian International: August 23, 2023 [ abstract] The government has been accused of “staggering incompetence” after new school buildings it commissioned had to be closed due to safety fears, while others under construction were demolished before they even opened.
Main buildings at two secondary schools and a primary school in England, which were all completed relatively recently using a modular, off-site construction method, were told to close with immediate effect, disrupting the start of the new term for many pupils.
A government minister admitted there were issues with the structural integrity of some buildings, prompting fears they would not be able to withstand extreme events, including severe weather or being hit by a vehicle.
Labour and the Liberal Democrats called for an investigation to find out whether other schools could be at risk after it was reported that the contractor responsible for the affected schools was involved in the construction of at least 15 state schools in England.
The company, Caledonian Modular, has since gone into administration and the government is reviewing all Department for Education (DfE) contracts to identify other projects where the company may have been involved. Other departments have also been alerted.
“The Conservatives have bungled management of the schools estate from top to bottom,” said the shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson. “How can parents expect their children to receive a first-class education in second-rate buildings?”
-- Sally Weale Mold delays Alamance-Burlington school start until after Labor Day-- Spectrum News 1 North Carolina: August 23, 2023 [ abstract]
Alamance-Burlington schools will delay the start of the new year until Sept. 5 as officials work to clean up mold problems at five schools.
Schools in Alamance County had been scheduled to start Aug. 28. The only exception is Alamance-Burlington Early College, where classes have already started at Alamance Community College.
"It has come to our attention that there are recurring mold problems in parts of these school facilities. Upon closer inspection, it appears that some of these issues have been neglected over the years and allowed to worsen. With the recent construction work and fluctuations in weather, the mold growth has accelerated,” Superintendent Dain Butler said in a news release.
School officials were already trying to clean up mold found over the summer at Andrews Elementary and Newlin Elementary. Last weekend they found more mold problems at Cummings High School, Broadview Middle School and Williams High School.
The district said it has already spent more than $1.2 million on mold remediation and repairing the HVAC systems at Newlin and Andrews.
"This news comes at the worst possible time, just days ahead of students returning to classrooms across ABSS," Butler said. "However, the safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We must address these issues, understanding that some can be quick fixes while others will require more substantial time and resources to fully remediate."
The school system said it has run tests for air quality in the schools as it works to clean up the mold.
-- CHARLES DUNCAN 14 Hillsborough schools slated for major HVAC repairs after dealing with AC issues-- WFTS Tampa Bay Florida: August 17, 2023 [ abstract]
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Imagine heating and cooling over 14,000 homes every day. That is what Hillsborough County Public Schools does on a daily basis.
They have 29 million square feet of air-conditioned space in their schools, and it's a tough job to keep it cool.
This summer, 14 major construction projects took place to update AC systems throughout Hillsborough County Public Schools. Close to 100 schools’ HVAC systems have been repaired in the past five years.
“Teachers have a very hard job, and it’s a lot harder when it’s warm. For both them and for the kids,” said HCPS Deputy Superintendent of Operations Chris Farkas.
The projects were made possible by the more than $400 million received in referendum funds. In 2018, Hillsborough County voters approved a half-cent sales tax.
However, that is only the tip of the iceberg. Farkas said that's only half the billion dollars worth of maintenance needed.
-- Rebecca Petit See inside Grandville’s new $57 million middle school building-- mlive.com Michigan: August 16, 2023 [ abstract]
GRANDVILLE, MI – Seventh and eighth graders at Grandville Public Schools will be walking into a brand new middle school when they return for the new school year on Monday.
The new $57 million Grandville Middle School building, unveiled by district leaders on Tuesday, Aug. 15, features 200,000 square feet of teaching and open learning spaces, a state-of-the-art robotics competition center, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) facilities, and fitness spaces for community use.
The new middle school, located at 4900 Canal Ave. SW behind the high school, will serve students in grades 7 and 8. The school is expected to have around 850 students enrolled this fall, with capacity to hold 1,000 students if enrollment grows, Superintendent Roger Bearup said.
A $94 million bond proposal approved by Grandville voters in 2019 supported the construction of the new middle school, which was intended to help address capacity issues in the district’s elementary school buildings by creating more space at the intermediate level.
-- Melissa Frick “This is legacy work.” Roanoke City Public Schools officials provide updates on projects-- WDBJ7 Virginia: August 07, 2023 [ abstract]
ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Roanoke City officials are preparing for the start of the new school year. During a joint meeting between Roanoke City Public Schools and the city council - a new budget work group was created, updates were given on new construction projects, and the superintendent was recognized.
Despite delaying the opening of the new technical education center – Roanoke City Public Schools officials found a solution. Students will be able to start their programs at the start of the new school year.
“This is legacy work,” said Superintendent Verletta White.
White is following through on her promises made under the Equity in Action Project.
“We believe that this is really important to build trust in our community,” explained White.
One of those promises is the new technical education center. The building will accommodate all existing programs and add 4 new ones, including criminal justice, landscaping, barber classes, and an HVAC program.
“Our community has asked for these programs since my first day on the job,” added White.
The new center gives students more options to pursue other avenues after graduating.
-- Patsy Montesinos Four takeaways from City Council’s hearing on Philly’s crumbling school infrastructure-- WHYY Pennsylvania: August 03, 2023 [ abstract]
The School District of Philadelphia will begin developing a “master plan” to deal with its aging school facilities, something city officials have been asking for since at least March.
That’s what Superintendent Tony Watlington promised City Council’s Committee on Education during a Wednesday hearing exploring the option of creating an “independent school building authority.”
This “independent authority” would bond and oversee school buildings. It’s a pressing topic, as damaged asbestos caused several schools to close during the 2022-23 year.
It’s also a somewhat contentious idea. In May, Philadelphia Board of Education President Reginald Streater asserted that increasing funding should be a priority, not creating a new entity.
Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, chair of the education committee, called for the hearings in April, citing the district’s apparent inability to handle its facility needs. If created, the independent authority would supervise building repairs and construction projects.
“The state of our school buildings is an emergency,” Thomas told Billy Penn. “The creation of an independent authority could help relieve the burden on the School District of maintaining facilities and in turn improve learning outcomes.”
-- Fallon Roth A look inside a $500 million in deferred maintenance repairs underway at Guilford County schools-- WFMY News 2 North Carolina: August 01, 2023 [ abstract]
GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — We've been talking about the nearly 2-billion-dollar bond and how it is paving the way to build new Guilford County Schools (GCS).
We even took a look inside at the new designs and what it takes to construct a brand-new school.
But what about the older schools left with problems needing to be fixed?
Bond money is also being used to make much-needed repairs.
Picture this: your home is 20-30 years old and at this point, it's time for needed repairs. You're going to need to replace the HVAC, and fix pipes, the roof, and windows, and the longer you wait, the more expensive it will be.
This is exactly what GCS is dealing with on a much bigger scale.
"As you can imagine a school district that has over 126 schools and 12 million square feet, it is very difficult to have that size of a funding budget just for our operations and our capital," Deputy Superintendent of Business and Operations, Dr. Julius Monk said.
Without the right upkeep, it has created a lot of problems over the last few years.
-- Teyah Glenn, Hunter Funk Six new schools set to open in Prince George's County-- NBC Washington Maryland: July 31, 2023 [ abstract] Six new schools will open for the 2023-2024 school year in Prince George's County, Maryland.
The six schools include:
Drew-Freeman Middle School in Suitland
Hyattsville Middle School
Kenmoor Middle School in Landover
Sonia Sotomayor Middle School in Adelphi
Walker Mill Middle School in Capitol Heights
Colin L. Powell Academy in Fort Washington
In total, the schools created 8,000 new spots for students.
Funding to build the schools came from what's known as the Blueprint Schools Program, a public-private partnership used to accelerate new school construction in the county.
By partnering with the private sector, the county was able to build the schools in two-and-a-half years.
Each of the schools has science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) labs with 3D printers, etchers and robotics; a video production studio; smart boards in every classroom; voice amplification systems; parent resource rooms; state-of-the-art dance, choral, orchestra, drama and band rooms; state-of-the-art kitchens; art studios; multipurpose fields and more, school officials said.
-- Darcy Spencer and Gina Cook Boise School District construction to continue through upcoming school year-- KTVB7 Idaho: July 29, 2023 [ abstract] This summer, Boise School District began work on remodeling and renovating Collister Elementary School. Last summer, BSD started construction on Dallas Harris Elementary School. These projects were made possible by voters who passed the 2017 bond for $172.5 million, which needed a 66.67% ‘yes’ vote to be approved and received an 86% approval vote, BSD Public Affairs Administrator Dan Hollar said.
After the bond’s approval, BSD began 22 projects, Hollar said, and right now, the district’s 2017 bond projects are about 90% completed. Both Dallas Harris and Collister are expected to continue construction during the upcoming school year.
-- Emily White Sticker shocked: Inflation, other factors force rethink on Guilford school building plans-- News & Record North Carolina: July 28, 2023 [ abstract] 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.
-- Jessie Pounds Virginia schools will get second chance to apply for construction grants-- Cardinal News Virginia: July 27, 2023 [ abstract] 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.
-- Lisa Rowan School District Woes Likened to ‘Environmental Racism’ in Flint, Mich.-- New York Times New York: July 25, 2023 [ abstract] 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.
-- Lola Fadulu Education without barriers | New PS7 Elementary campus under construction in Oak Park-- abc10 California: July 24, 2023 [ abstract]
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.
-- Kandace Redd Marshall Elementary undergoes renovation, students relocated-- KSBW8 California: July 24, 2023 [ abstract]
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.
-- Christian Balderas $19 million expansion/renovation project is underway at A-C secondary school-- Lebtown Pennsylvania: July 18, 2023 [ abstract] 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.
-- Tom Knapp CCSD is rebuilding more than 30 schools. Here’s how old they are-- Las Vegas Review-Journal Nevada: July 14, 2023 [ abstract]
About 30 aging Clark County schools will be replaced with new facilities over the next decade.
Projects are through the Clark County School District’s 2015 Capital Improvement Program that allows for issuing bonds to pay for facility needs.
Typically, a replacement school is built on an existing campus and the old building is demolished once the new one is complete.
School employees and students are often temporarily displaced — such as to a “swing” campus like the old Fyfe Elementary School in central Las Vegas — while construction is underway.
To decide which schools to replace, the district considers factors like the building’s physical condition, its ability to support the curriculum and the costs of renovating versus building a new facility.
-- Julie Wootton Fulton schools capital plan shifts spending to repairs, replacements-- Appen Media Georgia: July 14, 2023 [ abstract] FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Fulton County Schools will move away from adding new school buildings over the next five years as part of a capital plan aimed at “protecting the investment” in its existing 108 education facilities.
In June, the School Board approved a $2.1 billion budget for the 2023-2024 school year, with $612 million targeted for capital projects. Typically, the capital fund goes towards major construction projects — including the cost to build new schools.
In the upcoming year, though, Fulton Schools Chief Operations Officer Noel Maloof said the district is headed away from adding schools due to declining enrollment across the county. Instead, the capital plan focuses on renovations, replacements and “behind-the-scenes” construction.
-- DELANEY TARR School districts tell federal judge hitches slow campus construction projects-- Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: July 12, 2023 [ abstract] Leaders in the Pulaski County Special and Jacksonville/North Pulaski school districts sent notice to a federal judge that there are hitches in their effort to complete campus construction projects.
The Pulaski County Special district told U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr., the anticipated $19 million cost of expanding Mills University Studies High School is now nearly double that. And there are other potentially complicating, costly factors, as well, that have put the district behind on its completion timeline.
In a similar report, the Jacksonville/North Pulaski district told Marshall -- who is the presiding judge in a four-decades-old school desegregation lawsuit -- that the state of Arkansas has failed to date to commit to an $8 million share needed for construction of a replacement Murrell Taylor Elementary.
The two school districts are the remaining defendants in what started as a 1982 school desegregation lawsuit brought by the Little Rock School District against state officials and neighboring school districts.
In May 2021, Marshall directed the Pulaski County Special district to propose to him a plan to "square up" construction inequities between the Mills campus, which is in a more heavily Black residential section of the district, and Robinson Middle School, which is in a more affluent, predominantly white residential area.
The two schools were built at the same time and opened to students in August 2019, at a time when the district was obligated in the federal desegregation lawsuit to equalize the condition of its school buildings. Marshall said at the time that both schools were excellent facilities but if Mills was an A school, then Robinson was an A++.
-- Cynthia Howell CLE homeowners raise concerns about new school construction, Cudell Park impact-- News5 Cleveland Ohio: July 11, 2023 [ abstract]
CLEVELAND — Some Cleveland homeowners shared their last-minute concerns about the construction of a new Marion C. Seltzer school building on a significant portion of green space at Cudell Park and Recreation Center.
The planning and meetings on the project to replace the school building have been ongoing for several years, but some homeowners living across the street from the school, like Marlene Medley and Jamie Brazier, told News 5 they only learned about the project a few months ago.
“I was actually never notified until somebody in the neighborhood mentioned to me that the school was going to be torn down. This happened probably two months ago," Medley said. “In the City of Cleveland, if you go east, west, north or south of here, you will not see another park, I think this space is very, very important.”
Brazier showed News 5 a copy of the will submitted by prominent Cleveland Architect Frank Cudell, giving the park property to the City of Cleveland upon his death in 1916. Brazier read from a section of the will she believes instructs the city to keep the property as a park indefinitely.
-- Joe Pagonakis 107 Solar Panels Stolen, Air Conditioners Wrecked: Dept. of Education Calls for Public Assistance in Response to Recent -- The Virgin Islands Consortium U.S. Virgin Islands: July 09, 2023 [ abstract] V.I. Dept. of Education Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington on Saturday made a public appeal for support following a recent spree of theft and vandalism impacting the department's ongoing projects. The criminal acts, described as "senseless, brazen, and unfortunate," have significantly disrupted preparations for the 2023-2024 school year, the commissioner said.
Over the past few days, Education officials have reported multiple incidents, which included destruction of air conditioning units stored in the department's procurement warehouse on St. Thomas for their copper coil cores. Meanwhile, at the Charlotte Amalie High School demolition site, also on St. Thomas, windows and other construction equipment meant for the site have gone missing.
"These thefts and acts of vandalism are not merely destructive, they strike at the heart of our efforts to equip schools with the resources they need to prepare for the upcoming school year," said Wells-Hedrington.
-- Ernice Gilbert Over 90 Vermont school districts hit Monsanto with a lawsuit over toxic contamination of education buildings-- Fortune Vermont: July 06, 2023 [ abstract] Dozens of Vermont school districts have sued chemical giant Monsanto over toxic contamination in educational buildings from now-banned industrial chemicals known as PCBs.
Last year, Vermont became the first state in the country to require older schools to test their indoor air for polychlorinated biphenyls, which were used in building materials and electrical equipment before 1980.
More than 90 school districts filed the complaint on Friday in federal court. They’re seeking to recover costs and damages because, under Vermont’s law, schools with high-enough contamination levels must reduce exposure. Removing the PCBs will be expensive, and certain districts may have to demolish buildings and replace them with new ones — which in total could cost them “hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars,” the lawsuit says.
The PCBs are present in the school buildings from caulking and glazing compounds, sealants, adhesives, and other construction materials.
Monsanto said the case has no merit and that “third party companies, not Monsanto” produced the PCB-laden materials likely used at the schools.
“Monsanto never manufactured, used or disposed of PCBs in Vermont and has not manufactured these products for more than 45 years,” the company said in a statement late Monday. Monsanto is now owned by Bayer, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology company.
-- LISA RATHKE AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Gov. Green enacts laws aimed at enhancing education-- Maui Now Hawaii: July 05, 2023 [ abstract] Gov. Green signed four bills at the ceremony, adding to seven education bills detailed below.
“We need 1,200 teachers to fill our annual teacher shortage,” Gov. Green said. “construction of teacher housing is seen as a key step in the future of education of Hawaiʻi’s keiki. Affordable housing will aid in recruitment and retention of teachers, and that will help to address the shortage. SB941 (Act 172) authorizes the School Facilities Authority to partner with public and private agencies to develop housing on- or off-campus for teachers, other educators and staff, and to develop classrooms.”
HB960 (Act 175) places prekindergarten facilities within the authority of the DOE School Facilities Authority and transfers $200 million in general funds to the School Facilities Special fund for FY 2023-24. The funds will expand access to Pre-K to eligible children.
HB503 (Act 174) acknowledges the importance of computer science in an increasingly technology-driven world, by requiring the Board of Education to determine whether making computer science a graduation requirement would be in the best interests of public school students and the public; and if so, to work with the Department of Education to analyze a timeline and process for making computer science a graduation requirement by no later than the 2030-2031 school year.
SB1344 (Act 173) amends to ‘school health assistants,’ the former term ‘school health aides,’ to better reflect changes to the job title. The new law allows administration of medication to public school students by school health assistants, with the approval of a health care professional within the Department of Education, Department of Health, or a health care service pursuant to a written agreement with the Department of Education.
-- Staff Writer Repair begins in 8 war-affected schools in Ukraine with EU funding-- Yahoo! Life International: July 05, 2023 [ abstract] The first construction work on schools damaged during the war started in Ukraine. The schools are being rebuilt within the framework of the project, financed by the EU and fulfilled by the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
Source: European Pravda, referring to official pages of the institutions
Details: The first stage of the project will focus on eight educational facilities in Kyiv, Chernihiv and Kharkiv oblasts, where nearly 20,000 schoolchildren are studying. Among them is Lyceum No. 4 in the settlement of Lozova in Kharkiv Oblast.
These schools have been damaged only slightly and do not need capital refurbishment; broken doors and windows, as well as damaged equipment, need to be replaced. Basements that will serve as bomb shelters will also undergo repairs.
It is planned to complete the repairs by the beginning of the new school year.
After these educational facilities, 28 more schools will undergo more capital refurbishment, including repairing damaged walls and ceilings, heating systems, and improving shelters in basements.
-- Ukrainska Pravda Duck Valley Indian Reservation to receive $64 million for new school construction-- KUNR Public Radio Nevada: June 26, 2023 [ abstract] After more than five decades, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation will be getting a new school.
On Tuesday, June 13, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed a bill that makes an appropriation of $64.5 million to the Elko County School District to replace the Owyhee Combined School.
In a ceremonial signing in Carson City, Lombardo spoke of the significance of the funding for members of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation.
“This opened the eyes to the rest of the government that the people in Owyhee, even though you may have never heard of the city, or the town or the tribe, they’re as important as everybody else,” Lombardo said.
Owyhee Combined School is located near the Nevada-Idaho border and serves around 300 students.
The decades-old building has deteriorated due to a lack of attention from the school district and its remote location. A boiler room, proximity to State Route 225 and bats living on the roof are all issues that school officials said are dangerous for students.
Tribal Chairman Brian Mason was fundamental in advocating for the legislation.
“With so many things challenging them on the reservation, everything is stacked against them, this is going to help. They'll have a reason to get up and go to school and succeed. Because it’ll be an adequate school and will have adequate teachers. It's just a big win,” Mason said.
-- Maria Palma Fayette School District Moves Forward with $244 Million Investment in School Infrastructure-- The Lexington Times Kentucky: June 26, 2023 [ abstract] LEXINGTON, KY — At a pivotal school board meeting on Monday, FCPS School Board members reached a consensus regarding the implementation of a crucial phase in their District Facility Plan. A $244 million investment in education was discussed, with particular attention given to the construction of a new building for Henry Clay High School, a facility for the Rise STEM Academy for Girls, and an elementary school in the Masterson Station area, the Herald-Leader’s Valarie Honeycutt Spears reports.
The proposal was showcased as a historic step towards enhancing the educational opportunities for students and families within the district. Board member Tyler Murphy shared the news through a Facebook post, lauding the community’s dedication to investing in public schools.
“During tonight’s Board meeting, the board discussed the latest proposals for proceeding with school projects listed in the District Facility Plan — presenting the board with a phased construction and renovation timeline,” Murphy posted. “This proposal represents a key phase in our ongoing and historic work to expand opportunities and access for our students and our families, made possible by a community committed to meaningful investments in our public schools.”
This decision comes in light of the pressing need to address the deteriorating conditions at Henry Clay High School, which has been beleaguered with environmental complaints. The school, which shifted to its present Fontaine Road facility in 1970, has not undergone significant renovation since 2006. Reports of vermin, including a snake and mouse falling from the ceilings, have raised safety concerns among parents and students. Documents revealed that the school was also plagued with additional infestation issues involving ants, flying birds, and a raccoon.
-- Staff Writer With state funding approved, Holyoke is set to build a new middle school-- WAMC Massachusetts: June 26, 2023 [ abstract] After years of controversy in Holyoke, Massachusetts, construction of a new middle school is expected to start later this year.
The recent decision by the Massachusetts School Building Authority to reimburse Holyoke for over half the estimated $85.5 million price tag to build a new middle school means the final steps can now be taken locally to bring the project to reality.
“This means that it is time for Holyoke,” said Mayor Joshua Garcia, who thanked the directors of the authority and said the city’s financial team and the City Council worked together to agree on a plan for paying for the city’s share of the project.
“It’s been a long time coming. I want to say ten years or so that this community has been trying to understand the best path forward to meet the needs of our middle school-aged population,” he said.
In 2019, the city’s voters rejected a property tax increase to pay to build two new middle schools. Officials then began pursuing alternatives and settled on a plan for a single new school building.
The city will not have to go back to the voters because its $40 million share of the project can be covered through long-term borrowing, said City Treasurer Rory Casey.
-- Paul Tuthill $80 million approved for Little Rock school projects-- Northwest Arkansas Arkansas: June 25, 2023 [ abstract] LITTLE ROCK -- The Little Rock School Board on Thursday approved the expenditure of more than $80 million in construction costs, including $60 million for the construction of a three-story science building and a two-story field house at Central High.
The board approved a guaranteed maximum price of $60,627,694 for the additions on the south side of the historic campus, plus $10.96 million for the full renovation of Rockefeller Early Childhood Center and $10.5 million to do early site work for the building of a new west Little Rock high school on Ranch Boulevard adjacent to Pinnacle View Middle School.
The construction plans and costs were presented at a meeting in which the capital city's nine-member school board also:
Approved a $6.4 million expenditure for an online tutoring program in reading for some 2,500 elementary school pupils
Supported proposals to contract with Imagine Learning of Scottsdale, Ariz., to provide instruction for a virtual academy for sixth-through-12th graders
Voted to contract with the Power School Group of Folsom, Calif., to develop three to four interim tests to track student achievement through the school year
Authorized the sale of the now vacant David O. Dodd Elementary to what is expected to be the operator of an open-enrollment charter school
Wesley Walls, principal with the Polk Stanley Wilcox architecture firm, which has designed the Central additions, told the board that the significance of Central's history and its architecture "is not lost on us."
-- Cynthia Howell State shouldn't make districts fight for construction dollars-- Wyoming Tribune Eagle Wyoming: June 24, 2023 [ abstract] One of the first lessons we’re taught in school is that there are more important things in life than money. However, that lesson doesn’t seem to apply when it comes to, well, schools.
Arp Elementary School was designated for demolition by LCSD1. Among the many reasons for this decision were age (the school was built in 1961), overcrowding (the school is currently at 165% capacity, nearly double what it is meant to hold) and condition (reports of backed-up sewers, rodent infestations, and lessons being performed in hallways and converted janitor closets). At a May 1 meeting of the Laramie County School District 1 Board of Trustees, the district determined that demolition was the appropriate option. But to move forward, they need approval from the Wyoming School Facilities Commission. Which is where things hit a snag.
The commission voted June 8 to take no action on the request for demolition, citing, “the District has not held a public hearing, as required by statute, and the Department lacks sufficient information to determine whether the demolition of Arp Elementary is in the best financial interests of the state or otherwise in the public interest.”
-- Staff Writer Three schools in Dare County selected to receive 20-kilowatt rooftop solar array-- The Coastland Times North Carolina: June 24, 2023 [ abstract] Dare County Schools has announced that three schools in the district will receive NC GreenPower’s grant award for the Solar+ Schools program. Cape Hatteras Secondary School, First Flight Elementary School and Manteo Middle School will receive a solar educational package that includes a 20-kilowatt (kW) solar array, STEM curricula, teacher training and more. New for 2023, the program awardees will receive a grant to pay for all of the project’s construction costs, expected to be approximately $55,000-$75,000. The included weather station and data monitoring will incorporate live information from the array into classrooms. Teachers will be able to compare different weather scenarios and involve students in reading and interpreting the energy data.
-- Staff Writer Funding the 500: The unknown price tag of repairing Pa.’s deteriorating school facilities-- Pennsylvania Capital-State Pennsylvania: June 20, 2023 [ abstract] Crumbling wheelchair ramps. Closets converted into classrooms. Make-shift room dividers.
Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court President Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer’s February ruling declaring the state’s education funding system unconstitutional painted a vivid picture — in words and photographs — of the challenges facing educators as they toil in a historically underfunded system.
Across its sprawling 786-pages, the Cohn Jubelirer ruling devoted nearly 10 pages to the condition of school facilities throughout the state. She also noted testimony from the plaintiffs in the case, who described leaking roofs, a lack of heating and air conditioning, and the need for mold and asbestos abatement.
“One teacher testified that “in [her] first grade classroom[,] you could see the sky. There was a hole in the ceiling . . . that you could literally look up and see the sky.”
Now policymakers have been tasked with literally filling that hole.
“It is not enough that the facilities in which students learn are ‘generally safe’ as Legislative Respondents contend,” Cohn Jubelirer wrote in her ruling, concluding that school facilities need to be “safe and adequate.”
As state officials and lawmakers begin the herculean task of fixing the funding system for the commonwealth’s public schools, tackling how best to fund badly needed school facility maintenance, repair, and construction projects will be a major focus.
-- Cassie Miller Colorado's education board approves $180 million in construction projects | CLASS NOTES-- The Denver Gazette Colorado: June 19, 2023 [ abstract] The Colorado Board of Education approved $180 million in grants across the state from a prioritized list of 17 Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) school construction projects.
Board members approved the grants during their monthly meeting last week.
Lawmakers enacted the “Building Excellent Schools Today Act” or “BEST” in 2008 to address the limited capacity many Colorado schools have to replace aging facilities.
Since 2008, BEST has contributed more than $3.5 billion in grants — which are designed to improve health, safety, security and technology in Colorado’s public schools.
More than half of the grants will be funded, in part, by the Colorado State Land Board, marijuana excise tax, the Colorado Lottery and earned interest. Projects include roof replacements, fire alarms and security upgrades as well as other major renovations.
-- Nicole C. Brambila Board of Ed Approves Groundbreaking Energy Pl-- Jersey City Times New Jersey: June 16, 2023 [ abstract] Big changes are coming to energy consumption at Jersey City schools. Last night, the Board of Education approved an Energy Savings Improvement Plan, or “ESIP,” that is expected to be the largest such project in New Jersey history.
The ESIP, as presented to the Board at Monday’s caucus, is widespread and designed to increase student productivity in the classroom and save money in the budget for re-allocation. Priorities in the ESIP include new HVAC equipment for eight schools, boiler replacements, roof restorations for 21 schools, and district-wide interior and exterior LED lighting. There will also be a new unified energy management system across the district and increased use of renewable solar energy.
In addition to energy conservation measures, there are also educational programs provided, such as working with the district to incorporate lessons about energy conservation across grade levels. There will also be a program specifically tailored to increasing the number of women in STEM/STEAM, engineering, and construction industries.
-- Ryan Kilkenny Three Dare County Schools to receive solar panels through N.C. GreenPower’s Solar+ Schools grant-- Island Free Press North Carolina: June 16, 2023 [ abstract] Dare County Schools is pleased to announce that three schools in the district will receive NC GreenPower’s grant award for the Solar+ Schools program.
Cape Hatteras Secondary School, First Flight Elementary, and Manteo Middle School will receive a solar educational package that includes a 20-kilowatt (kW) solar array, STEM curricula, teacher training and more.
New for 2023, the program awardees will receive a grant to pay for all of the project’s construction costs, expected to be approximately $55,000-$75,000.
The included weather station and data monitoring will incorporate live information from the array into classrooms. Teachers will be able to compare different weather scenarios and involve students in reading and interpreting the energy data.
We are very excited to be able to install larger systems for the first time and save schools even more on their energy bills. Removing the fundraising burden and simplifying the application process has been well received by our applicants and enabled additional schools to consider installing solar,” said Vicky McCann, vice president of NC GreenPower. “We are proud to continue educating younger generations about solar energy. By the end of next year, we will have reached more than 62,000 students across North Carolina.”
-- WOBX Staff Newark Schools Mull $2.5B For Repairs. Should City Taxpayers Shoulder Cost?-- Tap Into Newark New Jersey: June 14, 2023 [ abstract] Questions are mounting after the price tag to fix Newark public schools more than doubled in the past five months from $1 billion to $2.5 billion, a mushrooming bill that the city’s Superintendent says city residents will have to pay.
But elected officials and experts say the Superintendent shouldn’t be looking to city residents at all.
The Newark public schools should “go after” the New Jersey Department of Education and the School Development Authority “instead of shifting the burden to local taxpayers and we will support them if they do so,” said Education Law Center senior attorney Theresa Luhm. “This situation speaks to the urgent need for the legislature to put additional money into the school construction program in this year’s budget.
The School Development Authority “fell woefully short on what was anticipated and no real explanation was given to voters across the state,” said Mayor Ras Baraka when asked about the superintendent’s plans. “The SDA owes us more schools.”
-- Matt Kadosh Rep. Schweyer and House Democrats call for more school construction dollars in state budget-- Lehigh Valley News Pennsylvania: June 14, 2023 [ abstract] HARRISBURG, Pa. - When school started at Francis Raub Middle School last August, Peggy Repasch complained the lack of air conditioning in the building put her daughter Zoey’s health at risk.
Raub was built in 1923 and doesn’t have central air or heat.
Zoey has cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that can cause thick, sticky mucus in the airways and also cause those afflicted to sweat high amounts of salt out of their bodies, prompting dehydration.
House Democrats and education advocates call for more school construction funding from the state
They are proposing $350 million dollars for facilities
Some Allentown School District buildings date back about 100 years
“The heat takes a lot out of you,” Repasch said. “How are these children learning in this heat?”
House Democrats and education advocates say those kinds of conditions need to be addressed across the state immediately.
-- Sarah Mueller $80M in state grants to accelerate school construction projects in Baltimore County-- WBAL11 Maryland: June 13, 2023 [ abstract]
TOWSON, Md. —
Additional state grants will provide $80 million in support for major ongoing school construction projects, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski announced on Tuesday.
Baltimore County was awarded $80 million in one-time grant funds for school construction projects selected by the county.
Olszewski's office identified how the money will be divvied up as follows:
$26 million toward a new Lansdowne High School
$20 million toward a like-new Towson High School
$15 million toward a new Deer Park Elementary School
$10 million toward a new Scott's Branch Elementary School
$8 million toward a new addition at Dundalk High School
$1 million toward a new addition at new Pine Grove Middle School
-- Greg Ng SBA hands out $16 million for 13 school construction projects-- MetroNews West Virginia: June 12, 2023 [ abstract] CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state School Building Authority handed out two rounds of funding totaling close to $16 million during a Monday meeting in Charleston.
The SBA annually selects projects for funding submitted by multi-county technical education centers and projects under the agency’s Major Improvement Project (MIP) category.
“We awarded seven different counties with the projects they had (MIP) and we awarded six of the multi-county statewide grants,” SBA Executive Director Andy Neptune told MetroNews following Monday’s meeting.
MIP funding is going to projects in Wayne, Barbour, Monroe, Hardy, Calhoun, Tucker and Mason counties for approximately $5.8 million.
“These involve things like classroom additions, roof replacements, safety upgrades, exterior doors, safe school entries, things like that,” Neptune said.
There were requests from 15 counties for MIP funding. Projects in Cabell, Webster, Monongalia, Pocahontas, Mingo, Randolph, Summers and Lewis counties will have to look elsewhere for funding.
-- Jeff Jenkins Madison To Save $6 Million On Massive School Construction Project-- Patch Connecticut: June 09, 2023 [ abstract] MADISON, CT – Town of Madison is to receive increased state reimbursement for the new school construction, saving taxpayers about $6 million.
Madison Public Schools and the Town of Madison released a joint statement saying the state reimbursement rate for construction costs related to the new elementary school building project has increased substantially.
“Madison Public Schools is incredibly grateful for the support of John-Michael Parker and Christine Cohen on our efforts to achieve a higher reimbursement rate,” Dr. Craig Cooke said, superintendent of schools. “Our staff worked hard in partnership with Colliers International on this proposal to save taxpayers of Madison significant money.”
-- Saul Flores ‘This is crazy’: Analysis finds billions in schools construction money unspent-- Hawaii News Now Hawaii: June 03, 2023 [ abstract] HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - More than $2 billion in school construction is going unspent, Hawaii News Now has learned, and nearly half of that money is set to lapse next year.
“That to me is something that to me is totally unacceptable. We know we can do better and accepting mediocrity is to me something like accepting an F,” said Republican state Rep. Gene Ward.
The money is for hundreds of DOE projects that the state Legislature appropriated for school construction.
“This is crazy when we have a massive repair and maintenance backlog ... I mean, there’s there’s just no imaginable excuse for this,” said Colin Moore, a University of Hawaii political science professor.
“I’m sure that many other departments across the state would be very happy to take some of this money off the DOE’s hands.”
-- Rick Daysog LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL SEEING PROGRESS ON $80M RENOVATIONS-- Arkansas Money & Politics Arkansas: June 02, 2023 [ abstract] A few years ago, voters in Little Rock came to the agreement that renovations were needed in schools across the district, particularly at Little Rock Central High School, a national historic landmark in the capital city. The measure passed at the polls with over 75 percent of voters in support of the measure.
The $300 million allocated in construction funds would be used to update school buildings and build new ones.
Little Rock School Board member Jeff Wood said at the time that part of those renovations would impact Little Rock Central High School, with the removal of portable buildings and the revitalization of athletic facilities at Little Rock’s flagship school. And if you’ve driven past Little Rock Central High School lately, you know that these improvements are already coming to life.
“A decent chunk of that $300 million — $80 million — has been allocated for Central High School. The baseball field has been removed and allocated for student parking, and the biggest renovation will be to buildings allocated for the STEM program,” said Muskie Harris, a member of the Little Rock Central High School’s Tiger Foundation. The Tiger Foundation is a team of volunteers with close ties with the school who help navigate financial assistance to support the school’s extracurricular activities.
-- Katie Zakrzewski Wyoming school facility commission may update assessment process-- County17 Wyoming: June 02, 2023 [ abstract]
GILLETTE, Wyo. — Wyoming’s School Facilities Commission will vote at its June 7 and 8 meeting in Buffalo on emergency rules to adopt changes to the state’s School Facility Condition Assessment process.
The meeting will take place at Johnson County School District #1, located at 601 W. Lott in Buffalo.
Legislators established the commission in 2002 to ensure adequate, equitable primary and secondary school facilities in Wyoming. The governor appoints commissioners, while legislators approve them.
In the 2022 Budget Session, Wyoming legislators decided to appropriate $4 million for the new School Facility Condition Assessment, according to the meeting packet. During this year’s legislative session, lawmakers eliminated the consolidated remediation schedule, which goes into effect in July. They changed state laws around charter schools that require the department to determine whether school districts have sufficient space for such a school. These changes require rules updates.
The School Facilities Division of the State construction Department recommends the state’s School
Facilities Commission complete the following, the meeting packet said:
Adopt the Emergency Rules draft the Department has presented to the School Facilities
Commission and request the Governor not sign them into effect until on or after July 1,
2023, when the statutory changes take effect with regards to the consolidated remediation
schedule;
-- MARY STROKA Appomattox County Public Schools receives $4.5 million grant for school construction-- WSET.com Virginia: May 26, 2023 [ abstract] APPOMATTOX COUNTY, Va. (WSET) — The Virginia Board of Education has granted Appomattox County Public Schools (ACPS) a School construction Assistance Grant worth $4.5 million.
This grant, awarded on May 11, comes as part of the statewide initiative to support school construction projects, with Appomattox being one of the 45 recipients. The Virginia Public School construction grants are the outcome of the School construction Assistance Program, established by Governor Glenn Youngkin during the 2022 Special Session I General Assembly, which provides a total of $450 million in state funds for fiscal year 2023. These funds aim to facilitate competitive grants for new school construction, additions, and major building renovations.
Annette Bennett, the Division Superintendent, expressed her enthusiasm regarding ACPS's successful application for the grant, which was submitted in March 2023 to aid the renovation of Appomattox County High School.
-- Ezra Hercyk Surplus provides unprecedented opportunity to build needed schools-- The Nevada Independent Nevada: May 26, 2023 [ abstract] This legislative session brings hope for improved education funding in our state. Gov. Joe Lombardo’s proposed budget calls for an increase of $2 billion dollars in state appropriations for K-12 education over the biennium, and legislators are considering this critical proposal now. Nevada’s Economic Forum recently provided increased projection of $250 million in state coffers as well. However, even in this remarkable economic landscape, many school districts will continue to face longstanding and enormous challenges in meeting the needs of their students.
For the White Pine County School District, the persistent challenge is seen in our ability to construct new facilities. New construction may seem to be a vanity project to some or secondary to providing quality education to others, but neither is the case for our district. Though we have worked for years to address this, many of our facilities lack the essential characteristics necessary to serve our students and their families, retain qualified instructional staff and provide the safety and accommodation that any family would expect to have for their children.
Because we are a rural district, many readers may not know about the conditions our students and staff face throughout the school year, especially for two of our schools: David E. Norman Elementary School and White Pine Middle School. Both of these schools are housed in charming buildings that are full of state and local history. They are also, to put it simply, inadequate and concerning.
-- Terri Borghoff, Adam Young, Paul Johnson Schools are at 'a crisis point.' Can NJ weed tax, federal money save Paterson students?-- NorthJersey.com New Jersey: May 23, 2023 [ abstract] Children learn in temporary trailers because schools are short on classroom space. Teachers say they suffer stronger asthma symptoms when inside their school buildings. Waste water drips down into a teacher’s closet through a black-stained ceiling. Children hold performances, eat their lunch and take gym class in the same room — a space ill-suited for any of those roles.
Those are just a few of the myriad problems that plague Paterson students and teachers in a district where 17 active school buildings are more than a century old, and more than 1,700 students lack adequate classroom space.
In the final segment of its three-part series “Crumbling Schools, Struggling Students,” NorthJersey.com today focuses on the potential solutions that educators and experts have suggested across the country to tackle the staggering costs to renovate old school buildings and construct new ones, particularly in underserved, overburdened urban districts that lack the property tax base to pay for such projects on their own.
-- Ashley Balcerzak Lawmakers seek more funds for school building-- Newbury Port News Massachusetts: May 22, 2023 [ abstract]
BOSTON — State lawmakers are pushing for more funding and changes in policy to help local governments afford the rising cost of building new schools and renovating existing buildings.
A nearly $56 billion budget expected to be taken up by the Senate next week includes hundreds of millions in new funding to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which reimburses cities and towns for a portion of the costs for new construction and school building renovation.
But lawmakers say more money is needed as persistent inflation continues to push up construction costs and eat away at existing state and local funding for the projects.
State Sen. Barry Finegold, D-Andover, has filed several amendments to the budget related to school construction, including a request for an additional $100 million dollars for the building authority. He said there are a number of schools in his district in “desperate” need of renovation, but the problem is statewide.
“The cost of these projects is going through the roof,” he said. “We need to do everything we can to help schools with these high costs.”
Finegold said the authority recently increased the reimbursement rate to a maximum of $390 per square foot, but the average cost of construction has risen to about $600 per foot.
“So in theory, if a community is getting a 60 percent reimbursement rate from the state, it’s really actually about 20 percent less than that,” he said. “These buildings are very expensive, and the added costs are falling on these communities.”
To be sure, the Senate budget calls for increase the annual cap on grants awarded by the building authority by $400 million, raising the total cap to $1.2 billion.
-- Christian Wade $269 Million School Construction Tab, Delayed Reimbursement Leave Stamford in a Lasting Bind-- CTExaminer Connecticut: May 19, 2023 [ abstract] The path is set for covering the cost of fixing Stamford school buildings, and taxpayers should prepare to dig ever deeper into their pockets for the next several years.
During that time, taxpayers should not expect major improvements to parks or other non-school city property.
That was the message that came with the final vote of the budget season, when members of the Board of Representatives Wednesday night approved a Board of Finance recommendation to increase taxes enough to raise $15 million for a school construction fund.
Last year both boards approved a tax increase that raised $20 million, creating the original contribution to the fund.
Taxpayers can expect the same next year, Board of Finance Chair Richard Freedman said during a special Board of Representatives meeting to vote on the higher tax rate.
An analysis by the state Office of School construction found that if the city bonds $35 million for school projects for each of the next few years, “we will need a minimum of $15 million a year” in cash, Freedman told representatives.
Beyond raising taxes to fund the school construction reserve, taxpayers will have to cover the cost of a significant increase in the amount of money the city borrows by issuing bonds.
In each of the last two fiscal years the city bonded $40 million, Freedman said, but in 2023-24 the amount will be $70 million, which comes with interest payments of several million dollars a year.
The borrowed $70 million will be split evenly between city and school projects, Freedman said.
“The city has its own significant capital needs – repave streets and sidewalks; the parks need a lot of work, city buildings need work. There are a lot of demands,” Freedman said. “We didn’t want to cut that, but we knew we had to fund the (schools) plan, so we had to go up to bonding $70 million, and we will for the coming years.”
-- Angela Carella Virginia Board of Education awards $365 million for school construction-- WDBJ7 Virginia: May 11, 2023 [ abstract]
RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ) - The Virginia Board of Education has awarded $365 million for school construction across the state.
28 school divisions will receive funding for 40 projects, and many of them are located in central, southside and western Virginia.
Kathleen Jackson is the Chief Financial Officer of Roanoke City Public Schools.
“We’re super excited to hear that we were included in the list of awarded projects,” Jackson said in an interview Thursday afternoon.
At a time when construction costs are rising, she said it was a relief to learn that three of the five projects Roanoke City Public Schools applied for were successful.
“Just to give you an example, one of the projects we did receive funding for is the replacement school, a new building, for Preston Park Elementary School,” she said. “We were looking at, potentially we would have to pause that project, because we wouldn’t yet have the money available to complete the next phases. We don’t have that issue any more, thanks to that grant.”
The General Assembly established the criteria, and the Department of Education ranked school divisions on their poor building conditions, commitment and need.
A community’s ability to pay and fiscal stress determined whether the award funded 10, 20 or 30% of a project’s cost.
-- Joe Dashiell Troy BOE discusses state funding for new buildings-- Miami Valley Today Ohio: May 10, 2023 [ abstract] TROY- The Troy City Schools Board of Education has received word the district is being offered state funding towards the potential construction of multiple new buildings.
“It is exciting news,” District Superintendent Chris Piper said. “We are being offered funding by the Ohio Facilities construction Commission (OFCC).”
The OFCC funding would cover approximately 42% of the state-recommended cost for mulitple buildings. Additional funding could also be raised through passage of a levy.
“The state will support 42% of what they recommend,” Troy City Schools Board of Education President Sue Borchers said. “Once we get formal word that we are getting the funding, we have 13 months to pass a levy, which is a very short time.”
“That means we have to get on the November ballot and/or the March Ballot,” she said, “so our window is as tiny as it can get.”
-- Matt Clevenger 3 Arkansas school districts to receive $17M for building costs-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: May 09, 2023 [ abstract] Three Arkansas school districts in which voters recently passed property tax increases for campus building projects -- only to see construction costs soar -- are getting some extra help from the state.
The state Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation Commission on Monday agreed to distribute to the Southside School District in Independence County, the Watson Chapel School District in Jefferson County and White County Central School District about $17 million to aid the districts in their construction of a new school and various school additions.
The vote of the three-member commission comes after Arkansas lawmakers earlier this year authorized the transfer of as much as $24 million from the state's Academic Facilities Partnership program to its Academic Facilities Extraordinary Circumstances account to supplement the funding for seven projects in the three districts that had seen property tax increases.
-- Cynthia Howell Fort Bend voters pass $1.26 billion bond to go toward construction, technology improvements-- Houston Public Media Texas: May 08, 2023 [ abstract] On May 6, Ford Bend County voters passed a $1.26 billion bond proposed by Fort Bend ISD. It is the largest bond ever passed by the district, which has grown to be the 6th largest school district in the state of Texas, with more than 80,000 students.
Each of the bond's three propositions passed. The first two, which provided for campus construction projects like the rebuilding of three schools as well as technology improvements across the district, passed by nearly 66%.
The district will also construct a new natatorium.
“It says to us that our community does support our schools, and that’s really important right now. I think our teachers needed to feel that," said Christie Whitbeck, superintendent of Fort Bend Independent School District. "All the things we do in the interior that are really for the kids are also about our staff.”
-- REBECCA NOEL Rural California schools, hit hard by flood damage, dread what snowmelt could bring-- Los Angeles Times California: May 05, 2023 [ abstract]
In early April, students in Planada, Calif., finally returned to their classrooms.
It had been three months since the early January flood that sent putrid brown water — filled with floating rodents and sewage — crashing into Planada Elementary School, destroying 27 classrooms, ruining thousands of books, and causing more than $12 million in damage.
Hundreds of elementary school students and staff — many displaced after losing their homes in the deluge — crammed onto the middle school campus across town.
Classrooms were shared. Space was cramped.
Families craved normalcy in the impoverished Merced County farm town of 4,000, which was inundated after Miles Creek burst its bank and busted through levees.
construction crews worked at Planada Elementary seven days a week, sunup to sundown, said Supt. José González. And when youngsters returned to newly built classrooms last month, the town counted it as a win.
But even as they celebrated, they wondered: What if — when the state’s massive snowpack melts this summer — the school floods again?
“That’s the million-dollar question I can’t answer,” González said with a sigh.
“We’re putting together contingency plans,” he said. “I wish I had preventative plans. But I don’t.”
California’s epic winter — with dozens of atmospheric-river-fueled storms, record-breaking snow in the Sierra Nevada, and prolonged flooding in the Central Valley — has wreaked havoc on small rural schools.
-- HAILEY BRANSON-POTTS State releases $75M in funding for preschool construction; lawmakers question-- Hawaii News Now Hawaii: May 04, 2023 [ abstract]
After the state released $75 million to pay for the construction of new preschool classrooms last week, the Hawaii Department of Education compiled a list showing where the money would be spent.
But Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke — who is spearheading the state’s $200 million preschool expansion plan — said the list isn’t accurate.
“Oh, no. So that was a preliminary list,” Luke said.
The list included $20 million for the Kamaile Academy in Waianae to build 10 new classrooms and $6 million for Kapaa Elementary School on Kauai.
Sources said some of the schools were already expecting the money. Gov. Josh Green even sent out letters to state lawmakers informing them about preschool expansions in their districts.
In one letter to state Sen. Angus McKelvey of Maui, Green wrote that McKelvey’s district will see a total of $5 million in preschool construction at Kihei and Princess Nahienaena elementary schools.
“This investment in our keiki addresses barriers to child care so prevalent in our islands,” he wrote.
-- Staff Writer California Supreme Court dismantles no-bid school construction contracts-- Cal Matters California: May 03, 2023 [ abstract] Last week, the California Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in a very complex – but very important – case that had been percolating for more than a decade, dealing with how local school officials evade competitive bidding on construction projects.
The case began in 2010 when Fresno Unified School District persuaded its voters to approve a bond to build new schools and upgrade old ones. In 2011, the district sold more than $100 million in bonds from that issue and an earlier one, and in 2012 awarded a $36.7 million contract for a new middle school to Harris construction Co.
The contract with Harris, which had been a major contributor to the bond issue campaign, was structured as a “lease-leaseback” deal in which the district leased the school site to Harris for a nominal sum, Harris built the school and the district then leased the completed facility from Harris.
“Lease-leaseback” arrangements have been common for years, providing a way for school systems to build new facilities without borrowing money themselves. Typically the “leaseback” runs for several decades, after which the district becomes the owner.
-- Dan Walters - Commentary 18 years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans completes largest school rebuilding program in US history-- New Orleans City Business Louisiana: May 02, 2023 [ abstract] New Orleans public school officials announced the completion of the largest school rebuilding program in U.S history.
A total of 89 public school buildings in New Orleans have since come into usage after the implementation of the School Facilities Master Plan (SFMP). Adopted in November 2008, 110 of New Orleans’ 126 public schools were severely damaged or destroyed.
Under the master plan, 32 new schools were constructed, while 17 schools were renovated. Thirty-one schools were refurbished, and there was preservation of nine schools. Former Louisiana State Superintendent Paul Pastorek launched the massive school rebuilding effort.
-- Lance Traweek A sixth Philadelphia school has closed because of damaged asbestos-- The Philadelphia Inquirer Pennsylvania: April 28, 2023 [ abstract]
A sixth Philadelphia school has closed because of damaged asbestos.
Universal Vare, a charter school on South 24th Street in South Philadelphia, closed Friday after damaged asbestos was found in plaster above second-floor ceiling tiles during a routine inspection.
It’s unclear how widespread the problem is, or when the school might reopen.
“Given the scope of the work, the Universal Vare building will remain temporarily closed due to the confirmed asbestos fiber release episodes that were identified,” Universal CEO Penny Nixon said in an email to Vare families. “Portions of the building are still being assessed and the complete scope of asbestos abatement needs will be determined over the the next few days.
The school, a charter run by Universal Companies Inc., operates in a district building constructed in 1924.
Standardized testing complicates the closure; students are currently taking their Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) exams, and still must take science and math tests, Universal officials said.
Students will be bused to Universal Audenried High School on assigned test days to take their exams; classes will otherwise be virtual, Nixon said.
“We will provide an update early next week on the status of the Universal Vare building,” wrote Nixon. “We appreciate your cooperation, and we will continue to engage with you as information becomes available.”
-- Kristen A. Graham Finally! Construction of a new Buford Middle School is about to begin-- Charlottesville Tomorrow Virginia: April 28, 2023 [ abstract] It’s finally happening. After decades of discussion and planning, the city will begin rebuilding Buford Middle School in June. It’s now a more than $90 million project that will take about three years to complete.
Plans for the new middle school are fairly grand. When finished, all the buildings will be either new structures or entirely re-built. There will be high-tech classrooms, collaborative spaces, a spot for a garden and a new performing arts center.
To really understand the significance of this moment, we need to start from the very beginning.
Buford Middle School and Walker Upper Elementary School both opened in 1966 as two middle schools. During this period in Charlottesville’s history, the city was at the tail end of overt massive resistance to integration, and the city’s neighborhoods remained starkly segregated. As a result, Buford received more Black students and Walker Middle School more white. Buford also served areas of the city where people with lower incomes lived. So it wasn’t long before Buford was perceived as inferior to Walker — and it received less investment as a result.
-- JESSIE HIGGINS U.S. Senate passes Jana Elementary legislation requiring cleanup and federal review of testing-- STLPR National: April 26, 2023 [ abstract] The U.S. Senate passed legislation Wednesday to require the cleanup of Jana Elementary School, a measure introduced by U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.
If it becomes law, the bill also would mandate further testing for radioactive contamination throughout the Hazelwood School District.
Hawley said this cleanup process should have happened decades ago.
“This community in St. Louis has been asked to live with the fallout of the federal government's actions for decades,” Hawley said. “This is just the latest instance.”
In the U.S. House on Tuesday, Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis County, introduced companion legislation.
“No one should have to live with hazardous radiation in our community, let alone elementary school children. Parents and community members deserve to know that our children’s learning environment is safe,” Bush said in a statement. “Our government created this waste to construct the most deadly nuclear weapon in history. They have a responsibility to clean it up and ensure that the safety and well-being of our community is a top priority.”
The bill goes beyond St. Louis, establishing a fund for any school that has been financially affected by radioactive contamination related to U.S. government atomic projects.
-- Kate Grumke Vermont needs millions of dollars worth of school upgrades. Will the state help pay for them?-- VTDigger Vermont: April 26, 2023 [ abstract] For years, Bellows Free Academy Fairfax has needed renovations.
The sprawling pre-K-12 school was constructed piecemeal over the better part of a century. The oldest section is roughly 80 years old. The newest dates back to the turn of the millennium.
As such — and as the district’s population grows — the school needs upgrades. A dearth of space has forced administrators to pack pre-K students into one classroom and teach elementary school classes in the high school section. Many rooms are cramped and lack proper infrastructure.
The whole building needs to be outfitted with a sprinkler system in case of a fire. (The original BFA Fairfax was destroyed in a 1941 inferno.)
“We do regular upgrades on things,” said John Tague, the superintendent of Franklin West Supervisory Union and former principal of BFA Fairfax. “But, you know, to be able to really do a major project (that) requires any kind of expansion is going to require more money than we can set aside in a single year's budget.”
For Fairfax, however, passing a bond to finance such an expansion has not been easy.
In 2017, voters rejected a $16 million bond for expansion and upgrades. Two years later, voters turned down a second, roughly $26 million bond.
Last October, the district finally succeeded in getting voters to approve a $36.4 million bond — a sum more than twice the original amount, due to the rising costs of labor and materials.
Even that vote, however, did not end the school’s saga.
-- Peter D'Auria City Council wants an independent authority to take over Philly school facilities management ASAP-- The Philadelphia Inquirer Pennsylvania: April 25, 2023 [ abstract] Philadelphia’s school system cannot manage the massive scale of its facilities needs, so an independent authority should bond and manage building repairs and new construction projects, City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas said Tuesday.
Thomas will call for hearings on the subject in a Council resolution to be introduced Thursday, and wants to fast-track the process to take advantage of a historic budget surplus in Harrisburg, the education committee chairman said. Thomas and others want the state to give $5 billion over five years for improvements to school buildings across Pennsylvania, with a significant chunk dedicated to Philadelphia.
“This issue is an emergency,” said Thomas.
The move reflects both the scope of environmental and other facilities issues in a district now beset by an asbestos crisis and the district’s capacity to address the problems, Thomas said. It also attempts to diminish the historic distrust many state-level politicians have for Philadelphia’s school system.
-- Kristen A. Graham State provides $27.5M for Oak Harbor schools-- South Whidbey Record Washington: April 25, 2023 [ abstract] State Sen. Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, secured $27.5 million in state funds to rebuild two schools in the Oak Harbor School District.
The earmark made it through both chambers in Olympia and will be used as matching funds to secure an additional $106 million from the federal government to construct two new school buildings. The Department of Defense promised to pay 80% of the cost for the two projects if Oak Harbor Public Schools came up with the additional 20%.
The federal funds seemed out of reach after a $121 million school bond measure failed to receive a supermajority in February, but the district will now be able to rebuild two of the three schools that were on the ballot.
The state’s capital construction budget will provide $13.9 million to construct a new building that houses both Hand-in-Hand and HomeConnection, which offers early learning programs and classes for home-schooled children. Another $13.6 million is allocated to Crescent Harbor Elementary School.
-- Rachel Rosen Take a look inside Hudsonville’s new school building before it opens this fall-- mlive.com Michigan: April 21, 2023 [ abstract] HUDSONVILLE, MI – Hudsonville Public Schools is on track to open its new $36 million intermediate and upper elementary school building for the start of the 2023-24 school year.
The 112,000-square-foot facility for grades 5 and 6 will feature state-of-the-art technology, ample natural lighting, open spaces for student collaboration, and breakout rooms for small group instruction.
A $139.9 million dollar bond approved by voters in 2019 supported the construction of the new Georgetown 5/6 school, which was proposed by school leaders to adapt for a growing student body. The school will address space issues at the elementary schools in the area and middle school, eliminating the need to redistrict or move kids to different buildings.
-- Melissa Frick Florida Legislature advances plan to divert construction money from public schools to charter schools-- WMNF Florida: April 18, 2023 [ abstract] TALLAHASSEE — A proposal that would require school districts to share local property-tax revenue with charter schools is teed up for consideration by the full House, after a committee debate Monday about whether it could bring “parity.”
Property taxes collected through discretionary 1.5-mill local levies go toward such things as constructing and renovating traditional public schools and buying land. Meanwhile, charter schools largely receive such money through the state budget.
The Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee voted 20-7 along party lines Monday to approve a bill (HB 1259) that would allow charter schools to receive part of the local money. Charter schools are public schools but often are run by private organizations.
“Eventually, over time, charter school students will be on parity with district public school students in terms of the 1.5 mills,” bill sponsor Jennifer Canady, R-Lakeland, said.
Under the bill, school districts would be required to share the money based on charter schools’ “proportionate share of total school district” enrollment. Charter school enrollment next fiscal year is projected to total 371,253 students, according to House analysts, representing about 13.6 percent of enrollment in public schools.
Canady said the bill would provide what she called a “five-year glide path,” which would phase in sharing the property-tax money.
-- Staff Writer Proposed rural Maine regional high school threatened by lack of money-- The Piscataquis Observer Maine: April 17, 2023 [ abstract] Maine’s third attempt at a rural regional high school is in jeopardy if the four districts involved cannot get state help to pay for an engineering study.
The Maine Department of Education told superintendents from districts around Dexter, Guilford, Milo and Corinth last year they would have to fund pre-construction costs on their own, which would get them through a challenging site selection process. But the superintendents said recently that the state helped school districts in northern Aroostook County with such funding for a similar attempt and should be more supportive. That project ultimately failed.
It’s an effort to pool resources as enrollments decline at most of the rural schools
The state-initiated pilot began about six years ago, and the districts in Piscataquis and Penobscot counties moved up the priority list after previous attempts in Houlton and St. John Valley in Aroostook County fell apart. If the ambitious project succeeds, the school that would serve several established multi-town districts would be the first of its kind in Maine. But the districts are stuck, and superintendents wonder why the St. John Valley project was able to access funding early on to hire an engineering firm, while they cannot.
-- Valerie Royzman School district increases levy budget in face of $88M deferred maintenance backlog-- Independent Record Montana: April 14, 2023 [ abstract] Helena Public Schools has increased the amounts of their Building Reserve Levies for the elementary (K-8) and high school districts to keep up with the rising cost of materials and labor for construction, school officials said.
The elementary Building Reserve Levy went from $1.25 million to $3 million. The high school Building Reserve Levy increased from $700,000 to $1.5 million on the ballots that go out Friday. The last Building Reserve Levy passed in 2013, and if these two pass, it would be a renewal of the existing levies.
“How do we buy nuts and bolts, pieces of plywood, doors, windows, boilers — how do we pay for that stuff? It comes out of the (facilities budget),” said Todd Verrill, HPS’ facilities director. “... We have a large footprint. We have a lot of facilities, and they’re getting old.”
-- Megan Michelotti School board narrows down options, but in the end some buildings will have to close-- Newton Daily News Iowa: April 13, 2023 [ abstract]
Newton school board members already received survey input from teachers and staff about proposed master planning options, but they want even more feedback from the elementary faculty who would be most affected by any building closures, which administrators hinted as a definite possibility in the coming years.
Elected officials also agreed that of the three scenarios presented by the master planning committee, only two seemed to be the most viable.
Here are the scenarios the master planning committee came up with:
• Scenario No. 1: construct a new grades 1-4 elementary school at Thomas Jefferson or Aurora Heights site and demolish original buildings, selling Woodrow Wilson Elementary site for development and add and remodel Emerson Hough for a pre-K and kindergarten center. This scenario costs more than $40 million.
• Scenario No. 2: Add and remodel Emerson Hough for pre-K-1st grade center, add onto and remodel Thomas Jefferson Elementary into a nine-section grades 2-4 building and then sell the remaining sites for redevelopment. This scenario costs more than $20 million.
-- Christopher Braunschweig New Westside middle school to start construction thanks to half-cent sales tax-- News 4 Jax Florida: April 10, 2023 [ abstract]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County School Board will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday to mark the beginning of a new place to learn for sixth through eighth graders.
Chaffee Trail Middle School is the first middle school to be built funded by the half-penny sales tax, which was approved by Duval County voters in 2020.
Students will perform and school district leaders will share remarks about the Westside’s new addition to education.
The 6-8 grade school is estimated to cost $38.6 million and is just one of four transformational projects that will be funded by the sales tax.
In September, the design meeting between stakeholders for the new middle school was completed, and the district said it has received conceptual floor plans and proposed building elevations for the new school.
-- Kendra Mazeke Dexter Community Schools Announces Campaign to Build Solar Panel Walkway and Solar Field Along Bus Hub-- The Sun Times News Michigan: April 07, 2023 [ abstract] Dexter Community Schools is announcing its first ever community-wide fundraising campaign to construct a Solar Panel Walkway and Solar Field along the bus hub that will provide sustainable energy to the surrounding schools, offer significant energy cost savings for the schools over time, protect and shade students while they wait for the bus, and provide unique and hands-on place-based educational opportunities for students of all ages.
Dexter Community Schools is partnering with a local foundation, businesses, alumni, and the community to raise the funds necessary to build the solar panel walkway and nearby solar field.
-- Lonnie Huhman New high school construction budget spurs state audit of Francis Howell School District-- St. Louis Post-Dispatch Missouri: April 06, 2023 [ abstract] ST. CHARLES COUNTY — State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick opened an audit of the Francis Howell School District one day after three critics of the district’s finances were elected to the school board.
Fitzpatrick, a Republican, announced the audit Wednesday, citing “numerous ... fiscal and operations concerns” with the school district.
The concerns center around construction of the new Francis Howell North High School, which was estimated to cost $86.4 million when voters approved a $244 million bond measure in June 2020. After price increases in labor and materials and an additional 30,000 square feet were added to the project, the school board in December 2021 approved a maximum cost of $164.7 million. The school is scheduled to open in fall of 2024.
Francis Howell Families, a political action committee, previously called for the state audit along with state Rep. Phil Christofanelli, R-St. Peters.
The conservative group, which opposes what it calls pornography and critical race theory in schools, raised more than $25,545 for three candidates who won seats Tuesday on the school board — Ron Harmon, Mark Ponder and Jane Puszkar.
-- Blythe Bernhard Province invests $37.6 to build new high school in Raymond - Canada-- Sunny South News International: April 05, 2023 [ abstract] Groundbreaking for the a new high school in the Town of Raymond is set to begin this summer.
Alberta’s Minister of Infrastructure, Nathan Neudorf, had more details to share regarding Budget 2023 and the Province’s announcement to fully fund the construction of a new high school in Raymond on Friday.
The Government of Alberta’s Budget 2023 has allocated $2.3 billion in the next three years to 58 school projects
including full construction funding for 13 schools.
The Province’s investment will add nearly 25,000 new and upgraded spaces for students in the coming years.
The new school in Raymond will be located near Victoria Park, and has been approved for up to $37.6 million for the construction.
-- Erika Mathieu Senators support school maintenance bureau-- The Virgin Islands Daily News U.S. Virgin Islands: April 05, 2023 [ abstract] Senators are working on a solution to the chronic lack of maintenance on the territory’s public school buildings and have proposed a bill to create a new Bureau of School construction and Maintenance.
Bill No. 35-0050 received a unanimous vote of confidence Tuesday from senators in the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance, and the legislation will be forwarded to the Committee on Rules and Judiciary for further consideration.
“This measure seeks to remove the vexing responsibility of maintenance in particular from our education professionals,” Sen. Donna Frett-Gregory explained. “It’s important that we get to a place where we focus on instruction. Instruction should be the primary focus of our instructional leaders in the territory.”
-- Suzanne Carlson Facing rising costs and new priorities, school district to delay certain bond projects-- Palo Alto Online California: March 30, 2023 [ abstract] Facing rising costs and new priorities, the Palo Alto Unified School District is planning to indefinitely delay certain planned, bond-funded construction projects in favor of completing items that are deemed more urgent.
Palo Alto Unified is currently in the midst of construction projects on campuses throughout the district, funded by the Measure A and Z bonds, which voters passed in 2008 and 2018, respectively.
There is currently roughly $165 million left available to allocate towards projects, Director of Facilities and construction Eric Holm told the school board at a Tuesday, March 28, meeting. District officials are planning to indefinitely delay $163.6 million in planned projects, in favor of a collection of projects totalling $141.3 million that the district deems to be higher priorities. That will leave $23.8 million in reserve to cover any further cost overruns or to pay for deferred maintenance projects, Holm said.
-- Zoe Morgan America’s School Buildings Are Crumbling, and It’s a ‘National Security Issue’-- Education Week National: March 28, 2023 [ abstract]
Washington , D.C. -
The dire condition of tens of thousands of school buildings across America represents a threat to national security and the well-being of future generations, several of the nation’s top school facilities officials said Tuesday on Capitol Hill.
The only solution, they said, is robust federal investment.
Many districts, particularly in rural and low-income areas, lack the local property tax revenue to fund major school building improvements. Some states contribute virtually nothing to local school districts’ facilities projects. And the last major federal investment in school buildings came during President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration in the 1930s.
But recent developments demand bolder action, school facilities officials from Maryland, Rhode Island, and West Virginia said Tuesday during a briefing at the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill.
Materials and labor costs for construction have risen precipitously. Many decades-old school buildings lack space for the social workers, psychologists, and early childhood education providers increasingly seen as essential for serving students’ complex needs. Vendors, meanwhile, are swarming districts with pitches for expensive solutions to widespread concerns around school security and ventilation, but administrators don’t have the time or resources to vet the offers. And many school buildings in low-wealth and rural areas lack basic infrastructure like drinkable running water and working heat and air-conditioning.
-- Mark Lieberman Kettering schools seek state help for long-term school building plans-- Dayton Daily News Ohio: March 22, 2023 [ abstract] KETTERING — The Kettering school district will seek state funding for long-term improvements to buildings and facilities.
The district wants to apply for an Ohio Facilities construction Commission program to help with long-range planning, citing a higher percentage in state funding assistance than in previous years, said Kettering Business Services Director Jeff Johnson.
If the district is eligible for state money, the OFCC would assess its buildings at no charge and develop an agreement allowing Kettering “discretionary” decisions on projects, he said.
Kettering has not previously participated in the OFCC new building funding program, which has helped many area districts — including Xenia, Fairborn, West Carrollton and Valley View currently — to construct new schools.
-- Nick Blizzard School Building Authority approves more extensions to some area school boards-- WV Metro News West Virginia: March 20, 2023 [ abstract] CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state School Building Authority approved the extension of more time and funding for the construction of schools across the state during its meeting Monday in Charleston.
The SBA gave the okay to supplemental funding for schools in Wood, Mercer, McDowell and Hampshire counties.
The increasing construction costs attached to inflation have been the cause for delay in building new schools and providing updates to existing ones for a little over a year now.
Making adjustments on square footage allowances for the projects was a specific detail being discussed at the meeting, as the school board’s bids for the projects were being affected by inflation costs.
“That is a lot of the reason why these schools came back to talk to us today, because, when their bids came in they were higher than they thought, they were higher than the square footage allows for these projects, and so they have to look for some help,” SBA executive director, Andy Neptune told Metro News following Monday’s meeting.
Last year, voters approved over $60 million to Wood County Schools for the construction of three new schools along with making updates and expansions on others. The SBA additionally approved its $21 million commitment on Monday to go into Wood County School’s bond for the current projects.
-- Katherine Skeldon Tiny district with decaying school buildings sues WA state-- The Seattle Times Washington: March 12, 2023 [ abstract] CATHLAMET — It’s an unremarkable day at the Wahkiakum School District when a bathroom floods, rainwater drains from the ceilings and classrooms are cold enough that teachers pass out blankets.
From his office at the front of the high school, Superintendent Brent Freeman can hear kids from rival sports teams disparaging the building as they walk inside. His brain is an intimate catalog of the district’s various infrastructural failures and how to fix them. That is, when they finally get the money.
This 433-student district on the Columbia River hasn’t been able to pass a school bond — the main way that school districts raise money for building and repairing schools — for 22 years. And the state’s largest lifeline for school construction funding won’t spare a dime unless they can pass one.
Frustrated by the perennial failure of school bonds, this tiny district is suing the state in a move that, if successful, could change the way school building construction is funded across Washington.
When a bond fails, there are slim options for school districts in the state. While large and wealthy districts like Seattle can run several school construction measures simultaneously, an increasing number of property-poor districts cannot get their measures over the hump. Districts like Wahkiakum are left scrambling for whatever patchwork of funding they can find to prolong the life of deteriorating buildings.
“With so many of our systems, we are one rung away from total failure,” said Freeman.
-- Dahlia Bazzaz Virginia Explained: Why Can Just Nine Localities Impose a Sales Tax for School Capital Projects?-- Williamsburg Yorktown Daily Virginia: March 05, 2023 [ abstract] RICHMOND — The responsibility of meeting school construction costs has shifted out of reach for some localities in Virginia. Many schools, lawmakers say, have fallen into disrepair, while others need modernization.
In recent years, some lawmakers have said supporting school capital projects is the onus of local governments. In response, some localities have successfully asked the legislature to allow them to increase their sales tax to fund school capital projects pending approval by voters in a referendum. However, legislative efforts to support other extensions of that right – including one for Prince William and for the entire state – remain in limbo. To understand why, let’s start from the beginning with Dillon’s Rule.
-- Nathaniel Cline Democratic lawmakers announce legislation to invest in school facilities-- PA House Democrats Pennsylvania: March 01, 2023 [ abstract] HARRISBURG, March 1 – State Reps. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., Robert Merski, D-Erie, Bridget Kosierowski, D-Lackawanna, and Tarik Khan, D-Phila., today partnered with state Sen. Tim Kearney, D-Delaware, to announce legislation addressing toxic school buildings in Pennsylvania.
Gathered outside the lieutenant governor’s office, Fiedler, Merski, Kosierowski and Khan said they plan to introduce legislation to fund the school construction program PlanCon to address the school facilities crisis in Pennsylvania. The lawmakers’ legislation would fund the maintenance program within the traditional PlanCon program for vital projects including repairs to roofs, HVAC systems, boilers, plumbing and electrical wiring.
Under the legislation, the lawmakers propose opening applications only to the new Maintenance Program created under Act 70 for a temporary 3-year period. After this period, the Department of Education would re-open the program for traditional PlanCon projects, with the Maintenance Program returning to its 20% share of available funding.
The lawmakers announced they are also introducing another piece of legislation to address toxic school buildings. This legislation would make changes to the commonwealth’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to make it easier for public schools to submit applications for building improvements.
Their announcement comes on the heels of the Commonwealth Court’s ruling in the William Penn School District lawsuit, that Pennsylvania’s system of funding public education is unconstitutional. The group of lawmakers stressed that in addition to the need for basic education funding, the lawsuit highlighted school facilities issues.
“When a child is sitting in a classroom with peeling paint and asbestos, shivering because they’re too cold or has a nosebleed and a headache because they’re too hot, they can’t learn,” Fiedler said. “School buildings are a statewide educational and public health issue, and we need to start funding them with that importance. The recent Commonwealth Court ruling provides the state an excellent opportunity right now to ensure all children can go to school in a safe building and pursue a quality education.”
-- Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler Bill would require public vote before school districts could use ‘work around’ to finance new schools-- Nebraska Examiner Nebraska: February 22, 2023 [ abstract] LINCOLN — Voters would have to approve agreements to finance new schools via little-used interlocal agreements under a legislative bill given first-round approval Wednesday.
State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn said Legislative Bill 299 would close a “loophole” in state law that allows financing of new school construction without a public vote.
“If you’re going to put people in debt, people should have the right to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ ” Linehan said.
She cited a recent case in Beatrice, where voters twice rejected bond issues to build one new elementary school to replace four aging neighborhood elementary schools.
The local school board, however, approved construction of a $43 million elementary school through another route, by joining with Educational Service Unit 5 to secure a loan to finance the building project.
Such an interlocal agreement does not require a public vote, which Linehan described as a “workaround” from the typically required school bond elections to approve new construction projects.
-- Paul Hammel Bill to raise taxes to fund school construction fails to pass, ACPS hopeful it will be revisited-- NBC29.com Virginia: February 21, 2023 [ abstract] CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - A bill allowing voters to increase local sales taxes in order to fund school construction projects was shot down in the General Assembly, but Albemarle County Public Schools is hopeful the bill will get another try in the coming years.
“In Albemarle County Public Schools, we very much support giving localities taxing authority. This bill is particularly effective because the community the ability to choose,” ACPS Public Affairs Officer Helen Dunn said.
The bill would’ve allowed localities to add an up to 1% state tax surcharge.
“Anytime we know that our community has bought into something like this, we are in support of it because we feel the community is one of our partners. When the community is doing well, the schools are doing well and vice versa, so we were very hopeful that this bill would pass,” Dunn said.
-- Jacob Phillips House passes bill allowing school districts to use state aid for the construction of pre-K facilities and safe rooms-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: February 21, 2023 [ abstract]
The Arkansas House approved a bill Monday that would allow school districts to use state funding to aid in the construction of "safe rooms" and early childhood education facilities.
House Bill 1337, by Rep. Julie Mayberry, R-Hensley, received a vote of 53-15 with 15 lawmakers voting present. The bill moves to the Senate for further action.
Under current law, school districts may not use funds allocated through the Arkansas Public School Academic Facilities Fund Act to build "safe rooms" or prekindergarten facilities. A "safe room," as defined by the bill, is a building, space or other area designed to protect occupants from "a natural or manmade intrusion."
The Arkansas Public School Academic Facilities Fund Act establishes a partnership program under which the state is required to provide cash payments to school districts for eligible new construction projects based on a district's academic facilities wealth index.
Rather than relying on this state aid to build "safe rooms" and prekindergarten facilities, districts have to turn to grants, private donations or their budgets, said Mayberry.
Since schools are required to build "safe rooms," Mayberry said it is a "no-brainer" to allow districts to use money from the state's partnership funding program for their construction.
-- Will Langhorne Texas districts want to build new schools. A dwindling fund could create a roadblock.-- FOX29 Texas: February 20, 2023 [ abstract]
SAN ANTONIO — Building new schools in Texas could get even more expensive.
The Texas Permanent School Fund's Bond Guarantee Program has a $117 billion cap. At the end of December, the state was just $26 million away from reaching it.
This comes after dozens of districts passed bonds in November that included plans to build or renovate schools.
Bonds issued under this program allow school districts to borrow at a lower cost.
If the cap is reached, districts will have to pay more in interest for lower renovation funds.
That could lead to big problems for your school district and your wallet.
"The estimate is that for all school districts in Texas, it would be about 425 million—almost half a billion dollars per year—in added cost if we can't get this problem corrected," said U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin.
Congressman Doggett has filed a federal bill that would do away with the cap on the Permanent School Fund. Districts would still need insurance on their bonds.
"We need to see that every dollar we can get goes into necessary construction," Doggett said.
-- Jordan Elder Committee passes bill to provide exemptions for education facilities as emergency shelters-- Florida's Voice Florida: February 17, 2023 [ abstract] TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – A Florida House subcommittee unanimously passed a bill that would provide exemptions for upgrades at education facilities that are used as emergency shelters during storms.
The bill will exempt any costs that is less than $2 million for upgrades that improve the capability of education facilities that serve as an emergency shelter from the Cost Per Student Station.
Since 1997, Florida has used the CPSS analysis to quantify construction costs related to traditional kindergarten through grade 12 school facilities, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Eligible upgrades are limited to those “necessary for an area to be designated as an enhanced hurricane protection area.”
These upgrades include electrical and standby emergency power systems, renewable energy source devices, and energy storage devices.
The bill’s co-sponsors, Rep. Joe Casello, D-Boynton Beach, and Rep. Lindsay Cross, D-St. Petersburg, introduced the bill in the PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee. The bill passed with a vote of 15-0.
-- Amber Jo Cooper DC playground closed due to lead contamination-- WUSA9 District of Columbia: February 16, 2023 [ abstract]
WASHINGTON — A D.C. rec center playground used by a nearby elementary school was closed Thursday after elevated levels of lead were discovered.
In an email, DC Public Schools alerted parents that one of the playgrounds at Parkview Rec Center tested high for lead and it had been closed. The playground, attached to Bruce-Monroe Elementary School, sits on rubber mats.
Lead can result in health and growth problems if ingested by children. The District said it will power-wash the contamination away, but scientists WUSA9 talked with say that is not enough.
DCPS said it found the lead by washing off the playground and testing the runoff water during a routine test. Lead levels were 470 parts per million, above the federally “allowed minimum” of 400 parts per million.
"It would be nice if they put in materials in the first place that didn’t have lead, that they used safe building materials," said Teresa Ellis who was picking up her child at Bruce-Monroe Elementary. "We want safe playgrounds for our children, for all the children in D.C. and all the different parts of D.C."
DCPS has consistently blamed the source of the lead on what it calls “the surrounding environment,” including cars and construction. That playground is on a higher grade than the surrounding road.
-- Nathan Baca and Ruth Morton Baldwin County Schools: $341.4 million in construction since 2015, $94 million in new projects awaits-- AL.com Alabama: February 15, 2023 [ abstract]
Baldwin County Schools is close to completing $341.4 million in new construction projects in an astonishing reversal of fortunes nearly eight years after a previous school construction program was overwhelmingly rejected by voters.
The current program, called “Pay As You Go,” will finance an additional $94 million in projects that could be under construction by fall.
It’s a program paid for largely with cash and without long-term bonding and no new taxes. It has added around 1.5 million new square feet in school construction, also a remarkable feat when considering no new construction occurred within the county school system between 2009-2015.
The program was praised on Tuesday during a school board meeting while the newest slate of projects was unveiled. The school system is expected, by later this spring, to unveil a separate list of projects that include new athletic fields and fine arts venues.
“I don’t think people really understand how blessed this system is,” said Eddie Tyler, the superintendent of the Baldwin County School System that is Alabama’s 3rd largest school district behind Mobile and Jefferson County schools.
-- John Sharp Kingston School District weighing priorities as cost of five-year capital plan soars-- Hudson Valley One New York: February 15, 2023 [ abstract] The Kingston City School District (KCSD) is reassessing its facilities needs after learning that the cost of a five-year capital plan has risen from an estimated $107.1 million in 2020 to around $162.1 million today.
The KCSD Board of Education heard a presentation earlier this month, led by Armand Quadrini, managing principal of KSQ Design, the New York City and Tulsa, Oklahoma-based architecture firm that’s had a decades-long relationship with the district. Much of those plans were centered on air-conditioning and other ventilation upgrades, and Quadrini explained that due to a variety of reasons, the estimates in the original five-year plan had risen by around $55 million once costs were adjusted to reflect 2023 market conditions.
“A lot of the cost increases occurred in the mechanical and electrical areas,” Quadrini said. “It’s been super difficult to get air handling units and equipment associated with mechanical systems. Not only is the pricing going up but it takes a long time to get that equipment, so that expanded construction schedules.”
The plans cover both of the district’s middle schools and all seven of its elementary schools, but does not include Kingston High School, or the former Meagher and Anna Devine elementary schools. Kingston High underwent a recently completed comprehensive renovation that came in around $16.5 million under its $137.5 million budget. Meagher was also thoroughly spruced up recently when it was converted into a pre-kindergarten hub and district headquarters, and Anna Devine is currently being leased to BOCES for use in its Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning program for special education students.
-- Crispin Kott A new way to get schools built: plant facilities levies-- Idaho Ed News Idaho: February 14, 2023 [ abstract] When districts put bonds on the ballot in hopes of financing one or more new schools, the chances of voter approval in Idaho are 50/50: a coin toss.
If districts lose, the problems that sparked the ballot initiative — overcrowding, outdated schools, safety concerns — don’t go away.
So district leaders make do with their cracked foundations and outdoor food storage. They might seek creative but short-term solutions, like redrawn boundaries or modular classrooms. Hallways, principal’s offices and lunchrooms might become classrooms.
Or leaders might hang their hopes on a new solution: a plant facilities levy.
The plant facilities levy’s voter approval thresholds — which can be as low as 55% — make them attractive, but there are drawbacks. Districts might have to downsize their project list or eschew state financial help if they opt for this route.
School leaders are already familiar with plant facilities levies; they’re often used for repairs, maintenance, or upgrades. But when it comes to new construction, these ballot measures are a relatively new option, one districts have historically been reluctant to pursue due to murky legality. But that changed when a 2015 Idaho Supreme Court decision upheld the practice.
For some districts, it’s now the most enticing and likely path to new schools.
-- Carly Flandro Cromwell Middle School Building Committee trying to close $21M budget gap in $58.6M project-- New Haven Register Connecticut: February 12, 2023 [ abstract]
CROMWELL — The Town Council voted to allow the Middle School Building Committee to proceed with the $58.6 million school project while expressing concerns about the budget being $21 million over what voters approved at referendum.
The committee’s website offers a breakdown: $17.2 million for construction and $3.8 million for other “soft” costs.
Council members will revisit the issue in April or May, when the next estimate is received.
The new middle school is “desperately needed,” Superintendent of Schools Enza Macri said Friday. “The current facility doesn’t have the educational space or layout to support a STEAM curriculum. This is significant when we think about preparing students adequately for high school and beyond.”
Voters passed the ballot measure June 14, 2022, by a vote of 970 to 231.
“I’m sure there’s nobody who wants to go back twice,” Mayor Steve Fortenbach said. If project costs exceed even $1 over $56 million, he added the question whether to spend more must again be put to voters.
-- Cassandra Day Lawmakers push bill to require solar panels at New Mexico schools receiving state grants-- Carlsbad Current Argus New Mexico: February 03, 2023 [ abstract]
More solar panels could be coming to newly built public schools throughout New Mexico, after a bill to require the power source was advanced by lawmakers last week and awaits another hearing on its way to becoming law.
Senate Bill 60, sponsored by Sen. William Soules (D-37) would require public schools be outfitted with photovoltaic solar panel systems capable of providing energy needed by the school if constructed and receiving state funds after July 1, 2023.
The bill was passed by the Senate Education Committee Jan. 27 on a 4-2 vote and was sent to the Senate Finance Committee for a subsequent hearing and further action.
If passed, SB 60 would amend New Mexico’s Public School Capital Outlay Act to include solar systems as eligible for state funding and require any school receiving grant assistance from the Public School Capital Outlay Fund include such a system capable of meeting the school’s energy needs.
Soules, who serves as chair of the Senate Education Committee, said during the hearing that the bill would help the state make progress toward its goals to limiting higher-carbon forms of energy like natural gas.
-- Adrian Hedden Arkansas school district almost fully powered by large ground-mount solar project-- Solar Power World Arkansas: January 31, 2023 [ abstract] El Dorado School District (ESD) School Board and faculty members gathered to celebrate the district’s newly constructed 1.75-MWAC solar array. The project will offset 88% of the district’s energy usage and expenses, saving ESD over $128,000 annually in energy costs.
ESD entered into a Solar Services Agreement (SSA) with Entegrity, an energy efficiency and solar company headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. With an SSA, the district creates savings by purchasing renewable energy from Entegrity at a fixed price lower than their current electricity rate.
-- Kelsey Misbrener After years of fighting, renovations begin inside one Baltimore City elementary school-- WYPR Maryland: January 30, 2023 [ abstract] In the coming months, Tayla McCray, a fifth-grade student who attends Furley Elementary School in Baltimore City, will watch her soon-to-be old school transform into a new place. But McCray said she wants to remember the ‘great times’, like when she and her dad dressed up for the father-daughter dance.
She’s excited for her peers because she’s already continuing her educational journey by attending middle school next year.
“I hope all of the future Furley Foxes [the school’s mascot], have the same rich experience,” she said.
Baltimore City officials, public school leaders, and community members gathered in the Frankford neighborhood to celebrate the start of the construction of Furley Elementary School on Monday morning.
-- Zshekinah Collier What's the plan for building new Middletown schools? Picture gets clearer-- The Newport Daily News Rhode Island: January 30, 2023 [ abstract] The Town Council, the School Committee, the School Building Committee and a robust retinue of consultants met to drive toward a decision about funding the future of Middletown’s public schools in the wake of a failed attempt at regionalization with Newport.
Middletown’s latest proposal calls for the issuance of $190 million in bonds to construct a combined middle-high school on the multi-use fields adjacent to Gaudet Middle School, of which the town estimates about $83 million would ultimately be reimbursed by the state.
Operating on a very tight timeline due to the impending expiration of some elevated RIDE reimbursement rates – which are still far lower than the 82% reimbursement RIDE was offering for the construction of a regionalized high school – the Town Council after hearing a presentation on both the preliminary design and the financials of the project instructed the consulting team and the School Building Committee to stay the course and continue developing the proposal.
-- Zane Wolfang Tennessee schools need $9 billion of infrastructure investment, report says-- Chattanooga Times Free Press Tennessee: January 28, 2023 [ abstract] Tennessee needs to invest more than $9 billion in its K-12 education infrastructure over five years, an increase of nearly 9% from an assessment done a year earlier, a new state report says.
Of that amount, about $5.4 billion is needed for renovations and technology improvements, while nearly $3.6 billion is needed to build additions and new schools, according to the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.
The report, approved Thursday by the commission, comes as local and state officials grapple with how to cover the soaring costs of school construction, which have doubled in the past decade due to rising material and labor costs.
Meanwhile, years of research show that fixing school buildings can improve student learning, health and behavior. One study in Tennessee shows a direct connection between student achievement and the condition of school buildings. Another study from New York found that poor building conditions can lead to higher rates of chronic absenteeism.
In Tennessee, cities and counties pay for most of their school facility needs with property and sales tax revenues. But some state lawmakers are looking for ways to ease that burden.
-- Marta W. Aldrich Murphy announces $350M available for school construction projects-- NJBiz New Jersey: January 26, 2023 [ abstract] Gov. Phil Murphy announced Jan. 26 a $350 million pot of money will soon be available for high-priority school construction projects throughout the Garden State.
The funding comes from Senate Bill 2944, which was signed during the budget process last summer and allocated $5.2 billion in surplus money for the newly created New Jersey Debt Defeasance and Prevention Fund. The legislation calls for $350 million of that tranche to be appropriated for school facilities projects, emergent needs and capital maintenance in Regular Operating Districts (ROD).
Beginning Jan. 30, according to a statement from Murphy’s office, more than 550 RODs will be eligible to apply for grants. School districts will be eligible to receive at least 40% of eligible project costs.
“From day one, my administration has made it a priority to support and improve our public school system – and helping our schools implement critical facility projects is an important component of those efforts,” said Murphy. “This funding demonstrates our commitment to strengthening our schools and cementing our legacy as a state that is dedicated providing every student with a high-quality learning environment.”
-- Matthew Fazelpoor CT school construction program audit done, but questions remain-- Hartford Courant Connecticut: January 23, 2023 [ abstract]
State officials released a highly anticipated audit into Connecticut’s school construction office late last week, but it is unlikely to alleviate all of the concerns about the multibillion-dollar construction program, which became the focus of a federal investigation last year.
The 23-page report that was produced by Marcum LLP, an independent auditing firm, included an analysis of more than 111 school construction projects that were undertaken in Connecticut between 2018 and 2021.
But some lawmakers are more concerned about what is missing from the audit: namely, a review of interactions between local school officials and the state Office of School construction Grants & Review.
“This audit is a start but it is by no means a conclusion,” said Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford. “The concern certainly of the federal investigation has always been on the purported influence on municipalities, and that wasn’t even looked at here at all.’
State officials hired Marcum last March in an effort to restore public trust in the school construction program, which was directed for more than six years by Konstantinos Diamantis.
Diamantis, who stepped down from that position in late 2021, was named in several grand jury subpoenas that were issued to the state and several municipalities.
-- Andrew Brown and Dave Altimari VA Sen. Jennifer McClellan’s School Construction Funding Bill Passes Senate With Bipartisan Support-- Blue Virginia Virginia: January 23, 2023 [ abstract] RICHMOND, VA – Today, the Senate of Virginia passed Sen. Jennifer McClellan’s (D-Richmond) bill (SB 1408) with Sen. Jeremy McPike (D-Prince William) to allow any Virginia locality to fund school construction and renovation through an up to 1% increase in sales tax passed in a local referendum. The bill passed on a 26-10 vote with bipartisan support.
The bill is a recommendation of the bipartisan Commission on School construction and Modernization, which McClellan chairs. Del. Jeffrey Bourne (D-Richmond) is the chief patron of companion House legislation (HB 2316).
Under current Virginia law, only 9 localities have the ability to propose referenda for local sales and use taxes for school construction: Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick, and Pittsylvania Counties and the City of Danville. McClellan’s bill would enable any locality to propose a local sales tax referendum for the sole purpose of school construction. A similar bill (SB 1287) from Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) adding the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County to the list also passed the Senate on a 27-10 vote.
“SB 1408 will provide a critical tool for localities to fund school construction and modernization,” McClellan said. “We must provide new funding options for local school divisions to address Virginia’s crisis of crumbling schools. I’m pleased to see this bill pass the Senate with strong bipartisan support, and I urge House leaders to allow a full House vote on this bill from the bipartisan School construction and Modernization Commission.”
More than 1,000 schools — more than half of K-12 school buildings in Virginia — are more than 50 years old, according to the Commission on School construction and Modernization. The Commission estimates that the amount of funding needed to replace these buildings is $24.8 billion. Many localities face significant challenges in raising sufficient funds to undertake these projects.
-- lowkell Vt. towns that can't afford school construction projects look to Montpelier for help-- vermontpublic.org Vermont: January 17, 2023 [ abstract] The state of Vermont hasn’t put up money for school construction projects for almost 15 years.
And since then, local taxpayers have had to fully fund more than $200 million in school upgrades.
The Agency of Education says there’s a growing inequity between districts that can get their projects passed by voters, and those that can't.
And the agency also says there’s now a backlog of projects that’s potentially causing health and safety issues at the schools with the highest needs.
At Green Mountain Union High School in Chester, voters recently rejected a $20 million bond proposal to upgrade the school’s aging infrastructure.
And Todd Parah, who’s head of facilities at Green Mountain, says the district has to figure out a way to upgrade the equipment.
“Here in our school district, along with a majority of them in the state of Vermont, we’re not at a want-basis, we’re going to be at a need-basis,” Parah said. “The systems are at their end-of-use life, and nobody knows where the money’s gonna come from.”
A lot of the equipment at the school was installed back in the early 1970s, when Green Mountain first opened.
-- Howard Weiss-Tisman Cornwall-Lebanon may spend up to $136M to improve aging Cedar Crest school buildings-- Lancaster Online Pennsylvania: January 16, 2023 [ abstract]
Cornwall-Lebanon School District is poised to spend between $88 million and $136 million in capital improvements to its aging secondary school buildings on the Cedar Crest campus.
School board members, during the Jan. 9 workshop meeting, heard a recap of proposed renovation of the district’s middle and high school buildings from Superintendent Philip Domencic. Electric, plumbing, and mechanical updates are needed to both, he noted, not having seen major work since the mid-1990s.
A connector space between the two buildings is planned as well, providing classroom space during renovations as well as a variety of future uses. construction will occur between March 2024 and June 2029, and the connector building will be constructed first.
Director of Business Affairs Jean Hentz proposed a financing plan that would take advantage of the district’s existing debt service practice. Currently, it pays $5.5 million in debt service on existing bonds. As those debt obligations phase out, Hentz said, any new loans or bonds issued to cover construction and the middle and high school could be “smoothed” in.
The district’s intent is to maintain the same or similar debt service payments to avoid major tax increases in the future, Domencic said.
Since 2016, no state funding has been made available for school construction reimbursements.
-- John Duffy School Construction Brings More Than Meets The Eye-- Tacoma Weekly Washington: January 16, 2023 [ abstract] The new Fawcett Elementary school continues to emerge, with noticeable construction progress over the past few months. As the school takes shape, it has brought with it some exciting opportunities, from cutting edge construction technology and first responder training to a blast from the past harkening back to when our country celebrated its bicentennial in 1976.
"Things have been very busy and it’s really moving along,” said Stacy Page, the district’s facilities communication coordinator. "They’re working at lightning speed and we’re really happy about that.”
While the school is being built, students are attending the former McKinley Elementary School site in anticipation for Fawcett’s opening. By this summer, furnishings can start going in and things put together for the students and staff to walk through the doors of their new school in September for the 2023-2024 schoolyear.
The school will be 55,000 square feet to serve pre-kindergarten through 5th grade with 21 classrooms, a music room, makers space, STEM room (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), and more. It will be in the shape of an "L” with two stories connected by an elevator. The exterior will be eye-catching hues of blue and gray with yellow accents. There will be two play areas – an asphalt playground and a large turf field with soccer posts. A covered area close to the building will offer play areas on rainy days. The school perimeter will be improved with ADA accessible sidewalks and curbs, lighting, and all exterior landscaping will be fresh for the campus with newly planted trees and shrubs.
"The exterior siding and insulation are just about complete,” Page said. "We’ve already finished the siding on the east side classrooms so we’re going to do the west side now. The first-floor classrooms are done with sheetrock and the second floor is now starting. Inside, we’re already painting the gymnasium, cafeteria and music area.”
-- Staff Writer Hawaii Agency Is Racing ‘Against The Clock’ To Build New Preschools-- Honolulu Civil Beat Hawaii: January 09, 2023 [ abstract]
The head of the new state school construction agency is asking the Legislature to fund three additional positions to help build and renovate up to 200 preschool classrooms by June 2024.
The School Facilities Authority, created in 2020, has $200 million for the task but is off to a slow start with only three people working on it so far.
Executive Director Chad Keone Farias presented his case Monday to the House Finance Committee, asking lawmakers to create three additional positions, including a project manager, a planner and a budget analyst.
“The challenge is the race against the clock,” Farias said in an interview after the legislative briefing. “We’re working as fast as we can.”
The state has long dealt with a need for preschool classrooms as many that exist are at total capacity. That issue was heightened by the coronavirus pandemic, which forced some facilities to close their doors permanently.
Last year, lawmakers allocated $200 million to offset those shortages with the construction, expansion or renovation of prekindergarten facilities across the state. But the School Facilities Authority must spend the money by the end of June 2024.
Farias, a former principal and complex area superintendent at the state Department of Education, said he needs more staff to get the work done faster as the authority barely has a working website and a temporary office in Hilo. He said he also hopes to get a permanent office for the state authority in Honolulu.
During the meeting, Rep. Bertrand Kobayashi said people were unsupportive of the new authority when it started and asked Farias if he anticipates any milestones in the next couple of years.
“I’m a little surprised that you still don’t have staff fully on board,” Kobayashi said.
Farias said the authority will make progress by next year. When lawmakers introduced legislation to create the authority, many questioned how the agency will work, transparency and oversight, and duplication of the DOE’s duties.
“Since then, I felt a bunch of pushback in certain places, so I’ve become aware that maybe people weren’t fully supportive of this,” Farias responded. “I still believe in our core mission that we can do this work.”
-- Cassie Ordonio MHPS planning new millage tax election as high school renovation costs rise to $60 million-- Mountain Home Observer Arkansas: January 09, 2023 [ abstract]
During a Mountain Home Public Schools strategic planning meeting this past Thursday, members of the school board, along with Superintendent Dr. Jake Long, strategized how to ask the public once more to swallow a millage tax increase to pay for the new construction of a replacement high school building.
“The needs have not gone away. They’re not going to go away,” Dr. Long said.
The existing high school structure remains an issue for students, teachers and support staff. For the last five years, Dr. Long and the district have been working to create a plan to fix the high school’s infrastructure problems.
The issue of rebuilding the high school goes back to the school board’s decision 30 years ago to simply cover up the high school campus’ aged 1960’s buildings with a giant metal roof to save money for voters.
While the can may have been kicked down the road 30 years ago, it can longer be ignored.
Last August, an election was held for voters inside the Mountain Home school district for the question of whether to raise millage rates for the purpose of covering new construction costs.
The measure failed with a 16-vote spread. Recent increases in Baxter County property tax assessments, misinformation and a national recession are the most likely suspects in the defeated millage increase.
-- Alison Fulton How Coral Springs High School Is Spending $15.9 Million Through Broward County SMART Program-- Tap into Coral Springs Florida: January 07, 2023 [ abstract]
CORAL SPRINGS, FL – In 2014, voters approved $800 million in a bond referendum for Broward County Public Schools to renovate buildings, purchase equipment, and make other long-needed improvements at campuses.
In Coral Springs, 19 high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools are benefiting from the funds that focus on safety, music and art, athletics, renovation, and technology (SMART), according to school officials.
All school construction in Coral Springs and across the school district is expected to be completed in 2025, if not sooner.
Here’s what Coral Springs High School did or plans to do with $15.9 million from the program.
As one of Coral Springs High School’s most popular educational tracks, the culinary program is known for bringing “real-life experiences” to students interested in going into the food industry, Principal Vivian Suarez said.
And so, the school is reconstructing its culinary “lab” through the Smart program.
“It’ll be a state-of-the-art lab that I can’t wait to see,” said Chef Aruna Lein, who heads up the culinary program which has won many state and regional competitions over the years. “We’re going to be a force to reckon with.”
Expected to be completed as early as next month, the area will have new equipment as well as be set up to look like “the back of the house” in most restaurants and catering halls to “mirror what our students will face when they go out to get jobs,” Lein said.
Added Suarez: “We will continue to raise the bar on this program. I don’t know how much higher we can raise it.”
-- LEON FOOKSMAN Bard High School Early College DC Moves to Congress Heights-- The Washington informer District of Columbia: January 05, 2023 [ abstract] Nearly four years after its inception, Bard High School Early College DC has found a new, permanent home in Congress Heights.
Upon their return from winter break earlier this week, nearly 400 students gingerly entered their newly renovated school building. Days later, on Thursday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and several other District officials commemorated this milestone with a ribbon-cutting.
Once construction of the building, formerly known as the Malcolm X Opportunity Center on Alabama Avenue in Southeast, reaches full completion later this year, it will have nearly three dozen classrooms, rooftop solar panels, a theater and gymnasium, a soccer field, track field and basketball court along with several energy-saving amenities.
For many students, including Josiah Best, the new building not only represents the fulfillment of a vision, but the end of a tumultuous journey.
-- Sam P.K. Collins New Schools Project in Prince George's Raises Questions About Who's Building Them-- NBC Washington Maryland: January 04, 2023 [ abstract] As the Prince George's County school system prepares to build six new schools in three years under a public-private partnership, questions surround who's building the schools and how workers are being compensated.
Lanham-based DC Plumbers Local 5 is one of many trades asking the Prince George’s County Council to hire union on construction projects.
“We’re not advocating so much for the union workers; we’re advocating for workers, period,” said T Smalls, who represents the union.
New majority on the Council is requesting a labor project agreement ensuring a percentage of county workers are hired and that the construction jobs are union.
“Our residents have health care benefits, retirement and things that most people take for granted,” Council member Ed Burroughs said.
The move caused backlash. Almost 50 Black businesses signed a petition saying they're concerned their construction companies tend to be smaller and some don't have union affiliations.
“There's just institutional barriers and challenges of things that have been in place for years and years that minority small businesses, new businesses, have to overcome, and that's what this creates – more of those barriers,” Warren Builds President and CEO Shane Warren said.
-- Tracee Wilkins To create more city parks, San Diego plans to share them with schools. Here’s how it’s happening, and where-- The San Diego Union-Tribune California: December 30, 2022 [ abstract] SAN DIEGO — Seven new parks are under construction, and 12 more are slated to be built soon as part of San Diego’s campaign to speed the creation of parks across the city by partnering with local school districts.
Building relatively small joint-use parks on public school campuses allows the city to build parks more quickly and cheaply, because the land is essentially free and there is no need for a time-consuming and controversial site search, officials say.
City officials can also target neighborhoods that lack parks, including many older communities and lower-income areas south of Interstate 8. A 2017 survey found nearly a quarter of San Diegans didn’t live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
Four of the 12 parks slated to be built soon are in southeastern San Diego’s low-income Skyline-Paradise Hills neighborhood, two are in City Heights, and one is in Encanto.
The parks already under construction include two each in Clairemont and Mira Mesa and one each in University City, Serra Mesa and Southcrest.
-- DAVID GARRICK State bill banning school construction by highways vetoed by Gov. Hochul-- New York Amsterdam News New York: December 29, 2022 [ abstract] Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed the Schools Impacted by Gross Highways Act (SIGH Act)—which bans constructing schools 500 feet from highways unless there’s special approval—this past Thursday, Dec. 23. The bill was passed by state legislatures earlier in the summer.
The SIGH Act was drafted by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and co-sponsored by State Sen. Rachel May (D-53) and Assembly Member Latoya Joyner in an attempt to combat long-standing environmentally racist urban design in a state ranked first in schools built within 500 feet of highways.
“Governor Hochul’s veto of the SIGH Act is an enormous disservice to Black and brown communities who have suffered most from the devastating health and academic impacts of highway pollution,” said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman in a statement. “We hoped the governor would heed the call of directly impacted students and residents, who have been organizing for years against this kind of systemic racism.
-- Tandy Lau NWI schools in the midst of massive capital improvement efforts-- NWI.com Indiana: December 28, 2022 [ abstract] Public schools across Northwest Indiana are building — and building a lot.
Hundreds of millions of dollars have been poured into new facilities for local students. Here's an overview of capital improvement projects at some of the biggest districts across the Region:
Crown Point Community School Corp.
In 2020, the School Board approved a slate of capital improvement projects. By the time those projects are complete, every school in the district will have seen some sort of renovation or addition.
At Crown Point High School, the district is adding 25 new classrooms and five science labs. It's upgrading the visual and performing art facilities, robotics lab and career and technical center. It's also updating the school's media center, widening hallways, expanding the cafeteria and adding more physical education space. Those upgrades, which will cost a total of $55 million, are expected to be complete by the end of 2024.
The biggest project CPCSC is taking on is the creation of a new $78 million building for Taft Middle School in Winfield. construction on that building kicked off in mid-August 2021 and is expected to be ready for students by the 2023-24 school year.
-- William Skipworth California school districts pass $20 billion in construction bonds, but some rural areas say no to higher taxes-- EdSource California: December 22, 2022 [ abstract] Notwithstanding worries about a looming recession and misperceptions that schools are swimming in money, California voters approved 71 of 101 TK-12 and community college construction bond proposals last month. The 65 of 94 TK-12 and six of seven community college district ballot measures that won will generate $20 billion in renovations and new construction.
The overall passage of 71% is below the average approval rate of 80% since 2001, according to CaliforniaCityFinance.com. The voting margins also “seemed thinner this year,” said Jeff Becker, executive director of facilities for the Office of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools. He also chairs the Coalition for Adequate School Housing or CASH, the California lobby for school facilities.
With a number of districts just a few percentage points below or above the 55% threshold to pass a school bond, officials were kept in suspense for weeks, until the final votes were announced in early December.
-- JOHN FENSTERWALD AND CAROLYN JONES Fort Mill deal unlocks $54M for schools, though homebuilders threaten to sue-- The Post and Courier South Carolina: December 22, 2022 [ abstract] YORK — South Carolina’s fastest-growing school district has enough money to start building two new schools after resolving a five-year battle with York County over $54 million the district collected in fees placed on newly built homes.
County Council voted this week in a special meeting to end its lawsuit over how Fort Mill School District 4 was spending the fees to cover debt and not to build new schools.
Another legal fight remains on the horizon.
The Home Builders Association of York County is threatening a class-action lawsuit against the school district and county to get the money back, said Michael Pruner, president of the Rock Hill-based trade group.
York County has been charging builders an impact fee on new home construction since the 1990s. The money is sent to the district to cover the cost of adding classroom space in the fast-growing area just south of the stateline from Charlotte. The fee stands at more than $18,000 for each new home built in Fort Mill, adding about 4 percent on new home prices, according to the Home Builder’s Association of York County.
-- Maggie Brown ‘I Bawled’: A Congresswoman’s 18-Month Fight For A Neglected Tribal School Just Paid Off-- Yahoo Nes Bureau of Indian Education: December 22, 2022 [ abstract] WASHINGTON — Buried in the 4,155-page omnibus spending bill unveiled in the Senate on Tuesday is a single sentence that’s likely to go unnoticed by almost everyone — except the first-term congresswoman who fought for it with everything she had for the last year and a half.
“For an additional amount for ‘Education construction,’ $90,465,000, to remain available until expended for necessary expenses related to the consequences of flooding at the To’Hajiilee Community School.”
It’s the only line item in the bill under a section titled “Bureau of Indian Education, Education construction.” It’s money to rebuild a K-12 school in TóHajiilee, New Mexico, a remote community about 35 miles west of Albuquerque.
-- Jennifer Bendery - Huffpost R.I. education council OKs 13 school projects totaling $331.9M-- Providence Business News Rhode Island: December 21, 2022 [ abstract] PROVIDENCE – Thirteen school projects in four cities and towns totaling $331.9 million were approved Tuesday by the R.I. Council on Elementary and Secondary Education.
Among the notable projects are a new high school and a new pre-kindergarten-through-eighth-grade dual-language school to be built in Central Falls. The schools are part of six projects, including renovations at other schools, to be completed in the city for $170 million.
East Providence will undertake new construction and major renovations at Martin Middle School, Waddington Elementary School and Orlo Avenue Elementary School for a combined $107.9 million.
In Westerly, $50 million will be spent to build a new elementary school on the site of the existing Spring Street School, renovate Springbrook and Dunn’s Corner elementary schools and construct an addition at Dunn’s Corner Elementary School.
-- James Bessette Stamford's Westhill and Roxbury school replacements will cost $387M. CT says it will pay $292M of that.-- Stamford Advocate Connecticut: December 21, 2022 [ abstract]
STAMFORD — Two schools only a few yards away from each other in Stamford are slated to be torn down and rebuilt for about $387 million — and the state has agreed to put down roughly $292 million to get it done.
Both Westhill High School and Roxbury Elementary School, separated only by Roxbury Road, were recently selected by the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services as two state projects to qualify for grant funding.
The Westhill construction is estimated to cost about $301 million, of which the state has agreed to pay $241 million. The price tag for Roxbury is $86 million, with the state taking on $51.6 million.
Westhill had already been selected for reimbursement last year, but at the time, the state had only agreed to pay for 20 percent of the work, or about $51.6 million. That previous submission estimated the full project cost to be $258 million, but that number has since risen because of increased construction costs.
-- Ignacio Laguarda School Board Passes $1.3B, 6-Year Construction Budget-- LoudonNow Virginia: December 16, 2022 [ abstract] The School Board adopted the $1.3 billion FY2024-FY2029 Capital Improvement Program and Capital Asset Preservation Program budgets Dec. 13 to cheers from Park View High School community members gathered in the meeting room.
The board passed it unanimously with one amendment from Harris Mahedavi (Ashburn) to add $500,000 to the fiscal year 2025 budget for older elementary schools to get updated signs. That amendment passed 5-3-1 with Chair Jeff Morse (Dulles), John Beatty (Catoctin), Tiffany Polifko (Broad Run) opposed, and Denise Corbo (At-large) absent for the vote.
Included in the plan is a $221.7 million reconstruction of Park View High School, a $38.9 million renovation of Banneker Elementary, a $20 million renovation of Waterford Elementary and a $271 million to build a new high school in the Dulles north area designated as HS-14.
-- Alexis Gustin School Construction Authority missing in action-- The Riverdale Press New York: December 16, 2022 [ abstract] Community Board 8 was forced to cancel a much-anticipated meeting on the public school proposed for 160 Van Cortlandt Park South last Friday when School construction Authority officials backed out with only a few days’ notice, citing a mysterious lawsuit against them.
“SCA has been advised by counsel that they cannot attend this meeting due to pending litigation.
“Therefore, this meeting with SCA is canceled,” wrote district manager Ciara Gannon in a Dec. 5 email notice.
CB8’s officers could only speculate about the details of the suit emanating from a small group of neighbors on Van Cortlandt Park South, a shady thoroughfare in Kingsbridge that cuts across the Major Deegan Expressway.
“I’ve been told it’s a group of residents representing themselves,” said CB8 chair Laura Spalter. “But I know nothing further.”
Spalter wanted a meeting with the SCA to take place before the end of the year in time to weigh in on the architectural designs of the new school, she said. Now, her hopes have been dashed.
The board’s committee chairs aired their frustration and bewilderment in the executive committee meeting two days later.
Whether or not the litigation has any merit, “it has enabled SCA to hide behind the pendency of a lawsuit and cancel the meeting,” land use chair Charles Moerdler said.
“I sincerely believe they just don’t want to meet,” he said.
And he may be correct. But CB8 has little recourse at this point.
The education committee voted to approve the SCA’s site selection a year ago, concluding the community board’s brief advisory role in the new school construction process. Like other public authorities that maintain New York’s bridges and highways, finance higher education, and run its mass transit systems, the SCA’s public accountability is limited. It does not follow the city’s land use review process or register its contracts in the city checkbook.
Community participation in new school construction is comprised of a series of public hearings and a 45-day comment period after SCA announces its site selection but usually before it begins environmental assessment or design.
-- Abigail Nehring With construction costs rising, Alexandria School Board approves 10-year capital improvement plan-- ALXnow Virginia: December 16, 2022 [ abstract] The Alexandria School Board approved its 2024-2033 Capital Improvement Program budget on Thursday night, paving the way for construction of new schools, swing space and significant renovations over the next decade.
After a series of work sessions and public meetings this fall, the Board approved the $461 million proposal, with $58.7 million to be used next year.
“It is critical that we give our students the best opportunity to succeed by providing optimal learning environments and the resources to support their well-being and academic achievement,” School Board Chair Meagan Alderton said in a press release.
The fiscal year 2024 CIP budget is $37 million less than last year’s approved proposal, although that’s only because the Alexandria City High School Project funding.
In fact, development costs have risen sharply. The school system is contending with price jumps up to 200%, ACPS reported.
-- James Cullum Audit: Dozens of WCSD school buildings receive failing marks-- Reno Gazette Journal Nevada: December 14, 2022 [ abstract] The Washoe County School District will build a new Vaughn Middle School and tear down the existing building after an independent audit found school facilities unfit for student learning.
The initial findings came from Cannon Design, an architecture and engineering the district hired in September to create a five-year construction project plan.
Dozens of WCSD schools received poor marks on everything from energy efficiency and bathrooms to safety and classroom sizes.
The report revealed the district’s middle schools are a story of “the haves and have nots,” according to Paul Mills, vice president of Cannon Designs. He said many of the district schools in areas of high poverty that were built more than 50 years ago have issues.
Of the district's 17 middle schools, seven were identified as having inadequate facilities. Of those seven, Vaughn, Dilworth, Traner and Sparks middle schools were also identified as also having students with the highest needs.
-- Siobhan McAndrew How America’s schools have changed since deadliest mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary-- USA Today National: December 13, 2022 [ abstract] Meg Tarpey and her younger sister survived the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School 10 years ago, then watched the site of that massacre be demolished and a new school built in its place.
In 2016, Tarpey, her sister and their mother visited the new building for the first time along with a comfort dog. Sandy Hook had been reimagined, with community input, incorporating a footbridge leading to the entrance of the school, a gate surrounding the campus and floor-to-ceiling windows for easy views of anyone approaching the school.
“That day was really hard, because in a way I felt like they’re trying to get rid of what happened, like moving on from it,” said Tarpey, who was in third grade, and her sister in first, when the shooter with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle blasted into their Newtown, Connecticut, school.
Years later, Tarpey, now 18 and speaking in one of her first interviews with media since the Dec. 14, 2012, killings, said she's come to realize visiting the new site gave her back a piece of herself.
“There’s an aspect of it that is really beautiful,” she said, “making something beautiful from tragedy.”
Since the 26 deaths at Sandy Hook, at least a dozen schools, from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, to Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, have been the site of mass shootings or killings, according to a USA TODAY, Associated Press and Northwestern University database. A compendium of guidance has been developed on constructing schools to prevent such killings. Yet no national database tracks remodeled or new buildings that incorporate school safety features.
But many experts suggest the changes are creating a system of haves and have nots, where many school districts, particularly those in low-income neighborhoods of color, are left exposed, unable to afford significant upgrades. In addition, these changes may only slow someone intent on killing others and are unlikely to stop them altogether.
-- Kayla Jimenez and Alia Wong Wyoming Legislators Asked To Triple Spending For Schools; Another $148 Million Requested-- Cowboy State Daily Wyoming: December 13, 2022 [ abstract] The Select Committee on School Facilities is recommending the Wyoming Legislature triple the state’s public school construction budget.
The select committee wants to add $148 million to the supplemental budget to fund inflation and major maintenance work, which includes another $117 million for school construction projects.
The state has $44 million in school projects on the books for the current biennium, so the $117 million more for projects would more than triple this cost to $161 million.
Inflation And Deflation
Inflation continues to be a major factor in the American economy and one of the most impacted sectors is construction.
When it comes to funding school construction projects, the largest question the Legislature’s Appropriation Committee deliberated Tuesday morning was how much additional money to factor in for future inflationary increases.
Although there was a general consensus more money is needed to cover ballooning prices, a few legislators were skeptical that prices will continue drastically increasing into the future.
The School Facilities Division determined its inflationary numbers based on an anticipated 22.5% increase in total price of projects. Based on that figure, the Appropriations Committee recommended a lower $20.5 million budget supplement for inflation Tuesday.
The Appropriations Committee already included an inflationary component on the projects it approved last year, which was not factored into the figures presented Tuesday.
The new inflation funding would cover projects that have already been approved but have not gone out to bid.
-- Leo Wolfson Maryland committee approves $210 million in funding allocations for school projects-- The Center Square Maryland: December 12, 2022 [ abstract]
(The Center Square) – A total of 101 school-related projects totaling $210 million have been committed for Maryland’s capital improvement project budget for fiscal year 2024, after a recent vote from a state legislative panel.
The Maryland Interagency Commission on School construction (IAC) on Thursday approved the funding allocations within the state’s capital improvement program, with the caveat the commitments represent 75% of the assumed $280 million earmarked.
The approvals came on the heels of statewide education officials submitting funding requests for a myriad of projects, big and small.
Alex Donahue, acting executive director of the IAC, said requests that came in this fall far outpaced the anticipated pool of money. A total of 23 local education agencies (LEAs), in addition to the Maryland School for the Blind, submitted $840 million worth of funding requests.
“This year’s CIP has been a challenging one to wrangle, as the needs across the state clearly are substantial,” Donahue said.
In his presentation to the IAC, Donahue said there is a reason the CIP funding requests have been voluminous as schools grapple with assorted funding issues.
“The CIP is the state’s most flexible school funding program and can be used for almost any category of project,” Donahue said, pointing out the funding bucket can be applied to new school construction, as well as renovations.
-- Dave Fidlin School board wants more building aid-- Concord Monitor New Hampshire: December 11, 2022 [ abstract] Concord School Board members are urging state lawmakers to expand building aid after the district’s fourth-place ranking made the likelihood of state funding for a new middle school low.
Last week, the Concord School Board voted 7-0 to adopt a resolution urging Gov. Chris Sununu and state legislators to add more funds to the State Building Aid Program, which offers grants to help New Hampshire school districts afford costly construction projects.
“Whereas the Concord School Board recognizes the importance of the New Hampshire Building Aid program for school districts and whereas the Concord School District understands that the cost of capital building projects falls heavily on local property taxpayers, we the Concord School Board support the expansion of the Building Aid Program, and urge our state legislators and the Governor to appropriate additional funding for State Building Aid program,” the statement read.
-- EILEEN OGRADY New elementary schools, natatorium part of second phase of AAPS bond plan-- mlive.com Michigan: December 10, 2022 [ abstract]
ANN ARBOR, MI - Some of Ann Arbor’s neighborhood elementary schools built in the 1960s and ‘70s could be replaced with new buildings during the second phase of the district’s extensive capital bond construction.
The second phase of Ann Arbor Public Schools’ bond plan recommends construction of several new elementary schools on or near the site of their original buildings between 2025-30, as well as the construction of a new middle school natatorium.
This plan was approved by the Ann Arbor School Board on Nov. 30, providing a roadmap for more significant construction projects possible via a combination of AAPS’ $1-billion capital bond passed in 2019 and its sinking fund. The anticipated cost is $1.44 billion over the next 20 years.
The district is about two-thirds of the way into the first phase of its bond work, which has included numerous air conditioning, lighting, roofing, solar, paving and playground construction projects.
-- Martin Slagter School divisions, facing buildings in disrepair, tap into new buckets of money-- Virginia Mercury Virginia: December 09, 2022 [ abstract] According to state data related to school construction needs, Grayson, Franklin City, Martinsville, Bristol and Petersburg are the most financially strapped localities in Virginia.
The five have fiscal stress ratings of around 107. By contrast, many divisions in the more affluent Northern Virginia have scores of around 90.The state average is set at 100.
A school division’s financial situation is one of the major factors state officials consider in determining whether to provide a loan to help cover the costs of repairing and replacing aging buildings. More than half of all school buildings in Virginia are greater than 50 years old, according to a June 2021 presentation to the Commission on School construction and Modernization.
Some common needs among school divisions are roof repairs and replacements, as well as safety upgrades and fixes for electrical and plumbing issues.
Additionally, the June report found 19% of schools failed to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, with estimated compliance costs totaling more than $204 million.
The biennial budget signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin this August put $400 million into the state’s Literary Fund to be loaned out to local school divisions for construction projects at lower interest rates than previously allowed by law. However, some districts say the state’s criteria for those loans, which include the division’s ability to pay back the loan, has deterred them from seeking such assistance.
-- NATHANIEL CLINE State approves $30M toward new Finneytown middle and high school building
-- The Cincinnati Enquirer Ohio: December 09, 2022 [ abstract] The state approved $30 million toward a new Finneytown middle and high school project on Thursday. This is the second phase of the district's K-12 building project after Finneytown Elementary opened to students this fall.
The entire project will cost nearly $48 million total. The new building will be constructed at the site of the district's current high school and will serve students in grades 7-12. Finneytown Local School District superintendent Laurie Banks said she hopes the secondary campus will open in the fall of 2025.
"We are grateful to our community for their ongoing support and partnership in educating the students of Finneytown. We also appreciate the funding the state has made available to support school districts in ensuring all students can learn in a safe, supportive environment," Banks wrote in a Friday email to The Enquirer.
"Learning environments matter and impact students, staff members, and the community," Banks wrote. "I am excited to see the impact of our new spaces unfold."
-- Madeline Mitchell NNPS launches new Capital Improvement and Facilities Master Plan Dashboard-- Newport News Public Schools Virginia: December 08, 2022 [ abstract] 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. Â
"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.
-- Michelle Price New school construction grant will roll out in early 2023-- WVTF.org Virginia: December 01, 2022 [ abstract] 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.
-- Mallory Noe-Payne Texas Education Agency Updates School Safety Standards-- Brownwood News Texas: November 30, 2022 [ abstract]
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.
-- Jacob Lehrer Proposal to tap endowment funds for school construction gains steam-- Idaho Press Idaho: November 22, 2022 [ abstract] 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.
-- Betsy Russell Inflation-fueled construction costs continue to impact school projects in the Mountain State-- Metro News West Virginia: November 21, 2022 [ abstract] 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.
-- Jeff Jenkins Loudoun Schools’ Six-Year Construction Plan Tops $1.3B-- LoudounNow Virginia: November 16, 2022 [ abstract] Superintendent Scott Ziegler presented his recommended Fiscal Year 2024-2029 capital budget to the School Board on Tuesday night in front of a crowd of Sterling Park residents who showed up to support one element of the plan—building a replacement Park View High School.
Several spoke during the public comment section asking the board to support the superintendent’s recommendations. Others spoke up expressing frustration over other older schools, including Banneker Elementary School in St. Louis, that are slated to be renovated instead of rebuilt.
Included in the plan are three new elementary schools; renovations two older elementary schools, Banneker ($38.9 million) and Waterford ($20 million); a new middle school and $271 million Dulles North high school; and the $221.7 million reconstruction of Park View High School.
-- Alexis Gustin New schools emerging throughout Jacksonville thanks to half penny-- Duval County Public Schools Florida: November 14, 2022 [ abstract] With active construction underway on one full school replacement and design reveals held for three other full school replacements and one brand new school, the district is passing many milestones in its 15-year master facilities plan. These projects are funded by the half-penny sales tax approved by voters in 2020.
Besides moving forward with new school buildings, safety and security projects are in progress at 42 schools. Some safety and security projects have been delayed due to material shortages as well as the need to re-bid materials due to excessive costs. Even with these delays, all safety and security projects are on schedule to be completed in the three-year timeline as planned.
Revenue exceeds forecast but inflation offsets gains
Revenue from the half-penny funds the district’s master facilities plan. Through June 2022, the tax generated $172.44 million overall with about $149.4 million going to the district. Revenue is exceeding projections made when the tax was proposed. However, inflation of material and labor costs is offsetting the additional revenue.
State law requires that charter schools receive a portion of the funding based on enrollment. The charter school share was $23.06 million through June.
-- Tracy Pierce and Briana Nelson-Canty Trigg Schools Officials Eyeing Nickel Tax For High School Renovation-- WKDZ Kentucky: November 11, 2022 [ abstract]
A recallable “nickel tax” could be on the way for Cadiz and the surrounding county. One that some officials believe would benefit the school system in unique ways.
During Thursday’s Trigg County Board of Education meeting, a first reading of a “nickel tax” passed unanimously and with little fuss — in hopes, among many things, of increasing the district’s bonding potential for capital projects.
More importantly, there seems to be a unified focus to renovate a dilapidated high school that’s seen little love since its 1962 construction, and now is officially the oldest building on campus.
Board member Clara Beth Hyde called for the vote, herself noting a levy wasn’t ideal.
Superintendent Bill Thorpe noted that any increase of a school tax wouldn’t be paying for any past or current projects, but would only be propelling and preparing for the future.
Today’s current construction, which is aplenty, is already budgeted and accounted for — either through grants, current bonding potential, or school capital.
Furthermore, officials feel like this as opportune a time as any to implement such an effort. With increasing property value assessments, Trigg’s BoE can issue the nickel at four cents, rather than the standard six cents, and in return receive the same cash valuation.
In even clearer terms, a home assessed at $100,000 would only see its tax increased by $40 over the year, rather than nearly $60.
That’s $3.33 per month.
School Attorney Jack Lackey has noted in previous school board meetings, especially in Hopkinsville, that a nickel tax has been adopted by more than 100 of Kentucky’s 120 counties, and that under state law, the tax can only be used for capital construction or repairs and renovation of existing facilities.
On Thursday, he broke down how a 2023 nickel tax would look for local payers.
-- Edward Marlowe State to present building aid rankings this week-- Concord Monitor New Hampshire: November 06, 2022 [ abstract] The state Department of Education will share its ranked list of school districts who will be prioritized for building aid in 2024 and 2025 on Thursday, a decision that will impact the future of Concord’s Rundlett Middle School building project.
The state’s school building aid program reimburses a portion of a district’s construction costs. The Department of Education creates a ranked list of school districts that will get priority for funding if it is approved in the state budget. The list will be presented to the State Board of Education at its Thursday meeting in Nashua, the Department of Education said Friday. Districts will be able to log in and see the results on the website.
The Concord School Board is responsible for deciding how to move forward after learning the results of the building aid decision, according to Superintendent Kathleen Murphy.
-- EILEEN OGRADY More than month after Ian: Southwest FL schools still struggling, adapting after hurricane damage-- Florida Phoenix Florida: November 03, 2022 [ abstract] After Hurricane Ian slammed against the Southwest coast of Florida, several school districts suspected that damage, flooding, power outages and other difficulties might mean students may never get back into their classrooms.
That was about five weeks ago. Now, school districts in Lee, Sarasota, DeSoto and Charlotte have slowly begun recovering from the impact of a Category 4 storm. Some schools have recovered faster, sending kids back to classes as early as Oct. 10.
But schools in other hard-hit areas struggled, going weeks without any instruction, constructing new teaching facilities, learning at home with virtual instruction and attending different schools while repairs continued.
Lee County
Some school buildings are not operational yet, but students are largely back in an in-person learning environment, according to Irma Lancaster, director of strategic communication for Lee County public schools.
“Students returned to a learning environment in phases during the week of October 17. The first group started on Monday, and by the end of the week on that Friday the 21st, all students were in a learning environment,” she said in an email to the Phoenix.
-- DANIELLE J. BROWN Updated LBUSD facilities timeline pushes HVAC projects forward by two years-- Signal Tribune California: November 03, 2022 [ abstract] The Long Beach Unified School District’s projected timeline for Measure E facility upgrades has been updated to prioritize Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) projects, according to information presented at the Wednesday, Nov. 2 board meeting.
Measure E is a $1.5 billion bond measure the district passed back in 2016 to fund repairs, technology, air conditioning and safety across school sites.
A shift in funding due to the governor’s budget that allocated one-time state funds to school facilities projects as well as unused contingencies from past projects are some of the main factors that prompted rebaselining.
The new timeline proposes advancing HVAC-type projects at Charles A Buffum Elementary, Patrick Henry Elementary School, Herbert Hoover Middle School, Beach K-12 Independent Study, James Monroe High School and Benjamin Tucker Elementary by two years.
Other school sites such as Stanford Middle School, Minnie Gant Elementary School, George Washington Carver Elementary School, Tincher Preparatory School and John Marshall Middle School can only be advanced up to a year, as Executive Director of Facilities Development and Planning, David Miranda, stated it would not be feasible to start and finish construction in the span of two years.
-- BRIANA MENDEZ-PADILLA State Budget Review Subcommittee on Education hears from school superintendents on increasing construction costs-- Kentucky Teacher Kentucky: November 02, 2022 [ abstract] The Kentucky General Assembly’s Budget Review Subcommittee on Education heard from school superintendents about the struggle with rapidly increasing construction costs during their Nov. 2 meeting.
Chay Ritter, the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) director of the Division of District Support, said school districts typically issue bonds or pay cash to finance projects. The bonding capacity, or a district’s borrowing power, is impacted by interest rates, credit ratings and existing debit service. Due to its bonding potential, a district can have a gap in funding that results in a project being built in phases over a longer time period, or a reduction in the project scope.
When construction is delayed, the costs may go up, Ritter said.
House Bill (HB) 678, passed by the legislature in 2022, accelerated construction projects by allowing a district to start new construction or renovation without the prior approval of KDE, Ritter said. The bill, a two-year measure that will expire unless the General Assembly takes further action in 2024, also allows a district to spend restricted funds on extracurricular facilities.
Currently, 150 of the Commonwealth’s 171 school districts are operating under HB 678.
“It saves considerable time and time is money in the construction business,” he said.
Ritter said several districts are either delaying or altering their construction projects due to the continued price increases, including:
-- Staff Writer Idaho leaders grapple with whether to allow impact fees for schools-- Idaho Press Idaho: October 31, 2022 [ abstract] The last time Kuna residents passed a bond to build a new school was in 2017. Since then, the city’s school district has grown by over 500 students.
It’s a common story in the Treasure Valley where districts are struggling to keep pace with the space needed to accommodate an influx of residents and their school-age children. Today, the Kuna School District is in the process of developing a bond that, if passed, would fund additional construction at Swan Falls High School, construction of a new elementary school, and other projects.
But some familiar with the issue think it is time to add another tool to the toolbox of education funding: charging impact fees to new developments.
In Kuna, Superintendent Wendy Johnson estimates it would cost $26 million to build a new, 600-student elementary school. Even being able to collect $3 million in impact fees would help offset that cost, she said.
-- Erin Banks NYC will convert 100 fuel-burning public schools to all-electric energy by 2030-- New York Chalkbeat New York: October 28, 2022 [ abstract] New York City will commit billions of dollars to convert 100 fuel-burning public school buildings to cleaner energy by 2030 as part of an effort to comply with emissions reductions mandated by city law, Mayor Eric Adams announced Friday.
The city will spend roughly $4 billion over the next seven years on a plan that includes retrofitting 100 school buildings so they no longer burn fossil fuels for heating. That shift will help bring the city closer to compliance with Local Law 97, which sets limits on greenhouse gas emissions that buildings must adhere to starting in 2024.
Adams also announced that every new school building, including those already under construction, will be fully electric, putting the city slightly ahead of schedule on a separate 2021 city law that effectively bans gas in new construction starting in 2024. Newly constructed public school buildings must be fossil fuel-free beginning in 2025 under that law.
“Every New York City school we build going forward will be fully electric,” Adams said Friday at a press conference in P.S. 5 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, which will be the first to get retrofitted under the new plan. “No more boilers, no more burning dirty fuel, no more contributing to asthma.”
-- Michael Elsen-Rooney See Where PCBs Show Up in School Buildings, and Why That’s a Problem-- Education Week National: October 27, 2022 [ abstract] PCBs were domestically manufactured for construction materials in the United States beginning in about 1930 until 1979, a time period that coincides with a boom in school construction to meet the demands of postwar birthrate growth. This increases the vulnerability of any school built or renovated before 1979.
Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned the manufacturing of PCBs over 40 years ago, PCBs are still of concern for school building because:
The durability of applications means that schools that were built or renovated before 1979 may still have PCBs used in a variety of applications like caulking, sealants, coatings, and electric components.
PCBs migrate, vaporize, and absorb into other materials and can be stored in our bodies for a long time, so prolonged and sustained exposure has a cumulative affect.
Studies show high-dose exposures can diminish learning, growth, immunity, and present other health hazards.
-- Laura Baker Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation to award $96M grant to Hawaii Department of Education-- dvidshub.net Hawaii: October 26, 2022 [ abstract] MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC), using funding from the Department of Defense (DOD) Public Schools on Military Installations (PSMI) Program, is set to award a $96 million grant to the Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE). The HIDOE will use this grant to replace Mokapu Elementary School, located aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), in order to address the capacity and facility condition deficiencies that placed the school on the Deputy Secretary of Defense “Public Schools on Military Installations Priority List” at #33. This new facility will serve 975 military connected students in grades kindergarten through sixth.
The PSMI program, sanctioned by congressional authorization, provides funding to construct, renovate, repair or expand public schools located on military installations to address capacity and/or facility condition deficiencies as priorities by a Secretary of Defense-approved prioritized listing. This program of assistance is available by invitation only, based upon a school’s placement on the prioritized listing and the availability of appropriations.
-- Staff Writer Stamford schools looking at $742M price tag to replace and renovate school buildings-- The Hour Connecticut: October 25, 2022 [ abstract] STAMFORD — The plan to fix Stamford's school buildings will take 20 years and cost the city roughly $742 million.
Those were the figures presented by architectural firm SLAM Collaborative during a meeting of the school department's Long Term Facilities Committee last week.
The numbers represent an increase from the total price tag of $540 million presented in February for a plan that previously called for a 12-year timeline.
But since then, there have been plenty of developments.
One of the biggest changes came in May when the state General Assembly passed a budgetary bill that included provisions to increase the reimbursement share Stamford receives for school construction projects.
One provision granted an 80 percent state refund rate for a new Westhill High School. Another increased the state's contribution for school contributions to 60 percent for the next 25 years, much higher than the 20 percent rate the city received previously.
In all, the state is expected to fund about $766 million of the school department's 20-year plan.
-- Ignacio Laguarda Equity on the horizon: Ohio legislators propose $600 million for Appalachian schools-- The Columbus Dispatch Ohio: October 24, 2022 [ abstract] While the future of school funding in Ohio beyond 2023 is dependent on the next state budget, State Reps. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) and Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro) have crafted new legislation to increase equity in education in other ways.
The lawmakers' proposal, introduced earlier this month, would set aside $600 million to improve conditions for more than 58,000 students across 38 school districts in 18 Appalachian counties.
Known as the Accelerated Appalachian School Building Assistance Program, it would create a program under the Ohio Facilities construction Commission, the agency that oversees infrastructure projects for institutions supported by the state, which includes public K-12 schools.
“For too long, Ohio has prioritized investment in students from cities over students in rural areas,” Edwards wrote in a statement. “The introduction of this legislation sends a message to leaders in Columbus that it is time we deliver equitable school facility investment to Appalachian Ohio."
-- Ceili Doyle Lodi Unified's Needham Elementary celebrates major renovations-- lodinews.com California: October 22, 2022 [ abstract] Ribbon-cutting ceremonies at Clyde W. Needham Elementary School on Thursday afternoon brought to conclusion a years-long reconstruction project.
A crowd of approximately 100 people, including school board members, Lodi City Council members, school officials, District Superintendent Dr. Cathy Nichols-Washer, teachers, and members of the public looked on as the renovations were officially dedicated.
The Needham School band also played for the occasion.
About half the old buildings at the school were demolished in April of 2020 to make way for a new classroom building, a pre-school room, a new multi-purpose room, kitchen and fitness room, and a new drop-off area on Church Street with new concrete walkways.
In addition to all the new buildings, the project included new electrical mains and upgrades, a new fire alarm system, emergency lighting, a new public address and emergency communication system, plus other upgrades.
The improvement project was approved by the school board in 2018, which included the removal of some of the school’s portable classrooms. However, the board later decided to remove all 13 of them and replace them with 12 permanent classrooms.
-- Steve Mann Hyde County Schools receive $8 million for Mattamuskeet repairs-- Ocracoke Observer North Carolina: October 21, 2022 [ abstract] Hyde County Schools has been awarded $8.3 million to repair some of its Mattamuskeet facilities.
The award was announced at a special meeting Wednesday morning of the Hyde County commissioners and comes from the $300 million Needs Based Public School Capital Fund (NBPSCF) from the NC Department of Public Instruction, according to a press release from Hyde County Schools.
Hyde was one of nine schools statewide to receive money from this fund, which was established to assist counties with their critical public school building capital needs.
Grants from the NBPSCF are funded with revenue from the N.C. Education Lottery. Grants are available to eligible counties for construction of new school buildings and additions, repairs and renovations of existing school facilities.
Superintendent of Hyde County Schools Dr. Melanie Shaver explained the award to the commissioners, saying that the vision for these funds is to expand the Career and Technical Education Program capabilities in the Mattamuskeet School by creating the Hyde County Industrial Arts Center that will house a diesel shop, a welding shop, agricultural shop and carpentry and maintenance areas.
-- Staff Writer Major Repairs at Joe Hamilton and Crescent Elk Slated For Next Summer-- Wild Rivers Outpost Oregon: October 17, 2022 [ abstract] Del Norte Unified trustees committed nearly $4 million in COVID relief dollars to upgrade electrical systems at Joe Hamilton Elementary School and Crescent Elk Middle School a local contractor stated posed a hazard to students and staff.
Del Norte Unified School District will also use its Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) allocation to replace a generator at Crescent Elk Middle School.
DNUSD will be reimbursed for about 60 percent of the cost of the two electrical projects from the state Office of Public Services and construction (OPSC), Director of Facilities and Maintenance Steve Morgan told trustees on Thursday.
“That reimbursement can go into other projects,” he said.
These projects, which are expected to be finished over the summer, come after the results of a 2020 survey revealed that the electrical systems at nine out of 11 district schools were in need repair and replacement, according to Morgan.
-- Jessica Cejnar Andrews Many Connecticut public schools have aging air quality systems. Will local taxpayers have to foot the bill?-- Hartford Courant Connecticut: October 14, 2022 [ abstract]
Since the arrival of coronavirus more than two years ago, state and municipal officials have been jousting over who should pay to upgrade aging air quality control systems in Connecticut’s public schools.
Gov. Ned Lamont and the legislature took a step to help towns this year. But half of the $150 million they dedicated to the problem — which may not be enough — is temporary money that expires after 2025.
And as municipalities complete their applications for state aid this fall, leaders say one question still looms large. Will this cost fall primarily on a regressive local property tax system upon which Connecticut already relies heavily, or will state government — which saw its coffers swell amidst the pandemic but remains swamped with massive, long-term debt — pick up the tab?
“It’s this perpetual decision that’s always made,” said Joe DeLong, executive director of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. “If we have to pick our poison, we’re always going to push [new costs] onto the property tax.”
Towns that use ARPA funds get limited state aid
No one knows exactly how much it will cost to upgrade heating, ventilation, and other air quality control systems statewide in public schools that often skimped on maintenance.
Local education budgets are hampered by state aid that failed to keep pace with inflation. State government spent much of the past two decades — prior to 2018 — dealing with its own budget deficits, prompting officials to curtail one of the most generous school construction cost-sharing programs in the country.
-- Keith M. Phaneuf With enrollment increase, Alexandria needs more middle school space-- ALXnow Virginia: October 14, 2022 [ abstract] Alexandria leaders agree that the city either needs to expand its aging middle schools or completely build a new one.
There are now 15,700 students within Alexandria City Public Schools, and roughy 2,000 more students are expected by 2024. That puts the city in a tricky position, as 10 ACPS schools are more than 70 years old and need continual maintenance, and a surge in elementary school kids means that Alexandria needs more middle school space.
The need for a new school was outlined in a joint facilities update between City Council and the School Board on Wednesday, October 12.
“We’ve got to be creative here with how we do things,” Mayor Justin Wilson said. “We can meet the needs of enrollment in our schools with properties we own today.”
A new middle school isn’t budgeted in the city’s 10-year fiscal year 2023-2032 Capital Improvement Program Budget. Three school replacements are currently funded: the Alexandria City High School (ACHS) Minnie Howard campus, George Mason Elementary School and Cora Kelly School.
The CIP also includes more than $12 million for the renovation of an office building at 1703 N. Beauregard Street for development by 2030. The space could be used as swing space for another school under construction or as a new 600-student-capacity school.
-- James Cullum Athens waits on state funding to begin construction of new high school-- WOUB Ohio: October 13, 2022 [ abstract]
ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Athens High School looks pretty worn and dated compared to other high schools in southeast Ohio, a fact not lost on parents.
A recent post in a Facebook forum for parents in the Athens school district mentioned visiting Logan High School for a soccer game and noted how beautiful the facility is.
Other parents chimed in with similar comments about how much nicer other schools in the area are and wondered when the new high school in Athens is getting built.
The answer: Soon (maybe).
It’s complicated. The district is waiting on state funding to build the new school, and right now Athens is second on the state’s funding list.
Athens Superintendent Tom Gibbs said he expects the district that’s first on the list will get funded in the next year. And then it will be Athens’ turn — unless another district cuts ahead in line.
To make sense of all this, it helps to understand how school construction in Ohio is funded.
School districts are ranked based on their perceived ability to pay for construction costs out of their own pocket. Districts that have less ability to pay are ranked higher and get a higher percentage of the construction costs covered by the state.
The ranking is done using a formula that considers the average property values in a district. Because the tax levies districts use to raise funds for school construction are tied to property values, the purpose of this formula is to make sure poorer districts get higher contributions from the state.
“The underlying objective is to create equitable facilities” among districts, said Dave Hayden, president of the Athens school board.
Property values are only part of the calculation. The state’s formula also considers the number of students in a district. So districts with lower property values and higher student enrollment are going to rank higher, and get a bigger funding match from the state, than districts with higher values and lower enrollment.
-- David Forster Columbia school board adopts a new approach to school construction-- Columbia Daily Tribune Missouri: October 11, 2022 [ abstract] The Columbia Board of Education will use a new system for some upcoming construction projects.
The vote was unanimous to adopt what is termed a "construction manager at risk" system for a new elementary school on the property of John Warner Middle School, addition and renovation of Columbia Area Career Center, and an addition at Battle Elementary School.
"We believe this is our best way to move forward with our bond dollars," said CPS Chief Operating Officer Randy Gooch.
The district currently uses what is termed as a "design-bid-build" system, where the contractor is hired after the design and bidding process.
In the "construction manager at risk" system, the construction manager acts as the contractor and is involved early in the design process for a team approach from the start, Gooch said after the meeting.
-- Roger McKinney State commissioners approve $1.7 billion bond for GCS repairs-- Spectrum News 1 North Carolina: October 11, 2022 [ abstract] GREENSBORO, N.C. — State commissioners approved a $1.7 billion bond for Guilford County Schools to fund facility repairs, upgrades and reconstruction.
Back in 2019, Guilford County Schools reported more than 50% of its facilities ranked poor or unsatisfactory, leaving the district with more than $2 billion in repairs and $800 million in deferred maintenance. In 2020, the district received a $300 million bond to start addressing some of those repairs, but it needed more. In the May primary, residents voted to pass a $1.7 billion bond to continue repairs, renovations and reconstruction.
Mark Miller has seen the need of these schools first-hand. He’s the director of maintenance and operations for Guilford County Schools. Crews are currently repairing a leak in the roof of Swann Middle School, where students are learning in a 100-year-old building.
“Our customers’ needs are currently not being met fully, and this bond gives us the opportunity for our aging facilities to be able to fix them,” he said.
-- COURTNEY WALLEN With an aggressive schedule, lawmakers will revisit school buildings debate-- Idaho Capital Sun Idaho: October 05, 2022 [ abstract] Legislators will begin taking a new look at an old dilemma Thursday: the question of paying for new school buildings.
A legislative “interim committee” will hold its first meeting to discuss school building construction issues. And the committee could be working on an aggressive timetable: The goal is to come up with some ideas by December — which could translate into bills for the 2023 legislative session that begins in January.
“Our intent is to make some progress in an area where we haven’t made some progress,” said Sen. Dave Lent, R-Idaho Falls, a co-chair of the 10-member House-Senate committee.
For years, not much has changed in the way Idaho builds schools.
The Legislature has long balked at putting state dollars into school buildings, passing on most of the cost to local property owners. Meanwhile, the Idaho Constitution makes it hard for school districts to bankroll buildings, requiring two-thirds voter support to pass a local bond issue.
Neither of those political realities have changed much over the years.
But political momentum could be building behind a change.
Since Idaho is sitting on a record budget surplus — and since legislators in September agreed to put an additional $330 million a year into K-12 — education lobbying groups have intensified their push for state funding of facilities.
-- KEVIN RICHERT Lottery funds not enough to fund school renovations-- Chatham Start Tribune Virginia: October 03, 2022 [ abstract] Kentuck Elementary School Principal Christie Dawson has a few specific concerns about her building when it comes to safety.
One is that students must walk outside to get to the mobile classrooms and the gym. The second is that the pre-K classrooms are in the school’s basement and have only one entrance and exit — and those doors open directly to the outdoors.
Safety concerns in a society where school shootings have become less than rare are one of many reasons that the school division, with the full support of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, is again trying to pass a 1% sales tax referendum this fall.
And replacing mobile classrooms are high on the list. Currently the division has 26 mobile units at six elementary schools.
Many of the county’s schools, to include Kentuck, which was built in 1963, are in need of renovation and repair when it comes to basic systems, such as heating and air-conditioning, as well as adding classrooms and constructing safety vestibules.
-- DIANA MCFARLAND Worcester BOE approves $142.5 million CIP plan-- Ocean City Today Maryland: September 29, 2022 [ abstract] The Worcester County Board of Education unanimously approved several capital improvements projects last week, along with a $142.5 million capital improvement plan (CIP) for FY24.
The CIP is a six-year strategic plan that identifies capital improvement needs across the district, while attaching to each project a timeline and a budget.
The district’s CIP includes planning and designing requests for Buckingham Elementary School and a design funding request to replace the roof at Snow Hill Middle School/Cedar Chapel Special School.
The plan does not include any construction funding requests.
The district in January finished work on a new roof at Pocomoke Middle School and is now in the process of constructing a 24,800 square foot addition at Stephen Decatur Middle School.
According to district officials, work is proceeding on time and on budget for a December completion.
-- Greg Wehner 3 Contractors Charged With Stealing $64K in Wages from 14 Workers Tied to School Construction-- GoLocalprov.com Rhode Island: September 27, 2022 [ abstract] The RI Attorney General’s office announced Tuesday that three Rhode Island-based drywall installation contractors have been arraigned in Providence Superior Court on felony and misdemeanor charges following an investigation by the Attorney General and the Department of Labor and Training into allegations that they stole more than $64,000 in wages from 14 workers during the construction and renovation of RISE Prep Mayoral Academy in Woonsocket in 2018 and 2019.
In total, four contractors have been charged with wage theft and related charges stemming from an investigation into alleged wage theft during the construction and renovation of RISE Prep. Earlier this year, an East Providence contractor was charged with stealing over $93,000 in wages from workers employed at the RISE Prep construction site.
-- Staff Writer IPS hopes to keep school buildings that might close by lobbying legislature-- Chalkbeat Indiana Indiana: September 23, 2022 [ abstract] Seven Indianapolis Public Schools buildings would shut down at the end of this school year under the district’s proposed reorganization plan, which would make them available to charter school operators for the low cost of $1.
District officials, however, are betting on their ability to successfully lobby the state legislature to keep those closed buildings. Current state law says such buildings must first be offered up to charter schools or state educational institutions for a $1 sale or annual lease price.
The district’s Rebuilding Stronger plan, which the school board will vote on in November, is a sweeping shake-up of the state’s largest district that attempts to tackle declining enrollment figures, racial inequities, and looming financial instability.
The potential closure of seven school buildings comes five years after voters approved a referendum to pay for roughly $7 million in safety upgrades and construction for these specific sites and Sidener Academy for the Gifted, which would vacate its current building under the proposed plan. The funding was a portion of an overall $52 million capital referendum, one of two referenda passed in 2018.
-- Amelia Pak-Harvey $1.55 Billion In State Funds Earmarked For School Projects-- Patch New Jersey New Jersey: September 22, 2022 [ abstract] NEW JERSEY, NJ — As part of Gov. Phil Murphy's fiscal year 2023 budget, the state allocated $1.55 billion to advance more than a dozen school construction projects in Schools Development Authority districts through fiscal year 2026, a state government news release said.
Murphy visited the Dayton Avenue Educational Complex in Passaic City last week to cut the ribbon on the $241 million SDA project, highlighting the significant school construction investments in the budget, the release said.
"We are so excited to see a 21st century modernized educational campus in this area, and we are even more excited for the students who will benefit from all that it will have to offer,” Passaic School Superintendent Sandra Montanez-Diodonet said.
The new 448,000-square-foot campus, which broke ground in 2018, will house four schools educating up to 3,000 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Those schools, and respective classrooms and facilities, include:
-- Logan Williamson More than $300 Million Awarded in Needs-Based School Construction Grants-- NC Department of Public Instruction North Carolina: September 21, 2022 [ abstract] Nine North Carolina school districts stretching from Hyde County in the east to Cherokee County in the west will share more than $300 million in new state lottery-funded grant awards for school construction, renovation projects, and other capital improvements.
Among the projects to be funded by the grants, aimed at districts in economically distressed counties, are seven new or replacement school buildings, including three high schools, two schools combining middle and high school grades, an intermediate school for upper elementary and middle school grades and a Career and Technical Education Center. Some of these districts receiving the grants were hardest hit by natural disasters like flooding and an earthquake.
Several of the new schools will replace at least two existing schools with combined facilities.
In all, the Department of Public Instruction received 164 grant applications from 72 districts across the state totaling more than $2.4 billon.
-- Staff Writer Superintendents Advisory Council discusses rising costs of construction and delayed capital projects-- Kentucky Teacher Kentucky: September 21, 2022 [ abstract] School district building plans are being negatively impacted by rising construction costs, Kentucky Department of education staff told the Superintendents Advisory Council (SAC) during its Sept. 21 meeting.
Chay Ritter, director of the Division of District Support Services, said district construction costs can grow for various reasons, from supply chain shortages to inflation. Interest rates – which have continued to rise – have put even more financial pressure on districts, he said. If building costs and interest rates increase while a school district is awaiting approval for its capital projects, then those projects sometimes become too expensive to build, Ritter said.
“A lot of people put a lot of their weight into these [capital] projects and they really want these things to happen in a way that’s good for everybody and it’s a school you can be proud of,” Ritter said.
When Menifee County first gathered estimates for a new board office in August 2021, the initial estimates were $2 million to $2.5 million. The May 2022 estimate was $3.5 million. The district has now decided to remove the basement and storage construction from the project to save money.
-- Staff Writer Which school buildings in Hamilton County need the most repair? Group aims to find out-- News Channel 9 Tennessee: September 20, 2022 [ abstract]
We're out to answer a basic question about Hamilton County Schools: Which schools in the county have the most maintenance requests that haven't been addressed?
School officials, including former Hamilton County School Board Chair Tucker McClendon, have long pointed out there are many repairs needed across the district.
McClendon, who is now deputy county mayor for education and workforce development, is a member of a newly-created County School Facilities Working Group that Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp announced on Tuesday.
McClendon said the working group will use the 2018 MGT study commissioned by the school board as its baseline for the work.
That consulting group recommended closing 9 schools, constructing new buildings for 11 schools, renovating 27 schools, increasing the capacity of 6 schools, and having new locations or sites for 4 schools.
But where do things stand today? That's what we aim to find out. We have reached out to Hamilton County officials to get a current list of the schools most in need of repairs. We'll update this story when we learn more details.
-- Sam Peña CHCCS Committee addresses funding needs to repair aging schools-- The Daily Tar Heel North Carolina: September 15, 2022 [ abstract] Some of Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools' facilities are in need of repair or replacement, as the CHCCS Finance and Facilities Committee discussed at its Sept. 13 meeting.
Rani Dasi, the CHCCS Board of Education vice chair, presented the findings of the Capital Needs Work Group, which was founded in 2021 and is composed of representatives from Orange County, Orange County Schools and CHCCS.
The work group’s goal is to develop a plan for dedicating funds and addressing the needs of school facilities, especially older ones.
The work group found that more than half of the schools in the county are over 50 years old, and many are in need of major repairs or total reconstruction.
The aging school buildings are expensive to maintain and can provide poor learning environments for children, the work group's presentation said.
“The latest thinking is that there's somewhere upwards of half a billion dollars that will be necessary to invest between the school districts in bringing those school buildings up to current standards,” Dasi said.
The work group also found that there are currently no standards or funding for ongoing school maintenance, and that policies have not been developed for allocating money for these needs.
-- Eliza Benbow Stafford schools call for $1.6 billion in capital improvements, 6 new schools-- Potomac Local News Virginia: September 15, 2022 [ abstract]
Stafford County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor proposed a 10-year, $1.6 billion Capital Improvement Plan during the September 13 Stafford County School Board meeting.
Of this, 75 percent is dedicated to new school construction or the reconstruction of existing aging school buildings over the next 10 years.
“Per capita, Stafford is the second fastest growing community in Virginia. This year alone, we gained more than 600 new students – the equivalent of an entire elementary school – but we have not built a new school since 2008,” said Dr. Taylor. “We are not keeping up, and we are not providing our students and staff with the learning and working environments they deserve.”
The school system projects an increase of 6,000 students in the next 10 years, calling for a minimum of six new buildings to simply meet the projected capacity requirements.
The plan recommends building three new elementary schools, one new middle school, two new high schools, and one public day school. The program specifies the rebuilding of 4 elementary schools – Falmouth, Grafton Village, Ferry Farm, and Stafford Elementary Schools, as well as the Rising Star Early Childhood Education Center and Edward E. Drew Middle School. Each of these buildings will have exceeded their 60-year life expectancy by the time any approved rebuild begins.
-- Press Release City gives approval, seeks state support for 10 year multi-school construction plan-- The Valley Breeze Rhode Island: September 14, 2022 [ abstract] CENTRAL FALLS – With unanimous approval from both the School District and City Council, Central Falls will move forward to present a 10-year plan to construct two new schools and renovate multiple existing buildings, to the state.
The School District and City Council approved a proposal for the Rhode Island Department of Education on Sept. 7 and 12, respectively. The proposal includes plans for construction of a new high school, a new dual language pre-k to eighth grade school, and renovation of three existing elementary schools – Dr. Earl F. Calcutt Middle School, Veterans Memorial elementary School and Ella Risk Elementary School – over the next decade.
Sam Bradner and Erica Schechter with the Peregrine Group, and Jim Jordan from Ai3 architects, led the presentation to the City Council Monday evening. The proposal highlights the construction of a $110 million high school at the site of the city-owned Higginson Avenue/Francis Corrigan Sports Complex, located at the corner of Lonsdale and Higginson Avenue.
The vision for the leading high school design is to create “a focal point, home, and identity for the Central Falls School District.” One half of the new high school will include all of the academic wing. The other half of the building would incorporate the existing athletic facilities, and new arts facilities.
The first five years will prioritize construction of the new high school serving approximately 750 students, followed by conversion of the existing high school facility. After students and teachers move out of the current high school on Summer Street, the building will be turned into a dual language school for an additional $60 million – totaling approximately $170 million for the two schools.
“What we’re trying to do is get students out of the existing high school as quickly as possible so that building can come down, and that construction can start,” Bradner told the City Council Monday night.
-- ZACK DELUCA Madison County School District looking to add two new schools-- WAFF48 Alabama: September 14, 2022 [ abstract] HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - The Madison County Board of Education met Tuesday to discuss the possibility of adding two new schools to the district.
During the meeting, the Madison County Board of Education approved a $196 million capital budget plan and a $250 million budget for the 2022-2023 school year.
Two future schools are listed on the capital budget plan. The schools could be built as soon as 2024 or 2025, but a school spokesperson said Wednesday that even if construction was starting right away, it would be late 2026 or even 2027 by the time the schools are ready to house students.
One of the future schools will be built on McKee Rd. in Toney, and the other will be built somewhere in Hazel Green. District leaders don’t have a specific spot picked out for the Hazel Green school. A district spokesman said it’s too early to know what grades the schools will house. District leaders said the growth in the area warrants the new buildings.
-- Marisa Gjuraj North Olmsted seeks energy efficiency upgrade for aging infrastructure-- cleveland.com Ohio: September 14, 2022 [ abstract]
NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio -- City Council recently approved a partnership with Leopardo Energy that will result in an energy efficiency upgrade for aging infrastructure.
“When it was brought to our attention that we could utilize a program like this, I thought it was an opportunity to make improvements to our city buildings and infrastructure that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to,” North Olmsted Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones said.
“I like the fact that it would increase our energy efficiency in the city and bring some jobs here to get the work done. Those are all good things.”
North Olmsted Director of Economic and Community Development Max Upton said Leopardo Energy, a recognized leader in sustainable building practices and early champion of the green construction movement in the Midwest, is currently conducting an energy audit, which evaluates ways the city can save money by reducing energy consumption.
-- John Benson CT officials extend timeline for school construction audit-- Ctpublic.org Connecticut: September 13, 2022 [ abstract]
Following the disclosure of a federal investigation into Connecticut’s school construction program this spring, state officials vowed to restore trust in the system by reviewing four years’ worth of state-funded building projects.
Yet despite repeated promises from members of Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration to promptly deliver those audit results, nothing has been shared with state lawmakers or the public.
And state officials now say the team of independent auditors that was hired in March won’t be finished with its work until June 2023 — delaying any insight into the multibillion-dollar program that local districts rely on to finance school construction and renovation.
Kevin Kelly, the Republican minority leader in the Senate, said he was deeply frustrated at the lack of communication from state officials, after they committed to transparency.
“We don’t even get a status report,” he said. “They just clam up on us.”
Federal investigators first subpoenaed the state for records related to the school construction program in October 2021, and they focused their requests on several contractors and Konstantinos Diamantis, who led the school building program for more than six years prior to his exit from state government last fall.
The investigators followed up that initial request this spring by demanding records from at least four municipalities that undertook school construction projects in recent years.
Nobody has been charged to this point as part of the federal investigation. But when news of the criminal probe broke in February, several school superintendents and local elected officials came forward to announce that they felt pressured to choose specific construction contractors for their school building projects.
-- Andrew Brown Annual survey finds no major deficiencies in Maryland school buildings, but some work still needed for improvement-- Maryland Matters Maryland: September 12, 2022 [ abstract] Although the majority of Maryland’s public school buildings are adequate for educational use, some still have problems with deteriorated roads and walkways, fire and safety systems and interior lighting.
That’s the finding of The Interagency Commission on School construction, which approved the final draft of a fiscal year 2022 maintenance report this month.
The report assessed 265 schools that were chosen based on their being unevaluated for the last six fiscal years, being at least three years old or, or never being reviewed. There are more than 1,360 active public schools statewide.
About 189 schools were rated as adequate which is defined as “maintenance is sufficient to achieve the life of each system within the facility and, with appropriate capital spending and renewal, the total expected lifespan.”
Twenty-two schools received a “good” rating for buildings that will likely extend beyond the life of expectancy. A “superior” rating was elusive in 2022.
Approximately 52 schools from the report were classified as “not adequate.” Two schools — one each in Allegany and Prince George’s counties — were classified as poor, which means those buildings show evidence of significant or extensive corrosion or leaks, inconsistent custodial or maintenance practices, or extensive repairs or replacement needed.
-- William J. Ford Connecticut officials extend timeline for school construction audit-- Hartford Courant Connecticut: September 12, 2022 [ abstract]
Following the disclosure of a federal investigation into Connecticut’s school construction program this spring, state officials vowed to restore trust in the system by reviewing four years’ worth of state-funded building projects.
Yet despite repeated promises from members of Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration to promptly deliver those audit results, nothing has been shared with state lawmakers or the public.
And state officials now say the team of independent auditors that was hired in March won’t be finished with its work until June 2023 — delaying any insight into the multibillion-dollar program that local districts rely on to finance school construction and renovation.
Kevin Kelly, the Republican minority leader in the Senate, said he was deeply frustrated at the lack of communication from state officials, after they committed to transparency.
-- Andrew Brown Four New School Buildings Open in Queens for 2022-2023 School Year-- Astoria Post New York: September 08, 2022 [ abstract] Ten new school buildings opened across the city today, with four of them in Queens.
A new 646-seat middle school opened in East Elmhurst, with school buildings added to Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows, P.S. 131 in Jamaica, and P.S. 196 in College Point. There were two school buildings added in Brooklyn, two in Staten Island, one in Manhattan and one in the Bronx.
The new middle school in Queens is located at 111-12 Astoria Boulevard in East Elmhurst and has been named the Tommie L. Agee Educational Campus, I.S. 419, in honor of the Mets ballplayer.
The school building is five stories tall and includes 18 standard classrooms and two special education classrooms, as well as reading and speech resource rooms. The school also includes a District 75 program, which contains eight additional classrooms for students.
The school serves students from grades 6 to 8 and aims to help alleviate overcrowding in the district.
Meanwhile, a 555-seat 3-story annex has been added to Francis Lewis High School located at 174-25 59th Ave. The annex includes 18 standard classrooms for grades 9-12, a culinary arts kitchen/dining classroom, science lab with an adjacent science prep room and a greenhouse.
The School construction Authority also opened a 384 seat, 3-story addition at P.S. 131 in Jamaica. The facility provides 15 standard classrooms and two special education classrooms for Pre-K-5. The addition also includes an art classroom, music classroom and dance studio.
A 250-seat addition has opened at P.S. 196 in College Point that provides 13 standard classrooms and one special education classroom for grades Pre-K-5.
The SCA also opened a high school building in Queens earlier this year—the 969-seat Academy of America Studies in Long Island City.
-- Christian Murray Venice CUSD #3 Awarded $26 Million For Emergency School Construction-- RiverBender.com Illinois: September 06, 2022 [ abstract]
VENICE - Venice CUSD #3 was awarded $26 million in funding, provided by the Capital Development Board through an emergency school construction grant.
In September 2020, Venice Elementary School in Venice, Illinois was condemned due to structural issues. Students and staff attending Venice Elementary vacated the building, attending school virtually for the entire 2020-2021 school year.
“It was a difficult year,” stated Superintendent Cynthia Tolbert.
“We were not only dealing with the challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic and virtual learning, but the Board of Education was also trying to locate a temporary school to house students.” For the 2021-2022 school year, Venice Elementary school was in a temporary location at the Melvin Price Depot located in Granite City.
-- Cynthia Tolbert Remodel, build, grow: $380 million invested in school buildings across Rochester area over five years-- Post Bulletin Minnesota: August 31, 2022 [ abstract]
ROCHESTER — It's not the end of the line in the construction process for Rochester Public Schools, but the district is hitting a major milestone.
This fall will mark the first time all four of the new schools that voters approved the funding for in 2019 will be open and in use. The $180 million in spending paved the way for the new Dakota Middle School, the new Overland Elementary, as well as the demolition and reconstruction of Longfellow Elementary and Bishop Elementary.
In addition to the new buildings, the funding is also providing new secure entrances at the district's schools, a new pool at Century High School, repairs to the Mayo High School pool, as well as the filling-in of the swimming pools at the three middle schools.
But Rochester isn't the only school district that has been taking on major projects in the last few years. Nor are all of Rochester's projects associated with the 2019 referendum completed. From Byron to Plainview-Elgin-Millville, area school districts have been asking voters to green-light some substantial upgrades.
Over the last five years, area schools have collectively spent more than $380 million for construction and renovation projects.
-- Jordan Shearer Four years after breaking ground, Passaic gets $241 million campus with four schools-- northjersey.com New Jersey: August 24, 2022 [ abstract] Gov. Phil Murphy, along with a slew of other dignitaries, touted the investment in school construction included in the 2023 budget at the ribbon-cutting for a new school in the city of Passaic on Tuesday.
That project, the Dayton Avenue Educational Campus, is one of the largest handled by the Schools Development Authority. With a price tag of nearly $241 million, it includes a 448,000-square-foot campus that will house four schools.
“Every child in this state deserves a world-class education and every child in this state deserves a world-class school in which to learn and to grow, and today here in Passaic we’re bringing those basic principals to life,” Murphy said. “Public education is not just some number in the state budget to be cut through the whims of politics. Public education has become a central and core investment in our state’s social and economic future.”
-- Katie Sobko More ‘21st century’ schools are under construction or planned for Pacific bases-- Stars and Stripes DoDEA: August 22, 2022 [ abstract] YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Hundreds of millions of dollars in construction is underway or planned to upgrade schools on overseas U.S. military bases in the Pacific, according to Department of Defense Education Activity officials.
Major projects underway in Japan include a $150 million replacement for Nile C. Kinnick High School at Yokosuka Naval Base south of Tokyo and the $95 million replacement of Bechtel Elementary School at Camp McTureous on Okinawa, DODEA Pacific chief of staff Todd Schlitz told Stars and Stripes by phone July 28.
A $175 million replacement for Kubasaki High School on Camp Foster, Okinawa, is in the design phase, he said. Work has also started on a new $20 million DODEA Pacific East District Superintendent Office at Yokota.
Plans to replace Joan K. Mendel Elementary School at Yokota have been delayed at least five years due to the project’s “size and executability concurrent with other school projects,” although they will be reviewed yearly, DODEA Pacific spokeswoman Miranda Ferguson said by email June 22.
Over the past five years, DODEA has completed projects to build, renovate or add on to Zama Middle-High School, Sasebo Elementary School, Kadena Elementary and High schools, Bob Hope Elementary School, Killin Elementary School, E.J. King Middle School, Edgren Middle School, Yokota High School and Zukeran Elementary School, Schlitz said.
-- SETH ROBSON Schools likely $63 million short on planned renovations at Philo-Hill, East Forsyth and other projects-- Winston-Salem Journal North Carolina: August 22, 2022 [ abstract] Members of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education are facing a dilemma when it comes to paying for all the projects in the $350 million bond package that voters approved in 2016.
With construction costs expected to be as much as $350 a square foot, the bond sale is now likely to fall $63 million short of finishing all the projects that came before voters.
Three projects — additions at Ward and Griffith elementary schools and a new Smith Farm Middle School — are likely to be delayed. The school board, upon the recommendation of district leaders — is now looking at altering two other projects, renovations at Philo-Hill Middle School and East Forsyth High School.
At a workshop last week, school board members talked extensively about how to approach those projects. In the end, they decided to visit each of the schools to better evaluate the needs there.
Superintendent Tricia McManus has talked previously about the subpar conditions at Philo-Hill Middle School, saying renovations there must stay on track. However, spending more at Philo-Hill may mean less extensive renovations at East Forsyth.
-- Lisa ODonnell Erie-area schools are works in progress as renovations, construction continue-- GoErie Pennsylvania: August 21, 2022 [ abstract] First-phase renovations at Erie High School are nearing completion as a four-story addition is rising at Fairview High School.
A multiyear, multi-million-dollar renovation is underway at McDowell Intermediate High School. Another is about to begin at Corry Area Middle-High School.
Cathedral Prep/Villa Maria will open a new technology center when the two schools combine this all.
They're just some of the construction and renovation projects underway as local schools prepare for the start of classes.
Erie High School work leads district's 'warm, safe and dry' projects
The first phase of a $65 million, multiyear project at Erie High School is expected to be finished ahead of schedule this fall.
-- Valerie Myers More Park City school construction projects on hold until state issues go-ahead-- KPCW.org Utah: August 19, 2022 [ abstract] School construction within Park City limits is governed by both the city and the state. The Utah State Board of Education, or USBE, issues what are called project numbers before school districts can begin construction work.
Demolition started at Park City High School at the beginning of July – without a project number. The state found out about that this week, and called the district. In response, Park City schools superintendent Jill Gildea said the district would stop work until it provides the state what it needs to issue a project number.
The school district sent some required forms to the state Friday. It still needs to provide building and energy code reviews, a state fire marshal review, a Summit County Health Department review, a storm water permit and proof of coordination with Park City.
Scott Jones is deputy superintendent in charge of operations for the USBE. According to Jones, Gildea told state schools superintendent Sydnee Dickson this week that required documents weren’t submitted to the state due to a paperwork backlog within Park City Municipal.
“She cited some kind of backlogged paper documentation of what we still need to issue the project number. And we're trying to confirm this," Jones said. "Apparently all of that is subject to backlogs at the city level and that's why this management company from Park City School District or that works for them, JD Stevens, hasn't sent all the documentation we need.”
-- Michelle Deininger Valley City school facilities in need of repair-- Valley News Live North Dakota: August 18, 2022 [ abstract] VALLEY CITY, N.D. (Valley News Live/NewsDakota.com) - The Valley City School board has moved away from the idea of building a new school due to the high cost of construction. Superintendent Josh Johnson said the focus shifted to repairing their existing facilities.
“Looking at the state of our facilities and explored building a new school, quickly recognizing over seven to eight months that through inflation, the cost of construction was not feasible for us to build new. We stepped back, took a refocus, and determined what it was that we would prioritize in our current facilities,” Johnson said.
He said the district plans to use about $3 million of COVID funding and the rest of the proposal could be financed by increasing their building fund levy.
“Currently 12 mills up to 20 mills would be an additional ask of our taxpayers to support the immediate needs that we have in our schools,” Johnson explained.
-- Gretchen Hjelmstad First Major School Rebuild on St. Croix in 27 Years Kicks Off With Demolition of Evelyn M. Williams-- The Virgin Islands Consortium National: August 17, 2022 [ abstract] Details relating to the start date of the Evelyn M. Williams school demolition were announced at a press briefing on Wednesday. The event was held jointly with the V.I. Department of Education and the Office of Disaster Recovery.
During the briefing, it was revealed that the $3 million school demolition project will begin on August 22, making way for construction of what will be the new Arthur A. Richards PreK-8 School.
Speakers at Wednesday’s event held at the abandoned Evelyn M. Williams Elementary School site in Estate Paradise included Education Commissioner Nominee Dionne Wells-Hedrington, ODR Director Adrienne Williams-Octalien, and licensed contractors.
Wells-Hedrington said it was a great day for the Dept. of Education as she relayed her elation to be present to kickoff the demolition of the first school rebuild in the territory following the storms of 2017. She said it had taken “a long time to get here,” but went on to assure the community that this was just the first of many more to come.
“It's been a long time in negotiations with FEMA,” she said. “It’s been been a long time with us having community meetings to bring the community up to speed with our facility master plan document and all the things we want to see in terms of our facilities moving forward.”
According to Wells-Hedrington, it's no secret that public education facilities in the territory were aged and extensive repairs and replacements were needed in some cases.
-- Kayra Williams Manatee School Board considers borrowing more money for capital projects-- YourObserver.com Florida: August 16, 2022 [ abstract] Inflation on construction costs is impacting every builder and developer in the region, and the School District of Manatee County is no exception.
Tim Bargeron, the associate superintendent of finance for the School District of Manatee County, said the cost of construction has increased about 20%, which means the cost of each of the district's capital projects will significantly increase as well.
The projected cost of inflation for the 15 major capital plan projects on the five-year plan is projected to be just under $42 million.
The School Board of Manatee County approved a resolution in October 2020 that allows the school district to borrow up to $100 million for capital projects.
School board members now must decide whether to borrow now, and even expand the amount that can be borrowed to $135 million or more, in order to have the ability to fast-track several projects that are scheduled late in the five-year plan.
The thought is that building sooner, even though interest must be paid on loans, will eventually save millions on possible inflation costs.
-- Liz Ramos New Loudoun County elementary school wins top recognition for energy efficient design-- Fox5dc Virginia: August 16, 2022 [ abstract]
STERLING, Va. - A brand new elementary school opening in Loudoun County is raising the roof on solar energy. The Elaine Thompson Elementary School is the first school in Sterling to have solar panels built into its design, providing 40 percent of the school's power needs.
"From the environmental perspective, this is an appropriate design model for us to do and to become more energy efficient," said Tim Sparbaine, the school's principal.
"The energy we receive is stored from the solar panels just like a battery so where it's sunny outside and we are getting more storage from the energy to where it's cloudy outside we are getting less storage so that all feeds into the overall electrical operation of our system."
The school is one of four national level award winners. The challenge recognizes new construction projects that are achieving ENERGY STAR certification for energy efficient and preventing carbon dioxide emissions.
-- Ayesha Khan School Building Authority considers putting brakes on choosing any new school construction projects-- WV Metro News West Virginia: August 11, 2022 [ abstract]
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state School Building Authority is putting the brakes for now on its annual meeting to fund school construction projects in the state because of the continued impact of high construction costs.
The authority decided Thursday to cancel its December quarterly meeting where those funding decisions are normally made.
According to SBA Chairman Brian Abraham, the authority wants to take a wait and see attitude after seeing the impact of inflation on building costs during the past several months.
“It’s the smart thing to do,” Abraham said. He added the meeting could be rescheduled at some point.
The problem with prices has been growing in recent months.
“We’ve got a lot of needs and very little ability to award those projects. Our finances are weak and we’re trying to increase that with whatever we can and with what we have right now,” then SBA Executive Director, now state School Superintendent David Roach told MetroNews back in February.
The situation hasn’t improved.
The SBA decided Thursday to add funds to previously approved construction projects in Roane and Summers counties because of bids that came in millions of dollars over budget.
The SBA approved $4.9 million in supplemental funding for Roane County and $3.6 million for Summers County. Both counties are building new middle schools.
-- Jeff Jenkins Summer is the time for school construction projects to get underway-- Alaska's News Source Alaska: August 09, 2022 [ abstract] ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - There are a lot of things that need to get done leading up to kids going back to school, but what a lot of people may not realize is on the last day of school in the spring, kids head out and maintenance workers go in.
“It gets fast — right now is the time we’re really pushing the pedal to the metal to get these projects done,” said Calvin Mundt, project manager for Capital Planning and construction for the Anchorage School District.
Mundt’s team has been working on a retubing project where two of the school’s four boilers are getting an upgrade. Mundt said it’s part of a larger project that started three summers ago when the last small chunk of funding from a 2017 bond allowed them to retube the boilers — a cost of $60,000 each — instead of having to replace them outright.
“If we were to replace each of those boilers, we would do so with a modern high-efficiency boiler — that would involve engineering and replacing all of the controls also, that’s about a million dollars a copy,” said the district’s acting Chief Operating Officer Rob Holland.
-- Ariane Aramburo and Mike Nederbrock Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs legislation investing in school facilities-- wset.com Virginia: August 06, 2022 [ abstract]
RICHMOND, Va. (WSET) — Governor Glenn Youngkin participated in the official grand opening and ribbon cutting of the Mecklenburg County Middle School and High School on August 7, a best-in-class school made possible by the community.
Youngkin signs legislation investing in school facilities across the Commonwealth.
Youngkin ceremonially signed HB 563 sponsored by Deputy Majority Leader Israel O'Quinn, R-Washington, and SB 473 and SB 471 sponsored by Senator Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond.
HB 563 and SB 473, the School construction Fund and Program will support $400 million in grants distributed based on student enrollment and local needs.
It will also support $450 million in competitive grants for high-need school's new construction, expansion, and modernization projects in partnership with local school boards.
SB 471 will provide $400 million in school construction loans and make additional improvements to the administration of the Literary Fund construction Loan Program.
-- Kaylee Shipley Gardner delays start school by at least one week due to supply chain issues-- CBS Boston Massachusetts: August 02, 2022 [ abstract] GARDNER - Pandemic-related supply chain challenges have put the new Gardner Elementary School construction project so behind schedule, school officials are delaying the start of school.
Brenda Sheehan, who takes care of her eight-year-old grandson, was taken by surprise. "Two weeks, it's a lot, and then what's going to happen at the end of the school year?" Sheehan wondered.
The two-week delay at the elementary school trickles down and forces a one-week delay at the middle and high schools, and it's complicated. Administrators have to juggle athletic schedules, bussing, and MCAS.
"There's also the teachers' contracts, which are 184 days. So you have teachers in the same bargaining unit starting at different times, ending at different times," said Mark Hawke Gardner Public School's Director of Finances and Operations.
That's why Gardner's school superintendent is asking the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for a special waiver, to excuse Gardner Elementary from having to stay open longer at the end of the year.
-- CHRISTINA HAGER New school opening 6 years after 2016 flood-- WAFB9 Louisiana: August 02, 2022 [ abstract] DENHAM SPRINGS, La. (WAFB) - A new school in Livingston Parish will soon open six years after the flood of 2016.
The new campus, which is located on the former Southside Junior High site, incorporates the students of the previous Southside Elementary and Southside Junior High.
Both previous campuses were severely damaged during the flood. Officials say water reached as high as six feet above ground in some areas. FEMA even declared the buildings could not be restored due to the extent of the damage.
To avoid any potential future flood damage, the new school buildings are constructed more than nine feet higher than the previous complex.
“This facility truly is a showcase structure,” Livingston Parish School Superintendent Joe Murphy said of the new campus. “The design and layout are the result of much research and collaborative input to ensure that every aspect of the campus enhances learning.”
-- Michael Simoneaux Other Papers Say: Plan to aid rural schools worthy-- The Columbian Washington: August 01, 2022 [ abstract] Modern school buildings support student achievement. But Washington’s reliance on local voter-approved funding for public school building projects has left some students relegated to buildings that are outdated, cramped and potentially unsafe.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal wants to change that. He intends to ask state lawmakers to revamp the state’s Common School construction Account, earmarking those public-land revenues for cash-strapped rural schools.
More details are forthcoming, but on its face it’s a good idea. It could bring the state closer to resolving the systemic funding inequities between districts with different tax bases.
The funds, from timber sales and other revenues generated on Common School trust lands, are now used to augment locally funded school remodeling and construction projects. But historically, growing urban and suburban school districts have tapped a disproportionate amount of that money, even though the rural communities where the revenues are generated have a harder time raising local funds.
About 90 percent of public school construction and renovation is funded through local bonds and levies, Reykdal said. Revenues from public lands are a dwindling supplement to those local dollars. They accounted for just 1.38 percent of the total state and local funds for K-12 schools’ capital expenditures in fiscal year 2021, down from more than 3.3 percent a decade ago, according to Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction data.
-- Seattle Times Writer Inflation causing Kentucky school construction costs to rise-- The Center Square Kentucky: July 21, 2022 [ abstract]
(The Center Square) – The current period of inflation, with rates that have not been seen for more than 40 years, is not just impacting the price of gas, food or other staples.
According to a Kentucky Department of Education official, a dozen or perhaps more public school district construction projects statewide are also bearing the brunt of the sudden rise in costs.
Chay Ritter, the director of the KDE’s Division of District Support, told the Capital Planning Advisory Board on Wednesday in Frankfort that construction costs for new school projects have almost doubled from their initial estimates. In some cases, that’s happened in less than a year.
For example, he said Christian County Schools estimated the cost to consolidate its two high schools would be $107 million last November. It rose by $10 million in February and $30 million in May.
Last week, the Kentucky New Era reported two bids for the new school to replace both Christian County and Hopkinsville high schools were $203.4 million and $198.9 million.
-- Steve Bittenbender Concerned about equity in schools? Reykdal says timber money is part of the problem-- The Olympian Washington: July 20, 2022 [ abstract]
Urban communities are “disproportionately” receiving K-12 Common School Trust Dollars, despite the trust’s revenue coming from timber harvesting in rural areas, and State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said his office wants to change that. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Reykdal held a press conference Tuesday — the first of nine OSPI has planned leading up to the legislative session in January — to outline their priorities for “transforming” public K-12 schools in the state. “We are a state that has to share in our interests,” Reykdal said. “Our kids deserve equitable opportunities to learn no matter where they are.”
The major challenge raised by OSPI is that the revenue being generated in rural Washington is “almost exclusively” ending up in counties such as King, Pierce, Spokane and even Yakima. Reykdal said that the Department of Natural Resources is responsible for managing a trust for public schools, which is primarily funded through timber harvesting. Agricultural lands and leases also fund that trust, but 50-60% of the money is generated from trees. Reykdal said that money, in turn, goes to the legislature, which decides how to appropriately fund the school system.
The Washington legislature puts that money towards the School construction Assistance Program, OSPI’s largest capital budget program, which the state uses to match funding when voters pass local school district bonds. But to pass a local bond for school funding, 60% of voters in school districts must approve the bond issue and the accompanying taxes to support it. Even if smaller, less affluent communities can pass a bond, they might be “property poor” so the amount they are matched by the legislature isn’t always significant enough to transform schools, he said. Due to the declining revenue from the harvesting of timber, Reykdal said OSPI wants to “stop depending” on those funds for the School construction Assistance Program.
-- SHAUNA SOWERSBY Hawaii Has $200 Million To Spend on Pre-K. Who Gets The Money?-- Honolulu Civil Beat Hawaii: July 15, 2022 [ abstract]
In March, Julie Kalakau determined which children would fill the seats of Sunshine School for the 2022-23 school year. When she was done, she realized that there were still enough applicants to fill two more classroom spaces, but her preschool was at capacity.
Hawaii faces a critical shortage of early learning centers. The problem was made only worse by the coronavirus pandemic, which forced some owners to permanently close their doors. A new law seeks to change this.
In a historic investment for early childhood education in Hawaii, Act 257 allocates $200 million for the construction, expansion or renovation of prekindergarten facilities across the state. The School Facilities Authority must spend the money by the end of June 2024.
The act advances the state’s ambitious goal of providing all 3- and 4-year-old students with access to preschool education by 2032, as laid out in Act 46. Currently, Hawaii only has the capacity to serve 50% of its students in that age group, and the burden of finding affordable, accessible child care primarily falls on middle and low-income families.
However, the details of construction have yet to be determined as the new law has ambiguous language that leaves open the question about what facilities are eligible for the funding.
Sylvia Luke, the chair of the House Finance Committee who introduced the bill, promised the $200 million will fund the creation of 2,000 to 4,000 prekindergarten seats over the next two years.
“This is the starting point of aggressive preschool expansion,” said Luke, who is running for lieutenant governor.
-- Megan Tagami Eatontown Public Schools to undergo energy efficiency upgrades-- centraljersey.com New Jersey: July 12, 2022 [ abstract]
EATONTOWN — This summer, the Eatontown Public Schools will begin construction as part of an Energy Savings Improvement Plan (ESIP) project.
The total cost of the project, approximately $5 million, will be funded through energy cost savings, according to a press release from the school district.
District administrators said the project will not have an impact on taxpayers. They said the work will result in more efficient and reliable heating, cooling and ventilation in all of the district’s classrooms and offices.
The ESIP project will be financed using savings in energy costs from the installation of solar panels and lighting upgrades, according to the press release.
District administrators said the money saved from these improvements will be invested in replacing all of the rooftop heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units in the district, which will provide new and more reliable HVAC systems and lead to further improvements of the district’s energy efficiency.
-- Staff Writer Construction costs hamper new schools-- New Hampshire Union Leader New Hampshire: July 09, 2022 [ abstract] As workers lay the foundation of Nashua’s newest middle school this week, Alderman Richard Dowd is keeping a close eye on the cost of what will in a few years become the Brian S. McCarthy Middle School.
Dowd, who chairs the committee of aldermen and school board members overseeing the Gate City’s major school construction, said he is wary of surprises at the McCarthy school site and the expansion of Pennichuck Middle School.
“Right now it looks good,” he said. “We always have to be careful of the unknown unknowns, everything from cost increases of products, to we open up a wall and, ‘Oh my God, we’ve got to do something else.’ ”
Money the school board and the city have set aside for unexpected expenses and “escalation,” or the expected annual cost increases on a project, are holding for now, Dowd said, though it’s possible Nashua will have to find additional funds if the projects hit any unexpected snags.
Supply chain issues, difficulty hiring and the rising cost of land and petroleum have pushed construction costs to stratospheric highs this year. The school renovations and building projects that come in a flurry during the summer are getting more expensive too.
Concord hopes that when the time comes to build its own new middle school in a few years, the market will have settled.
-- Josie Albertson-Grove Crestview awarded state funding for new school building-- Morning Journal Ohio: July 08, 2022 [ abstract] The Ohio Facilities construction Commission (OFCC) Thursday announced the approval of $55,643,416 for the district’s projected pre-K through 12 building. The total cost of the project is estimated at $63.23 million, with a local share of $7,587,738.
The project had been in the planning phases prior to COVID-19. At that point, the state put the funding for such projects on hold.
Crestview voters passed the 2.84 mill levy for the new construction in May of 2019, which was to cover $5.2 million of the $43 million project. The Ohio Schools Facility construction Commission was to cover 88 percent of the project.
As the pandemic began, Crestview continued to work with architects from Holabird and Root and BSHM to design the project. A new waterline to the school was built and now brings the school water from New Waterford.
-- KEVIN HOWELL Governor signs bill making historic investment in state-funded preschools-- Hawaii News Now Hawaii: July 07, 2022 [ abstract]
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Gov. David Ige signed five education bills Thursday that will fund ambitions of higher quality learning environments for both traditional and non-traditional students.
“Collectively, these measures empower our public schools’ focus on workforce development and ensure that schools have the resources to provide a healthy and safe learning environment,” Ige said.
House Bill 2000 will direct $200 million to the School Facilities Authority for the construction of preschool facilities in fiscal year 2022 to 2023.
This is the largest investment into public preschools in the state’s history, Ige said.
The bill will seek to build and improve on facility conditions for eligible children of public preschools.
Senate Bill 2182 will establish a school garden coordinator position within the Department of Education.
The state hopes that building on Hawaii’s farm-to-school programs will influence improvements on student health, the agricultural workforce and farm-based education.
Senate Bill 2818 will establish a summer learning coordinator position within the DOE.
-- Krista Rados Moscow School District in Idaho to ask for help from state to construct new schools-- Yahoo News Idaho: July 07, 2022 [ abstract] Jul. 7—This story has been updated from its original version to correct the name of the Moscow elementary school that could be replaced.
The Moscow School District envisions one day building two new school facilities and it is hoping to receive financial assistance from the Idaho government to achieve that goal.
Moscow School District Superintendent Greg Bailey discussed this Wednesday during a monthly meeting with local county, city and education officials.
Bailey said the school board is working on submitting a resolution to the state asking the governor to spend some of Idaho's $1.3 billion in surplus money to fund K-12 facilities.
Bailey said he is hoping the school can use state money to eventually build two new school buildings to replace Russell Elementary and Moscow High School.
Russell Elementary, built in 1926, is the oldest school in Moscow. Bailey said remodeling the existing building would be too expensive. Moscow High School is not big enough to meet the education or parking needs of its students, he said.
Having additional funding from the state may help the school district avoid having to ask voters to pass a bond to fund the new facilities.
"It's such a hard scenario in the state of Idaho to pass a bond because you have not only a super majority, but the state doesn't help support the funding," he said.
If two new school facilities are built, they would likely be located on the edge of town where there is enough land to accommodate them. Bailey said that by his estimate, the district would need 60 acres to accommodate the schools.
"We really feel good about our community's support," he said. "This community's been great to us, but we're also saying that we've got to find some different ways to get some of this funding done."
-- Anthony Kuipers, Moscow-Pullman Daily News Pueblo is suing the state over school construction projects-- KRDO Colorado: July 07, 2022 [ abstract] PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- According to The Pueblo Chieftain, Pueblo will be joining four other Colorado cities in suing the state over a recent law that pertains to school construction projects.
The law restricts a city's authority to collect taxes on school construction projects. This includes the building materials used in these projects.
According to Pueblo Mayor, Nick Gradisar, the city could lose up to 4 million dollars in tax revenue.
-- Emily Arseneau Denver, four other cities sue Colorado over tax exemption for school building materials-- Colorado Politics Colorado: July 01, 2022 [ abstract] Five Colorado cities, including Denver, filed a lawsuit against the state Thursday over a new law that exempts building materials used for public schools from sales taxes, arguing it would decrease their revenue base by millions of dollars.
Denver, Boulder, Commerce City, Pueblo and Westminster sued in Denver District Court, challenging House Bill 1024, which Gov. Jared Polis signed into law in April. The bill, set to take effect on Aug. 10, extends an existing sales tax exemption for building materials used in public works projects to also apply to public school construction projects within home rule municipalities.
Home rule municipalities are self-governing localities with the power to make their own laws and avoid state interference in local issues. The lawsuit claims the bill violates the state constitution by imposing state control over the taxing authority of home rule municipalities.
-- Hannah Metzger Alaska budget to pay $300M for old school construction costs-- KTUU Alaska: June 30, 2022 [ abstract]
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Fifteen Alaska local governments are set to share around $300 million to pay for old school construction costs as part of the budget passed by the Alaska Legislature last month that was signed into law by Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Tuesday.
Before 2015, communities with a tax base would bond for the costs of building new schools, often over many years, and the state of Alaska would then pay for around 60-70% of that incurred debt. The state’s reimbursement was subject to appropriation as noted on the bonding proposals put out to voters.
The state’s fiscal crisis saw the state’s payments come under the chopping block. The Legislature implemented a moratorium on incurring new school construction costs until 2020, which was then extended until 2025.
In 2016, then Gov. Bill Walker vetoed 25% of the state’s annual contribution for school bond debt. Gov. Mike Dunleavy controversially vetoed 50% of the state’s payments each year between 2019 and 2021 as legislators grappled with a $1.6 billion deficit.
Nils Andreassen, executive director of the Alaska Municipal League, said those vetoes had a “drastic” effect on some small communities’ bottom lines that expected the state to pay its share.
“It meant that they had to pick this up on their own,” Andreassen said. “They drew down from savings, from their maintenance accounts. It meant that they weren’t able to fund their other priorities. It meant tax increases for some communities.”
An ongoing windfall from high oil prices has changed the state’s fiscal picture, turning a billion-dollar deficit into a multibillion-dollar surplus. The Legislature appropriated roughly $300 million during the last legislative session to reimburse municipalities for school bond debt for this year, and each of the three years of Dunleavy’s vetoes.
“I don’t think we can underestimate how big a difference this is going to make for many of those communities,” Andreassen said.
-- Sean Maguire Schools getting roof relief-- The Sampson Independent North Carolina: June 29, 2022 [ abstract] Relief is finally arriving for Clinton City Schools in the form of much needed roofing repairs as part of another of their planned construction projects for this summer.
For the past few year CCS have been in dire need of these repairs, which totaled in the millions for full completion. According to school officials, this was a monumental task as the system is allotted no more than roughly $400,000 yearly for infrastructure repair to use on the schools. That changed this year due to needs-based capital funding becoming available for CCS to access.
John Lowe, CCS executive director of technology and auxiliary services, detailed how this funding came to be that helped jump-start their roof repair project.
“There are multiple avenues for school capital needs, predominantly funded in the state of North Carolina through the education lottery proceeds,” he said. “One of them is the Needs Based Public Schools Capital Fund. Up until this year, that particular fund was only for new school construction.”
“The General Assembly, however, voted and agreed in the current biennium budget to allow applications for repairs in that.” Lowe added.
Lowe went on to describe the rough shape their roofs are in.
-- Michael B. Hardison State official: school construction funding has ‘gone away’-- Buffalo Bulletin Wyoming: June 24, 2022 [ abstract]
CHEYENNE — For years, Wyoming’s school capital construction account was primarily funded by federal coal lease bonus revenues.
“Those have essentially gone away,” Senior School Finance Analyst Matthew Willmarth with the Legislative Service Office told the Select Committee on School Facilities at an interim meeting in Casper this week. “There is no revenue forecast to be collected from that revenue source.”
To help make up a portion of Wyoming’s deficit in school funding due to disappearing federal coal lease bonuses, lawmakers in 2018 eliminated an $8 million cap on state mineral royalties that could be appropriated for schools.
Looking ahead, Laramie County School District No.1 is poised to get some money for its own construction projects.
The state Constitution allows for one-third of all state mineral royalties to be appropriated for Wyoming schools, but lawmakers enacted an $8 million cap on that allocation in the 1990s.
The 2021-22 biennium was the first in which a full one-third of state mineral royalties could be deposited into the school capital construction account without that cap, Willmarth said.
“That allowance of the full one-third to be distributed for school capital construction purposes means there will be about $45 million more this year,” Willmarth said.
-- Carrie Haderlie State officials urge Westerly to reconsider state reimbursement for school project needs-- The Westerly Sun Rhode Island: June 24, 2022 [ abstract] WESTERLY — A high-ranking state education official is encouraging town officials and residents to move forward with plans to address deficiencies in the town's school buildings while the state remains able to offer special reimbursement funds.
Joseph da Silva, who serves as school construction coordinator and architectural design reviewer for the state Department of Education's School Building Authority, which administers financial reimbursements to districts that participate in the department's "necessity of construction" program, and William Trimble, the authority's finance officer, walked through the town's three elementary schools on Wednesday before reviewing the program with the School Building Subcommittee.
The presentation by da Silva and Trimble focused on the 35% base reimbursement that the town qualifies for, as well as an additional 17.5% that could be attained if the building project meets incentive thresholds. They both stressed the need to have a project that is ready to commence construction by December 2023 or else the town will risk missing out on the incentives, which are expected to expire.
-- Dale Faulkner Golden Bear pride: Southeast Local breaks ground on new $50M school building-- The Daily Record Ohio: June 21, 2022 [ abstract]
APPLE CREEK – Members of the community and Southeast Local School District gathered outside of Waynedale High School Monday night to watch and participate in the first groundbreaking ceremony the district has had in almost 60 years.
construction of the roughly 170,000-square-foot school will not start this summer — the rest of the construction bids for the project have not yet been awarded Treasurer Mark Dickerhoof said — but foundation work such as ground leveling begins this week.
Although the construction is not expected to be completed until the summer of 2024, school officials and community members are excited for the new building and the possibilities it opens for the district.
Building in the works for some time
The process of requesting building proposals began back in November 2019, Dickerhoof said, and further progress was delayed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the following spring. The district was able to pick things up last spring, choosing the architecture firm BSHM Architects and a construction manager from CT Taylor construction.
-- RACHEL KARAS Two school projects in 2016 bond may get delayed because of skyrocketing construction costs-- Winston-Salem Journal North Carolina: June 17, 2022 [ abstract] Skyrocketing construction costs mean that some school projects in the $350 million bond proposal that voters approved in 2016 may need to be delayed.
Officials with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools told the school board in a workshop recently that the sale of bonds will fall about $34 million short of covering all the work on the project list.
“We have a $34 million problem if we continue with all the projects we have in the bond,” said Nick Seeba, the director of facilities and construction for the school district.
Two of the eight remaining projects are most at risk for postponement, according to Darrell Walker, the assistant superintendent of operations for the school district.
Those projects are an addition at Ward Elementary School in southwest Forsyth County and a new middle school in the Smith Farm area, in the southeast part of the county.
Combined, those two projects were estimated to cost about $38 million, but with inflation factored in, the costs for the two projects has ballooned to about $47 million, according to school district figures.
-- Lisa ODonnell Lawsuit vs. AZ funding formula for school construction can go to trial-- tucson.com Arizona: June 15, 2022 [ abstract]
Arizona schools are entitled to get their day in court on their claim the state has shorted them by billions of dollars.
In a ruling released Wednesday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Martin rejected arguments by state officials and Republican legislative leaders that he has no right to rule on the legality of the formula they use to finance new schools and repairs for existing schools.
Martin said it’s clearly within the purview of the courts to determine if the state is complying with the constitutional requirements to maintain a “general and uniform’’ school system.
The judge also rejected arguments that he cannot review the claims first filed five years ago because the state has made adjustments to its capital funding system.
“Accepting defendants’ arguments based on mootness would preclude courts from ever deciding whether Arizona’s capital finance system complies with the constitution,’’ Martin wrote.
“Because a case of this complexity always will span multiple years — and multiple legislative sessions — the Legislature can always pass some new law that nibbles around the edges of the system, and claim that the case is moot and unripe,’’ he wrote. “Not surprisingly, Arizona law does not support such a contention.’’
There was no immediate comment from legislative leaders.
The lawsuit, filed in 2017 by a coalition of public schools and education organizations, contends lawmakers have been shorting schools each year for the capital funds to which state law says they are entitled.
The cumulative loss to schools from failure of legislators to obey the funding formula is now close to $6 billion, Danny Adelman of the Center for Law in the Public Interest, one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, said Wednesday.
The issue’s roots date back to 1994.
-- Howard Fischer Cost to Replace City's Contaminated School Exceeds Funding-- usnews.com Vermont: June 13, 2022 [ abstract]
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Plans to replace the contaminated high school in Vermont’s largest city may have to be modified because the cost is $60 million higher than what the district can afford.
The Burlington School District has given the city a $150 million bond limit to pay for the construction of a new Burlington High School and Burlington Technical Center but the project is estimated to cost the district $210 million, the Burlington Free Press reported.
In March 2021, students were moved into a retrofitted former downtown Macy's department store about six months after school administrators closed the existing school because toxic industrial chemicals known as PCBs were found in the building and soil during renovations.
Last week, Superintendent Tom Flanagan and the school commissioners discussed options to address the $60 million gap, including finding more funding sources and altering the design.
The board picked the design after hearing from the community. construction is expected to cost $181.3 million and be completed in fall 2025, if voters approve it in November. Another $29 million is estimated to be needed to remediate and remove the existing building.
-- Associated Press Delays In School Construction Could Leave Nicholas County Owing Millions To FEMA-- WVpublic.org West Virginia: June 13, 2022 [ abstract] Nicholas County Schools has just two years to complete federally backed construction projects or risk owing millions to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
During the flooding disaster of 2016, Richwood Middle School, Richwood High School, and Summersville Middle School in Nicholas County were severely damaged.
Four years later, in 2020, FEMA awarded the West Virginia School Building Authority with a grant of $131 million to replace the schools in Nicholas County.
More than $17 million of that has been spent as of June 13, 2022. The county is negotiating a construction contract that fits within the current budget.
construction was delayed because of increased costs due to COVID-19.
“We, by our estimations, are around 25 to 35 percent over our budgeted amount,” David L. Roach, Executive Director of the West Virginia School Building Authority, said.
-- David Adkins District 214's Forest View classrooms being renovated for first time in six decades-- Daily Herald Illinois: June 13, 2022 [ abstract]
With many of its classrooms still unchanged in the six decades since opening as a high school, Northwest Suburban High School District 214's Forest View Educational Center in Arlington Heights is undergoing nearly $15 million in renovations.
The work will support the district's specialized educational programs and central office staff.
The phased project broke ground June 1 and begins with a major redo of classrooms in the three-story north wing building at 2121 S. Goebbert Road, from demolition to new walls, paint, lighting, heating and cooling system updates, and technology wiring, district officials said.
construction crews also will be building out a 420-square-foot security vestibule at the northern entrance, and a 5,680-square-foot addition within an interior building courtyard will be used as a new staff training facility.
District spokeswoman Stephanie Kim said the multipurpose space also will be for student and community use, providing a gathering spot for a variety of events, classes, meetings, professional development and rentals. This past school year, the district had about 8,000 events scheduled at Forest View, Kim said.
-- Christopher Placek Va. School Boards Assn. wants focus on building modernization-- Sun Gazette Virginia: June 12, 2022 [ abstract] Unless someone has a spare $25 billion (with a “b”) hanging around, the Virginia School Boards Association plans to move forward with efforts to change the way the state funds construction of educational facilities.
That $25 billion is the estimated cost of bringing all of the commonwealth’s school infastructure up to modern standards, given that there are about 1,000 aged facilities and more than half of the commonwealth’s school buildings are at least 50 years old.
On June 2, the Virginia School Boards Association’s board of directors established a task force that will push federal, state and local leaders to provide the support needed to upgrade facilities.
“As we seek to have the best schools for our children, our facilities are a critical element,” said Teddy Martin II, president of the association.
-- Staff Writer NY legislature passes law barring new schools near highways in wake of I-81 proposal in Syracuse-- Syracuse.com New York: June 11, 2022 [ abstract]
Rydell Davis’ mother would often wipe black soot from the bedroom window of his childhood home. He grew up in Tyler Court, a street over from Interstate 81 where cars, trucks, and other motor vehicles polluted the air with toxins, causing him, and others around him, to develop asthma. But he didn’t understand that the proximity of the highway was the reason; not until he moved away.
“I began to see that my asthma got better when we moved to another side of town,” Davis said. “I always thought asthma was something that naturally happened, but as I got older and started doing my own research I was like, ‘wow, maybe the highway did play a major role in my development of asthma.’”
The negative health impacts of highways prompted state legislators to pass the Schools Impacted by Gross Highways Act last week. The law prohibits construction of schools within 600 feet of a highway.
Car exhaust is the cause of 4 million new cases of childhood asthma worldwide each year, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
-- Darian Stevenson Muncie school's renovation is improving safety, learning conditions-- WTHR.com Indiana: June 10, 2022 [ abstract]
MUNCIE, Ind. — One Muncie school is undergoing an $8 million renovation, pivoting away from an open-concept school plan toward a more traditional classroom design.
Even before the changes are done, the improvements are helping teachers feel more safe.
With students home for summer, construction workers fill East Washington Academy. The school's interior is getting a complete makeover.
Friday morning, teachers Courtney Williams and Angela Butler walked through the new classrooms to check on construction with Principal Sarah Anglin at their side. The teachers said they're already in awe of the changes.
"It is so weird to walk through it now, because you've seen it in the old way and now you're seeing the renovations and it's just unbelievable," said Williams, a third grade high ability teacher at East Washington Academy.
The school's previous open-concept plan was popular in the '80s but ended up being problematic for many schools. The lack of walls and doors make for a loud setting, hard for students to concentrate. But safety is also at the top of everyone's minds.
"Our walls were partial walls around the building and then our side wall that went out to the hallway was just simply cabinets that weren't up to the ceiling and you could hear everything going on in the hallways if someone was passing by," said Angela Butler, a master teacher at East Washington Academy.
“That was definitely a concern, safety, but also just the noise level and the distractions that you’re constantly hearing throughout the building. So the renovation that we’re going through is definitely going to help with so much of that,” Williams said.
-- Rachael Krause Peetz School District awarded $23 million BEST grant for school renovation, improvements-- South Platte Sentinel Colorado: June 09, 2022 [ abstract] Peetz School District has been awarded a $23.2 million Building Excellent Schools Today grant for the renovation and improvements to its preschool through 12th grade building, the largest grant awarded to any school district this year. It was one of 40 construction grants approved by the Colorado State Board of Education at its monthly board meeting Wednesday and Thursday, in Estes Park.
Approximately $96 million of the 2022-23 BEST grant awards will be funded through cash provided by income earned from the Colorado State Land Board, marijuana excise taxes, spillover from the Colorado Lottery and interest earned on the assistance fund. Applicants will contribute approximately $63 million in matching funds, which will ultimately amount to $159 million in total project costs. Some projects are contingent upon the approval of bond elections by school district voters.
Peetz’s project is contingent on an $11.8 million local match that must be approved by voters. The district sought a $12 million bond in the November 2021 election, but the proposal failed in a close vote with 141 against it and 121 in favor. Immediately after the election, the district made it known that they would still be pursuing a BEST grant with the intention of going back to voters this November in hopes of securing a bond.
-- Callie Jones South Carolina spending hundreds of millions of dollars help schools with aging infrastructure-- live5news.com South Carolina: June 09, 2022 [ abstract]
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - As the Saluda County School District educates future generation of Tigers, schools like Saluda Elementary are hampered by aging infrastructure of the past.
For starters, there’s the tight cafeteria that can barely squeeze in five classes at lunchtime, the wires held up by zip ties in the hallways, and the boiler rooms that flood with a good rain.
The oldest part of the building went up in 1950, and staff say it is well past its prime.
“The infrastructure is to the point now that it’s almost impossible to upgrade our facilities to be cost-effective right now,” Saluda Superintendent Dr. Harvey Livingston said.
But in Saluda County, the tax base isn’t there to afford major renovations and construction, a problem that plagues school districts in South Carolina’s poorer, rural areas.
“A millage tax in some of our poorest counties only brings in $20,000, and in our richest counties, it brings in $2 million,” South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman said. “So you can tell how difficult it is to build a school.”
Now the state Department of Education is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to help these schools out.
The department worked with the state’s Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office to rank every school district based on need, using their per capita incomes, index of tax-paying ability of the school district, and index of tax-paying ability of the county.
-- Mary Green N.J. is supposed to replace Newark’s crumbling schools. So far, it hasn’t.-- Chalkbeat Newark New Jersey: June 06, 2022 [ abstract]
Joshcelynne Henderson fondly recalls her childhood school in New Jersey with its green lawns, shiny playground equipment, and bright classrooms.
The elementary school she went to in wealthy Somerset County is a world apart from the one her children attend in Newark. Students there struggle to focus on hot days in classrooms without air conditioning, they couldn’t use the water fountains this year due to lead concerns, and at recess they dart across bare asphalt that serves as both playground and parking lot.
“These schools are old,” she said.
Indeed, the average Newark school building was erected more than 90 years ago, district officials say — more than twice the national average — and many suffer from leaky roofs, outdated boilers, and dilapidated restrooms. Rundown buildings can dampen students’ enthusiasm for school and, in some cases, impair their learning.
Now, Newark wants to modernize its aging schools — a dream which, in the past, has been dashed by inadequate funding.
The district is looking to construct 10 new school buildings and undertake major repairs at more than 60 existing schools, according to an ambitious five-year capital plan, which the state approved in March.
-- Patrick Wall Design for Sharks’ new school nearly done; new bill could help fund construction-- Post Guam Guam: June 05, 2022 [ abstract]
The design for the new Simon Sanchez High School is 90% complete and a bill introduced Tuesday could help close the gap in funding needed to see the project to fruition.
Simon Sanchez High School students have been waiting nearly 10 years for the new facility, the planning and construction of which has been hit by multiple delays including procurement battles, the COVID-19 pandemic, and environmental issues. As time lapsed, the cost of construction has increased, which means the $65 million Guam Department of Education has committed for the new high school campus now falls short.
GDOE estimated the cost for the new Simon Sanchez High School would be about $138 million.
“Right now, we are in design stage. While we are working on estimates, the final decision on what will be constructed depends on how much money is available,” said Superintendent Jon Fernandez.
The design was supposed to have reached the 90% target on May 26, but Fernandez has said it was a moving target.
The unforeseen discovery of endangered snails on almost 2 acres of the property forced Taniguchi Ruth Makio Architects to make modifications to the design in order to work around the snails' habitat. The modification resulted in the loss of 16 classrooms.
“We have scaled down but not for cost issues alone. We cut back the number of classrooms to more closely align with projected amount of students at SSHS. Luckily, this reduction helped us resolve the impact of the snails by allowing us to shift the school to avoid the area,” Fernandez said.
-- Jolene Toves New Cedar Rapids school ‘neighborhoods’ offer space for teacher, student collaboration-- The Gazette Iowa: June 05, 2022 [ abstract]
CEDAR RAPIDS — Harrison Elementary School Principal Trista Manternach is excited her school is one of the next buildings in the Cedar Rapids district to be modernized.
As Manternach walks through the building where she has been principal for six years, she points to exposed radiators in classrooms and the single-court gym that pose a burn risk.
At Harrison Elementary, students work at desks placed in the hallway when they need to work one-on-one with a teacher or in a small group. With students passing through the hallways to go to recess, special classes and lunch, it is often a distraction for students trying to learn, Manternach said.
The building also is not available for the community to use it after school hours because there are no restrooms available to the public, Manternach said.
These concerns will all be addressed when Harrison Elementary is either renovated or moved to a new building — the fourth elementary school to be constructed in the Cedar Rapids Community School District in about five years.
A facilities plan approved by the Cedar Rapids school board earlier this year will combine Harrison and Madison elementary school attendance zones by fall 2025. District officials are considering two options on how to do that: Renovate the existing Harrison building at 1310 11th St. NW, or build a new building on the grounds of Madison Elementary, 1341 Woodside Dr. NW.
-- Grace King Climate change is forcing schools to close early for ‘heat days’-- The Washington Post National: June 04, 2022 [ abstract]
Temperatures kept rising in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Finally, it was just too hot to keep students in classrooms without air conditioning. On Tuesday, both systems let students out early.
For Principal Richard M. Gordon IV, it was just another early-summer day in the halls of his West Philadelphia high school, where sweltering temperatures, high humidity and a lack of ventilation made classrooms so uncomfortable that students could barely sit still.
“Can I honestly say effective learning is happening in my building? I can’t,” said Gordon, the principal of Paul Robeson High School.
Climate change poses a growing threat to American schools. Regions where extreme heat was once rare — from the Northeast to the Pacific Northwest — now periodically find their buildings unbearably hot as spring turns to summer and again when classes resume in August or September.
In much of the South, air conditioning has long been a necessity, and schools are typically outfitted with centralized systems, although rising temperatures may require upgrades.
But in places such as Philadelphia, air conditioning was a luxury decades ago, when most school buildings were constructed. Perhaps there was a hot day in mid-June or an uncomfortable swelter in early September. They were flukes.
-- Laura Meckler and Anna Phillips FEMA allocates $35M to retrofit public schools to resist earthquakes-- News is My Business Puerto Rico: June 03, 2022 [ abstract] The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has allocated a total of $150 million — of which it is obligating nearly $35 million in a first phase — to modify the structures of some 55 public schools to make them more earthquake-resistant and meet updated building codes.
The “seismic retrofit” — defined as “the modification of existing structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes” — seeks to improve those structures that were not damaged by the 2019 and 2020 earthquakes.
FEMA confirmed that the initial obligation has been allocated to the Puerto Rico Public Buildings Administration through its Hazard Mitigation Grants Program (HMGP).
Specifically, the HMGP project proposes to evaluate, design, and reinforce those buildings to reduce the risks to future seismic events and mitigate loss of life and damage to critical infrastructure.
The funds for the first phase of the project will be used to evaluate and determine if the properties are historic, if they are in a flood zone, among other considerations.
Work will also be done to develop designs, specifications, and the corresponding estimate for each facility to carry out the refurbishment work. During the second stage, funds will be allocated to cover the costs of auctions, permits and construction.
The total estimate for the two phases of the project hovers at around $150 million, the federal agency noted.
-- Staff Writer Skyrocketing Building Costs Affecting W.Va. School Construction Projects-- WVpublic.org West Virginia: June 02, 2022 [ abstract] Inflated building costs are causing school construction projects across West Virginia to go back to the drawing board.
In April of last year, seven West Virginia counties (Mercer, Jefferson, Roane, Greenbrier, Mineral, Ohio and Summers) divided up $75 million in state funding to either replace, renovate or relocate outdated school buildings.
But with rising construction costs, the state School Building Authority (SBA) estimates a 25 percent increase to fund those projects, maybe more.
SBA Director of Special Projects Sue Chapman said the authority is working to refinance bonds and get an additional $29.5 million to supplement project costs.
She said each school district will also have to pare down on their original construction plans.
-- Randy Yohe Lack of school impact fees costs Cape Region taxpayers-- Cape Gazette Delaware: May 27, 2022 [ abstract] As enrollment has increased in Cape Henlopen School District, so has a call for equity in the funding of major school construction and renovation projects to house the growing numbers of students.
Since Beacon and Mariner middle schools opened in 2003, district enrollment has grown by more than 2,000 students, with the biggest increases occurring in the last 10 years, according to data provided by Assistant Superintendent Jenny Nauman.
In 2011, the student population was 4,845. As of Sept. 30, 2021, 6,078 students were enrolled, and as of May 19 enrollment increased to 6,265 students.
Along with this growth has come a burgeoning need for new schools. The Cape district has churned out a school a year for six years for a total construction cost of $212 million, according to data provided by Cape Director of Capital Projects Brian Bassett.
Love Creek Elementary opened in 2017 and cost $30 million; H.O. Brittingham Elementary opened in 2018 and cost $32 million, including demolition costs; and Rehoboth Elementary opened in 2019 and cost $33 million.
-- Ellen Driscoll Democrats Renew School Bond Push in $130 Billion Infrastructure Bill-- Bloomberg National: May 20, 2022 [ abstract]
Congressional Democrats are looking to invest $130 billion in the nation’s crumbling schools, partly by reviving a type of debt financing killed by tax reform during the Trump administration.
The Rebuild America’s Schools Act, which went to committee markup Wednesday, would establish a $100 billion grant program and authorize $30 billion of school infrastructure tax credit bonds, both aimed at high-poverty schools around the country where shabby infrastructure poses a health risk to students and staff.
The bill, introduced by Virginia Democrat Bobby Scott, marks a renewed push to pass school infrastructure funding through a gridlocked Congress after a similar measure folded into President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Act failed. Democrats argue schools desperately need repair, and federal Covid-19 stimulus should be used for emergency purposes, not long overdue projects.
The somewhat obscure securities would likely be embraced by investors in the $4 trillion muni market, and schools would get a new tool for borrowing. “Issuers like having flexibility, and this is a structure that has had a long history in the market,” said Jamie Iselin, head of muni fixed income for Neuberger Berman. “There is typically an investor for every type of security.”
The debt portion of the proposed bill would reauthorize tax credit bonds, or TCBs, for school construction purposes after former President Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated them. Unlike tax exempt muni-bonds, which exclude interest from federal taxes, TCBs give a credit or payment to the issuer or investor.
-- Nic Querolo Capital Spending for School Districts is a Local Affair-- Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury Tennessee: May 18, 2022 [ abstract] The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has released a report detailing the amount and types of capital spending for local school districts and an overview of the methods districts and local governments use to pay for capital and debt spending.
Spending for public school capital projects by both local school districts and their county and city governments totaled an estimated $2 billion in fiscal year 2019-20, including spending for land; building construction and renovation; related facilities like parking lots and athletic fields; as well as equipment like desks, chairs, playground equipment, and buses.
The bulk of capital spending on K-12 school facilities, and any related debt payments on loans, is paid from local revenues, including revenues from bonds and notes issued by local governments, adequate facilities taxes, and dedicated property taxes. The state supports capital spending for schools primarily through the state’s share of Basic Education Program (BEP) funding for several components related to capital needs. State dollars allocated in fiscal year 2019-20 totaled $503 million for the BEP’s capital outlay, equipment, and technology components. (The BEP’s capital outlay component will be folded into the newly-approved Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) base funding formula, which will be implemented in school year 2023-24. Equipment and technology components are to be split between TISA’s base, weighted, and direct funding components.)
The report reviews the factors that can increase capital spending for schools, including student enrollment growth, classroom size limit, the age and quality of school buildings, and the cost of building materials and labor. The report’s focus on spending and revenue data from 2019-20 captures more typical spending patterns that occurred mainly before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the large injections of federal emergency relief funds known as ESSER.
-- Staff Writer Couch tells school board that renovation of KCMS is 'off the table'-- Kent County News Maryland: May 18, 2022 [ abstract]
ROCK HALL — Renovation of the Kent County Middle School building is off the table, Superintendent Karen Couch told the Board of Education at its meeting May 9.
During her report, Couch said the Interagency Commission on School construction (IAC), an offshoot of the Maryland State Department of Education that provides funds for school construction, visited Kent County on May 6 to tour the middle and high schools.
“They notified us that renovation of the existing (middle school) facility is off the table,” Couch said. “They are absolutely in favor of new construction … and where the new construction is going to be, that is for us to decide and we’re not at that point yet.”
Couch said the IAC was against renovation due to the age and condition of the existing middle school.
The IAC said renovation of the existing building would be “upwards of $100 million,” Couch told the school board. She estimated a new school would cost about $70 million.
There are two site possibilities for the new school: the existing site in Chestertown or the high school site in Worton, either attaching or building within close proximity of that school.
“And that really is something that we have to make some determination after we’ve had an opportunity to get community input,” Couch said.
That input will likely happen in early fall, she said.
-- MACKENZIE BRADY Court injunction stops Del Mar Heights School construction-- Del Mar Times California: May 18, 2022 [ abstract] construction has been temporarily halted on the Del Mar Heights School rebuild after San Diego Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal granted Save the Field’s preliminary injunction on May 12. The action comes about two months after the old school was knocked down and construction began on the new campus on Boquita Drive.
Save the Field’s latest legal action challenges the city of San Diego’s approval of the project, arguing that it did not comply with the California Environmental Quality Act because its approvals relied on a court-ordered vacated mitigated negative declaration and a “focused” environmental impact report. Save the Field’s attorneys have argued that environmental review may not be split between two documents.
“Judge Bacal found significant and serious flaws in the Del Mar Union School District’s plans and implementation – so serious as to issue an injunction to protect the environment from further destruction,” said Save the Field in a statement issued on May 18. “DMUSD has consistently and continuously operated as if laws and rules don’t apply to them. The court had to take action issuing the injunction, because the district has ignored the facts and attempted to silence community concerns that raised real, material issues that could and should have been addressed years ago.”
-- Karen Billing Lakota Schools will present facilities needs to public, provide tours-- journal-news.com Ohio: May 18, 2022 [ abstract] Some of the two dozen school buildings in Butler County’s largest school system are aging or increasingly inadequate when it comes to providing modern learning spaces for 17,000 students or even more in the future, said school officials.
Lakota Schools officials recently announced a series of public meetings to let residents and others learn more about not only the state of its 24 school buildings, but also what facility needs are projected in the coming years as the district’s two townships continue to grow.
A “master facilities plan” is essential for Lakota’s future, said district officials.
And while public input is being gathered — and many decisions remain to be made in the coming months — any replacement or upgrade of existing Lakota buildings will likely require asking residents to approve higher school taxes to supplement state construction funding for projects.
But Lakota officials said no decisions as to the timing or size of a possible tax hike have been made.
“As we look to the future, it is crucial that we have a master facilities plan in place,” said Betsy Fuller, spokeswoman for Lakota Schools.
The work toward such a facilities plan actually started prior to the March 2020 onset of COVID-19 and was paused during the pandemic until recent months, though surveys of school parents, staff and others have been an on-going, periodic process.
-- Michael D. Clark Mobile high school stadium construction hits snag-- LocalNews8.com Alabama: May 18, 2022 [ abstract]
MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) — Students at two schools where new football stadiums are under construction will have to wait a little longer than planned to watch games under the Friday night lights.
The Mobile County Public School System has four stadiums under construction and had hoped to open fields at LeFlore and Vigor high schools in August. But school system spokeswoman Rena Philips told FOX10 News that a variety of obstacles are causing a delay in that timeline. For instance, she said, workers have had difficulty getting aluminum transported to the construction sites.
“It’s like everything else in the country. … And so yes, we have had delays with some truck drivers and some materials and some weather delays,” she said.
Still, Philips added, officials hope to open the new stadiums at both schools before the end of the season. construction also is under way at Davidson and B.C. Rain high schools. The school system is paying the roughly $20 million cost with money the state has borrowed and dedicated for school construction projects.
-- Brendan Kirby Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary Education Approves $550M in School Construction Projects-- einnews.com Rhode Island: May 18, 2022 [ abstract] PROVIDENCE, RI — The Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary Education has voted to approve $550 million in new school construction projects across Rhode Island, allowing for educational enhancements, health and safety improvements, new physical education and media centers, and five new schools to be built.
These improvements literally span the state: from our southernmost point on Block Island to Cumberland in the north, and from Tiverton in the east to Scituate in the west,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Today’s approval by the Council is an affirmation of my administration’s commitment to fixing schools in every corner of Rhode Island. We are excited to hit the ground running and give these communities all the support they need to build great schools for our kids”
“Our school construction program is transforming hundreds of school buildings across the state. That initial investment culminates today in the release of the last of those funds,” said General Treasurer Seth Magaziner. “Now we must move forward with a second state school construction bond, to continue this vital work so that all children can go to schools that are warm, safe, dry, and equipped for twenty-first century learning.”
Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio and House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi said, “In the last few years, communities across Rhode Island have been energized by school improvement and construction projects. In many places, the benefits of these long-overdue investments in educational facilities are already being enjoyed. This latest round of approvals will enable more cities and towns to replace aging and ailing facilities with safe, modern and engaging learning spaces. Our children deserve every resource and advantage we can provide, and these projects represent the foundation of our state’s future.”
-- Rhode Island Department of Education What are needs-based school construction grants and who gets them?-- edNC.org North Carolina: May 18, 2022 [ abstract]
Last week, superintendents gathered at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to celebrate the distribution of almost $400 million in needs-based school construction grants.
Twenty-eight districts received grants, which will provide funding for 42 projects such as new schools, renovations, and new classrooms, according to a DPI press release.
“Just as all students in North Carolina need an excellent teacher in every classroom, students and teachers need high quality schools in good repair that help support learning,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt in a press release. “These needs-based grants are an important boost for many districts and communities — and most importantly, their students.”
The grant distribution this year is the largest in the history of the needs-based public school capital fund, which has sent out $739 million in the last five years, funding “60 new K-12 construction projects, including 33 new schools, eight new buildings, and the replacement of 44 existing schools,” according to the press release.
Here’s which districts received this year’s awards, what they’re being used for, and how much each district received. For example, Polk County Schools will receive $1.3 million for an addition to Tryon Elementary School, Warren County Schools will receive $24 million to build a new elementary school, and Mooresville Graded School District will receive $615,750 for renovations to two schools.
All of this raises a question: What in the world is the needs-based public school capital fund?
-- Alex Granados Beaverton voters approve $723 million school construction bond-- Oregon Live Oregon: May 17, 2022 [ abstract]
Beaverton School District voters approved a $723 million bond to replace Beaverton High and Raleigh Hills K-8 school and carry out deferred maintenance and seismic upgrades throughout the district.
To pay for it, property taxes will increase by 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, resulting in a $709 school construction-related tax bill for the owner of the typical home, assessed at $303,000. If voters had rejected the bonds, the tax rate would instead have fallen 41 cents per $1,000, yielding a $509 tax bill for school construction debt on such a home.
Preliminary results as of 1 a.m. Wednesday showed 54% of Beaverton School District voters approving the bond and 46% rejecting it.
There was no organized opposition to the bond. Proponents raised $150,000 for brochures, online ads and other promotional efforts. Lead funders were Pacific Office Automation, at $25,000, and Nike, with $20,000. Three other donors -- food company executive Patricia Reser, law firm Miller Nash and construction company Kirby Nagelhout -- each gave $15,000.
By far the largest outlay from the bond, $253 million, will be to build a new Beaverton High on the campus that is home to the school, which was built in 1916 and has been expanded many times over the years. It’s the only high school in the district with a seismic rating indicating it would be at risk of partial or full collapse during an earthquake, district officials say. It also needs $53 million worth of repairs, which the district now won’t have to pay for.
-- Betsy Hammond and Fedor Zarkhin VALLEY CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FUTURE FACILITIES OPTIONS DISCUSSED-- NewsDakota.com North Dakota: May 17, 2022 [ abstract] VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Valley City school board continues to move cautiously on whether the district should build a new school or repair their existing facilities.
During a public meeting on May 16th, superintendent Josh Johnson said the district it facing some tough decisions due to aging buildings and facility maintenance upgrade needs. He said the district it looking at the most cost-effective option for all school district stakeholders.
Johnson said under one option, the cost to build a new grade 7-12 structure is estimated at $55 million. He said the school district has $3 million in COVID dollars to use for a new building. He said if there was a referendum vote and it passed, the maximum allowed would be $40 million, but, he said the district would still be $12 million short for that proposed construction project.
During the meeting, someone asked if the remaining money could be made up using dollars from the state Legacy Fund. Rep. Dwight Kiefert said it was unlikely that lawmakers would reach a two-thirds majority to free up funding for school district building projects, being there are other needs for those dollars across the state.
Johnson was asked about the school district’s priority for a new heating and cooling system, he had this response.
Johnson talked about how the school district can use their existing $3.8 million in COVID funding and the timeline.
Johnson believes transferring existing technologies and furniture would not be a cost effective issue, if the school district built a new structure.
-- Steve Urness State legislature passes bill with $200 million for expanding preschool access-- MauiNow Hawaii: May 13, 2022 [ abstract] The Hawaiʻi State Legislature passed six bills that invest $220 million in education, with $200 million appropriated for the goal of expanding preschool access to all 3- and 4-year olds by 2032.
The $220 million is in addition to the $2.4 billion in the Department of Education’s most recent budget. The bills were sent to Gov. David Ige for his consideration.
The biggest chunk of the additional funding is for the education portion of HB 2000. It appropriates $200 million to the School Facilities Authority to expand access to pre-kindergarten for eligible children. The funds may be used to construct new school facilities; renovate, improve and expand existing school facilities to increase pre-kindergarten student capacity; and any other costs to increase pre-kindergarten student capacity within the state.
In 2020, the legislature passed Act 46, which created a goal to expand preschool access to all 3- and 4-year olds by 2032. But there were two issues with meeting that goal: lack of preschool facilities and lack of a qualified workforce.
“Making big change such as providing preschool access for 3- and 4-year old keiki takes time,” said Rep. Justin Woodson, Chair of the House Committee on Education. “Last year, we adopted HB 1362 to create a stipend program for UH students to become early childhood educators. This year, HB 2000 provides an appropriation of $200 million to create appropriate spaces for these keiki to learn effectively. This investment lays the foundation for Hawaii’s children to succeed.”
-- Staff Writer Wu to launch a new era of school construction, pledging $2 billion to revamp city’s school facilities-- The Boston Globe Massachusetts: May 12, 2022 [ abstract]
Mayor Michelle Wu pledged Thursday to spend $2 billion to overhaul Boston’s deteriorating school facilities, under an ambitious effort that would begin with 14 new school buildings or major renovations.
Wu billed the proposal as a “Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools” and promised to greatly accelerate the pace of construction in a school system that has built fewer than a dozen new schools over the last 40 years, and where some buildings date to the 1800s. In many schools, the clanking of steam radiators distracts students, learning spaces are devoid of sunlight and fresh air, and water fountains lack drinkable water.
“These improvements are long overdue, decades overdue in many cases, and we’re often seeing the consequences of deferred maintenance,” Wu said outside the McKinley Elementary School in the South End.
“Our young people see that every day in the feelings they have when they enter buildings where you can see water stains on the ceiling tiles, or shades that don’t properly work, or windows that are sticky to open,” Wu said. “And we’re seeing that has built and reinforces mistrust between the city and the community we are here to serve.”
The ultimate goal is to ensure that every school community will be in an upgraded building. But that could involve some difficult decisions about combining schools in a district where many families like the intimacy of small schools, even if it comes at the expense of art, music, or gym. That dynamic has sometimes made it difficult for administrators to win support for large-scale projects.
The new building plan comes as BPS is grappling with a decline in enrollment and is under pressure from some elected officials and fiscal watchdogs to close buildings. Current enrollment is about 49,000, down about 8,000 students over the past decade.
-- James Vaznis Detroit school board approves $700 million facility plan-- Chalkbeat Detroit Michigan: May 10, 2022 [ abstract] The Detroit school board unanimously approved the district’s ambitious $700 million facility plan, setting up major renovations and rebuilds for school buildings across the city over the next half a decade.
The district will spend $281 million to rebuild five schools, $296 million to renovate buildings, and $128 million to reopen previously closed school buildings, expand pre-K, build additions onto existing schools, and demolish or sell some vacant buildings.
The major building changes would include:
constructing new buildings on the current sites of Cody High School and Paul Robeson/Malcolm X Academy.
Reopening Paul Vetal Elementary, which closed in 2011, with an expanded pre-kindergarten program.
Building new additions at Charles Wright Academy, Communication and Media Arts High School, and John R. King Academy.
Closing Ann Arbor Trail Magnet Elementary-Middle School and Thurgood Marshall Elementary School by phasing out enrollment over the next several years.
Demolishing or selling active and closed school buildings, including Post Middle School, and Biddle and Larned elementary schools.
-- Ethan Bakuli Proposed Cedar Rapids middle, high school building upgrades to cost estimated $323M-- The Gazette Iowa: May 10, 2022 [ abstract]
CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids Community School District is considering going to voters in March 2023 to approve a general obligation bond referendum to finance $323 million in secondary school building projects.
One consideration is consolidating the district’s six middle schools into four. Another is creating a new central aquatic center instead of upgrading the three separate swimming pools at Jefferson, Kennedy and Washington high schools, said Susan Bowersox, with OPN Architects, who presented an update on secondary schools facility needs assessment during a school board meeting Monday.
Renovated middle schools could have between 900 and 1,200 students, an increase of the between 500 to 800 students now at each middle school. New middle and high school buildings are also on the table.
“Do we talk about new construction versus major renovations?” Bowersox said. “When you talk about renovating a 100-year-old building to prepare it for the future, those are not small renovations.”
The school board last year approved an agreement between the district and OPN Architects to study secondary schools for a facility needs assessment, including the district’s six middle schools, three high schools and its alternative high school, Metro.
Final recommendations on the secondary facilities master plan will be presented to the school board this fall. The district had planned to present a facilities master plan recommendation for secondary schools this month, but more time is needed, Bowersox said.
Proposed construction projects to secondary schools include upgraded athletic facilities, upgraded music rooms, more space in nursing and counseling offices, flexible classroom spaces and furniture, collaboration spaces for students and staff, single-occupany restrooms, LED lighting, floor and ceiling replacements, upgraded kitchen equipment and technology upgrades.
District board documents included facility needs at McKinley STEAM Academy, Taft Middle School and Washington High School.
McKinley STEAM Academy could see a new 400-meter running track, new football and soccer fields, three new tennis courts, a new accessible competition gym and new boys’ and girls’ locker rooms.
-- Grace King McClymonds High School community has high hopes for campus overhaul-- The Oaklandside California: May 09, 2022 [ abstract] McClymonds High School will soon be getting a makeover. The West Oakland school, which has occupied the same campus since 1938, is set to receive $65 million over the next three years—part of a $735 million bond approved by Oakland voters in 2020 to modernize and upgrade Oakland Unified school sites. construction is scheduled to begin in 2024, but community members, school and district officials, and architects must first agree on a vision for the campus revamp.
All those involved agree that the renovation of McClymonds’ campus, located on Myrtle and 26th streets, is long overdue. In addition to needed technology and seismic upgrades, there are environmental and safety concerns to address, including elevated lead levels in the plumbing infrastructure and carcinogens in the groundwater. School and community leaders are hopeful that a modernized campus will also attract more students to McClymonds, where enrollment in recent years has plummeted.
While optimism about the project is high, there are concerns: Some community members worry the funds won’t be enough to realize all of the desired improvements, and that a renovated campus could catch the eye of charter schools looking to expand or relocate. And the level of community engagement in the planning process thus far hasn’t been what many had hoped.
“This is not going to be an easy process,” said VanCedric Williams, the school board director for District 3 where McClymonds is located. “We’re all in agreement that McClymonds deserves some new energy and some new designs. We’re going to continue to push through this conversation.”
-- Ashley McBride State Provides Grant for School Project Addressing Crumbling Foundation Concern-- CT NBC Connecticut: May 07, 2022 [ abstract] The state legislature passed a measure that'll provide additional funding for the Windermere Building Project, aimed at addressing crumbling foundation concerns.
The measure lawmakers passed pertains to the school construction portion of the budget implementation bill.
Ellington Public Schools said the new measure increases the reimbursement rate from 55.4% to 70%. This will provide the school district with just over $9 million additional dollars than expected.
This higher reimbursement rate is expected to save Ellington taxpayers money.
"As Board Chair and former Windermere parent, I am thrilled with the progress we have made on this project in shaping it for the community. We appreciate the leadership of Mr. Greenleaf, who has a unique and extensive skill set in school construction projects, and many others who have worked to proactively address our facilities and we appreciate the State’s recognition of this ongoing concern,” said Board of Education Chair Jennifer Dzen.
The school district said the bill will make the project eligible for state funding. They're planning to submit an application to the Office of School construction Grants and Review for consideration.
The project also gets to move forward six months earlier than previously anticipated because of this new measure.
-- Staff Writer CT lawmakers set to pass reforms to troubled school construction program-- the CT mirror Connecticut: May 03, 2022 [ abstract] State lawmakers are poised to enact a number of reforms to Connecticut’s school construction office as a federal investigation continues into the multibillion-dollar grant program.
Legislators in the House folded several changes to the program into the state’s annual budget bill, which they passed early Tuesday morning. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation Tuesday night.
The reforms tighten the bidding procedures for school construction contracts and set stricter deadlines for completing audits of school building projects.
The state Office of School construction Grants and Review has been in the spotlight since February, when state officials revealed that a federal grand jury subpoenaed records related to the school grant program.
That subpoena — and similar summons that were sent to at least five municipalities — suggest that federal prosecutors are focused on investigating the work of former Office of Policy and Management deputy secretary Konstantinos Diamantis, who ran the school construction office for more than six years.
Diamantis, who previously served as a state Democratic lawmaker, was removed from both his state jobs last October.
-- Andrew Brown Nearly $400 Million Awarded in Needs-Based School Construction Grants-- NC Department of Public Instruction North Carolina: May 03, 2022 [ abstract] More than two dozen school districts across North Carolina will share nearly $400 million in new state lottery-funded grant awards for school construction, renovation projects and other capital improvements.
Among the projects to be funded by the grants, aimed at districts in economically distressed counties, are 14 new or replacement school buildings, including four high schools, a Career and Technical Education Center, and a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade school.
The grants, awarded under the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, represent the largest annual allocation under the program, created by the General Assembly in 2017 from state lottery revenues. The grants are in addition to the state’s lottery-supported Public School Building Capital Fund, from which all districts receive an allocation each year.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt said the needs-based grants are a key support for districts where local tax resources fall short of needs for modernizing or replacing aging school facilities.
“Just as all students in North Carolina need an excellent teacher in every classroom,” she said, “students and teachers need high quality schools in good repair that help support learning. These needs-based grants are an important boost for many districts and communities – and most importantly, their students.”
In all, districts in 28 counties are benefiting from this year’s round of needs-based grants, with 42 individual projects that include new schools, improvements such as roof replacements, renovations, and new classroom additions. Thirteen of the 28 districts had previously been awarded needs-based grants, but construction of the funded projects had not been started.
-- Staff Writer PSD to finish Timnath Middle-High School, do improvements on 20 other schools this summer-- Coloradoan Colorado: May 03, 2022 [ abstract]
Poudre School District will finalize construction on Timnath Middle-High School this summer and conduct about 30 projects across 20 other locations.
Timnath Middle-High School is nearly done with construction, while Wellington Middle-High School recently finished. The final two new schools approved by voters in the 2016 bond are set to open on time — and be completed on budget — for students grades six through 10 in August. Both have the capacity to serve 1,500 students and can be expanded to serve 1,800 students.
Back in 2016, the bond gave the district $375 million to address population growth occurring in the district and complete facility improvements on 50 existing schools. The bond funded construction of three new schools, an athletics complex at Timnath Middle-High and a new transportation facility. Voters also approved an $8 million mill levy override that year to address growth in PSD and fund the new schools' startup costs.
PSD Director of construction Earl Smith said the two middle-high schools alone were a massive undertaking and that their developer told them “most school districts don't attempt one project of this size, let alone do two of them at the same time.”
Wellington Middle-High received its certificate of occupancy earlier this year and is in the process of moving in furniture and supplies for the upcoming year. The Wellington construction project was estimated to cost up to $130 million.
-- Molly Bohannon Major renovation turns Stevensville Schools into community showcase-- 8KPAX Montana: April 30, 2022 [ abstract]
STEVENSVILLE — After more than $20 million and over two years of disruption, the biggest school renovation in Bitterroot is finally complete.
When Stevensville School leaders proposed, and voters approved, two major bond issues in 2019 the district embarked on an ambitious path to renovate both the elementary and high school. No one knew of the pandemic and disruption to come.
into community showcase
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By: Dennis BraggPosted at 3:56 PM, Apr 30, 2022 and last updated 12:31 PM, May 02, 2022
STEVENSVILLE — After more than $20 million and over two years of disruption, the biggest school renovation in Bitterroot is finally complete.
When Stevensville School leaders proposed, and voters approved, two major bond issues in 2019 the district embarked on an ambitious path to renovate both the elementary and high school. No one knew of the pandemic and disruption to come.
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"They were difficult times for us in the education field and really transitioning to offsite," Stevensville School Superintendent Bob Moore said this week, sitting inside the new Commons at the renovated high school, just minutes after it was opened for the first time.
"It did help us in the construction project quite frankly because when the students weren't here, they were able to accomplish a lot of projects that you wouldn't normally have been able to do while we were in session."
In fact, the timing was everything. The district was also able to tap into historically-low bond rates and lock down the project before all the supply issues and spiking construction costs. And Thursday, the community got to see the results. A dramatic transformation.
-- Dennis Bragg After building failure, renovated school will be ‘worth the wait’-- School News Network Michigan: April 29, 2022 [ abstract]
Godfrey-Lee — Chilling wind and rain did not dampen a long-awaited celebration at Lee Middle and High School.
District leaders, students, staff, community members and project partners gathered to break ground on a two-year restoration and expansion project. Over 100 years old, the building experienced a structural failure in June 2019, causing part of the roof to collapse.
In November 2020, the community voted in support of a $17.9 million bond program to fund a major transformation to the building.
“This is an exciting time for our students, staff and community,” Superintendent Michael Burde said. “This project is a testament to our community’s unity and support. Together, we are restoring and improving the school, to ensure it serves our students well for decades to come.”
Burde thanked the Godfrey-Lee community for its “tremendous support” and for the “staff’s perseverance after the building collapsed.” He described the construction project as “student centered” and said it will incorporate new technologies, opportunities for community connections and collaborative teaching and creative spaces.
He added: “It will be worth the wait.”
Godfrey-Lee Board of Education President Erik Mockerman also praised the community’s support.
“Our community steps up and it shows,” Mockerman said. “Our kids consistently exceed our high expectations and now they will have spaces worthy of their caliber.”
-- Alexis Stark BOE Approves Change That Will Allow More Design Flexibility-- Cheshire Herald Connecticut: April 29, 2022 [ abstract] The Cheshire Board of Education has been knee-deep in discussions over future efforts to modernize local school buildings.
Last week, the group took a step that should help provide options for sustainability when shovels finally meet dirt.
On Thursday, April 21, the BOE voted in favor of modifying language specific to educational specifications for new school buildings that will provide for more design options. The amendment modifies one sentence in the wording pertaining to building systems when constructing new school facilities — important language, officials stated, as the Board and Town Council are considering a multi-million dollar school modernization plan.
Originally, the regulation stated that the building systems for new construction would have to be designed in accordance with state and LEED silver rating standards, as well as consideration of renewable energy resources and net zero emissions. The new language, introduced by Board member Samantha Rosenberg and read aloud by Chief Operating Officer Vincent Masciana, modifies the standards to state: “In addition, utilizing renewable energy resources including solar and geothermal as well as net zero energy and/or emissions will be considered in the building design in the context of a 50-year estimated useful life.”
-- Michael Torelli How inflation is impacting the construction of Arkansas schools-- THV11 Arkansas: April 29, 2022 [ abstract]
JACKSONVILLE, Arkansas — Several schools across Arkansas will soon get a makeover thanks to funds from the state.
But like any form of construction, there's some road blocks in the way.
The state is giving nearly $92 million to 58 different building projects across 45 Arkansas school districts.
That's a large sum but Tim Cain, Director of the State Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation, said inflation may make things a little tricky.
"As you know, it's a national problem that we're facing," he said.
Like most national problems, this one is trickling down and it's impacting where Arkansas students learn.
"It means different things for different districts, but it does present a big challenge for some districts in meeting their budget," Cain said.
He is on the commission that approved the millions of dollars for school building projects on Thursday, April 28.
According to Cain, the money can be used for anything-- from brand new buildings, to roofing, to even AC and security systems.
"It's going to address both growth needs and warm, safe and dry needs," he said.
Those needs are coming at a higher price this year though, as construction costs continue to rise.
-- Mercedes Mackay Prince George’s schools are going green with new climate action plan-- The Washington Post Maryland: April 29, 2022 [ abstract] The Prince George’s County school system is embarking on a climate action plan that would reduce its carbon footprint and offer more robust curriculums on environmental justice.
The plan includes 58 recommendations from a work group of students, parents, teachers and administrators and was unanimously approved by the school board Thursday. The recommendations include initiatives that would reduce the amount of food waste and nonrenewable energy from the school system. The plan also includes adding lessons for students on topics like construction design using recyclable materials.
The plan started developing last year after students pushed the board of education to prioritize climate action initiatives. In March 2021, the board passed a resolution that included pledges to run the school system on 100 percent clean-sourced energy by 2030, and contribute zero landfill waste by 2040.
-- Nicole Asbury Del. senator introduces legislation to set standards at school facilities-- WMDT Delaware: April 28, 2022 [ abstract] DOVER, Del. – Delaware Senator Stephanie Hansen filed legislation on Thursday to create the first uniform standards for evaluating the physical condition and air quality at more than 200 schools and other educational facilities operated by Delaware’s public school districts.
Currently, each of the state’s 19 school districts conducts its own internal needs assessments for school facilities with each district examining a different set of conditions at various frequencies based on its own standards. Officials say that when deficiencies are found, funding requests from the districts for minor capital improvements valued at less than $1 million are submitted to the Department of Education before being collectively presented to the Joint Capital Improvement Committee.
Over the past decade, most capital improvement funding has been allocated to major capital projects such as new school construction, with only $10 million to $15 million in state funds annually dedicated to minor capital projects statewide. This minimal funding makes it difficult for individual districts to keep up with maintenance on school buildings. We’re told the total value of deferred minor capital improvement funding requested by the state’s school districts is currently estimated at more than $1.1 billion, with nearly 50% of that cost coming from projects sought by the Christina and Red Clay Consolidated school districts alone.
-- Sarah Ash DOD gives Hawaii $96M to replace overcrowded grade school on Marine Corps base-- Stars & Stripes Hawaii: April 27, 2022 [ abstract] FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii — The Defense Department on Monday announced a $96 million award to Hawaii for construction of a new elementary school at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Oahu.
The new school will replace the dilapidated Mokapu Elementary School, which had earned a “poor” rating for its condition on the DOD’s most recent “Public Schools on Military Installations Priority List.”
All Hawaii public schools, including those on military bases, are administered by the state Department of Education.
Mokapu Elementary is made up of 12 permanent buildings constructed about 70 years ago and 10 portable structures that have been added for classroom space as the student body has grown through the years, the Marine Corps said in a news release Tuesday.
The complex sits on about 14 acres, with 813 students enrolled this school year, which concludes at the end of May.
The DOD priority list states that the existing school should have an enrollment no larger than 627 students.
-- WYATT OLSON New Boston city budget includes $788 million for school capital projects over five years " but will it be enough?-- The Boston Globe Massachusetts: April 25, 2022 [ abstract]
Tucked into a $3.6 billion capital plan released by Mayor Michelle Wu this month is a proposal to get the ball rolling on a half-dozen school construction projects across the city, including new elementary schools in Dorchester and Roxbury.
Details are scant, but — if approved — the plan would launch studies on the six projects and could pave the way for a building boom for a school district that has seen few upgrades to its aging facilities in recent years.
The studies, which would cost about $150,000 to $175,000 each, would develop building plans and consider locations, mostly for elementary schools. Some line items include no information beyond the neighborhood and grade levels. More details on the school facilities plan will emerge in the course of the budget process, according to a city spokesperson.
“Every student in Boston deserves to learn in a space that is safe, healthy, energy-efficient, and inspiring,” the spokesperson said in an e-mail. “Mayor Wu has made it a top priority to invest in our school facilities, and we will have more details to share about the Mayor’s vision for district-wide facilities planning in the coming weeks.”
In total, the plan features $788 million in school spending, including funds from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. It would put the district on pace to hit the $1 billion over 10 years target envisioned in its BuildBPS planning process. It also represents a $47 million increase over district capital spending in the prior five-year plan.
-- Christopher Huffaker DCPS approves resolution that will expedite construction process-- Messenger-Inquirer Kentucky: April 22, 2022 [ abstract] The Daviess County Public Schools Board of Education on Thursday approved a resolution that will speed up its building projects exponentially by removing the Kentucky Department of Education from the approval process for construction projects until June 20, 2024.
This resolution is made possible through House Bill 678.
According to the bill, which was signed by the governor earlier this month, the requirement for boards of education to receive approval from the state “to commence the funding, financing, design, construction, renovation or modification of district facilities” will be suspended.
This will, the bill states, “provide for an expedited process for approval of district facility plans and the acquisition and disposal of property.”
Sara Harley, DCPS director of finance, updated board members on this bill earlier this week during a luncheon meeting, at which point she said this bill means the district will not have to go through the “extra hoops” of sending construction items to Frankfort before they begin. She also told board members about a situation the district is dealing with at this time that will be impacted by the resolution.
-- Bobbie Hayse Top Richmond administrator wanted changes to 2020 audit on school construction costs, messages show-- WRIC Virginia: April 22, 2022 [ abstract] RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A top administrator in Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s office asked the city’s independent auditor in January to consider making changes to a 2020 audit on school construction costs.
Nearly two months after the auditor declined, the city administrator sent him a text saying that the audit was “being used to beat us over the head on false premises.”
The messages that Richmond’s Chief Administrative Officer Lincoln Saunders sent to the city’s independent auditor Louis Lassiter, revealed through a public record request and first reported by Virginia Public Media, came amid debates between Stoney’s administration, the city council and school board over the construction of a new George Wythe High School.
The 2020 audit showed that Richmond had higher construction costs for two elementary schools compared to the state average and ones in Chesterfield County.
Saunders sent Lassiter an email on Jan. 26, more than two years after the audit was released, asking if his team would consider updating their findings by including other schools in the area using new data from the Virginia Department of Education.
-- Dean Mirshahi Howard County working to make overcrowded schools a thing of the past-- WMAR Maryland: April 19, 2022 [ abstract]
HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — Howard County leaders are making an investment in school construction to relieve classroom capacity and overcrowding.
County officials announced on Tuesday the details of a record school construction investment will create an additional 2,400 spaces for students by 2023.
overcrowded schools a thing of the past
Howard County working to make overcrowded schools a thing of the past
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By: WMAR StaffPosted at 4:09 PM, Apr 19, 2022 and last updated 5:54 PM, Apr 19, 2022
HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — Howard County leaders are making an investment in school construction to relieve classroom capacity and overcrowding.
County officials announced on Tuesday the details of a record school construction investment will create an additional 2,400 spaces for students by 2023.
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County Executive Calvin Ball’s proposed budget contains $105.9 million for school construction, the most in at least the past 20 years.
The funding provides all the construction resources requested by the Board of Education and HCPSS, including the completion of High School #13 in Jessup, the Talbott Springs Elementary replacement, and the renovation and addition at Hammond High.
“Howard County is a premier place to live and grow, which is why families choose to raise their children here,” said County Executive Calvin Ball. “Through responsible management and strong partnerships, we can now invest more than $105 million in school construction during the next year, the highest amount in more than two decades. We are building facilities that will foster excellent environments for teaching and learning.”
The investment also includes over $30 million in total funding for systemic renovations, including:
-- Staff Writer Ohio County Schools nearing completion on big construction projects-- Yahoo! News Kentucky: April 18, 2022 [ abstract] The last of Ohio County Schools' three construction projects, totaling $11 million, should be complete by this summer, according to Seth Southard, district superintendent.
The projects included an addition at Wayland Elementary School that was finished in August. The addition has four classrooms, two for both preschool and kindergarten. The total cost of the Wayland addition was $1.5 million.
When Wayland was built in 1996, the district opted to keep the Wayland Preschool at its former location, at 110 Frederica St. in Hartford. The former Wayland school became the Render Education Center, which is where the district's alternative learning and day treatment programs are located. The Cliff Hagan Boys and Girls Club of Ohio County Extension also operates from the facility.
Southard said having the Wayland preschool a part of the elementary has provided a "more fluid transition" for preschool students and staff members. At its former location, students had to walk outside the building and into the Render Center to have meals. Having the preschool in-house at the elementary has been better for students.
-- Bobbie Hayse, Messenger-Inquirer Farmington School District breaks ground for new solar arrays-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: April 17, 2022 [ abstract] FARMINGTON -- The Farmington School Board and school administrators gathered April 8 with school staff and those from the community to celebrate the groundbreaking of the district's new solar arrays.
Located adjacent to Farmington High School on Arkansas 170, the 499-kilowatt array is one of three arrays that will help the district accomplish its goals to operate sustainably and create savings for salary initiatives.
Another array is under construction behind Williams Elementary in Farmington and the third array is part of a 100-acre cooperative installation in Booneville that will serve the city of Booneville and the Farmington and Fayetteville school districts, according to Adam Ness, chief of staff with Entegrity.
In 2021, the Farmington School District partnered with the Arkansas Energy Office to implement an energy savings performance contract, wherein a state-approved company implements energy-efficient upgrades that pay for themselves. The School Board chose Entegrity to audit their facilities and implement a tailored scope of work to include LED lighting, solar energy installations, water conservation measures, new HVAC equipment, HVAC tune-ups, controls upgrades and emergency power generation.
Currently halfway through completion, the project is guaranteed by Entegrity to produce savings of nearly $300,000 annually and more than $6 million over the project's lifetime.
Superintendent Jon Laffoon stated, "This project will bring positive outcomes to our School District and our community for decades to come."
-- Staff Writer Wake wants to cut back on new schools to do more renovations. Here’s the updated list.-- The News&Observer North Carolina: April 15, 2022 [ abstract]
The Wake County school system could up the number of major renovations over the next seven years by cutting back on the number of new schools that will be built. The school board’s facilities committee backed a plan this week to include eight major school renovations and four new schools to the district’s rolling, seven-year building program. The new plan was presented after board members expressed concerns with prior options to fund seven new schools but only five major renovations in the next seven years. “Whatever schools get on the list today are going to need renovations,” said board member Jim Martin, chair of the facilities committee. “The schools that don’t get on the list are going to need renovations. If we’re not doing four to five a year, we’re falling behind.”
Under the new plan, major renovations will be done at North Garner Middle; Lockhart Elementary in Knightdale; Briarcliff Elementary in Cary; Brentwood Elementary, Athens Drive High, Washington Elementary and Ligon Middle in Raleigh; and Zebulon Middle.
The plan’s four new schools are a small high school in West Cary or Morrisville, an elementary school in Wendell or Zebulon, an elementary school on Poole Road in eastern Raleigh and an elementary school in northeastern Raleigh. But the plan is to permanently relocate Wendell Elementary’s students and staff to the new eastern Wake elementary school. The full school board will vote on the plan Tuesday to send to the Wake County Board of Commissioners. COUNTY DEBT LIMIT Funding for the district’s building program comes from a combination of bonds approved by voters and others approved only by the commissioners. Commissioners are expected to place the next school construction bond referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot.
-- T. KEUNG HUI Norfolk unveils ‘massive’ school reconstruction plan funded by casino tax revenue-- The Virginian-Pilot Virginia: April 14, 2022 [ abstract] Norfolk City officials made public a major plan on Tuesday to rebuild five city schools over the next decade using local tax revenue from a new casino.
City officials don’t know the total cost of the project yet, but said they plan to take out at least $250 million in new debt for it. That money would be paid back — at least in part — by local tax revenue from the Headwaters Resort and Casino, a gaming facility set to open near Harbor Park in 2024, according to Norfolk City Manager Chip Filer.
“This is a generational change in the facilities of the Norfolk public school system, both through new construction, as well as massive modernization and renovation,” Filer said at a Tuesday city council meeting.
The five schools the city intends to replace or renovate are Maury High School, Booker T. Washington High School, Norview Elementary School, Jacox Elementary School and Granby Elementary School.
Maury High School would be first in line for replacement, with construction beginning as soon as 2025, Filer said.
The 1910-era Maury High School has dire infrastructure and repair needs. City and school officials have been discussing the need to replace the school since at least 2014.
The estimated price tag is $180 million, Filer said.
-- Daniel Berti Ogden School District solar panels yield results; new buildings to get them-- Standard-Examiner Utah: April 14, 2022 [ abstract]
OGDEN — Ogden School District is increasingly turning to renewable energy to power its facilities and save money.
The Ben Lomond High School Athletic Center, which opened in December 2020, is fitted with solar panels and data from the first year of operations shows the shift is paying off, district officials say. Data the district recently crunched shows power generated by the panels, located atop the new facility, offset nearly 97% of its power needs in its first year of operation, through November 2021, surpassing the goal of 92%.
“The system saved the district $10,000 in energy costs last summer alone indicating that the investment in solar energy will more than pay for itself in the future,” the district said in a statement.
Placement of the panels represents the extension of a standing Ogden School District energy-efficiency initiative that dates to 2007. The Mound Fort Junior High School Innovation Center, completed in 2019, was the first district facility fitted with solar panels and they were also placed on East Ridge Elementary, which opened last August. They’re to be placed on Polk and Liberty elementary schools, under construction but to open later this year for the 2022-2023 school year.
-- Tim Vandenack New report highlights Vermont’s ‘aging portfolio’ of school buildings-- VTDigger Vermont: April 13, 2022 [ abstract] A new report released Wednesday by the Vermont Agency of Education highlights the deteriorating conditions of Vermont’s decades-old school buildings — a situation that could force lawmakers and school officials to make difficult decisions in the future.
That report, compiled by the French inspection and certification company Bureau Veritas, does not show in-depth information about any schools; instead, it is a precursor to a more thorough assessment that has not yet begun.
But the data “indicate an aging portfolio of key systems across the state of Vermont,” the authors of the report wrote, raising the specter of increased construction and renovation costs in the future.
With coffers full of federal pandemic aid last year, Vermont’s legislature passed a law directing the state Agency of Education to conduct a statewide study to determine how well the state’s school buildings were holding up.
Now, the first phase of that study is complete.
For about the past six months, Bureau Veritas has been gathering information from surveys sent to local school officials around the state. The data represents 305 public schools and 384 school buildings from every district and supervisory union in Vermont.
Those buildings are 61 years old on average, the study found, and have gone an average of 22 years without a major renovation.
Of those 384 buildings, 196 were known to have hazardous materials present, according to survey results, while officials suspected their presence in another 52 buildings. The report did not specify which hazardous materials officials were asked about.
Roughly 80 buildings had “Indoor Air Quality Issues” while about 50 had “Fire / Life Safety Issues,” although it’s unclear what those issues were.
-- Peter D'Auria With the next K-8 school off the table, St. Johns County schools move forward with rezoning-- The St. Augustine Record Florida: April 13, 2022 [ abstract]
St. Johns County School administrators have taken zoning for the district's next K-8 school off the table.
The reason: Bids for the construction of "School NN" came in higher than the school board was comfortable with. The board voted to reject all three bids at this time, which means the school will most likely not open as slated in 2023-24 in the Shearwater development off County Road 210.
Nicole Cubbedge, the district's director for government and planning relations, said the district was already well ahead of its usual schedule in creating an attendance zone for the new school.
"Since now it may be a 2024 opening, it's too far out to realistically consider (enrollment) numbers," Cubbedge said.
The news was met with mixed feelings by parents of the Rivertown community who spoke out at Tuesday's workshop and school board meeting against several rezoning options that eventually will be affected by the opening of "School NN."
"It does make it so much harder; there's so much up in the air now," said Rivertown parent Stacy Dellone who has two students currently attending Freedom Crossing Academy.
-- Colleen Michele Jones Dept. of Energy releases RFI for K-12 schools energy upgrade program-- Building Design + Construction National: April 11, 2022 [ abstract] The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) released a Request for Information (RFI) to help decide how best to spend $500 million from the recently passed federal infrastructure law for K-12 public school energy upgrades.
The law makes available grants for energy improvements that result in a direct reduction in school energy costs, including improvements to the air conditioning and heating, ventilation, hot water heating, and lighting systems. Funding would also support renovation and repairs that lead to an improvement in teacher and student health.
Many schools are in desperate need of energy improvements, according to a DOE news release. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation’s 100,000 public K-12 schools a D+ in their 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure report.
-- PETER FABRIS NJ spending $200M to help crowded schools but has no long-term plan for most SDA districts-- northjersey.com New Jersey: April 11, 2022 [ abstract]
In the absence of a long-term funding plan for the Schools Development Authority, the Murphy administration is tapping the state budget and money borrowed in the COVID-19 pandemic to build new schools to ease overcrowding in New Jersey's poorest communities.
The patchwork approach avoids adding new construction debt for taxpayers, who are already paying back more than $1 billion a year for money borrowed by the authority more than a decade ago. Gov. Phil Murphy named a leader responsible for securing a new round of multibillion-dollar borrowing for the agency four years ago, but a political patronage scandal derailed those plans.
For now, flush with cash and having no known plans for the authority's future, the state is taking its first significant step after the 2019 scandal to address longstanding problems in outdated and overcrowded schools.
The authority last week approved spending $200 million in new funding — for the first time since Murphy took office in 2018 — to build new schools in Bridgeton, Elizabeth and Garfield. The state identified those locations as having "the highest priority needs" among the SDA districts, Chief Executive Officer Manny Da Silva said.
This new stopgap funding is a small fraction of what's needed across the 31 SDA districts, which are among the poorest and most segregated in the state. The cost of high-priority projects — mostly to address overcrowding — in just half the SDA districts would be $1.97 billion, according to the Murphy administration's own "rough" estimate.
-- Dustin Racioppi Arkansas school superintendents say funding is an obstacle in building facilities-- The Center Square Arkansas: April 05, 2022 [ abstract]
Fifty-eight percent of Arkansas school superintendents said in a survey a lack of state funding is the top obstacle they face in financing school facilities in their district, according to a presentation to the Joint Education Committee.
Studies are inconclusive on whether academic facilities’ conditions impact student learning, but there is evidence that they can impact student health and student perception on safety, Jasmine Ray, a legislative analyst, said at a joint meeting of the House and Senate education committees.
A temporary advisory committee created through Act 801 in 2017 reported the total estimated capital needs for public school academic facilities in the state was more than $604 million.
Arkansas’ public schools receive most of their funding for academic facilities through the state’s Academic Facilities Partnership Program. School districts and the state share the cost of facilities construction and major renovations through the program, Ray said.
Open enrollment public school charters are not eligible for the program due to not having a taxing authority, according to Ray.
The cost for public school facilities in Arkansas has risen over the years. In 2016, the Partnership Program allocated nearly $42 million annually for facilities funding, but it is estimated that allocation will be as high as $70 million for fiscal year 2023, Ray said. Arkansas’ capital outlay expenditures per student has grown over the last several years from more than $1,000 per student in 2015 to more than $1,500 per student in 2019, she said.
-- Merrilee Gasser $470 million sought for Cumberland County school construction-- The Fayetteville Observer North Carolina: April 02, 2022 [ abstract]
A Cumberland County Board of Education committee voted on Thursday to ask the county for more than $470 million to replace and renovate schools over the next five years.
The board’s auxiliary services committee unanimously approved a resolution that says the board “has determined and found that both renovations to and replacements of existing school facilities are needed to meet the needs of our current and future student population.”
The resolution will go to the full board for consideration at its meeting April 12.
Joe Desormeaux, associate superintendent of auxiliary services, told the committee that if the board approves the resolution, it will be sent to county commissioners. He said school officials have discussed the issue with county officials.
Desormeaux said he thinks county officials understand the challenges facing the school system.
“It’s unclear what they will do,” he said.
The resolution says the county has options to provide funding for the construction cost, including issuing bonds or choosing to provide some funds on a “pay as you go” basis. It calls on commissioners “to take all necessary steps, by the issuance of bonds or otherwise, to provide funds for the school system’s capital building needs.”
The anticipated $470.4 million in school construction costs assumes that the school system will get a $50 million grant to help pay for a new E.E. Smith High School. The facility is expected to cost about $95 million.
-- Steve DeVane DOE plans to open Kihei high school with ‘hybrid model’-- The Maui News Hawaii: March 31, 2022 [ abstract]
The state Department of Education plans to open the new Kihei high school through a “temporary hybrid model” that will allow incoming freshmen to use space at Lokelani Intermediate this fall before transitioning to the high school’s new campus in January 2023.
Halle Maxwell, principal of the future high school, made the announcement this week.
“While construction of the two classroom buildings, administration building, cafeteria and library building, and locker rooms is proceeding at a brisk pace, due to some unavoidable construction and material delays, we have been informed that completion of these new facilities will be delayed until January 2023,” Maxwell said in a letter on Monday. “This means that the physical campus will not be open for the fall semester as originally planned. We will be opening the new high school with a modified opening to best accommodate our incoming freshman class from Lokelani Intermediate.”
Current eighth-graders at Lokelani are being given the option of attending Maui High School or the new Kihei high school “under a temporary hybrid model” in which Lokelani would house students for the first semester from August to December.
“Due to limited space, we will need to implement a learning model that will allow students to have in-person instruction and virtual instruction,” Maxwell said. “This will not be a distance learning program or a solely virtual program. This is only due to a lack of classroom space. In January 2023, all students will receive in-person instruction on the new high school campus.”
-- MELISSA TANJI Westbury School District Kicks Off Construction for District-Wide Energy Efficiency Project-- Newswires EIN New York: March 31, 2022 [ abstract] WESTBURY, NY, US, March 31, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Westbury Union Free School District, with project partner Energia, announces the start of construction for their district-wide Energy Performance Contract. The district will generate guaranteed energy savings of at least $395,000 annually, which in conjunction with State Building Aid, and ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds, will be used to fund over $12 million in capital improvements to district facilities at no out-of-pocket cost to taxpayers.
"I believe every child deserves a World-class education experience while enrolled at Westbury Union Free School District, and we know classroom environment can have a big impact on student learning,” said Dr. Tahira A. DuPree Chase, Superintendent of Schools. “By engaging in an Energy Performance Contact, with our partners Energia, we will be able to upgrade our facilities, resulting in more comfortable classrooms - all at no additional cost to taxpayers. Additionally, we are adding solar sustainable energy, reducing our carbon footprint, and furthering our positive impact in the world."
-- Deborah Jerome Charles public schools to see increase in construction funds-- Southern Maryland News Maryland: March 30, 2022 [ abstract]
Charles County public school system is in line to see an increase in the state share in costs for future school construction.
During Monday’s board of education work session, Michael Heim, assistant superintendent of supporting services, and Steve Andritz, director of planning and construction, briefed board members on funding for school construction.
The county is projected to see $22.89 million in funding from the state’s Capital Improvement Program for fiscal 2023.
A grant will provides funding for new school construction and renovation as well as major maintenance programs for existing facilities.
Costs of new school construction and certain renovation or addition projects are split between the state and local governments based on county wealth, but as Heim explained, those funds only cover actual building and improvements
“That [state funding] does not include buying land, design cost or any of the technology, fixtures, etc.,” he said.
Charles County also saw a rise in its state share, which is based on county wealth, from 61% to 65%.
A new grant allowing the Maryland Stadium Authority to issue bonds for school construction projects is also set to provide more money for constructing educational facilities in the state.
The Built to Learn Act, which passed the Maryland General Assembly in 2020, came online with the passage of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future last year.
The law allows the stadium authority to issue revenue bonds to fund new construction projects which would be managed by the authority.
Charles County is expected to receive about $25.35 million in assisting three school addition/renovation projects.
-- Darryl Kinsey Jr. Equitable State Funding for School Facilities-- Public Policy Institute of California California: March 24, 2022 [ abstract] Key Takeaways
California’s K–12 school facilities require significant new and ongoing investments. Funding for facilities comes mostly from local sources, and depends crucially on local property wealth. The state provides some funding for facilities through the School Facility Program (SFP), which usually requires local matching contributions. Does the SFP promote a more equitable distribution of school capital funding? This report finds:
SFP funding has disproportionately benefitted more affluent students and districts. Low-income, English Learner (EL), and Latino students have received less funding than higher-income, non-EL, and white students since 1998. Per student state funding has been highest in the districts with the fewest high-need students. →
Disparities are driven largely by modernization funding—and partially addressed by hardship funding. Higher-wealth and lower-need districts have received more funding for modernization, one of three major SFP programs. Funding for new construction, a second major program, goes mainly to growing districts; it has been higher in lower-wealth districts, but also in districts with fewer high-need students. Funding for both financial and facility-based hardship—the third major program—has been significant enough for higher-need and lower-wealth students and districts to partially address disparities. →
Suburban districts have received the most SFP funding, while funding for rural districts has been “boom or bust.” Suburban districts received the most funding per pupil and are the least likely to have received no funding at all. Most districts that have received no SFP funding are rural. However, higher levels of hardship funding have kept average per student state funding in rural districts comparable to funding per student in cities and towns. →
Districts allocate funding across schools in ways that reduce inequities across districts. Districts target more funding to schools with higher shares of low-income and Latino students. However, within-district allocations generally have a small impact on across-district disparities. This suggests that focusing on which districts receive funding may be more impactful than efforts to influence which schools within districts are targeted for facility improvements. →
State policies could improve the equity and efficiency of facilities funding. Recently proposed changes—including a sliding scale for district contributions keyed to local wealth and/or need, prioritization of facility needs, and greater funding for hardship cases—could help narrow funding inequities. To make it easier for small districts with lower organizational and fiscal capacity to qualify for and receive funding, county offices of education and/or the California Department of Education could provide greater technical assistance. Finally, improving current data on facility conditions would go a long way toward accurately assessing needs and targeting the schools and districts with the greatest need.
-- Julien Lafortune and Niu Gao, Joseph Herrera Kentucky superintendents receive update on SAFE funding for tornado-impacted districts-- Kentucky Teacher Kentucky: March 24, 2022 [ abstract] Leadership from the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) met virtually on March 24 with superintendents of districts impacted by the Dec. 10 and 11 tornados to encourage the districts to continue to request aid from the West Kentucky State Aid Funding for Emergencies (SAFE) fund.
Through House Bill 5, the state legislature provided $200 million to support districts, local governments and other agencies affected by the December 2021 storms and tornadoes. The bill appropriated $30 million to local school districts. The money may provide wraparound services, such as tutoring and mental health supports for students and families, and assistance with additional transportation costs. In addition, KDE can transfer a portion of the $30 million to the state School Facilities construction Commission to help repair damaged school buildings.
KDE created a simple application for districts to submit their needs under the permissible uses of the funds. Districts can access the application on the KDE’s State Grants webpage. Requests for funding should cover anticipated expenses through June 30, the end of the fiscal year.
So far, the department has received seven applications with nearly $7 million in requested funds.
KDE Associate Commissioner Robin Kinney reminded superintendents that there are two steps to request funds – the application process and a request for cash reimbursement after the application is approved.
“If you are a district having difficulty with cash flow … we have put a section on the application where you can share that with us so we can advance funds,” she said.
-- Audrie Lamb Audit: Richmond overspent millions in taxpayer dollars building new schools: "It's unacceptable"-- WTVR Virginia: March 21, 2022 [ abstract]
RICHMOND, Va. -- Some Richmond school leaders maintain they want control over the construction of a new George Wythe High School citing an audit that showed the city overspent taxpayer dollars building the last round of new schools.
If there is one thing members of the Richmond School Board and Richmond City Council can agree on, it's that students and staff in Richmond deserve an upgraded and modernized educational experience.
“We have thousands of kids in our school buildings across the city that need new infrastructure," Richmond School Board Member Jonathan Young said.
It's a sentiment echoed by Richmond City Councilwoman Stephanie Lynch.
“I bet you 95% of the residents in Richmond agree that our school buildings are not in good shape," she said.
However, they disagree on how to build new schools as the ongoing debate over the stalled construction of George Wythe High took center stage again this week.
A majority of the Richmond School Board wanted complete control of the construction process without involvement from the city.
It's part of a "Schools Build Schools" policy the board adopted in 2021 after Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney announced plans for a new Wythe in October 2020.
Young, who represents the city's 4th school district, is one of five members who supported the policy.
He points to a 2020 report from the city's auditor which showed the city overspent taxpayer dollars building the last round of new schools including Henry Marsh Elementary, Cardinal Elementary, and River City Middle.
“Money was wasted. It was not spent in a prudent way on the last round," Young said. "It's unacceptable."
When evaluating citywide capital improvements projects, the auditor listed middle and elementary school construction costs under "needs improvement."
-- Tyler Layne Frett-Gregory Bill to Establish School Construction and Maintenance Arm Within Education Department Rejected-- The Virgin Islands Consortium U.S. Virgin Islands: March 18, 2022 [ abstract] A measure which seeks to establish the Bureau of School construction and Maintenance within the Department of Education with the responsibility to construct and maintain public schools and other educational facilities, failed to win approval from members of the Senate Committee on Education and Workforce Development on Thursday.
An amendment to the bill narrowly received approval but when it came to actual voting on the measure, sponsored by Senate President Donna Frett-Gregory, the result was three yes votes from Ms.Frett-Gregory and Sens. Genevieve Whitaker Kenneth Gittens. However, it received three no votes from Sens. Milton Potter, Kurt Vialet and Janelle Sarauw. Senator Carla Joseph did not vote.
“The bill has failed,” said Ms. Whitaker, who chairs the committee.
Bill No. 34-0079 is an Act amending Virgin Islands Code to establish the Bureau of School construction and Maintenance within the V.I. Department of Education. It also seeks to change the Education Maintenance Fund to the School construction and Maintenance Fund while making an appropriation of $2.5 million from the V.I. Education Initiative Fund to the School construction and Maintenance Fund.
Presenting the bill to the committee, Ms. Frett-Gregory said the physical state of public schools in the territory has been deteriorating for more than two decades due to inconsistent maintenance and limited resources, while some schools have experienced preventable structural failures resulting in injuries and the closure of entire school buildings.
-- Linda Straker Bill advances that aims to use the state's general fund to build preschools-- KITV Hawaii: March 14, 2022 [ abstract] HONOLULU (KITV4) -- Should the state build preschools? Some Hawaii legislators think the state should.
On Monday, the Hawaii Senate Committee on Education heard House Bill 2000, HD1.
The bill proposes to allocate an unspecified amount of money from the state's general fund to the school facilities authority for the construction of preschool facilities.
The bill does not have a lot of specifics yet including how many preschools the state would build, or where they would be built, or how much the project would cost.
State Representative Sylvia Luke and members of the House Majority leadership introduced the bill.
During Monday's hearing, there was only testimony in support of it.
"Culturally our Asian and Pacific Islander children are taught very young to be seen and not heard. This is a time when their brains are being developed, their speech patterns are being developed, and their motor coordination, so allowing us to have preschool for them develops a critical skill needed to be successful in school," Laverne Moore testified on behalf of the Hawaii State Teachers Association.
-- Marisa Yamane Washington Legislature OKs funds for earthquake retrofits for older school buildings-- OPB.org Washington: March 14, 2022 [ abstract] An effort to jump-start the pace of earthquake retrofits to vulnerable, older school buildings in Washington has passed the Legislature unanimously. The Evergreen State has lagged behind other West Coast states and provinces in reinforcing schools to withstand strong shaking.
A report from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources last year said tens of thousands of Washington students attend class in buildings at high risk of collapse in an earthquake. Thousands more youngsters go to low-lying schools in the coastal tsunami zone.
Stanwood, Washington parent and PTA volunteer DaleAnn Baker was among a corps of citizen activists who successfully lobbied the Legislature to more than double state spending for earthquake retrofits, or in some cases, to pay most of the cost to relocate a public school out of the tsunami zone.
"The amount of funding is significant and this is great,” Baker said in an interview Wednesday. “It is really showing that the Legislature wants to make a commitment to this effort."
Baker said her journey into activism began a few years ago when she realized the elementary school where she sends her two children was built in 1956, long before modern seismic safety codes. “How is it acceptable to require kids to attend school in a building that may collapse during an earthquake?” the aerospace engineer asked herself and others.
On Wednesday, the Washington Senate voted 49-0 to pass a supplemental state construction budget that includes $100 million for earthquake and tsunami safety upgrades to the most vulnerable schools statewide. The action to send the budget bill to the governor's desk followed a similarly lopsided 98-0 state House vote on Tuesday. The new funding for school seismic safety retrofits represents a 150% increase over last year's level and a nearly eight-fold increase from just three years ago.
-- Tom Banse ‘Buildings don’t get any younger’: Pueblo school construction needs reflect statewide issue-- The Pueblo Chieftain Colorado: March 12, 2022 [ abstract] Aging K-12 schools in Colorado, including many in Pueblo, are in need of billions of dollars in funding for construction and repairs.
The Colorado Department of Education estimates that over $18 billion is needed for school construction statewide. Included in that total is $84.8 million for construction in Pueblo School District 60 and $22.4 million in Pueblo School District 70, according to the CDE.
The average estimate of funding required to meet Colorado school districts' construction needs is about $39.5 million.
“Generally, we know that there is not enough money going into school facilities to keep up with what’s being deferred,” said Dustin Guerin, CDE Statewide Facility Assessment Supervisor. “Without a big influx, the expectation is that the systems continue to age.”
“Buildings don’t get any younger,” he said. “They just keep aging and things keep breaking and needing to be replaced.”
-- James Bartolo Ige appoints Farias as executive director of School Facilities Authority-- Hawaii Tribune Herald Hawaii: March 11, 2022 [ abstract] Gov. David Ige has appointed Chad Keone Farias to serve as executive director of the School Facilities Authority, which is charged with the development, planning and construction of public school capital improvement projects.
Farias, currently the Ka‘u-Keaau-Pahoa complex area superintendent, joined the Authority last year. He has worked for the state Department of Education since 1993 as a teacher, counselor, vice principal, principal, and superintendent.
The Hawaii Island-born Farias earned his bachelor’s degree in history and education from Loyola Marymount University, and a master’s degree in education administration from the University of Hawaii.
“As a proud Hawaii public school graduate, I’m excited to guide the School Facilities Authority in creating the facilities our students deserve,” Farias said. “This kuleana is great and I look forward to the opportunity to improve education access for all of Hawaii.”
Farias’ appointment is subject to Senate confirmation. If confirmed, he would serve a six-year term.
-- Staff Writer State Launches Pilot Initiative to Increase Net Zero Energy Capacity in Schools-- Maryland Association of Counties Maryland: March 07, 2022 [ abstract] The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) announced the launch of the Decarbonizing Public Schools Pilot Program to expand the capacity of local education agencies (LEA) for managing energy data, reducing operating costs, and for inserting energy performance criteria into capital improvement planning.
The Decarbonizing Public Schools Pilot Program was developed by MEA and the Interagency Commission on School construction (IAC) to “foster LEAs’ long-term capacities for energy management and net zero energy (NZE) school design and construction, where the total amount of energy used is equal to or less than the amount of renewable energy created.”
Notably, the program provides $2 million in state funding from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund to help local school systems develop and expand their capacity to address ongoing energy challenges and opportunities for controlling costs through data management, as well as adopting cost-effective net zero energy design considerations for public school portfolio planning.
“MEA has been helping make Net Zero Energy schools a reality, having recently supported three projects, including the Holabird and Graceland Park/O’Donnell Heights schools in Baltimore City and Wilde Lake Middle School in Howard County,” said Dr. Mary Beth Tung, Director of MEA. “Early lessons from these projects indicate lifecycle operating costs can be greatly reduced when sound energy management and design principles are incorporated early in project identification and design.”
A total of $2,000,000 is anticipated to be available for distribution to grant participants between AOI.1 and AOI.2. The amount awarded may vary depending on the quantity and quality of applications received.
-- Brianna January House panel again blocks localities from raising sales tax on themselves for school construction-- The Free Lance-Star Virginia: February 25, 2022 [ abstract] A House of Delegates subcommittee rejected pleas on Friday from local government officials, parents and a 4th-grade student from rural Prince Edward County to let them help themselves by allowing voters to impose a 1% sales tax to pay for badly needed school repairs and construction.
The same House Finance subcommittee already had killed bills delegates proposed to expand an option that nine local school divisions had received in past years to impose a local sales tax for school modernization. Prince Edward was among the localities denied the option in late January.
It was the Senate's turn on Friday to watch many of the same proposals die - for Isle of Wight County, Charlottesville and other localities across the state looking for an alternative to huge hikes in their real estate taxes or loans they say they can't afford to repay.
"All we are asking for is a fair chance to improve our school," said Eliza Pope, a fourth-grade student at Prince Edward Elementary School near Farmville.
The three bills died on identical 4-3, party-line votes, as the House and Senate prepare to negotiate a potential budget solution that won't obligate the state to pay for billions of dollars in local school construction or raise taxes in a year when Gov. Glenn Youngkin has made tax cuts a top priority.
"We're trying to return extra tax dollars to people at a time that it's really needed," said Del. Kathy Byron, R-Bedford, the subcommittee chair. "It seems counter-productive to turn around and ask for more."
-- MICHAEL MARTZ Springfield will seek state funds for school building improvements-- WAMC Massachusetts: February 25, 2022 [ abstract] New roofs, windows, doors among the projects proposed at several schools
Officials in Springfield, Massachusetts will seek state funding next month for major repair projects at several school buildings.
Applications will be sent to the Massachusetts School Building Authority requesting state funds to pay for improvements to 10 Springfield schools – work that includes new roofs, replacement windows and doors, additional classroom space, and HVAC system upgrades.
The city is also looking for funds to study replacing three elementary schools with new buildings.
Over the last decade or so, Springfield has received about $700 million from the MSBA to upgrade or replace dozens of school buildings – some that were constructed in the 19th Century, said Pat Sullivan, the city’s director of buildings.
“It’s really remarkable what we have gotten done with this program,” he said.
Three brand new schools have been built. construction is underway on a new elementary school in the Mason Square neighborhood.
The school building improvements have coincided with a leap in academic performance by Springfield Public School students. In a city with a high rate of childhood asthma it is important to have schools that are clean with good air quality, said Sullivan.
“It means kids are in the classroom longer, they’re not leaving because of an asthma attack,” he said. “If you maintain your buildings, it is going to have a ripple effect for a good outcome for the kids’ education and I think that is what we are achieving with this program.”
There is no dollar amount attached to the proposals submitted to the MSBA. Each project is evaluated on its merits and if approved then a budget for it is worked out.
Springfield has been successful in getting 3-4 projects per year greenlighted by the MSBA, said Pete Garvey, the city’s director of Capital Asset Management and construction.
“There (were) 74 selected out of over 200 submissions (statewide for funding) in the last round, so we are doing pretty good in terms of getting our fair share,” Garvey said.
He said the state funds typically cover between 60-80 percent of the total cost of a school repair or replacement project and the city borrows to cover the rest.
-- Paul Tuthill Dublin Schools Delay Approval Of $1B Master Facilities Plan-- Patch.com California: February 24, 2022 [ abstract] DUBLIN, CA — After more than two years debate punctuated by several revisions, Dublin school board members Tuesday night delayed final approval of the district's Master Facilities Plan, an aggressive program for rehabilitating and expanding deteriorating school buildings and constructing new ones that will ultimately cost taxpayers more than $1 billion.
In a narrow 3-2 vote, the board sent the plan back for additional revisions. When it's ultimately approved the document will map the direction of modernization and expansion of existing facilities and construction of both a new high school and a future K-8 school to accommodate what is projected to be continuing growth in district enrollment through the end of the decade.
Overall, the master plan includes scores of district-wide improvement projects impacting every school – ranging from addition of new classrooms and expansion of athletic facilities to a number of heating, ventilation and air conditioning system upgrades. Some of those projects are already underway.
-- Michael Wittner and Bob Porterfield and Courtney T JCPS expects to spend $114M for 3 new schools in $1.1B facilities proposal-- WDRB.com Kentucky: February 23, 2022 [ abstract]
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jefferson County Public Schools expects to spend $114.2 million building new schools for Grace James Academy of Excellence, W.E.B. DuBois Academy and a 1,000-student middle school in west Louisville.
The three new schools were part of the district’s proposed $1.1 billion facilities plan scheduled for a public hearing 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at C.B. Young Jr. Service Center on Crittenden Drive.
Only JCPS employees attended Wednesday's hearing to receive public comments on the district's proposed facilities plan.
The new schools are among numerous projects slated to be scheduled for future construction within the 2022-23 biennium, though that is not guaranteed. The Jefferson County Board of Education approved the draft facilities plan during a Feb. 1 meeting.
JCPS Chief Operations Officer Chris Perkins said the "blueprint" gives a four-year look at its most pressing construction needs.
"It is a planning tool actually, and so the intent of it really is to identify facility needs holistically across the district to help us prioritize our planning," Perkins said after the brief hearing. "... These are our top priorities to make sure that we have not just adequate facilities but state-of-the-art, 21st century learning facilities for these schools, too."
-- Kevin Wheatley Students & teachers want building renovations for Park View High School in Loudoun Co.-- WIJLA Virginia: February 23, 2022 [ abstract]
Students and teachers are sounding off about current conditions at Park View High School in Sterling, Virginia.
They told school board members the school is in desperate need of repairs.
“Last week, there was a flood in a section of hallways which flooded some nearby classrooms,” said student Ibrahim Ahmad.
“We can’t keep painting a few walls and replacing a few tiles and acting like everything’s ok. It’s time we discuss a real renovation, one that gives our students a safe as efficient learning environment,” said teacher Sophie Fowler.
It comes at a time when the school is set to undergo a $42 million renovation.
The design phase is set to start in July with construction set to begin in July 2023.
-- Justin Hinton Net Zero Energy Schools Raise Bar on Green Construction Statewide-- Maryland Matters Maryland: February 22, 2022 [ abstract]
On his first tour of Wilde Lake Middle School in Columbia, Christopher Rattay watched a fleet of solar cars whiz up and down the sixth-grade hallway. He would learn from the enthusiastic young operators that they were built for a class project. The new principal knew right away that Maryland’s first net zero energy school would be a wild ride, that the $34-million facility, which opened in 2017, had the potential to be something special, both as a learning laboratory and a model for school construction.
“The [building] itself is gorgeous and contributes to good health and a sense of emotional well-being,” said Rattay, who was struck by the “open spaces and natural light” in the halls, stairwells and classrooms.
“Net zero energy [means] any electricity we use is electricity that we produce, whether it’s our solar panels on the roof, or those on the grounds,” said school resource teacher Doug Spicher. He said the construction plan also called for 112 geothermal wells to heat and cool the building, a large array of light and water sensors and other conservation measures. Sunshades and coatings on the windows decrease the amount of sunlight that penetrates the building so school rooms don’t get sweltering hot or cold, Spicher said.
The new school, completed in 2017, is nearly 50% larger and uses 50% less energy than the building it replaced.
Wilde Lake can also serve 760 students, up from 500 at the previous building. Mariam Abimbola said she was “privileged” to be one of them. Now a junior, she said she made frequent stops at the energy kiosk in the front hall that streamed environmental data in real time. “[The display] made you look at the electricity we were using, the electricity we were saving,” she said. “Before that we weren’t really conscious of our energy use, that we could really do better, and change our ways, at school and at home.”
-- Rosanne Skirble Solar Panels at Robbinsville Schools Could Save District $100K Per Year in Energy Costs-- Tapinto.net New Jersey: February 21, 2022 [ abstract]
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ - It's been years in the making, but construction is now underway to build solar panels at the Robbinsville Township High School and Pond Road Middle School that could save up to $100,000 in taxpayer dollars.
In a conversation with TAPinto Hamilton/Robbinsville, School Superintendent Brian Betze said the District is moving quickly to finish construction in order to qualify for tax credits offered by the State of New Jersey. As a result, there is zero cost to the District he said.
The District has experienced some delays in the project, the superintendent said, including steel shortages.
Betze said creating these solar arrays are "pretty cutting edge" for school districts. Each of the arrays is a compilation of solar panels grouped together to generate electricity to the energy system that it is attached. In this case, the arrays will offset energy costs to the school district.
When the five-array set as well as new security cameras, lighting and paving is completed, parking will be available under the panels.
During construction at the Robbinsbille High School, some students and faculty have needed to park at Pond and walk 0.4 miles to to their school. Betze himself has been doing the seven-minute walk including in some of those colder brisk days.
-- ELIZABETH A MEYERS After more than 50 years, East Ascension High School's main building will be replaced-- The Advocate Louisiana: February 20, 2022 [ abstract]
The campus of East Ascension High School has seen big changes in recent years, but the most dramatic one will happen this summer when the half-century-old main school building is torn down to make way for a new one.
The two-story building, in the heart of Gonzales on East Worthey Road, opened in 1966. It has an outdated heating and air conditioning system running throughout the building that called for new construction from the ground up, said Jeff Parent, the school district's supervisor of planning and construction.
The two-pipe system now in place uses the same piping for both hot water heating and chilled water cooling — and switching from one to the other is a slow process, Parent said.
"Today is a nice, mild day, but we needed heat in the early morning," he said on a recent day at the school. "By 10 a.m., we needed air-conditioning, and that turnover can take two to four hours."
"Over the years, we've done a lot of things to reduce the time as much as we can," Parent said. The new construction will bring a four-pipe system that uses separate lines for hot and chilled water.
East Ascension High's future new main building, with administrative offices and classrooms, is a $27 million project, funded by a 2020 bond election.
-- Ellyn Couvillion SC’s poor schools to get piece of $138M for construction. Legislators asked to give more-- The Post and Courier South Carolina: February 20, 2022 [ abstract]
COLUMBIA — South Carolina’s poorest school districts will soon learn whether they’ll get a chunk of $138 million from the state — and if so, how much — for their construction needs that exceed many times that amount.
While the money is the largest single-year sum the state has put toward K-12 construction in decades, it won’t go far in replacing or overhauling dilapidated buildings that often date to the 1950s, when the state’s inaugural sales tax funded hundreds of Black- and White-only schools in a failed effort to thwart desegregation.
South Carolina hasn’t embarked on a major school building project in rural swaths of the state since.
With decisions still in motion, state Education Superintendent Molly Spearman is asking legislators for more — lots more — though not a specific amount. The state’s largest-ever surplus, coupled with federal COVID aid, provides a once-in-a-generation, or longer, opportunity to provide students in the poorest districts a safe, healthy place to learn, she said.
“I can’t think of a better use of one-time money than this,” she told a House budget-writing panel. “Please put in as much money as you can because there’s tremendous need.”
-- Seanna Adcox School renovations: RI leaders outline progress, future projects-- WPRI Rhode Island: February 16, 2022 [ abstract]
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island leaders held a news conference Wednesday to highlight school construction projects that have been completed with a taxpayer-approved bond as they ask voters to approve another one this fall.
The Statewide School construction Bond approved by voters in 2018 provided $250 million in upfront “pay-as-you-go” funding to repair and replace crumbling school buildings across the state.
“The fact that we’ve allowed buildings to crumble is such a shame, but we’re not doing that any longer,” R.I. Department of Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said.
Infante-Green and Gov. Dan McKee on Wednesday released the 2022 School Building Authority (SBA) Report, Renewing the Dream, which they said describes the work being done to build high-quality facilities statewide.
Renewing the Dream is the SBA’s first report since 2017. Officials said it showcases 11 case studies on major renovations or full building replacements that have been completed, along with another six ongoing projects.
“We are continuing to make progress in providing every child in Rhode Island with modern school facilities where they can get an excellent education,” McKee said. “For too long, our funding structures have left our most at-need cities and towns behind, but our entire state team is working tirelessly to change that. Together, we can give every student in Rhode Island the world-class schools they deserve.”
-- Melanie DaSilva Schools are using COVID relief for building upgrades that will take years-- Chalkbeat National: February 15, 2022 [ abstract] School districts across the U.S. are renovating their buildings and upgrading dilapidated ventilation systems with the help of $190 billion of federal COVID relief.
But these improvements will take time, and some won’t be completed for years after the pandemic first disrupted schooling.
The improvements have gotten the blessing of the U.S. Department of Education, which has encouraged ventilation upgrades. And there’s good evidence that such projects will benefit students: Research has found a direct link between air quality and student success, and students in classrooms that aren’t air conditioned tend to learn less on hot days.
Still, the plans reveal an awkward reality: With limited options for spending a big, one-time chunk of money, school districts are using part of it for expensive facilities projects, which may have only a tenuous connection to the pandemic and will take years to complete.
Now, some school leaders want more time. The national school superintendents’ association and other groups recently asked the U.S. Department of Education for an extra two years to spend the money so construction projects can be planned and completed.
“I don’t necessarily think that facilities spending seems to be a bad way to spend it,” said American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Nat Malkus, who recently analyzed COVID relief dollars for schools. But, he added, “It’s certainly not under the original intent of the bill.”
-- Matt Barnum School leaders advocate for school construction funds-- Bristol Herald Courier Virginia: February 14, 2022 [ abstract] Leaders of the Virginia Coalition of Small and Rural Schools continued to advocate for more funding to repair and replace dilapidated schools statewide Monday.
Speaking during an education funding press conference in Richmond, speakers from different state advocacy organizations urged the General Assembly to expand funding for school buildings, behavioral health for students, greater teacher pay, revised Standards of Quality and literacy intervention.
For the coalition, which includes all of the public school divisions in Southwest Virginia among its 80 members, the theme of buildings is a familiar topic.
“Among the key issues and challenges our work seeks to influence is the urgency of finally addressing the ever-increasing number of crumbling and dilapidated school facilities,” Peter Gretz, superintendent of Fluvanna County Public Schools and vice president of the coalition, said. “We believe the ZIP code in which Virginia’s children are born should not be the deciding factor in whether or not they get to learn in high-quality, modern facilities designed to meet the instructional needs of the 21st century — a century we are almost a quarter of the way through.”
-- David McGee 5-Bill school modernization package provides Funding for Virginia schools-- Star Tribune Virginia: February 11, 2022 [ abstract] RICHMOND — The Virginia Senate today passed three bills to provide long-overdue funding for school construction and modernization.
The three bills – SB 471, SB 473, and SB 481 – are part of a bipartisan package of legislation recommended by the Commission on School construction and Modernization. Two other commission-recommended bills - SB 238 and SB 472 – already passed the Senate earlier this session.
More than 1,000 schools — more than half of K-12 school buildings in Virginia — are more than 50 years old, according to the Commission on School construction and Modernization. The Commission estimates that the amount of funding needed to replace these buildings is $24.8 billion. Many localities face significant challenges in raising sufficient funds to undertake these projects.
“These bills help ensure that schools across the commonwealth receive the funding to make capital improvements they so desperately need,” said Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond), the chair of the commission. “Students need a safe place to learn, and they cannot learn if the school around them is crumbling. It’s time for Virginia to invest in addressing our crisis of school infrastructure. I’m honored to work with Sen. Stanley as we make bipartisan investments in our children’s future.”
-- Staff Writer Report: 119 Utah public school buildings ‘susceptible to significant earthquake damage’-- DeseretNews Utah: February 10, 2022 [ abstract] A new report by state and federal officials released Thursday identified 119 Utah public school campuses with structures constructed of unreinforced masonry, which means they are susceptible to significant earthquake damage during moderate and even low earthquake shaking.
Such construction poses a threat to people in these schools and those in close proximity to the structures, the report states.
The inventory, released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Utah Department of Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management, notes that children spend the majority of their weekday waking hours at school.
“While schools provide an environment for learning, socialization and personal growth, we generally assume the buildings themselves are sturdy. Unfortunately, some schools by virtue of their age or construction materials can pose a potential safety risk to those very same children. Most noteworthy in Utah, with its high earthquake hazard, are schools constructed of bricks with little or no steel reinforcement,” the report states.
However, a joint state and federal press release notes, “Just because a school is on the list, does not mean it is at an imminent risk of collapse.”
The report, titled “Utah K-12 Public Schools Unreinforced Masonry Inventory,” found 20 of Utah’s 29 counties have at least one school campus with a URM building or addition. Those facilities serve a combined 72,126 children, about 12% of the state’s total public school population.
-- Majorie Cortez Brooklyn City Schools eyeing renovations and possible new construction-- Cleveland.com Ohio: February 09, 2022 [ abstract] BROOKYN, Ohio -- The results of a recently completed facility study conducted by GPD Group to assess district facility conditions and needs have been presented to the Brooklyn City Schools Board of Education.
“Back in 2015, the district built a brand-new PreK-7 complex, creating a one-campus district,” Superintendent/CEO Theodore Caleris said.
“The facility study is just the first step for us in terms of getting a handle on what type of renovations particularly are needed at our high school, which was built around 1960 and hasn’t been renovated.
“That building in the near future is going to need some capital improvement work. We’re just looking at gathering information as we begin to consider what that renovation and/or new building would look like.”
-- John Benson Virginia lawmakers, school officials push for school construction funding-- WCYB 5 Virginia: February 09, 2022 [ abstract] BRISTOL, Va. (WCYB) — Leaky roofs, black mold, and crumbling buildings are just some of the issues facing many schools in Southwest Virginia.
The problem isn't new, and local lawmakers are pushing for change.
According to a recent survey by the Virginia Department of Education more than half of the state's public schools are at least 50 years old.
"It's widely known there is a $25 billion school facility crisis in the Commonwealth of Virginia," said Superintendent of Bristol, Virginia Schools Keith Perrigan.
It's a problem school officials in Bristol, Virginia know all too well. Some of their schools are more than 70 years old. Perrigan recently was in Richmond to help testify on behalf of rural schools.
"Southwest Virginia certainly needs to have a voice in Southwest Virginia and in Richmond in regards to school funding and other issues," said Perrigan.
Del. Israel O'Quinn (R-Washington County), is sponsoring bills to help the school systems. One would take money from the state's literary fund and repurpose it for school construction.
-- Kristen Quon 6 simple clues to know if my school is exposed to asbestos-- The News 24 National: February 08, 2022 [ abstract] Phenomena such as digitization or energy efficiency have completely changed the way in which a large number of public spaces are designed or built in our country in recent years or decades. Buildings such as hospitals, sports facilities or educational centers welcome a large number of advances in their construction and maintenance that, a priori, make them more sustainable and efficient.
In the case of schools, the implementation of this digitization and new construction techniques has not reached all communities equallyand there are still too many of them with outdated infrastructures and, what is worse, highly harmful to the health of the little ones.
In recent years, various specialists in environmental health have focused on the presence of asbestos in schools and institutes, especially those built in the 70s and 80s. And this substance, banned since 2002 and whose useful life It is between 30 and 35 years old, it becomes highly carcinogenic and not only if it is handled, but by the mere fact of being exposed to it continuously. For this reason, David Abolafio, manager of Amisur, a company specializing in the detection and removal of asbestos, gives us some simple keys to find out which are the areas or infrastructures where there is a greater probability of finding asbestos and, even more importantly, what steps we must take to remove it as soon as possible and safely.
-- Staff Writer Senator Kearney Pushes for More Funding for Schools, Looks to Revive PlanCon Building Program-- PA Senate Democrats Pennsylvania: February 07, 2022 [ abstract] HARRISBURG − February 7, 2022 – Senator Tim Kearney (D – Delaware/Chester), a member of the Senate Education Committee and newly-appointed Vice Chair of Appropriations, recently announced plans to restart the Planning and construction Workbook Program, —A.K.A. PlanCon— the state’s program for funding public school building construction and renovation, by finally appropriating funding to allow the Department of Education to accept new applications from school districts.
“After nearly 10 years without any state funding for our public school buildings, it is time for the legislature to do its job and address the Commonwealth’s school facilities crisis,” said Kearney. “Suburban, rural, and urban districts are all suffering from different challenges of aging infrastructure, from overcrowded classrooms to holes in the roofs, from broken heated systems to exposed and crumbling asbestos, every school district has unattended facilities issues while they work to address the other crises imposed on our education system.”
PlanCon allows school districts to apply for partial reimbursement for planning and construction costs approved by the PA Department of Education. Recently, the General Assembly passed Act 70 of 2019 to greatly simplify the application process and to create the Maintenance Program to cover critical system repairs and maintenance to existing school facilities, formerly ineligible costs. However, the legislature has not funded PlanCon since 2016 and placed a moratorium on new applications.
-- Staff Writer Analysis: Idaho’s school building problems have been neglected for years-- Idaho ED News Idaho: February 03, 2022 [ abstract] Kevin Richert 02/03/2022
We really don’t know what shape our school buildings are in. Or if we’re spending enough on upkeep.
A new and damning state report is a tale of neglect. Because state officials have long treated school construction and maintenance as a local responsibility, they haven’t bothered with basic oversight and process. They’ve gotten careless with 46 million square feet of school buildings, carrying a replacement cost well into the billions of dollars.
And if lawmakers didn’t know the problem they’ve created, they do now. The state’s Office of Performance Evaluations made it all painfully obvious.
Ten senators — the entire Senate Education Committee, and Senate Pro Tem Chuck Winder — came at the issue with a good question. Is Idaho’s tried-and-true method of bankrolling schools with local money becoming obsolete?
“The ability to fund school facilities through bonds may be breaking down,” the senators wrote in a March 5, 2011 letter, requesting an OPE report. “Some communities are growing so fast that they are faced with the challenge of repeatedly going back to the taxpayers for more bonding authority. Other, often rural communities with no or slow growth have very aged school facilities.”
Fair enough. And no neglect of a serious matter here.
-- Kevin Richert Ed Dept asked to extend deadline for school upgrades under relief funding-- K-12 Drive National: February 03, 2022 [ abstract]
Two of the three school buildings in Evergreen School District #50 in Kalispell, Montana, have aging air systems that provide poor ventilation and lack air conditioning. The district is setting aside about 75% of its Emergency and Secondary School Emergency Relief III funds for HVAC replacements later this year.
But even after a year of planning and designing for the upgrades and more than two years to go until the Sept. 30, 2024, ESSER deadline for obligating those funds, the timeline is making Superintendent Laurie Barron nervous.
In the best-case scenario, the project, which went out to bid this week, would finish before the start of next school year, with construction occurring over the summer to be less disruptive to student learning.
In the worst-case scenario, the district could fail to receive any acceptable bids, equipment could face shipping delays, and the project experiences a shortage of construction employees. The district would have to return any money not spent by the deadline.
"The money that has been put into schools to support us has been nothing short of what feels miraculous, right?," said Barron, whose 700-student, K-8 district sits about 40 minutes from Glacier National Park. "But with all the stipulations on it, there's that stress and anxiety of will we be able to expend it in the most appropriate and effective ways to benefit staff and students. And so, that's my concern."
-- Kara Arundel Expanded state grant program brings optimism for addressing capital needs-- The Warren Record North Carolina: February 03, 2022 [ abstract] Warren County Schools officials are optimistic that the expanded North Carolina Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund will help the school system address needs related to aging school buildings.
Superintendent Keith Sutton discussed the expanded program during the Warren County Board of Education’s Jan. 25 work session.
School facility needs have been ongoing topics of discussion for Warren County Schools officials. When an outside company evaluated school system buildings several years ago, the condition of the elementary schools was identified as a major concern because the buildings were constructed between 1957 and 1969.
The study gave several options in terms of renovations, additions and new construction to address the needs of the district’s elementary, middle and high school buildings. However, the cost of such work has been a barrier in moving any project from plan to reality.
According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the North Carolina Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund was established by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2017 for construction of new public school buildings, with funding to come from the North Carolina Education Lottery.
During last week’s school board work session, Sutton reported that the expanded grant fund program now covers additions, repairs and renovations in addition to new buildings. The NC Education Lottery remains the funding source.
Sutton added that $395 million in funding is available for grants in the fiscal year 2021-22 awards system.
The maximum grant that any school district could receive is $30 million for elementary schools, $40 million for middle schools and $50 million for high schools. However, Sutton noted that one district is not likely to receive the maximum amount for all three.
-- Luci Weldon Our work to rid schools and buildings of hazardous PCBs-- Department of Ecology State of Washington Washington: February 02, 2022 [ abstract] Few would argue there are higher priorities than protecting children from harm. We agree with the need to provide protection for children, and want to see that protection extended to those who work with children in the places where they spend vast amounts of time: schools.
Our work to identify and eliminate toxic chemicals in schools has been ongoing for decades, but a big push in recent years has been targeting polychlorinated biphenyls, also known as PCBs. While the government banned the manufacture of PCBs in the U.S. in 1979, the chemicals remain in buildings that were constructed or renovated before or around that date.
PCBs are a group of human-made compounds that contaminate air, water, land, and sediments. They last for decades in the environment, building up in the food chain, causing toxic effects to the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems in people and animals. PCBs also cause cancer in animals and are believed to cause cancer in people.
The Plan
In 2014, the Washington Legislature passed a law requiring state agencies to purchase PCB-free products whenever possible. In 2015, we culminated years of research and data with the release of a chemical action plan addressing PCBs. The report made a number of strong recommendations to reduce PCBs in the state, including:
-- Erich Ebel SB 238 Aims to Catalog School Building Age and Necessary Repairs in Virginia-- Dogwood Virginia: February 02, 2022 [ abstract] Across Virginia, more than 50% of schools—1,040 out of 2,005 that districts reported—are at least 50 years old. That’s according to the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) 2021 School Building Inventory. If every school older than 50 on the list required a replacement, the estimate would exceed $24 billion.
Sen. Jeremy McPike, a Democrat who serves Manassas, Manassas Park, and part of Prince William County, sponsored a bill aimed toward regulating and monitoring school building maintenance. The legislation was recommended by the Commission on School construction and Modernization, which in part determines school construction and modernization funding needs.
Senate Bill (SB) 238 would require local school boards to report the age of each school building in their district—and the estimated cost to renovate them—to the VDOE. The bill notes that districts would need to complete the task “in a timely fashion,” but gives no deadline indications at the present time.
-- Amie Knowles House subcommittee kills school construction sales tax bills-- The Daily Progress Virginia: January 28, 2022 [ abstract] An effort in the Virginia House of Delegates to give all localities the ability — via a voter referendum — to increase the local sales tax in order to pay for school construction projects was stopped in a subcommittee meeting Friday morning.
The subcommittee voted 5-3 all three times to lay on the table all three bills relating to the issue. A similar bill carried by Del. Dave LaRock, R-Loudon County, was struck from the agenda at the start of the meeting.
Similar legislation cleared the Virginia Senate earlier this week, meaning the overall push isn’t dead, yet.
Del. Sally Hudson, D-Charlottesville, sponsored a Charlottesville-specific bill as well as one that would’ve given all the localities the authorization to ask voters for approval.
“We’ll have another chance when the Senate bills come over to the House,” Hudson said after the meeting. “That means Virginians whose Delegates’ blocked this bill need to make their voices heard if they want the vote to change.”
-- Katherine Knott Education advocates push for new way to fund school construction costs-- Idaho 6 News Idaho: January 26, 2022 [ abstract]
BOISE, Idaho — Some education leaders and lobbyists are advocating for a new way to fund school construction costs.
It's an issue that's been a conversation topic among education leaders and lawmakers since the '90s. Through this funding method, a fee would be collected from new development and given to public school districts to fund new school buildings.
Education advocates say this would mean growth pays for growth.
Population Growth Impacts Public School Enrollment
Before the pandemic slowed in-person enrollment at many public schools, the West Ada School District was adding an average of 655 students per year.
fund school construction costs
Idaho State Capitol
By: Anna AzallionPosted at 1:59 PM, Jan 26, 2022 and last updated 8:06 AM, Jan 31, 2022
BOISE, Idaho — Some education leaders and lobbyists are advocating for a new way to fund school construction costs.
It's an issue that's been a conversation topic among education leaders and lawmakers since the '90s. Through this funding method, a fee would be collected from new development and given to public school districts to fund new school buildings.
Education advocates say this would mean growth pays for growth.
Population Growth Impacts Public School Enrollment
Before the pandemic slowed in-person enrollment at many public schools, the West Ada School District was adding an average of 655 students per year.
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“We’re growing in Star, we’re growing in south Meridian and we have some spots in Eagle that are definitely growing,” said Marci Horner, the planning and development administrator for the West Ada School District.
This growth impacts every area of life, including public school enrollment.
-- Anna Azallion Why School Leaders Are Sweating the Deadline for Spending COVID Relief Funds-- Education Week National: January 25, 2022 [ abstract] As the president, federal lawmakers, and critical media coverage ramp up pressure on schools to quickly spend the $195 billion in federal pandemic aid they received in 2020 and 2021, school administrators are pushing back with an unexpected message: We need more time.
A coalition of nearly three dozen school, health, and environmental advocacy groups, led by AASA, the School Superintendents’ Association, last week sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona asking the department to consider extending the deadline for spending COVID relief funds on construction and capital improvements projects.
The current deadline for spending all of the COVID relief funds is September 2024—more than four years after the pandemic began taking a toll on school operations and causing all manner of disruption for students and staff alike. Congress approved the aid in three waves in March 2020, December 2020, and March 2021.
-- Mark Lieberman How local planning committees impact school construction projects-- The Daily Independent Kentucky: January 22, 2022 [ abstract] A school’s local planning committee (LPC) is responsible for the development of a school system’s district facilities plan (DFP). A committee is created every four years to do so in accordance to Kentucky Revised Statues.
The LPC isn’t discussed much until it is asked to consider something like a significant building or renovation project within a school. Two local planning committees have been brought in beyond the regular assessment and approval of the DFP. Ashland Independent gathered it’s LPC to discuss a new technical center, which was approved by both the LPC and the local board of education.
Carter County is in the process of discussing renovations and grant money dedicated to East Carter High School along with renovation needs at the district technical center or a new single campus high school that would consolidate both high schools and provide access to a new technical center all on the same property.
The LPC is one of three primary boards or committees that have a say in the process of capital construction. The local planning committee, the local board of education and the Kentucky Department of Education all have a role in the process.
“(The LPC) are charged with reviewing the properties, the facilities of the district, their condition, whether or not they are satisfying the needs of the students in the community,” said Ashland Director of Student Achievement Richard Oppenheimer.
Oppenheimer explained the committee considers if builds have enough space, too much space and the cost of operating those buildings. The LPC also considers the district’s financial status and enrollment trends and “long range forecasts for population changes,” he said.
Oppenheimer said information is gathered from architects, financial advisors and more to determine building goals and feasibility in the district.
-- Emily Porter Federal investments ignore crucial upgrades to school facilities"and students pay the price-- Brookings National: January 21, 2022 [ abstract] Throughout the first year of his presidency, Joe Biden has regularly highlighted the need for investing in school infrastructure. From speeches referencing the lack of safe drinking water and ventilation to the pollution produced by school buses, the subject has been consistently present in the administration’s remarks. The American Society of Civil Engineers echoed these concerns in its release of the nation’s infrastructure report card earlier this year, grading public school facilities with a D+.
This post describes recent developments in the administration’s school infrastructure proposals, highlights areas of underinvestment, and summarizes recent research on how some of these failings might impact students.
On Nov. 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, with total investments of $1.2 trillion over 10 years (including $550 billion in new spending). The package covers $284 billion in new funds directed toward transportation needs, such as roads, bridges, public transport, railroads, and electric vehicles. The remaining $266 billion in new investments focus on core infrastructure—ranging from improving the power grid, broadband access, and water systems to environmental resiliency and remediation.
But there is one notable category that is missing in the newly minted infrastructure legislation: schools.
In early versions of Biden’s infrastructure plan, the White House outlined a $100 billion investment for “school construction and modernization.” In September 2021, the proposed investment slipped to $82 billion; by late October, all language referencing school investment was removed from the plan. This left many educators, families, and advocates who were previously hopeful about the potential investment disappointed—especially those suffering from the consequences of failing and dangerous school infrastructure.
-- Logan Booker and Nicolas Zerbino A Philly Council member wants the city to follow NYC’s model for fixing crumbling schools-- WHYY Pennsylvania: January 19, 2022 [ abstract]
Fixing Philadelphia’s crumbling — and dangerous — public school buildings has been a big item on City Council’s collective to-do list for years. But without a clear source of funding and a system for tackling the $5 billion problem, plans have languished.
That could change if Councilmember Maria Quiñones-Sánchez gets her way with a piece of legislation she plans to introduce legislation on Thursday, the first day the council returns to session from their winter break. The bill would create a working group to investigate the possibility of a new school board building authority modeled after organizations created in New York City and other U.S. cities with underfunded school systems.
Quiñones-Sánchez said the authority would work to figure out the district’s building challenges in both the long and short term while giving the incoming superintendent the ability to “focus on education and academics for the district.”
The new authority would help school officials “get the millions we have budgeted for the school district on the ground and work done,” Quiñones-Sánchez said.
At this point, the district has more than five dozen of its schools under construction and billions of dollars of work in the planning phases as officials focus on remediating lead, asbestos, and other hazards that have long persisted within public school buildings.
-- Tom MacDonald BG schools will be air conditioned by next fall-- Sentinel-Tribune Ohio: January 19, 2022 [ abstract] Three of Bowling Green’s school buildings will have air conditioning when classes resume next fall.
At Tuesday’s board of education meeting, members accepted a bid for the installation of air conditioning units at the high school as well as Conneaut and Kenwood elementaries.
The mini-split units will provide air conditioning to each classroom, but not ventilation. They can be moved if new facilities are built.
Earl Mechanical Services, Inc., Wauseon, presented the low bid of $3,308,700, which was was 17% less than what was estimated.
The bid included there alternatives: for earlier construction to start on the elementary schools in order to have some of the projected completed by the end of spring; the installation of double-wall construction; and the enclosure of the exterior refrigerant piping in metal.
“When we put this out to bid, the budget was for $4 million,” said Superintendent Francis Scruci. “We are really, really pleased this came in a $3.3 million.
“In this day and age, that’s really good news.”
-- Marie Thomas-Baird Bill to let all localities impose sales tax for school construction advances from Senate committee-- Richmond Times Dispatch Virginia: January 19, 2022 [ abstract] A proposal to allow all local governments to impose a sales tax to pay for school construction or renovation sped out of a key Senate committee on Wednesday, as a new General Assembly and governor prepare to grapple with an old problem of crumbling school buildings.
The Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee voted 14-2 to advance Senate Bill 472, proposed by Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, to give localities another way to pay for school construction or renovations they otherwise cannot afford.
The option of imposing a 1% sales tax, subject to voter approval, is one of more than a half-dozen recommendations from a commission that McClellan led to address the challenge of repairing or replacing old public school buildings, with more than half of them more than 50 years old.
Other proposed options include the creation of a fund to make grants to localities that cannot afford to repay loans, as well as changes to the state Literary Fund to make more money available to lend to school divisions and their local governing bodies. Former Gov. Ralph Northam included $500 million in his proposed two-year budget to help pay for school modernization.
“We wanted to have multiple tools in the tool kit,” McClellan said. “For some localities, the sales tax will be the solution.”
-- Michael Martz High cost of steel plus Omicron busts budgets, delays openings of new schools-- KJZZ Utah: January 19, 2022 [ abstract]
SANDY, Utah (KUTV) — At the Canyons School District, the high cost of steel and labor shortages because of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 are either delaying the construction of new schools, or busting the budget.
The district has three schools under construction. One of them, Glacier Hills Elementary in Sandy, has suddenly become $550,000 more expensive because the cost of steel has gone up during construction.
Leon Wilcox, business administrator for the school district, told the school board that the extra cost is covered by the contingency fund set aside for unexpected expenses during the project.
He said other supplies, like school furniture, has gone up in price, too.
Two other schools under construction, Peruvian Park Elementary and Union Middle School, are also impacted by delays in getting materials or by the labor shortage.
Peruvian Park, which was originally set to open in August for the first day of school in the fall of 2022, will now open at the end of September.
Kids who’ve been taking the bus to a middle school where classes are held in the interim will have to start next school year at the interim location, then move to the new school about six weeks later.
-- CRISTINA FLORES Destrehan High School reopens 141 days after Hurricane Ida-- FOX8 Louisiana: January 18, 2022 [ abstract] The school has been under repair for the past 141 days - since Hurricane Ida ripped through Southeast Louisiana and caused Destrehan High’s roof to collapse among other things.
“Damage-wise just in this building is astronomical because we lost the whole commons (area), library and administration offices,” Destrehan High Principal Jason Madere said.
School leaders say construction crews worked around the clock, despite supply issues and costs, to get the campus back in shape. However, the school isn’t back to 100%, with some lingering projects that still need to be tended to with no set timetable or price tag yet.
“That’s a whole process that has to go through a bidding process,” Madere said. “That’s why we actually have temporary portables on campus right now to house our administrative team. The library has a new location to keep the library going. We’ve made adjustments. We are happy to be back.”
Returning to campus was something teachers, faculty and students like senior class president Kailie Carrige were anticipating since the storm passed.
“We’re just thrilled to be back on our own campus, on our own stomping grounds after the storm,” Carrige said. “Coming back (after Hurricane Ida) and seeing the community in shambles, it was really heartbreaking. But St. Charles Parish is strong. We’re unlike any other parish in Louisiana. I knew we would be ok rebuilding.”
-- Andres Fuentes New Hampstead K-8 opens after facing construction delays-- WSAV Georgia: January 18, 2022 [ abstract] SAVANNAH, Ga (WSAV) — Tuesday was the first day of school in a new building for some Savannah-Chatham County Public School students.
New Hampstead K-8 was built with the goal of alleviating overcrowding at other schools, namely Godley Station K-8. Crews broke ground on the new school in the fall of 2019 with the intention of opening for the start of the 2021-2022 school year.
School leaders say weather and pandemic-related issues, including supply chain disruptions, interfered with construction.
“COVID did have some effect on the construction workers,” said Troy Brown, the district’s senior officer of K-8 leadership. “Some of them were out sick or either being isolated or quarantined because of that so that delayed some of the process, we didn’t have enough workers to do the construction.”
The new school is home to 93 classrooms, all equipped with interactive whiteboards and audio enhancement systems. The nearly 150,000 square foot building carries a $42.5 million price tag. It was funded by ESPLOST, a penny sales tax that supports Savannah-Chatham Public Schools.
New Hampstead K-8 sits behind New Hamstead High, connected by a walking path with the goal of creating a campus-like feel.
-- Brian Rea Renovations advance to make Erie High, other school district buildings, 'warm, safe and dry'-- GoErie Pennsylvania: January 15, 2022 [ abstract]
The marketing classroom at Erie High School once felt like a furnace.
"We used to die in here it was so hot," 18-year-old Lawton Ortiz said.
On Thursday, the new heating and cooling system in the classroom allowed Ortiz to work comfortably.
The temperature was at 67 degrees Fahrenheit, rather than 85 or 90 F. And new flooring and other changes made the space brighter and more welcoming.
The upgrades are part of the ongoing multimillion-dollar construction projects at Erie High and other Erie School District buildings — projects whose progress might be overlooked as the school district is focused on getting through the pandemic.
At Erie High, the first phase of the renovations, with a latest estimated cost at $26 million, is on schedule to be done by the end of the coming summer, said Neal Brokman, who is overseeing the construction projects as the Erie School District's executive director of operations.
Massive project:Erie School District to renovate Erie High as part of 'warm, safe and dry' building plan
-- Ed Palattella State to provide additional funding to underserved school districts with $20 million investment-- The Center Square Rhode Island: January 14, 2022 [ abstract]
Underserved school districts in Rhode Island will be seeing an influx of funding under the Facility Equity Initiative, Gov. Dan McKee said.
The governor announced in a news release that in working with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and with the Office of Energy Resources (OER) and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Opportunity (ODEO), the organizations will work to ensure communities receive an equitable share of $20 million from the 2018 school construction bond in underserved areas.
“This new funding is an important step forward in providing every child in Rhode Island with a modern school facility where they can get an excellent education,” McKee said in the release. “For too long, our funding structures have left our most at-need cities and towns behind, but my administration is working tirelessly to change that. We can give every student in Rhode Island the world-class schools they deserve.”
The Facility Equity initiative, according to the release, is designed to provide funding to five districts that have the highest reimbursement rates. The initiative, which was first announced in October 2021, is a pilot program designed to direct funding to districts that need it most.
Central Falls, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, Providence, and West Warwick school districts will receive a little more than $13 million in funding that will benefit 11,000 students. Funding will be used to construct new science labs, media centers, and community rooms, the release says.
-- Brett Addleman General Assembly to Consider Expanding Eligible Costs for School Construction-- Maryland Association of Counties Maryland: January 13, 2022 [ abstract] Senators Katie Fry Hester and Guy Guzzone and Delegate Courtney Watson have pre-filed Senate Bill 40 and House Bill 68 to expand eligibility for State funds established by the Built to Learn Act.
Currently, systemic school construction projects — like repairing, replacement, or upgrading facility systems, such as HVAC unites, are only eligible for funding under the Built to Learn Act if the projects total at least $4 million in cost. This minimum requirement was largely an arbitrary decision made during the the legislative process, but has proved to be one that a lot of smaller systemic projects will not meet, therefore disqualifying them from the funding.
-- Brianna January MPS to close, rebuild schools in first phase of Capital Improvement Plan-- Alabama News Network Alabama: January 12, 2022 [ abstract] The Montgomery County Board of Education has voted unanimously to approve Phase 1 of the Capital Improvement Plan which includes closing down two school buildings, including Lanier High School, and rebuilding two others.
The improvements are recommended by the construction management firm, Volkert Inc., who is working with MPS on this Capital Improvement Plan.
Superintendent Dr. Ann Roy Moore said this is crucial for the school system to move forward.
“The facility has to accommodate what it is that you want to do for your students as far as programs go,” Moore said. “Its very difficult in a very old building to accommodate all the programs and the technology we want to accommodate in this era.”
During the rollout of Phase 1, the following changes and upgrades are planned for MPS school buildings:
– Sidney Lanier High School will consolidate with G.W. Carver High School. Lanier students will begin attending Carver once renovations are made to the Carver building. MPS will discontinue the use of the Lanier building on South Court Street.
– Robert E. Lee High School will be rebuilt.
– Capitol Heights Middle School will be rebuilt.
– Wilson Elementary will consolidate with Blount Elementary.
-- Mattie Davis Springdale (Ark.) school district seeks state funding to renovate 9 buildings-- American School & University Arkansas: January 12, 2022 [ abstract] The Springdale (Ark.) school district is hoping the state will allocate $60 million for several construction projects.
The funding from the Arkansas Public Facilities Partnership would be earmarked for nine buildings the district wants to renovate, reports The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
The partnership has said it will pay 58.4% of the construction costs; the district would be responsible for the rest.
Springdale is looking to update or replace some of its older buildings. The proposed projects:
• Jones Elementary --$5.9 million to replace the main building, constructed in 1959
• Elmdale Elementary -- $7.2 million to replace the main building, constructed in 1965.
• George Elementary --$1 million to replace the air conditioning and heat system.
• Westwood Elementary -- replace the main building, constructed in 1959 (cost estimate unavailable).
-- Brooke Just $300-million bond to rebuild Rhode Island's public schools is before the General Assembly-- The Providence Journal Rhode Island: January 06, 2022 [ abstract]
PROVIDENCE — Four years ago, Rhode Island voters approved a $250-million school construction bond to address decades of neglect, and what one official called a tidal wave of need.
Now, state officials are proposing a second, $300-million bond that would go before voters on the 2022 ballot. The bond would also provide incentives for early childhood education facilities, career and technical education facilities, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) facilities.
The legislation, sponsored by state Treasurer Seth Magaziner, Senators Hanna Gallo and Sandra Cano, and Rep. Brandon Potter, also includes new incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements to public school buildings, and new incentives for school districts to hire local contractors and minority business enterprises on construction projects.
In 2017, the state Department of Education commissioned an engineering study that identified more than 50,000 deficiencies across the state’s 306 public school buildings. Magaziner led the state’s School Building Task Force, which brought together educators, experts, and community stakeholders to develop a plan to rebuild Rhode Island’s schools.
The bond has allocated more than $1.7 billion to repair or replace 189 school buildings across 28 districts in Rhode Island.
-- Linda Borg Western Alaska school in race against riverbank erosion moved to top of state construction priority list-- Anchorage Daily News Alaska: January 05, 2022 [ abstract] BETHEL — A Western Alaska school in danger of being lost to erosion because of climate change is at the top of the state’s list for new school construction.
The Department of Education and Early Development put the school in the village of Napakiak at the top of its priority list for replacement for the upcoming fiscal year, KYUK-AM reported.
The school is just 64 feet from the Kuskokwim River and it’s getting closer every year. Just two years ago, the school was almost 200 feet from the river.
Climate change is a contributing factor in the erosion caused by the Kuskokwim.
It has been an ongoing problem in Napakiak, but the pace has accelerated in the past few years. Numerous Alaska communities face the same dilemma because they are affected by the warming climate that is thawing permafrost and compromising river banks.
Napakiak rose to the top of the school replacement list after the Legislature approved more than $3 million in September to demolish the existing K-12 building, said Tim Mearig, facilities manager for the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.
-- Associated Press CA Expanded School Programs without Expanding Construction Funding-- California News Times California: January 04, 2022 [ abstract] If the Democratic leaders of the Legislature give way, the next state budget will allocate $ 10 billion of the estimated $ 30 billion surplus to repair and expand the facilities in the K-12 school district.
This funding will have a major impact on the growing needs of buildings since voters broke $ 15 billion in kindergarten-to-high school and college bonds in March 2020.
However, the issuance of $ 12 billion of school bonds proposed for the 2022 vote could fail due to a parliamentary bill.
Phil Ting of D-San Francisco, chair of the Parliamentary Budget Committee, highlighted $ 10 billion in a parliamentary budget blueprint presented in December. Unspecified additional amounts will be sent to university and community college facilities, along with $ 10 billion for transportation projects.
Within the next few months, the method of distributing funds from transitional kindergartens to grade 12 will be through grants or whether it is tied to match local donations, as in current facility programs. Negotiated with the Senate and Governor Gavin Newsom. His version of this month’s 2022-23 budget. But parliamentary leaders wanted to make their broad priorities known now, Tin said.
It’s also unclear whether surplus funds will supplement or replace the $ 12 billion TK-12 and community college bond issuance proposed by Congress in June with the goal of placing them in front of voters next year. .. Mr Tin said a $ 10 billion surplus budget could replace school-building bonds in 2022. This is partly a timing issue and determines the probability that public debt will pass in a crowded state vote amid economic uncertainty. There is no decision to continue, Tin said.
-- John Fensterwald Lawsuit - Small WA districts hurt by relying on property tax-- The Fresno Bee Washington: December 31, 2021 [ abstract]
The lead lawyer in the lawsuit that forced Washington state to revamp public school funding has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a small district, saying the state is failing students due to the poor condition of school buildings. “Public education is supposed to be the great equalizer in our democracy,” reads the complaint filed Tuesday in Wahkiakum County Superior Court. “Our state government’s failure to amply fund the Wahkiakum School District’s capital needs, however, does the opposite. It makes our public schools a perpetuator of class inequality.” The Seattle Times reports attorney Tom Ahearne is representing the Wahkiakum School District, which lies along the Columbia River and has fewer than 500 students.
The suit said Washington is violating the state constitution by failing to ensure all students learn in safe and modern school buildings. A decade ago, Ahearn was the winning attorney when the Washington Supreme Court ruled in the landmark McCleary case that the state was failing to uphold its state constitutional duty by amply funding basic education for all students. That case upended many school districts’ reliance on property taxes, but stopped short of changing the funding system for building construction and improvements.
-- Associated Press 100-years strong: History of century-old schoolhouses and how they are being used today-- The Daily Record Ohio: December 30, 2021 [ abstract]
Throughout the cities, townships and villages of Wayne, Holmes and Ashland counties there are dozens of schoolhouses that are 100 years old or more.
Each has seen hundreds of children come and go over the decades. And each school has a story to tell.
How are these century buildings being used today? Reporters from The Daily Record and Times-Gazette scoured the tri-county area to find out
Wayne County century schools
All four elementary schools in the Southeast Local School District were built more than a century ago, or very close, said Superintendent Jon Ritchie.
Ritchie said Mount Eaton and Fredericksburg schools were each built in the 1890s, and Holmesville and Apple Creek schools were each built in the 1920s. All four feed John R. Lea Middle School and eventually Waynedale High.
While there have been some additions and updates over the years, including to the roof and electrical wiring, Ritchie said, most of the schools have not seen any major renovations since their initial construction.
“I wouldn't say they've been renovated,” Ritchie said. “... It's not like you'd walk in and go ‘Wow, that's a new building.’”
The district will be getting a brand-new school in a few years. With the help of funding from the Rover pipeline, a one-campus building that will house all Southeast students is planned for completion by August 2024, though the location for the new construction has yet to be determined.
-- Rachel Karas Kevin Lynch Grant Ritchey Several options, big decisions loom for funding school constructio-- EdSource California: December 29, 2021 [ abstract] If the Assembly’s Democratic leaders have their way, next year’s state budget will dedicate $10 billion out of a projected $30 billion surplus to repair and expand K-12 school districts’ facilities. The money would put a big dent in building needs that have grown since voters defeated a $15 billion bond for K-12 schools and colleges in March 2020. These include an immediate need to modernize school buildings to accommodate transitional kindergarten and community schools.
Yet the proposal could also derail a proposed $12 billion school building bond issue for next year’s ballot.
Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, who chairs the Assembly Budget Committee, highlighted the $10 billion in the Assembly budget blueprint that he presented earlier this month. An unspecified additional amount would go to university and community college facilities, along with $10 billion for transportation projects.
How the money for transitional kindergarten to 12th grade would be distributed — whether through grants or tied to matching local contributions, as under the current facilities program — would be negotiated in coming months with the Senate and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who will propose his version of the 2022-23 budget early next month. But Assembly leaders wanted to make their broad priorities known now, Ting said.
-- JOHN FENSTERWALD After $295M referendum, Spartanburg District 5 begins middle school construction-- The Post and Courier South Carolina: December 28, 2021 [ abstract] DUNCAN — construction on a new middle school in Spartanburg School District 5 has begun, on schedule to open for the 2024-25 academic year.
The new construction project along Abner Creek Road is part of a plan to build new schools and upgrade existing school buildings to meet anticipated enrollment growth over the next five years. District 5 serves communities in Duncan, Lyman and Wellford in western Spartanburg County. Student enrollment for the current school year is 9,800 students. The enrollment increased by 700 over last year, which was the district’s largest-ever increase in a single year.
On Nov. 2, voters in District 5 approved a bond referendum to allow the district to borrow $295 million to build two new schools and fund expansions at others. In addition to the middle school in Duncan, a new elementary school will be built behind Wellford Academy of Science and Technology at 684 Syphrit Road in Wellford. The academy students will continue to attend the school, then move into the new elementary school when it is completed.
-- Chris Lavender New Jacksonville Elementary offers classroom walls, progress toward district's desegregation obligations-- Democrat Gazette Arkansas: December 27, 2021 [ abstract] The Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District on Jan. 5 is opening its fourth new school and second elementary in 3½ years.
The new Jacksonville Elementary at 2400 Linda Lane will be home to almost 700 kindergarten-through-fifth-graders and 50 staff members who are coming together from the soon-to-be-closed Pinewood and Warren Dupree elementary campuses.
The new brown-brick elementary with red metal trim is next door to Jacksonville Middle School, which opened for the first time in August. If the Linda Lane address sounds familiar, the adjoining elementary and middle schools are on the site of what was once Jacksonville High.
With the new Jacksonville Elementary, the school system has four new schools up and running, with two more yet to build, to achieve its goal -- and the directive of a federal judge presiding in a long-running school desegregation lawsuit -- of replacing all of its eight original campuses with six new buildings.
All of the construction comes in a district that is in just its fifth year of existence. The 3,800-student district detached from the neighboring Pulaski County Special School District and began operating independently in 2016.
The new district inherited the desegregation obligations of the Pulaski County Special district in what is now a 39-year-old federal lawsuit. Those obligations in the two districts include equalizing the condition of aged school buildings, which are often in communities with high populations of Black students, with the newer buildings in the Pulaski County Special district that are in predominantly white neighborhoods.
-- Cynthia Howell Schools Face New Obstacles in Building Maintenance-- NBC Washington District of Columbia: December 22, 2021 [ abstract]
As more schools close again due to the spread of the coronavirus, the surge is raising new worries about an old problem: the condition of local school buildings.
A review of internal reports from leaders in D.C., Maryland and Virginia shows maintenance backlogs were a problem long before the pandemic began and remain a big concern as this semester ends.
Even before the omicron variant, Becky Reina says she felt more comfortable keeping her kids home than sending them back to the classroom this fall. The D.C. mom had too many concerns with air filtration in her kids’ school, among other issues.
“They don't have enough maintenance staff, they don't have enough cleaning supplies, they don't have enough people to maintain all of the infrastructure in these buildings,” she said. “And that's been a historic problem before the pandemic.”
A review of state and D.C. school building records found maintenance backlogs indeed predated the pandemic but have been especially difficult to tackle during it.
Keith Anderson, the head of D.C.’s Department of General Services, which oversees the District’s 117 school buildings, says the problem isn’t lack of funding or staff.
“construction and facilities maintenance comes down to two things: labor and parts,” he said. “Now what we are having issues with is getting the parts to complete the jobs.”
In Prince George’s County, a parent-teacher organization president said she regularly hears from maintenance staff asking for help getting the supplies they need.
“If the work order is put in and the workers can't get the supplies, then the building can start decaying,” Phyllis Wright said.
-- Scott MacFarlane Stamford slated to get 20% state funding for new Westhill School, but is it enough?-- Stamford Advocate Connecticut: December 21, 2021 [ abstract] STAMFORD — Two major school construction projects in Stamford recently received partial funding from the state, but officials are hoping to receive even more money.
Of the two projects, the biggest is reconstruction of Westhill High School, a project estimated to cost $258 million, according to the state’s Department of Administrative Services. The current 50-year-old structure has had a variety of problems, including “major water intrusion items related to leaky roofs, windows, doorways and exterior facade,” according to schools Superintendent Tamu Lucero.
Plans are to build a brand new school on the same site, and then demolishing the existing building once the new one is complete. Lucero said the new school would be designed to be more student oriented, “promoting student autonomy and independence.”
The state has agreed to finance 20 percent of the work, or $52 million, according to a letter released late last week by the department.
-- Ignacio Laguarda $300M Pawtucket high school proposed to replace 'sadly vacant' McCoy Stadium. What we know-- The Providence Journal Rhode Island: December 19, 2021 [ abstract]
Pawtucket is moving closer to building a new high school where McCoy Stadium now stands.
A city panel studying the idea endorsed tearing down the now-vacant ballpark and building a $300-million school complex that would replace Pawtucket's two existing public high schools.
The 482,500-square-foot building recommended by the high school building panel could fit 2,500 students and include technical education facilities.
Mayor Donald Grebien called it an "inspiring opportunity" and now a top priority of his administration in a news release.
"This project would take advantage of a city owned asset, turning the now sadly vacant McCoy Stadium site into a vibrant campus for learning, career exploration, athletics, and community activities," Grebien said in the release.
Pawtucket mayor:$17.7 million deal for Apex site an 'important step' in redevelopment
Renderings of the plan show a main entrance to the school and bus drop-off on Division Street. The opposite side of the building would have a grassy quad leading to an artificial turf athletic field.
The whole complex would be ringed with surface parking lots containing more than 650 spaces.
Renderings show a four-story main academic building with gymnasium, auditorium and pool.
A presentation from consultants studying the project estimate $265,857,500 in construction costs, "including soft costs, contingencies and standard escalation" eligible for state school building aid.
They project another $31.5 million in furniture, equipment, technology, demolition and site remediation, for a total of $302,507,000.
The new East Providence High School that opened this year cost $190 million.
-- Patrick Anderson St. Landry Board considering new schools, price tag and number of facilities increasing-- Daily World Louisiana: December 19, 2021 [ abstract]
An overall price tag for proposed new St. Landry Parish elementary school construction is rising as the number of projected new facilities continues to increase.
Those are the pair of inflationary issues school board members face as the deadline approaches for approving a final budget for as many as four new kindergarten through fourth grade campuses.
The construction package still under consideration is tied to an ambitious parish wide property tax referendum scheduled March 26.
Not only are voters being asked to approve at least $150 million for new schools in Opelousas, Eunice and areas in the southern part of the parish, but also included are proposed raises for school employees and athletic facilities.
Each of the three proposals are separate ballot items, but if each is passed, taxes now paid by property owners will double to about 44 mills annually over a 10-year period.
-- Bobby Ardoin Rising costs jeopardize Perry Local grand plans for new schools-- The Independent Ohio: December 18, 2021 [ abstract] PERRY TWP. – Perry Local officials have tough decisions to make as they move forward with plans to construct four new elementary buildings, a new middle school and renovate the high school.
Since the district began planning for the $163.5 million project, the pandemic has caused construction costs to skyrocket.
District leaders are left wondering how they are going to fully fund it with an insufficient budget, Superintendent Scott Beatty told the Board of Education and members of the district Building Advisory Committee.
The cost of steel has jumped 111% and material costs have gone up more than 27% between August 2020 and August 2021, according to the Associated General Contractors of America. It also can take 18 months to get new school furniture, Beatty added.
"It's nobody's fault," Beatty said. "But it's important for you and the community to see what we are up against."
-- Amy L. Knapp New state budget a winning ticket for school repairs in smaller, poorer counties-- WRAL North Carolina: December 15, 2021 [ abstract] RALEIGH, N.C. — Changes included in the state budget mean public schools will soon be getting more money from the North Carolina Education Lottery.
Lottery proceeds, which totaled more than $700 million in the last fiscal year, are distributed to all 100 counties on a per-student basis. Although the lottery money is a tiny fraction of the state's education spending, the formula leaves small counties, which often have numerous repair needs, at a disadvantage.
Schools in Warren County, for example, need a lot more work than the district can afford. A school had to close three years ago when the heating and cooling system stopped working, and Superintendent Keith Sutton said the district can't pay to get it fixed.
"We've got about seven schools here. Four or five of those structures are in desperate need of repair [or] renovation and, in some cases, new construction," said Sutton, a former Wake County Board of Education member who recently took charge of Warren County Schools.
"In terms of improving teaching and learning, we want our students [and] our faculty to be in an environment that is conducive to learning," he said.
In past years, the state lottery paid out just $100 million statewide for school buildings. Again, the money was distributed based on the number of students, so Warren County got just $138,000 last year.
-- Laura Leslie Elko County voters reject school construction bonds in special election-- Nevada Independent Nevada: December 14, 2021 [ abstract] Voters in northeastern Nevada shot down a ballot question proposing the Elko County School District take out $150 million in general obligation bonds for capital funding projects after an extension of the existing “Pay-As-You-Go” funding stream was voted down last year.
Nearly 60 percent of nearly 5,000 votes tabulated in the special election voted against the measure while 40 percent voted in favor of it, according to preliminary results released by the county clerk’s office. In the county of more than 52,000 people where more than 26,000 are registered to vote, 3,812 votes were cast by mail, with another 658 cast during early voting and 529 cast on Election Day. Other mail ballots postmarked by Tuesday but received later may be added to the total count next week.
The results dashed hopes for school district leaders, who had presented projects on a wish list during a previous school board meeting including updates to many K-12 schools and gymnasiums, a new elementary school in Elko, a remodel of a building from 1917 on the Elko High School campus and a career technical education facility for Spring Creek High School, among others.
“Preliminary results indicate voter disapproval of the bond issue needed to provide funding for acquisition, construction, renovation, and equipping school facilities as provided by the Elko County School District’s Capital Improvement Plan,” the school district said in a Tuesday night statement. “The county will not certify results until a later date, but votes tallied so far point to a loss for Elko County students and the communities we serve.”
-- Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez Here’s an update on school construction in growing Aiken County-- WRDW South Carolina: December 14, 2021 [ abstract]
AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Aiken County school officials provided construction updates on a number of big school projects at Tuesday night’s school board meeting.
Growth in the school district reflects the growth we’ve been seeing the county as a whole.
Aiken County is involved in five different school construction projects right now that are all on time and within budget. Officials are also looking ahead as they plan for the future.
The county is seeing more and more people moving there each year. And the school board knows the first thing someone looks at is how the school system works.
“Well we are anticipating growth,” said John Bradley, chairman of the Aiken County Board of Education.
The school board’s plan is to build or reconstruct schools larger than they need. They’re using tax money and COVID assistance funds, too.
“Bottom line this is your taxes dollars at work,” said Corey Murphy, chief officer for operations of student services.
Wagener-Salley High School is one of the older schools in Aiken County. It’s getting a makeover costing about $45 million.
-- Clare Allen Students and parents call for school district, city officials to fix school buildings-- The Philadelphia Tribune Pennsylvania: December 11, 2021 [ abstract]
Students, parents, and advocates are calling for the School District of Philadelphia and elected officials to rebuild public school facilities by creating an open, participating plan for fixing environmental health and safety issues.
“In the last four months, we have seen no change in school infrastructure even though the district had more than a year to address the issues in school buildings,” said Ashley Tellez of the Latinx advocacy organization Juntos.
“Our schools deserve a reinvestment because this is where we build our future, where ideas flourish and where minds grow,” she added.
The proposed plan includes: information being transparent and accessible to school communities; data being shared by the city, school district and individual impacted schools; and an independent citywide board, separate from the school district, that will oversee spending priorities, construction progress, and decide on best practices for construction processes and environmental testing.
The plan also asks the school district to create a master facilities plan with input from school community members to rebuild or repair every school, remediate environmental toxins, and reduce each school’s carbon emissions using union labor and minority-owned companies.
-- Staff Writer CPS plans more construction projects to help decrease trailer use-- KOMU Missouri: December 09, 2021 [ abstract]
COLUMBIA - Columbia Public Schools is starting to phase out trailers and work on more construction projects within the district.
Long-term projects are being developed as students are coming back to in-person learning after being online last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CPS is the fifth largest school district in Missouri with more than 18,000 students enrolled in preschool through 12th grade.
School trailers are known to have a variety of issues, like leaking ceilings, mold and animals invading the interior of the building.
During the 2006-2007 school year, CPS had 173 trailers. By 2022, there will be less than 21 trailers in use, according to the district.
To move beyond trailers, CPS is starting construction projects to update school buildings and promote better learning environments.
CPS conducted an analysis that found trailers were cost inefficient and that it was time for a long-term plan for bricks and mortars as a foundation for schools.
Michelle Baumstark, chief communications officer for CPS, said the community has been supportive of replacing trailers and having updated resources for all schools.
"Our community has been amazingly supportive of our long-range facility plan in our school district to replace trailers and to make sure that our students have high quality learning facilities," Baumstark said.
-- Grayson Rainey On Your Dime: Rhode Island school districts ask for hundreds of millions for construction-- WJAR Rhode Island: December 09, 2021 [ abstract]
As a mother of three, education is a top priority for Ashly Rogers of Smithfield.
"I have twin boys that are 11 and a 5-year-old," she said.
Like many parents, Rogers said she believes getting a good education isn't just about the overall instruction, but also includes the buildings they're learning in.
"As we learned when we got into COVID, ventilation systems are really important and having windows and more space for kids to just spread out and be with each other is important," she said.
School districts across Rhode Island are hoping taxpayers will feel the same way.
State bonds are up for grabs years after a Jacobs report revealed school buildings across Rhode Island were falling apart and needed $2.2 billion in repairs. Districts are now getting the chance to address the longstanding issues, as long as taxpayers are willing to play ball.
Johnston Public Schools is proposing a $215 million bond for school construction, a combination of state and local tax money.
"Heating, air conditioning, classrooms, science labs, technology upgrades and entrance upgrades," Superintendent Bernard DiLullo said those are just some of the changes they're hoping to make.
-- TAMARA SACHARCZYK School Construction Work Group Makes Major Decisions on Funding and Assessments, but Work Remains-- Maryland Association of Counties Maryland: December 01, 2021 [ abstract] Among the decisions made were those involving the Revolving Loan Fund, cost share formulas, and school facilities assessments. These decisions come after months of meeting and deliberation.
The work group was created via legislation in 2021. It was tasked with evaluating multiple components of school construction projects and facilities conditions by the end of this year, but the process has been less than smooth.
Revolving Loan Fund
The work group was tasked with establishing and implementing the Revolving Loan Fund, which would allow local education agencies (LEAs) to forward fund school construction projects.
Among the decisions made, which Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner and MACo advocated for:
Increasing funding for the program in the out years from the originally proposed $50 million, including an additional $20.0 million in FY 24, and additional $10.0 million in FY 25 and FY 26;
Priority should be given to counties that have not forward funded in recent years and that have limited debt capacity;
Require repayment with no interest within five years of loan disbursement: Allow waivers from the five-year limit to counties that have not received sufficient State funding to repay the loans at the end of five years; and
To allow loan funds to also be available to support both Capital Improvement Program and Built to Learn projects.
-- Brianna January State panel makes recommendations for school improvements-- WDBJ7 Virginia: December 01, 2021 [ abstract] RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ) - A group of Virginia lawmakers focused on outdated and inadequate school buildings Wednesday, offering up recommendations to the General Assembly.
The Commission on School construction and Modernization approved several recommendations they hope will free up more money for construction.
One would create a grant program with a dedicated funding stream for school divisions that have difficulty financing improvements.
“We’ve got a huge problem,” said Del. Shelly Simonds (D-Newport News). “And there are going to have to be many many different solutions.
-- Joe Dashiell School district capital projects continue to see cost increases-- Lehigh Acres Citizen Florida: November 27, 2021 [ abstract] Another capital project update was given to the School Board of Lee County last week, with many projects going before the capital committee to discuss costs.
construction Project Management Director Scott Reichenbacher began the discussion with G. Weaver Hipps Elementary School new construction for the pre- K addition. He said with the current requirement of 30,000 square feet, there has been a scope done on the project.
On Oct. 22, the design team was informed the addition will need to be designed as a shelter.
“We talked at the last construction meeting involving this, it looks like GMP will come in between $14 to $15 million. The original concept was 20,000 square feet, which is similar to what we did at James Stephens,” he said.
With additional square footage and an interior play area required the district had to move the existing bus loop out on the campus, which Reichenbacher said was a million dollars worth of site work.
“Everything snowballed,” he said, as the playground had to be moved, too. “So we put that out there. We are going to be discussing that further internally in the capital committee to see if we could fund and move forward.”
The new J elementary school and MM (LAMS) addition was also discussed.
The MM addition, as of Nov. 4, had a 90 percent completed drawing of the structure.
“I have alerted to the potential look at some of the steel at AAA if you choose not to go forward to that,” Reichenbacher said. “That would repurpose that steel if I need to, if we cannot get a credit for it.”
-- MEGHAN BRADBURY New Hoboken High School Building Will Cost $241M-- Patch New Jersey: November 22, 2021 [ abstract]
HOBOKEN, NJ — A proposed new Hoboken High School building that was announced by the Board of Education a week ago Monday will cost as much as $241 million to build, NJ.com said in a story Monday.
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As first reported in Patch last week, the school board expects to bring their plans for the proposed school before the Hoboken Planning Board next month. The funding may come up for a public referendum on Jan. 25.
NJ.com reported Monday that the school will be built at 1000 Jefferson St., the site of the current athletic field used by Hoboken High School. A new athletic field will be constructed on top of that new building. The new building will also contain a rooftop athletic field, an ice rink, and the long-promised city pool.
The current Hoboken High School building on Clinton Street would become the city's new middle school, NJ.com said. And the existing middle school, now held in a 110-year-old former high school in the center of town, would be turned into an elementary school. Read more about the plans in NJ.com here.
-- Caren Lissner State education department releases first version of construction priority list-- KINY Alaska: November 22, 2021 [ abstract] The Capital Improvement Project, or CIP, grant priority lists are used by the governor and the legislature to figure out school construction and major maintenance projects for capital budget funding.
Department Facilities Manager, Tim Mearig, said that the department ranks the priority list using a set of evaluation criteria categories that are outlined in statute to help them figure how to rank projects.
"So it gives us certain parameters under which we can evaluate projects, the application itself that is used is set by the bond reimbursement and grant review committee, that is a statutory appointed committee that has responsibility for the CIP application, and that committee has defined a set of evaluation criteria that are used in assessing every application that's received, there is 16 different criteria, not all of which will apply to every project, but that can be used as they as they apply."
He said the criteria staff use is evaluative, an example he provided was that if there is an emergency nature to a particular project then that is evaluatively assessed. There are also calculated scores, like the age of the facility.
Mearig said some of the more common project requests from schools were for roofs.
-- Staff Writer Governor Murphy Announces $75 Million for Emergent and Capital Maintenance School Construction Throughout New Jersey-- State of New Jersey New Jersey: November 19, 2021 [ abstract] GARFIELD – As part of his commitment to ensuring a high-quality education for every student in New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy today announced that $75 million in funding will be distributed to school districts across the state to help meet emergent and capital maintenance needs, as well as address COVID-19 concerns to help schools ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for students. Because every school district in New Jersey will receive funding, the projects will also support good-paying union jobs in all corners of the state.
“In order to ensure New Jersey remains the number one school system in the nation, we must ensure our schools have the tools they need for students to succeed,” said Governor Murphy. “The funds we are announcing today are critical for making sure our schools remain safe and welcoming spaces for our kids and educators and for ensuring that our school buildings can meet the needs of the future. I am also proud to say that these projects will support union jobs throughout New Jersey.”
All school districts will receive a portion of the $75 million, which will be administered by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA). Of the $75 million, $50 million will be distributed to New Jersey’s 31 SDA districts and $25 million will be distributed to regular operating districts.
Governor Murphy was joined by Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillian and Manuel M. Da Silva, Chief Executive Officer of the SDA. The Governor made today’s announcement during a visit to the Garfield School District, which will receive $853,224.
“School districts share our goal of providing students with healthy and safe learning spaces, which is especially crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting Department of Education Commissioner Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan. “I commend Governor Murphy and the School Development Authority for the foresight in making this a priority in the budget.”
“We are committed to ensuring that New Jersey’s educational facilities best support the needs of students through healthy and safe learning environments,” said Schools Department Authority CEO Manuel Da Silva. “We are excited to continue our work through the administration of this grant program for ROD and SDA school districts, allowing them to make important and necessary improvements to their school facilities.”
“Today's announcement begins to move us in the right direction and sends the signal that New Jersey is paying attention to our schools’ outdated infrastructure,” said Senator Teresa Ruiz, chair of the Senate Education Committee. “While this will address some immediate projects, there is still much to be done to ensure all our students have a safe, suitable learning environment. We must understand that there is an immense need where school infrastructure is concerned. Therefore, there must also be discussion about investment in tangible short-term and long-term solutions.”
“Our students, even those from low-income or working-class neighborhoods, deserve the same opportunities, facilities and first-class classrooms that more affluent districts take for granted. Our parents need to be able not to worry about whether their child is getting an equal opportunity to achieve as their peers in other parts of the state,” said Senator Nellie Pou. “Indeed, the maintenance and, where needed, construction of new buildings, classrooms, chemistry labs, band rooms, audio visual studios or athletic facilities should be the same for every child in New Jersey, in order that we as a state live up to the letter and spirit of the words and the promise in our state Constitution, ‘provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient’ education for every child in the state.”
-- Staff Writer RCSD to receive $473 million for new classroom, building modernization program-- Rochester First New York: November 19, 2021 [ abstract] ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Rochester-area state lawmakers announced $473 million in funding to update, upgrade, and modernize facilities within the Rochester City School District Friday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed the Rochester School Modernization Program (RSMP) legislation into law, and state officials say it will be a nearly a billion-dollar investment to promote “an engaging, safe and improved environment for student learning in Rochester.”
Officials say this legislation will “increase access to equitable resources for RCSD students as well as create 1,000s of construction and infrastructure jobs in the region.”
“State-of-the-art learning spaces for our students, parents and facilities,” said RCSD Superintendent Lesli Myers-Small. “There are so many moments that give joy to a superintendent, seeing a scholar graduate, a kindergarten walk into the school for the first time. But when you have spaces that are new, engaging and exciting that further amplifies those feelings, not for me but for them.”
School Board President Van White also spoke saying to get to this point— phase III– took a massive effort with many people playing roles and advocating for this law to get signed.
“When these school buildings re-open, countless students will begin an exciting new phase of their education because this phase, like the previous phase, will provide our students with access to safer, efficient, and more effective learning environments,” said School Board President Van White.
-- Matt Driffill, Panagiotis Argitis, Christian Garzo FEMA Approves Over $142 Million for Schools Affected by Earthquakes-- reliefweb Puerto Rico: November 17, 2021 [ abstract] GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) allocated over $24.4 million during October and November to repair and reinforce various schools in the South and West regions of Puerto Rico that experienced structural damage caused by the 2020 earthquakes. To date, over $142 million has been obligated to the Puerto Rico Department of Education for 115 permanent work projects that address damage related to the tremors.
Due to the amount of structural damage caused by the earthquakes, most of the allocated funds will be used for mitigation works such as installing supports and steel structural reinforcements to protect the buildings in case of a future seismic event.
"Investing in construction works related to education has a ripple effect in Puerto Rico's recovery. Although it's true that the construction industry plays a vital role in any country's economy, when the works relate to education, the impact is even greater because the education of children and youths is one of our most important assets, it is the future of Puerto Rico," said FEMA Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator for Puerto Rico, José G. Baquero.
The funds include nearly $1.2 million to repair the Segundo Ruiz Belvis elementary school -- built during the 1940's -- over $2.7 million for the Eugenio María de Hostos High School and nearly $3.9 million for the Dr. Pedro Perea Fajardo Vocational Superior Public School, all three located in Mayagüez. Between the three campuses there is an enrollment of approximately 1,870 students who will benefit from the reconstructed spaces.
"School infrastructure improvement work is at the top of our work agenda through our Reconstruction Office. We have moved forward with several auctions of these projects which will allow permanent improvements to begin at the schools. Our vision is to make school environments safe and comfortable in a way that facilitates better outcomes for our students," said the Acting Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Education, Eliezer Ramos Parés.
-- FEMA Author Syracuse schools to start $300 million in construction projects at 10 schools-- Syracuse.com New York: November 16, 2021 [ abstract]
Syracuse, N.Y. -- The state cleared the way for Syracuse to begin its final phase of school renovations, which is expected to cost $300 million.
Ten schools will be renovated. This is the third phase in a plan to renovate all of the school district’s more than 30 buildings, at a cost of $750 million.
The renovations include:
Nottingham High School: $34 million. New school-based health center; auditorium renovations; classroom renovations; new sidewalks and paving; cafeteria, kitchen, and loading dock renovations; pool renovations; gym renovations; turf field and tack; roofing; complete mechanicals, electrical and plumbing renovations
Latin School: $22 million. Interior upgrades and ADA renovations in classrooms and bathrooms; sidewalk replacement and paving; courtyard upgrades; roof replacement; replace windows, exterior doors and masonry repairs; upgrade middle school science classrooms; gym upgrades; mechanical, electrical and plumbing; upgraded technology including white boards, wireless access points, data drops.
Corcoran High School: $30 million estimated total project cost. Complete classroom renovations; roofing replacement; auditorium renovations; gym and pool renovations; complete mechanical, plumbing and electrical renovations; kitchen and loading dock renovations.
-- Marnie Eisenstadt Simplify approval of school construction for earthquake safety-- Seattle Times Washington: November 15, 2021 [ abstract] Washington lawmakers have known for years that few of the state’s public-school buildings meet earthquake safety standards.
A new report shows just how widespread the problem is and how that has overwhelmed many Washington school districts. State and federal lawmakers must step in to help.
State lawmakers can take an appropriate first step during this coming short session that starts in January by lowering the threshold for voters to approve school construction bonds to a simple majority. Since lawmakers raised the threshold to 60% more than 70 years ago, it’s been difficult for too many districts to get voter approval for building needs.
Although Washington has one of the highest risks of earthquake in the United States, most public-school students attend class in buildings that predate modern seismic safety standards. Ninety-three percent of 561 school buildings across the state surveyed in recent geological and engineering assessments received the lowest-possible rating — one star in the five-star rating scale developed by the U.S. Resiliency Council. According to that group of experts, an average building designed to meet modern building codes should expect to achieve a safety rating of three to four stars.
A Seattle Times investigation in 2016 found that 1 in 3 pupils enrolled in Washington schools — about 386,000 students at the time — lived in earthquake-prone areas and attended schools built before seismic construction standards were adopted statewide in 1975.
-- Editorial You can now track asbestos remediation in Philly schools-- Axios Philadelphia Pennsylvania: November 12, 2021 [ abstract] Is asbestos remediation going on in your Philly school?
What's happening: The city launched a new interactive dashboard this week, and you can search all construction projects involving asbestos in the school district dating back to 2016.
Why it matters: School officials have struggled to protect children from environmental concerns, including asbestos and lead, that have long plagued district schools.
Inhaling or being exposed to asbestos can increase risks of developing health issues, including certain cancers.
State of play: The school district has an estimated $5 billion maintenance backlog, and the average age of Philly school buildings is more than 70 years old.
How it works: The dashboard maps asbestos remediation projects at specific schools and where the work was performed in them. It also tracks planned completion dates and other information.
The dashboard uses notification forms for asbestos projects through the Department of Public Health, which is updated daily.
-- Mike D'Onofrio State helps Liberty-Benton cover rising construction costs-- The Courier Ohio: November 10, 2021 [ abstract]
The Ohio State Controlling Board has approved an additional $1.2 million requested by the Ohio Facilities construction Commission to cover any added costs for the construction at Liberty-Benton Local School District due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Liberty-Benton Superintendent Mark Kowalski said supply and worker shortages have driven up the cost of school construction projects by as much as 20% this year.
Kowalski said while the district's projects do have contingency funds, the construction of Liberty-Benton's new facilities started a year late due to the pandemic. Inflation alone is enough to drive up the cost, he said, not including the additional cost of supplies.
"They realized this is going to be a problem for the schools," he said, especially those with projects already underway.
The additional money won't increase the scope of the project, but will help cover the added expenses, he said.
"Right now, there's a shortage of copper wire, steel, insulation, roofing material — all of that material is going at a premium," Kowalski said. "Overall, our project is on budget and in good shape."
The district's new building for students in prekindergarten through eighth grade — a 128,000-square-foot facility — is expected to be completed by spring 2023 and will be open for students, at the latest, by the start of the 2023-24 school year.
Included in the construction is an 800-seat performing arts auditorium, also set to be completed by spring 2023.
Renovations to Liberty-Benton High School, which are also part of the district's facility project, will begin next summer. It is scheduled to be completed in the summer 2023. The renovations, which total $5 million, include roof upgrades, technology and security improvements, and classroom changes. The improvements are meant to extend the life of the building.
-- Denise Grant Plan for new middle school in Lexington is now 50% over budget-- WKYT Kentucky: November 09, 2021 [ abstract]
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - School leaders in Fayette County are concerned about the cost of a new middle school in the Hamburg area.
At Monday night’s school board meeting, officials found out bid prices for the school construction have gone way up.
School leaders have known for a while that the Hamburg area in Lexington is growing and a new school is going to be necessary. However, the revelation that building that school is going to cost significantly more than they had planned is forcing officials to rethink things.
Originally developed in 2013, the construction of a new middle school on Polo Club Blvd. is the next big project on the school district’s development plan.
Now, the cost for that school is nearly $23 million more than initially planned.
“construction costs are increasing and they are increasing significantly,” said Myron Thompson, FCPS Chief Operating Officer. “The pandemic has, unfortunately, caught up with us at this particular point.”
Thompson that material costs have gone up over time. In fact, the $12.6 million cost of materials is a 50% increase from the initial plan.
All totaled, the project is 52.4% over budget, the most for school projects in this last year.
-- Jim Stratman Democrats Quietly Nix Biden’s $100B for School Modernization From Infrastructure Package-- U.S. News & World Report National: November 05, 2021 [ abstract] On a hot late August day, less than 24 hours before students were set to return to classrooms at Science Leadership Academy at Beeber in Philadelphia – the majority for the first time in 18 months – city council member Helen Gym joined educators, parents and students gathered in front of the school's red doors and stately columns to protest the unsafe conditions inside, where an ongoing construction project had left asbestos exposed, layers of dust caking hallways and a shortage of working bathrooms for 700 students.
An emergency order notified parents and school staff earlier that day that, as a result of the facilities issues, high school students would begin the school year learning virtually and middle school students would be relocated to a vacant school nearby for the entirety of the academic year.
"Our children deal with lead, asbestos and mold," Gym says of the School District of Philadelphia, where schools are on average 70 years old. "We had to start school weeks later than schools in the suburbs because we don't have air conditioning and classrooms can reach 90 degrees or higher on our hottest days, which are becoming more and more frequent."
Gym, a potential 2023 mayoral contender and longtime education activist, had been arrested weeks prior to the rally for banging on the doors of the Senate gallery inside the state Capitol in Harrisburg to protest the way the state funds the city's public school system – a longstanding issue that goes on trial in the commonwealth court next week.
"We have windows that don't open fully," she says. "Even now we struggle with the basics of functioning cafeterias, bathrooms that don't flood and roofs that don't cave in."
Five years ago, when Philadelphia performed a cursory assessment of its buildings, it estimated that basic repairs to bring schools up to code would cost roughly $4.5 billion, to say nothing of long-standing larger renovation needs or modernizing its K-12 system top-to-bottom. In 2019, the school district took out a $500 million bond for routine capital projects to begin facilities improvements.
-- Lauren Camera North Texas Voters Focus On Basics: Approve Road And School Building Improvements In Bond Elections-- 21CBS DFW Texas: November 03, 2021 [ abstract]
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Phil Carpenter put up signs urging his fellow Allen ISD residents to reject the school district’s two bond propositions valued at $23.6 million.
“We’re happy that voters spoke loud and clear.”
After the measures failed, Superintendent Dr. Robin Bullock issued a statement on the district’s website. “Moving forward, the district will have to make tough choices to ensure that our extracurricular facilities remain functional for our students and staff.”
The district had hoped to build a track at Ford Middle School, make improvements to the high school’s tennis courts, and the turf at Eagle Stadium, which cost taxpayers $60 million when it opened nearly a decade ago.
Carpenter said parents, residents, and taxpayers came together to oppose the projects. “We demand accountability into how those dollars are being spent and utilized. Full disclosure. Transparency.”
Last November, voters in the district rejected most of the items in this year’s bond measure.
In the Fort Worth ISD, voters said no to three of four bond propositions totaling $280 million dollars that would be spent on making improvements to stadiums, recreational and fine arts facilities.
Residents did approve spending $1.2 billion to fix-up and construct new school buildings by a margin of 42 votes.
-- Jack Fink 26 WV school districts requesting $166M for building, consolidation, renovation projects-- herald-dispatch West Virginia: November 02, 2021 [ abstract] CHARLESTON — Twenty-six county school systems are requesting nearly $166 million from the West Virginia School Building Authority for school construction, consolidation and renovation projects.
The Authority’s board members will vote in December on which projects to fund with the limited dollars the state Legislature provides the state agency annually.
Authority Executive Director David Roach said he expects the board will have about $80 million to $90 million to dole out in December. He tried to say that quietly during a break in Monday’s meeting on the proposals, but when it was clear an HD Media reporter heard him he said “that’s an estimate.”
-- Ryan Quinn Lack of permits leads to extra costs and delays for Portland school renovation projects-- Press Herald Maine: November 01, 2021 [ abstract] Three renovation projects at Portland schools are facing around $1.4 million in additional costs and a lengthier construction timeline because of delays in getting the necessary building permits.
The projects at Longfellow, Reiche and Presumpscot elementary schools were approved by voters with a $64 million bond in 2017 along with a fourth school, Lyseth, where a ribbon cutting was held last week to celebrate the recent completion of renovations.
construction on the remaining projects is being delayed, however, due to a lack of building permits that officials say has already added additional costs and will likely extend disruptions to education.
“We submitted the building permit for Longfellow in May and it’s almost November,” said school board Chair Emily Figdor. “We have been eager to meet the city’s needs at every step and yet we’re still here six months in without the building permits. School construction projects are different than other construction projects because in this case we’re disrupting kids’ education in addition to the $1.5 million it’s cost us so far.”
In addition to the Longfellow building permit, applications were submitted for permits at Reiche in June and at Presumpscot in July and are still pending.
-- Rachel Ohm Maintenance of Prince George's Co. schools rated 66.5, 'not adequate,' 2nd to last in Md.-- WJLA Maryland: November 01, 2021 [ abstract]
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. (7News) — At dismissal time at Kenilworth Elementary school in Bowie Monday, parents were not pleased to hear their children’s 57-year-old school is one of only two in the state to rate poor for how the building is maintained.
“Poor isn’t good at all,” said one dad. Another adding, ”I’d like them to do better of course.”
Parents for the most part haven’t been allowed in school buildings to see for themselves because of the pandemic but state inspectors from the state’s watchdog commission on school construction visited 42 Prince George’s County schools as part of an annual maintenance assessment.
The results were presented to the County School Board’s budget committee recently by the Interagency Commission on School construction.
The majority of schools were given a not sufficient rating on maintaining things like the HVAC systems, parking lots and playgrounds.
The IAC presenter summed up the report by saying , ”It appears that maintenance on average is simply not adequate.”
“To me that’s a huge concern because that means our students and staff are not working and learning in the most conducive environment,” says School Board member Raheela Ahmed.
She says an overworked staff in the second oldest buildings in the state simply isn’t keeping up with the workload.
“A lot of this could be attributed to deferred maintenance due to underfunding of our schools,” says Ahmed.
Shawn Matlock, head of capital programs for PGCPS agrees and says the answer is to build new schools as quickly as possible.
-- Brad Bell Storm Lake students push for outdoor classroom-- ctpost Iowa: October 31, 2021 [ abstract]
STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) — It’s easy as an adult to take shots at high school students, criticizing them as being concerned about little more than the latest social media craze they call up on their smartphones.
It’s a big mistake to do so, because teenagers will never cease to display an awareness beyond their years about what’s important in this world.
Take for example a Storm Lake High School project that’s turning an overlooked school courtyard into an environmentally sustainable space with outdoor classrooms.
“All my student groups always wanted to help improve the school courtyard environment,” said science teacher Angela Mesenbrink, whose advanced ecology classes came up with the project. “Everything just lined up perfectly.”
Right now, the Courtyard Conservation Project might not look like much, with mounds of black dirt and construction equipment and supplies filling the courtyard. But as workers last week pounded pavers into place atop the compacted sand that marks future walkways, it wasn’t hard to envision students enjoying fresh air and sunshine on a warm spring or fall afternoon amid two rain gardens and native plants and grasses.
-- Nick Hytrek Lamont ends controversial experiment with school construction financing oversight-- The CT Mirror Connecticut: October 29, 2021 [ abstract]
Gov. Ned Lamont returned oversight of the state’s massive school construction financing program Friday to the Department of Administrative Services, ending a controversial two-year experiment that had placed the venture within his budget office.
The reversal came one day after deputy budget director Kosta Diamantis of Farmington — who directed the school construction unit — retired in the face of an investigation for unspecified misconduct.
“Given the departure of the former director of the office of school construction we felt it made the most sense to bring the team back to DAS [Department of Administrative Services,] said Josh Geballe, Lamont’s chief operating officer.
The program, which sends hundreds of millions of dollars annually to municipalities to help build new and renovate existing schools, had long been located within DAS. And with Diamantis’ departure, Geballe said, the department is best positioned to manage the program.
Max Reiss, Lamont’s director of communications, declined to discuss specific allegations against Diamantis with the CT Mirror on Thursday night, writing only in a brief statement that: “The Governor’s Office removed Mr. Diamantis because of a personnel matter that is still under review.”
-- KEITH M. PHANEUF No Federal Infrastructure Money? Not OK, Says a Superintendent With Century-Old Buildings-- Education Week National: October 29, 2021 [ abstract] School district leaders who have dealt for years with a backlog of urgent maintenance and renovation needs for their school buildings were dealt a blow last week from the federal government.
A massive spending package still making its way through Congress likely won’t include federal funding to improve school buildings, nearly seven months after President Biden proposed $100 billion in grants and bonds to fix the nation’s K-12 facilities. A White House framework for the investment package includes universal pre-K, teacher pipeline programs, expanded free school meals, and expanded access to home broadband for K-12 students—but nothing to improve the nation’s school buildings, many of which are in major disrepair.
That means the wait for the first substantial federal investment in school buildings since the Great Depression will be even longer for administrators like Andrew O’Leary, assistant superintendent of finance and operations for the New Bedford school district in Massachusetts. The district has 13,000 students—40 percent are Latinx, and more than 70 percent come from low-income families.
Five of the district’s school buildings were constructed more than 100 years ago, three were built before 1940, and 10 were built between 30 and 50 years ago.
Among the problems in the school’s oldest buildings, according to a facilities assessment prepared for the district in July by a contractor:
Exposed heating pipes and a buckling wood floor in the gymnasium
No sprinkler system
No mechanism for measuring air quality and ventilation
No elevator for two-story building
Basement spaces serve as cafeterias and gymnasiums because the buildings were constructed before those services were components of a traditional school day
Windows nearing the end of their useful life
Electrical system with insufficient capacity
Cracks and holes in the parking lot
Water leaking from outside into the walls
Sixty percent of the district’s buildings require moderate renovation, and 16 percent require extensive renovation, O’Leary said.
O’Leary had hoped to tap into federal funding from the infrastructure plan to tackle some ambitious, long-needed facilities projects. Now he’s scaling back his ambitions.
-- Mark Lieberman Construction paused at new Clendenin Elementary after pyritic sulfur found in soil-- MetroNews West Virginia: October 27, 2021 [ abstract]
CLENDENIN, W.Va. — The Kanawha County school system has paused construction on the new Clendenin Elementary School after pyritic sulfur was found in the soil.
KCS Superintendent Tom Williams said the county’s clerk of the works recently noticed significant iron staining in and around the foundation trenches. The soil was tested and pyritic sulfur detected.
According to Williams, pyritic sulfur can potentially be expansive which could compromise the new school’s foundation, some of which has already been poured.
Williams said the soil was tested before construction started but it’s very unusual for pyritic sulfur to be found in sandstone.
“Normally from my understanding (it’s found) in shale and we’re talking about sandstone at the Clendenin site,” Williams said. “It’s not normally tested for in this area because it’s just not down here, especially in sandstone.”
Pyritic sulfur impacted the Ramada Inn in Morgantown a few years ago but that was shale rock, Williams said.
The school system is now looking for experts to help with the next step.
Williams said they are trying to stay upbeat.
“The positive is that it was discovered now rather than later and if it’s going to be an issue we would rather take care of it now before the building is constructed than later,” Williams said.
The school is being built to replace the former Clendenin Elementary that was destroyed in the June 2016 flood. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved $27 million in federal funds for the project in June 2020 which was to represent 90% of the total cost. The school is being built at a mountaintop site just off of U.S. Route 119 on Wolverton Mountain Road near Clendenin.
-- Jeff Jenkins Education Department opposes proposal to lower class sizes-- NY1 New York: October 27, 2021 [ abstract]
The Education Department objects to a proposal to lower class sizes by requiring more space per student — testifying at a hearing Wednesday that the plan would lead to a shortage of school seats across the city.
“The proposed legislation would create a seat deficit at every grade level, require the building of hundreds of thousands of new seats across the city, and be incredibly disruptive to the school system as a whole,” DOE Chief Academic Officer Linda Chen said.
Under mayoral control, the Council has little ability to set school policy. The bill uses a workaround: it would amend the city’s administrative code to require 35 square feet of space per child in all grade levels, compared to the 20 square feet required now. That would mean many fewer students per classroom.
Chen said the city would need to create the space for 200,000 more seats to meet the requirement.
“Our typical new elementary school has approximately 500 seats and typically takes about five years or longer to site, design and construct. It can take even longer if the site is complicated or the school is not a simple design,” she said.
The School construction Authority estimates that, under the current capital plan, it would take about 15 years to build 75,000 seats.
“It would take several decades for SCA to construct enough seats to meet the mandate,” Chen said.
-- JILLIAN JORGENSEN What's in the Fort Worth ISD bond proposal?-- KERA News Texas: October 26, 2021 [ abstract] The Fort Worth Independent School District is asking voters to approve a historic $1.49 billion bond package aimed at making improvements to existing schools and facilities and to fund some new construction. But what will the funds really do?
Most of the money in the bonds go toward improvements and renovations to existing school campuses. Three new elementary schools are also planned.
While these bonds would focus primarily on middle and elementary schools, $100 million would go toward new high school stadiums.
Here are the propositions you'll see on your ballot:
Proposition A
This bond is the largest and would provide more than $1.2 billion for the construction, renovation and equipping of school buildings in the district. That would include secured front vestibules, refitted science labs and removal of portable buildings. This includes upgrades to middle schools, as well as the construction of three new elementary schools.
-- Domini Davis Two new schools, new classrooms and roofs hinge on 12.4 mill tax extension in Little Rock School District election-- 4state.news Arkansas: October 24, 2021 [ abstract]
A kindergarten-through-eighth grade school, a northwest area high school and brick-and-mortar classrooms to replace the portable-building-row at Central High are among the projects to be funded by a proposed 12.4-mill property tax extension, Little Rock School District leaders say.
The capital city district has put on the Nov. 2 school election ballot a proposal to continue the levy of 12.4 debt-service mills beyond their current 2033 expiration date as a way to raise $300 million for two new schools and other campus improvements.
Early voting for the Nov. 2 election on the proposed 19-year millage extension can be done Tuesday through Friday this week and on Nov. 1.
This is the third time in four years that the district is asking voters to extend the tax levy to generate building funds, but it is the first time for the request since the district left state control and has a locally elected School Board.
The proposed extended levy of the 12.4 mills will not result in an increase in annual school taxes now paid by property owners, but the extension would mean that the taxes will have to be paid for more years.
If voters approve, the district would issue $417,825,000 in bonds, the money from which would be used to pay off existing debt at a possibly lower interest rate plus generate $300 million to be used for construction, additions and renovations in the 21,000-student district where the average age of schools tops 60 years.
The extended 12.4 debt-service mills — part of the district’s overall 46.4-mill tax rate — will enable the district to pay off the bonds.
-- Staff Writer Guilford County Schools Board of Education requests $1.7 billion bond referendum to improve ‘crumbling’ infrastructure-- Daily Investor Hub North Carolina: October 20, 2021 [ abstract]
GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) – The Guilford County Schools Board of Education has requested a $1.7 billion school construction bond referendum be placed on the March 8, 2021 primary election ballot.
On Tuesday, the board passed a bond referendum request resolution in a seven-to-two vote. It makes the formal request to the Guilford County Board of Commissioners and must be approved before being placed on next year’s ballot.
According to the district’s facilities master plan, it would fund 19 rebuilds, 12 renovations, three new construction projects and provide numerous safety upgrades, technology and deferred maintenance repairs at all other schools.
School officials expressed there is currently not enough money to address a growing list of infrastructure needs, some that are decades old.
-- Stephanie Thompson Mobile County school board poised to approve roof repairs-- FOX10 Alabama: October 20, 2021 [ abstract] MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – Leaky roofs at Mobile County public schools have drawn complaints from parents, but help is on the way.
Parents at Causey Middle School and Denton Magnet School last month told FOX10 News that they were upset that it has taken so long for the school system to repair hurricane damage.
At a work session Wednesday, Superintendent Chresal Threadgill outlined plans to sign contracts to repair the roofs of both schools. He said the school system chose the lowest bidder, Double AA construction, for $839,200.
Threadgill said Roofing Solutions was the low bidder for Denton Magnet School of Technology, at $598,844.
-- BRENDAN KIRBY Supply shipping issues still plague Sidney school projects-- KMA Land Iowa: October 20, 2021 [ abstract] (Sidney) -- Sidney school officials are hoping work on its long-running construction projects will be wrapped up by Christmas.
But, continuing delays in shipping construction supplies is preventing the setting of a firm completion date. Sidney School Superintendent Tim Hood updated the Sidney School Board on construction at the elementary and junior-senior high school buildings during this week's meeting. Hood tells KMA News work at the elementary facility includes final punchlist items, including painting.
"We're working on punchlist items right now," said Hood. "We have ordered the flooring--hopefully that will get here this month. When we had the asbestos removal, we were not anticipating it, so we had to order new flooring on that, and in 10 classrooms. We're hoping that will be here by the end of the month."
-- Mike Peterson City officials wrestle with how to pay for a long-anticipated new $75 million middle school-- Charlottesville Tomorrow Virginia: October 08, 2021 [ abstract] Charlottesville city leaders are preparing to dig deep in the city’s budget — and raise local taxes — in order to build a new $75 million middle school within the next five years.
The City Council this week gave the green light for the school division to finalize its plans for the new, state-of-the-art facility at Buford Middle School.
“This is an extremely expensive project,” Councilor Michael Payne said at Monday night’s council meeting, minutes before the council voted unanimously to set the project budget at $75 million. “There is still a lot of work to figure out how to make it happen, and I think we’re just going to have to take a really honest, clear-eyed look at our budget as part of being committed to make this happen.”
Monday’s vote does not commit the city to spending the money — or building the school. It simply directs an architect to create detailed plans for how the new facility will look and set a construction schedule.
Once those plans are finished, the firm will return to the council in March seeking final approval. That is when the council will decide if the project will go ahead.
“There is not a request for allocation of public funds tonight, but setting a budget,” said Wyck Knox, an architect at VMDO Architects, the Charlottesville-based firm hired by the city to design the new middle school. VMDO is also a Charlottesville Tomorrow sponsor. That “is incredibly important so that we have the parameters to design to.”
-- JESSIE HIGGINS School Construction Priorities, Funding May Need Amending-- The Pilot North Carolina: October 08, 2021 [ abstract] To the surprise of no one who’s doing any building these days, the Moore County Board of Education may find itself needing to recalibrate its construction spending to absorb recent price spikes for everything from labor to supplies.
Earlier this year, the school board approved an extensive list of construction work over the next few years using money from several funds, including the sale of retired school campuses, the district’s regular lottery and local capital funding, and federal COVID-19 relief funds.
The list totals about 45 projects, including new high school running tracks, roof replacements and utilities upgrades around the district. Those projects were compiled, in part, based on the amount of funding coming available over the next few years.
But the school board learned this past week that those initial cost estimates stand to increase significantly. John Birath, Moore County Schools’ director for operations, said that worker shortages and increases in the price of materials stand to add a projected total of $2 million to the cost of projects that the school board had hoped to pay using pandemic relief and local capital funding.
Based on progress so far with the first few projects approved this past spring, Birath estimated that future projects could run between five and 30 percent over the district’s initial cost estimates.
-- Mary Kate Murphy Pandemic shortages, supply chain issues delay Galesburg High School's $41.5 million renovations-- WQAD8 Illinois: September 30, 2021 [ abstract] GALESBURG, Ill. — Students at Galesburg High School are finally back in the classroom - and the building - despite continued construction delays caused by the pandemic.
The school began a $41.5 million, three-phase renovation project last fall, with hopes of completing the first phase by August 2021. But, district officials say pandemic-related shortages and supply chain issues have pushed it back to the end of October/beginning of November.
That caused the high school to remain remote for the first few weeks of the academic year, until students and staff were able to return on Sept. 20.
It was the first time students had been back in the high school building since 2019. When construction began that fall, classes were moved to modular rooms rented out behind the high school, along with two auxiliary buildings.
Some of the projects in this first phase of construction include a new commons area, kitchen, classrooms and vocational center.
However, not everything was completed by Sept. 20. According to the district, pandemic-related shortages mean whiteboards, cabinets and lockers are just a few of the school's missing pieces right now.
-- Shelby Kluver With Democrats Divided, Advocates Push to Save Key Education Priorities in Biden ‘Build Back Better’ Plan-- The 74 National: September 30, 2021 [ abstract] The House will resume consideration of the $1.2 infrastructure bill Friday morning after Thursday night slipped away without a vote.
Negotiations that would secure moderate Democrats’ support of President Joe Biden’s separate social spending bill — the deal that progressives are waiting for in order to vote for the infrastructure package — are continuing.
“A great deal of progress has been made this week, and we are closer to an agreement than ever,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. “But we are not there yet, and so, we will need some additional time to finish the work, starting tomorrow morning first thing.”
Meanwhile Biden signed a continuing resolution Thursday night, avoiding a government shutdown and giving the Senate until Dec. 3 to work on the fiscal year 2022 budget. The president’s proposed budget includes significant increases for Title I, special education and community schools.
“There’s so much more to do,” the president said in a statement. “But the passage of this bill reminds us that bipartisan work is possible and it gives us time to pass longer-term funding to keep our government running and delivering for the American people.”
Democrats, however, wanted to include language that would lift the debt ceiling, which the government will hit Oct. 18. Republicans voted against that plan.
With Congress tackling overlapping budget issues this week, advocates are most focused on saving President Joe Biden’s bold agenda for schools and families.
The proposed $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better” plan, which Biden says would lower costs that are “squeezing families month after month and year after year,” includes major increases for early-childhood education, teacher and principal preparation, school construction and community college. But Democrats don’t have enough support to pass it, even though they’re using a process known as reconciliation, which doesn’t require a single Republican vote.
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who along with fellow Democrat Krysten Sinema of Arizona is opposed to such sweeping legislation, made it clear in a statement Wednesday night that he can’t be convinced otherwise.
“Since the beginning of this reconciliation debate, I have been consistent in my belief that any expansion of social programs must be targeted to those in need, not expanded beyond what is fiscally possible,” Manchin wrote. “While I am hopeful that common ground can be found that would result in another historic investment in our nation, I cannot — and will not — support trillions in spending or an all or nothing approach that ignores the brutal fiscal reality our nation faces.”
The debate over the president’s agenda has revealed sharp divides among Democrats, while Republicans have held a united front against compromise proposals. Disagreement among Democrats is most obvious over the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was weighing whether to bring to a vote Thursday. Moderates have demanded a vote on the funding for roads, bridges and broadband, while progressives have said they won’t support the infrastructure bill unless they first get a vote on the larger reconciliation bill.
-- LINDA JACOBSON Asbestos found at another Ann Arbor school, MIOSHA now investigating-- WXYZ Michigan: September 28, 2021 [ abstract] ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — The 7 Investigators were the first to expose allegations of asbestos found inside some Ann Arbor elementary schools.
Now more of the cancer-causing material has been discovered inside a high school, and state inspectors were on the scene Tuesday to find out if workers and kids have been exposed.
7 Investigator Heather Catallo has been keeping a close eye on that high school and on the state investigation into the asbestos discoveries, and 7 Action News cameras were rolling as MIOSHA inspectors arrived at the school.
Inside Community High School in Ann Arbor, you can see dust-covered hallways, dusty display cases, and even construction debris covering office supplies. This is one of several Ann Arbor schools that have been under construction since last spring and now there are concerns that asbestos may have been disturbed during the demolition.
Asbestos is a cancer-causing mineral that was once used in everything from insulation to ceiling tiles.
-- Heather Catallo Construction begins on new Perth Amboy High School slated to open in 2024-- my central jersey New Jersey: September 28, 2021 [ abstract]
PERTH AMBOY - construction of the new $283.8 million, 576,000-square-foot, three story Perth Amboy High School began on Convery Boulevard Monday with a groundbreaking ceremony.
The school, which will serve about 3,300 students in grades 9 to 12, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2024. It is one of the largest school construction projects undertaken by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, according to the governor's office.
“We are committed to ensuring that every child in New Jersey has access to a high-quality education,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a release. He was joined at the event by Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) CEO Manuel Da Silva, Perth Amboy Public Schools Superintendent Dr. David Roman and city students.
“This school will not only relieve overcrowding in Perth Amboy Public Schools, but also provide a state-of-the-art facility that will foster learning and success for Perth Amboy students," Murphy said.
In addition to classrooms and science labs, the school will include specialized educational spaces such as an automotive lab, culinary arts lab, black box studio, dance studio, ROTC classroom, world languages classroom, life skills lab and a daycare center. The school also will be equipped with 1:1 student technology and energy efficiency systems.
-- Suzanne Russell Inside look: $30 million renovations ongoing at William Byrd High School-- The Roanoke Times Virginia: September 27, 2021 [ abstract] Improvements worth $30 million are underway at William Byrd High School, providing well-needed refreshment to the 50-year-old building, said Principal Tammy Newcomb.
“It’s a complete renovation,” Newcomb said Thursday. “When it’s finished, the building will be practically brand new.”
Early progress on renovations at the 1969 brick-faced high school, located on Washington Avenue in Vinton, are buzzing along, she said. Contractors have been hammering away at the project since spring, and expect to be finished in July 2023.
Roanoke-based companies Avis construction and Hughes Associates were awarded the $27.5 million contract with Roanoke County Schools. Soft costs for furniture, utility connections, gym flooring and more tally an additional $3.2 million, giving the project its $30.7 million price tag.
Roanoke County plans to approve $22.4 million of school bonds to fund the renovations, to be paid off over years to come, with the other $8.3 million paid for out of pocket.
Previously, the project cost increased by $7.4 million, requiring the county in June to divert funds from other school improvement projects.
-- Luke Weit Maryland IAC Releases FY 2021 Maintenance Report on Public Schools-- Maryland Association of Counties Maryland: September 27, 2021 [ abstract] The Interagency Commission on School construction (IAC) published the FY 2021 Maintenance of Maryland’s Public School Buildings Report, detailing an overview of maintenance assessments conducted at selected schools in each Maryland public school system.
The report provides an overview of all Maryland public schools, based on a sampling of 268 schools from around the state, as well as county-specific profiles on the conditions of school facilities. (The overview begins on page 16 and the county-specific reporting on page 22).
Maintenance costs are generally 100% the responsibility of the county government, and school boards differ in their maintenance programs, some developing highly successful and cost-saving models.
-- Brianna January Huge school construction projects underway in the Dayton area-- Dayton Daily News Ohio: September 26, 2021 [ abstract]
More than $650 million in taxpayer-approved funding in the Dayton area is going toward an unusually large number of school districts constructing new school buildings, moving into new buildings this fall, or preparing for new building projects.
The school facilities work ranges from a massive five-year, $158 million project at the Miami Valley Career Tech Center, to a tentative plan for a $7 million addition in Huber Heights, to an $18 million project in Oakwood that just renovated existing buildings.
Fairborn schools are in the middle of a large school construction project, and district treasurer Kevin Philo’s list of reasons why the multimillion-dollar investment is worthwhile echoed some other districts.
Philo cited 50-70-year-old school infrastructure that doesn’t fit with changing education and technology needs, adding that education itself if more important in a knowledge economy. He also cited competition, as people moving to the area a few years ago chose Huber Heights’ new buildings rather than Fairborn’s water leaks and lack of air conditioning.
And Fairborn officials cited two financial reasons. Philo said the interest rates they got last year (2.65%) were the lowest in 50 years, allowing Fairborn to get “more building for the money.”
-- Jeremy P. Kelley Growing coalition pushes Lamont harder to fund air quality upgrades in local schools-- The CT Mirror Connecticut: September 23, 2021 [ abstract] A growing coalition of municipalities, teachers, school administrators and others challenged Gov. Ned Lamont Thursday to enhance state funding to improve school air management systems as Connecticut grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.
The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and the state’s Council of Small Towns both objected this summer upon learning that existing school construction policy limits when state funds can be used to help towns pay for new ventilation, air conditioning and air quality control systems.
Thursday they were joined by the state’s two largest teachers’ unions — the Connecticut Education Association and AFT CT — the statewide associations for municipal school boards and for school superintendents, and CSEA-SEIU Local 2001, which represents teaching assistants in public schools.
“There is an overwhelming need for funding from the state to municipalities and their boards of education to upgrade HVAC systems to ensure adequate air quality in public schools as Connecticut continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Joe DeLong, CCM’s executive director. “This dire situation cannot just be left to property taxpayers to shoulder the fiscal burden. … It is frankly bizarre that the state recognizes an end of life for a roof or a window but believes an air quality system never requires updates or replacement,” DeLong said.
-- Keith M. Phaneuf Lowndes High construction delayed-- Valdosta Daily Times Georgia: September 23, 2021 [ abstract] VALDOSTA – Lowndes High School construction has been delayed, pushing the move-in date back to next year.
“We are not comfortable with sticking to the schedule to move in by Nov 1,” Jeff Hill, Lowndes County Schools executive director of facilities and operation, said. “We have had many setbacks due to unforeseen things and we wanted to make the call sooner than later.”
There have been several factors that contribute to the change in schedule, including labor shortage, inclement weather and material delays.
The new move-in date for LHS has been moved to February 2022.
Lowndes County school board also heard concerns from parents and teachers regarding COVID-19 procedures at the board meeting earlier this week.
Dr. Treva Gear, Lowndes High School instructional coach, spoke on behalf of teachers across the school district who are fatigued and stressed.
“I do not want to see another teacher come to me crying, anxious and stressed out. We are being overexposed, even those that wear masks and are vaccinated are getting sick.” Gear said. “I come to you asking for compassion because teachers do not feel like you all care. We are not OK.”
Amanda Bushey, a parent of two children in the Lowndes County school system, brought her concerns to the board.
“Since the beginning of the school year, the only communication you all have had with the community is the relaxing of the quarantine plan.” Bushey said, “You have lost the trust of students, parents and the community.”
The board reviewed the return to school policy implemented in August.
“All of the data information within the return to school plan reflect recommendations from the three agencies (Georgia Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control, pediatrics) emphasized the need for students to be face to face and they all recommend masks which is the basis for our plan,” Lowndes County Superintendent Wes Taylor said.
-- Brittanye Blake U.S. Facing $85 Billion School Facility Funding Gap-- Facilitiesnet.com National: September 23, 2021 [ abstract] Efforts to keep schools safe during a pandemic and continually aging facilities have public school districts drowning in deficits soaring into the billions for facility funding.
A report, the 2021 State of Our Schools Report: America’s PK-12 Public School Facilities, projected that the U.S. faces an $85 billion shortfall in school facility funding yearly despite spending $110 billion yearly on maintenance, operations, and capital construction.
The study attributes the gap to rising school construction costs, building inventory increases, and significant declines in facility expenditures.
The gap in funding has grown dramatically since 2016, the last year of the report, when there was an annual gap of $46 billion in school facilities funding. The pandemic’s impact only contributes to the crisis.
-- Dave Lubach School Facilities Workgroup Considers Proposed Categories for School Facility Assessments-- Maryland Association of Counties Maryland: September 21, 2021 [ abstract]
The Workgroup on the Assessment and Funding of School Facilities had a substantive discussion on September 22, with conversation focusing on a proposed set of 9 categories on how to assess the condition of school facilities.
The Workgroup on the Assessment and Funding of School Facilities, created by 2021 legislation, held its third meeting virtually this week. The majority of the conversation focused on the Facility Condition Index (FCI) and educational facilities sufficiency standards along with under which categories the Interagency Commission on School construction (IAC) proposes to assess schools.
The meeting featured presentations from the staff of the IAC on a proposed set of 9 categories under which to assess Maryland schools, based on the FCI and sufficiency standards.
The subsequent discussion between workgroup members and IAC officials largely considered how shifting enrollment plays into the proposed 9 categories for assessment.
-- Brianna January What voters need to know about Portsmouth's $21.44 million school improvement bond-- The Newport Daily News Rhode Island: September 21, 2021 [ abstract] PORTSMOUTH — On Nov. 2, voters will have the opportunity to vote in a special election whether or not to approve a $21.44 million bond. If approved, funds will go toward renovating several schools.
Through the Rhode Island School construction Program, Portsmouth has submitted a “Stage II” application to receive state reimbursement for 40% of the project costs, totaling $8,575,720.
More:After passing on unification with Newport, Middletown ponders future of its own schools
Under this competitive statewide program, Portsmouth is eligible for reimbursement at a baseline rate of 35%, plus a bonus incentive of 5% for the health and safety improvements included in the project plans.
The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is reviewing Portsmouth’s Stage II application, and a decision on reimbursement is expected in December 2021. The projects will move forward only if voters approve the referendum and the state approves the Stage II application.
-- Bethany Brunelle Marlow Public Schools to build new safe rooms for student, community use-- kswo.com Oklahoma: September 20, 2021 [ abstract]
MARLOW, Okla. (KSWO) - A FEMA grant is going to help Marlow Public Schools build new safe rooms.
The two new safe rooms, one at Marlow Middle School and one at Marlow High School, will give students a safe space and parents a peace of mind.
“I think for a school it’s critical. That’s another thing, parents want places they can take their kids where they’re safe. We have a safe place. We have a safe room. They’re built for F-5 tornadoes which is the worst of the worst,” said Marlow Public Schools Superintendent George Coffman.
During the day, those shelters are big enough to house all of the students, faculty and staff. But when there is severe weather after school hours, the shelters will be opened to anyone in the community in need.
“It gives some security to our elderly, people who need to try to get to safe places that don’t have shelters at their own site. This will be good for our community. Through Jason McPherson, the City Manager, they’ll have someone with keys, and they’ll be able to open up the facilities,” Coffman said.
The safe rooms will be paid for using money from FEMA grants.
“We wrote it about 2 or 2.5 years ago, it usually takes about 18 months to get approved. It’s extensive, it’s a lot of paperwork, a lot of communication,” Coffman said.
The grants are now approved, and the district will soon be ready to get construction started on the roughly $5 million project.
-- Will Hutchison Atlanta Public Schools proposes projects for $650 million capital plan-- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Georgia: September 17, 2021 [ abstract]
Building renovations, new technology and more stadium bleachers are among the proposed projects Atlanta school officials want to fund if voters extend a one-cent sales tax in November.
Atlanta Public Schools would receive up to $650.8 million over five years through a renewal of the Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. The tax is the main way school systems pay for major construction work and other capital projects.
The request will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot.
APS administrators recently presented spending recommendations, and public input sessions are scheduled for next week. The school board is expected to review the project list at its Oct. 4 meeting.
Board chairman Jason Esteves said the proposal includes work in schools across the district. He said officials also “did a good job of incorporating some community-preferred projects” into the plan.
More than a quarter of the revenue would go to construction and renovation at 10 sites, with Peyton Forest Elementary School, on the city’s southwest side, slated to receive the largest investment. Officials recommended spending $27.7 million there, largely to add more classrooms.
“There’s anticipated growth in the area, so this is our planned response to what we are seeing and what we believe we will continue to see over at Peyton Forest,” said Larry Hoskins, chief operating officer, at a recent meeting.
-- Vanessa McCray State shuts down Blind Brook school over building violations, blasts school officials-- lohud.com New York: September 17, 2021 [ abstract]
The state Education Commissioner blasted the Blind Brook school district on Friday for allowing staff and students into its elementary school without obtaining inspection permits amid a construction project.
Blind Brook school district officials said Friday they are working to get the Bruno M. Ponterio Ridge Street School in Rye Brook reopened after the state closed it Wednesday over ongoing construction issues.
It's the first time the state has been forced to close a school in several years, Education Commissioner Betty Rosa wrote in a letter to the school system Friday.
The school welcomed students and staff for three days without a certification of occupancy, according to the state, a move that led to the fiery letter from its education commissioner Friday.
The state has prohibited students and staff from entering the building until the district obtained the required building inspections following a state investigation, according to the education department.
"Closure orders are not issued lightly," Rosa wrote. "And it was issued only after SED learned that the district illegally allowed staff and students into the building without a valid certificate of occupancy."
-- David Propper North Canton breaks ground on new school buildings, despite opposition-- CantonRep.com Ohio: September 16, 2021 [ abstract]
NORTH CANTON – construction crews will begin erecting fences and moving mounds of dirt this week at two school sites as the North Canton City School District prepares for a multimillion-dollar building project.
School, community and government leaders gathered with students Thursday for separate groundbreaking ceremonies to kick off the site preparation phase of the roughly 18-month construction projects.
“This is the culmination of a lot of work and a lot of preparation and a lot of support by a lot of people,” Superintendent Jeff Wendorf said. “… We finally get to see some things happening.”
The $58 million project consolidates five buildings into two schools.
The Mary L. Evans Early Childhood Center, Clearmount Elementary and Northwood Elementary will be consolidated into a primary school for students in preschool through second grade. Greentown Intermediate and Orchard Hill Intermediate will be merged into an intermediate building for students in third, fourth and fifth grades.
-- Kelli Weir Baltimore County Board of Education narrowly affirms support for replacing Towson, Dulaney high schools-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: September 15, 2021 [ abstract] Baltimore County school board doubled down Tuesday night on a plan to replace Towson and Dulaney high schools following a heated debate among the elected leaders, school system staff and community members.
School board members voted 6-5 in favor of amending a capital improvements budget request to the state in order to include the total replacement of the aging schools. Rod McMillion, Moalie Jose, Cheryl Pasteur, Erin Hager and Makeda Scott voted against the amendment. The student member of the 12-person board is not permitted to vote on budgetary matters.
Board members later voted unanimously to approve the amended budget request that is due annually to the state of Maryland in October.
Capital improvements to public school buildings are typically funded through a combination of state and county money. The board’s proposal will next head to the Maryland Interagency Commission on School construction for consideration. Separately, county officials will consider funding for the projects based in part on how much the state decides to award.
-- LILLIAN REED New Public School Opens in Long Island City " One of 11 New School Facilities to Open This Fall-- Astoria Post New York: September 13, 2021 [ abstract] A brand new public school opened in Long Island City Monday — one of 11 new school facilities to open in New York City on the first day of classes.
School administrators opened the doors of P.S. 384 Hunters Point School, located at 1-35 57th Ave., to students this morning. The opening adds 612 seats to the district.
The city’s School construction Authority said the 11 new buildings bring more than 3,700 much-needed school seats citywide. Two of the buildings are in Queens — one being P.S 384, the other being an addition at P.S. 2 in East Elmhurst.
The Hunters Point School cost $67.5 million and took more than three years to complete. Its opening was briefly in danger of being postponed due to the pandemic and city budget constraints, but it still opened on the first day of the 2021-2022 school year as scheduled.
The city prioritized its completion, given the shortage of school seats in Long Island City. Meanwhile, the opening dates of several other schools being built in western Queens were pushed back due to pandemic-related delays.
-- Allie Griffin Hundreds of Washington schools start new year with ‘F’ on quake safety-- OPB.org Washington: September 12, 2021 [ abstract]
Tens of thousands of public school students in Washington state returned to classes this month in school buildings judged to be at risk of collapse in a strong earthquake. A new report to the state Legislature prepared by state geologists and a structural engineering firm gave the lowest possible seismic safety rating to more than 90 percent of the school buildings assessed in a selective statewide survey.
Structural engineers hired by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources visually inspected 561 school buildings over the past four years, assessed the underlying geology and reviewed architectural drawings where available. The report they prepared assigned a star rating to each school ranging from one star on the low end up to five stars for the safest schools.
Ninety-three percent of the school buildings assessed got a one-star structural safety rating. Four percent had two-star ratings and only three percent were rated three-star or better.
"The one-star buildings do mean there is a risk of collapse in multiple or widespread locations in that school building," said Corina Allen, chief hazards geologist at the state Department of Natural Resources and leader of the School Seismic Safety Project.
Allen said the high percentage of deficient, old buildings was "not too surprising" given how the schools in the study were selected.
"We were purposefully looking at higher risk school buildings and schools that were located in high seismic hazard areas and tsunami inundation zones," Allen said in an interview. "The newer schools are expected to perform much, much better in a large earthquake."
Out of the more than 4,000 total K-12 school buildings in use in Washington, the project prioritized for scrutiny those constructed before 1975 when the building code was toughened. Schools in the state's largest district, Seattle, and in nearby Bellevue were not examined because they have already seismically upgraded many of their schools, according to the report's authors.
-- Tom Banse Major improvements to school facilities in Cheyenne unlikely-- Wyoming Tribune Eagle Wyoming: September 12, 2021 [ abstract]
CHEYENNE – Although Cheyenne has some of the oldest schools in the state, the chances of improvements being made anytime soon are rapidly drying up.
Nearly 30% of Laramie County School District 1’s facilities rank in the top 20 on Wyoming’s current list of schools in the worst condition. There is a need for building renovations, or even replacement, due to factors such as age, deteriorating quality, inability to keep up with classroom capacity needs and a lack of technological updates.
Assistant Superintendent of Support Operations Dave Bartlett said this isn’t likely to be remedied for many of the schools in the near future. Since 2012, there have only been 16 schools in the district high on the needs list that were addressed.
“It’s just because the funding isn’t available that I can spend,” he said.
Hundreds of schools throughout the state require maintenance, though, which makes it less surprising that LCSD1 hasn’t renovated or rebuilt a large portion of its schools. But what’s more concerning to Bartlett is the clear decrease in the ability of state government to administer substantial and steady funding to schools.
Whether that funding be for educational programs or building facilities, the state budget is shrinking across all sectors.
A decade ago, the state’s biennium budget for school facilities would fund upward of 25 major renovation and construction projects across the state. In the upcoming 2023-24 biennium budget, according to Bartlett, it will most likely fund two.
-- Jasmine Hall $85 billion gap: 12 actions for improving health and safety of school facilities-- District Administration National: September 10, 2021 [ abstract]
U.S. schools face an annual $85 billion shortfall in facilities funding, and schools that serve lower-income students face the biggest gaps, a new report finds.
Districts spend about $110 billion on maintenance, operations and capital construction each year. But they need $195 billion to meet health and safety standards, says the “2021 State of Our Schools Report” by the 21st Century School Fund, the International WELL Building Institute and the National Council on School Facilities.
Increased construction costs, building inventory increases and a sharp decline in facility spending since the Great Recession are driving this widening gap despite the efforts of communities and districts to upgrade their schools, the report says.
Back in 2016, the same report pegged the funding shortfall at $46 billion.
“Unfortunately, while local districts are struggling with making facilities safe in a pandemic, they are faced with longstanding deficiencies in their aging infrastructure, which makes this very difficult,” said Mary Filardo, executive director, 21st Century School Fund and lead author of the 2021 report.
Nationally, local districts cover 77% of school facility costs, with only 22% coming from states. High poverty districts spent an average $3.8 million per school on construction from 2009-18 while low-poverty districts spent more than $5 million.
-- Matt Zalaznick Why Dems’ $82 Billion Proposal for School Buildings Still Isn’t Enough-- Education Week National: September 09, 2021 [ abstract]
House Democrats announced a proposal this week for $82 billion in federal grant funding and a requirement for states to provide 10 percent in matching funds to improve the nation’s school buildings.
But schools nationwide will need far more than that to address worsening facilities conditions, two new reports emphasize.
The latest plan in Congress to fund school facilities comes as federal Democratic lawmakers are moving forward with a broad package of nationwide infrastructure investments. The dollar figure and shape of the school facilities component are likely to change before the bill passes, if it does at all.
Advocates hoped a bipartisan group of lawmakers would include funding for schools in their narrow infrastructure investment package that’s currently working its way through Congress. Instead, they’re hoping to see funding included as part of a funding package that will move through lawmakers’ reconciliation process for budget-related items.
In the meantime, the needs are ever-growing, according to the new “State of Our Schools” report from a coalition of organizations including the National Council on School Facilities, the 21st Century School Fund, and the International Well Building Institute.
U.S. schools currently spend roughly $110 billion per year on facilities. The report, following up on a similar 2016 study, asserts that schools are collectively investing $85 billion less per year in building construction and improvements than would be needed to achieve full modernization. That number reflects a $25 million increase, adjusted for inflation, over the dollar gap identified in the 2016 report.
-- Mark Lieberman AFT president reacts to congressional action on school construction, ‘2021 State of Our Schools’ report-- The Highland County Press National: September 08, 2021 [ abstract] American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued a statement Wednesday in response to the House Education and Labor Committee’s release of its portion of the Build Back Better reconciliation bill, which includes $82 billion for K-12 construction.
This announcement comes directly on the heels of the release of the “2021 State of Our Schools” report — a joint publication of the 21st Century School Fund, the National Council on School Facilities and the International WELL Building Institute — which finds that the nation has been underinvesting in school infrastructure by $85 billion annually. For more, go to: https://resources.wellcertified.com/resources/press-releases/state-of-our-schools-2021.
Weingarten said:
“It shouldn’t have taken a respiratory virus to want to fix outdated school buildings falling apart due to decades of neglect. Whether it’s failing heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, leaky facilities that breed mold or windows that won’t open or close, this type of disrepair undermines student learning and overall safety, disproportionately harming students of color, students with disabilities and students in rural counties. That is why we applaud House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott for including $82 billion for school construction grants in the House version of the reconciliation bill.
“If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that schools are the centers of our communities — places where everyone should feel safe and welcome, and where students can experience the hope of learning, the joy of connections and the resilience they need to succeed. This requires safe and healthy buildings.
-- Staff Writer Annual Funding Gap for Making the Nation's Public School Buildings Safer, Healthier and Fit for Learning Balloons to $85-- Yahoo Finance National: September 08, 2021 [ abstract] New report from the 21st Century School Fund, the International WELL Building Institute and the National Council on School Facilities shows massive underinvestment in education facilities, identifies solutions to achieve healthier, more sustainable elementary and secondary schools.
NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The 2021 State of Our Schools Report: America's PK-12 Public School Facilities, released today by the 21st Century School Fund, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and the National Council on School Facilities, projects that the United States faces a shortfall of a staggering $85 billion in school facility funding every year. Districts are spending about $110 billion every year on maintenance, operations, and capital construction – but the educational facilities standards for good stewardship necessitates nearly $195 billion. The rise in the nation's PK-12 gap has been brought on by increased school construction costs, building inventory increases, and a sharp decline in facility expenditures after the great recession.
All this exists despite extraordinary efforts on the part of local communities and states to deliver public school buildings that help protect the health and safety of the students, teachers and staff who walk through their doors every day.
-- PR Newswire Monday numbers: A closer look at the state’s school facility needs-- NC Policy Watch North Carolina: September 06, 2021 [ abstract] North Carolina has a nearly $13 billion backlog in new school construction and renovations, according to the 2020-21 Facility Needs Survey.
The backlog represents an increase of more than $4 billion over the $8 billion reported in the Facility Needs Survey five years ago.
construction costs for new schools, as well as and additions and renovations to existing ones account for more than half — approximately $6.54 billion — of the costs identified in the 2020-21 survey.
Critics of state tax cuts have long blamed the state’s growing backlog on North Carolina lawmakers’ decision to redirect the 7.25% of income tax revenues from the Public School Building Capital Fund to fill budget holes during the 2008 Great Recession. In 2013, lawmakers eliminated the corporate tax transfer to the Building Capital Fund to pay for some of the cuts they made to the corporate and personal income tax rates.
It’s worth noting that North Carolina hasn’t held a state bond referendum for public schools since 1996. The $1.8 billion from that referendum was spent before 2005.
In small part, enrollment growth has spurred the need for more funding to build schools. State education officials project a modest 2% enrollment increase in public schools over the next 10 years. Growth is projected to be greatest in grades K-8, while enrollment in grade 9-12 is projected to decrease.
-- Greg Childress Belpre BOE meeting focuses on state of school buildings, plans-- The Marietta Times Ohio: September 02, 2021 [ abstract]
BELPRE — Belpre City Schools had its first of many community meetings discussing the current state of both school buildings in the district, as well as future plans.
The public meeting was held Wednesday evening at Belpre Elementary School.
Community members sat through a presentation from Fanning Howey’s Executive Director Steve Wilezynski and Educational Consultant Tim Hamilton on one of the potential funding options for renovations or a new school building, such as through the Ohio Facilities construction Commission (OFCC).
“The school is the community. Our intent tonight and in our subsequent meetings is to just engage with our community and find out what their wants are, what they don’t want,” said Belpre City Schools Superintendent Jeff Greenley. “What their cautions may be so that at the end of the day, we can have a consensus on a facilities plan and we can move forward.”
Established in 1997, the OFCC is a state agency that provides school funding opportunities for Ohio school districts, and participation with OFCC is a district choice.
By using the funds, OFCC is co-owner of the school and the state will co-fund projects based upon a district’s relative wealth in comparison to every other district in Ohio. The least wealthy districts are eligible for the highest amount of state funding.
-- TYLER BENNETT Jacksonville school system turns to federal judge to get state construction funds-- Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: September 02, 2021 [ abstract]
The Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District is asking for federal court help in acquiring state funds for the court-ordered replacement of its Murrell Taylor and Bayou Meto elementary schools.
The effect could be the return of the state representatives as an active party in what is now the 38-year-old federal Pulaski County school desegregation lawsuit.
The Jacksonville district is alleging that the state's stand against funding to the levels desired by the district "has exacerbated one of the remaining vestiges of segregation in this case by refusing to partner with JNPSD to remedy the unequal facilities in the District."
The district is seeking court permission to file what is called "a third-party complaint" against the Arkansas education secretary, who is Johnny Key, and the director of the state Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation, who is Tim Cain.
The purpose of the complaint -- if allowed -- would be to have a judge determine whether state officials must "heed this Court's orders and whether these orders should weigh in the balance of whether desegregation is a prudent and resourceful use of state funds."
Scott P. Richardson, an attorney for the Jacksonville district, sent the request for permission and a copy of the proposed complaint against the state to Chief U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr.
-- Cynthia Howell 'It's just awful': County schools need $65 million in capital improvements-- Chatham Star Tribune Virginia: September 01, 2021 [ abstract] CHATHAM, Va. — From ramshackle classrooms to outside safety concerns, Pittsylvania County Schools (PCS) administrators are pleading with the public to approve a 1 percent sales tax referendum for capital improvement needs in the division, which will be a question on November's ballot.
"It's a fine line we have to walk between it being a bad situation and parents feeling like they're able to send their kids to us," said Kentuck Elementary School Principal Christie Dawson. Dawson showed the Star-Tribune around the elementary school's campus, which consists of more than a half-dozen disconnected buildings. The gym, a pair of basement classrooms and numerous mobile classrooms are all inaccessible from the main school, which was constructed in 1963.
"It's very disjointed, which bothers me greatly," Dawson said. "Children in 2021 should not still be learning in trailers."
Kentuck Elementary is an exemplar of problems plaguing PCS, said Division Superintendent Dr. Mark Jones. The only way to solve the problem is to approve the tax referendum this fall.
"The first thing I see is that the referendum is written for 30 years," Jones told the newspaper. "It would be effective through 2051, and for a division as large as we are in a county as large as we are – we have 18 regular schools and three special schools – over that 30-year span, we are going to have many different capital needs."
PCS is in need of $65 million for capital improvements, $47 million of which it asks to derive from sales tax, if the referendum passes.
-- Elias Weiss School Construction Projects Jump In Cost-- Washington County Enterprise-Leader Arkansas: September 01, 2021 [ abstract]
FARMINGTON -- Farmington's plan to build onto the junior high school and expand Folsom and Williams elementary schools has jumped in price by more than $3 million, from $9.5 million to $12.96 million, according to Tyson Reimer, senior project manager with Kinco constructors.
Reimer gave the news to Farmington School Board at its Aug. 23 meeting.
With 30% of the design plans finished, the firm estimates the junior high addition will cost $9.5 million; the Williams' expansion, $1.7 million; and Folsom's expansion, $1.74 million.
The district plans to add to the junior high school in two locations: a two-story building at the location of the former old high school gym and a second addition at the site of the old "H" Hall.
The district also plans to add six classrooms and bathrooms to Folsom and Williams.
Reimer said Kinco and Hight Jackson Associates, architects for the projects, are looking for ways to reduce the cost by $800,000 to $1 million, at the request of Superintendent Jon Laffoon.
Reimer told board members the construction industry has seen costs increase by 25-30% over the past six months to one year.
"That's what we're seeing today," Reimer said, based on the estimated budget for the Farmington projects a year ago.
-- Lynn Kutter Harwood Unified Proposed school construction totals $59.5 million-- The Barre Montpelier Times Argus Vermont: August 31, 2021 [ abstract]
Although it’s not an election year, local voters may be asked to go to the polls this November to consider what would be the largest bond issue for school construction in the history of the Harwood Union School District.
At last week’s meeting of the Harwood Unified Union School District School Board, architects presented a breakdown of proposed construction for Harwood Union High School totaling $53 million. An expansion to Crossett Brook Middle School to accommodate merging all seventh- and eighth-graders into that facility would add another $6 million.
The construction total for the proposal would come to $59.5 million.
For the past six years, district leaders have been discussing a major bond to address overdue repairs, renovations and upgrades to the high school which was built in 1965. The school’s last expansion with some repairs was in 1998.
Work on the drawing board presented by the Burlington architectural firm Truex Cullins would address needed repairs such as replacing the roof and antiquated HVAC and plumbing systems. It would expand science labs that do not meet modern standards. Windows with meager insulation — some still originals from the 1960s — would be replaced and a key goal would be to reconstruct some interior areas of the building to add windows and light to current classrooms and workspaces that receive no natural light.
-- Lisa Scagliotti NC school districts report billions more in facility needs than ever before-- WRAL.com North Carolina: August 31, 2021 [ abstract]
North Carolina’s public school districts say they need $12.8 billion over the next five years to build, improve or repair their facilities — nearly $5 billion more than districts reported needing just five years ago.
It’s also far more than the state provides for school construction and far more than the amount schools raise locally for school construction. In the last five years, the state has provided $838 million in capital funds, generated primarily through the Education Lottery. Also in the last five years, 17 counties have passed local bond referenda for school capital needs, totaling nearly $3.4 billion in debt locally.
What those funds will pay for isn’t included in the survey’s reported $12.8 billion in needs.
“Had that money not been there, it would have been $17 billion in needs,” State Board of Education Vice Chairman Alan Duncan noted, during a presentation of the report Tuesday.
By state law, North Carolina’s counties are responsible for paying for physical school infrastructure.
EDUCATION
NC school districts report billions more in facility needs than ever before
Tags: education, North Carolina Board of Education, school construction
Posted August 31, 2021 6:27 p.m. EDT
Updated September 1, 2021 7:12 p.m. EDT
pandemic classroom, classroom generic
By Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s public school districts say they need $12.8 billion over the next five years to build, improve or repair their facilities — nearly $5 billion more than districts reported needing just five years ago.
It’s also far more than the state provides for school construction and far more than the amount schools raise locally for school construction. In the last five years, the state has provided $838 million in capital funds, generated primarily through the Education Lottery. Also in the last five years, 17 counties have passed local bond referenda for school capital needs, totaling nearly $3.4 billion in debt locally.
What those funds will pay for isn’t included in the survey’s reported $12.8 billion in needs.
“Had that money not been there, it would have been $17 billion in needs,” State Board of Education Vice Chairman Alan Duncan noted, during a presentation of the report Tuesday.
By state law, North Carolina’s counties are responsible for paying for physical school infrastructure.
ADVERTISING
The 2020 Facility Needs Survey was presented to the North Carolina State Board of Education on Wednesday.
Educators say facility needs can take time and attention away from teaching and learning, creating further problems.
Compiled this year based on estimations from 2020, the report doesn’t break down whether needs from the last survey were carried over into the new survey, if not addressed during the last five years. Districts were asked not to include cost estimate for any projects already underway.
The jump in reported needs this time far exceeds the amounts reported this century, when total school facility needs ranged in five-year surveys between $6 billion and $10 billion.
-- Emily Walkenhorst A day before Philly schools reopen, facilities woes take center stage-- WHYY Pennsylvania: August 30, 2021 [ abstract] As Philadelphia prepares to fully reopen its public schools for the first time in 18 months, the spotlight is again on facilities woes.
At the center of the storm is one of the district’s most selective magnet schools — Julia R. Masterman — where a group of parents and teachers claim the School District of Philadelphia is stonewalling their efforts to double-check asbestos remediation projects inside the 88-year-old building.
Across town, meanwhile, the district agreed to start the year virtually at Science Leadership Academy Beeber in West Philadelphia after parents raised alarms about an ongoing construction project. Officials may find a new temporary home for some students at the school, according to Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
At Masterman, there remains no resolution.
Some staff worked outside the building Thursday and Friday, for which the district issued discipline and docked pay. Educators returned to their building Monday, one day before schools are slated to open.
-- Avi Wolfman-Arent Some schools need better air control systems. But who will pay?-- The CT Mirror Connecticut: August 27, 2021 [ abstract]
The town of Coventry needs to replace the aging ventilators in its middle and high schools — an expensive proposition, made more pressing by the continued presence of the coronavirus.
Even though the town is receiving federal money to assist with pandemic relief, it’s not enough to cover the costs of the ventilation system upgrade in the schools. And officials say Coventry isn’t the only town in this situation.
But the state of Connecticut isn’t likely to come to the rescue any time soon.
A longstanding state policy that restricts aid for heating, air conditioning and air quality control projects may get a second look from legislators, but likely not before the 2022 General Assembly session starts on Feb. 9.
And it remains unclear whether anything will change then, since Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration insists municipalities — in many cases — created their own problems with school air quality by frequently deferring maintenance.
“There are some districts that haven’t touched their schools in 40 years,” said Kostantinos Diamantis, who is Lamont’s deputy budget director and also has overseen the state’s school construction program for the past six years. “The local level needs to belly up to the bar. … The cities have an obligation to maintain those buildings.”
But Joe DeLong, executive director of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, said, “You’re dis-incentivizing communities from keeping their buildings up and running. What we need to do is to develop a standard for towns to work with the state and to get the state involved to work with these air quality projects.”
Representatives of CCM and the Connecticut Council of Small Towns met via teleconference earlier this month with administration officials to discuss a problem that stems from two issues — one longstanding and one recent — that have collided.
-- KEITH M. PHANEUF Local contractor blows whistle on alleged asbestos issue at Ann Arbor elementary schools-- WXYZ.com Michigan: August 26, 2021 [ abstract]
(WXYZ) — A local contractor is blowing the whistle on what he says are some dangerous exposures to the cancer-causing material at some Ann Arbor elementary schools that have been under construction.
Ann Arbor Public Schools spent more than $3 million on renovations at the two schools over the summer.
We’re not using the contractor’s name or showing you his face in order to protect his job, but he wants to expose what happened during that construction.
“Do you feel like the students are safe,” 7 Investigator Heather Catallo asked the contractor.
“Not unless something’s done about it,” said the contractor.
schools
A local contractor is blowing the whistle on what he says are some dangerous exposures to the cancer-causing material at some Ann Arbor elementary schools that have been under construction.
By: Heather CatalloPosted at 4:13 PM, Aug 26, 2021 and last updated 6:19 PM, Aug 26, 2021
(WXYZ) — A local contractor is blowing the whistle on what he says are some dangerous exposures to the cancer-causing material at some Ann Arbor elementary schools that have been under construction.
Ann Arbor Public Schools spent more than $3 million on renovations at the two schools over the summer.
We’re not using the contractor’s name or showing you his face in order to protect his job, but he wants to expose what happened during that construction.
“Do you feel like the students are safe,” 7 Investigator Heather Catallo asked the contractor.
“Not unless something’s done about it,” said the contractor.
Recent Stories from wxyz.com
Laboratory reports obtained by the 7 Investigators show asbestos-containing materials were found inside Angell Elementary and Burns Park Elementary.
“It’s on the lunch trays. It’s everywhere. It disperses like flour and it lands on surfaces and it stays there until someone turns on a desk fan, and now it’s in the air again … We worked in every part of that school, from the principal’s office to the cafeteria, to the gymnasium,” said the contractor of Burns Park.
Asbestos is a cancer-causing mineral that was once used in everything from insulation to ceiling tiles.
“You would not want the public breathing it in, definitely not children,” said Dr. Sarah Surber, an assistant professor with Wayne State University’s Department of Public Health. “When it’s disturbed it becomes friable, that just means it turns into a dust or the fibers are released … What happens is, you breathe them in, they go into the lungs and get trapped in the sacs in the lung, and that’s when you have a problem.”
-- Heather Catallo Masterman teachers and parents at odds with district over asbestos fears-- WHYY Pennsylvania: August 26, 2021 [ abstract] In sweltering heat Thursday, educators at Julia R. Masterman school took their laptops and power cords and conducted their professional development day outside.
They stayed outside all day to make a statement, hoping to raise awareness about their concerns around asbestos in the building, which is perilous to health when damaged.
Inside the school, construction is also ongoing. According to teachers, there is a plastic tarp on the gym floor, there is rain coming through the roof, known by students as “roof juice,” and there’s dust from construction. One staffer is said to have been hit by a piece of debris in the school elevator.
“We don’t feel safe going into the school,” said Spanish teacher Elizabeth Diffenderfer, of the Center City campus.
Many teachers feel the same, and, along with Masterman’s Home and School Association, criticized the district for not providing more information and clarity on infrastructure concerns before students return next Tuesday.
The outdoor protest caught the attention of School District of Philadelphia leaders. At a separate event at Citizens Bank Park Thursday, Superintendent William Hite disputed the idea that the school is unsafe.
“I want to be very clear, the district has been in close communication with Masterman HSA reps and the [teachers union],” said Hite, adding, “No known damaged asbestos remains in the school.”
-- Emily Rizzo Mayor Bowser Cuts the Ribbon on Newly Renovated Eaton Elementary School-- Executive Office of the Mayor, D.C. District of Columbia: August 26, 2021 [ abstract] (Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser, DC Public Schools Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee, and Interim Principal Jacqueline Anderson cut the ribbon on the newly modernized Eaton Elementary School. Mayor Bowser was joined by Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh, Director of the Department of General Services, Keith A. Anderson, and community members.
“We cannot wait to bring our students back to fantastic facilities like this one – spaces specifically designed to support the needs of young learners,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “We thank all of our educators and staff members who are working hard to get ready for this school year. We thank our families for working with us to get everyone back. And we thank everyone in the community, whether they have children in school or not, who’s supporting our students by getting vaccinated.”
The modernization of Eaton Elementary School, a $57.7 million project, initially began in 2018 with the renovation of two existing buildings totaling 40,000 square feet and the demolition of interconnecting 1930s- and 1980s-era buildings that allowed for the construction of a new 45,000 square feet three-level building. The new facility features a new gymnasium, library, and cafeteria to serve the student body.
“We are excited to welcome our Eaton community back to their school home,” said Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee. “The new school building celebrates our history and embraces the bright future of our students at the heart of the design. As we prepare to welcome back our students on August 30, we’re excited to see our students joyfully learning in Eaton and all our schools.”
-- Staff Writer 3 relief schools open, 5 more on the way as population booms in Orange County-- ClickOrlando.com Florida: August 19, 2021 [ abstract]
ORLANDO, Fla. – Just a few hundred feet from the field goals on their brand new football field, the sounds of construction equipment can be heard outside the new Lake Buena Vista High School in Orange County.
Orange County Public Schools’ newest facility is one of three new schools that opened this year to help relieve overcrowding as the population continues to grow in Central Florida.
“We are here in south Orange County, here at Lake Buena Vista High School,” said school board member Linda Kobert. “If you just look around here on Darryl Carter Parkway, you can almost see a whole city rising up from the ground.”
From the parking lot of the new high school, construction is booming, with the world’s largest White Castle and a new Portillo’s restaurant in sight. Crews are also tagging concrete blocks for a future Taco Bell.
Lake Buena Vista High School was placed there to keep up with the growth of this area off I-4 in between Universal Resort and Walt Disney World.
That’s why Paul Koneski and his family moved to the area in February.
“We are renting this house. Our long term goal is to buy in this area,” Koneski said. “We love the Orlando area.”
His daughter worked at Sea World over the summer while she was home from college, and his son, a junior, is a big theme park fan.
“Everything is, like, 10 to 15 minutes away,” Koneski said. “I mean, you have three major theme parks here. Universal has their new park upcoming up the street here.”
“Having Lake Buena Vista over there helps relieve the pressure in the student numbers that were at Dr. Phillips [High School] and Freedom [High School],” he said.
-- Nadeen Yanes Construction on New School to Continue Despite Maryland Residents' Opposition-- NBCWashinton.com Maryland: August 18, 2021 [ abstract]
construction will continue on a new school in Fort Washington, Maryland, despite neighbors’ protests over flood concerns.
Protesters lined Swan Creek Road at the beginning of the month, successfully halting tree clearing for the planned school — a 234,000-square-foot kindergarten through eighth grade school on wetland. The residents said they're in favor of the new school but not the location.
In a meeting this week with Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks residents were told construction will continue.
“We had real high hopes that the meeting would go well but we are very disappointed,” resident Hazel Robinson said.
“[Alsobrooks] said firmly that she does not intend to change the site, although she’ll make every attempt to try to address our concerns,” resident Carter Ferrington said.
Some neighborhoods in the area flood after a hard rain.
“We've seen at least 2 1/2 feet of water in our street, and it has created an absolute river that runs 180 degrees around our house,” resident Zeneta Walthour said.
Some residents worry their stormwater management will get worse when the forest is gone.
“The truth is we’ve long standing flood issues that have not been addressed in that area, and people want that addressed before any trees are taken down,” Prince George’s County Council member Monique Anderson Walker said.
The current elementary school, Potomac Landing, has 10 acres connected to 14 acres of Maryland Park and Planning land. School officials deemed the site insufficient for the new school and are clearing an adjacent 24 acres of wetland instead.
“I don't know if there's anything that can be said to really make people happy on this,” resident Abigael Pari Crowe said.
-- Tracee Wilkins Report: Aging Pa. schools ‘uniquely vulnerable’ to environmental health hazards -- Pennsylvania Capital Star Pennsylvania: August 18, 2021 [ abstract] Aging infrastructure has left Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts “uniquely vulnerable” to such environmental health hazards as radon and mold, putting the safety of roughly 1.7 million public school students at risk, a new report concludes.
The report, by the advocacy group Women for a Healthy Environment, calls on state officials to create “an equitable formula,” for school infrastructure investment, and to lift the existing moratorium on a reimbursement program for school construction.
The report found that a majority of public school buildings across the state are within a half-mile of a polluter, and, as a result, that districts that serve more low-income and special education students had a greater prevalence of asthma.
The report also found that those districts were less likely to test for environmental hazards, and less likely to do remediation work when they found such hazards.
“Schools should be a safe place for children to learn, grow and play. The average school building in Pennsylvania was built in 1964 – several years before federal laws that affect healthy indoor environments were enacted,” the group’s executive director, Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, said in a statement.
“Through science we know that exposure to lead, radon and poor air quality for example, affects the development of our children. Healthy learning environments lead to greater academic achievement,” she continued. “Therefore, it is critical that we invest in our schools to assure children a healthier future. This includes taking advantage of the unique opportunity that the American Rescue Plan Act presents to address these environmental risks now.”
Gov. Tom Wolf, along with his Democratic allies in the General Assembly, have spent the last few years pushing for increased state investment in environmental remediation.
In 2018-19, however, the administration did secure $11.9 million to fund lead paint remediation for the Philadelphia public schools. But in 2020, Wolf unsuccessfully pitched a $1.1 billion effort to fight lead and asbestos contamination in the state’s public schools.
This year, Democrats in the state Senate called for using part of the state’s $7 billion in federal stimulus money to fix “crumbling” schools, WHYY-FM in Philadelphia reported. Democrats said the money was a “once in a lifetime chance,” the Capital-Star previously reported.
“Our physical environment has a huge impact on the way we move, the way we think, and the way we act. In particular, the walls of a school building are there to inspire students to dream beyond their heights,” Sen. Tim Kearney, D-Delaware, said at a June news conference touting the plan, according to WHYY-FM.
Democrats in the state House floated a similar plan to spend the stimulus money across a variety of causes. But to the frustration of Democrats, the Legislature’s majority Republicans ended up banking $5 billion of the stimulus money for future needs. An additional $2.5 billion in state surplus tax revenue was deposited into Pennsylvania’s ‘Rainy Day Fund.’
Individual districts are free, however, to spend the money they receive from the $1.6 billion in federal aid specifically earmarked for schools on lead remediation or other environmental problems that compromise student safety.
-- JOHN L. MICEK U.S. Secretary of Education tours Virginia school to see how federal relief is aiding safe reopening-- WRIC.com Virginia: August 18, 2021 [ abstract]
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)- The country’s top education official toured a Virginia school to find out how federal coronavirus relief is helping students return to in-person learning and what more can be done moving forward.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona was joined by Gov. Ralph Northam and Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger at Glen Allen High School in Henrico on Wednesday.
Schools have benefited from various federal funding streams during the pandemic. Most recently, the General Assembly approved $250 million from the American Rescue Plan Act for qualifying ventilation improvement projects in public schools. Funds will be distributed to schools based on projected enrollment with a minimum allocation of $200,000 per division. Localities will have to match the grant award to get the money.
While air quality improvements are an important COVID-19 mitigation strategy, some districts were hoping to use ARPA resources for long-overdue school construction projects, which the federal government has discouraged due to its spending deadline.
8News asked Secretary Cardona to respond to frustrations surrounding state and federal funding restrictions, as some fear they will force school districts to pour money into buildings that need to be replaced entirely.
“I visited a school recently where they used the funds to get a better ventilation system, to get better airflow, to make sure students can enter safely but you’re bringing up an important issue. We shouldn’t stop here,” Cardona said. “Infrastructure is equity and we know that with the Build Back Better agenda, we’re on the path toward that.”
-- Jackie DeFusco Building improvement: Impact of penny tax, bond referendum visible in new Aiken County school facilities-- Aiken Standard South Carolina: August 14, 2021 [ abstract] Schools all over Aiken County are getting multi-million-dollar makeovers thanks to the penny sales tax and bond referendum that were approved by voters in the past.
The funding for the construction updates comes from the Education Capital Improvements Sales and Use Tax that Aiken County residents voted to approve in November 2014, expected to raise $188 million, and a $90 million bond referendum that was approved in May 2018.
While many projects have been completed, current projects under construction include Millbrook Elementary School, Belvedere Elementary School, Hammond Hill Elementary School, Aiken Scholars Academy, North Augusta High School and Aiken High School.
“This is an extremely aggressive construction list. Typically, you’re not going to have a school district, especially one of this size, undergoing this many projects at one time,” said Dr. Corey Murphy, the school district’s chief officer of operations and student services.
“Because projects are interrelated, if you have so many on a bond referendum, everything has to come in on budget in order for the next project to go properly. If not you’re going to go over budget, so one thing can throw two or three other projects off.”
-- Shakailah Heard Millions of dollars being used for upgrades at schools across the region-- WSLS.com Virginia: August 12, 2021 [ abstract]
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, VA – Millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief money are going to local schools.
Replacing heating, ventilation and air conditioning units takes a lot of work.
“It was time for this project to occur and it was on our radar for some time,” said Rockbridge County Schools Director of Operations Randy Walters.
At Central Elementary near Lexington, crews had to shut down a road and bring in construction equipment to replace seven massive rooftop units — the entire system.
“We were spending maintenance money keeping the units going, making sure the air quality was appropriate for schools,” said Walters, who added this project alone cost $1.4 million and could be paid for with federal money. “Without the CARES Act money, it would be up to the School Board and the Board of Supervisors to come up with funding for these projects.”
A U.S. Government Accountability Office report says about 41% of districts need to update or replace heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in at least half of their schools, representing about 36,000 schools across the country that need HVAC updates. Problems can lead to issues with indoor air quality problems, mold and in some cases, cause schools to temporarily adjust schedules.
n nearly all districts the office visited, security became a top priority. Some districts prioritized security updates over replacing building systems, such as HVAC systems.
But with COVID-19 relief money, schools can spend some of it on those upgrades. American Rescue Plan funds, as well as previous rounds of relief funding, can be used to take immediate action to improve indoor air quality, such as the inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, replacement, and upgrading of projects in school facilities. This can include system upgrades, filtering, purification and other air cleaning fans as well as window and door repair.
“I think these are the original windows when the school was built,” said Kentuck Elementary School Principal Christie Dawson, showing us the outside of the school. “The window units certainly help with the cooling, but the noise level when you’re inside of a classroom. Elementary kids are easily distractible and so that distractibility is there with the noise.”
-- Jenna Zibton New Jersey’s SDA districts set to open in 'deplorable conditions.' What you need to know-- northjersey.com New Jersey: August 12, 2021 [ abstract] When Abraham Lincoln School in Garfield reopens in September, students will cram into a building constructed 50 years after the 16th president was assassinated and is showing its age: A sagging roof, water damage from leaks in the mortar, no air- conditioning.
It gets no better in some schools in Paterson, where the local teachers union has reported mold, leaky ceilings and rodents.
But they do have running drinking water, which is more than can be said of at least half the schools in Jersey City.
Those schools are examples among dozens throughout New Jersey’s 31 so-called Schools Development Authority (SDA) districts that will fully reopen this school year in “deplorable conditions,” as the Education Law Center put it in legal filings.
Hot, overcrowded, poorly ventilated classrooms have become a way of life for students and teachers in these districts that have been so down-at-the-heels that the Supreme Court ruled decades ago that the state is responsible for school repairs and replacement so students can get a “thorough and efficient” education.
But the law center contends the Murphy administration and legislative leaders have failed to keep their end of the bargain financially during the COVID-19 pandemic, even after being notified for years of the “urgent need” for repairs at schools to meet health and safety standards.
-- Dustin Racioppi Billions In School Construction On The Table In Baltimore County-- WYPR.org Maryland: August 09, 2021 [ abstract] The debate over which Baltimore County schools get replaced or renovated is a $2.5 billion dollar question. That’s how much the county is being told it needs to spend to bring all 175 of the county’s schools up to snuff.
The ongoing political fight over the future of two of the county’s high schools will be front and center.
When Johnny Olszewski was running for county executive, he made a promise. He would build new Towson and Dulaney High Schools.
“We have to stop coming up with excuses as to why we can’t do these big things and do them right now,” Olszewski said during the 2018 campaign.
Both buildings are decades old. Towson is the most overcrowded high school in the county. Dulaney is infamous for its bursting steam pipes and rusty drinking water.
Fast forward to last week. When asked about his Towson and Dulaney promise, Olszewski said, “I remain committed to making sure that every child and every educator has that modern, safe supportive environment.”
Olszewski’s hesitancy to commit now to two new high schools comes down to dollars. A consultant’s report is recommending both Towson and Dulaney be renovated rather than replaced. It lays out its recommendations on how the $2.5 billion in local and state money available over the next 15 years should be spent countywide.
-- John Lee Extended bonding authority could breathe new life into old schools-- The Nevada Independent Nevada: August 09, 2021 [ abstract]
Goodbye, portable classrooms. Goodbye, aging plumbing, air conditioning and roofing systems.
Myrtle Tate Elementary School will celebrate its 50th birthday this year by welcoming students to a new building. The northeast Las Vegas school — home of the Tigers — has traded its drab, largely windowless building for a sleek, modern upgrade that features plenty of natural light, colorful murals, improved technology and more wiggle room.
The $32 million project left some teachers in tears when they toured the new building last month. After a disrupted year and a half of learning, during which time COVID-19 tore through the school’s surrounding lower-income community, the new building offers a fresh start despite the pandemic still lingering in the background.
“When you look around town, you see the new schools being built in the new subdivisions … and charter schools being built in some of the more affluent areas,” said Sarah Popek, principal of Myrtle Tate Elementary School. “And our students deserve the same opportunities.”
Myrtle Tate is one of five replacement schools opening for the 2021-2022 academic year, all financed as part of the Clark County School District’s 2015 Capital Improvement Program. Two new schools — Hannah Marie Brown Elementary School and Barry and June Gunderson Middle School — are opening this year in southwest Las Vegas and Henderson as well.
The Las Vegas Valley is no stranger to school openings. Decades of growth have meant a steady drumbeat of bonding campaigns, architectural renderings, construction sites, school-naming committees and ribbon-cutting ceremonies before the yellow buses arrive and backpack-toting students pour into the hallways.
-- Jackie Valley Norcross, Reed Demand Upgrades in School Infrastructure to Enhance Safety & Raise Student Achievement-- insidernj.com National: August 06, 2021 [ abstract] WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) led over 90 members of Congress in urging Congressional leaders to prioritize the inclusion of federal dollars to boost school infrastructure nationwide as part of this once-in-a generation investment in the nation’s critical infrastructure. School districts are facing increased costs, aging school infrastructure and an urgent need for schools to alleviate crowded classrooms and ensure adequate fresh air ventilation to help reduce COVID-19 transmission.
Noting that the crisis with crumbling school infrastructure predates the pandemic and is a threat to the health and well-being of students and teachers and undermines academic achievement, 91 members of Congress penned a joint letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-12) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) urging the inclusion of at least $100 billion in federal funds to boost school construction.
“An investment of at least $100 billion in school facilities will be critical to achieving the full promise of the American Families Plan for our middle and working class communities. Without an upgrade to school facilities, these communities will struggle to implement universal preschool, expand school nutrition programs, achieve climate resiliency, close the digital divide, and recruit and retain educators. Furthermore, failure to adequately invest in school facilities will undermine our march towards racial and economic justice, as these are the communities with the lowest tax bases and fewest resources for capital improvements,” the 91 members of Congress wrote.
-- Press Release Material shortage causes delay in Bingham High School construction-- KSLNewsRadio Utah: August 03, 2021 [ abstract]
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — A material shortage is causing a delay in the completion of construction at Bingham High School in South Jordan. Students will begin the school year with two weeks of online learning until the construction is complete.
Material shortage impacts Bingham construction
The Jordan School District said construction at Bingham was supposed to be done by August 16 but has hit a supply chain disruption. The construction project is short of things like sheet metal in addition to pandemic-related labor shortages.
AUGUST 3, 2021 AT 8:32 PM
Tom Smart, Deseret News
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — A material shortage is causing a delay in the completion of construction at Bingham High School in South Jordan. Students will begin the school year with two weeks of online learning until the construction is complete.
Material shortage impacts Bingham construction
The Jordan School District said construction at Bingham was supposed to be done by August 16 but has hit a supply chain disruption. The construction project is short of things like sheet metal in addition to pandemic-related labor shortages.
“The renovation project impacts 70% of classrooms upstairs and construction crews are working around the clock to complete the project,” the school said in a statement.
-- MADELEINE PORTER Amid Historic Federal Windfall, School Leaders Find that Soaring Inflation is Curbing Their Ability to Purchase, Hire an-- The74million.org National: July 28, 2021 [ abstract] With 28 years in school nutrition behind her, 12 as director of food services in Plymouth-Canton Community School, near Detroit, Kristen Hennessey has meal planning down to a science. She can usually look at a menu, estimate the cost and count on having all the ingredients and supplies ready for preparation.
But now, with chicken and beef prices up, a worldwide shortage of packaging materials and a dearth of long-haul truckers, she’s not as sure what she’ll be serving the district’s 18,000 students this fall. And she won’t be surprised if distributors start adding transportation surcharges “to stop the bleeding on their end” — something she hasn’t seen since the Great Recession.
“It’s a domino effect,” she said. “We’re at the point now where we don’t even know what’s going to come in the back door.”
Food services are just one aspect of school operations affected by inflation, which is experiencing a 13-year high. Wages are climbing because districts can’t find enough employees to drive buses or provide students additional academic support. Price hikes on materials are causing some districts to hit pause on construction projects and districts are paying higher wages for teachers to help students catch up.
At a time when the American Rescue Plan is flooding school districts with more federal money than they’ve ever had, educators are slowly awakening to the reality that those funds might not go as far as expected and that inflation may have a lasting impact on their regular budgets as well .
“School districts are like little cities. You’ve got food service. You’ve got transportation. You’ve got maintenance. Inflation across the sectors will impact all those areas,” said Charles Carpenter, chief financial officer for the Denver Public Schools.
-- Linda Jacobson Amid Historic Federal Windfall, School Leaders Find that Soaring Inflation is Curbing Their Ability to Purchase, Hire an-- The74 Million National: July 28, 2021 [ abstract] With 28 years in school nutrition behind her, 12 as director of food services in Plymouth-Canton Community School, near Detroit, Kristen Hennessey has meal planning down to a science. She can usually look at a menu, estimate the cost and count on having all the ingredients and supplies ready for preparation.
But now, with chicken and beef prices up, a worldwide shortage of packaging materials and a dearth of long-haul truckers, she’s not as sure what she’ll be serving the district’s 18,000 students this fall. And she won’t be surprised if distributors start adding transportation surcharges “to stop the bleeding on their end” — something she hasn’t seen since the Great Recession.
“It’s a domino effect,” she said. “We’re at the point now where we don’t even know what’s going to come in the back door.”
Food services are just one aspect of school operations affected by inflation, which is experiencing a 13-year high. Wages are climbing because districts can’t find enough employees to drive buses or provide students additional academic support. Price hikes on materials are causing some districts to hit pause on construction projects and districts are paying higher wages for teachers to help students catch up.
At a time when the American Rescue Plan is flooding school districts with more federal money than they’ve ever had, educators are slowly awakening to the reality that those funds might not go as far as expected and that inflation may have a lasting impact on their regular budgets as well .
“School districts are like little cities. You’ve got food service. You’ve got transportation. You’ve got maintenance. Inflation across the sectors will impact all those areas,” said Charles Carpenter, chief financial officer for the Denver Public Schools.
The economic indicators are clear. This summer, the Consumer Price Index — which measures changes in what people typically pay for goods and services — saw its largest one-month and 12-month increases since 2008, according to the government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-- Linda Jacobson Construction Well Underway on Edison Elementary Seismic Retrofit-- The Chronicle Washington: July 28, 2021 [ abstract] Highly-anticipated safety upgrades to protect Edison Elementary School are well underway this summer. And though students and staff might not see them when they arrive back in the classroom this fall, new wood and steel reinforcements will better protect the 103-year-old building from earthquakes while keeping occupants safe.
The Centralia school, which serves around 360 students, will be the first building in the state to receive structural upgrades under the state-funded School Seismic Safety Retrofit Program.
The program allocated $13 million in 2019 and $40 million in the 2021-2023 biennium through the state Legislature and Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). State departments leading the charge, including OSPI and the Department of Natural Resources, say the program is the first of its kind and is a critical step in repairing the oldest and most vulnerable schools in Washington.
The upgrades are expected to last the lifetime of the building.
Alongside district staff and project architects, The Chronicle got the chance to tour the building and see the work done so far. The retrofit is largely focusing on two areas: installing steel beams vertically within the gymnasium to reinforce the roof and act as a failsafe for the unreinforced masonry, and installing wooden beams within the exterior-facing walls where the foundation of the building lies.
Families, staff and students likely won’t be able to notice the changes when they return for class.
-- Eric Rosane Alachua County unveils new Terwilliger Elementary School-- The Gainesville Sun Florida: July 27, 2021 [ abstract]
In an auspicious moment, school district officials, teachers and employees gathered outside a two-story building for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark completion of the new Terwilliger Elementary School.
Terwilliger Elementary was previously located at Northwest 62nd Street, but closed its doors at the end of last school year. The new school is at 3999 SW 122nd St.
Discussions about closing the school began among school board members in December. The closing will save $11.6 million in renovations, and was meant to allow the district to complete a comprehensive rezoning starting in 2022.
However, due to not having a strategic plan set up and wanting input from the community, the rezoning is postponed.
Many teachers and parents at the old Terwilliger opposed the idea, threatening to pursue legal action or send their children to private schools.
Speakers at the event included Terwilliger's new principal Jesaly Alvarez, Board chair Leanetta McNealy, Superintendent Carlee Simon and President of Parrish McCall constructors Inc., Mike Walsh.
-- GERSHON HARRELL Northam’s $250 million HVAC investment leaves education advocates underwhelmed-- Virginia Mercury Virginia: July 27, 2021 [ abstract] Gov. Ralph Northam wants to allocate $250 million in federal relief funding for HVAC improvements in K-12 schools but education advocates and actual school system administrators want more equity in how the money is doled out and more flexibility in using it.
The investment in ventilation systems, a recurrent focus amid the COVID-19 pandemic, didn’t come as a surprise, said Chad Stewart, manager of education policy and development for The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. But he and many advocates, including other members of the Fund Our Schools coalition, say they were taken aback by the structure of the proposal, which must be approved by the General Assembly in a special session next month.
“What’s unique, at least based on the details we’ve seen so far, is the complete lack of equity,” Stewart said. Many of the state’s school funding programs are based on a division’s local composite index — a measure of its ability to afford education costs. But under Northam’s proposal, localities would be required to use their own rescue funding required to match the state’s contribution, which would be calculated based on student attendance counts, for a total of $500 million.
In practice, the program would advantage large districts like Fairfax County while largely ignoring small, high-poverty districts without the same ability to pay, said Rachael Deane, director of the Legal Aid Justice Center’s JustChildren program. But for many local administrators, there’s an even more fundamental problem.
Since the start of the pandemic, Virginia schools have received more than $2.8 billion in federal aid earmarked specifically for public education. Divisions were given the flexibility to use that money for HVAC improvements, and many already have. In Richmond City, for example, there have been 47 completed upgrades since March of 2020, according to data from the state’s Commission on School construction and Modernization. In Brunswick County, there have been 61, with another 189 still in process.
-- Kate Masters San Benito High School projects costing $102 million near completion-- Benitolink.com California: July 21, 2021 [ abstract] Voters rejected a $30 million bond in 2020 and two measures with total funding of $62.5 million were not enough to pay for construction, forcing the district to secure a bridge loan to keep construction moving forward.
San Benito High School is nearing completion of numerous construction projects, after overcoming a shortfall in bond money. The upgrades will settle a list of safety problems, improve technology and promote career education.
The entire project was originally funded through local bond measures G and U, plus state matching and grant funds for a total cost of $102.5 million, according to SBHS District Superintendent Shawn Tennenbaum.
The money saga began with two county ballot measures, G in 2014, and U in 2016. They spawned $62.5 million in bonds for facility repairs and upgrades. But in 2020 voters turned down Measure L, which would have raised $30 million to improve student safety by installing secure school entrances, fencing, cameras and a multipurpose cafeteria building for assemblies. If it had passed it would have added a 10th bond on every property owner’s tax bill.
The two bond issues allowed completion of 34 projects plus part of a science and robotics building. Measure G covered, for example, roof repairs and seismic safety upgrades. Measure U, which made local property owners responsible for repaying $60 million at $30 per $100,000 of assessed value of their homes over 30 years, funded new classrooms and better IT hardware among other projects.
According to the 2019 independent audit report of measures G and U, 14 unfinished projects remained, totaling $16.2 million in commitments.
-- John Chadwell Armuchee High School modernization should be ready before school year begins-- Rome News-Tribune Georgia: July 20, 2021 [ abstract]
Work on new concrete and landscaping is making headway at Armuchee High School and it all should be ready before students return to school Aug. 5.
Facilities Manager Jack Gardner said the exterior renovation is going well, despite some setbacks during construction.
While replacing one of the bus canopies, they found that the original had not been properly anchored to the ground, Gardner said. Now workers are preparing the area so that the new one will be more secure and sturdy.
“The tower is basically done, it just needs some metal and the logo added to it,” Gardner said.
The tower, or cupola, will mostly serve an aesthetic purpose for the school. The rest of the modernization project will include matching the brick exterior to the new gym.
The roof replacement was completed back in May, but construction workers are also preparing it for the upcoming air conditioning and heating unit replacements next summer.
The project was originally set at $25 million and funded through the 1-cent education local option sales tax, according to Superintendent Glenn White. But over time, with increasing inflation costs and special grants from the federal CARES and American Rescue Plan acts, the school board has boosted the budget to $31 million.
Since FCS has more high school classrooms available across the school system, the Georgia Department of Education said they couldn’t help with reimbursement for a new Armuchee building. So the board decided to do a complete overhaul and renovation of the existing building instead.
-- Olivia Morley With schools, pay less now or pay more later-- The Hill National: July 20, 2021 [ abstract] As Congress weighs whether to include schools in an infrastructure package, the choice is not whether the federal government should spend money on school construction and renovation. It already does. The choice is whether the federal government should spend less now or more later through a broken, wasteful and disruptive cycle of damage and repair.
School construction is currently funded by local and state governments with one notable exception — rebuilding schools after disasters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has invested billions in fixing schools that have been damaged by extreme weather events such as flooding, wildfires, hurricanes and cold snaps. In 2005, FEMA spent almost $4 billion to help schools recover from Hurricane Katrina.
Older school facilities present a heightened risk. They do not reflect the latest advancements in building science and disaster preparedness that can minimize damage and keep occupants safe. According to a 2017 report by FEMA, “older school buildings are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and in most cases, school administrators do not have the financial resources to address these vulnerabilities.” If schools did have resources, investing in resilience would be an excellent use of funds. The National Institute of Building Sciences reports that for every $1 of preventative spending, we save $6 in post-disaster recovery.
-- JONATHAN KLEIN, OPINION Hearing held on controversial school construction safety requirements-- WSFA Alabama: July 19, 2021 [ abstract]
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Gov. Kay Ivey’s task force assigned to address safety concerns regarding school construction projects under a controversial law that started as House Bill 220 held a public hearing Monday morning.
The bill, passed during the 2020 legislative session, prompted an April letter to the Alabama Senate from the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs.
“This bill misses the mark on building safety by assigning a monetary figure as a threshold for inspection instead of realizing complexity of the project should be the threshold,” the AAFC said.
Public safety officials have said if not amended, the bill could put first responders and students at risk.
However, after Monday’s public hearing, Chief Tim Love, president of the AAFC, said the group assigned to the bill is making good progress.
“I think today was a good opportunity for us to share. I think everyone involved here is still getting educated on the goods and bads of different portions HB220,” said Love.
Although Love would describe Monday’s work as the right step, he recognized the process isn’t over yet.
“Hopefully next year when the legislative session comes in, we’ll have opportunities to make some amendments to make it better,” Love said.
-- Erin Davis Madison City Schools investing millions to meet growth demands-- WHNT.com Alabama: July 19, 2021 [ abstract]
MADISON, Ala.- The Madison City School district is investing millions of dollars for new school buildings and renovations to meet the demand of district growth.
“We would be in serious trouble today enrollment-wise if the board, previous superintendents and the community had not thought of that moving forward,” says Superintendent Ed Nichols.
In 2019, Madison residents passed a 12-mil property tax increase for Madison City Schools aimed primarily at increasing revenue for new school construction.
“We couldn’t do this plan without the financial support of our community and our city,” says Nichols.
The district is opening a new $35 million elementary school and building a $50 million middle school.
Other projects in the district totaling $20 million range from a nearly seven million dollar Special Education wing being added to Bob Jones High School, to a new HVAC system and roof installations, paving projects, pre-k renovations and athletic facility improvements.
“It’s not very glamorous when you put in a new HVAC system, you know there’s not a big plaque on the wall that says ‘hey you’ve got a new HVAC system’ but let one go down…… So we took that money and said ‘hey, let’s use this money for the most good we can get long-range,'” says Nichols.
Superintendent Ed Nichols says it’s all about managing growth.
-- Madison Neal Supply bottlenecks slow middle school renovation project-- The Perry News Iowa: July 17, 2021 [ abstract] Progress is moving more slowly than expected on the $5.7 million Perry Middle School renovation project due to bottlenecks in the supply chain, Superintendent Clark Wicks told the Perry School Board at Monday’s regular meeting.
“It is progressing. That’s a good thing,” Wicks said of the project. “Probably not as fast as what we want it to. The biggest thing is getting supplies and materials. There’s just so much going on there.”
Wicks used the building’s new fire suppression system as an example.
“Some of the parts aren’t here, and we’re concerned about that,” he said, “but we’ll get a clearer update after July 14. We meet with the fire department on that date as well as the construction people.”
-- Jim Caufield Our public school infrastructure is set up to continue to fail | Opinion-- The Philadelphia Inquirer Pennsylvania: July 16, 2021 [ abstract] From the condo building collapse in Surfside, Fla., to the melting streetcar cables in Portland, Ore., to the collapse of the Texas power grid, the catastrophic state of America’s infrastructure has never been more apparent. These tragedies make national headlines, but we don’t need to look that far to find these dangers. Philadelphia is confronting its own catastrophic infrastructure crisis: public school buildings.
This crisis has dire consequences: a maintenance worker’s death from a faulty boiler explosion; a student’s lead poisoning; a career educator’s forced retirement because of her mesothelioma diagnosis after working in schools with exposed asbestos. Philadelphia’s schools are toxic and getting worse without proper maintenance and investment during the pandemic.
The School District of Philadelphia’s (SDP) past approach to infrastructure mismanagement means that its response does not match the severity of its chronic facilities’ issues. State funding cuts eliminated construction reimbursements, and Pennsylvania is one of few states that lacks guidance for educational facilities. District layoffs of maintenance and custodial staff have severed critical connections bridging systemic facilities condition data to the lived experiences of those working and learning in that facility. The district maintains a stubborn resistance to engage the full range of stakeholders into planning and decision-making processes, creating costly outcomes like the Benjamin Franklin/Science Leadership Academy shutdown. These costs are borne by those inside and outside the facility, suggesting that we need a broader coalition of stakeholders involved, with governance, funding, and accountability beyond city and district leadership.
-- Opinion - Akira Drake Rodriguez and Ariel H. Bierb BCPS, Baltimore County release updated recommendations for long-term school construction-- NottinghamMD.com Maryland: July 14, 2021 [ abstract] TOWSON, MD—Baltimore County Public Schools and Baltimore County Government on Wednesday released updated recommendations for the County’s Multi-Year Improvement Plan for All Schools (MYIPAS), developed by CannonDesign, a nationally recognized architecture and planning company.
Under the recommendations, every school in Baltimore County would receive equitable capital improvements within 15 years and could be completed without any additional revenue increases.
“I am proud of the way that our communities, families, and staff have come together to plan for every school to have a modern and equitable learning environment as called for in The Compass, our strategic plan,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “The thoughtful MYIPAS process has ensured that our way forward is guided by multiple stakeholder perspectives as well as independent, objective advice.”
“Every child and every educator deserves a modern, safe, and supportive learning environment. These recommendations from CannonDesign provide a comprehensive, equitable, and fully funded roadmap to accomplish just that,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “These data-driven recommendations will help guide our work with the Board of Education, BCPS, and our communities to ensure high quality schools in every ZIP code and to fulfill our County’s obligations to the Blueprint for Maryland’s future.”
In total, the recommendations call for $2.5 billion in school construction, including all remaining Schools for our Future projects. The CannonDesign proposal also outlines strategies to bring school capacity down to 100 percent through additions and redistricting – eliminating the need for makeshift spaces or trailers.
-- Chris Montcalmo Biden’s infrastructure plan, an investment in Arizona’s schools-- Ahwatukee.com Arizona: July 14, 2021 [ abstract]
President Biden’s infrastructure proposal is a $100 billion plan to build the next generation of school – which is great for Arizona public schools facing growing enrollment in the next five years.
New money will provide jobs and assist our tribes on the Navajo Nation, and it is important for Arizona since the state’s school infrastructure program is underfinanced and facing two immediate challenges; increased enrollment and deteriorating schools.
Here are key facts about Arizona’s public-school facilities. From FY2014 to FY2018, enrollment increased nearly 40,000 students. While there has been a slight decline in enrollment this year due to COVID-19, the National Center for Education Statistics projects that enrollment will continue to rise from 1,168,000 in 2020 to 1,258,000 students in 2026.
On average school districts in Arizona spent $729 million per year on construction capital outlay for fiscal years 2009 to 2018. To pay for this, local districts took on long term debt, and at the end of fiscal year 2018 had $5.6 billion in long term debt, about $4,900 per student.
If Arizona school districts and the State were to maintain their public school facilities at the industry-recommended levels, Arizona needs $1.9 billion per year for capital outlay, rather than $729 million.
One consequence of under investment is that Arizona school districts are spending 12 percent of their total operating funds each year on maintenance and operations of facilities, one of the highest in the nation.
-- Paul Bakalis, AFN Guest Writer Failing gym roof at Kelly Middle School stabilized, not expected to impact fall return-- The Register-Guard Oregon: July 11, 2021 [ abstract] Eugene School District staff have been working since May to repair the failing roof at Kelly Middle School, and while they don't foresee it being fixed in time for fall, the district does expect to be able to use the rest of the building in September.
The building in north Eugene is the temporary location for both the middle school and Yujin Gakuen Japanese Immersion Elementary School, as part of a co-locating plan while construction on a district bond project is underway.
The co-locating plan was already a situation that required renovations to the Kelly building and brought frustrations from families and staff at both schools leading up to the change this school year.
The district learned mid-May the roof in one of three gymnasiums, the "inner gym," had become unsafe: Two trusses were found to be failing. The area and its roof are structurally connected to the rest of the school building.
-- Jordyn Brown Public Schools Capital Outlay Council awards southeast New Mexico schools-- Carlsbad Current Argud New Mexico: July 10, 2021 [ abstract] The Public School Facilities Authority released the Public School Capital Outlay Council's annual report for 2020, revealing awards and plans for future expansion of southeast New Mexico's public schools.
The Public School Capital Outlay Council (PSCOC) offers funding to school districts planning construction or renovation of school buildings by matching the estimated cost of a project. Standards-based awards are for larger projects like new school campuses or major renovations, and systems-based awards fun smaller projects like roof and parking lot repairs.
The organization gave over $113 million in standards-based awards and $12 million in systems-based awards last year. Awards funded a new building for Chaparral Middle School in Alamogordo, which currently sits on unstable land and is prone to sinking. The new school with be capable of accommodating 658 students and is estimated to be completed in 2024.
-- Claudia L. Silva State approves $450 million in Ohio school construction-- the Intelligencer Ohio: July 08, 2021 [ abstract]
Just over $450 million for nine new Ohio K-12 building projects was announced Thursday by the state commission that oversees funding of school construction, the second of two major spending packages for school construction and renovation as the coronavirus pandemic has eased.
The projects announced by the Ohio Facilities construction Commission include $117 million for Cleveland city schools, which will use the money to build two new pre-K through eighth grade buildings and a new high school, and to renovate a middle school. The Cleveland project includes $37.5 million in local funding.
The money also will provide $103.2 million for Lancaster city schools in southeastern Ohio, including $56.8 million in local funding, to build a new high school that will also house a career tech program.
Spending approved Thursday also includes $29 million for Metro Early College High School in Columbus, a K-12 STEM school that will move into a renovated Columbus middle school.
-- staff writer Summer school repairs addressing tornado damage-- Shelby County Reporter Alabama: July 08, 2021 [ abstract]
COLUMBIANA — Shelby County Schools has begun final repairs at two of the school district’s facilities that were damaged during recent tornadoes, including a middle school and football stadium.
The Board of Education approved construction bids for the repairs during its monthly meeting on June 22, and repairs are now currently underway and expected to go through the summer. David Calhoun, the school district’s assistant superintendent of operation, is currently overseeing the construction projects, and said that the school district is making great progress on the repairs.
“We’ve had very good luck so far and have made fantastic progress at this point in time in the summer. Summers are generally the time that we will do any replacement of flooring or ceiling tiles as well as do any painting,” he said. “For kids, it is a slow down time because they go home, but in the world of school maintenance and operation, that’s really when things ramp up.”
The most pressing repairs pertain to the Oak Mountain High School Football Stadium at Heardmont Park, which suffered extensive damage due to an EF3 tornado on March 25 of this year.
-- WILLIAM MARLOW Get caught up on school construction, improvement plans as Williamson County grows-- Tennessean Tennessee: July 05, 2021 [ abstract]
Since 2000, Williamson County Schools records show a jump in the district's annual enrolled student population from over 19,600 students at the end of the first month of the 2000-2001 school year to over 40,700 students at the end of the first month of the 2019-2020 school year.
In two decades, school enrollment increased by almost 108%, with an average annual growth of 1,057 students. Between 2002 and 2019, 19 schools opened across the county.
Superintendent Jason Golden shared in reports this year that even despite the pandemic, population growth across the county is projected to continue according to planners in local jurisdictions.
Williamson County Schools' five-year capital plan includes construction projects geared toward accommodating this continued, rapid population growth across the county.
-- Anika Exum Black mold infestation leads to future new campus at Weed Elementary School-- mtshasta news California: July 02, 2021 [ abstract] After dangerous black mold was found in Weed Elementary School's buildings, the district is constructing a new, state-of-the-art campus.
People in the neighborhood of the school are seeing bulldozers and ground movers working in the school's field. This summer, portable module buildings as an interim temporary campus will be popping up for the next school year as the school will be torn down and rebuilt due to black mold and other structural noncompliance issues.
In October 2020, the school's main building, quad rooms, and music room were found to be contaminated with black mold in the walls and closed down. Inspections showed that the 60s style construction of the school's buildings that were designed for Southern California has open rafters and can not meet the snow load compliance. It was also found that the building that houses the water boiler not only contains asbestos and lead paint, but is also not seismically sound. So that building, too, will be replaced.
-- Shareen Strauss Facilities study for BG schools proceeds as boiler costs top $300,000
-- Sentinel-Tribune Ohio: June 29, 2021 [ abstract] The Bowling Green City Schools Board of Education is going to start a capital improvements program which may include renovations and additions to existing buildings as well as new construction.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the board also approved spending $333,884 for boiler work at two elementaries.
The board hired Fanning/Howey Associates to design a master plan.
Fanning/Howey will perform an onsite review of facilities to determine current conditions, using the 2015 Ohio Facilities construction Commission facility assessment as baseline data.
“I think this is certainly a very positive step forward to address the needs of our district’s academic facilities,” said Superintendent Francis Scruci.
The architects also will gather existing site information to identify current conditions and possible constraints; facilitate an educational visioning process with staff to understand facilities improvements that may be needed to support curriculum delivery goals; facilitate a community engagement process to share facilities data and to gather stakeholder preferences regarding facilities improvements.
They will then develop a facilities master plan that summarizes all recommended improvements and related budgets and offer conceptual graphic representations to help illustrate facilities improvement goals.
The cost to the district is not to exceed $40,000.
-- Marie Thomas-Baird Gov. Ivey forms committee to adjust heavily contested school building code legislation-- WHNT.com Alabama: June 28, 2021 [ abstract]
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Alabama engineers, architects, fire chiefs and school leaders are concerned about recently passed legislation they believe compromises the safety of children in schools. Governor Kay Ivey signed HB 220 last month. The bill ends state oversight of construction projects for school buildings under certain parameters.
Prior to the legislation, architects and school districts would submit construction plans to the Division of construction Management. The DCM would almost always find a few code violations by even the best architects. Soon, any project under $500,000 will no longer go through the DCM and instead will be up to local building departments. Some projects above $500,000 will also qualify under the new legislation.
“Down the road, 5-10 years… we are really going to start to see the faults in this,” said Tim Love the President of the Alabama Association of Fire Chief’s.
Love doesn’t think the legislature took time to hear concerns or even read about HB 220.
“I really don’t think they clearly understood or I hope they didn’t understand what they were voting for. I heard one Senator say from the floor, all 67 counties have a building department. That’s not true,” said Love.
Governor Ivey, despite signing the bill is forming a committee to iron out concerns from builders, fire departments and schools. All the concerned parties hope the legislation ends up getting thrown out or reversed.
Engineers and builders stand to gain from the legislation because their liability increases, meaning they can charge more. Even then, the engineers and architects prefer having a third, un-biased party to check over building plans.
“I’m assuming it’s pretty bad if the men and women that can make money off of this process, don’t want it, we probably need to listen to them,” said Love.
-- Ethan Fitzgerald Prince George’s Co. to break ground on 6 schools this week-- WTOP Maryland: June 28, 2021 [ abstract] Officials and students broke ground on a new Walker Mill Middle School on Monday, one of six school projects that will begin construction this week in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
The new Walker Mill is the first of six new schools intended to address aging buildings, growing enrollment and a middle school seat deficit in the state’s second-largest school system.
Schools CEO Dr. Monica Goldson said at Monday morning’s ceremony, “When I pick up that shovel, I’m going to pick it up to represent the voices of 134,000 students, 19,000 employees who deserve to work in the best facilities possible, and for all their parents who want us to create memorable experiences that will propel their students to be amazing citizens, not only in Prince George’s County, but across the nation.”
Principal Erin Cribbs said the original Walker Mill school opened in 1971, adding, “The Mill, as we affectionately call it, has and will continue to be a beacon of education for those who desire to lead, reach and impact the world.”
-- Glynis Kazanjian and Rick Massimo A sweltering summer ahead, final 5 Staten Island schools to get air conditioning this year-- SiLive.com New York: June 27, 2021 [ abstract]
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — As temperatures warm up at the end of the school year, through the summer months, and into the 2021-2022 school year, just five Staten Island schools that have been without air conditioning (AC) in every classroom will have it installed by the end of the year, according to city officials.
Students in New York City schools have been required to wear a face mask throughout the entire school day in the current school year — even during high temperatures in classrooms without air conditioning.
Under the AC for All initiative, 37 Staten Island schools have already had air conditioning units installed in all of their classrooms, according to the city School construction Authority (SCA).
Just five Staten Island schools are still awaiting AC units in all of their classrooms and will get those installations by the end of 2021.
Those schools are:
Egbert Intermediate School (I.S. 2), Midland Beach
Prall Intermediate School (I.S. 27), West Brighton
Morris Intermediate School (I.S. 61), Brighton Heights
PS 18, West Brighton
PS 26, Travis
-- Annalise Knudson Growing schools see building boom-- bddailynews.com Kentucky: June 25, 2021 [ abstract] School facilities took center stage this week as the Warren County and Bowling Green school boards held meetings to review their construction and renovation priorities.
On Wednesday, the Bowling Green Independent School District Board of Education reviewed design drawings for phase four renovations at Bowling Green High School.
Ultimately, the board approved the designs and authorized the school district to spend up to $22,434,420 on the project.
Superintendent Gary Fields said the revised $22.4 million project cost estimate includes a cost increase of 15% to 20% over the previous cost estimate, a change he blamed on an increased demand by school districts across the state for construction-related services.
That said, the district isn’t actually planning to start bidding the renovations until later this year.
“As of June 2021, we’re seeing some significant jumps in cost,” Fields said. “The good news is, we’re six months away from going out to bid.”
-- Aaron Mudd State building authority approves funding for new Crocker Elementary in Fitchburg-- telegram.com Massachusetts: June 24, 2021 [ abstract] The Massachusetts School Building Authority's Board of Directors this week approved a nearly $40 million grant for the construction of a new elementary school in Fitchburg.
The $39.7 million award, which the board voted for at its meeting Wednesday, will help the district replace Crocker Elementary School with a new, 116,000-square-foot school.
The replacement building will be at the same site as the current school, and serve first through fifth grade, according to the building authority.
-- Scott O'Connell Seattle Public Schools: Construction Starts This Summer-- Patch.com Washington: June 19, 2021 [ abstract] Two years of planning pays off this summer as construction starts on several major building projects.
There are three elementary school replacement projects that are scheduled to take two years to complete. Phase II modernization of a high school will take place over the next year. Plus, three school addition projects are scheduled to take one year as is a project to replace several systems in one school building. Lastly, the end of the school year kicks off multiple smaller projects traditionally done during summer break.
Replacement Projects
All three schools include sustainable design features that work toward the district's net-zero energy goals and eliminate the use of fossil fuels. Geothermal heating and energy-efficient LED lighting reduce energy usage. Each school is being built to accommodate installation of solar panels in the future.
-- Staff Writer Virginia alliance hosting 'crumbling schools tour'-- Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia: June 19, 2021 [ abstract] An alliance of state organizations is hosting a “crumbling schools tour” and inviting local, state and federal lawmakers to participate.
Virginia’s Coalition of Small and Rural Schools is working with several other organizations to showcase eight examples of schools in urgent need of repair or replacement.
“Although the condition of school facilities in Virginia is well documented, the crumbling schools tour will allow decision makers to have a first-hand account of the conditions our students and staff endure on a daily basis,” according to information promoting the tour.
The tour starts Tuesday at King and Queen Elementary, which was built in 1937, in Mattaponi in King and Queen County. The Department of Education divides Virginia into eight regions, and one school from each region has been selected for the tour, according to Keith Perrigan, president of the Coalition of Small and Rural Schools and the superintendent of Bristol schools.
In recent weeks, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe; current Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax; Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, who chairs a new committee on school construction needs; and Dels. Jay Jones, D-Norfolk, and Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, visited Bristol city schools. All were candidates in this month’s Democratic primaries for statewide office.
“As legislators from across Virginia toured our facilities this spring, it became very apparent that a firsthand look at school facility needs in areas outside their immediate area were enlightening,” Perrigan said. “Our coalition and partner organizations decided that a tour in every region in the commonwealth would be a very good way to draw attention to these issues and to share the message that localities can’t do it on their own. Adding an urban division to the tour (Petersburg) demonstrates that this issue is not only a rural issue, but urban as well.”
-- DAVID MCGEE Bristol Herald Courier A new elementary is coming to Boca Raton-- The Palm Beach Post Florida: June 17, 2021 [ abstract]
After enduring a decade of crowding in its elementary schools that was only partly remedied by contentious boundary changes and expanded campuses, the Boca Raton region is about to get its first large scale solution: a new elementary school.
Palm Beach County school leaders ceremonially broke ground on a 1,000-seat elementary school just south of Don Estridge High Tech Middle Wednesday afternoon.
Work on the nearly $30 million, yet-to-be-named campus is expected to be completed by the fall of 2022.
The region from Linton Boulevard to the south county line is home to 13 elementary schools, a handful of which have been rebuilt from the ground up, but this will be the first new school to go up since Sunrise Park opened in 2001.
While construction doesn't get fully underway until this summer, the 15 acres where it will be built along Military Trail has been hosting students on campus two years.
-- Sonja Isger $400-Million construction grant to be used for priority school upgrades-- WTNH Connecticut: June 14, 2021 [ abstract] WEST HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — It’s more than a hundred years old and has served it’s purpose; Washington Elementary is now set to be torn down – making way for a brand new state of the art school.
“I’m sure that when it was built it was a great school, but it just doesn’t meet the needs and it needs to go,” said Neil Cavallaro, West Haven school superintendent.
It’s made possible thanks to a 400-million dollar construction grant for priority schools across the state. The bond chair state representative Dorinda Borer helped secure the 24-million dollar funding.
“It has no elevator, the restrooms are in the basement, the stairs are roped off…it’s not a facility that is conducive to learning,” said Borer.
-- Ken Houston Carson City schools' building projects get underway-- Nevada Appeal Nevada: June 13, 2021 [ abstract] Carson City School District is moving ahead with several capital projects this summer ranging from campus expansions to athletic facility improvements.
Director of Operations Services Mark Korinek provided an update to the Board of Trustees in May on the most recent revision to the Capital Improvements Plan highlighting four major developments that are or will be active in the next few months or beyond.
The plan constantly reflects work from six years ago. construction costs have escalated, impacting certain priorities, for example, the potential purchase of the former Capital Christian Church property at 1600 Snyder Ave., which also remains represented on the CIP, Korinek noted.
And notably this past year, the pandemic, too, had an effect on CCSD’s plan for its capital projects.
“COVID put a big delay (on these projects),” Korinek said at the May 25 meeting, going on to describe its biggest projects of significance this summer.
The largest project is the Eagle Valley Middle School expansion project, adding 23,000 square feet to the campus with 10 classrooms, two STEM labs, office and workroom space, restrooms and storage areas, and an existing SMART lab will be moved. The project begins Monday with a planned completion date for July 2022. The anticipated budget is approximately $14 million. The district hired CORE construction as the contractor.
Carson High School’s turf resurfacing and track improvement project is scheduled to start Monday with planned completion for Aug. 13. The original turf was installed 13 years ago, and Korinek said the district has been “lucky and successful” with its maintenance.
-- Jessica Garcia Federal funding restrictions could force Va. schools to spend millions improving buildings that should be replaced-- The Daily Progress Virginia: June 06, 2021 [ abstract] RICHMOND — Virginia schools received nearly $2 billion from the federal government in its latest round of COVID-19 relief funding for public education.
But while current guidance allows that money to pay for pandemic-related improvements — including new HVAC systems, window repairs or replacing carpeted areas with tile — it strongly discourages new school construction, according to James Lane, the state’s superintendent for public instruction. Local administrators are worried those restrictions could lead to millions of dollars in spending on school buildings that should be replaced.
“Outside of teacher pay, I can’t imagine there’s a bigger need for public education in the state than school construction,” said Keith Perrigan, superintendent for Bristol Public Schools and president of the Coalition for Small and Rural Schools of Virginia. “So the fact that we may be forced into a situation where we put good money into old buildings is very frustrating for us.”
It’s an issue that’s become especially resonant as state legislators consider how to address years of underfunding in public school infrastructure. School construction is a perennial debate in the state’s General Assembly, but the most recent session led to the formation of a commission specifically tasked with studying the issue.
At a recent meeting, Lane presented new information on the state’s current building inventory — the first time data has been updated since a 2013 study ordered by then-Gov. Bob McDonnell. A survey of nearly every local division found that more than half of all school buildings are more than 50 years old (the state’s oldest facility was built 184 years ago, according to the Virginia Department of Education).
Eight years ago, VDOE estimated it would cost roughly $18 billion to renovate all schools more than 30 years old. The department’s latest survey now estimates it would cost the state more than $24.7 billion to fully replace every building more than 50 years old.
“When we surveyed school divisions, there were more than 1,000 buildings that met that criteria,” Lane told legislators. Some of those could potentially be renovated rather than fully replaced, he said. But a review of capital spending by local districts over the last decade indicated that renovations and additions were only slightly less expensive — and generally don’t last as long as a newly constructed facility.
“I would not assume you’d get the same longevity out of renovation as you would with a brand-new school,” Lane said.
-- KATE MASTERS School district projects hit road blocks as construction prices skyrocket-- emissourian.com Missouri: June 05, 2021 [ abstract]
St. Clair R-XIII and Meramec Valley R-III school districts are considering pressing the pause button on some major renovation projects due to rising construction costs.
At a June 2 special meeting, St. Clair board of education members discussed halting some of the capital project work funded by their $12.75 million bond issue.
Pacific officials are predicting they will use almost all of the district’s $3 million set aside for unexpected costs for the Zitzman Elementary School expansion. The project was originally budgeted at $6.2 million.
construction costs have increased due to a rise in material prices in the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the St. Clair board meeting, members commiserated with one another about the price of lumber — a 2-by-4 costs $14, they said. Members recalled previously spending $2 to $5 per 2-by-4 board when purchasing them for home projects.
-- Elena K. Cruz Better Kentucky plan directs $127 million to fund school construction projects-- The Lane Report Kentucky: June 03, 2021 [ abstract] FRANKFORT, Ky. — Schools in 13 Kentucky counties are receiving a total of $127 million to fund construction and renovation projects as part of the Better Kentucky Plan, which will direct $1.3 billion to schools, expanding internet access and delivering clean drinking water and quality sewer systems across Kentucky.
The Kentucky School Facilities construction Commission has voted to recommend funding for projects in the following districts: Hart, Martin, Floyd, Boyd, Bellevue, Mayfield, Jackson, Grant, Breckinridge, Bath, Cumberland, Pendleton and Carter.
The funding to build and renovate schools is part of the $1.3 billion Better Kentucky Plan, which will create 14,500 jobs while expanding broadband, delivering clean drinking water and building new schools. Gov. Beshear and Kentucky lawmakers reached a bipartisan agreement at the close of the 2021 General Assembly to invest federal relief funds in infrastructure.
The Kentucky School Facilities construction Commission voted to make an offer of assistance to 13 school projects around the state. The school districts will receive the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds this summer, contingent on allocation by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
The ARPA money is being allocated as gap funding. The state education commissioner needs to approve the offers and then the local school districts must accept or decline the offer.
Each school district in Kentucky must maintain a standing facilities plan. Those plans are prioritized at the state level by the School Facilities Commission. If one of the chosen school districts does not accept the allocated funding, the funds will be applied to the next project on the state’s priority list.
The following school districts and funding amounts have been conditionally approved by the commission:
-- Staff Writer ‘A dire situation:’ Aging Virginia schools want COVID relief funds to cover construction costs-- abc8 News Virginia: June 03, 2021 [ abstract]
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)-More than half of the state’s school buildings are more than 50 years old and the price tag of a total replacement would be nearly $25 billion, according to a new survey conducted by the Virginia Department of Education.
The results were presented to the General Assembly’s Commission on School construction and Modernization on Thursday morning. Members of the group called it the most comprehensive look at school infrastructure problems since 2013.
Bristol City Schools Superintendent Dr. Keith Perrigan, who also serves as President for the Coalition of Small and Rural Schools, said the findings represent little progress since the last time this data was collected.
“We are in much more of a dire situation than I ever imagined,” Perrigan said in an interview after the meeting. “The needle has not moved at all.”
It comes amid a bipartisan push to increase state spending on this issue and as some school districts are hoping to tap into federal coronavirus relief funds to offset the cost of long-overdue construction needs.
“It’s a moonshot opportunity, especially for high poverty school divisions,” Perrigan said.
The VDOE survey was based on self reporting from 128 of 132 school divisions, accounting for 97 percent of about 2,005 school buildings, according to State Superintendent Dr. James Lane.
State Sen. Jennifer McClella, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate who also chairs the commission, said the theoretical $25 billion estimate for a total rebuild of the state’s oldest schools doesn’t include the cost of renovations elsewhere.
-- Jackie DeFusco Majority of county’s debt attributed to school construction -- The Southern Scoop North Carolina: June 01, 2021 [ abstract] During Macon County Manager Derek Roland’s 2021-22 fiscal year budget proposal, he noted that an overwhelming majority of the county’s annual debt load is directly attributed to school construction that has been completed over the last decade.
The annual principal and interest payment on outstanding debt will decrease by ($25,630) to $3,629,168 in FY 22’. Of the county’s current outstanding debt amount (principal and interest) of $33,482,390, $32,387,907 or 97 percent is attributable to debt associated with school projects.
Macon County is currently paying off debt associated with construction of Iotla Valley Elementary School, substantial renovations and expansions to South Macon Elementary and Highlands School.
The county’s debt associated with schools construction is only expected to increase as beginning in FY 23’ the principal and interest portion of the Macon Middle School Renovation Project debt will come due increasing the annual principal and interest payment on outstanding debt by $361,618 to $3,990,786.
-- BRITTNEY LOFTHOUSE Monticello construction project comes in $769,000 under budget-- Platt County Journal-Republican Illinois: May 26, 2021 [ abstract] MONTICELLO — When the final bill for Monticello’s school construction project is paid next month, the facilities upgrade will come in about $769,000 under its original $35.3 million budget.
The two-plus-year effort was completed several months early, so it also will not spill over into another fiscal year.
“It will be entirely paid out this fiscal year. I’m really excited it will be off the books,” School Superintendent Vic Zimmerman told the school board May 19.
The hard construction costs — the figure paid to construction manager Petry-Kuhne/P.J. Hoerr — will come in at $28,059,369, or $562,284 less than original estimates.
Other costs such as furniture, asbestos abatement and architect fees ended up more than $200,000 under budget, making for the overall $769,000 savings.
The project centered around the high school/Washington Elementary campus, and blended fresh construction of a new gymnasium, science wing and more elementary classrooms with renovations to the more historic areas of the buildings. That included an extensive rehab of the 1920s auditorium and the remainder of the high school.
The floor of a sunken pit gym was raised, making a little-used area into modern choir and agriculture classrooms. The high school offices were expanded when moved from the south to the north of the entrance, which is now a secured entryway.
When COVID-19 closed school the final two months of 2019-20, it actually helped construction accelerate as the project did not have to work around students.
-- Steve Hoffman Georgia to borrow $1.1 billion for construction, retains low interest rating-- The Atlanta Journal-Constritution Georgia: May 25, 2021 [ abstract] The state plans to sell $1.1 billion in construction bonds in a few weeks — much of it for schools and college buildings — and a key service said Georgia has again retained its AAA bond rating that allows it to save millions of dollars a year in interest payments.
The AAA bond rating is the gold standards for governments looking to borrow to build schools and roads because it allows governments to borrow at relatively low interest rates.
A legislative session doesn’t go by without House and Senate budget chairmen and the governor bragging about the state’s top bond rating.
Fitch Ratings on Monday affirmed the rating for the latest borrowing, saying it “reflects the state’s proven willingness and ability to maintain fiscal balance and a broad-based, growth-oriented economy that supports revenue growth over time.”
Georgia has maintained its AAA rating from the major bond rating services for decades.
Earlier this year, the state auditor said Georgia’s AAA bond rating could be in jeopardy because he hadn’t received complete financial data from the state Department of Labor, which was hit with an avalanche of unemployment claims last year when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
State senators raised the issue in February with state Labor Commissioner Mark Butler, who told them Auditor Greg Griffin’s office made an end-of-the-year request for information on several hundred thousand unemployment cases.
Griffin sent Butler a letter in January saying his office couldn’t complete the state’s annual Comprehensive Annual Financial Report without information it was waiting on from the Department of Labor. The reports are usually completed by Dec. 31.
-- James Salzer Roof of middle school gym to be repaired-- Payson Roundup Arizona: May 25, 2021 [ abstract] Such a deal.
The Payson school board last week happily accepted a great deal on roof repairs for the leaky Rim Country Middle School gym.
Five Oliver LLC offered to do the work for $111,000 — less than a third of the $329,000 high bid.
The state will pay most of the cost — except for $300. That’s the cost of the roof repair over a storage area, since the state will only foot the bill for the part of the gym actively used by students.
The contract underscores the value of competitive, sealed bids when it comes to getting stuff done. The other bids were $134,000 and $213,000.
Payson’s been cleaning up lately when it comes to sweet talking the state School Facilities Board into paying for long-deferred, increasingly urgent capital projects on the district’s four campuses.
A series of court cases more than a decade ago demonstrated unconstitutional differences between capital spending for rich districts and poor districts. A reluctant Arizona Legislature agreed to take on responsibility for directly funding school construction and major repairs. But when the recession hit in 2008, the Legislature essentially stopped funding district capital needs.
Since then, the state has shorted districts by $2 billion in the formulas for “District Additional Assistance,” which includes textbooks, technology, school buses and building repair and maintenance, according to the formula it agreed to in response to the lawsuits, according to the Arizona School Boards Association. As a result, only critical, health and safety repairs received funding for years.
The state has resumed providing about 20% of the money promised for capital improvements, but hasn’t made much of a dent in the backlog of repairs.
-- Peter Aleshire Waco ISD panel proposes $375 million bond package with new Waco High, middle schools-- Waco Tribune-Herald Texas: May 24, 2021 [ abstract] Acommunity committee studying Waco Independent School District’s facility needs for a possible November bond election recommended a $375 million package Monday, listing a new Waco High School as the top priority.
The final meeting of the Community Advisory Committee, held remotely via Zoom, found a majority backing the construction of a new Waco High, new Carver and Tennyson Middle Schools, and a new Kendrick Elementary, as well as expansion of South Waco Elementary School, at a total estimated cost of $375 million.
The recommendations would mean closing Indian Spring Middle School and Alta Vista Elementary School.
Funding the bond issue would require an increase of 12.49 cents per $100 valuation in the district’s tax rate.
For the owner of an average Waco ISD home with a $117,499 taxable value, that would translate into an extra $146.76 in school taxes per year.
The committee considered five options for school facilities improvements, including one that would not change the district’s tax rate but rely on retiring old debt. None of the committee voted for that option.
The district’s current tax rate is $1.264 per $100 and supports a $165 million budget.
The committee’s recommendation will be presented to Waco ISD trustees at the board’s June 10 meeting, which starts at 6 p.m.
-- Carl Hoover Loophole Allows Schools to Be Built Near Toxic Sites-- NBC Bay Area California: May 21, 2021 [ abstract] A new bill, that could drastically limit where future schools can be built throughout the state, cleared a major hurdle in the California legislature on Thursday and is now headed for a full vote in the Assembly in the coming weeks. The legislation would force private and charter schools to comply with tougher environmental standards – the very same regulations that are already in place for public schools – in hopes of preventing classrooms from being constructed near potentially toxic sites.
“Whatever school you send your child to, you should know well that they are not going to be in danger,” said Assemblyman Alex Lee, who authored the legislation, Assembly Bill 762. “The problem right now is that private and charter schools can be [built] on top of or even really close to toxic and hazardous sites and there's no law preventing that.”
Unlike private or charter schools, the process for constructing public schools is subject to more oversight and regulations. For example, when new public schools are proposed on land that was previously contaminated, state law outlines specific protocols to safely remediate the area. Additionally, if a proposed location of a public school is within a quarter mile of a facility known to emit air pollution, schools are required to contact local government air quality regulators to assess the potential health risks.
-- Bigad Shaban, Robert Campos, Sean Myers, Mark Vill County Council votes to increase school construction fees for developers-- The Frederick News-Post Maryland: May 19, 2021 [ abstract] After years of back-and-forth and a spirited discussion Tuesday night, the Frederick County Council voted to update fees for developers looking to build homes in crowded school districts.
Council member Steve McKay (R), who sponsored the bill, said the decision will bring the fees in line with inflation and rising school construction costs, easing an unfair tax burden on the rest of the county and eventually reducing crowding in classrooms.
The council voted 6-1 in favor of the bill, with Council member Phil Dacey (R) opposed. He argued the fee hike would hurt homebuyers, rather than developers, and that it ran afoul of the county’s goal to make housing more affordable.
-- Jillian Atelsek Governor’s amended bill removing some oversight from school construction passes-- Alabama Political Reporter Alabama: May 18, 2021 [ abstract] The Alabama Legislature on Monday, in the final hours of the regular session, concurred with Gov. Kay Ivey’s executive amendments on a bill regarding school construction that gave public safety officials pause.
House Bill 220 will remove state oversight by the Alabama Department of Finance’s Division of construction Management for construction and repair projects under $500,000 at K-12 schools, universities and state parks.
Proponents of the bill have said the change is needed to reduce costs and speed up projects, but the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs, the Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama, the Subcontractors Association of Alabama, the American Institute of Architects Alabama and the Alabama Contractors Association came out against the bill.
Tim Love, president of the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs and chief of the Alabaster Fire Department, told APR in April that he was concerned the bill would put students’ and first responders’ lives at risk.
-- Eddie Burkhalter Board of Education okays asbestos removal money-- Shelter Island Reporter New York: May 15, 2021 [ abstract] Asbestos, once used in many construction projects, is now recognized as a cancer-causing agent. When discovered, it must be removed to protect the health and safety of people who encounter it.
As has happened in the past in other areas of the Shelter Island School building, asbestos has been discovered in its academic suite and science room, causing the Board of Education Monday night to approve expenditures for remediation, including removal, monitoring and floor coverings totaling $22,174 for the academic suite, and $15,811 for the science room.
Tax anticipation notes
Because tax money doesn’t flow to districts in time to cover expenses each year, school districts are forced to take “tax anticipation notes” (TAN) to be repaid when tax money arrives. The Board of Education approved a TAN not to exceed $2 million pending receipt of money levied for the 2021-22 school year. Typically, these notes cover expenses for the second half of a school year. More than a few school administrators on Shelter Island and other districts have complained about this need since interest accrues and has to be paid when notes are settled.
-- Julie Lane Roanoke County ponders sales tax increase for school construction-- The Roanoke Times Virginia: May 13, 2021 [ abstract] Three schools in Roanoke County need to be replaced, agree government leaders who met this week to compare ideas — including perhaps a 1% sales tax increase — for funding at least $153 million of construction costs.
Time is of the essence, emphasized Roanoke County School Board members on Tuesday to the board of supervisors, as student needs continue to go underserved and construction costs spiral upward.
Supervisors initially questioned in February whether two of Roanoke County’s elementary schools — Glen Cove and W.E. Cundiff — really required expedited replacement, but the school board eventually made its case understood.
Glen Cove and W.E. Cundiff elementary schools are approximately 60,000-square-feet apiece, opened in 1971 and 1972, respectively, according to county documents. Concerns abound within the 50-year-old schools: classrooms are cramped and noisy, owing to their obsolete open floorplans; bricks are crumbling; plumbing is two decades past its life expectancy; and the electrical systems verge toward ancient.
Estimates put construction of a new, 76,000-square-foot Glen Cove Elementary School between $20 million and $32 million, documents said. For W.E. Cundiff Elementary School, the most recent estimate is between $24 million and $37 million for an 87,000-square-foot structure.
No doubt has existed that Roanoke County’s career and technical education school, the Burton Center for Arts & Technology, needs upgrading. The 89,000 square-foot building was first occupied in 1962, is aged in its infrastructure similar to the elementary schools, lacks capacity for students and exists in a floodplain of Salem, rather than being in Roanoke County.
Building a new, 176,000-square-foot BCAT could cost upward of $84 million, estimates said, and prices are skyrocketing upwards.
-- Luke Weir Balancing act: Fundraising for renovations to Madison high schools prompts questions of fairness-- The Cap Times Wisconsin: May 12, 2021 [ abstract]
All of the Madison Metropolitan School District’s high schools are showing their age, built at least five decades ago.
That leaves a long list of needs at each, many of which are being addressed over the next few years through the successful $317 million November 2020 capital referendum. Through that vote, each of the four Madison public high schools is set to receive $70 million worth of renovations and improvements.
But two schools — both on its west side — want to take advantage of the already-planned construction to check more boxes on their wish list through private fundraising.
With West and Memorial seeking to raise nearly $18 million between them, some are concerned that East and La Follette will be left behind, along with their proportionally higher rates of students of color and students considered low-income.
“It’s important for us to realize this conversation is about a lot more than buildings and the facilities inside those buildings,” School Board member Cris Carusi said in February. “This is also about the opportunities that are offered to our students every day in every building.”
Memorial wants to raise $11.3 million and West is seeking $6.6 million for additional projects through alumni donations. There’s no guarantee the fundraising efforts will be successful, given a tight timeline to raise the money, but the School Board approved both plans earlier this spring.
Daniel Mansoor, a professional fundraiser who graduated from West in 1975, is consulting with both high schools on their projects. While he understands east side schools might not be in a place to fundraise like West and Memorial right now, he believes these projects can be a springboard for similar efforts across the district in the future.
“One school might succeed at this moment in time, another school will learn from their mistakes and from their successes, maybe even do a more effective job of running a campaign or fundraising drive in the future,” Mansoor said. “So I don't buy into the sort of equity issue.”
Few would argue the projects, in a vacuum, are bad. Presentations on the projects in January and February featured school leaders and students extolling the importance of what is proposed and why it was worth going beyond the $70 million for each school.
-- Scott Girard Despite progress, School Building Task Force’s work far from over, RI treasurer says-- WPRI.Com Rhode Island: May 12, 2021 [ abstract]
SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WPRI) — State and local leaders toured a Smithfield elementary school utilizing funds from the state’s School construction Task Force on Wednesday.
General Treasurer and School Building Task Force Co-Chair Seth Magaziner, who released the Progress Report on Rhode Island School construction last month, stopped by Anna McCabe Elementary School to see construction progress Tuesday.
Anna McCabe Elementary School is being expanded to accommodate students from William Winsor Elementary School that’s closing at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. The $85 million expansion project at McCabe Elementary broke ground last spring.
According to the new progress report, McCabe is one of 163 school buildings across the state utilizing funds from the so far $1.3 billion allocated to modernizing Rhode Island schools.
“They are one of the first out of the gate modernizing and consolidating their elementary schools. It’s just incredible,” Magaziner told 12 News Wednesday.
“They have maker spaces, a 21st century library that they’re building, the energy efficiency, the natural light. It’s going to be terrific for students, it’s going to be terrific for outcomes, and that’s ultimately what this is all about,” he added.
Magaziner, who started his career as a public school teacher, said from his teaching experience, he learned the quality of a school building directly impacts the ability of teachers to teach and students to learn.
“Every student deserves to go to a school that’s warm and safe, and dry and equipped for 21st century learning. And the progress that we see statewide from the state’s school construction program is just incredible,” he said.
-- Alexandra Leslie Funding for school buildings gets traction amid pressing need-- NJ Spotlight News New Jersey: May 12, 2021 [ abstract] The condition of New Jersey’s school buildings is getting extra attention this year in State House budget hearings, as concerns mount about how schools, especially in the hardest-hit communities, will fare coming out of the pandemic at a time the state’s construction fund is drying up.
Gov. Phil Murphy has proposed an additional $200 million to tide existing projects over for another year and another $75 million to address the most emergent new needs. But as Monday’s Assembly Budget Committee witnessed, the reality remains that a far larger infusion of funds will likely be required — and possibly ordered by the court — to address the state’s deepening needs.
State Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-Passaic) led the questioning and said the pandemic had exacerbated the needs in his home district of Paterson, where some schools are more than a century old and officials have struggled with the new pandemic-driven standards for air ventilation and social distancing.
“This has really showed, where you have buildings that are 100 years old and facing booming populations,” he said.
Manuel Da Silva, the head of the state Schools Development Authority, which oversees school construction in many of the neediest districts, was asked several times at the hearing to put a number on the estimated need for just the so-called emergent projects, let alone overall costs.
Da Silva promised the committee an estimate would be forthcoming, but also noted that the $33 million now committed in 11 emergent projects just scratches the surface.
“The numbers that we have approved is just a small percentage,” Da Silva said. “There is a significant need … but the funding is the issue right now.”
-- JOHN MOONEY Boston to close Jackson Mann K-8 School in Allston-- Boston Globe Massachusetts: May 06, 2021 [ abstract] Boston school officials are planning to close the Jackson Mann K-8 School in Allston as they push forward with a school construction program and facing a dramatic decline in enrollment.
Officials notified staff and families about closing the school at the end of the next school year during a meeting on Wednesday, ending nearly two years of consternation over the school’s future. School officials had initially planned to replace the Jackson Mann’s deteriorating building on Armington Street and had been seeking an alternative location for the school during construction.
But with student enrollment dropping across the city, some families were skeptical that Jackson Mann would remain open and transferred their children to other schools, causing enrollment to drop from 610 in fall 2018 to 429 last fall
-- James Vaznis South Kingstown voters reject school facilities bond proposal-- The Independent Rhode Island: May 06, 2021 [ abstract] SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected South Kingstown’s request for up to $85 million in bonds for a sweeping school facilities improvement program.
The unofficial results posted Tuesday night on the town’s website showed 5,244 votes against the plan, 1,967 in favor of it.
The vote marked the conclusion of months of planning and public outreach efforts by supporters of the project to move the high school from Columbia Street to the Curtis Corner Middle School building and to renovate and expand it.
Middle schoolers at Curtis Corner would have moved to Broad Rock Middle School, and each of the town’s elementary schools would have undergone smaller-scale improvements.
“Tonight was a tough loss and there are so many emotions,” School Committee Chairperson Emily Cummiskey said. “I am so sad for what could have been for the students of South Kingstown.”
The town has a Stage II necessity of construction application currently before the state Department of Education’s School Building Authority for the project. The town submitted it in mid-February.
Stage II approval would make the town eligible for up to 50% reimbursement from the state for construction costs. That would have included a 35% base reimbursement and potentially another 15% for “bonus” incentives, leaving the town responsible for about $42.5 million over 20 years.
The project was set to move forward only if voters approved the bond referendum and state authorities approved the application for reimbursement.
By rejecting the bond, any requests for state reimbursement would have to begin again at Stage I. The School Building Committee would have to repeat the process of reviewing the school buildings and the required work. The projects could be included in the Capital Improvement Program each year, but they would not be addressed in a timely manner, according to school officials.
-- Ryan Blessing State lawmakers react to Burlington High School rebuild-- WCAX3 Vermont: May 06, 2021 [ abstract]
BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - State lawmakers say Burlington High School isn’t the only school in the state that is in need of a major construction project.
“We certainly know that there are other schools that were built at the same time, so the chances that this extends to other school districts is quite high,” said Rep. Kathryn Webb, D-Shelburne, who is the chair of the Vermont House Education Committee.
Lawmakers believe Burlington’s pricey PCB problem is likely just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Vermont’s aging schools. Following the decision to rebuild the high school, the Burlington School District now needs to find a new location and figure out what to do with the land where harmful PCBs have seeped into the soil.
“It’s a serious issue. I’m not sure how Burlington is going to deal with this in terms of building a new high school. It’s going to be a lot of work, it’s going to be a big problem for the city of Burlington and a very expensive proposition,” said Rep. Larry Cupoli, R-Rutland, who is the vice-chair of the Vermont Committee on Education.
The Burlington School Board said it plans to reach out to state and federal leaders to see if there is any money available to supplement costs so city taxpayers don’t have to foot the entire bill, but it’s still early in the process.
Before the 2007 recession, funds were available through the state to assist schools that were taking on large construction projects. However, the fund has since dried up.
Webb says a bill working its way through the state Legislature would take an inventory of all 300 schools in the state to figure out where the major issues lie.
“We are hoping that with H.426, as it moves through, may get the district and our schools around the state in a better position to be able to apply for long-awaited construction repair,” she said.
-- Katharine Huntley To Fix Crumbling Schools, Require an Audit First-- Bloomberg National: May 01, 2021 [ abstract] President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan promises to invest $100 billion to upgrade and construct new public schools. That represents a fraction of what schools need — or are likely to get — given other priorities.
After decades of neglect and delayed maintenance, about half of U.S. schools are in a state of “disrepair.” Overall, the U.S. is underspending on these facilities by an estimated $46 billion per year, according to the 2016 State of Our Schools report.
Given the chasm between the scale of the problem and the money available to address it in any of the proposed new federal measures, the Biden administration and state governments will need to triage the spending. When needs are this open-ended on infrastructure projects, there is always a risk that money will be misspent.
To ensure that the new education dollars go where they are most needed, the federal government should give states incentives to audit school facilities as a condition for receiving extra funding, now and in the future. School facilities represent the second largest sector of public infrastructure investment, after highways — though the portion of federal, as opposed to local and state, spending on schools is a fraction of what it is for roadways.
-- Andrea Gabor Relocations At Prince George’s County Schools Enflame Long-Standing Racial Inequities-- WAMU Maryland: April 30, 2021 [ abstract] Some Prince George’s County School students are being relocated for the next three years as reconstruction on four schools begins, causing some parents to question long-standing equity issues and challenging the school system to find new ways to address the issues.
Four middle schools: Drew-Freeman, Hyattsville, Kenmoor, and Walker Mill are all under reconstruction after a billion-dollar maintenance and new school construction backlog. These schools have been plagued with overcrowding, mold, and cracks in the foundations for decades.
“For whatever reason in this school system and in this county have not built schools as fast as we probably should have or could have,” Mark Fossett, an associate superintendent for county schools, told parents at a town hall last month.
The issue of outdated crumbling school infrastructure is now being swapped for a bigger one: how to equitably relocate students into swing space, or extra temporary classroom space, especially coming off of a year of COVID and remote learning where many students — especially Brown and Black students — fell behind academically?
Parents say the school system is playing a big game of chess with little pre-planning and pitting school communities against each other.
For instance, Hyattsville Middle School parents were told earlier this year their children would be moving to the Robert Goddard Montessori School because that could accommodate their 900 students. To make that work, Robert Goddard’s 490 students would move to an old school building in Bowie (about 7 miles away) where renovations would be made to accommodate them.
-- Dominique Maria Bonessi State allocates $77M for construction projects in 24 school districts-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: April 30, 2021 [ abstract]
Twenty-four Arkansas school districts are approved to receive more than $77 million in state funding for construction, expansion and replacement of academic-related spaces on 32 campuses in the coming 2021-22 fiscal year.
The three-member Commission for Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation on Thursday unanimously approved the state's share of funding for the projects that range from a dining and kitchen expansion in the White County School District to an elementary physical education space/safe room in the Concord School District to a new elementary school in the Benton district.
The commission gave conditional approval to three additional projects, making those contingent on legislative approval next month for using money from a state restricted reserve fund.
Those projects include $12.8 million in state aid to go toward work at Pine Bluff High School and $15.3 million toward an addition at Springdale's Central Junior High School. The third conditionally funded project is renovation of classroom space in Western Yell County.
The growing 2,300-student Southside School District in Batesville is to receive about $23 million of the $77 million for a $32 million expansion of the elementary, middle, junior high and high schools, with the greatest expansion occurring at the high school.
-- Cynthia Howell Asbestos discovery won't slow Olympic High School renovation project-- Kitsap Sun Washington: April 29, 2021 [ abstract] Central Kitsap’s school board on Wednesday approved a $1.5 million increase to the Olympic High School Phase 2 project budget as a result of two separate incidents, including one that involves the discovery of asbestos in student locker rooms.
The Phase 2 modernization project, which will now cost $34 million, began July 2020 and involves renovations being made by FORMA construction to the south classroom wing and north athletic wing. The school board originally approved $29.5 million for the project in August 2018. In January 2020, the board approved a new figure of $32.5 million to account for building needs not covered in the original budget.
Doug Newell, assistant superintendent of finance and support for CKSD, detailed the reasoning behind the most recent budget adjustment.
In November 2020, a contractor working in the north wing of the 42-year-old high school bumped into a hanger supporting a cold-water pipe featuring friction fittings.
-- Jeff Graham Report: RI has invested $1.3B so far to repair, replace 163 school buildings-- WPRI.com Rhode Island: April 28, 2021 [ abstract]
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) " Rhode Island has so far invested $1.3 billion in modernizing school buildings across the state, according to a new progress report.
The report, released Wednesday by R.I. Treasurer Seth Magaziner, highlights the progress the state’s School Building Task Force has made regarding renovations and repairs.
In 2018, the task force developed a plan to increase state funding for school construction, with a focus on enhancing educational spaces, health and safety, early childhood education, and career and technical facilities.
In the years since the funding was approved by voters, 163 school buildings have been lined up for repair or replacement across 22 of the state’s 36 districts. Of those, 12 projects have already been completed while several others are currently under construction or scheduled to break ground before 2022.
“Every child deserves to go to school in buildings that are warm, safe, dry and equipped for 21st-century learning,” Magaziner said.
Magaziner called the progress report “encouraging.” He said this level of new school construction is significantly higher than historical norms and well distributed across multiple school districts.
The report showcased the brand-new East Providence High School, which is currently the state’s largest school construction project.
The previous building, which was built in 1952, was deemed one of the lowest-quality high school buildings in the state.
-- Sarah Doiron, Molly O'Brien Capacity doubled in Highland Springs Middle School plans due to growing population-- Aiken Standard South Carolina: April 24, 2021 [ abstract]
Anticipating more growth in western Aiken County, the Aiken County Public School District doubled its planned capacity at the upcoming Highland Springs Middle School.
Plans for the new school, which include a construction budget that went from $32 million to $39,759,750, received Aiken County Board of Education approval at the meeting on April 20.
The Highland Springs facility will be located between Belvedere and Clearwater, near Belvedere Clearwater Road and Old Sudlow Lake Road. It will house both a middle school and an elementary school in connected two-story buildings. The middle school will be built first.
Dr. Corey Murphy, chief officer of operations and student services in the school district, said the middle school’s planned capacity has grown from 350 to 750 to accommodate a potentially large influx of students from the growing community.
“We have had a lot of changes in our projections of the growth and that area,” Murphy said. “We still have elementary school space in the area, but middle school space is at a premium. And so, in order to make this school actually worth building … we had to increase the size from 350 to 750 for the middle school.”
-- Blakeley Bartee Mahomet-Seymour holds first meeting on district's needs amid growing enrollment-- The News-Gazette Illinois: April 24, 2021 [ abstract]
MAHOMET — The Mahomet-Seymour school district hosted the first in a series of engagement meetings Thursday night about addressing continued increasing enrollment in the district.
About 75 members of the public turned out at Middletown Prairie Elementary School to hear what the district’s needs are and provided thoughts on where the development focus should be headed.
Mahomet is one of the few communities in Illinois that is bucking the trend of migration out of the state, seeing continued growth over the past few years. That has led to increased enrollment in Mahomet-Seymour schools, and the district now faces some major decisions of how to accommodate that continued expansion.
Damien Schlitt, senior associate for BLDD Architects, presented figures that showed the district has physical needs totaling more than $63 million in its four schools plus its bus barn. Topping the list are the high school ($27.6 million) and junior high ($23.3 million).
Total cost to replace all of the buildings was put at $175 million.
The district was formed in 1949, and prior to 2018, when the first phase of Middletown Prairie School was opened, there had been no new schools built since 1981, when the new high school was constructed. There have been additions and renovations. Between 1998 and 2011, no additional capacity was added.
Enrollment has grown from 2,704 in 2009 to 3,220 this year and is projected to climb to close to 3,600 by the end of the decade.
-- DAVE HINTON Ohio funding allocations will result in $336 million in school construction-- American School & University Ohio: April 22, 2021 [ abstract]
The Ohio Facilities construction Commission (OFCC) has approved more than $154 million in state funding for school construction projects in six Ohio school districts.
Combined with $181 million in local funding, these projects represent more than $336 million in public construction work, the commission says.
“OFCC is excited to partner with these districts to build high-quality, flexible learning environments that support their community’s vision for educational success,” says OFCC Executive Director Cheryl J. Lyman.
The local districts have already secured funds though bond elections; the state's share will enable them to move forward with the projects.
-- Mike Kennedy With construction almost complete, Greenville schools seek more improvements with COVID funds-- The Daily News Michigan: April 20, 2021 [ abstract] GREENVILLE — As bond construction at Greenville Public Schools (GPS) marches toward its end after nearly three years of ongoing work to renovate and improve the school district, an additional focus is being placed on more improvements upon its completion.
Nearly three years ago, shovels first struck the dirt at the school district’s Satterlee School as the implementation of the $46.4 million bond project approved by voters in November 2017 came underway.
Since that time, numerous improvements have occurred also at the school district’s four elementary schools, middle school and high school, with the final phase of projects to be completed this summer.
During the April 12 meeting of the Board of Education, Superintendent Linda Van Houten made the board aware that she intends to pursue additional projects once the bond construction concludes using federal COVID-19 monies.
Van Houten said the two additional projects she would like to see completed are the replacement of doors and windows at the middle school and the installation of air conditioning at the school district’s four elementary schools.
“We do have the opportunity to apply for some significant monies,” she said. “There are a couple of things that the federal government has identified as possible uses with those funds, and one of the uses is new doors and windows to help with ventilation within our school system — keeping the clean air in and the bad air out.”
Van Houten said she’s hopeful those future federal relief dollars can go toward some items that were left out of the 2017 bond, which before its passing in November 2017 had been offered as part of a $52 million bond proposed, but that proposal was turned down by voters in May 2017, then scaled down in project size and ultimately approved.
-- Cory Smith School Building Authority has more money for Monday’s decisions on school projects-- WV Metro News West Virginia: April 18, 2021 [ abstract] CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state School Building Authority will decide Monday which school construction projects from across the state will get part of the funding in this year’s “needs grants” program.
The SBA is coming to the table with more money that originally thought. When 30 county school superintendents appeared before the authority with their projects last month it was believed there was approximately $51.4 million available for funding but now that’s been bumped up to approximately $75 million.
SBA Director of Architectural Services Ben Ashley said SBA Executive Director David Roach, the authority’s finance staff and finance committee were able to sweep accounts, take money left over from other projects and make some other moves to increase the amount available.
“We know that the need coming out of the first year of the CEFP (Comprehensive Education Facilities Plan) is tremendous and we’ve worked really hard to make sure we have as much money to address that as we can,” Ashley said.
Every 10 years each county school district is required to submit new CEFPs, which lays out their priorities for facility projects for the next decade. The counties have completed and submitted their plans during the past year and this is the first time projects associated with those new plans are before the SBA for funding.
“So everybody that’s brought a project has brought their best project,” Ashley said. “Authority members have some really, really tough decisions to make.”
-- Jeff Jenkins The Richmond School Board wants control of school construction, but the city and superintendent are opposed-- Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia: April 14, 2021 [ abstract]
The Richmond School Board voted this week to take back its authority to build new schools, a process that since 2018 had been led by a team of city and school officials. But the superintendent said he doesn’t think the division is equipped to oversee construction projects, and the city is researching whether the resolution is binding.
The decision could delay plans to solicit proposals to replace George Wythe High School, which was built in 1960.
Late in the night on Monday, the board voted 5-4 in favor of a resolution to give the Richmond School Board the authority to oversee new school construction. The resolution was introduced by 3rd District board member Kenya Gibson, who has long advocated for the school division to be in charge of new school construction.
“Residents of the city are largely surprised when they find out schools aren’t building schools in the first place. I think that folks in the city are also cognizant that these school construction processes have had problems,” she said in an interview.
Gibson’s resolution passed despite opposition from Superintendent Jason Kamras, who said that the board should reaffirm its commitment to continue collaborating with the city of Richmond on new school construction.
The board also directed Kamras to provide staffing recommendations for up to four new positions that would provide the school system with the capacity to oversee school construction, something Kamras said the division doesn’t have.
-- Kenya Hunter Fire chief believes proposed law change could impact safety at Alabama schools-- CBS42 Alabama: April 12, 2021 [ abstract] ALABASTER, Ala. (WIAT) — A bill to remove oversight on school construction projects could impact student safety in the future, according to some fire chiefs in the state.
Proponents of HB 220 say the measure will remove a level of bureaucracy and allow districts to complete projects quicker and cheaper, but opponents, including some fire officials, don’t want corners to be cut when it comes to safety.
“It’s some bad legislation, probably with some good intent,” said Alabaster Fire Chief Tim Love.
Love is also the head of the Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs. The group is joining several other construction organizations in opposing HB 220.
“We are concerned with your large scale issues, say a renovation and we have a fire protection system that fails or we have some sort of building collapse because there is a structural issue,” said Love.
Love said the proposal allows two year schools and community colleges to plan and construct a building without requiring a third party inspection or plans review.
Public K-12 school districts and institutions of higher learning would be able to plan and complete capital projects, repairs, or maintnance issues that are estimated to cost under $500,000.
Previously, the State Department of Finance’s Division of construction Management had oversight during all aspects of projects, including planning, construction, and inspection.
Love, who previously was head of the city’s building department, knows all the complexities of codes and ordinances.
“Simple things like panic hardware on gates at schools, panic hardware on doors, did we make sure we had a proper area so that kids can exit a school and assemble in an area safe away from the school?” Love said.
Some state construction teams and contractors are also against the measure.
“Why would you take this away and give it to K-12? They’re in the business of education and that is where they need to be. They don’t have the people to staff this,” said Allen Harris, CEO of Bailey Harris construction.
Harris previously served as chairman of the Association of Builders and Contractors in Alabama. His business has done work on several public school buildings.
According to Harris, the DCM process ensures that fire codes, building codes, structural codes, and others are followed. There are more than 10 codes that must be met in Alabama, Harris said.
“We have a good relationship. They do their job. They’re efficient and when it comes to the safety aspect as well, you just can’t risk anything,” said Harris.
Supporters of the bill believe it will remove red tape for school districts looking to complete projects.
“We also have architects and we have facility managers and we have construction managers that we do contract with, we do partner with, and we do work with,” said Dr. Jason Barnett, Superintendent of Dekalb County Schools.
Barnett said the bill would still require DCM on larger projects that exceed the $500,000 threshold.
The bill also allows districts to continue using DCM during the process.
According to Barnett, there have been past instances where his district schools planned to make repairs, only to learn the process would be delayed after making contact with DCM.
“Those repairs and the approval process and the drawings and all the things that we’ve done have taken months and all that time it created mold issues, it created weak floors, it created really more safety issues than it prevented,” said Barnett.
-- Michael Clark New referendum possible after St. Louis Park Schools construction costs escalate-- Sun Sailor Minnesota: April 09, 2021 [ abstract]
The St. Louis Park School District may ask voters for more money after the cost of several building projects increased dramatically.
Voters approved a nearly $101 million bond referendum in 2017 for all district buildings. However, that may not be enough. Several of the last upgrades funded by a referendum have increased about 80%, from the original projection of $20.5 million to a revised estimate of $37 million.
“We feel bad, but we want to be upfront and transparent and just let you know that we’re doing what we can, and we will get as much as we can done,” Facilities Manager Tom Bravo told the St. Louis Park School Board last month.
At St. Louis Park High School, a kitchen renovation and addition increased in cost from $6.4 million to $11.7 million. Ten high school classroom upgrades went from an estimated price of $3 million to $5.5 million. Work to renovate the media center increased a smaller percentage, from $5.5 million to $6.7 million, but the high school student commons project more than tripled, from $2.9 million to $9.4 million.
The cost of a renovation at Central Community Center for a relocated district office had a price hike from $1.6 million to $2.1 million while a renovation at the building for adult basic education increased from $1.1 million to $1.6 million.
-- Seth Rowe Senators bet on sports gambling to fund NC school construction-- The News & Observer North Carolina: April 07, 2021 [ abstract]
A group of state senators are betting that sports gambling could be their answer to funding school construction.
On Wednesday morning, Sens. Jim Perry, a Kinston Republican, and Paul Lowe, a Winston-Salem Democrat, filed Senate Bill 688. If passed, it would authorize sports gambling on professional, college, electronic and amateur sports or any other events approved by the NC Education Lottery Commission.
The lottery commission’s profits go to education. Under the bill, the commission would collect an 8% tax on the monthly adjusted gross revenue of gambling companies, sending half of the revenue to a fund that would promote job growth and economic development.
“I’m in a poor area,” Perry told The News & Observer Wednesday. “I have two Tier 1 counties and while I’m thankful for the money available through the lottery — they’ll let you forgo five years of your lottery funds to get some advance money, so to speak, to help with your schools — but that’s still not enough.”
Tier 1 counties are the state’s most economically distressed areas.
-- DANIELLE BATTAGLIA Gillibrand, colleagues reintroduce Impact Aid Infrastructure Act-- NYC360 National: April 05, 2021 [ abstract] WATERTOWN — U.S. Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., alongside Sens. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Tina Smith, D-Minn., recently reintroduced legislation to provide $1 billion in supplemental funding for school infrastructure construction grants through the Impact Aid program.
The act builds upon the American Rescue Plan by providing additional funding for K-12 schools for necessary improvements to respond to COVID-19. The Impact Aid Infrastructure Act would provide competitive and formula grants for school infrastructure projects, including school construction and facilities upgrades, in more than 1,200 federally impacted school districts across the country.
“Federally impacted school districts are in desperate need of resources to create a safe environment for students, teachers, and staff,” Sen. Gillibrand said in a prepared statement. “The Impact Aid Infrastructure Act will provide critical aid to these school districts to make long overdue repairs and renovate their facilities to meet public health guidelines.”
-- Staff Writer Schools facilities improvements" How much could it cost?-- The Yellow Springs News Ohio: April 04, 2021 [ abstract] If the Yellow Springs school district opts to build a new $35 million combined K-12 school, how much would it cost individual taxpayers to fund it?
Alternatively, what would it cost taxpayers to fund $12 million in renovations to both the Mills Lawn and McKinney Middle/Yellow Springs High School campuses?
At a community outreach forum on Wednesday, March 17, local district leaders and the district’s architect consultant, SHP of Cincinnati, shared various tax options for funding school facilities improvements.
A portion of the forum focused on what SHP’s Shea McMahon called, “assigning real world costs and real millage impacts … to the plans we’ve been discussing throughout.” A future article will cover other aspects of the meeting.
It was the third online public forum hosted by the district and SHP in less than a month. Two advisory groups also have been weighing facilities options, and a community survey is being conducted, all leading to the superintendent’s goal of making a final recommendation to the school board next month. Previously, district leaders have said they hope to put a measure on the November 2021 ballot.
According to options presented at the meeting, the tax measure may combine an income tax increase with a property tax bond levy.
In one scenario, a mix of 0.5% income tax and 6.73-mill property tax would finance the construction of a new $35-million K-12 building on the middle/high school campus on East Enon Road.
-- Megan Bachman School district construction and renovation projects estimated to top $140 million-- ParkRecord.com Utah: April 03, 2021 [ abstract] The Park City Board of Education continues to zero in on a timeline and dollar amount for its master planning projects, including grade realignments and expansions at all of its schools.
At a work session Wednesday morning, the board was given an estimate of nearly $150 million to complete the work, including nearly $25 million for green enhancements.
The detailed analysis was provided by Salt Lake City-based architecture and design firm MHTN Architects. Dave Hart, of MOCA, which was contracted by the board to provide guidance for the projects, presented the information to the board.
At a previous meeting, the board asked Hart to bring a detailed cost analysis for the expansion projects at Park City High School and Ecker Hill Middle School, as well as cost estimates for the planned additions at Parley’s Park, Jeremy Ranch, McPolin and Trailside elementary schools. The board also named carbon neutrality and green construction as one of its priorities — with the district’s intention to align with Park City’s 2030 carbon-neutral goal — and asked Hart to include that in the cost analysis.
The board previously heard cost estimates for the PCHS and Ecker Hill construction and renovation projects. This past week Hart provided new estimates for those as well as the projects at the elementary school sites intended to enhance wraparound services like preschool and community learning programs.
-- Jeff Dempsey Lynn Legislators File Bill to Spur New School Construction-- Lynn Journal Massachusetts: April 01, 2021 [ abstract] State Senator Brendan P. Crighton, Representative Dan Cahill, and Representative Peter Capano have together filed legislation that will update the state’s outdated and inequitable school construction formula. Since 2004, this formula – which determines state aid for school construction projects – has remained stagnant, disproportionately affecting the education of students in low-income communities across the state for almost two decades. HD.3667/SD. 2172, An Act Modernizing School construction reforms the state’s school construction formula so that all students and teachers have access to safe and healthy environments in high-quality school buildings.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed glaring inequities in the condition of school buildings across the state. Overcrowded buildings, obsolete HVAC systems, and other unsafe conditions hinder students and teachers from engaging safely and productively in their classrooms. Now more than ever, state funding is vital in order to renovate these decrepit buildings and construct new ones to help ensure all children have access to the same quality of education, regardless of income level.
-- Staff Writer Biden Infrastructure Plan Calls for $100 Billion for School Construction, Upgrades-- Education Week National: March 31, 2021 [ abstract]
President Joe Biden proposed a $2 trillion infrastructure plan Wednesday that would provide $100 billion for new school construction and upgrades to existing buildings, meeting a long-time push by some education advocacy groups.
Separate parts of the American Jobs Plan would also provide $100 billion to expand broadband internet access and $45 billion to replace lead pipes around the country, which would reduce lead exposure in 400,000 schools and child-care facilities, the White House said.
The massive proposal comes after Congress passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, a COVID-19 relief bill that included an unprecedented infusion of cash for schools. And, while infrastructure has been seen as an area of possible bipartisan compromise in recent years, the American Jobs Plan is sure to face resistance from members of Congress who have called for less government spending or more-targeted proposals.
The infrastructure plan would be paid for over 15 years by increasing corporate tax rates and closing tax loopholes, backtracking on some cuts made through a tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump.
Dating back to his time as a candidate, Biden has frequently mentioned school buildings alongside more typical infrastructure priorities, like roads and bridges.
“How many schools [are there] where the kids can’t drink the water out of the fountain?” Biden said at a press conference last week. “How many schools are still in the position where there’s asbestos? How many schools in America we’re sending our kids to don’t have adequate ventilation?”
Those concerns have been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic as some administrators say crowded or dated school buildings make it difficult to carry out recommended procedures, like social distancing, to reduce the risk of transmission. Some of those concerns can be addressed through K-12 aid provided through multiple federal relief bills that have already been enacted.
-- Evie Blad First Phase of Biden Infrastructure Plan to Include Billions for Schools, Child Care Centers and Broadband-- The 74 Montana: March 31, 2021 [ abstract] President Joe Biden unveiled half of his massive infrastructure proposal at a Pittsburgh carpentry training center Wednesday afternoon — a $2 trillion American Jobs Plan that includes building and upgrading schools and child care facilities as well as extending broadband service to all Americans.
While calling on Republicans to support tax hikes on corporations and the wealthy to get the plan through Congress, he also hinted he expects the proposal to face strong opposition.
“Critics say we shouldn’t spend this money,” he said, but added, “There’s no reason why it can’t be bipartisan.”
The plan to spend $100 billion on K-12 facilities includes $50 billion in direct grants for facilities and $50 billion in construction bonds. Another $45 billion in Environmental Protection Agency funds would be used to reduce lead exposure in schools and early-childhood facilities. In addition to expanding broadband, Biden’s plan would seek to lower the cost of internet service.
“Infrastructure was not strong enough even before COVID,” John King, president and CEO of The Education Trust and a former U.S. education secretary and, said Tuesday during a webinar on early-childhood education hosted by New America. “Even before the pandemic, we were underinvesting in the systems and people that are essential in keeping our country running.”
-- LINDA JACOBSON 5 ways COVID-19 is influencing school construction projects-- K-12 Dive National: March 29, 2021 [ abstract]
With nearly $190.5 billion has been earmarked for helping schools cope with the ramifications of the novel coronavirus pandemic, some leaders are eyeing the use of those funds for related school construction projects.
In 2020, Congress passed two relief bills provided nearly $67.8 billion to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund — the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, in March, and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, in December.
Those funds were eligible for COVID-19 construction projects, but schools had a more immediate need: putting them to use for technology, PPE, staffing and short-term changes that could get kids back to school.
“Oversimplification of the CARES Act has been a little tough on answering the construction question,” said Danny Carlson, associate executive director, policy and advocacy at the National Association of Elementary School Principals. “It was an immediate finger in the dike to get devices to get through the school year.”
The recent passage of the American Rescue Plan, which adds another $122 billion in K-12 relief funds, may add an opportunity for school leaders to focus on using federal money on construction projects.
“Schools can use this opportunity to think three, five, 10 years down the line. Schools need to be thinking about how changes could better prepare them for weathering something like this in the future,” Carlson said.
-- Katie Navarra How schools fit into Biden’s infrastructure push-- Politico National: March 29, 2021 [ abstract]
HOW SCHOOLS STACK UP IN BIDEN’S INFRASTRUCTURE PUSH: President Joe Biden this week will unveil new details about his plan to inject trillions of dollars into the nation’s infrastructure — including an effort to upgrade or replace crumbling school buildings. Biden will outline his proposal during a speech on Wednesday in Pittsburgh.
— Biden said during his press conference last week that schools would be a focus of his infrastructure push, lamenting the state of some of the nation’s classrooms: “How many schools where the kids can't drink the water out of the fountain? How many schools are still in the position where there's asbestos? How many schools in America we're sending our kids to don't have adequate ventilation?”
— Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), the chair of the House education committee, told state education leaders last week that he expects schools will be part of the infrastructure bill. “Usually it’s just roads and bridges, but we have a commitment that education — school construction — will be part of it,” Scott said at the Council of Chief State School Officers' Legislative Conference.
— Scott’s proposal — the Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act — passed the House last July as part of Democrats’ sweeping infrastructure bill, H.R. 2 (116). The plan calls for $100 billion in direct federal grants, distributed using the Title I formula that targets funding to low-income school districts. It also includes another $30 billion in interest subsidies on bonds that states or school districts issue to pay for school construction.
-- MICHAEL STRATFORD Henry County set for sales tax hike effective April 1 to pay for school construction-- Martinsville Bulletin Virginia: March 28, 2021 [ abstract] Beginning Thursday Henry County will have the highest sales tax rate in the region, at least for a few months.
The increase is the result of a referendum on the ballot in November that asked voters in Henry and Patrick counties if a general retail sales tax, not to exceed 1%, could be levied by the local governments to provide revenue solely for capital projects for the construction or renovation of schools.
The referendum was approved by about 55% of the voters in each of the counties.
Virginia Department of Taxation Senior Communications Specialist Stephanie Benson said the total sales and use tax rate in Henry County will be 6.3% effective April 1. Patrick County has the same rate, but it won’t go into effect until July 1.
This includes the 4.3% state tax, the 1% local option tax and, for now, the 1% Henry County additional tax.
The change was approved by the 2020 Virginia General Assembly and presented to voters in November.
“This adjusted sales and use tax rate does not apply to food purchased for human consumption, such as groceries, or essential personal hygiene products, as both are taxed at a reduced rate,” Benson said.
That reduced rate is 2.5% and is statewide.
Henry County Administrator Tim Hall says the extra tax will be worth millions to Henry County schools.
“We are estimating that the 1% sales tax will generate an additional $4 to $5 million in annual revenue,” Hall wrote by email. “This is based on what we see already from the 1% Henry County receives back from the Commonwealth of Virginia of the 5.3% tax rate currently in place.”
-- Bill Wyatt State leaders have known for decades that Utah kids could die in unsafe schools during an earthquake. They’ve taken litt-- The Salt Lake Tribune Utah: March 28, 2021 [ abstract]
There are roughly 1,000 K-12 schools in Utah, and researchers estimate at least 80 to 100 — maybe more — are so unstable that they would collapse in a major earthquake.
In the small sample of buildings they’ve examined, they found holes in foundations deep enough that you couldn’t see or touch the bottom. In a few, bricks were loose and slipping out of exterior walls at angles so odd that students could study them. In one, ceiling tiles randomly crashed down during the day. In another, there were visible cracks running up the hallways inside.
Many of those schools were constructed more than 60 years ago, before there were any building codes for earthquake safety. And seismologists predict the classrooms in them could be crushed in less than 60 seconds if the ground starts shaking as it’s expected to when “the big one” hits the state.
If that happens during the school day, the thousands of students and teachers who go to those schools could be trapped.
But despite at least five separate reports to the state in the past 26 years repeating those estimates and warnings over and over, Utah leaders have taken little action.
Parents with kids at the schools that were included in that 2011 sample have a starting place to try to discover whether their child’s classroom is safe. But that list is now 10 years out of date. And others with kids at older schools not surveyed still have no way of finding out. In fact, the state doesn’t know exactly which school buildings are the most dangerous, because it’s declined several times to fully fund any formal study to follow up on the estimates, examine all aging schools and uncover the full extent of the risk.
That is deliberate.
-- Courtney Tanner Richmond Heights will welcome first students to new $26 million upper school March 29-- Cleveland.com Ohio: March 27, 2021 [ abstract]
RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The time has finally come. Monday (March 29) will mark the first day of classes in the new $26 million Richmond Heights Upper School building.
Principal Marnisha Brown said seventh- and eighth-graders will attend classes in the building that day, and that ninth- through 12th-graders will join them April 6.
Due to the pandemic, Richmond Heights students, like many around the country, have been learning remotely from home. The new building makes their return to in-person learning even more of an event.
Ground was broken on the new two-story building in late May 2019 and the final beam put into place in March of last year. The new building is located behind the former high school building, 447 Richmond Road.
Brown said that, in mid-January, teachers were permitted to take a last walk through the old building, which was constructed 100 years ago, in 1921.
“The biggest thing about being in our former building was the history and tradition that went along with it,” Brown said. “There was a lot of nostalgia, especially for the staff members that had been there a while.
-- Jeff Pirorkowski School renovations may be in jeopardy-- Mooresville Tribune North Carolina: March 26, 2021 [ abstract] Renovation projects at two Mooresville Graded School District elementary schools may be in jeopardy after construction bids came back $3.2 million higher than initially forecast due to COVID-19-related global production price increases and supply chain issues.
The MGSD had planned to spend $16 million for new HVAC systems, kitchen and cafeteria renovations and the addition of a 12,500-square-foot combination gymnasium and auditorium at both Park View and South Elementary schools.
But, bids for the project came back 20 percent higher than expected to Performance Services, the Indianapolis-based design-builder hired to head the projects.
Without new financing to fund the now $19.2 million project, the MGSD could be forced to reduce the scope of the project, officials said during a virtual Board of Education meeting March 24.
“We do not have $19.2 million that we can borrow at this point or supplement with local funds or something like that to be able to proceed at this point,” said Superintendent Stephen Mauney. “We are trying to keep all our options open.”
-- Kate Stevens GORDON APPOINTS NEW WYOMING CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR-- Oil City News Wyoming: March 25, 2021 [ abstract] CASPER, Wyo. — Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has appointed a new director to the Wyoming State construction Department.
Jerry Vincent will replace Interim Director Mel Muldrow as director of the department, Gordon’s office said Thursday. Muldrow will continue to serve as administrator of the construction Management Division.
“Jerry’s experience and leadership stood out amongst a strong pool of applicants for this position,” Gordon said. “His work in state general construction, as well as his expertise working with municipalities, school districts and universities, will serve him well in this critical role.”
-- Brendan LaChance After pause, St. Paul board approves five-year school construction plan on 5-1 vote-- Twin Cities Pioneer Press Minnesota: March 23, 2021 [ abstract]
The St. Paul school board on Tuesday approved a five-year construction plan that features two big school renovations and scores of smaller projects throughout the city.
“SPPS Builds” is the new brand name for a major building initiative started by Superintendent Valeria Silva, who in 2016 increased yearly construction spending to $112 million from around $30 million.
After early cost estimates proved wildly inaccurate, Superintendent Joe Gothard halted construction planning in 2019 and ordered an external review that produced 52 recommendations for changing their processes.
John Brodrick, the only current board member who was in office in 2016, cast the lone vote against the new plan on Tuesday.
He said he’s read hundreds of pages from the facilities department and kept finding the same kind of language that “confounded and frustrated” him in the early years of the construction spree. He noted that many of the review team’s recommendations remain “in progress” or “under consideration.”
“I have not been convinced that the plan presented tonight will be a significant improvement over the plan that went awry,” Brodrick said.
-- JOSH VERGES Council votes to limit school building project to $50 million-- The Westerly Sun Rhode Island: March 23, 2021 [ abstract]
WESTERLY — The Town Council has made it official — its members say they will not support a school building project that requires borrowing more than $50 million.
The council voted 7-0 Monday to approve a resolution stating its support of "a potential bond referendum for the School Building Committee's plans for the potential construction, renovation, improvement, alteration, repair, furnishing, and equipping of schools and/or school facilities in the town in an amount not to exceed $50 million."
Councilors agreed that the resolution does not allow for a higher amount based on anticipated reimbursement from the state. The state has established a base 35% reimbursement rate for towns and cities that undertake school building projects. Higher reimbursement rates are available for meeting standards set by the state.
"An acceptable limit is what was really needed ... this council is being prudent and looking at our budget and what we can afford in the short term. In the long term it gets better," said Councilor Christopher Duhamel, who along with Councilor Brian McCuin serves on the School Committee's Building Subcommittee as council representatives.
The council, in recent weeks, has studied the town's debt obligations and upcoming capital projects. Anticipated borrowing for a school building project, officials say, must fit in with the need for a $12 to $15 million sewer plant upgrade and road projects.
-- Dale Faulkner School construction talks stall as Murphy urges return to in-person learning-- Politico New Jersey: March 23, 2021 [ abstract]
Talks between Gov. Phil Murphy’s office and legislative leadership about plans for the nearly-broke Schools Development Authority have stalled, according to the SDA chief.
Authority CEO Manuel Da Silva told lawmakers on Tuesday that prior to the pandemic, Murphy, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin had been engaged in discussions about the future of the SDA and how to go about funding the agency responsible for construction in some of the state’s neediest school districts.
When Covid-19 gripped the state, those discussions understandably took a backseat, Da Silva said.
Still, as Murphy — who’s seeking reelection this year — continues to urge schools across New Jersey to reopen for in-person learning, and has expressed a desire to see all schools operating in classrooms in some form by the fall, conversations about the SDA have not picked up with the same urgency.
“As we stand right here — or sit right here — I can't tell you where those discussions are at, I'm not sure,” Da Silva testified at a virtual hearing of the Joint Committee on the Public Schools.
Many school buildings in New Jersey are crumbling, poorly ventilated and overcrowded, but the SDA and the state have no thorough accounting of the overall needs.
-- CARLY SITRIN Funding approved for Jasper FEMA safe room-- Newton County Times Arkansas: March 22, 2021 [ abstract] The Jasper School District has been notified by the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management that the school district's application for federal funds to construct a community safe room on the Jasper campus has been approved. Dr. Candra Brasel, school district superintendent, informed the board of the approval Monday night, March 15, at its regular monthly meeting.
Notification was received via a letter dated March 9. The Hazard Mitigation staff at FEMA Region 6 completed the review of the school district's grant application and funding was obligated on March 2. The grant awards the school district $981,618.20 or 75% of the project cost. That would leave the district's non-federal share at $327,206.07. The project was estimated to cost $1,308,824.27, but actual cost estimates have not been secured through formal architect planning and the bidding process.
The school district applied for funding based on the need of a safe room for 624 people at the Jasper K-12 campus. This reinforced structure would be available as a safe gathering place for students and staff in case of a tornado or other emergency during the school day, but would also be available to the community during after school hours.
-- JEFF DEZORT Washington County School District sees a building boom-- St George News Utah: March 21, 2021 [ abstract] ST. GEORGE — New buildings are going up throughout the Washington County School District, with two new schools under construction and renovations underway at two existing high schools.
Near the Arizona/Utah border, construction at Desert Canyons Elementary School is nearing completion. Hughes General Contractor Superintendent Ron Densley said his crews have been hard at work since construction began in April 2020, and he plans to turn over the finished building to the school district by May 1.
“We plan on opening in August with about 400 students,” said Steven Dunham, district communications director. “At peak efficiency, we’ll be able to serve about 650 students, though there’s infrastructure in place to add up to three portables. Each portable can have two classrooms, so with up to 30 students to a class you could serve 180 more.”
The projected cost of construction for Desert Canyons Elementary School is $13 million. The elementary, along with the other building projects underway, were part of the school district’s most recent bond, Dunham said.
-- Ammon Teare County Council scheduled to discuss long-awaited school construction fees bill-- The Frederick News-Post Maryland: March 19, 2021 [ abstract]
County Council members Steve McKay and Jerry Donald are making another attempt to update school construction fees countywide.
School construction, or mitigation, fees are paid by developers who want to build homes in areas where schools are already crowded at well over 100 percent of state-rated capacity. The state helps determine the overall fee through a school construction cost index, which includes metrics like pupil rates, the cost to build schools and several other factors.
Last year, McKay (R) said one of his greatest regrets so far while serving on the council was not getting school construction fees legislation passed. The proposal was first approached about two years ago when the topic was brought before the council for a workshop.
Donald (D) and Councilman Kai Hagen (D) join McKay as co-sponsors on his latest bill. The fee increases for a single-family detached home, townhouse/duplex and other residential units are similar to his and Donald's proposal from 2019 — potentially costing thousands of dollars depending on the school and housing type.
McKay and Donald have argued the council needs to update the fees in order to prevent schools from becoming more crowded, and they say developers need to pay a fair share for rising school costs and building in profitable real estate areas.
-- Steve Bohnel WYOMING SENATE ADVANCE ASK TO MAKE DISTRICTS PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR SCHOOL FACILITY COSTS-- Oil City News Wyoming: March 19, 2021 [ abstract]
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Senate passed a resolution on Friday that would put a question before voters to amend the Wyoming Constitution to transfer responsibility for school facilities construction and maintenance off of the state’s shoulders and onto school districts.
“We’ve got a problem,” Sen. Charles Scott (Natrona County) said. “Our school capital construction system that we’ve had can no longer work because the principal funding source, which was coal lease bonuses, is gone and is not going to come back. We all know that.”
“We’ve got to do something different.”
Senate Joint Resolution 04 would put a question on the ballot asking voters to amend the Constitution such that the primary responsibility to provide school facilities would be reverted to school districts.
“This is the best I could come up with because it switches the principal decision making to the voters of the local districts whose taxes will go up if they pass the bond issue,” Scott said.
He said that the benefit of the proposal is that voters would be asked to approve expenditures for local school facility construction and maintenance: “If you vote for it, your taxes will go up.”
“How much taxes go up and how much we have to pay for equalization is unknown,” Scott said.
The proposed amendment would require the legislature to establish law for public school capital construction that would be subject to the following:
-- Brendan LaChance For some Old Greenwich parents, school building report raises more questions than answers-- The Ridgefield Press Connecticut: March 17, 2021 [ abstract]
GREENWICH — In her fifth-grade son’s six years at Old Greenwich School, Meg Nolan has observed, at times with alarm, a series of structural issues at the building.
Most recently, Nolan and other parents at Old Greenwich, Julian Curtiss, Riverside and North Mianus — all of which were closed briefly in the wake of a ceiling collapse and flood at North Mianus — received a report from an engineering firm about the state of the buildings.
The report, available on the district’s website, provides short summaries on the structural integrity of the ceilings at each building, all of which were originally constructed before the 1950s. It found that the ceilings were not in danger of collapse at the other schools and was cited by the district in its decision to return students to in-person learning Feb. 26.
But a line at the end of the Old Greenwich section of the report stuck out to Nolan.
“It should be noted that the ceiling penetrations were extensive at this school,” the original version of the report said. (A subsequent version, with slightly different language, is now available online.) “We recommend further investigation into potential code and environmental issues stemming from these ceiling penetrations.”
The failure to investigate further, Nolan said, is emblematic of the district’s regular approach to these kinds of structural issues.
-- Justin Papp New school construction could save lives
-- 6WBRC Alabama: March 16, 2021 [ abstract] JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - Schools are always looking at new ways to keep students, faculty, and staff safe during severe weather, and now even the way schools are built has new guidance.
Deputy Superintendent of Operations for Jefferson County Schools, Neal Underwood, said back in 2012, the Alabama legislature passed a bill that requires all new school construction to have storm shelters in the building, and any additions to existing buildings will have to be able to withstand winds of up to 250 miles per hour.
Underwood said the school district is in the process of building six new schools, and all of them will have a wing designed to be a storm shelter.
Warrior Elementary School just opened on March 8 and it also meets those new specifications.
The 80,000 square-foot building has three wings on the back, one of which is a storm shelter that safely houses all students, faculty and staff in the event of a tornado, or other severe weather.
“The roofing is different from normal roofing on an area that is not a storm shelter, the walls, whether it’s the block with poured concrete with rebar, all of those are designed differently. The heating and air components to that particular area is designed differently…and that’s so that if we ever have to go in there and then there is damage, we can sustain ourselves inside that area for several hours,” Underwood explained.
-- Chasity Maxie County superintendents propose project ideas to WV School Building Authority-- 13News West Virginia: March 15, 2021 [ abstract]
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — 30 county school superintendents are making their pitches to the West Virginia School Building Authority over the next two days. They’re asking for millions of dollars in grant funding for school construction projects.
Cabell County Schools Superintendent Ryan Saxe was one of the first presenters asking for up to $10 million toward a new Meadows Elementary.
“In Cabell County we have a long standing tradition of working well with the School Building Authority and being able to modernize and build our buildings across our school district,” Saxe said.
He said the money coupled with local dollars would help build a more modern school.
“I think the possibilities for this site are absolutely endless. It is going to provide a world class learning experience for our students,” Saxe said.
Kanawha County Schools Superintendent Tom Williams made his first-ever pitch to the SBA. The proposal is to renovate and add-on to the Cedar Grove Middle School facility and transition it to Cedar Grove Elementary while sending the middle school students from Cedar Grove to Dupont.
“We have too many facilities in Kanawha County,” Dr. Williams said. “We keep losing students so we need to start paring down our facilities.”
There is a meeting Tuesday night in Cedar Grove. The board will hear input from the community and decide if it will move forward with the plan. Williams said the timing isn’t ideal, pitching to the SBA before the school board vote, but there was no way around it.
“I made the pitch. If they decide not to do it then that means another county will have the opportunity to get some money,” he said.
-- Nicky Walters School building formula failing Gateway Cities-- Common Wealth Massachusetts: March 12, 2021 [ abstract]
THE STATE’S SYSTEM for financing the construction of new public schools is broken. Nowhere is that more apparent than the city of Lynn.
The number of students in Lynn’s schools has increased by 21 percent since 2008. Nearly half of our schools, 12 out of 26, are over 100 years old. We’ve been able to build just one new school in more than 20 years.
Despite significant efforts by the district and city to invest in our schools, we are still struggling mightily with poor building conditions and extremely limited capacity, as the Boston Globe has repeatedly reported.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shed further light on the challenges that students and teachers across the state face due to extremely overcrowded buildings or air-quality issues related to outdated HVAC systems. Many school districts, including Lynn, never had a fair shot at even considering in-person school at the beginning of the pandemic due to these conditions.
Four years ago, Lynn voted down a proposal to build two new schools. While there were many reasons why the vote for new schools failed, a main reason was the cost to the city. In a time of record prosperity, in one of the wealthiest regions in the world, an under-resourced city needed to come up with money it didn’t have if it wanted new schools it desperately needed.
Our method for determining state aid for school construction projects, which was developed in 2004, is now outdated and inequitable. The need for renovated or new buildings is also outpacing our ability to fund projects. In a report it filed with the Legislature in December 2020, the Massachusetts School Building Authority noted, “[a]lthough the MSBA program continues to have a far reach, there is still a significant unmet and continuing need for school projects in the Commonwealth.”
-- Opinion - Jared Nicholson Education committee backs school building study-- Brattleboro Reformer Vermont: March 09, 2021 [ abstract] MONTPELIER — The Vermont House of Representatives Education Committee on Tuesday approved a trio of bills dealing with school facilities construction, a community schools program and a student literacy initiative.
The school assistance bill passed 10-1, with Rep. Casey Toof, R-Franklin 3-1, the lone no vote.
The bill requires the state Agency of Education to conduct a study of school facilities needs, as well as a study of how neighboring states have funded school building assistance programs.
Vermont’s neighbors all have such programs; the Green Mountain State last offered school building assistance funds in 2007.
-- Greg Sukiennik Schools Maintenance Deal In Limbo-- New Haven Independent Connecticut: March 09, 2021 [ abstract]
Amid reports of new schools with already malfunctioning HVAC systems and neglected air filters, the Board of Education is reconsidering its dependence on an outside facilities manager.
The board has asked for more information on the efficacy of the maintenance contractor, Go To Services and the cost of bringing those positions back in-house.
“I want to see if they are cost-effective and getting the job done,” said board member Darnell Goldson.
“I suspect not, but we’ll see the numbers,”
When city building inspectors toured New Haven public schools this fall to prepare them for Covid-19 safety measures, they found air filters that hadn’t been changed in years, exhaust fans that had rusted because someone forgot to cover them, water damage and more.
Some of the maintenance problems have health or academic consequences, like when Wexler-Grant students were sent home because their school was too cold.
“Because of asthma, there are quite a few students that have chronic absenteeism. God forbid those filters were the cause of any of these children’s asthma to not be in control—that is something that has really been bothering me. People have to do their job. If their job is to change filters, we have filters for a reason,” said board member and pediatrician Tamiko Jackson-McArthur.
The most urgent problems related to Covid-19 safety have been fixed prior to schools reopening. But the maintenance issues have raised a question articulated by the Board of Alders after two schools closed for safety reasons: how did the products of New Haven’s $1.7 billion school construction boom deteriorate so quickly? Or, as Alder Rosa Santana said at a hearing on the subject: “Somebody didn’t do the work. Somebody bankrolled the money somewhere.”
-- EMILY HAYS Roof collaspes at Broward County, Fla., middle school; 10 treated for minor injuries-- South Florida Sun Sentinel Florida: March 05, 2021 [ abstract]
FORT LAUDERDALE — A roof collapsed at an Oakland Park middle school on Friday, and more than 10 people were taken to the hospital after evacuating.
Scared and confused children evacuated James S. Rickards Middle School after the roof over the media center, or library, collapsed mid-morning. Many ditched their belongings as they hurried away.
No one was in the media center at the time because it was under construction, a district spokeswoman said.
More than 10 people — students and adults — were taken to Holy Cross and Broward Health hospitals in Fort Lauderdale with minor injuries, said Steve Gollan, a spokesman for Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue.
A school district statement said: “Several students and adults had minor medical complaints, including headaches, anxiety and issues related to asthma. They were treated by fire rescue and transported as a precaution to area hospitals.”
Principal Washington Collado discovered the collapsed roof after hearing a loud noise shortly before 10 a.m., said school district spokeswoman Keyla Concepcion.
-- SCOTT TRAVIS and WAYNE K. ROUSTAN School facilities" Forum takes public pulse-- YSNews.com Ohio: March 04, 2021 [ abstract] Questions about costs, the future of the Mills Lawn school property and recommendations by the Ohio Facilities construction Commission dominated public comments last week during the first of three planned community forums to discuss the future of Yellow Springs’ public school buildings.
More than 70 people were present at the initial forum Thursday, Oct. 18, conducted online through the Zoom video-conference platform. Leading the meeting were representatives of the SHP architectural firm, which is working with the school district to develop a facilities master plan that district leaders hope to take to voters in November in the form of a bond levy. The district treasurer has estimated that at least $30 million will be needed to address all the issues that have been identified in the buildings, whether the community opts for renovation or new construction.
The current effort follows a failed attempt to pass a facilities levy in May 2018, when voters rejected an $18 million proposal to combine renovation and construction at the middle/high school campus, leaving consideration of Mills Lawn for a later time.
Discussions about affordability, maintenance, affordability and location were at the forefront of that endeavor, and similar concerns appear to hold fast within the community, as expressed during Thursday’s public forum.
-- Carol Simmons New Columbia middle school storm shelters follow updated building codes-- KMIZ17 Missouri: March 03, 2021 [ abstract]
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Columbia Public Schools is continually working to ensure its buildings have a safe place for students and staff to go in the case of severe weather, and the newest additions John Warner Middle School is no exception.
"This is the first year that John Warner has been open. We completed construction over the summer. It was a multi-year project. It's obviously a significant one for our community," said Michelle Baumstark with Columbia Public Schools.
"Just like any of our new facilities that have been constructed over the last several years, it does include some additional features related to storm shelters," she said.
There are three areas in John Warner Middle School that serve as storm shelters: the auxiliary gym, a locker room area, and a self-contained special education room.
"With the design of a building overall there are spaces that are specifically designated as areas where students can shelter, and so that might be a hallway that's reinforced with no windows," she said.
-- Sydney Olsen New York City to restart $17B of capital construction projects-- Construction Dive New York: March 03, 2021 [ abstract] Applauding the de Blasio administration's decision was Carlo A. Scissura, president and CEO of the New York Building Congress. Resuming work on the $17 billion initiative, he said in a press release, is an acknowledgment of the key role that the construction industry will have in New York City's recovery.
The work in the city's five boroughs includes:
Building more school capacity in underserved and overcrowded districts.
Affordable housing construction.
Coastal resiliency and climate change-related projects.
The Vision Zero initiative focused on roadway safety.
Parks.
Major library projects.
Repairing, replacing and upgrading sewer and wastewater management infrastructure.
-- Kim Slowey Students will have hands-on part in school renovations-- The Valley Breeze Rhode Island: March 02, 2021 [ abstract] PAWTUCKET – With major renovations and reconstructions at four local schools taking place over the next several years, a proposed internship-style program will allow students the opportunity for hands-on training in different trades including plumbing, electrical, architectural, and more.
School Committee Chairman Jay Charbonneau told The Breeze last week that with a partnership with Rhode Island Student Advocates, the construction at Henry J. Winters Elementary School, as well as future projects at Shea High School, Baldwin Elementary School, and Tolman High School, will include a program for “students who want to learn a valuable trade,” he said. “That’s an exciting piece.”
construction of the new Winters Elementary School on Broadway is slated to begin in the next few weeks, according to Charbonneau, and once they break ground he said he anticipates the first group of students will be mobilized.
“Incorporating students into these projects was critical to the committee,” he said, noting that the founding members of RISA, who are Pawtucket students, reached out to him and Roberto Moreno, chairman of the facilities subcommittee, and proposed the idea. “We thought it was brilliant,” Charbonneau said.
-- Melanie Thibeault Building for the future: Weld County school districts using big bonds to renovate and add facilities -- Greenley Tribune Colorado: February 27, 2021 [ abstract] There is a trend happening in Weld County schools now: major construction.
With the population growth in the county and in northern Colorado comes the need for districts to upgrade existing school facilities or to invest in new buildings, and both are in progress in multiple local districts.
Eight different Weld districts have passed voter-approved, multi-million-dollar bond measures to fund capital or significant building projects since 2016. Over the same five-year span, eight school systems won property tax increases on a mill levy override, or MLO, which is the other main source of revenue for high-level expenses. The MLO pays for in-classroom needs such as personnel and curriculum.
In 2019, Greeley-Evans School District 6, the county’s biggest and most diverse district, passed its first significant bond in nearly two decades — a $395 million measure outlined to touch every school in the district including charter schools.
-- ANNE DELANEY Editorial: House Democratic leaders now own every crumbling school in Virginia-- The Roanoke Times Virginia: February 26, 2021 [ abstract] nd so it’s come to this: House Democrats care so little about the poorest localities in the state that they won’t even vote on two measures intended to fix up their decaying school buildings.
They lack the political courage to actually vote these bills down so they’ve resorted to a procedural trick: The two bills have been left to die, unacted upon, in the House Appropriations Committee — the legislative equivalent of running out the clock on something House Democratic leaders have found strangely inconvenient.
Earlier that same committee also quietly strangled a bill by Del. Israel O’Quinn, R-Washington, that would have created a state fund for school construction. There was no money attached, mind you, just an empty shell of a fund but apparently even that was anathema. Now that same committee has done the same to two measures by state Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County. One would have created a state fund (again, unfunded) to help schools pay for repairing roofs and certain maintenance. The other would have set a statewide advisory referendum on whether to issue $3 billion in bonds for school construction.
-- Editorial Bill Addresses Monitoring, Improving Air Quality in R.I. Schools-- Eco RI News Rhode Island: February 25, 2021 [ abstract] In 2019, Elizabeth Goldberg, an emergency physician and associate professor at Brown University, stumbled upon an ecoRI News article about air quality in Providence schools.
Goldberg read about how Providence has 24 schools within 1,000 feet of major roads, when the recommended distance for newly constructed school buildings is at least 1,500 feet.
She also read how Vartan Gregorian Elementary School, which is at the corner of Wickenden and East streets and directly adjacent to Interstate 195, had high rates of black carbon and nitrogen dioxide both inside and outside the 67-year-old building.
As an emergency physician with a master’s in epidemiology, and as a parent of a child at Vartan Gregorian, Goldberg was shocked that nothing was being done about this.
“I take care of patients with asthma, kids and adults, and as a parent of a kid in the Providence public schools, at Gregorian, which is within 200 feet of a major highway … I was surprised that there wasn’t any kind of regular air monitoring,” Goldberg said. “I started looking at some air sensor data … and I saw that Boston generally had better air quality than Providence, and well, that was kind of eye-opening.”
Goldberg began advocating for stand-alone air purifiers to be put in all Providence schools, started contacting local officials, and was appointed to the Providence School Board.
Then, the coronavirus pandemic hit, and air quality monitoring and purification became hot topic issues.
-- GRACE KELLY Interagency Commission on School Construction Adds State Funding Recommendation for Hammond High School, Fully Funds Hig-- Scott E's Blog Maryland: February 22, 2021 [ abstract] Today Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced that the Interagency Commission on School construction (IAC) increased its state funding recommendation for Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) priority construction projects by nearly $8 million dollars, bringing the total state funding recommendation to $28.6 million out of a requested $40.3 million.
“Ensuring the completion of these three critical school construction projects is a top priority of my administration,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “While I am encouraged that the IAC increased its recommendation of State support for our school construction efforts, fully funding the requests for High School #13 and Talbott Springs, there is work left to do to secure the remaining state requested funding for the Hammond High School project.”
The adjusted IAC recommendation elevated the Hammond High School Renovation and Addition project from a B local planning status and a C funding status, both to A statuses, adding $5.37 million of prior year appropriations for recommended state funding out of a requested $14 million to the project after recommending no state funding to support the project in December. Additionally, the IAC state funding recommendation for the Talbott Springs Elementary School Replacement project increased by $2.6 million through prior year appropriations, fully funding the $8.2 million in requested state funding. The $15 million state funding request for High School #13 was recommended by IAC to be fully funded in December. Final approvals on funding levels for projects in the FY2022 capital budget will be made by IAC in May.
-- Staff Writer Permanent Concretables as an Immediate Solution for School Capacity Needs-- Hernando Sun Florida: February 22, 2021 [ abstract] Brian Ragan, Director of Facilities and construction presented to the Hernando County School Board on February 9, 2021, a proposal to install Permanent Concretables to solve imminent and future capacity problems in Hernando County schools.
Permanent Concretables, commonly called “prefab” or “pre-cast” are concrete structures manufactured in a plant, and shipped to the school campus. These can be assembled on a traditional foundation and classified as Permanent capacity per state School Concurrency regulations. These one or two-story buildings can be finished to match other campus buildings. Rated for 220 MPH winds, the structures have bullet-resistant concrete walls and roofs.
Maintaining School Concurrency is a legal obligation of the district. This is a system of land use regulations designed to meet the demands placed upon public school capacity by new residential development. Before approving proposed residential development, local governments and school boards must jointly determine whether adequate school capacity will be available to accommodate the development. Local governments must deny applications for new residential development if adequate permanent capacity will not be available or under construction within three years of approving the application.
-- Lisa Macneil School Construction Authority prez Lorraine Grillo tapped as ‘recovery czar’ by de Blasio-- amNY New York: February 22, 2021 [ abstract] To help rebuild New York in the post-pandemic era, Mayor Bill de Blasio is turning to one of his administration’s biggest construction experts to help get the job done.
On Monday, de Blasio named President and CEO of the New York City School construction Authority and Commissioner of the Department of Design and construction Lorraine Grillo senior advisor and “recovery czar” tasked with “supercharging” New York City’s rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We want a recovery that is strong, that vibrant, that brings New York City back to where it was and then some in terms of economic activity and people’s livelihoods,” said de Blasio during a Monday press conference. “Every single city agency must be a part of the recovery effort. Recovery for all of us is about everything.”
-- Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech Columbus City Schools to spend $800,000 on new school facilities plan-- The Columbus Dispatch Ohio: February 19, 2021 [ abstract]
The Columbus Board of Education has taken the first step to relaunch a defunct school-rebuilding program it started nearly 20 years ago.
Board members voted 7-0 Tuesday to approve a nearly $800,000 contract between Columbus City Schools and Legat Architects for "educational planning and master facility planning services."
The district selected the firm, which is based in Chicago and has offices in Downtown Columbus, from among eight applicants. There was no discussion of the matter at the board meeting. The Dispatch has requested a copy of the contract.
The facility planning process is expected to last more than a year, through July 2022. Planning for a bond issue to fund any proposed construction would follow, Columbus City Schools spokeswoman Jacqueline Bryant said in an email to The Dispatch.
"Before we seek the public's financial support, it is important that we engage our community to determine how to best meet the needs of our current and future students, as well as the greater community," Bryant said.
It's not clear when a levy request might occur. Historically, the district has had success asking voters to support tax levies and bond issues during presidential election years. The district contemplated going on the November 2020 ballot but those plans never panned out, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
-- Alissa Widman Neese Salem-Keizer on schedule for massive construction push with 25 schools set for renovations this year-- Salem Reporter Oregon: February 19, 2021 [ abstract]
Twenty-five local schools will be renovated in 2021 as the Salem-Keizer School District enters the busiest year of its years-long construction blitz - one of the largest such efforts in Oregon history.
The work, which will touch every school in the district, has expanded considerably since voters first approved borrowing $619.7 million in 2018, to be repaid through 20 years of property taxes.
Projects are on schedule, with some areas like major seismic work at South Salem High School “well ahead of schedule,” said Joel Smallwood, the district’s director of maintenance and construction services, who is overseeing the construction program.
The Covid pandemic, which has kept most students out of schools for most of the year, gave construction crews more time for interior work in buildings originally supposed to be crammed into summer vacation.
The district added $116 million to what voters approved, doing so by the way it sold bonds used for financing such work. With new state grants, interest earned and other reimbursements as well, project managers added more work to several large projects - without costing taxpayers more.
-- Rachel Alexander Vermont House Education Committee eyes return of school building assistance program-- Bennington Banner Vermont: February 18, 2021 [ abstract]
MONTPELIER — George W. Bush was president of the United States the last time state of Vermont offered a financial assistance program to its public K-12 school districts for building construction projects.
That was two governors ago, in 2007, when the Vermont Legislature suspended state aid for school construction to allow then-Gov. Jim Douglas’s administration to study and recommend “a sustainable plan for state aid for school construction.”
On Thursday, the House Education Committee continued efforts to restore the state school building assistance program. The panel heard testimony on a proposal for a statewide study of school building needs, and an accompanying study of how the state would pay for it.
The price tag could be high. An informal study undertaken in 2019 by the Vermont Superintendents Association found that the state’s public K-12 districts had $565 million worth of projects either proposed or planned.
In the meantime, school districts either bonded their own projects, to the tune of $350 million between 2008 and 2019, or kicked the can down the road.
“The reality is we have aging infrastructure with declining enrollment, and we’ve been investing in people and programs and not in buildings. That caught up to us,” said Bill Anton, superintendent of the Windham Central Supervisory Union.
-- Greg Sukiennik Jefferson Co. BOE approves CEFP including construction of new elementary schools-- The Journal West Virginia: February 14, 2021 [ abstract]
CHARLES TOWN -- The Jefferson County Board of Education unanimously approved the Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan for the next 10 years at a special meeting Thursday night.
The plan still has to move through approval by the West Virginia Department of Education, West Virginia State Board of Education and the School Building Authority but is one step further to coming to fruition.
The local board's approval came after months of input from numerous stakeholders. Eight committees were established in the spring of 2019 to facilitate input on the plan, committees including Safety and Security; Long Range Planning; Facilities and Infrastructure; Athletics; Fine and Related Arts; Business and Community Partnerships; Instruction and Technology; and Social, Emotional and Behavioral Health.
There were anywhere from five to 20 people on each committee with more than 80 individuals participating, including JCS directors, staff, faculty, parents and community and business leaders. Four public forums were also held in order to gain public input, hosted at each of the middle schools in the district.
There are a number of 2020 bond call projects that fall under the CEFP, ranging from county wide to school specific.
-- Jessica Wilt Schools’ building projects unabated-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: February 13, 2021 [ abstract]
LITTLE ROCK — The school construction that marked the first 20 years of the 21st century in Central Arkansas is continuing into a third decade, with three charter school projects in different stages of planning and construction.
Academics Plus Charter Schools Inc., one of the state’s oldest charter systems, broke ground in late 2019 on what will be the $32 million Maumelle Charter High School at 9701 White Oak Crossing.
Friendship Aspire Academy in Little Rock that has been operating since March 2019 in the extensively renovated Garland School at 3615 W. 25th St., in south-central Little Rock, is building an eight-classroom annex on the property to accommodate its expanding grades — while simultaneously looking at a southwest Little Rock site for a middle school to open in about 2023.
And the Jacksonville/North Pulaski district’s replacement middle school and adjoining elementary school — on the site of the old high school — are up and out of the ground with the middle school on target to open to students in August.
The construction updates from the systems were provided at a time of the year when registrations and applications are being solicited from families for enrollment in the coming, 2020-21 school year.
The new Maumelle Charter High is being built on previously undeveloped land, and that resulted in a construction delay, Rob McGill, chief executive for Academics Plus Charter Schools, said in an interview.
“We started construction in November and we’re scheduled to begin classes in August of 2022,” he said.
That’s a year later than originally planned because of the time it took to certify that the 32-acre building site did not qualify for environmental protection.
-- Cynthia Howell City Schools earn $5M FEMA grant for tornado safe room-- Elk Valley Times Tennessee: February 09, 2021 [ abstract] The Fayetteville City School System has been awarded a $5 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to construct a tornado safe room on the Fayetteville High School campus, a facility that will be the first of its kind in Tennessee.
Over a year ago, city school system officials learned about the FEMA grant opportunity, brought to their attention by Eddie Keys, assistant principal at FHS. While facilities in other states have been constructed using the FEMA grant, none exist in Tennessee.
Eric Jones, facilities director, and Keys worked together under tight time constraints in making application for the tornado safe room with the deadline looming at the end of December 2019. Just recently, the school system was notified that the grant application has been approved, paving the way for the tornado safe room facility that will also house a new gymnasium for the high school.
-- Staff Writer Supreme Court Asked to Order NJ to Fund School Construction -- New Jersey 101.5 New Jersey: February 07, 2021 [ abstract]
TRENTON — School funding is back before the state Supreme Court, which has been asked by the Education Law Center to order Gov. Phil Murphy and the Legislature to provide more money for school construction by the end of June.
School construction in the 31 mostly urban districts covered by the Abbott vs. Burke series of lawsuits must be paid for and managed by the state under a 1998 court ruling. The program is continuing some previously approved work but hasn’t had money to take on new projects in about six years.
The Education Law Center filed its most recent motion on Jan. 28.
“We’ve been trying to get the Murphy administration to step up and deal with this without having to get the court involved. Our preference would be to keep the court out of this,” said David Sciarra, the ELC’s executive director. “But to no avail. We’ve just been unable to get them to move on this, to kind of ask the Legislature for a specific amount of funding and put it on the table.”
“We’ve made every effort, is all I can say,” Sciarra said. “We’ve tried. We’ve bent over backwards to try to get cooperation from the administration, from the Legislature, and just have gotten nowhere. So, we’ve asked the court to step in.”
The law center went to the Supreme Court a year ago with a similar request, but it was dismissed as premature in anticipation that funds would be included in the 2021 state budget.
-- Michael Symons School buildings slipping through the cracks in northwestern New Mexico-- Santa Fe New Mexican New Mexico: February 06, 2021 [ abstract] NEWCOMB — A column of concrete not more than 18 inches wide rises up the north side of Newcomb High School, serving as a buttress against a wall of aging brick to help keep it from collapsing.
Five years ago, school officials noticed the wall was separating from the rest of the building, and an engineer was hired to save it. The solution: Build the buttress and attach steel bolts to it from the wall for stabilization. The cost of the project was around $26,000.
Newcomb Principal Bill McLaughlin said the makeshift piece of engineering has served its purpose.
“I don’t think the state or the [state] regulatory commission would allow us to use it if it was unsafe,” McLaughlin said. “I think it meets the minimum specs and requirements for utilization.”
Such is life for schools in the Central Consolidated School District, which serves the communities of Kirtland, Shiprock and Newcomb. Candice Thompson, the district’s director of operations, said its capital budget of $3.1 million simply cannot cover all the construction and maintenance needs. The shortfall forces administrators to be creative in how they address those issues, she added.
“When we talk to our peers in the southeast corner of the state, and I tell them about our conditions, they’re like, ‘What?’ I tell them, ‘I’ll give you the nickel tour here, and you are going to be shocked,’ ” Thompson said.
-- James Barron Bill aims to curb rising cost of Utah schools-- FOX13 Utah: February 05, 2021 [ abstract]
SALT LAKE CITY — On Friday, state senators voted in favor of wrangling in what they say are unnecessarily high costs to build schools in Utah.
Senate Bill 131 aims to give taxpayers a better idea of how much it will cost to build a school, and perhaps, options for doing it cheaper. However, educators across the state say it’s a bad policy.
Two schools under construction now are slated to top over $120 million — each.
“People see that price sticker and their eyes pop open. 'How in the world is it this expensive?'” said Rusty Cannon, the vice president of Utah Taxpayer Association.
The cost to rebuild Skyline High in Salt Lake is estimated at $124 million. Cyprus High's rebuild in Magna is estimated to cost $147 million.
“We are building buildings to last 70 to 80 years and to meet the needs of future students down the road,” said Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley.
Bill aims to curb rising cost of Utah schools
State senators voted in favor of wrangling in what they say are unnecessarily high costs to build schools in Utah on Friday.
By: Hailey HigginsPosted at 9:34 PM, Feb 05, 2021 and last updated 11:57 PM, Feb 05, 2021
SALT LAKE CITY — On Friday, state senators voted in favor of wrangling in what they say are unnecessarily high costs to build schools in Utah.
Senate Bill 131 aims to give taxpayers a better idea of how much it will cost to build a school, and perhaps, options for doing it cheaper. However, educators across the state say it’s a bad policy.
Two schools under construction now are slated to top over $120 million — each.
“People see that price sticker and their eyes pop open. 'How in the world is it this expensive?'” said Rusty Cannon, the vice president of Utah Taxpayer Association.
The cost to rebuild Skyline High in Salt Lake is estimated at $124 million. Cyprus High's rebuild in Magna is estimated to cost $147 million.
“We are building buildings to last 70 to 80 years and to meet the needs of future students down the road,” said Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley.
In response to the significant rise in the price to build schools, Sen. Wayne Harper of Taylorsville introduced a bill Friday to update construction guidelines.
"Are we paying too much for schools? Are we building Taj Mahals?” Harper said.
The bill provisions would require the state board to develop a school “prototype” and publish a range of construction prices from prior years.
-- Hailey Higgins Isle of Wight wants to raise sales tax to fund school construction. Virginia Senate says county can vote.-- Daily Press Virginia: February 03, 2021 [ abstract] RICHMOND — Isle of Wight could be the next county to raise its local sales tax to fund school construction as legislators continue to spar over how to fund desperately needed school projects.
The Virginia Senate approved a bill Wednesday afternoon in a 31-8 vote to allow the county to raise the tax, if county voters approve it in a referendum. It was the second vote on the bill this week — the Senate defeated the measure in an unexpected move Tuesday before deciding to reconsider.
Isle of Wight would be the tenth locality in the state with permission from the General Assembly to use a sales and use tax to supplement local funds. Virginia has no dedicated state funds for school construction, despite hundreds of schools that need billions in repairs.
“Like many small counties that have a minimal tax base, it is difficult for them to raise the funds within their normal stream of revenue to build new schools if they must,” said Senate Minority Leader Tommy Norment, who introduced the bill.
The state hasn’t had a dedicated school construction fund since the 2010 school year, the victim of recession budget cuts. Even then, state contributions made up only a small part of construction funds.
-- MATT JONES Battle over NJ funding for schools in poorest districts is back in court. Yet again-- NJ Spotlight News New Jersey: February 01, 2021 [ abstract] A four-decade legal battle over public school funding has landed back in the New Jersey Supreme Court, with a prominent watchdog group accusing state officials of again ignoring a constitutional mandate to repair and replace aging and shoddy school buildings in many of the state’s poorest communities.
The motion filed by the Education Law Center (ELC) on Friday claims that since 2014, neither the governor nor the Legislature has provided any additional money toward the court-required funding. That has left the Schools Development Authority (SDA), the state agency tasked with compliance in this matter, virtually broke and unable to initiate any of the dozens of “urgently needed” construction projects it identified in 2019. The solution ELC seeks is that the court order state officials to come up with a spending plan by June 30.
“It’s too bad we have to regularly go back to the Supreme Court to make the state fulfill its obligation to provide a thorough and efficient education to our students,” ELC Executive Director David Sciarra said in an interview Friday. “Unfortunately, this administration has been no different in this regard than its predecessors.”
The lawsuit cites the SDA’s own report from last year, which noted there are 18,000 students “who don’t have the seats they need” in overcrowded schools, as well as 7 million square feet of school space in poor districts that is more than 90 years old.
-- IAN T. SHEARN Coons, colleagues seek $130B funding boost for local school infrastructure-- Dover Post Delaware: February 01, 2021 [ abstract]
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, joined Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, and 24 of their colleagues in introducing the Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act last week.
With school districts facing increased costs, aging school infrastructure and an urgent need to alleviate crowded classrooms and ensure adequate fresh air ventilation to help reduce COVID-19 transmission, the bill would invest $130 billion in modernizing classrooms across the country and would help schools upgrade their physical and digital infrastructure.
“As we continue to grapple with the COVID-19 crisis, it is critical that we invest in the safe and sustainable reopening of our schools,” said Coons. “This bill prioritizes the needs of our students and educators, the safety of our school buildings, and jobs in communities throughout Delaware and the country — creating opportunity while helping our schools overcome the challenges of the pandemic.”
Crumbling, outdated school infrastructure makes it tougher for students, teachers and staff to safely return to school for in-person instruction. Comprehensive school modernization planning is a critical component of helping post-pandemic K-12 schools become stronger and more sustainable than before the COVID-19 crisis.
The Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act will provide $100 billion in formula funds to states for local competitive grants for school repair, renovation and construction. States will focus assistance on communities with the greatest financial need, encourage green construction practices and expand access to high-speed broadband to ensure that all students have access to digital learning.
-- Staff Writer Canyon ISD completing multiple different facilities during pandemic-- 10 KFDA Texas: January 28, 2021 [ abstract] AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Canyon ISD is currently in the process of renovating and creating seven different facilities.
The construction is part of a $196 million bond passed in November of 2018 and could soon be coming to an end.
“Canyon ISD alone has seven projects that are going at this time. We have Randall east and west which will be Randall High and Randall Jr. High. We also have Heritage Hills Elementary, Spring Canyon Elementary, we have a maintenance facility we are working on and we are trying to complete the new Happy State Bank addition as well as West Plains High School,” said Heather Wilson, assistant superintendent of business and operations, Canyon ISD.
Seven projects in the works and almost all of them projected to be complete this year.
“We just want to create great opportunities for our kids in school buildings that have some space to allow for that ongoing growth that’s happening all across Canyon ISD,” said Darryl Flusche, superintendent, Canyon ISD.
New boundaries for the elementary schools and new high school have already been updated.
“With the opening of the new schools, we’ve already set the attendance boundaries so, we know for each school, which residents go to particular school buildings in Canyon ISD as we open the new schools,” said Flusche.
-- Allisa Miller Stanwood High puts finishing touches on new construction as remote learning continues-- King 5 Washington: January 27, 2021 [ abstract]
STANWOOD, Wash. — It’s been a dramatic week for the staff at the newly built Stanwood High School in Snohomish County.
This week Principal Christine Del Pozo watched the demolition of the former school while welcoming back a very small portion of students to begin in-person learning.
Students who have special needs, require language assistance and students whose families are experiencing homelessness are back to the classroom this week. That's around 60 students.
Teachers have been moving into their classrooms and Del Pozo says around 25 teachers are coming in daily and several are teaching online students from their new classrooms.
Until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted the massive student body of more than 1,200 will continue to learn virtually. The new school replaces the original campus that was built in 1971.
The building was designed with safety measures in mind. A big part of the new design is having all of the students in one building that features a single entrance that locks each morning when school begins.
Lockers are also mostly a thing of the past. Only a few dozen are available. That's another safety effort as the school is designed with massive open spaces and emergency situations in mind.
The school itself is around 260,000 square feet and has state-of-the-art facilities like a wood and metal shop, performance theater, and a multi-level gymnasium.
The construction pays tribute to the past with a two-story wall where much of the original gym wood flooring is displayed vertically.
-- Chris Cashman St. Paul Public Schools to curb construction spending this year-- Pioneer Press Minnesota: January 25, 2021 [ abstract]
Despite halting planning on new capital projects, St. Paul Public Schools plans to borrow $67 million this year to pay for ongoing construction at several schools.
The school board already has signed off on $15 million in bonds covered by the annual property tax levy. In the coming months, they’ll be asked to consider an additional $52 million for several projects.
That’s actually far less debt than the district has been taking on of late.
Under plans initiated by former superintendent Valeria Silva, the school district since 2016 has been spending $112 million a year on building maintenance and capital projects, up from around $30 million before then. The idea was to improve the look and function of the district’s aging schools, not necessarily to increase capacity.
But those projects have cost far more than anticipated.
Following a Pioneer Press report detailing how much the estimates have grown, Superintendent Joe Gothard in 2019 put a stop to pre-design work on any new projects, further delaying improvements that already had been pushed back because of a lack of funds.
However, several projects, including renovations at American Indian Magnet and Frost Lake, were approved last year because preparations already were well underway when other planning was stopped. The $67 million in borrowing this year will help pay for work at those schools as well as projects near completion, such as renovations at Humboldt and Como Park high schools.
Gothard’s administration was expected to release a new five-year construction plan last spring but postponed it because of the coronavirus pandemic. That plan finally is set to go before the school board in February, with a vote expected in March.
School district spokesman Kevin Burns did not say Monday whether the district intends to go back to borrowing $112 million in future years.
-- JOSH VERGES City's growth prompts construction of $24 million school building-- Wyoming Tribune Eagle Wyoming: January 23, 2021 [ abstract] CHEYENNE – The city’s growth has pushed Wyoming’s largest school district to build another new school building, called Coyote Ridge Elementary, to serve 556 fifth and sixth grade students.
Earlier this month, the Cheyenne City Council annexed from the county a 24-acre plot of land at the corner of Powderhouse Road and East Carlson Street in Laramie County School District 1’s Central Triad. But that was simply a rezoning effort designed to put the property under the city’s jurisdiction.
The steadily expanding district bought the land in 2014 in anticipation of the need for a new school building in the future. Last year, the Wyoming Legislature approved the construction of a $24 million building, which is set to open in August 2022.
-- Kathryn Palmer Roanoke County School Board maps out ambitious plan to replace outdated buildings-- The Roanoke Times Virginia: January 22, 2021 [ abstract] Frustrated with how long it will take under the current capital improvement program to renovate and replace outdated school buildings, the Roanoke County School Board on Thursday envisioned an accelerated model that would involve back-to-back — and simultaneous — construction projects.
But first, the school board will need to convince their counterparts on the board of supervisors, who hold the purse strings.
School board members want to start building a new Burton Center for Arts and Technology in 2023 and a new Glen Cove Elementary and W.E. Cundiff Elementary in 2024. To do that, they need funding.
“We agree that we have three that are well past their prime,” Chairman Don Butzer said. “So basically what we’re going to the county for is asking to move up the funding on the Burton Center ... and we would be asking the county to use whatever other funding mechanisms they have to accelerate the two elementary schools to 2024.”
“We’ve certainly kicked it down the road long enough,” Tim Greenway said.
The school board has spent the past several years attempting to negotiate with the county to speed up infrastructure improvements. The county agreed in December 2019 to increase its annual debt issue by 20%, from $10 million to $12 million. School projects are eligible for the funds in two of three years in the cycle.
-- Claire Mitzel Bay County school officials frustrated with slow federal aid since Hurricane Michael-- Panama City News Herald Florida: January 19, 2021 [ abstract]
PANAMA CITY — Federal reimbursement for Hurricane Michael recovery costs in the Bay County school system has been far too slow so far, officials say.
Bay District Schools officials held a three-hour workshop last week to discuss several topics, including expressing their frustration at the Federal Emergency Management Agency's response since the 2018 Category 5 storm.
To date, the district has spent $176.5 million on reconstruction since the hurricane. Meanwhile, FEMA has reimbursed $37.3 million, with a little more than $23 million of that in the second quarter of 2019.
One of the issues facing BDS, said Lee Walters, BDS facilities director, is fixing something so quickly that the damage to a facility falls below the 50% damage line. That threshold is important because a building with more than 50% damage can be approved by FEMA to be completely replaced. If improvements are made to a structure and the damage falls below 50%, the school district loses the ability to replace the building.
Walters said one example was replacing the air conditioner at Lynn Haven Elementary's gym. If the AC is replaced, the damage to the building falls below the 50% threshold for FEMA. Walters said he wants to get the school a new gym.
-- Tony Mixon LAUSD Board Approves $233M Lincoln High School Modernization Project-- NBC Los Angeles California: January 13, 2021 [ abstract]
The Los Angeles Unified School District has approved an investment of more than $233 million in voter-approved bond funds to conduct massive upgrades at Lincoln High School.
The money will be used to construct approximately 10 general and specialty classrooms and associated support spaces within a new classroom building and a Performing Arts Building.
The proposed Lincoln High School Comprehensive Modernization Project also includes the voluntary seismic retrofit and modernization of the administration building, home economics building, auditorium, gymnasium and pedestrian bridge.
The school, located at 3501 N. Broadway, northeast of downtown, was founded in 1878.
"I am super grateful to the Lincoln High School community for modeling such stellar collaboration on this significant effort to honor our past and celebrate our future," Board Member Monica Garcia said Tuesday. "This is hard work to do and all the historic pieces make it extra special. Again, thank you to the voters for your continued support for our schools and athletic fields."
Lincoln High School Principal Rose Ann Ruiz praised the board's action.
-- Staff Writer One year anniversary of North Central High School Tornado-- News19 South Carolina: January 12, 2021 [ abstract]
CAMDEN, S.C. — It has been one year since North Central High School was destroyed by an EF-2 tornado with estimated winds of 130 miles per hour. The tornado touched down on the school, stadium, and buses located at the building.
Today, staff and students are using a vacant technology center as a new location for their learning.
Principal David Branham said between switching facilities and the pandemic this year, everyone has learned to be more flexible and resilient during tough times.
"I think it's really preparing them for adversities later on in life and being able to overcome things," Branham told News 19. "I felt like it was somewhat of a hidden blessing that we were able to handle covid a little better because we were just used to adapting and being flexible."
The old building has been demolished, though the auditorium and gymnasium still stand. Students are still able to return for winter sports, such as volleyball, and other club events. The football stadium has also been rebuilt.
Branham says that some plans have been approved through the district for their new building and have been submitted to the office of school facilities. He hopes that they can start construction as soon as the plans are reviewed.
-- Danielle Miller Putnam County school district unveils plan that would close schools, build new ones-- News 4 Jax Florida: January 11, 2021 [ abstract]
PALATKA, Fla. – The Putnam County School District last week proposed an aggressive plan to “revitalize” school facilities in the county.
School officials propose closing down five schools -- two of them more than 75 years old -- in Putnam County at the end of the current school year and build nine new schools over the next 10 years. There are 18 total schools in the district.
“By rightsizing the district and eliminating excessive buildings, PCSD would qualify for special facilities funding from the state to construct new state-of-the-art facilities,” the district said in a press release.
The proposal would require a bond referendum that would have to be approved by the school board.
The goal is to consolidate and build safer and more energy-efficient schools.
The proposal got mixed reactions on social media. Some said the plan would allow the district to replace older buildings in the county and prepare for growth. Others said closing the schools and consolidating would lead to issues.
-- Travis Gibson Five NC School Districts receive millions in construction grants-- North State Journal North Carolina: January 07, 2021 [ abstract] RALEIGH — Five North Carolina public school districts in economically distressed areas will be receiving millions in construction grants according to outgoing N.C. Superintendent Mark Johnson.
Around $60 million in grant funds will be disbursed to the districts from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund for construction of new school buildings.
“This is the fourth year and the second time this year that these funds have been made available to benefit our students and educators who have had to deal with outdated facilities,” Johnson said in a press release. “These grants will help address our state’s need to replace old, outdated schools with better learning environments.”
The General Assembly created the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund using a combination of revenue from the North Carolina Education Lottery and a local dollar match. In Tier 1, the most distressed areas, the match is $1 for every $3 in grant funds. In Tier 2, the match is one-to one. The maximum grant amount per project is $15 million in Tier 1 counties and $10 million in Tier 2 counties.
The five districts are Bladen, Carteret, Catawba, Cleveland and Harnett. Johnson’s press release included the following dollar amounts and details of the construction projects planned in each area:
-- A.P. Dillon Baltimore County school board seeks money to replace Towson, Dulaney high schools after removal from proposed capital pl-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: January 06, 2021 [ abstract]
Members of the Baltimore County Board of Education railed against a proposed capital plan during a Tuesday night meeting, decrying school officials’ removal of projects to replace the aging and increasingly overcrowded Dulaney and Towson high schools.
But in a 7-2 split, with two abstaining, the board voted to add the two replacement projects back to the funding request.
Replacing Dulaney and Towson have been in the school system’s construction plan for years, but some board members said that re-adding them to the fiscal 2022 funding request could knock other schools in need down the list.
The proposed capital budget presented Tuesday evening included a request for almost $63 million to build a replacement Lansdowne High; planning money for an addition to Dundalk High that would add up to 650 seats for additional students; and roof replacements at Randallstown and Parkville high schools.
-- TAYLOR DEVILLE Billions in school construction in CT hasn’t made a dent in segregation " but this year, things could be different-- The CT Mirror Connecticut: January 04, 2021 [ abstract] “Get your son out of this school.”
That’s the message Yanira Rios received seven years ago from her son’s kindergarten teacher shortly after moving to Bridgeport, the only community in the region where she could afford an apartment. Her son had learned to read in preschool before leaving Shelton, and now Rios was being told that his teacher needed to focus on his classmates, who were far behind him academically.
“It was so discouraging to have a teacher beg you, ‘You have to figure it out. You have to get your kid out of here, because at the end of the year he’s going to be behind,'” said Rios.
A few months later, she cried while reading the letter saying her son had won a coveted spot through the school choice lottery in Westport Public Schools, the top ranked district in the state and No. 28 nationally.
“I was excited to the point of tears, because it meant a lot to me that he would be in a place where he would be challenged, where when he graduates he would be, I would say, on equal footing with most people in the state,” said Rios, who grew up in public housing and attended schools in Bridgeport and Puerto Rico. “It was heartbreaking to see the differences in Westport.” She also has a daughter who is now in the Westport school system.
The opportunity given to Rios’s two children, however, is not shared by the majority of students from Connecticut’s cities, where schools are largely filled with poor students who are multiple grades behind. Why? Because for decades state lawmakers have relied on predominantly white suburban communities to voluntarily offer enrollment to city students or to allow the construction of affordable housing so low-income city dwellers can move to their suburb and attend their schools.
Neither strategy has consistently worked.
-- JACQUELINE RABE THOMAS State Superintendent Mark Johnson announces $60 million in school construction grants to 5 districts; Carteret County to-- WNCT9 North Carolina: December 31, 2020 [ abstract] MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (WNCT) – North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson announced that $60 million in grant funds from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund will be awarded this year to school districts in Bladen, Carteret, Catawba, Cleveland, and Harnett counties.
The grant awards will allow for the construction of new school buildings.
Awards include:
Bladen County: $15 million to build a new Pre-K through 8th grade middle school to replace two existing schools and combine them on one campus. The buildings to be replaced include a middle school that is 100+ years old and a primary school that is 69 years old. ($22 million total project cost).
-- Fantasia Harvey Upper Arlington Schools in 2021: District to focus on construction, diversity, strategic plan-- This Week Community News Ohio: December 31, 2020 [ abstract] Amid the projected conclusion of building reconstructions and renovations, Upper Arlington Schools leaders will continue to focus on furthering the district’s strategic plan in 2021.
In August 2019, backed by a 5.17-mill bond passed by voters in November 2017, the district launched $235 million in projects to rebuild and renovate the high school and five elementary buildings.
The work proved to be one of the few things the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic did not interrupt as each project has moved forward on schedule and within the budget provided by the bond.
With more than half of the work completed at the outset of the 2020-21 school year, Superintendent Paul Imhoff said each of the six buildings will be ready to go by the 2021-22 school year.
-- Nate Ellis Fight for school construction funding to continue in General Assembly-- NBC29.com Virginia: December 29, 2020 [ abstract] ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - 20th District Senator Bill Stanley is hoping a third time’s the charm. He’s bringing back legislation that would help improve outdated schools across the commonwealth and he says 2021 might just be the year the General Assembly says yes.
“I’m going to keep putting these bills in until they get passed,” Stanley told WDBJ7 this week.
His goal is straightforward, to ensure that students in rural areas and inner cities receive the same education as students in more prosperous regions like Northern Virginia.
“Children in the first and second grade in Loudoun County are being taught computer coding.” Stanley said, “Students in Lee County are in a building that was built around the time of World War I, only have one electric outlet in their classroom, so they can’t even get a white board or a computer into those classrooms. So we need to make sure that everybody receives the same educational opportunity and the same education.”
-- Joe Dashiell Fight for school construction funding to continue in General Assembly-- NBC29.com Virginia: December 29, 2020 [ abstract] ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - 20th District Senator Bill Stanley is hoping a third time’s the charm. He’s bringing back legislation that would help improve outdated schools across the commonwealth and he says 2021 might just be the year the General Assembly says yes.
“I’m going to keep putting these bills in until they get passed,” Stanley told WDBJ7 this week.
His goal is straightforward, to ensure that students in rural areas and inner cities receive the same education as students in more prosperous regions like Northern Virginia.
“Children in the first and second grade in Loudoun County are being taught computer coding.” Stanley said, “Students in Lee County are in a building that was built around the time of World War I, only have one electric outlet in their classroom, so they can’t even get a white board or a computer into those classrooms. So we need to make sure that everybody receives the same educational opportunity and the same education.”
-- Joe Dashiell Westerville City Schools in 2021: Renovations, construction to dominate priorities-- This Week Community News Ohio: December 29, 2020 [ abstract] Additional Westerville South High School renovations, a new wing at Annehurst Elementary School and construction at a new elementary school are a few of the building projects going on this year within the Westerville City Schools.
Scott Dorne, Westerville City Schools' executive director of facilities and operations, said various projects will be going on within the district and the South space is a big portion of that work.
“There are a lot of exciting things going on for our students coming down the road,” he said. “A calendar year from now, we will have three phases completed at Westerville South.”
The first phase of South’s renovation was completed in December and included new academic spaces and a new wing with a gymnasium and restrooms.
Jeff LeRose, facilities director, said Phase 2, to be completed in August, includes the renovation of the first-floor north academic wing and café.
He said Phase 3, to be completed in December, includes the renovation of the second-floor south academic wing.
“We designed this most recent wing as the water wing and included elements reflecting water,” LeRose said. “The next two phases, we’ll incorporate fire and air elements of nature.”
In terms of classrooms, he said, classrooms that are 600 to 700 square foot will be expanded to the recommended size of 900 square feet.
-- Marla K. Kuhlman Aging facilities top of mind for schools’ boss-- Moscow-Pullman Daily News Idaho: December 17, 2020 [ abstract] Moscow School District’s superintendent urged local legislators to support revising state rules concerning fundraising for new school facilities in a regular meeting of the district board of trustees Wednesday.
State Reps. Caroline Troy, R-Genesee, Brandon Mitchell, R-Moscow and State Sen. David Nelson, D-Moscow, attended the virtual meeting and heard from the district and suggested legislative priorities in the coming session scheduled to convene in January.
Moscow Superintendent Greg Bailey encouraged the legislators to consider ways to help the district replace aging facilities. Bailey said the youngest building in the district is more than 50 years old. He said it is difficult to pass a bond that would finance the acquisition or construction of new schools because state law requires the support of a supermajority of local voters to pass such a measure.
“The State of Idaho is really difficult to pass a bond — it’s one of the only states that asked for a supermajority and has very limited funding support from the state level,” Bailey said. “We would really like to see something occurring that would help us entice our community into supporting a bond.”
Bailey asked that legislators consider submitting legislation that would either reduce that supermajority requirement or allow the district to raise money for new facilities some other way.
-- Scott Jackson Dickson Schools building plan: New school, Creek Wood middle, COVID effect discussed-- Tennessean Tennessee: December 17, 2020 [ abstract] A previously proposed new elementary school building as well as a recap of last year’s much-debated Creek Wood middle school were recently discussed by the Dickson County School Board.
The school district’s facilities plan was the focus of the board’s Dec. 1 planning session. But the effect of COVID-19 -- and increased reliance on virtual learning -- was also part of the discussion. Some board members said COVID’s effect on education needed closer scrutiny when talking about construction of new buildings.
Board member Steve Haley said the next 18 months would “make such a difference” on how he feels about the school district’s planning.
“I think what we have become guilty of as a board is adding but not replacing some aged items,” said Haley, explaining how current school facilities could be remodeled.
-- Chris Gadd How The Biden Administration Can Focus On Education In The First 100 Days-- Forbes National: December 17, 2020 [ abstract] Furthermore, the incoming Biden Administration should fulfill its campaign promise to prioritize updating school infrastructure, not only to improve student learning environments, but also to create thousands of construction jobs to aid economic recovery. Before the pandemic, one-third of America’s schools were in need of repairs or upgrades to major systems, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Covid-19 has increased the urgency of these repairs, especially of ventilation systems, so students and staff can be safe in school buildings. The president-elect should work with Congress to immediately reintroduce and pass the Rebuild America’s Schools Act, which will provide $100 billion for school infrastructure, as well as propose a permanent federal school infrastructure funding stream in his first budget request. These investments will create and sustain thousands of jobs, aiding in the nation’s economic recovery and helping to lessen the unemployment crisis. At the same time, these investments can help schools reduce carbon emissions and improve sustainability.
-- Scott Sargrad Kraus-Anderson starts six White Bear Lake school-expansion projects-- StarTribune Minnesota: December 15, 2020 [ abstract] Kraus-Anderson construction has begun building six school-expansion projects in White Bear Lake as part of that district's $326 million school bond referendum that was passed last year.
The projects, built by Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson and designed by Wold Architects and Engineers of St. Paul, represent the first phase of a 16-school construction plan that will stretch into the White Bear Lake 2024-25 school year, officials said.
The district expects enrollment to increase by roughly 2,000 students by the year 2030, so school officials took their construction needs to the voters late last year. The referendum passed 13 months ago, marking the largest successful school bond referendum in the state's history.
Now it's time for the excavators.
The renovations are the latest in a long line of school-building plans for Kraus-Anderson, which has completed more than $1 billion in K-12 school construction projects in five years. The company is the 12th-largest K-12 building-services firm in the country and expects to work on another 42 projects in 16 school districts next year that are worth more than $300 million.
The largest of the projects starting this week include an addition and renovations to White Bear Lake's Lincoln Elementary, a $9 million expansion that will add a gym, storm-shelter area, conference room and offices. The cafeteria, kitchen, media center, bathrooms, parking lot and bus loop are being renovated.
-- Staff Writer WV School Building Authority giving Hampshire County $24M to consolidate elementary schools-- Charleston Gazette-Mail West Virginia: December 14, 2020 [ abstract] Hampshire County will close five elementary schools and build three new schools for those students, now that the state School Building Authority has pledged to chip in.
The Authority’s board voted Monday to provide the Hampshire school system $24 million over the next three years. That, combined with roughly $18.8 million the district is planning to borrow through selling bonds, is planned to fund the work.
Authority Executive Director David Roach said his agency’s usual December disbursement of tens of millions of dollars in school construction and renovation money is being postponed until April. He said that’s because the pandemic slowed counties’ development of their required new long-term school facilities plans.
But Hampshire successfully urged the agency to go ahead and promise to approve its funding request. Earlier this year, Hampshire voters approved raising their property taxes to pay down the debt for the new schools, and the district argued a delay to April would interfere with moving forward.
Roach said he expects the Authority to still have $51.4 million to distribute to other counties in April.
-- Ryan Quinn District Spends Over $1M Fighting Lawsuit That Could Refund Its School Construction Funds-- GV Wire California: December 07, 2020 [ abstract] Fresno Unified School District has spent more than $1 million battling a plaintiff who is suing to have $37 million in school construction funds returned to the district’s own bank account.
And the legal costs will continue to grow. The state’s Fifth District Court of Appeal recently ruled that a Fresno County Superior Court wrongly dismissed the lawsuit by plaintiff Stephen K. Davis, a local contractor who contends the district’s no-bid contract with Harris construction Inc. to build Rutherford Gaston Middle School violated California bidding laws, state Education Code, and conflict of interest laws.
The appellate court ordered the suit back to the Superior Court, but the defendants could seek a review by the California Supreme Court.
It might seem counterintuitive for Fresno Unified to fight a lawsuit that seeks to have taxpayer dollars reimbursed, but the district is the first-named defendant in the case.
District Can’t Cut Losses
Fresno Unified can’t walk away from the lawsuit, said Judge Oliver Wanger, who retired from the federal bench to go into private practice in Fresno.
It’s unlikely that a court would require Harris construction to return the entire $37 million since the school has been completed and occupied by students since 2014, said Wanger, who is not connected with the case.
But Davis could still ask the court to order Harris to pay back to the district any profits earned, and Fresno Unified will need to remain in the suit to argue that it paid a fair price for the project as well as seek reimbursement for its legal fees, he said.
Plus, Wanger said, the court could issue fines if it finds that state bidding and conflict of interest laws were violated.
-- Nancy Price Legislature must fix Tennessee’s school construction chaos-- Johnson City Press Tennessee: November 22, 2020 [ abstract] One thing is clear after the long debacle that resulted in Thursday’s $12.5 million deal between the Washington County and Johnson City commissions: Tennessee has no clue how to equitably fund school construction projects.
Capital financing is just one aspect of why this state needs a complete overhaul on how it funds education, but it’s the prime example of why conflicting statutes and tax distribution lead to conflicts, inequities and inaction.
State Sen. Rusty Crowe and newly elected Reps. Tim Hicks and Rebecca Keefauver Alexander surely have been paying attention to the royal mess that resulted in the short shrift just handed to Johnson City taxpayers, families and schoolchildren. The ball is in the Legislature’s court to end these shell games.
Washington County will get a much-needed new school for Jonesborough-area students through a clever and unprecedented switcheroo between the county and the town of Jonesborough. Jonesborough issues the bonds for the new school. The county pays off the bonds through “lease payments” to the town, thereby giving it a run around its obligation to share bond proceeds with Johnson City on a per-pupil basis, which would have meant a $28 million contribution to city students. All county residents, including city residents, pay the taxes that fund those bonds.
-- Opinion U.S. Virgin Islands - Bill Seeking to Establish Authority for Maintenance and Construction of Public Schools Held in Com-- The Virgin Islands Consortium U.S. Virgin Islands: November 22, 2020 [ abstract] Senator Donna Frett-Gregory's plan to reform education in the territory began with a comprehensive measure that sought to create a school construction and maintenance authority. But the bill was held in committee Tuesday following opposition from the Dept. of Education and the Office of Management and Budget.
Also heard Tuesday was Bill No. 33-0239, an Act amending V.I. Code relating to public schools' permanent closure, sponsored by Sen. Myron Jackson.
Ms. Frett-Gregory's bill, numbered 33-0302, seeks to ensure that children of the territory have a safe, modern and secure educational environment for them to learn. It would also be responsible for the functions of regular and timely maintenance, inspection, construction, renovation, upgrade, repair, and modernization of educational facilities. The authority would further establish, acquire, construct, develop, improve, renovate, upgrade, operate, and manage all public schools and public educational facilities territory-wide.
"We have to build for future generations. This legislation is not about me or any of my colleagues, it's about the future of the Virgin Islands," said Ms. Frett-Gregory.
The senator said the new authority would be governed by the Virgin Islands School Facilities and Maintenance Authority Board of Directors, composed of seven members. The members would consist of the commissioner of Education or the commissioner's designee, and six other members appointed by the governor. She added that those six members should consist of two former educators, one from each district, one current educator, two engineers, one from each district, and one member with business or finance experience.
-- Maxiene K. Cabo 10 new schools, additions and more: Williamson County School approves 2020-26 5-year plan-- Community Impact Newspaper Tennessee: November 17, 2020 [ abstract] As the county continues to grow in population, Williamson County Schools is planning for how it will expand capacity over the next several years.
During the WCS Board of Education meeting Nov. 16, the board unanimously approved a five-year plan for funding requests through 2026. The 2020-26 plan includes $429.35 million in future funding requests for projects that will be completed from fall 2021 to fall 2027.
“Every year, we present to the county commission our five-year projection of what we believe we need to do to address growth. It includes new building construction, building expansions, buses, maintenance—those big-cost items—as we grow,” WCS Superintendent Jason Golden said.
The bulk of the plan include $305 million in funding for new schools to add capacity for additional students throughout the district. Future projects include six new elementary schools, three middle schools and a new high school, according to the project plan. Additions and renovation for existing schools are also included in the plan and are expected to cost roughly $78 million.
Projects to be funded this school year include additions to Summit and Ravenwood high schools, which will add 22 classrooms and an expansion of the cafeteria at each school. Those projects are slated to be complete in fall 2022.
-- Wendy Sturges Wyoming Board of Ed approves 10-year plan-- The Register-Herald Wyoming: November 17, 2020 [ abstract] PINEVILLE – Wyoming County Board of Education members approved the new Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan Monday evening, with a total estimated price tag of just over $31 million.
“This is not a next-year plan,” emphasized Deirdre Cline, county schools superintendent. “This is a 10-year plan.”
The Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan, which outlines a proposed plan of action and suggested projects for the county school system through 2030, must now be approved by the state Board of Education as well as the West Virginia School Building Authority.
A 24-member committee, made up of school employees and community members from across the county, approved the proposal presented by McKinley Architecture of Charleston, who participated in the meeting through Zoom.
The committee worked for a year on the plan, Cline told board members.
It was a “very lengthy and tedious process,” she explained.
The most significant proposal in the plan is constructing a new school in Mullens to house 400 students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade.
After comprehensive inspections of the county's 14 schools, McKinley Architecture described two in “poor condition,” and both those schools are located in Mullens – the elementary and the middle school, Cline said.
-- Mary Catherine Brooks Hart District to Receive $70 Million from State for School Facilities-- scvnews.com California: November 13, 2020 [ abstract] The California Office of Public School construction is recommending to the State Allocation Board for the William S. Hart Union High School District to receive $70 million to be spent on capital projects.
In 2016, California voters approved Proposition 51, which asked for $9.1 billion to be spent on new construction and modernization for public schools across the state. The $70 million represents the money the Hart District applied for shortly after the proposition had been passed.
The District will pay off the lease revenue bonds secured to complete the construction of Castaic High School, and look to move forward with other improvements to various campuses that had been put on hold while waiting for appropriate funding.
-- HART SCHOOL DISTRICT California voters pass most school construction bonds, parcel taxes on ballot-- EdSource California: November 06, 2020 [ abstract] While voters statewide likely defeated Proposition 15, which would raise taxes on commercial property to increase funding for schools, voters in dozens of districts agreed by wide margins to raise their own taxes to support local schools.
A preliminary review of local school initiatives shows that at least 39 out of 60 districts passed school construction bonds and 11 out of 14 approved parcel taxes. The bond measures, which would raise $13 billion for new construction and renovation projects, included $7 billion for Los Angeles Unified, the state’s largest district. It received 78% of the vote; school districts’ general obligation bonds require a 55% majority vote to pass.
Although 4.5 million provisional and mail-in ballots have yet to be counted as of Thursday, the winners include Oakland Unified, with 77% support for a $735 million bond and Pasadena Unified’s $516 million measure, which 62% of voters supported. The four districts whose bonds lost are Maricopa, Wasco Union, Calaveras and the 129-student Dehesa School District in San Diego County, which proposed a $3 million bond.
-- JOHN FENSTERWALD ‘Historic’ $1.3 billion bond approved in SAISD for campus renovations, technology upgrades-- KSAT12 Texas: November 05, 2020 [ abstract] SAN ANTONIO – Voters in the San Antonio Independent School District overwhelmingly approved two propositions that will bring technology upgrades and significant renovations to aging campuses.
In the Nov. 3 election, Proposition A, a $1.21 billion bond that will allow renovations at 36 campuses was approved with 68.46% of voters in favor of the bond.
The district said 21 of those campuses have not received a full renovation in more than 50 years. The rest of the campuses will receive finishing improvements from construction that began either in the 2016 or 2010 bonds.
Nearly 70% of voters in the district were in favor of Proposition B. That $90 million measure will supply classrooms with more efficient technology like high-speed internet, individual devices, interactive smartboards and audio systems.
“We’re grateful to our community and to our taxpayers," Superintendent Pedro Martinez said in a news release. “Our academics have been improving so much. We’re one of the fastest improving school districts in the state. And now, we’re able to match our facilities and our classroom spaces with those academic gains."
-- Sarah Acosta Guilford County voters say yes to $300 million school bond referendum but no to sales tax increase-- News & Record North Carolina: November 04, 2020 [ abstract] GREENSBORO — Guilford County voters have embraced a $300 million school bond referendum that would allow the county to borrow money for school renovation and construction.
At the same time, they rejected a quarter-cent sales and use tax increase that county commissioners had hoped to use to help pay the debt from the school bond.
On the bond referendum, 72.5% of voters supported it, and 27.5% voted against it, according to unofficial results.
However, voters said no to increasing the local sales tax 66.9% to 33.1%, according to unofficial results. County commissioners could instead look at raising property taxes as a way to cover the school bonds.
Passage of the $300 million school bond referendum gives permission to county commissioners to issue the bonds, but does not require them to do so. If issued, the bonds must be used to fund school facilities.
County commissioners pledged they would also use the sales tax money for school construction, but could not include on the ballot information about that pledge, which is not legally binding. Commissioner Alan Branson (Information has been changed to correct an error. See correction below. 12:26 p.m. Nov. 4) had said he expected the sales tax money would go toward paying school construction bond debt if both measures passed.
-- Jessie Pounds 'Many schools are falling apart': Mayor Curry shows support for half-cent sales tax increase-- FirstCoast News Florida: November 03, 2020 [ abstract]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Voters across the country are focused on the presidential race, but across the First Coast, voters will be casting their ballots on many local races and taxes.
Duval County voters will see the half-cent sales tax increase on their ballots, a tax that would benefit the school system and help them pay for construction and repairs.
Duval County's schools are, on average, the oldest in the state of Florida. DCPS Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene says money generated from the half-cent sales tax would go to repair schools and fund new construction.
She says it would generate nearly $2 billion for maintenance and repairs over 15 years. DCPS would start receiving funds in January if the ballot item is passed.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry has been vocal about his support appearing on political ads recently. He has kids in the school system.
"These are the facilities our kids learn in. They need to be functional. They need to be up to date and frankly any schools aren’t," Curry said. "Many schools are falling apart. I’ve got kids in public schools so this issue is real to me and I think it is important that schools have the resources they need to put our children in the best learning environment possible.”
-- Leah Shields Alsea voters narrowly favor school construction bond measure-- Albany Democrat-Herald Oregon: November 03, 2020 [ abstract] The Alsea School District, by a margin of 14 votes, may have secured funding for renovations and facility additions through a ballot measure in the general election.
Measure 2-129 asked voters whether the district should issue $2.1 million in general obligation bonds, with the money being repaid from property taxes. Affected property owners would pay an additional $1 per $1,000 of assessed value until the bond is repaid.
Based on unofficial Benton County election results as of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, 299 voters were in favor of the measure, while 285 were against it.
The money would pay for new instructional spaces, a weight room with after-hours community access and a covered bus waiting area as well as a remodeled shop facility, lunchrooms, restrooms, bus repair facility, track and more.
-- Nia Tariq Manatee School Board moves to borrow $100 million for renovations and construction-- Bradenton Herald Florida: October 29, 2020 [ abstract]
The School Board of Manatee County has agreed to borrow up to $100 million and move forward with a handful of construction and renovation projects.
With a unanimous vote on Tuesday evening, board members approved the issuance of “certificates of participation,” helping to finance half a dozen projects in Bradenton, Palmetto and elsewhere in the district.
“We had an extensive series of workshops on this issue,” board member Scott Hopes said before the vote. “We had an engineering study that identified the needs of the district for numerous renovations and additions and capital projects. And as we discussed, with the cost of money as low as it is, and the inflation cost of moving these projects out . . . this is the right thing to do.”
“Dr. Hopes, he took the words right out of my mouth,” Vice-Chair Charlie Kennedy followed. “That’s exactly what I wanted to say.”
Tuesday’s decision followed a series of board workshops that took place on Aug. 26 and Oct. 8. Tim Bargeron, the associate superintendent of finance, explained the details and possible savings in a presentation earlier this month.
-- GIUSEPPE SABELLA A glimpse inside Foust Elementary, a school deemed too dilapidated to fix-- WFMY2 North Carolina: October 28, 2020 [ abstract]
GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — WFMY News 2 got a tour inside a Guilford County school that an outside agency said is beyond repair: Foust Elementary School.
Under the $2 billion dollar master facilities plan that Guilford County Schools announced last year, Foust Elementary is set to be knocked down and rebuilt along with 21 other schools.
The rest of the 100-plus schools in the district will undergo repairs & renovations.
The funding of the complete overhaul is dependent on two items on the ballot right now: a $300 million dollar school bond, and a quarter-cent sales tax.
The district is hoping voters check ‘yes.’
"To me that's a no-brainer we have to vote yes," Foust Elementary Principal Nicholas Dixon stated. "That investment we'll see the return investment for many, many years to come."
Principal Dixon and Head Custodian Benny Rivera showed us the wear and tear around the building that was constructed in 1965.
"These walls are not stable they actually move at times," Dixon said of the pod classrooms. "They shake, and you can hear everything going on in the other room which is not conducive to a good learning environment."
"Sometimes you have to turn the heat off, or turn the AC off because the water leaks," Rivera explained.
-- Jessica Winters Lafayette Parish School Board: Tax renewal essential to facility improvements, eliminating 'portables'-- Lafayette Daily Advertiser Louisiana: October 28, 2020 [ abstract]
Lafayette Parish residents will be deciding on Election Day whether to renew a 5-mill property tax that produces about $11.7 million a year for school construction, maintenance and facility improvements.
The tax, which comes up for renewal every 10 years, is set to expire in 2021, and Lafayette Parish School Board members say the school system is counting on voters to renew it Tuesday.
"With the economy the way it's been and the uncertainty we're facing, the loss of this revenue would be devastating to the school district," Board President Britt Latiolais said.
This money has been used for facility improvements, capital projects and self-funded construction like recently added covered pavilions at elementary schools and classroom wing additions at nine schools across the district.
"We're working hard," Latiolais said. "We're trying to spend the taxpayers' money in a smart way."
Facility funding crucial to replacing 'portables'
These construction dollars are essential to the board's mission to eliminate the need for temporary classrooms at Lafayette Parish schools, now and in the future, board members said.
Adding the new permanent classroom wings has reduced the need for portable buildings by about half since 2016, board member Justin Centanni said. Just over 200 classrooms remain in portable buildings, compared to about 400 in 2015, he said.
"That doesn't happen overnight," Centanni said. "It's not all of them, but it's half of what it used to be."
-- Leigh Guidry Prince George’s School Building Backlog Shines Light on Limits of P3 Approach-- Nonprofit Quarterly Maryland: October 26, 2020 [ abstract] COVID-19 has elevated the nation’s many gaps in public infrastructure. Take public schools. The poor condition of too many school buildings has made returning to classes risky for students and faculty. The lack of widely accessible high-speed broadband service has made remote education difficult or even impossible for too many families.
Maryland’s Prince George’s County—which borders Washington, DC—faces many of these challenges. According to Maryland Matters, its “school buildings are on average 45 years old, the second-oldest school stock in the state.” Unmet maintenance for those schools would cost an estimated $8.5 billion in investment. What’s more, several new schools must be built as soon as possible to accommodate a growing student population.
What is the solution? Clearly, increased public dollars for upgrading school buildings are needed, but that has never stopped folks from looking for shortcuts. What if the county could solve its investment shortage through “more businesslike management”?
Such is the approach adopted last week by the Prince George’s County Board of Education, which has entered a public-private partnership (P3) to address its $8.5-billion facility challenge. As described by the Engineering News-Record, the school board has approved a six-school, $1.2 billion construction program to be led with a team of six corporate partners that design, build and operate “five new middle schools and one K-8 facility…serving a total of 8,000 students. The team will maintain the six facilities for 30 years, after which each school is expected to avoid major maintenance costs for another 15 years. The county will own the buildings…the P3 will cut delivery time for the new schools by two-thirds and save the county…$174 million in deferred maintenance and construction costs.”
-- Opinion - Martin Levine Virginia residents install solar panels on school building-- The Daily Progress Virginia: October 25, 2020 [ abstract] HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — When farmers needed help in the past building a barn, the community historically came together for a “barn raising” as many hands make light work.
Harrisonburg preserves this timely tradition, not with rural construction, but in implementing solar panels at community establishments. Area residents gathered at Eastern Mennonite School for a solar barn raising earlier this month to install 357 solar panels atop the school’s upper building, the largest K-12 solar array in the city.
Nearly 50 volunteers composed of students, alumni and neighbors worked alongside Got Electric workers to install the fleet in less than five hours.
The mounted solar arrays will generate a total capacity of 136 kilowatts of power and offset a third of the total electricity used by the school’s facilities and avoid more than 141 tons of carbon dioxide pollution per year, according to a release published by the school and energy company.
Secure Futures Solar is a Staunton-based agency that installs corporate systems and offers 20-year payment plans for nonprofits, so organizations like EMS only pay the difference saved from switching to solar. The developers have also installed panels in Augusta County, Eastern Mennonite University and Gift and Thrift as well as several other schools and businesses.
Secure Futures Senior Business Development Associate Loren Swartzendruber was the eighth president at Eastern Mennonite University and said the university was Secure Future’s first solar installment project in 2010. He said the process of bringing solar energy to EMS began more than one year ago, first by analyzing 12 months of electric bills to determine if solar will benefit the building.
-- KATHLEEN SHAW Trying to force state to build schools in poorest districts, advocate says COVID-19 does not absolve it of responsibilit-- NJ Spotlight News New Jersey: October 22, 2020 [ abstract] As Education Law Center heads back to court to force compliance with Abbott v. Burke decision, issue overshadowed by scandal-racked Schools Development Authority.
Early this year, there was an ambitious plan taking shape behind the scenes in Trenton to create a $7 billion bond initiative — $4 billion for court-mandated school construction projects and $3 billion to replenish the state’s crumbling, lead-contaminated water infrastructure.
Then COVID-19 hit, tax revenues tanked and the good intention became another casualty of the pandemic, according to Senate President Steve Sweeney, who shared the unpublicized plan with NJ Spotlight News on Wednesday for the first time.
Pandemics and fiscal crises notwithstanding, David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law Center (ELC), is about to haul Gov. Phil Murphy and the Legislature back into court to comply with a long-standing state Supreme Court order to build and renovate school buildings in the state’s 31 poorest districts and bring them up to par with the rest of the state.
“They can’t simply ignore it. They’ve got to find the funding,” Sciarra told NJ Spotlight News. “We are not going to walk away from this.”
-- IAN T. SHEARN The Story Behind the Creepy, Once-Abandoned Annie Lytle Public School Building-- The Costal Florida: October 21, 2020 [ abstract] For four decades, the former Annie Lytle Public School building has sat vacant along Chelsea Street in Brooklyn – or Riverside, depending on who you ask – accruing structural damage from fires and weather exposure and unintentionally growing a local mythos based around transients, ghost stories, and even devil worshippers.
For the first five decades of its lifespan, however, the building operated as a regular grammar school. Specifically, it was known as the Riverside Grammar School, or Public School No. 4, when it first opened in 1917. Designed by local architect Rutledge Holmes, the school building had two stories as well as a basement, and it was made primarily of concrete, red brick, and wood. The words “Public School Number Four” were etched into its front façade.
Unfortunately, development of the interstate highway system in the 1950s would bring the noise of construction – and, later, highway traffic – right to the front door of the school, which by that point had been renamed Annie Lytle Public School to honor a longtime teacher. The path from the Fuller Warren Bridge to the I-95 and I-10 interchange was constructed over a stretch of land between the school’s front entrance and Riverside Park.
The project’s location effectively rendered Public School No. 4 unusable as a school. It would officially close in 1960, after which Duval County School Board used the building for storage. By the early ‘70s, though, the property had become a target for crime, leading the organization to close off access to the building altogether.
The locally-based Ida M. Stevens Foundation acquired the property from the school board in the ‘80s with plans to convert it into an apartment complex for seniors. The foundation had just completed a similar project, the Stevens-Duval Apartments, within the old Duval High School building downtown. Ultimately, the project proved financially unviable, and the foundation dropped its plans.
-- Staff Writer Contractor to pay $200K to settle Rochester school construction fraud case-- Democrat & Chronicle New York: October 20, 2020 [ abstract] The Rochester contractor Bell Mechanical has agreed to pay $200,000 in restitution to settle a charge that it made false hiring claims in its work on the $1.2 billion Rochester Schools Modernization Program.
Bell and other contractors were accused of fraud in skirting state requirements for the use of minority- and women-owned businesses. Prosecutors alleged that they used a Black-owned firm as a "pass-through" and lied about who actually carried out the work.
In one instance, according to a signed document provided by the state Attorney General's office, Bell ordered $447,200 worth of materials directly from several suppliers but made payment out to a minority-owned firm, Sunray Environmental, along with a 2% markup. It then claimed SunRay as a supplier to meet its women- and minority-owned business targets.
-- Justin Murphy Press Release: School Modernization Program Could Improve Contract Controls-- The DC Line District of Columbia: October 19, 2020 [ abstract] News Release — Office of the DC Auditor
For immediate release
Contact: Diane Shinn
WASHINGTON, October 19, 2020–A new audit of the District’s school modernization program concludes that the program could save additional money through tighter controls on meeting all contract terms.
According to the Office of the D.C. Auditor the Department of General Services (DGS) controlled and accounted for capital funds by the D.C. Public School (DCPS) modernization project of Eliot-Hine Middle School, but improvements to the administration of contracts could have saved the District money on the project.
“The audit identified several areas for improvement, and we are pleased that the agency has committed to address all of the report’s recommendations,” said D.C. Auditor Kathy Patterson.
The audit, conducted by RSM US LLP, found that the project’s construction manager, Turner construction Company, did not exclude its subsidiary, Turner Logistics, from the calculation of $70,070 in subcontractor default insurance (SDI). In addition, the audit found transactions for $14,000 in unallowable costs and found several smaller transactions totaling $919 without records to show that they were related to the project. The audit also found that local labor employed on the project totals 39% thus far and the amount required is 51%. Because the project has not concluded, ODCA will produce a follow-up report in 2021 to review final labor statistics and other close-out issues.
In his response to the audit, DGS Director Keith Anderson said DGS officials “share the common goal of making improvements in the execution of the school modernization program and are taking strides to improve the existing program.”
-- Office of the DC Auditor Little Rock School District asks voters to extend millage to pay debt-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: October 18, 2020 [ abstract]
Three of Pulaski County's four school districts have put tax-rate questions on the Nov. 3 election ballots, but only the Little Rock School District is seeking a change in its tax structure.
The Pulaski County Special and North Little Rock districts are seeking no alterations in their school taxes this year but are placing their current millage rates on the ballot as required by law. The Jacksonville/North Pulaski district put its existing 48.3-mill tax rate on the ballot in its March election.
The Little Rock district is asking voters to approve an 18-year extension of 12.4 mills for debt service that are already being collected and are due to expire in 2033. If approved, the millage extension to 2051 would enable the district to issue bonds of nearly $329.2 million that would be used to pay off the district's debt on two 2015 bond issues as well as finance about $205 million more for school building construction, renovation and repairs.
The proposal would not increase a property owner's annual school taxes, but the property owner would pay the tax for additional years.
-- Cynthia Howell Prince George’s Co. approves public-private partnership that will accelerate construction of 6 schools-- WTOP Maryland: October 15, 2020 [ abstract] On Thursday, the Prince George’s County Council approved a plan to develop six new schools in the jurisdiction through a public-private partnership, which would be the first of its kind in the nation.
The council said the partnership will allow for faster construction of five new middle schools and one K-8 school. The process of building six schools would ordinarily take up to 16 years to complete, while the partnership projects are expected to be completed in three, according to the council.
The council delayed the approval of the partnership by two days after several members of the council, including Council Member At-Large Mel Franklin, said they wanted a commitment from the winning developer to ensure that a portion of the project’s cost be spent at minority-owned businesses within the county.
-- Zeke Hartner Prince George’s School Construction P3 Plan Draws Backlash Before Board Vote-- Maryland Matters Maryland: October 14, 2020 [ abstract] Some Prince George’s County residents are pushing back on the construction of six schools through a $1 billion-plus public-private partnership. If approved, Prince George’s would be one of the first districts in the country to use a public-private model, or P3, to build schools.
Four schools would be rebuilt under the agreement: Drew-Freeman Middle School, Hyattsville Middle School, Kenmoor Middle School and Walker Mill Middle School. Two new schools will be constructed in Adelphi and in the southern part of the county.
Next week, the Prince George’s County Board of Education will vote on a $1.24 billion contract with a private company that will be tasked to build the six schools by 2024 and maintain them for 30 years. If approved, the school system will go into a multi-month “exclusive negotiating agreement period,” in which Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) and the company will negotiate additional terms outside of the public eye, Raaheela Ahmed, a PGCPS board member, said in a virtual town hall Monday evening.
But one big concern for Ahmed and other community members is that board members are not given full, up-to-date financial analyses of the project before the vote. Rather, the board will vote on a summary of the final contract, which does not even include the final cost, said Jeremy Mohler, communications director of In the Public Interest, a national non-profit policy organization that studies privatization.
-- Elizabeth Shwe City Receives $151 Million From State For New Norwalk High School-- Patch Norwalk Connecticut: October 09, 2020 [ abstract] NORWALK, CT — Stressing that the new school will meet the needs of 21st Century learning, state and local officials Friday announced the $151 million grant that will pay for most of the new Norwalk High School.
The total cost of the planned 330,000-square-foot building, which will house both Norwalk High School and P-Tech, is expected to be about $189 million, $38 million or so will come from city coffers.
construction will not begin on the school until 2021 at the earliest, and it will take well over a year to build.
"This school is 49 years old, and it was modeled after a prison," said state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff about current Norwalk High School. Duff, who was instrumental in securing state funding for the school, is a graduate of Norwalk High School. "It does not meet the standards of 21st Century learning."
-- Alfred Branch School board approves $100M in construction contracts; will demolish, rebuild school-- The Island Packet South Carolina: October 08, 2020 [ abstract]
The Beaufort County school board approved two contracts Wednesday night totaling $99 million for two of the largest projects on last year’s $345 million school bond referendum.
The board awarded Kansas City-based JE Dunn construction a $53 million contract to demolish and rebuild Robert Smalls International Academy, a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school in Beaufort.
Columbia-based firm M.B. Kahn construction was awarded a $46 million contract to carry out the “complete renovation” of academic and athletic facilities at Beaufort’s Battery Creek High School.
According to a Beaufort County School District press release, construction at Robert Smalls will begin in summer 2021, and the new building, located at the site of the current school, will be completed in December 2022.
“Once students and staff are relocated to the new building in January 2023, the old building will be demolished,” the release reads. “The school’s new athletic facilities will be completed by August 2023 in time for the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year.”
-- RACHEL JONES 'The time is now': Madison School District seeks $317M from voters to upgrade high schools-- Wisconsin State Journal Wisconsin: October 05, 2020 [ abstract] When Carlton Jenkins returned to Madison this summer to become the school district’s new superintendent, the one-time Memorial High School associate principal was shocked to see the building where he began his administrative career in education.
“I pulled up and got goose bumps, I looked at the building and said, ‘Oh my goodness, it’s identical to what it was in 1993,’” Jenkins told the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board last week.
Originally constructed between 1922 and 1965, Madison’s four comprehensive high schools could be in line for a $280 million injection of cash after decades without major investment.
But it will require voters to get behind a large capital referendum on the ballot Nov. 3, a lift made heavier by the economic downturn wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We believe the time is now,” said Chad Wiese, executive director of building services for the district. “You can take a look at what our neighboring districts have done, we’re quite frankly behind all of them.”
Boosters of the $317 million capital referendum describe the high schools as tired, inefficient, piecemealed, inaccessible and out-of-line with 21st-century standards for learning.
The proposed renovations would transform the schools to align with the needs of today’s students, supporters say.
Small conference rooms would promote student collaboration, flexible furniture and instructional spaces could let the schools adapt to different learning needs, and modern heating systems would simply make the buildings comfortable.
-- Logan Wroge Talks about future of ailing Stamford school buildings to resume-- LMTonline Connecticut: October 03, 2020 [ abstract]
STAMFORD — Before the outbreak of COVID-19, the big story in Stamford schools was how the district was going to pay for the demolition and reconstruction of five buildings.
School officials had identified five schools — Toquam Magnet Elementary School, Hart Elementary School, Roxbury Elementary School, Cloonan Middle School and Westhill High School — to be demolished and rebuilt.
To do that amount of work in a timely and affordable manner, the city hatched a plan to turn ownership and maintenance of the buildings over to private developers. But the Board of Representatives voted the plan down.
Officials were headed back to the drawing board to come up with a new plan, when suddenly a whole new challenge appeared and thoughts of new schools took a backseat to more pressing matters.
Seven months later, as schools have reopened and the city cautiously steps back toward normalcy, a new committee has been formed to assess school buildings and create a plan to fix deficiencies.
“Had it not been for COVID, I think we would have been farther down the path,” Board President Andy George said this week.
The scope of what the committee will produce is not yet clear. But needs are large.
Superintendent Tamu Lucero has said, based on previous school construction projects, it could cost the city $500 million to rebuild the five schools on its dime, and the process could take 25 years if the rebuilding were not done concurrently.
Many parents say there is no time to wait to fix what’s wrong with city school buildings. They want action now.
Westhill High School mom Liz Levy is one of them. She is behind a change.org petition calling for better ventilation and air quality inside Stamford schools that has so far received about 450 signatures. Levy met with Lucero on Thursday and said she wants to see a plan put together soon.
-- Ignacio Laguarda ‘Just untenable’: Calls mount for improvements at South Lake Elementary-- WTOP Maryland: October 02, 2020 [ abstract]
Parents, teachers and local religious leaders turned out at an elementary school in Montgomery County, Maryland, to call for construction of a new school, which they say is desperately needed.
Members of Action in Montgomery, a community advocacy group, stood outside the building that was riddled with problems, from overcrowding to infrastructure and even rodents, as WTOP reported over the summer.
South Lake has almost 900 students, which is well over the original building capacity, and is home to the most Black and Latino students of any county elementary school. It also has the highest number of children who are participating in free meal programs.
“It’s just untenable to think that a school that’s filled with Black and brown children is going to be passed up,” said Daniel Xisto, pastor at Takoma Park SDA Church, directly to the county council. “They need to be woken up.”
Back in May, county lawmakers voted unanimously to delay South Lake’s new school construction by a year, with a completion date of September 2024, despite Montgomery County Public Schools’ recommendation to prioritize the school in the county’s Capital Improvements Program.
The Montgomery County school board recommended that the council reverse their decision and put the school back on track for a September 2023 completion.
County Council member Craig Rice chaired a session of his Education and Culture Committee last month to revisit the issue. A plan is on the table to rearrange and front-load fiscal year funding to accomplish that goal.
All committee members agreed during their meeting that South Lake needed to be prioritized, including Rice, who said that South Lake “certainly rises to the top.”
-- Ken Duffy Danbury, Brookfield, New Fairfield school construction project funds get state House approval-- newstimes Connecticut: October 01, 2020 [ abstract]
School construction projects in Danbury, Brookfield and New Fairfield are on their way to receiving state grants.
The state House approved early Thursday morning a bill that gives Brookfield $16.7 million for its new elementary school and New Fairfield $23.8 million for its new high school, in addition to $11.2 million to expand its elementary school.
The state Senate is expected to take up the bill Thursday.
The legislation includes language that would allow Danbury to receive funds for a proposed career academy for middle and high school students. The state would cover 80 percent of the estimated $45 million cost—a higher reimbursement rate than the city typically sees.
“I couldn't be more thrilled to see our Danbury Career Academy poised to move this much-anticipated plan forward,” State Rep. David Arconti, D-Danbury, said in a statement. "Our local school population is overcrowded. This project will help us address this concern while giving all our local students the best possible educational opportunities they can get.”
The academy would help address enrollment growth and be built in the Summit @ Danbury—the former 1.2 million-square-foot Matrix building that has been mostly vacant for years.
-- Julia Perkins Study of Baltimore County high school buildings calls for $1.2 billion in renovations and expansions, but not rebuilds-- Baltimore Sun Maryland: September 30, 2020 [ abstract]
A study of construction needs at Baltimore County’s 24 high schools has concluded that none of the buildings require replacement, but should collectively undergo renovations and expansions that could cost up to $1.2 billion.
County board of education members heard a presentation Tuesday night on the findings of the study, which was conducted by the consulting firm CannonDesign. The county and school system hired the firm to develop construction priorities for a joint Multi-Year Improvement Plan for All Schools by assessing capacity concerns, educational equity and the condition of facilities.
The recommendations are nonbinding, meaning elected officials could face tough decisions soon on how to fund the projects and whether to prioritize high schools for renovations and expansions as ranked by the consultants.
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., a former teacher, called the report’s findings “dire” and called on the state to provide additional funding relief.
“As the report pointed out" Olszewski said, “there’s absolutely no way this gets done without the state being a part of it.”
CannonDesign ranked each high school according to need using a score that was based 35% on educational equity, 32% on facility condition and 33% on capacity concerns. The score’s weighting is based on 22,000 responses to a county-wide community survey.
-- LILLIAN REED Additional $60M Available For Baltimore School Construction Through 21st Century School Buildings Program-- CBS Baltimore Maryland: September 25, 2020 [ abstract]
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — An additional $60 million is available to help build schools in Baltimore, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Friday.
The money is part of the 21st Century School Buildings Program. That program is set to build 28 new school buildings which will house 32 schools.
So far, 15 buildings have been built and nine more are under construction.
Each one features collaborative learning spaces filled with new technology and outdoor spaces.
-- Staff Writer Councilors: School debt burden worries many-- Gloucester Daily Times Massachusetts: September 18, 2020 [ abstract] With a bottom line now attached to Gloucester's proposed combined elementary school project, the question stands: Will taxpayers be able to afford the added costs during a pandemic?
Based on what he has heard from residents, Councilor at-Large Jamie O'Hara doesn't seem to think so.
"I'm having great pains on how do we justify constructing basically an $80 million school which is, if you will, a luxury item," O'Hara said at combined School Committee and City Council meeting earlier this week. "We have existing schools."
He noted that many of his constituents who have raised concerns are unemployed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
"She is afraid," O'Hara said, explaining that one senior resident had expressed worry about trying to live in a city she loves when she can't afford to and is not able to work.
If Gloucester residents approve the debt exclusion on Nov. 3, the city projected that Gloucester homeowners will pay 20 cents per $1,000 valuation to cover the almost $40 million of expenses to combine East Gloucester and Veterans' Memorial elementary school in a new building. For example, the owner of a $500,000 home would pay $100 more in taxes a year.
The Massachusetts School Building Association has agreed to grant no more than $26.9 million toward funding the construction project, which has a total estimated cost of $66.7 million.
John Dunn, the city's chief financial officer, has requested a loan order of $4.2 million to cover the cost of renting space for Veterans Memorial students and staff after their school is demolished and before the new school opens, relocation of the Mattos ball field, and the demolition of East Gloucester Elementary School building and resulting work.
-- Taylor Ann Bradford DCPS Superintendent reports half cent sales tax would mean almost $2 billion for schools-- FirstCoast News Florida: September 18, 2020 [ abstract]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Diana Greene says the half cent sales tax would mean almost $2 billion for maintenance and repairs and some of the district's crumbling schools.
“Our average school age is about 62 years old, so they would garner Social Security," Greene said.
Duval County schools are, on average, the oldest in the state.
Greens said some buildings aren't able to get basic WiFi because they were built more than a hundred years ago.
“I can’t tell you how many times we have to reach principals on our walkie talkie system because their cell phones do not work in the building," Greene said.
Cracked floors, crumbling walls, and old technology are some other issues plaguing county schools.
“Some of our schools have so many of what we call technical issues, such as HVAC, electrical, and plumbing that it would be cheaper for the district to build a whole new school," Greene said.
Duval County Public Schools produced a video to show issues inside schools. They say state funding cuts in 2009 and 2010 for renovation, maintenance, and construction have left them deep in the hole.
“Sandalwood High School, our largest high school serving close to 3,000 students, has over 40 portables on their campus," Greene said.
The half-cent tax would remove the portable and replace them with brick and mortar buildings.
“It means something to our communities," Greene said. "They want great schools in their communities, and they want facilities that look they we all care about education for our children”
People in Duval County will be able to vote on the referendum this November.
-- Dawn White School Building Authority awards $7 million for school projects-- MetroNews West Virginia: September 14, 2020 [ abstract] CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state School Building Authority approved roughly $7 million in funding for a dozen school construction and maintenance projects during a meeting Monday that originated in Charleston.
The SBA annually awards grants from its Major Improvement Projects (MIP) and Three Percent Grants categories.
“There were a lot of security and HVAC projects,” SBA Director of Architectural Services Ben Ashley said. “They are all dealing with the present issues. They’re not always the major new, big projects, big additions but a lot of time they address some critical needs in counties that really need some help.”
Projects in Calhoun, Kanawha, Lincoln, Preston, Randolph, Upshur and Webster counties received approval in the MIP program. The most expensive is a $1 million addition and renovation project at Ruthlawn Elementary near Charleston in Kanawha County.
“They propose to build a exploratorium STEM-style classroom space to eliminate the need for two portable classrooms. That’s an exciting project for Kanawha County,” Ashley said.
-- Jeff Jenkins The New York City Schools That Didn’t Close-- The New Yorker New York: September 14, 2020 [ abstract] On a cold, drizzly Monday morning in late March, Santiago Taveras left his home in Teaneck, New Jersey, before the sun rose. Traffic was light as Taveras merged onto the George Washington Bridge, crossed over the Hudson and Harlem Rivers into the Bronx, passed the shuttered Cardinal Hayes High School, and steered toward a big, boxy building in Mott Haven. Already, the city had begun to feel like the national epicenter of what people would come to call the pandemic. The previous week, the city had implemented shelter-in-place rules, shutting down offices, restaurants, and schools. Ninety-nine people had died in the city so far and another twelve thousand New Yorkers had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, fifteen per cent of them in the Bronx. Taveras’s wife, Alexandra, had fretted as he left the house that morning, wearing a dress shirt and slacks. What if he caught the virus? What if he carried it home?
Taveras, a Dominican who was born in the Bronx, is six feet three and, as he often points out, weighs about three hundred and fifty pounds. He has worked for the New York City Department of Education for thirty years as an elementary-school teacher, assistant principal, high-school teacher and principal, student-support manager, and deputy chancellor, among other roles. Now he was taking on a role for which there was little, if any, precedent in the department’s hundred-and-seventy-eight-year history. He would open a temporary school in the middle of a worldwide health crisis.
Around 5:30 a.m., Taveras parked his Toyota Sienna minivan outside of the Mott Haven Educational Campus. Most of the city’s 1.1 million schoolchildren would stay home that day, as they had every day the previous week, but a deputy chancellor and a team of administrators had rushed to put together a plan for what they’d begun calling “regional enrichment centers”—schools for the children of essential workers. Department officials had warned Taveras that they weren’t sure how many students would show, or when. Fourteen thousand families had registered to send their children to one of ninety-three centers. The night before, officials had assigned a hundred and seventy students—ages three to fifteen, nearly all of them the children of health-care workers in the Bronx or Harlem—to the school that Taveras would oversee.
He stepped inside and found that the custodial staff had arrived before he did. The lobby reeked of bleach and disinfectant, which he found reassuring. He walked the building’s halls, looking for classrooms with sinks. Most of the doors were decorated with children’s art: skylines, butterflies. Some of the desks still had notebooks in them—supplies that students left behind before lockdown. One classroom had the remnants of a bean-growing project. Normally, the Mott Haven campus holds half a dozen schools; it sits on six and a half acres, and when it opened, a decade ago, architects called it the largest single school-construction project in New York City history. Even if hundreds of kids came today, Taveras thought, he’d have plenty of space to house them.
-- Casey Parks New agency will take over public school construction in Hawaii-- Star Advertiser Hawaii: September 06, 2020 [ abstract]
A new state agency to build and renovate public schools is about to be created to take over the job from the Department of Education at a time when most students are learning at home.
A broad coalition of legislators and business interests pushed for the independent School Facilities Agency, saying it will expedite school projects and generate revenue for education through public-private ventures to redevelop valuable campus lands.
But questions remain about how the agency will work, possible duplication of duties with the DOE, transparency, oversight and who will call the shots on school construction priorities. Senate Bill 3103, which creates the agency, will become law by Sept. 15 with or without Gov. David Ige’s signature.
“We will just have to see how this will play out,” said Catherine Payne, who chairs the Board of Education, which had various reservations about the bill. “The bottom line for me is I hope this will help generate better facilities for our students and teachers, but that remains to be seen.”
The bill, part of a joint legislative package, initially sparked alarm because the agency would have been exempt from a host of legal safeguards in the interest of efficiency. Those included exemptions from all county ordinances other than building codes, as well as state laws on historic preservation, environmental protection, civil service, ethics, open meetings and procurement.
In response to public outcry, most of those controversial provisions were ultimately removed. But there is still a partial waiver of the Sunshine Law that was opposed by open-government advocates.
The School Facilities Agency will be led by an executive director appointed by the governor, with a board also appointed by the governor. The board’s only duty is to provide policy advice and evaluate the executive director. The agency will serve as its own procurement officer.
-- Susan Essoyan Prince George's Public Schools Public-Private Proposal Gets Push Back-- NBC Washington Maryland: September 02, 2020 [ abstract]
With billions of dollars backlogged in school maintenance and construction costs, Prince George’s County leaders are considering using private dollars to build schools — a public-private partnership that would be the first of its kind in the nation.
The Prince George's County Public School system has an $8.5 billion backlog in construction, most of its buildings are 45 to 55 years old and it takes seven years to build one school with traditional public funds.
The school district moved students out of Forest Heights Elementary School last year when it was discovered the building's foundation was crumbling.
“We are going to do whatever is necessary to make sure that Black and brown children are in modern schools just like wealthy kids are in modern schools,” said Prince George’s County School Board Chair Alvin Thornton, Ph.D.
The proposed solution is a public-private partnership to build six new middle schools in three-and-a-half years. The school system would pay no money upfront but would enter a long-term payment agreement.
“I want to make sure that no one is profiting off our children,” school board member Raaheela Ahmed said.
-- Tracee Wilkins State Sought Consultant to Study School Facilities in 2018. A Contract Still Hasn’t Been Awarded-- Maryland Matters Maryland: September 02, 2020 [ abstract] A political fight from 2018 has sparked a battle over procurement policy at the highest levels of Maryland government — and the fight is likely headed to the courts.
In a highly-charged legislative debate in 2018, the General Assembly took many of the powers over school construction contracts away from the Board of Public Works — the powerful body that consists of the governor, the state comptroller and the state treasurer.
The legislative push had several components, but was partially a way for House and Senate Democrats to limit the power of Republican Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. and his frequent BPW ally, Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot (D). “It’s politics, and it’s a personal vendetta against my colleague, the comptroller,” Hogan said at the time.
With school construction oversight in Maryland jumbled as a result of the legislative vote, the head of the Interagency Commission on School construction (IAC), Robert A. Gorrell, who has led the agency since 2017, sought advice on how to conduct a sweeping study of the state’s school maintenance and construction needs, as the legislation mandated.
“This is a very important tool” for state education leaders, Gorrell said.
So he turned to a proven expert in the field — MGT Consulting Group, a public sector management firm — whose counsel helped the IAC and state procurement officials develop a contract proposal in 2018 known as an RFP to conduct a school facilities survey in Maryland.
The problem was, by offering the state advice on what a contract might look like, MGT inadvertently disqualified itself from bidding on the work. MGT was conducting similar work in Anne Arundel County, and the IAC initially thought it could piggyback on that project and offer the contract to MGT — but that turned out not to be the case.
-- Josh Kurtz Connecticut’s first ‘net-zero’ schools, tapping solar and geothermal energy, to be built in Manchester and Mansfield-- Hartford Courant Connecticut: August 25, 2020 [ abstract]
MANCHESTER — A Hartford-based architectural firm is designing two Connecticut elementary schools as “net-zero” buildings, which generate as much energy as they use.
TSKP Studio is touting the projects as the first such schools in the state, “establishing a new standard for sustainable design in our communities.”
The renovation and addition project at Buckley Elementary School in Manchester and construction of a new Mansfield Elementary School are both to begin next year.
Both projects will use roof-mounted solar panels and geothermal wells. Plans also focus on reducing energy demand through lighting, window placement and strategic IT design, the architects said in a news release Tuesday.
“This validates what we’ve been doing all along if you look at our portfolio of work: incorporating daylight, planning efficient spaces and simplifying forms,” TSKP partner Ryszard Szczypek said.
With built-in tools for monitoring energy generation and consumption in real time, the buildings also will be educational resources, the architects said, providing students and teachers with dashboards to gauge energy performance.
“Connecting the school community to the environmental mission of their learning space will provide a rich opportunity for an ongoing dialog about sustainability,” the release said.
-- JESSE LEAVENWORTH New taskforce to examine ventilation in every NYC school classroom by next week: de Blasio-- Daily News New York: August 25, 2020 [ abstract]
City inspectors have launched a herculean effort to examine the ventilation in every New York City classroom in just one week to ensure they’re safe for the start of school in September, Mayor de Blasio said Tuesday.
“School ventilation action teams” comprised of engineers and ventilation experts will comb through every classroom in the city’s more than 1,600 public schools starting today and ending by Sept. 1, Hizzoner said.
“We’re marshaling the resources of not only the Department of Education and School construction Authority, but other agencies as well coming together to make sure that every school is ready, that the ventilation systems are working,” de Blasio said at a Tuesday press conference.
Inspectors will check whether windows in city classrooms can open to allow in fresh air, and whether fans to pull in and expel air in school buildings are working. A Daily News analysis of building inspections from 2019 found roughly 650 of 1,500 school buildings, 43%, had at least one deficiency in their exhaust fan systems.
-- MICHAEL ELSEN-ROONEY HVAC review delays Marlboro school reopening-- Brattleboro Reformer Vermont: August 23, 2020 [ abstract] MARLBORO — Marlboro School's 107 children will receive a combination of in-person and remote instruction until at least Oct. 1.
The Marlboro School Board decided Thursday night that having students in school four days a week is not advisable until a full analysis of the building's ventilation system is conducted.
The students will begin the year with "a limited hybrid model," according to a motion passed by the Board.
"The reason for this vote is to ensure the safety of our students, faculty, staff, and community as we give a construction team the necessary amount of time to upgrade and then re-check the HVAC systems in the Marlboro School building," states a notice to parents posted to the Marlboro, VT Community Facebook Group. "This HVAC issue is not solely Marlboro's issue but one all [Vermont] schools are addressing and investigating. While each HVAC system is different in every school, each presents its own challenges and timelines for upgrades. Marlboro's timeline appears to be one that sees a fix by early October."
A report can be found at marlboroschool.net.
Chris Medina, facilities manager for Windham Central Supervisory Union, told the Board that the school's ventilation system needs to be reviewed to determine air flow, how many times air is exchanged in the classrooms and whether the air is being filtered in accordance with guidelines established by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
Windham Central is also following the guidelines issued by the Vermont Agency of Education, issued in its Strong and Healthy Start for the 2020 school year.
-- Bob Audette ‘Deplorable’ conditions at Philly high school caused by rushed construction, report says-- WHYY Pennsylvania: August 19, 2020 [ abstract] The School District of Philadelphia’s botched attempt to renovate one of its high schools in 2018-19 created dangerous conditions for students and staff, according to an inspector general’s investigation released Wednesday.
An artificially compressed construction timeline — triggered by an expiring lease at another district high school — led officials to ignore warning signs, run up costs, and ultimately create hazardous circumstances, according to the Office of the Inspector General, an independent branch inside the school district.
“Alarm bells were sounded by many witnesses before and during the work on this project,” the investigation concluded. “Nevertheless, the warnings went largely unheard or unappreciated. There was no other alternative than getting the job done on time.”
The investigation comes about a year after WHYY reported a mysterious construction delay at Benjamin Franklin High School, located a short walk from the school district’s Center City headquarters.
For over a year, workers renovated the six-story structure so that another high school, Science Leadership Academy (SLA), could move into unused space. Science Leadership Academy had, to that point, rented space in a nearby building, an arrangement that cost millions.
District officials initially pegged the delay on malfunctioning elevators, but it quickly became apparent that the issues were far broader and more serious.
Soon after, Benjamin Franklin and SLA staff complained publicly of dusty, dangerous conditions inside the school. Those complaints led to further inspections, which revealed exposed asbestos inside the school.
The school district then removed staff and students from the building, and — after a contentious debate — relocated them temporarily to separate buildings around the city. Students returned in mid-February, nearly six months into the school year. But that was after they’d been exposed to “deplorable conditions,” according to the investigation.
The project eventually cost the cash-strapped school district over $50 million, five times what it had initially budgeted.
-- Avi Wolfman-Arent MPS maintenance ramps up during school shutdown, but still plenty of repairs left to do-- Montgomery Advertiser Alabama: August 18, 2020 [ abstract]
With a one-time boost in funding for capital improvement projects from the Legislature, the Montgomery Public Schools' maintenance team has been able to complete projects at a faster pace with students out of the buildings since March.
Set to receive $32 million through Gov. Kay Ivey's education bond passed earlier this year, the district is putting the money toward updating a high school's HVAC system, repairing roofs at multiple schools and constructing the new Booker T. Washington Magnet High.
The district also received about $6 million for capital improvement needs through the Education Trust Fund — a significant shortfall from the about $14 million that was expected. The decrease comes as a result of the pandemic, with the trust fund budget largely fueled by revenue from income and sales taxes.
"They’re moving quickly — the shutdown and the virtual (learning) for the first nine weeks has helped us," Director of Operations Chad Anderson said.
At Jefferson Davis High School, Anderson said they are beginning the next phase of updating the school's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The goal, dependent on when students return to the building, is to have the project completed by the end of the school year.
More:Gov. Kay Ivey proposes $1 billion bond for school improvements
"It will be on a control system where we can manage it, so it will be a lot more efficient and better on the equipment," he said, adding that the new system will allow his team to be more "proactive than reactive."
-- Krista Johnson NYC Scrambles to Find New School Space as Cuomo Gives Go-Ahead for Classes-- The City New York: August 07, 2020 [ abstract]
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday finally gave New York City the green light to reopen schools in September.
But one part of the plan for in-person learning is still very much up in the air: extra space for socially-distant schooling and for child care to keep kids, teachers and their families safe from the coronavirus.
In mid-July, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carranza announced the city would search for external spots for schools to use for instruction and programming.
Shortly afterward, public call-outs popped up in local officials’ newsletters, on the website of the School construction Authority and from the Real Estate Board of New York, asking: Does anyone have space for city schools?
“Ideally, the SCA would like to identify feasible and move-in ready spaces that can be occupied with little to no work this September 2020,” read a memo from REBNY, sent out to its more than 17,000 members by email earlier this week.
The message, relayed to REBNY by the SCA, asks for sites with rooms of no less than 650 square feet, dedicated entrances and bathrooms and “outdoor play space preferred but not mandatory.”
-- RACHEL HOLLIDAY SMITH Udall, Heinrich Introduce Impact Aid Infrastructure Act To Boost School Infrastructure Projects Amid COVID-19-- Los Alamos Daily Post Bureau of Indian Education: August 06, 2020 [ abstract] WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), to introduce the Impact Aid Infrastructure Act (IAIA), which provides $1 billion in supplemental funding for school infrastructure construction grants through the Impact Aid program.
IAIA provides competitive and formula grants for school infrastructure projects, including school construction and facilities upgrades, in school districts with high percentages of children with military parents or children living on Indian lands.
With these grants, school districts would have the flexibility to focus on their specific renovation and repair needs, which could include changes to help protect the health, safety, and well-being of students, teachers, school leaders, and school personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal Impact Aid is critical for New Mexico, where many school districts receive funding from the program because they serve the large number of federal military installations and Indian lands in the state.
“The COVID-19 crisis has brought our country’s existing education inequality into plain sight,” Udall said. “Many local public schools located near military bases, national labs, national parks, and Indian reservations in New Mexico and across the country have faced unique barriers to adequately funding important facilities projects for decades. These same school systems are now struggling to retrofit their campuses to make them safer for reopening because of budget shortfalls and decades long maintenance backlogs. This investment is long overdue but, now more than ever, we cannot turn our back on school safety.”
-- Carol Clark Winooski school campus redesign to be funded by $57.8M federal loan-- VTDigger Vermont: August 06, 2020 [ abstract] A $57.8 million redesign of the Winooski School District’s campus will be entirely funded through a federal loan and will save taxpayers millions, according to district officials.
The loan comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Rural Development program which provides affordable funding to develop “essential community facilities in rural areas,” according to the agency.
The loan comes with a 2.25% interest rate, according to Anthony Linardos, Vermont and New Hampshire State Director for USDA Rural Development.
Winooski district officials tout that taxpayers will save an estimated $11 million over time because of the low-interest loan, according to an Aug. 5 press release.
The $57.8 million loan is the largest single facilities loan the agency’s rural development branch has invested in Vermont, Linardos said.
“We had a recent $50 million loan to the Rutland Hospital, which at the time was the largest loan we had done, but now this investment is $57.8. million, which makes it the largest in our state, he said. “And just to put that in perspective, Rural Development invests about $200 million annually in Vermont, through different programs.”
Emily Hecker, a spokesperson for the school district said this program is unique because most Vermont schools would go through the Vermont Bond Bank to secure a loan for capital projects like the one in Winooski.
But the USDA loan, which is a 30-year loan, provides a much lower interest rate than that of any Vermont bond, she said.
The new campus has been in the works for the last two years, but construction only started about a month ago, Hecker said.
-- Sawyer Loftus Mobile schools considered as option during COVID-19 crisis for social distancing in the classroom-- 19News Ohio: August 04, 2020 [ abstract]
HINCKLEY, Ohio (WOIO) - Apple Mobile Leasing provides portable classrooms when schools go through construction projects or need more space, but now districts consider them to keep students safe from the spread of coronavirus.
“Classrooms are set up for ‘X’ amount of students, instructors, and now, those students can’t be quite as close together, for their own safety, the safety of the staff,” says Gail Fraher, a sales representative for Apple Mobile. “So, by getting additional classrooms, that’s allowing them to spread out and maintain that safety.”
By Vic Gideon | August 4, 2020 at 9:32 AM EDT - Updated August 4 at 12:51 PM
HINCKLEY, Ohio (WOIO) - Apple Mobile Leasing provides portable classrooms when schools go through construction projects or need more space, but now districts consider them to keep students safe from the spread of coronavirus.
“Classrooms are set up for ‘X’ amount of students, instructors, and now, those students can’t be quite as close together, for their own safety, the safety of the staff,” says Gail Fraher, a sales representative for Apple Mobile. “So, by getting additional classrooms, that’s allowing them to spread out and maintain that safety.”
Mobile schools considered as option during COVID-19 crisis for social distancing in the classroom
The Hinckley company has discussed using the buildings to provide more space to keep students farther apart and when the buildings aren’t needed, they can take them away.
“We’ll come and disassemble them. They can have them as long as they need, as short as they need,” says Fraher. “Administrators are thinking maybe three months, but again, no one knows with any sort of definitive, which is again, out of the ordinary because typically you know a building project length of time will be.”
-- Vic Gideon LAUSD ponders $7 billion school bond measure for construction, modernization-- Los Angeles Daily News California: July 30, 2020 [ abstract] The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Trustee is set to vote Tuesday, Aug. 4, during a special meeting on whether to put a $7 billion construction bond on the November ballot.
The bond money, paid back through property taxes on district residents, would go toward a long list of school construction projects continuing ongoing efforts at dozens of schools in the areas of safety, technology, modernization, accessibility, equipment and new construction. It would also cover projects on charter school campuses.
At least 55% of voters must approve the measure for passage. The average tax rate assessed on property owners to pay for the bond is estimated to roughly $21 per $100,000 of assessed property value until 2055 generating nearly $330 million annually.
But the tax would not increase overall rates for property owners as the district has promised it will only replace tax levies to pay for other bonds that are expiring.
“We have set a model not just for Los Angeles but the nation for how we can take a system that had been neglected for so long and create world class facilities,” Superintendent Austin Beutner told the LAUSD Bond Oversight Committee on Thursday during an informational discussion.
“This is about continuing our efforts,” Beutner said. “This will not require any taxpayer to pay more. There is no increase. We’ll continue to spend the dollars as if they are our own personal dollars.”
Current estimates show the school district has more than $50 billion in unfunded facility needs at roughly 1,100 school campuses district wide. More than 70% of all buildings were constructed more than 50 years ago and many are deteriorating and do not meet today’s standards for learning, officials say.
-- DAVID ROSENFELD Schools rush to make air quality improvements before classes resume, get 100% project funding-- Burlington Free Press Vermont: July 23, 2020 [ abstract]
WILLISTON - Hot off another run to Home Depot, Williston Schools Facilities Manager Lyall Smith apologized for his slight tardiness and explained they are constructing a plexiglass enclosure around the front desk of Allen Brook School, the town's pre-K through 2nd grade elementary.
Plexiglass is hard to come by these days.
Smith's brisk stride down the long, colorful hall of Williston Central School is full of intention and only interrupted by brief stops to show new hand sanitizing stations, water fountains functioning as bottle fillers only, to explain the uses of disinfectant sprayers or to answer questions from workers.
Much of the work Smith and his crew are doing to keep students and staff safe when school resumes involves construction and physical changes to the facility, but some of the work is largely unseen.
He is tasked with slowing the invisible air transmission of virus particulates by making upgrades to the ventilation systems of the two schools serving pre-K through 8th grade students.
Air quality improvement is a major component of readying schools for in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"There is growing evidence that this virus can remain airborne for longer times and further distances than originally thought," according to the Environmental Protection Agency. "In addition to close contact with infected people and contaminated surfaces, there is a possibility that spread of COVID-19 may also occur via airborne particles in indoor environments, in some circumstances beyond the 2 m (about 6 ft) range encouraged by social distancing recommendations."
-- April Barton U.S. judge hears of differences in 2 schools' building conditions-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: July 23, 2020 [ abstract]
Some of the construction materials used for the new Mills High School in the Pulaski County Special School District are not as durable as those used at the district's new Robinson Middle School, a district administrator testified Thursday in federal court.
Curtis Johnson, the district's executive director of operations since 2018, described the Mills campus he inherited as having easily damaged gypsum board walls in its corridors, an insufficient number of classrooms to house teachers, a small gymnasium and only one janitorial space with running water for servicing the two- story structure.
At the district's new Robinson Middle School -- which like Mills opened to students in August 2018 -- the walls are composed of durable concrete blocks, the water fountain backsplashes feature decorative tile, the number of classrooms exceed the state requirements for the size of the student enrollment and the gymnasium is an arena-style facility.
The condition of school buildings was at issue Thursday at a court hearing being held this month to determine if the 12,000-student Pulaski County Special school system has fulfilled its obligations in its desegregation Plan 2000 and related documents and can be declared unitary and released from future federal court monitoring of its operations.
-- Cynthia Howell Education Master Plan Completed for U.S. Virgin Islands-- School Construction News U.S. Virgin Islands: July 22, 2020 [ abstract] U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS— U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr. recently announced the completion of the education facilities master plan for the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Education.
“Today is a good day as we celebrate a major milestone, especially in the department of education,” said Governor Bryan in a statement.
“It gives me great pride and a real sense of accomplishment to launch our education schools facilities master plan. Education is the main driver in what a Virgin Islander will do for years to come, and we want to make sure we have schools that are not only equipped with the technology to power that, but with an atmosphere of warmth where teachers, students, administrators, and parents can come together and prepare the Virgin Islands children for a very bright future.”
Serving as a framework for future decision-making related to the reinvention of education and educational facilities in St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas, the master plan provides an avenue to improve learning environments for the territory’s 10,000 students.
For the past three years, the Virgin Islands has continued to recover following the catastrophic damage Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused across the territory in 2017, including destruction to multiple schools and educational support facilities. With many of the schools in the Virgin Islands 40 years and older, they are outdated and do not meet today’s educational standards.
The master plan calls for a reduction of facilities from 32 to 18 and a shift to a programming model of grades Pre-K-8 and 9-12 to ensure equity between the islands and the schools. Six schools will be constructed and 12 will receive modernizations and/or expansions, and all learning environments will be updated to support future-ready learning.
-- Staff Writer School Construction Could Help LA Rebound from Pandemic-- Engineering News-Record California: July 22, 2020 [ abstract] California Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators on June 21 reached a budget deal which promises to keep in place current spending for K-12 schools and community colleges. This is good news for contractors looking for a post pandemic rebound in the form of school bond projects.
California Forward (CA Fwd), a non-profit organization advocating “prosperity across the state,” says there are approximately $34 billion in voter approved unsold bonds that should be expedited for shovel ready projects that are in the approval pipeline. “Of that, $24 billion sits in school, higher education and water resource related facilities,” said Fred Silva, director of public policy and Micah Weinberg, chief executive – both of CA Fwd – in a news release. “For example, K-14 school bonds already approved by voters can be used for school construction projects that are already in the queue.”
One of the biggest players in Southern California is Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), which has a voter-approved bond program currently valued at $27.5 billion.
The District’s Facilities Services Division (FSD) is currently managing more than 650 projects in pre-construction valued at $3.7 billion and 220 projects under construction valued at $1.6 billion, says Mark Hovatter, FSD’s chief facilities executive. They are currently anticipating more than 120 additional projects with a combined construction value of nearly $900 million that will be advertised over the coming year, says Hovatter. Together these projects total $1.3 billion.
“Los Angeles Unified will be making important and long overdue upgrades and modernizations to our local public schools while generating thousands of construction-related jobs in Southern California,” says Hovatter. “Over the next year alone, we expect these projects to create approximately 16,000 construction jobs, making meaningful progress in the region’s economic recovery.”
-- Greg Aragon Minnesota public school district seeks to use eminent domain to seize charter school's property-- StarTribune Minnesota: July 06, 2020 [ abstract] An Iron Range school district's plan to build a new high school on the site of a charter school has prompted a legal battle over school districts' right to exercise the power of eminent domain.
Attorneys for the East Range Academy of Technology and Science (ERATS) in Eveleth said the case involving Rock Ridge Public Schools — a new merger of the former Virginia and Eveleth-Gilbert school districts — could have wide-ranging implications for public charter schools and school districts elsewhere in Minnesota. At issue: whether school districts, which have limited power to take property through the power of eminent domain, have the right to condemn and take over a public charter school.
The school district contends that it had to condemn the charter school property — a step required to exercise eminent domain — because no other land was available for a project that had been in the works for years. Trevor Helmers, an attorney representing Rock Ridge Schools, said the unusual case is unlikely to set a precedent for similar disputes in other locations, and that the district was forced to exercise eminent domain to avoid costly construction delays.
"Condemnation proceedings were a last resort after ERATS refused to negotiate, so that the districts could avoid the threatened litigation, meet project timelines, and ensure the Districts can educate students, as planned," Helmers wrote in an e-mail.
-- Erin Golden Baltimore County to develop master plan for school construction, but question of state funding lingers-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: July 03, 2020 [ abstract]
While central Maryland school officials debate whether students will return to school buildings this year, Baltimore County’s school system is seeking public input on construction priorities for its Multi-Year Improvement Plan for All Schools.
Responses collected between July 1 and July 15 will be used to develop a long-term plan prioritizing school construction projects, with final recommendations split into two phases: high schools first, then elementary and middle schools.
The survey asks respondents to weigh in on which factors should be considered when determining priorities for school projects, such as capacity relief, cost and facility condition. Respondents also are asked to rate their support for relief measures at overcrowded schools, including redistricting, new construction and consolidating underutilized schools to repurpose surplus school buildings.
A master plan for high school capital projects is expected in September, and any funding for those projects will be requested in Baltimore County Public Schools’ fiscal 2022 capital budget. Funding for future elementary and middle school projects would be requested in 2023.
The school system has hired consulting firm Cannon Washington Inc. to assess capacity concerns, educational equity and the condition of facilities.
-- TAYLOR DEVILLE Portland Public Schools considers smaller 2-4 year bond to cover urgent needs, building updates-- KATU2 Oregon: June 24, 2020 [ abstract] PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Public Schools is asking for the community’s feedback as it considers a 2020 school bond renewal.
The PPS Board of Education said as it originally proposed a $1.4 billion, eight-year bond renewal in early 2020, construction estimates for Cleveland, Jefferson, and Wilson High School modernization projects would not have left enough capacity over an eight-year bond cycle for other urgent needs like roofs, mechanical systems, and technology systems that could fail before voters would consider another bond in 2028.
Now, the school Board says instead of an eight-year bond, it is considering a two or four-year bond at the current tax rate so it can balance urgent needs and the long-term school modernization plan.
-- Staff Writer WCPS: No new schools built for the next 10 years-- Herald-Mail Media Maryland: June 23, 2020 [ abstract] Washington County Public Schools officials said there is no money available to build new schools in the county, at least for the next 10 years.
The Washington County Board of Education unanimously approved its 2020 facilities master plan during a teleconference meeting Tuesday night. Though the plan calls for critical maintenance work in several schools, it doesn't include the building or modernization of any new ones.
The lack of limited funding is due, in part, to the Washington County Board of Commissioners' decision to cap the amount of money allocated for the school district's capital improvement projects to $4 million per year for the next 10 years.
"With the funding in place over the next 10 years, we don't see a window where they'll be an opportunity to do that," said Jeffrey Proulx, the school system's chief operating officer. "There likely will not be any new schools in Washington County, at least for the next 10 years."
Though the state typically gives the county between $8 million and $10 million per year for capital construction school projects, it now will be difficult for the school system to match that amount, school officials said. Without a local match, the county won't have the ability to use the state's share of the money.
The state pays 79% of the construction costs, while the county pays the remaining 21%.
But the county alone pays for school furnishings, equipment, design and architecture. Those costs are not covered by state funds.
"In this educational master plan ... there are no new schools in Washington County," Superintendent Boyd Michael said. "I think it's important to relate, and know how our schools are going to quickly age.
-- Sherry Greenfield Local bill in N.C. House could smooth the way for school bonds-- News & Record North Carolina: June 19, 2020 [ abstract]
GREENSBORO — A bill supported by all Guilford County legislators is moving through the state House of Representatives and could make it easier for local voters to approve spending on school construction.
The measure, House Bill 1113, would give Guilford County officials the power to guarantee that a sales-tax increase would be used for "school capital outlay purposes only."
"What we're trying to do is provide the ability for the county commissioners to propose a sales-tax increase that could specifically be used for school construction," said state Rep. Jon Hardister, R-Whitsett, the bill's primary sponsor.
If enacted, the change in law would apply only to Guilford County.
The bill passed the House on second reading in a 114-4 vote earlier this week. It is scheduled for a third and final House vote Monday and then would move to the state Senate for further consideration.
The Guilford County Board of Commissioners discussed the bill's progress at its Thursday night meeting, agreeing to send a letter of thanks to the local legislative delegation in Raleigh along with a message of continued support for the bill.
-- Taft Wireback ASD gets an early jump on projects funded by school bonds-- 11KTVA Alaska: June 11, 2020 [ abstract] The Anchorage School District maintains the largest public footprint in the state of Alaska.
"Currently, we have 22 projects — $57 million dollars worth of construction going on right now," Senior Director of Capital Planning and construction at ASD Thomas Fenoseff said.
The school district budgets nearly $21 million annually for building and preventative maintenance. However, may of ASD's buildings were built in the 1960s and 1970s and additional funds are needed. That is where voter-approved school bonds come in.
Calvin Mundt is one of 11 project managers at the school district. He is currently overseeing work on the roof at West High School. An ASD document from May 26 says the construction cost for the roof replacement is approximately $5.8 million.
Mundt says the roof project took a year of design, with construction starting last summer on the auditorium stage area.
"The reason it is getting replaced was because the old roof was at the end of its useful life, which is anywhere from 20 to 30 years," Mundt said. "Then you need to replace."
-- Scott Gross Volusia schools are cash strapped, facing debt as schools, equipment age-- The Daytona Beach News-Journal Florida: June 10, 2020 [ abstract]
The economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the Volusia County district — so much that School Board members are now wondering if it makes sense to spend millions to construct the K-8 school of their dreams on the beachside when they could get two new elementary schools for the same price.
The School Board got the first look at the district’s capital budget on Tuesday, and was forced to discuss again if its earlier move to consolidate Osceola and Ortona elementary schools into a single K-8 facility makes any sense. For about the same $44 million it will cost to build the combo school they could build two elementary schools, including, maybe, a new Turie T. Small Elementary School.
In the next fiscal year the district is projecting an $8.5 million loss in sales tax revenue on top of the projected $16 million deficit it must overcome in its operating budget.
It’s not just about new schools. The board must also use the funds to maintain aging facilities around the district and update equipment like student technology. The district was supposed to be working toward having one-to-one devices for every student. The remote learning forced by the coronavirus pandemic exposed gaps in that process, but the pandemic also means it will be more difficult for the district to make that goal.
After getting a first look at the capital budget, the School Board had to discuss if it wanted to conduct its business on a pay-as-you-go plan, which could slow construction down as revenue accrued each year and jeopardize the plans for a K-8 school, or by bonding a portion of the money, which means they would get the money up front but have to pay it back with interest. One year ago, the board decided to bond $100 million.
But instead of that discussion, board members looked at the dismal financial forecast and wondered if they made the right decision two weeks ago when they opted to combine Osceola and Ortona elementary schools into a K-8 school on one of the existing sites, instead of a K-5 school to replace Osceola Elementary.
-- Cassidy Alexander Illinois Supreme Court Affirms School District Must Pay for Emergency Construction-- The National Law Review Illinois: June 05, 2020 [ abstract] Public construction projects in Illinois can be fraught with legal loopholes and “gotchas” that can take hard earned money out of the pockets of construction workers. Back in December, we wrote about the cautionary tale of Proviso East High School. In that case, the school district attempted to avoid making any payments over and above insurance proceeds for $7.3 million of emergency construction work that was performed to repair a high school following a fire loss.
The construction contracts at issue were signed by the school superintendent and the board received regular updates on the work. There were no objections to the price or the quality of the work when it was performed. But the school district then refused to pay on the ground that the contracts were void from the beginning because the school board did not follow the bidding-and-approval process required by the Illinois School Code. In the school district’s view, this was the construction company’s problem because the contractor had the responsibility in the first instance to make sure that the people it was dealing with had proper authorization before proceeding.
The trial court agreed with the school district and dismissed the case on the ground that the construction contract was void. The trial court also held that the contractor could not recover based on a contract implied by law (quantum meruit). The appellate court reversed, finding that the affected contractors could sue based on a contract implied by law for the value of the work.
-- Kelly K. Koss M-DCPS Accelerates School Facilities Improvements-- Miami's Community Newspapers Florida: May 29, 2020 [ abstract] When voters overwhelmingly approved the General Obligation Bond Referendum in 2012 to fund much needed renovations and replacement of schools, expand student capacity, enhance safety, and provide technology upgrades, we at Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) promised to deliver all projects on time and on budget. That commitment has not wavered in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic; in fact, we remain hard at work.
The unprecedented closure of schools was a difficult, but necessary transition that has impacted students and their families, as well as employees. However, it has also enabled us to accelerate construction projects and maintenance before our students and teachers return to the classroom.
When this pandemic began, we approached each of our contractors, advising them that the schools they were improving were vacant and available for a more rapid renovation and replacement timeline than typically possible when facilities are in use. Together, we created a thoughtful and deliberate plan to speed up project timelines to reduce construction time and save tax dollars. We currently have accelerated construction occurring at 39 school sites. One example of a project that will be completed earlier than promised is the significant renovation of Miami Palmetto Senior High. This includes the remodeling of the auditorium, demolition of existing buildings, addition of bathrooms and various other improvements.
The continuous work during this shutdown has also assisted contractors in providing stable employment in our community. Between 300 to 530 workers are on our sites daily. We are also out to bid with several projects, allowing us to generate additional job opportunities, with high goals for local, minority and small business utilization.
-- Raul F. Perez, Carl Nicoleau School construction plans advance " for now-- Finance & Commerce Minnesota: May 27, 2020 [ abstract] Coming off the passage of major bond referendums last fall, K-12 school construction is heating up from Rochester to Roseau. But the future of the sector is less certain as the COVID-19 crisis continues to be a drag on the economy.
For its part, Minneapolis-based Kraus-Anderson is working on dozens of school projects this spring and summer, said Pat Mulcahey, a Kraus-Anderson construction executive and senior project manager.
That includes a $38 million education center for the Roseville Area Schools, a $28 million addition to an elementary school in Pipestone, and a $3.6 million renovation at Chippewa Middle School in North Oaks, among other work.
Earlier this month, Kraus-Anderson was selected as construction manager of a $40 million expansion and upgrade of an 80-year-old K-12 building in Roseau, a project approved by voters in a May 12 referendum.
Mulcahey said a large share of the projects were financed through pre-pandemic referendums, and many were bid out before the COVID-19-related shutdowns started to happen. So for now it least, it’s full speed ahead on school construction.
“I think we have about 50 K-12 projects going this summer,” he said. “We are grateful to be doing them.”
-- Brian Johnson Bismarck School Board approves plans to build 2 elementary schools by 2022-- The Bismarck Tribune North Dakota: May 26, 2020 [ abstract] The Bismarck School Board recently approved a three-phase plan to upgrade facilities in the state's largest school district after receiving plenty of positive public feedback following a virtual presentation of the plan.
Separately, the board has adopted a comprehensive strategic plan as a guiding document and directed administrators to put the plan into operation over the next five years.
Facilities plan
Phase 1 of the facilities plan calls for the construction of two elementary schools, in northeast and northwest Bismarck, at an estimated cost of about $11 million each. They're to be completed in time for the beginning of school in August 2022.
The money for construction would be drawn from the district's existing building fund, so property taxes would not initially increase. Once the schools are built, however, their operating costs could result in a larger school budget and increased taxes.
Phase 2 calls for the creation of a facilities master plan, and Phase 3 would be to implement that plan in coming years, addressing space needs at schools that are at or nearing capacity. Legacy High School and Lincoln Elementary School already have been identified as sites for possible expansion.
-- BILAL SULEIMAN North Little Rock district asking state to OK election for millage extension-- Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: May 25, 2020 [ abstract] The North Little Rock School District has sent a special election request to the Arkansas Department of Education for a potential millage extension.
Keith McGee, interim superintendent of the 8,000-student school district, said the district is in the beginning stages of asking voters for a seven- or eight-year extension. McGee said the request was sent on behalf of the school board, which is looking to refinance its debt and the millage extension is a big part of the process.
"It would allow us to generate funds for construction and lower our debt payments by $1 million a year," McGee said. "Some of the projects we are looking at is Ole Main and an upgrade to the middle school."
Financial adviser Scott Beardsley said the current millage rate is set to expire in 2042. He said now is a good time for a millage extension because interest rates are low, allowing the district to potentially refinance its debt.
North Little Rock School District voters approved a 7.4-mill property tax increase in a special election in 2012, which allowed the district to carry out a $265.5 million school construction and renovation plan over the next five years. The renovation plan was one of the largest and most comprehensive plans in the state's history.
The school-tax rate increased from 40.9 mills to 48.3 mills. The millage increase costs the owner of a $100,000 home in North Little Rock an annual school tax bill of $966.
A mill is one-tenth of a cent. Each mill produces $1 in taxes for every $1,000 of assessed valuation. Counties assess real property at 20% of its appraised value, and that value is multiplied by the millage rate to determine taxes.
-- Stephen Simpson King George school renovation reveals more asbestos than expected-- Fredericksburg.com Virginia: May 23, 2020 [ abstract]
For the second month in a row, members of the King George Board of Supervisors were rankled by contractors renovating King George Middle School who said they need more money to get rid of asbestos in old parts of the school.
But they weren’t the only ones surprised by the level of cancer-causing materials in the facility, built in 1968. Adam Vogel, project manager and construction contract administrator with RRMM Architects, said his company reviewed previous studies done by the school system, which apparently didn’t tell the whole story.
He cited a 2014 survey, done as part of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, which said there was asbestos only in the floor tiles of the auditorium and possibly in panels of the old bus loop canopy.
But as contractors proceeded, they found asbestos in the ceiling at the joints of water pipes and in the sealants around ductwork. There also was asbestos in the floor tile, which had been covered by newer tile, Vogel said.
“These concealed asbestos-containing materials existed throughout the whole school,” Vogel stated in an email.
However, the asbestos that was found was “encapsulated and not in a condition that would present a hazard,” said School Superintendent Rob Benson, who has attended meetings about construction updates.
Supervisors agreed to pay both change orders submitted for asbestos abatement, which have totaled $136,741 to date. They also learned there will be at least one more bill coming associated with asbestos removal, but Vogel said he believes he can finish the project under budget.
-- Cathy Dyson Schools across the county upgrade, renovate-- The Journal Times Wisconsin: May 23, 2020 [ abstract] School facility improvement projects have been continuous this year in Racine County, with some completed, some underway and others yet to begin.
Earlier this year Union Grove Elementary School, 1745 Milldrum St., Union Grove, completed construction of four new fifth-grade classrooms, special-education classroom and breakout area, as well as installation of new roofing, gym renovations, mechanical system upgrades and a new asphalt parking lot.
Work on the projects funded by an $8 million referendum in March 2019 and were 95% complete by the start of this school year. Union Grove Elementary was originally constructed in 1968, with additions in 1973 and 2003. Projects are completely finished now that the school recently received and installed some back-ordered lockers.
“We actually have new breakout areas and a lot more flexible seating for our kids just to stay up to where education is now,” said District Administrator Brenda Stevenson. “It’s done completely differently than it was 20 years ago. We made some huge changes that are benefiting our kids and their learning styles.”
Burlington
Work is currently underway at Burlington Area School District’s new 142,384-square-foot, $32.7 million Karcher Middle School, 225 Robert St. The work is funded by a $43.65 referendum that will also pay for district-wide maintenance, repairs and safety upgrades. construction began in October, and steel framing for the building was going up in early March.
-- Caitlin Sievers State treasurer offers reassurance on Rogers High School construction reimbursement-- NewportRI.com Rhode Island: May 22, 2020 [ abstract] NEWPORT — Members of the City Council and School Committee were joined by the state general treasurer Seth Magaziner on Thursday night for a school bond workshop.
If the project moves forward as proposed, “I personally think you’re a shoe in” for the full 52.5% percent reimbursement from the state, Magaziner said.
The School Building Authority, which is part of the Rhode Island Department of Education, approved plans for a new high school that would cost $98,862,667 and an addition to Pell Elementary School that would cost $7,472,300, according to a notification letter sent by SBA School construction Coordinator Joseph da Silva to Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain, The Daily News reported earlier this month.
The total school project budget eligible for partial state reimbursement to the city “will be no more than $106,334,967,” according to da Silva’s letter.
The plans were to be reviewed by the Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary Education and are scheduled to come up for a final vote of approval on June 16, The Daily News reported previously.
-- Laura Damon Summer construction at St. Louis Park Schools begins early-- Sun Sailor Minnesota: May 19, 2020 [ abstract] With students out of classrooms, the St. Louis Park School District is beginning work on its summer building projects early.
construction beginning this spring includes work on the St. Louis Park Middle School front entry and front offices, construction of a performing arts center and music classrooms at the school and renovation of the middle school kitchen and cafeteria.
“We are starting out at the middle school with construction of all the projects that are remaining,” Facilities Manager Tom Bravo said during a May 11 school board meeting.
The district will be prepared to open up the doors to students for the fall semester if in-person classes can begin again, he said. construction would still be taking place, but the school would have a temporary kitchen space and entrance. Work would continue throughout the 2020-21 school year.
Other construction at the middle school includes a renovation to a special education classroom, an art classroom renovation and other miscellaneous classroom upgrades, according to the presentation. Cooling units have been installed six months ahead of schedule. During the fall semester, every classroom will be able to benefit from air conditioning.
Outside of the school, trees have been removed for fencing and staging. Fencing will be up for 13-15 months, according to the presentation.
The middle school work had been scheduled to begin Monday, June 8.
“construction has started in the front and the performing arts addition, and they’re going like gangbusters over there,” Bravo said.
The middle school closed completely May 18 after the district turned off gas lines and electrical power to the facility.
-- Seth Rowe $108 million New London High School project poised to start this month-- The Day Connecticut: May 15, 2020 [ abstract] New London — Project and construction managers overseeing the $108 million reconstruction of New London High School are pushing for a May start date for major construction work.
And while bids on the project came in at more than $4 million over budget, closer scrutiny and revisions to the plans over the past several weeks have nearly closed the budget gap. Diana McNeil, project manager for Capitol Region Education Council, said the value engineering work is still ongoing and some numbers remain fluid, but the construction manager for the project, Newfield + Downes, has "no other choice" but to bring the project within budget.
The state, which is reimbursing the city 80% of the costs for much of the project, will not consider any reimbursement to the city for items outside the $108 million budget, McNeil said.
Tom DiMauro, project executive for Newfield + Downes, said last week during a meeting of the School Building and Maintenance Committee, that changes in the scope of work have reduced costs by an estimated $3.8 million, though an estimated $708,890 of those cuts are still pending approval.
A subcommittee that includes city and school district representatives have spent the past several weeks examining more than a hundred line items to find cost reductions. Materials were changed, costs of fixtures revised, allowances for contractors lowered and numerous individual line items that included labor costs were scrutinized, McNeil said, in order to fit into the budget.
Newfield + Downes now awaits approval from the City Council to award contracts to eight trade contractors involved in the early construction phase. The contracts would total $48.2 million and include things like electrical, concrete, plumbing and site work. The council also will have a chance to look over a list of proposed changes made during the value engineering process.
-- Greg Smith Rogers, Pell plans OK’d by state School Building Authority-- NewportRI.com Rhode Island: May 12, 2020 [ abstract] NEWPORT – The state’s School Building Authority has approved the city’s plans to construct a new Rogers High School and an addition to the Pell Elementary School and has recommended final approval by the state board of education.
The plans will be reviewed by the Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday and are scheduled to come up for a final vote of approval on June 16.
The School Building Authority, which is part of the Rhode Island Department of Education, approved plans for a new high school that would cost $98,862,667 and an elementary school addition that would cost $7,472,300, according to a notification letter sent by SBA School construction Coordinator Joseph da Silva to Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain.
“This is great news,” Jermain wrote when forwarding da Silva’s letter.
She said RIDE officials were impressed by the quality of the application.
The total school project budget eligible for partial state reimbursement to the city “will be no more than $106,334,967,” according to da Silva’s letter.
The city can be reimbursed up to 52.5% of these school costs by the state under a current formula. City Finance Director Laura Sitrin has said she is “fairly certain” the city will qualify for 50% reimbursement.
However, the state does not finalize the reimbursement rate until the schools are constructed.
“I’m very excited we made it to the next step,” said Rebecca Bolan, co-chairwoman of the city School Building Committee. “We’re confident the education board will give us final approval now that RIDE (Rhode Island Department of Education) has forwarded our proposal with a positive recommendation.”
-- Sean Flynn NYC School Construction Chief Reopens Projects, But Awaits Stimulus Funds-- Engineering News-Record New York: May 11, 2020 [ abstract] With students and faculty at home during COVID-19, it's an optimal time for work on school construction projects – only if needed federal funding is received in a timely manner, New York City's School construction Authority president and CEO said May 7.
"This is a good time to get [school] construction done,” Lorraine Grillo said during an online Q&A presented by the New York Building Congress. “But with the current [COVID-19 pandemic], there is a cash flow crisis in the city. If the federal government could come through, we could do exactly that and get things done." The agency awaits federal stimulus funding.
“While it will spur the economy on, it will have real positive effects for the city. We are hoping the feds will come through,” Grillo said.
The $2 trillion federal stimulus package—called the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act—was signed into law March 27. It can benefit engineering and construction firms, and their client companies, through provisions for small-business loans and tax breaks.
It was not immediately clear how much stimulus money New York City officials were seeking.
In late March, the Authority "paused" 670 projects, according to agency spokesman Kevin Ortiz. construction has resumed on five schools so far in the city—projects that total $302 million, he told ENR.
-- Stephanie Loder Brighton School Facilities Advisory Committee continues long-range facility planning process-- West of the I Wisconsin: May 10, 2020 [ abstract] Here is an update from Brighton School about the ongoing long-range facility planning process:
The District hosted the second Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC) meeting on May 6, 2020 to continue discussions surrounding long-range facility planning. The FAC meeting was made available virtually to allow for social distancing. After a review of the District’s current and forecasted financial strength by Melissa Grohs, the District’s construction and architectural consultants presented a final report on the current condition of the District’s school building and long-range maintenance needs. The report categorized needs by urgency, ranging from “immediate need” to “10+ years.” The 12-member FAC has been working with CG Schmidt construction and FGM Architects since January to
develop the facility report, with the mission of maximizing the District’s investment into the 1962 school building and ensuring that it continues to be a safe space that provides its students with access to a modern, quality education.
In addition to identifying specific maintenance, safety, and repair needs at the school, the report also identified potential curriculum and educational adequacy needs, specifically calling for a dedicated
STEM space; separate art, music, and band classroom; and physical enhancements. These needs were identified with one-on-one meetings with teachers and staff and prioritized at the first FAC meeting
through a 1-2-4-All Facilitation Exercise. During a review of the State Education Budget and the District’s finances, the District administration noted that these investments would potentially be partially
supported through state grant programs subsidizing rural and STEM education.
-- Darren Hillock Burlington School District scales down high school renovations-- VT Digger Vermont: May 10, 2020 [ abstract] The Burlington School District has made cuts to a high school renovation project after the price tag for the initial plans came in more than $20 million over budget.
Voters overwhelmingly approved a $70 million high school overhaul in November 2018 that would address deferred maintenance and accessibility issues, safety concerns and provide an overall upgrade to the facility built in 1964.
The new plan eliminates the Galleria for the entrance to the school, construction of an auxiliary gym, and the renovation of the current gym’s floor. Some renovations to the building where the Burlington Technical Center is located have also been nixed.
The Board of Finance unanimously approved the schematic design and financing in late April after Clare Wool, the school board’s chair, and Tom Peterson, a consultant working with the district, discussed the project.
Wool said in an interview Thursday that the cost overruns were unforeseen. She said they were caused in part by the discovery of asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyl, or PCBs, on the property. The costs of stormwater work and ADA accessibility work were also higher than anticipated, she said.
Since August, the district has worked to cut the costs of the project to about $73 million.
First, the district limited expenditures significantly by replacing some planned new construction with renovations. For example, the plan no longer includes the demolition of D building or wrap-around construction of A building, Peterson said.
Wool said the district saved $5 million by eliminating exterior and window renovations to one building, $2 million on removing the auxiliary gym and $1.2 million on removing the Galleria.
“Aesthetically, we didn’t have the height of the windows, but that didn’t include programming,” she said. “Some of these things that were architectural accents, we had to remove.”
-- Aidan Quigley Campuses may lack students, but some Napa school workers remain on the job-- Napa Valley Register California: May 10, 2020 [ abstract] With 32 campuses, the Napa Valley Unified School District has hundreds of acres of land and property to manage and maintain.
And even though school sites are temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the grass still needs to be cut.
That’s where operations workers from the NVUSD come in. While Napa teachers and students are sequestered at home doing distance learning, these staffers have remained on the job, mowing, sanitizing, cleaning and otherwise maintaining Napa’s school campuses.
“The operations services team are our unsung heroes,” said Michael Pearson, executive director of school planning and construction, maintenance and operations at NVUSD.
Most of those workers can’t do their jobs remotely, he noted. “They have to report to work to ensure that the facilities and our equipment continue to operate properly.”
It’s no change from any other emergency, such as a flood, earthquake or wildfires, said Pearson.
“They have been there willing to do whatever is necessary.”
Pearson said he couldn’t give exact numbers, but he oversees more than 200 employees in departments including maintenance, grounds, operations, custodians, food service and transportation.
To comply with the public health order for social distancing, “we are staggering employee shifts, thus limiting the number of employees performing work at a site. All employees are assigned a shift unless they are sick, have an underlying health condition with a note from a physician and/or over the age of 65. We are also ensuring services are able to be performed within the required six feet of other people and/or safely with protective gear,” he said.
Some may question why the district doesn’t simply just let the grass grow.
“If we don’t mow the grass, it will get too long and turn to weeds,” and then it becomes a fire hazard, Pearson said. “That’s no good.”
-- Jennifer Huffman Panel kicks in funding for school building projects across Arkansas-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: May 08, 2020 [ abstract]
Plans for a new high school in Pocahontas, a new elementary school in Bryant, and a new elementary and middle school in Bentonville are among the construction and building improvement plans to receive $64.7 million in state aid.
The three-member Arkansas Commission for Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation on Friday allotted the state aid to 68 projects in all, including 41 that were proposed for the current fiscal year but for which the state didn’t have money at the time.
The newly approved funding is the state’s share of the cost of the local district building projects — a percentage of the total project cost. The state’s share is determined by a district’s student enrollment and its local property tax wealth, with wealthier districts qualifying for smaller percentages of state building aid.
The financial aid for school buildings is the result of Arkansas’ Academic Facilities Partnership Program. Lawmakers created the program in 2006 to modernize public schools in response to a state Supreme Court decision that had declared Arkansas’ public schools inequitable, inadequate and unconstitutional.
-- Cynthia Howell Schools may be closed, but large construction projects still on schedule-- Salem Reporter Oregon: May 07, 2020 [ abstract]
Major construction projects have recently started at three Salem-Keizer schools, and crews are on track to finish expansions at four others this summer.
Though nearly every other piece of schooling has been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, the $620 million Salem-Keizer renovation and expansion package approved by voters in the spring of 2018 is on schedule, district chief operations officer Mike Wolfe said this week.
At McNary and North Salem high schools, renovations have been underway since last spring.
Crews planned a construction schedule around doing interior renovations, like seismic retrofitting, when students were out of school.
Because of the pandemic, schools have been closed to students and staff since March 13, which in some cases has made construction access easier, Wolfe said.
A few extra months with no students on campus may help them complete projects more quickly, but Wolfe said the district is still planning for an on-schedule completion in August and doesn’t want to “over-promise and under-deliver.”
“Having a little extra time to deal with them is just added insurance,” he said.
Expansions of Waldo and Judson middle schools, which will add classrooms to relieve overcrowding and new cafeteria space, are also scheduled for completion in August.
-- Rachel Alexander Alabama Senate passes $1.25 billion bond issue to build school buildings-- Alabama Political Reporter Alabama: May 05, 2020 [ abstract]
Monday, the Alabama Senate passed the Investing in Alabama’s Future Act, Senate Bill 242, authorizing the Alabama Public School and College Authority to sell and issue $1,250,000,000 in bonds for capital improvements for the support of public education.
The Act provides funds for capital improvements for the public schools, the Alabama Community College System, and public institutions of higher education.
SB242 is sponsored by Senate Finance and Tax Education Committee Chairman Arthur Orr (R-Decatur)/
Orr said that the construction would serve as a stimulus to help the economy recover.
Sen. Bobby Singleton (R-Greensboro) expressed concerns with how the money would be allocated. Singleton said that more should be done to help failing schools to raise Alabama as a state out of its place as 52nd in education.
Singleton admitted that it would help schools in his district; but that it would help schools such as Mountain Brook that already had new schools and more tax base, while poor systems, such as Sumter County have 40-year-old school buildings they are struggling to maintain and repair. Singleton said that the bill did not do anything to address the widening gap between rich and poor in the state.
The Senate voted 29 to 0 for passage of the legislation. SB242 now goes to the Alabama House of Representatives for their consideration.
Both houses of the Alabama legislature had previously met only once since it broke for their spring break on March 12. Due to concerns about the coronavirus crisis, the public and lobbyists were both barred from the State House on Monday. Every member of the House of Representatives was wearing masks and assigned seats were rearranged so that there would be at least six feet between members. Gone were the pages and interns.
-- Brandon Moseley School construction, repairs to continue in Napa during shutdown-- Napa Valley Register California: May 05, 2020 [ abstract] Campuses have remained empty for a month and a half due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Napa school district leaders are allowing planning, site work and construction to continue to prepare for the return of students to their classrooms.
A host of projects ranging from finishing new campuses to resurfacing athletic fields and installing kitchens will go on, after the Napa Valley Unified School District declared 17 such projects “essential public works” exempt from the shutdowns ordered by California and Napa County to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The projects cleared to continue include work at recently opened or rebuilt campuses including the Snow and Willow elementary schools, as well as planning for Napa Junction Elementary’s relocation to Eucalyptus Drive in American Canyon and a multipurpose building to add capacity at American Canyon Middle School. Also remaining on track is the replacement of synthetic turf at school-owned sporting venues, including at Napa’s Memorial Stadium and the district’s three high schools.
The declaration, which NVUSD’s board approved at its virtual meeting April 23, also declares essential a plan to add fencing to the McPherson, Shearer and Donaldson Way grade schools to give them a single entry point as a safety feature. It also calls for the continuation of various upgrades to campus technology, kitchens and other facilities.
-- Howard Yune Ravenna starts litigation against high school building construction companies-- Record-Courier Ohio: April 29, 2020 [ abstract] The Ravenna Board of Education has taken the first step toward attempting to recoup several hundreds of thousands of dollars it has paid to fix moisture problems at the high school.
On Monday, the board approved a resolution to start litigation against Cincinnati Insurance Company, Giambrone construction, Inc., BSHM Architects, Inc. and AECOM Services, Inc.
According to Superintendent Dennis Honkala, the high school, which opened in 2010, has had water issues for about seven years, including leaking roofs and drainage issues around certain doors. Initially, the district thought the problems were minor repairs.
“We thought it was just band-aid stuff, but then it got worse. We had to get someone in there to find the root of the problem. We had some remediation done last summer and we had an expert come in who said that it was not our fault. Based on that, our attorney advised us to litigate,” he said.
The district paid for all repairs out of pocket using the building maintenance fund.
“We want to do mediation first, but this is the first step, which gives us permission to get to the table,” Honkala said.
-- KRISTA S. KANO Schools put brakes on projects, announce possible cuts-- The Valley Breeze Rhode Island: April 29, 2020 [ abstract] CUMBERLAND – Facing enormous budget uncertainty due in large part to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, school officials have announced a laundry list of potential cuts to their 2020-2021 budget and halted all further work on planned upgrades to local educational facilities.
The decisions were made during a pair of online meetings last Wednesday and Thursday, with School Committee member Karen Freedman saying and others agreeing that it’s a different world today than it was two months ago.
The committee at its April 22 meeting tabled a vote on authorizing school construction vendors to continue work on school construction projects. Only the work needed to complete final submission of stage two work on the schools will move forward and leaders will wait until June to learn where they stand at that point.
Mayor Jeffrey Mutter asked for the April 22 meeting, saying he wanted to clear up confusion over phone calls that had led School Committee Chairman Paul DiModica to call a meeting the previous week and level criticism at him as head of the Building Committee for allegedly not making a recommendation on the school projects.
-- ETHAN SHOREY Mitch McConnell: Fort Campbell Middle School construction to move forward-- Courier Journal National: April 28, 2020 [ abstract] Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office announced Tuesday construction on the Fort Campbell Middle School is moving forward.
The more than $62 million to build the school was one of the hundreds of military spending measures allocated in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. The funding was later delayed.
A Tuesday release from McConnell's office said he "consistently pressed Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on the importance of this project to families of servicemembers stationed at Ft. Campbell and urged him to restore the funding."
-- Sarah Ladd School Renovation: Proposed bond taxes will be delayed-- The Chronicle Oregon: April 28, 2020 [ abstract] The St. Helens School District Board of Directors has announced that if Measure 5-282 passes during the May 19 election, they have instructed the District to delay the sale of bonds until 2022.
The delay would not impact the proposed construction schedule to the high school, according to a release from the St. Helens School District.
The following is the release from the District.
Bond Package Developed, Referred to Voters
In 2015 when the St. Helens School District held listening sessions throughout the community about the direction they wanted their school district to lead, they were told, among other things, that the Middle School and High School needed to be updated to modern health, safety and education standards.
“Over the past five years, the St. Helens School District has been planning and working with our community to upgrade these facilities,” Board Chair Bill Amos said. “We have built a new middle school and a new options high school building both of which were built under budget."
For the past year and a half, the District has worked with the community to develop a High School improvement plan that would address health, safety, building systems and education programs at the facility. In February, the board of directors referred the proposed bond to voters for the May 2020 ballot.
-- Staff Writer Fort Bend ISD trustees approve $108.1M in construction, renovation projects including new Riverstone elementary school-- Chron.com Texas: April 27, 2020 [ abstract] At the April 20 school board meeting, Fort Bend ISD trustees approved approximately $108.1 million in funding for a long list of 2018 bond construction projects, many of which would normally would have to wait for summer thanks to COVID-19 campus closures.
The list included design plans for a new $32.3 million Riverstone-area elementary school to be built in Sugar Land near Elkins High School. Last December, trustees Trustees approved a contract with Huckabee Architects to prepare construction documents for the new Riverstone area elementary school included a project budget of $32,282,486. The design for the new elementary school is a “repeat” of designs used to build Patterson Elementary School with a few modifications. This new elementary is being built to alleviate overcrowding at Commonwealth Elementary and Sullivan Elementary and is scheduled to open in the spring of the 2022-23 school year.
Trustees also approved fine arts department upgrades, renovations and additions totaling roughly $67.3 million at a number of different campuses. The project list includes $16.2 million for a new fine arts addition plsu other renovations and a new
-- Kristi Nix Minot School construction continues - with precautions-- Wicked Local - Wareham Massachusetts: April 27, 2020 [ abstract] WAREHAM - Via remote teleconference call, the Minot Forest School Building Committee met Monday night to discuss construction of the new elementary school. And yes, despite the ongoing shutdowns of work around the country in the pandemic, the planned elementary school at the former Minot Forest Elementary site is still underway.
“It’s still underway, still on target,” said project manager Chad Crittenden.
While union leaders at the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters and the Massachusetts Building Trades Council told members to stop working construction sites starting the first week of April, Gov. Charlie Baker told cities and municipalities to allow construction projects to move forward as “essential” work.
Keeping both of those things in mind, Rhode Island-based Bacon construction, which is building the new school, has put precautions in place for the workers, Crittenden said, including a manager on the site to check with workers each day; all those on site need to wear face coverings, work several feet apart, and have been told to not come in at all if they have symptoms of a cold or fever - or any of their family members do.
“Right now, everything is working, with the precautions,” said Crittenden, noting that much of the early work - excavations, foundations, etc., allow for space between workers. “But this is a very fluid situation and we realize there may be more precautions coming and the whole situation could be different ... there are a lot of unknowns here. But for now, work is getting done, right on time, with the precautions in place.”
The new $90 million elementary school, which will combine the student populations of Decas and Minot Forest elementary schools at the former M
-- Mary McKenzie Virus not stopping Chandler school building projects-- SanTan Sun News Arizona: April 27, 2020 [ abstract] The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped Chandler Unified School District officials from moving ahead with using bond money to finance several new construction projects.
During a meeting April 8, the district’s Governing Board authorized spending about $5.3 million in funding from a 2019 voter-approved bond meant to finance a number of capital improvements on Chandler Unified’s 42 school campuses.
Though the ongoing public health crisis has been generating much uncertainty about the future financing of cities and schools, CUSD is finding a way to move forward with a number of projects already budgeted in a $291-million bond passed overwhelmingly by voters last November.
Grant Hamill, a financial advisor for Stifel Nicolaus, recently told the Governing Board the national bond market has been plagued by a lack of liquidity that’s resulted in fewer investments and a supply-demand imbalance.
But a recent injection of liquidity by the Federal Reserve should improve market conditions in the coming weeks, he added, and restore the confidence of investors.
“We do think the market is starting to thaw out a little bit and it’s becoming a little less volatile,” Hamill said.
-- Staff Writer Early closing of school buildings means early construction for some USD 383 bond projects-- The Mercury Kansas: April 26, 2020 [ abstract]
Although the pandemic disrupted regular Manhattan-Ogden school operations for the rest of the school year, there’s been the small silver lining that construction crews on several district bond projects can start their work, or at least preparation for it, a little earlier.
Trisha Brooke-Fruendt, the district owners representative for the project, said good weather these past few weeks has kept construction on track. construction is considered essential business, Brooke-Fruendt said, and while social distancing guidelines will eventually limit some aspects of construction, construction is still in preliminary stages, allowing workers to space themselves out on site.
In some cases, workers have been able to start construction earlier, since school buildings are empty of people. But conversely, some projects have to stick to pre-pandemic schedules, since contractors may still be attached to projects elsewhere, Brooke-Fruendt said. Additionally, designs aren’t yet finalized for some construction projects, such as the wing expansion at Manhattan High’s west campus.
All the construction is part of the $129.5 million bond initiative voters passed in November 2018. Virtually every district facility will see renovations, upgrades or additions, and the district also will build the new Oliver Brown Elementary School in Blue Township.
However, construction is slated to last through summer 2024, and only a few facilities will see work this summer as part of the first phase of the bond timeline. One school project, a $226,000 parking lot improvement project at Amanda Arnold, was completed in the fall.
-- Rafael Garcia Paradise Unified approves $135 million facilities master plan update-- Paradise Post California: April 25, 2020 [ abstract]
The Paradise Unified School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday night unanimously approved a $135 million master facilities update as presented by Brian Whitmore of BCA Architects.
The two-phased update would include the renovation of Paradise High School, the construction of Ridgeview High School right across the from senior/junior high school on Maxwell Drive.
It would also include improvements to Cedarwood Elementary, Pine Ridge School, Ponderosa Elementary, and at the Paradise Intermediate School, which is currently the Paradise Ridge Elementary school site.
It would also include a brand new maintenance and operation site on Pearson Road, rebuilding on where the old one was.
The plan doesn’t call for the rebuilding of the Paradise Elementary School site next to the maintenance yard on Pearson Road at this time.
It also leaves the Ridgeview school site in old Magalia for potential use for stem labs.
The Cedarwood site would be improved.
The master plan would be carried out in two phases. The first phase would be financed through insurance proceeds from the Camp Fire and is expected to be completed by the Fall of 2023.
That phase is expected to cost almost $65.5 million with an expected insurance proceeds revenue of $66.9 million. But Whitmore told the board that it is possible that insurance proceeds be as high as $71 million.
-- RICK SILVA COVID-19 could end Florida’s use of schools as hurricane shelters-- Tampa Bay Times Florida: April 24, 2020 [ abstract]
TALLAHASSEE — To avoid the spread of COVID-19, Florida’s officials might not open up mass shelters or schools for people seeking cover during a hurricane.
Instead, the state might use hotels, paid for with federal funds, and deploy ride sharing services to shuttle people out of harm’s way, Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz told members of a task force to reopen Florida.
An even more radical solution has received some attention, as well.
“Do we change the concept of evacuating at all?” Moskowitz said on Friday.
As hurricane season approaches on June 1, COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has state officials reconsidering placing hundreds or thousands of Floridians into large open spaces. Using those locations could require taking everyone’s temperature before entry, buying and erecting dividers to keep people separated, and other preventive measures.
The state already is talking to Abbott Labs and others about getting an extra supply of virus tests for hurricane shelter needs, Moskowitz said. The department has similar worries about using buses to take evacuees out of harm’s way.
It might be safer, Moskowitz said, to have the state hire Uber or Lyft drivers to transport families to shelters. Another possibility, he added, is to provide gas cards to families that have limited financial means to help them escape.
The state is also discussing whether to issue stay-at-home orders for Category 1 and 2 storms, rather than evacuating, for people living in homes built after 1996, when the construction guidelines were made stricter.
-- Lawrence Mower and Jeffrey S. Solochek Money is here for Hillsborough school construction; materials are less certain-- Tampa Bay Times Florida: April 24, 2020 [ abstract] TAMPA — As they await income projections from the state, Hillsborough County School District leaders are sweating some details in important construction projects.
Supplies are one area of concern as the COVID-19 heath crisis disrupts commerce around the nation, an oversight committee was told Friday as it met for updates on the county’s half-cent referendum sales tax.
Sumner High School, now under construction in Riverview, is supposed to get auditorium seats from Michigan, where the governor shut down manufacturing. construction managers are also waiting for flooring materials for Sumner, and hoping they will arrive on time for the school’s August opening.
Supplies could also be an issue as the district continues to replace ailing air conditioners. Trane, one of nation’s major air conditioning manufacturers, informed the district in writing that it is experiencing delays of 30 days or more. Other suppliers are also hinting at delays. To be safe, the district is not removing any equipment until it has verification that the new machines have arrived.
-- Marlene Sokol Despite future state funding concerns, Leander ISD funds first phase of Tarvin Elementary School construction-- Community Impact Newspaper Texas: April 23, 2020 [ abstract] The Leander ISD board of trustees voted at its April 23 remote meeting to spend a total of $20,407,839 to begin building a new elementary school and to make security and HVAC upgrades.
The biggest portion of the money, $11,142,202, will fund the first phase of construction for Tarvin Elementary School. Set to open in August 2021, Tarvin will help relieve overcrowding at the nearby Parkside Elementary School and address enrollment increases from the Palmero Ridge housing development, according to LISD.
Elexis Grimes, the only trustee to vote against Tarvin’s funding, and President Trish Bode expressed concerns about coronavirus effects on new home construction. Both pointed to Reed Elementary School, which is at approximately 50% capacity, according to LISD.
Jimmy Disler, LISD’s chief facilities and operations officer, said he contacted large residential developers in the district who said they did not expect a significant drop in new home sales.
Disler said delaying Tarvin’s construction would cost an additional $2 million per year. He added that elementary schools well under capacity will be hosting pre-K instruction, which is expanding from half-day to full-day instruction in August.
-- Brian Perdue Worker at construction site for new Richland school tests positive for COVID-19, causing delays-- YakTriNews Washington: April 23, 2020 [ abstract] RICHLAND, Wash. — The Richland School District said Thursday that construction of a new elementary school has ceased after a worker at the construction site tested positive for COVID-19.
The school district said the opening of new Tapteal Elementary will now be delayed.
Prior to that closure, the project’s contractor informed the district the coronavirus pandemic has caused other delays, adding “the full extent of the impacts are dynamic and cannot be fully realized until the pandemic is resolved.”
Without a firm schedule for completion of Tapteal, the district is also postponing the bid process for construction of the new Badger Mountain Elementary School pending additional information.
“Completing Tapteal is necessary for the Badger Mountain project to continue,” the district said in a statement. “Tapteal students and staff need to move from their temporary home at the school located near Belmont Boulevard and Keene Road so Badger Mountain students and staff can move in and their school rebuilt on the current school’s site.”
-- David Mann Pentucket school building project on track-- The Daily News Massachusetts: April 22, 2020 [ abstract] WEST NEWBURY — Despite social distancing due to COVID-19, the school district remains on budget and on schedule with the construction of Pentucket Regional Middle-High School, according to a press release.
Groveland, Merrimac and West Newbury approved the $146.2 million project at Town Meetings and town elections last spring, and up to $52.7 million of the project cost will be funded by the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
Temporary construction trailers and site signs are to arrive for the building project next week, and construction trailers will be housed at the front of the current high school parking lot. Temporary fencing to mark off the construction area is scheduled to be installed starting May 11.
“Fortunately, the ongoing pandemic has not impacted this project, and at this time everything remains on track,” Superintendent Justin Bartholomew said. “Our district needs this new facility to continue providing high-quality educational opportunities to our middle and high school students, and we have been working closely with our partners on this project even in the midst of COVID-19 to keep the ball rolling.”
-- Staff Writer School Construction Issues Remain Murky-- JDSUPRA Pennsylvania: April 22, 2020 [ abstract] Even with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announcing today that construction projects can resume May 8, that's still three weeks away. And school districts across the state have been advised to use their “best judgment” when it comes to continuing construction projects that already had been started or were set to start during this time when schools and businesses are closed.
Consistently evolving guidance has muddied the issue and the answer is not always clear. It is clear, however, that unplanned work stoppages may cause damage, significant delays in project completion, or otherwise cause school entities to incur additional expense.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education released guidance recently urging districts to “use [their] best judgment” in determining whether to continue “critical” construction projects. The department advised that school district construction decisions should appropriately balance public health and safety, while ensuring safety of critical infrastructure. If school districts continue construction projects, they must ensure that all contractors comply with social distancing and other mitigation efforts. The department also advised that in-person work should be performed on the most limited basis possible.
-- Barley Snyder Perrigan: Legislators should back Northam's school construction proposal-- The Roanoke Times North Carolina: April 18, 2020 [ abstract]
Perrigan is superintendent of Bristol Public Schools and president of the Coalition of Small and Rural Schools of Virginia.
Over the last several weeks our Commonwealth has dealt with a tremendous amount of troubling news. However, high poverty school divisions, and especially small and rural school divisions, got some much needed good news this weekend when Governor Northam proposed amendments to dedicate a portion of the Commonwealth’s casino revenues to school construction. Having grown up in a conservative area of Virginia, that has historically disagreed with gambling, it is important to point out that supporting the Governor’s amendment does not indicate a support of gambling, or even support for casinos.
The casino legislation has already won General Assembly approval. Supporting this amendment only provides support for allowing some of the funds from the state’s share of gaming revenue be redirected to our critical school construction needs. Since the revenue generation has already been approved, it makes sense to support an amendment that addresses one of Virginia’s greatest educational dilemmas. Here are some of the sad facts about school facilities in Virginia and in the City of Bristol for which there is currently no remedy:
• Over half of Virginia’s schools were built over 50 years ago;
• More than 28% of Virginia’s schools were built before World War II;
• Bristol’s newest school was built in 1974. Our oldest in 1916;
• Three of our buildings are completely handicap inaccessible. The other three are only partially accessible;
-- Keith Perrigan Whitehall-Coplay School District approves borrowing $20 million for construction projects bid pre-coronavirus-- The Morning Call Pennsylvania: April 17, 2020 [ abstract]
The Whitehall-Coplay School District had major construction plans underway before the coronavirus pandemic, and at a virtual meeting this week, the school board voted to move forward on most.
The board approved borrowing $20 million to finance the three projects that were bid and awarded prior to the pandemic: a large-scale high school renovation, improvements to the sports stadium and field house, and a new elementary school for kindergartners and first graders.
That’s the amount need to fulfill the district’s contractual obligations to these projects, which are all in progress, Superintendent Lorie Hackett said.
But the board voted to deem only the first two as “critical construction,” following recently released guidance from the state which allows school districts to decide whether or not to resume projects.
Gov. Tom Wolf’s order on March 19 to halt all non-life-sustaining business, including construction, impacted ongoing school projects. About a week and a half later, the state issued the clarification and said districts would not need to seek a formal exemption.
In its motion to approve the high school and stadium renovations as critical, the board wrote that they are “necessary to the planned continuity of education and the health and safety of the District’s students, staff, and community.”
-- KAYLA DWYER FCPS using down time to catch up on school maintenance, repairs-- InsideNova Virginia: April 16, 2020 [ abstract] Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) officials are forging ahead briskly with an extensive list of construction, maintenance and repair projects during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Northam on March 23 closed all Virginia kindergarten-through-12th-grade school facilities for the remainder of the academic year. FCPS is taking advantage of the shutdown to perform the work, while abiding by social-distancing requirements and other safety guidelines, said spokesman Lucy Caldwell.
The school system is speeding up work on roofing projects, turf replacements (upon delivery of all materials to the work sites), middle-school security cameras, testing for and abatement of lead in school facilities’ drinking water, flooring repairs and replacements, installations of new mechanical and HVAC systems, and asbestos-abatement projects.
In addition, FCPS is accelerating playground repairs and installations, lighting replacements and painting of some facilities’ parking lots, gym-floor refinishings and switching off “Wink-O-Matic” flashing lights for pedestrians near schools.
FCPS officials also have accelerated construction of a science lab at Edison High School in Kingstowne and expansion of the parking lot at Shrevewood Elementary School in the Falls Church area.
The Energy Management Section of the school system’s Office of Facilities Management (OFM) continues to rotate staff on its weekly call-out list and remotely monitor energy use, temperatures and humidity levels of FCPS buildings, Caldwell said.
OFM’s grounds section, which employs 32 groundskeepers, has resumed mowing activities for administrative centers, fields and school-perimeter areas, Caldwell said. Grounds crews have installed “Facility Closed” signs on all the school system’s playgrounds, courts and athletic fields.
-- BRIAN TROMPETER School closure enables a jump on Heights roof replacement-- Seaside Signal Oregon: April 16, 2020 [ abstract] With school canceled through the end of the school year, construction at the Seaside School District campus in the Southeast Hills will see an acceleration in completion dates, especially at The Heights.
Crews will be able to begin roof replacement, a project originally planned for summer. Middle and high school construction is expected to see completion by the end of July, and the elementary renovation and new construction by mid-August.
“That they can get the roof ripped off early has really enhanced our timeline,” project manager Jim Henry said at a livestream meeting of the Seaside construction Citizen Oversight Committee Tuesday. “That was a tight schedule. This was a situation that really helped with the roof and interior renovations.”
The elementary school’s gym received a March completion and the city delivered a certificate of occupancy on April 13.
Subcontractors originally scheduled for June are being contacted to see if they can work early to adjust to new timelines, Henry said.
Along with roof replacement, work ahead at the campus includes plumbing, electrical and data installation.
-- R.J. MARX Sales tax hit could affect school construction-- Herald News Massachusetts: April 15, 2020 [ abstract] BOSTON -- Several public school projects around Massachusetts have delayed construction amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the emergency’s full financial impact on the state agency that helps funds most of the work remains unclear.
Massachusetts School Building Authority officials said Wednesday that the organization will face some budget strain because of the widespread economic downturn, but MSBA Chief Financial Officer Laura Guadagno believes the agency is well-poised to weather the storm.
“For fiscal year 2020, there should not be too big of an impact because we have a pretty strong cash position. I think that will carry us through fiscal year 2021,” she said during a meeting conducted via videoconference. “We’re in a pretty strong cash position to at least maintain operations at current level for the near future.”
In Fall River, the city is in the midst of building a new Durfee High School at a cost of $263 million. In March, Fall River Superintendent Matthew Malone said the project was continuing as planned. But on April 6, union carpenters on the job there from North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters stopped working over concerns about safety during the coronavirus pandemic.
Durfee project manager Adam Keane said construction of the school was still scheduled to be completed in May 2021 and open for students at the start of the 2021-2022 school year.
The MSBA, a quasi-public organization that helps fund local and regional school capital projects, has a dedicated funding stream from one penny of the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax. Through March of fiscal year 2020, Guadagno said, the MSBA had received about $703 million in that funding, the highest amount over the same span in recent years.
-- Chris Lisinski Ellensburg school construction not slowed by virus outbreak-- Daily Record Washington: April 14, 2020 [ abstract]
construction of the new Mount Stuart Elementary School is to proceed as planned during the coronavirus outbreak.
The state has declared that all education-related construction falls under essential services, so the outbreak shouldn’t affect the construction timeline for the Mount Stuart, as well as Lincoln renovations and the currently unnamed elementary school. This is according to ESD executive director of business services, Brian Aiken.
He said there has been a slight delay, however it does not seem to be related to the virus. construction is currently on hold, waiting for paperwork to come in from the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and “local processes.”
“We are hoping to have the go ahead by the end of April,” Aiken said. “It’s not a result of the coronavirus. Our contractor and our sub-contractors all have agreed to continue to work, and they all have a COVID-19 safety plan in place.”
The district wants to make sure it follows all the rules for these projects, and Aiken said he believes the city is working to ensure the begin construction soon.
Garco construction has already been selected as the general contractor and construction manager for the new elementary school and the Mount Stuart replacement school. In the school board meeting last week, they were approved by the board to manage the Lincoln Elementary School project as well.
-- Jack Belcher San Antonio ISD increases pay for workers still needed at school facilities during coronavirus closings-- San Antonio Express-News Texas: April 13, 2020 [ abstract] The San Antonio Independent School District has increased pay for its hourly on-site workers by about 20 percent while the coronavirus pandemic keeps schools closed.
“As much as possible, we are implementing remote-work plans,” Superintendent Pedro Martinez said in an email to staff. “But, for those hourly workers who still are needed for functions that cannot be done remotely, we wanted to offer them some level of premium pay.”
The district asked supervisors for the minimum number of employees they need on site for construction and meal distributions and came up with a total of about 450, Martinez told the district’s board last week. That number includes about 200 cooks and 100 custodians, with police officers and bus drivers making up the rest.
They will make an extra $3 for every hour they are required to work at an SAISD building. The school district’s minimum wage is $15 per hour, and about three-quarters of the essential on-site personnel are at that level or slightly higher, Martinez said.
-- Alia Malik Construction picks up speed at Baraboo middle school while closed due to coronavirus-- Baraboo News Republic Wisconsin: April 12, 2020 [ abstract] School board members and the public got their first peek, albeit a virtual one, at the Baraboo middle school’s construction project Tuesday as crews take advantage of the building being empty of students amid coronavirus closures.
“So far, we’re very happy with what we’ve been able to accomplish,” said Baraboo School District Administrator Lori Mueller.
construction Manager Brian Horras of Madison-based CG Schmidt led the live tour of the site as Mueller walked with a camera to allow the roughly two dozen viewers to watch from home via video conferencing. Board member Sean McNevin joined them at the site.
Horras showed the school’s now-demolished commons space, gym and locker rooms, and said crews would complete the bulk of the demolition work within the week. He said they had installed footings for the new academic addition and planned to pour about half of the foundation walls the next day.
construction crews found some “surprises” during the process so far but nothing consequential, Horras said.
Asked by an online viewer how COVID-19, has changed the project timeline, Horras said it hasn’t yet. He said factory closures in places where they weren’t deemed essential are starting to cause some “material issues throughout the marketplace.”
“The ramifications of that have not fully hit our team yet, but when they do, we’ll come up with either a work-around to it or get a plan to adjust to it,” Horras said.
-- Susan Endres REPORT: Northam wants to amend casino bill in order to fund school construction-- Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia: April 12, 2020 [ abstract]
Gov. Ralph Northam is proposing an amendment to legislation that would allow casinos by referendum in Virginia, in order to help fund school construction statewide.
The governor had until midnight Saturday to act on bills sponsored by Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and Del. Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, to allow five economically challenged cities — Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Richmond — to hold a public referendum for residents to decide if they wanted a privately owned casino to operate there.
Northam wants to assign the state’s portion of new tax revenue on gaming to fund public school construction statewide, according to Carter Hutchinson, deputy policy adviser, who spoke with the Herald Courier on Saturday. Two other amendments are minor technical language changes.
“The governor is going to amend that provision of the bill that says roughly two-thirds of the [tax] revenue goes to the general fund,” Hutchinson said. “He is going to amend that language to designate the funding go to school construction, renovation and repairs. The language is going to be relatively broad, given the revenue from the casinos won’t start coming in for at least a couple years, probably more.”
-- DAVID McGEE Work continues on school construction-- Bluefield Daily Telegraph West Virginia: April 12, 2020 [ abstract] BLUEFIELD — Despite the fact many people are staying home during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, construction is continuing at the site of a new school which will eventually replace two older elementary schools in the city of Bluefield.
Work started last year on the new Bluefield Primary School. Rising near Bluefield High School, the up-to-date facility will replace Whitethorn Elementary School and Memorial School.
West Virginia’s County schools systems have been closed during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect students, but workers are still going to the site and gradually moving the project forward.
“Some construction is continuing on a limited basis,” Superintendent Dr. Deborah Akers said Friday. “In the governor’s executive order, SBA (School Building Authority) projects are exempt from the stay-at-home order.”
A combination of the schools being closed and weather could delay Bluefield Primary School’s eventual opening.
“It very likely will affect it,” Akers said “We don’t have a new schedule developed at this point. We’ve had additional rain and we’ve had other factors. In all likelihood, the opening date will have to change.”
Bluefield Primary was scheduled to open in the fall this year.
-- Greg Jordan Mishawaka High School construction project moves ahead during coronavirus shutdown-- South Bend Tribune Indiana: April 11, 2020 [ abstract] MISHAWAKA — More than $2.9 million worth of construction projects around Mishawaka High School are continuing despite the coronavirus crisis. And now that schools are closed for the remainder of the academic year, officials expect it all to be completed ahead of schedule.
“A silver lining of being out of school is the potential to move up the MHS Traffic Safety Plan timeline,” School City of Mishawaka Superintendent Wayne Barker recently tweeted. “We are very excited about how this project will enhance safety for all who attend Mishawaka High School.”
construction is underway on the south and west sides of the school building, with every phase being done to improve vehicle and pedestrian traffic flow, ultimately protecting students and staff.
When students return to campus in the fall, they’ll find:
• Multiple drop-off/pick-up zones added, including two corridors.
• Wenger Avenue closed to create new ingress/egress access to the student parking lot.
• Wide pedestrian walkways separated from vehicle drives and all drop-off/pick-up zones.
-- Allie Kirkman Construction projects at Michigan schools delayed " and it could cost more in the long run-- Detroit Free Press Michigan: April 10, 2020 [ abstract] Van Buren Schools are constructing a new early childhood center. The West Bloomfield School District is building a new middle school.
Trenton schools are converting old elementary school gyms into media centers and Riverview schools are remodeling a middle school. Lincoln Park Schools are replacing boilers and roofs on all buildings.
All of those projects, and dozens more, are on hold for now, halted by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay home order amid the COVID-19 outbreak. That means that not only are teachers and other staffers kept out of schools, so are construction workers.
"The timelines on school projects are already so tight and now we're just compressing them more," said Kevin Koehler, president of the construction Association of Michigan, a trade group that represents 2,500 commercial and industrial construction contractors. "We're extremely concerned about these schedules."
-- John Wisely Construction Crews Make Headway During First Month Of Yelm Middle School Rebuild-- Nisqually Valley News Washington: April 09, 2020 [ abstract]
You can see it from the corner of First Street and Stevens Street — a giant pile of topsoil towering at least 20 feet into the air facing the Yelm Middle School campus.
The soil stronghold was erected just over this last month as FORMA construction and its demolition contractor have made significant headway in demolishing the northeastern portion of the campus to build a new two-story, 100,000-square-foot Yelm Middle School.
“It’s amazing how many calls you get with that topsoil. My phone’s been blowing up,” said Superintendent Dan Tonsgard of FORMA construction “There’s about three other sites around here who want it.”
A large excavator was used to demolish the district’s old maintenance building on Wednesday, April 8, as large rollers, dozers and other large-scale equipment prepared the ground for construction.
The Nisqually Valley News went out for a site visit on that day to talk with managers and see how the project was coming along.
Tonsgard, alongside bond project manager Kasey Wyatt, said most of the site work over the first month has consisted of fencing, digging up topsoil and rolling the ground to prepare for the building’s foundation, which is expected to be formed as early as May.
Gravel indentations formed a large V shape inside the working yard, about 50 yards away from the corner of Coates Avenue and Edwards Street.
-- Eric Rosane Construction Workers Critical to Oxford Schools’ Fall Plan-- hottytoddy.com Mississippi: April 06, 2020 [ abstract] The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed life down for millions of Mississippians, but not for many construction workers. Like medical professionals and grocery workers, they’ve been deemed “essential” by the state.
On the Central Elementary School site in Oxford, workers like Lenoard Woodall continue to shimmy up ladders and tote beams to and fro.
“It can be unnerving knowing that I can become sick. I can take it home to somebody else or spread it to someone else and not even know that I’m a carrier,” Woodall said.
His wife Stacey works with him and feels the same way.
“Sometimes I feel uneasy about being out here,” said Stacey Woodall.
However, for them, work has to continue.
“The building trades have to go on. We have contracts to fulfill so we have to work,” said Leonard.
The new elementary school is critical to the Oxford district’s plan to start classes on time in the fall.
“If there’s a prolonged shutdown, yes it will impact construction, which will impact instruction in the fall,” OSD Superintendent Brian Harvey said.
Oxford schools are set to start on Aug. 10. Harvey says the district needs the new elementary school open to make that plan work, otherwise, they may have to revise the calendar, potentially delaying the first day of school, perhaps by as much as two weeks.
“Another option would be to take the three days that we have in Thanksgiving break — Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday — and these are things I haven’t discussed with our board, yet, and ultimately they determine the beginning and end date of school,” Harvey said, “but the other option would be to move those three days to either around Labor Day or our fall break and that would allow us to move into the new building.”
Harvey says that would give the district time to get everything that’s moving out of Bramlett Elementary set up in the new school if there is a significant construction delay.
-- DeAndria Turner Union carpenters suspend work on new Durfee High School over coronavirus concerns-- The Herald News Massachusetts: April 06, 2020 [ abstract] FALL RIVER — construction of the new B.M.C. Durfee High School, and at job sites across the state, continued without union carpenters Monday, when members of the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters stopped working over concerns about safety during the coronavirus pandemic.
Thomas Flynn, the statewide union’s executive secretary and treasurer, said in a letter dated April 2 and sent to the district that “it has become apparent that working on construction sites in Massachusetts is abnormally dangerous,” and poses an immediate threat to workers and the public as confirmed case counts rise.
The union directed all members to stop working, beginning Monday, on all projects except health facilities needed to address the pandemic until “it is safe to do so,” according to the letter, placing some aspects of construction of the $260 million Elsbree Street school on hold for now, owner’s project manager Adam Keane said.
“The carpenters is a big union, and a big part of what we do on projects, so it will suspend some work activity that we’re doing,” said Keane. “But there’s still plenty of work to do.”
Keane said construction of the school is scheduled to be completed in May 2021 and as of Monday was still on track to open for students at the start of the 2021-2022 school year.
“We’re on schedule at the moment but no one has a crystal ball to say what type of delay this will be. A couple weeks wouldn’t hurt us, a month wouldn’t hurt us,” he said.
-- Amanda Burke Schools closed, but facility projects proceed in Northwest Arkansas-- Democrat Gazette Arkansas: April 05, 2020 [ abstract] Custodians
Northwest Arkansas’ four largest school districts — Springdale, Bentonville, Rogers and Fayetteville — have not laid off or furloughed any custodians as a result of the covid-19 outbreak. The custodians generally are busy with a variety of cleaning chores while schools are closed, district officials said.
Springdale and Fayetteville employ their own custodians. Bentonville contracts with SSC Services for Education for its custodial services. Rogers also contracts with SSC and employs some of its own custodians.
Source: NWA Democrat-Gazette
The Rogers School District is in the middle of major renovation projects at Westside, Northside and Lowell elementary schools, and all three are on track for completion by this fall. The total cost of those projects is expected to be around $25 million.
The district also is building athletic facilities at Rogers High and Heritage High, projects estimated to total about $44 million.
The state's schools are closed until at least April 20 in response to the virus outbreak, so construction crews don't have to worry about disrupting the educational process, said Charles Lee, the district's assistant superintendent for general administration.
The closure is "something we certainly don't want, but for our construction companies, it has made it easier," Lee said.
construction crews are following social distancing guidelines, and projects are on schedule, he said.
"At this point, completion has not been impacted," Lee said. "But if this thing continues to progress with more shutdowns, more quarantines, that could have an impact on us."
-- David Perozek School closures allow some Lynchburg-area construction and maintenance projects to get ahead of schedule-- The News & Advance Virginia: April 04, 2020 [ abstract]
With students out of school buildings for the remainder of the academic year, some construction and maintenance projects are moving along at an accelerated pace.
On March 23, Gov. Ralph Northam ordered all Virginia K-12 schools to close for the remainder of the academic year. Maintenance personnel in some school divisions are using the shutdown to their advantage, while abiding by social distancing and other safety guidelines.
Campbell County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Johnson said several projects that were slated to begin over spring break or toward the end of the school year now can move forward sooner.
“Our buildings are generally occupied all the time, and it’s hard to get projects done,” Johnson said. “So, when they’re not occupied, these are good times to get in there.”
And some projects already have been completed. Altavista Combined School was scheduled for painting over the division’s April 13 to 17 spring break, but the unexpected school closure allowed that project to be completed during the last week in March.
A new elevator at Brookville High School was scheduled to be installed toward the end of the school year and into the summer, Johnson said, but that project now has been rescheduled to begin about the middle of April. Johnson said there were concerns the project would have to continue into the school year, so this extra time could help alleviate some of that stress.
-- Jamey Cross East Bay school board OK’s ongoing construction as ‘essential’-- The Mercury News California: April 03, 2020 [ abstract] PLEASANTON — The Pleasanton Unified School District board has passed a resolution authorizing school construction projects to continue as “essential” during the shelter-in-place order triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.
The board held a virtual, emergency meeting Wednesday to approve the resolution, which outlines construction projects throughout the district. In Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order requiring people to shelter in place, only essential businesses are allowed to continue.
But Bay Area counties imposed a stricter mandate last Tuesday that prohibits most residential and commercial construction.
Exempted from that mandate are public works projects “specially designed as an Essential Government Function by the lead governmental agency.”
Pleasanton Unified has interpreted that to mean its construction projects are essential because they will provide “educational programs in safe, accessible, and structurally sound facilities” available to students after schools are allowed to reopen.
-- ANGELA RUGGIERO Easthampton mayor orders halt to public construction projects-- Daily Hampshire Gazette Massachusetts: April 03, 2020 [ abstract]
EASTHAMPTON — In a rapid reversal, Mayor Nicole LaChapelle issued an executive order Friday to shut down all construction projects in the city that receive public funds, to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
“I need to look in the mirror and say ‘I did my best to keep people safe,’” LaChapelle said. “To not do this I feel flies in the face of that.”
Prior to the order, the city was planning to proceed with three major construction projects: a new, $104 million K-8 school, road work on Ferry Street, and realigning the intersection of Lyman Street and Route 10.
“These three projects are really important for the city,” City Planner Jeffrey Bagg said, speaking before the order was issued.
construction of the school, on the grounds of White Brook Middle School, has remained on schedule, even as the region has been gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic.
City officials, including the mayor, had said up until Friday that the stages of construction that the projects were in allowed for proper social distancing.
The order will go into place on April 8, and continue until May 4. Exceptions to the order include mandated building or utility work and work necessary to render occupied residential buildings fully habitable.
construction projects that are not public are also encouraged, but not required, to follow the order.
-- BERA DUNAU Preble Shawnee votes to proceed with Junior and Senior High School renovations-- The Register-Herald Ohio: April 03, 2020 [ abstract] CAMDEN — Preble Shawnee Board of Education members voted to move forward with renovations to the district’s Junior and Senior High School facilities during a special meeting held Wednesday, March 25.
The board approved approximately $1.4 million in expenditures, including a contract with Dayton, Ohio-based firm Energy Optimizers, USA to serve as construction managers for the project.
Renovations to the Junior and Senior High will include work on the building’s generator, plumbing, LED lighting, ceiling tiles and security features. Renovations will also involve adding air conditioning to the facility.
The district initially planned to use carryover funds from its previous operating levy to fund the renovations, pending passage of a new five-year income tax levy in March. Poll closures ordered in response to the current Covid-19 pandemic, however, have left the fate of that levy uncertain.
Under new voting guidelines announced by state authorities last week, residents wishing to vote on the measure may do so by requesting an absentee ballot through the mail. Returned ballots must be postmarked no later than April 28.
“The community has said all along that they’d like to see the carryover used for the upkeep of the building,” Superintendent Matt Bishop said. “If we keep putting off the renovation, we’ll end up with a building with end-of-life mechanical systems that need to be replaced.”
-- Anthony Baker Walla Walla school bond work pulls in more local contractors-- Union Bulletin Washington: April 03, 2020 [ abstract]
More area contractors have been awarded bids to participate in Walla Walla Public Schools’ bond project work.
Using local contractors as much as possible has been emphasized by Superintendent Wade Smith as a means to keep the voter-approved dollars in the local economy.
The $65.6 million bond was green-lighted by Walla Walla voters in November 2018, and matched with $52.6 million in Washington state dollars.
Smith said this week more than $2 million in projects for Walla Walla High School’s infrastructure was awarded to regional and Walla Walla contractors: Premier Excavation, Cutting Edge Plumbing & Mechanical, Walla Walla Electric and Nelson construction.
Premier Excavation is based in Pasco, but employs a number of Walla Walla workers, Smith said.
Infrastructure work started this week, as allowed under Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID-19 rules. Social distancing and safety measures are in place to ensure the well-being of all workers on-site, he added.
The phase of bond work includes putting underground utilities across the campus to replace aged and failing infrastructure, as well as utilities to support the campus renovations. Improvements include upgraded sewer, domestic water and fire supply to meet code requirements, replacement of outdated electrical transformer infrastructure and fiber connectivity for communications and technology.
-- Sheila Hagar Virus can’t stop work on Grandview Heights Schools facilities project-- ThisWeek Community News Ohio: April 02, 2020 [ abstract] Grandview Heights Schools’ facilities project remains on schedule and on budget despite the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic – and some rainy weather, too.
“The governor has deemed construction work to be essential, so the work is continuing,” Superintendent Andy Culp said. “We’re making sure that everyone on-site is staying 6 feet apart and doing their work safely.”
The work taking place now near Grandview Heights High School is part of a three-phase, $55.2 million project to replace Edison Intermediate/Larson Middle School and substantially renovate the high school, among other work.
The project is funded by a bond issue approved by voters in 2018.
The selective demolition work that originally had been scheduled to take place over three weekends in March was completed ahead of schedule, project superintendent Chris Tyo said.
“With students out of school, we didn’t have to worry about disrupting their classes, so we could get some of the work done during the week,” he said.
A small portion of the high school on the west side of the building near the gym, including an industrial-technology classroom and a science-class greenhouse on the second floor, was razed to provide space for a connector leading from the high school to the planned grades 4-8 school that will replace Edison/Larson.
The activity completed since the project began in early February has included underground utility preparation, the selective demolition and the installation of a student walkway on Oakland Avenue, Tyo said.
With students away and not using the walkway, it’s been easier for construction vehicles to get in and out of the site, he said.
-- ALAN FROMAN Capital project work continues in local school districts-- Times Telegram New York: April 01, 2020 [ abstract] It looks as if school capital projects will be able to continue following Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that non-essential construction sites were being ordered shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The building and renovation project at the Central Valley Central School District’s Jarvis Middle School is due to be completed in time for students in grades 5-8 to attend classes there in September and on March 27 Superintendent Jeremy Rich said he was conferring with Campus construction Management, which is managing the project, and seeking clarification on the impact the governor’s order might have on the construction schedule. When contacted by email Monday, he said the language in the directive allows all school construction projects to continue.
“Our building remains open and available for ... workers to continue the project,” said Rich. “We expect the work to continue as planned.”
There would have been no workers inside the Jarvis building on Monday, he said, but he expected they would be back in the building on Tuesday.
Rich based the decision on a clarification of the governor’s order from Empire State Development about local government, municipal and school construction during PAUSE-NY restrictions. The clarification states, “Local governments, including municipalities and school districts, are allowed to continue construction projects at this time as government entities are exempt from the essential business restrictions. However, to the greatest extent possible, local governments should postpone any non-essential projects and only proceed with essential projects when they can implement appropriate social distancing and cleaning/disinfecting protocols.”
-- Donna Thompson Erie Collegiate construction moves ahead despite virus-- GoErie.com Pennsylvania: March 31, 2020 [ abstract] The pandemic has failed to pause construction at the Erie School District.
Contractors on Tuesday started working on the $12 million renovation project at the 103-year-old Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy, part of the school district’s $80 million plan to repair the infrastructure at most of its 16 school buildings.
The statewide school shutdown and Gov. Tom Wolf’s closing of all non-life-sustaining businesses do not prohibit school districts from undertaking construction projects. But the projects must “appropriately balance public health and safety while ensuring the continued safety of critical infrastructure,” according to the state Department of Education.
The Erie School District decided to move ahead with the Collegiate work after determining that it constitutes a “critical construction project” because of “failing infrastructure,” including a concrete promenade and roof that are in disrepair, the school district’s executive director of operations, Neal Brokman, wrote in letter Monday to the project’s general contractor, the Erie-based E.E. Austin & Sons Inc.
-- Ed Palattella School construction projects on track, despite coronavirus-- Journal Inquirer Connecticut: March 31, 2020 [ abstract] SOUTH WINDSOR — School Superintendent Kate Carter said today that, amid the new coronavirus pandemic, the twin rebuilds of Philip R. Smith and Eli Terry elementary schools are on schedule and on budget, while the Pleasant Valley School construction project is “in the very distant future,” and would not be submitted to the state for approval until June.
“We are working closely with our project professionals to monitor the impact of the pandemic,” Carter said of the final leg of a 10-year construction plan to rebuild all the town’s elementary schools. “Supply chain, factory closures, shipping disruption, manufacturing capacity, and the availability of workers are all factors out of our control that could affect the schedule.”
Mere days before drastic measures gripped the town in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a $58.5 million referendum was approved March 10 in a landslide vote authorizing the rebuild of Pleasant Valley School.
-- Vin Gallo Contractors prepare to break ground on Butte middle school construction-- NBC Montana Montana: March 30, 2020 [ abstract] BUTTE, Mont. — Contractors are beginning preparations to break ground on a huge makeover at East Middle School in Butte.
Some fencing is already up around the gymnasium, and schematics showing the final product are on display in the front doors.
Right now, Langlas and Associates are out to bid for the structural package with those bids due by April 8. They expect to break ground at the end of April.
-- McKayla Haack How essential is construction during the coronavirus pandemic?-- Curbed.com National: March 30, 2020 [ abstract] The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed life down for millions of Americans, but it hasn’t for Evan Adams, a specialty sports contractor based in Northern California. He currently has five in-progress construction projects, mostly installing school gymnasium floors, that are going full steam ahead due to contractual obligations. In construction, time is money, even during a global health crisis. “More than anything we need schools to extend deadlines and just slow the pace,” Adams says. “It is not essential to keep going at normal speeds.”
The federal government hasn’t issued specific mandates to the construction industry, so states and cities are enacting their own policies. California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on March 19 instructing all residents statewide to stay at home, but he granted exceptions for essential workforce, which includes “construction workers who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of construction sites and construction projects, including housing construction.”
Because of the nature of his projects as a flooring subcontractor, Adams and his team are typically brought in toward the end of a project, when multiple subcontractors are also at work, and everyone is jockeying for space. He offered to pay his workers overtime, out of his own pocket, if they want to come in over the weekend and finish their job when the job site would be empty.
“My guys want to do their part, but they don’t want to crawl over everyone at the end of a project,” he says. “They just want to stay home. They have wives that might have immune system issues, they might have older parents at home that they are caring for.”
From coast to coast, stay-at-home and social-distancing orders have been issued to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. By the end of last week, 21 state orders took effect, limiting activity to critical infrastructure and services. The list of states and cities telling people to stay home is growing. While some of the essential businesses seem uncontroversial—like hospitals and grocery stores—others fall into a gray area. construction, which employs over 7 million people nationwide, is one of them.
-- Diana Budds Lawrence High School construction continues while schools are closed for COVID-19 pandemic-- LJWorld.com Kansas: March 30, 2020 [ abstract] construction at Lawrence High School continued as usual Monday as students began learning from home because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Without students in the hallways of the large high school because of local and state health orders, the challenge of conducting construction during the school year has become less complicated, said Tony Barron, the school district’s executive director of facilities and operations.
The high school is currently undergoing a $46 million renovation, and it has been allowed to continue its construction progress despite a Douglas County “stay at home” order. A superseding state order began Monday and is scheduled to last until April 19. Prior to the orders, the state had closed K-12 school buildings for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
Barron said both the county and state orders list construction as “essential” services, allowing the LHS project to continue while many businesses and organizations are closed to the public or shut down completely.
The multi-phase construction project is currently in its third phase, renovating the heart of the school, which includes the areas where math and social studies classrooms were housed. Barron previously told the Journal-World that the third phase was expected to be completed before the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. On Monday, Barron said that is still the case.
“Everything is still on target to meet projected deadlines,” he said in an email to the Journal-World.
-- DYLAN LYSEN Lockwood school construction continuing, but administrators wary of further shutdowns-- Billings Gazette Wyoming: March 29, 2020 [ abstract] Lockwood's new high school under construction is still on schedule to open for next school year. But as the new coronavirus causes sweeping closures, school officials are concerned the health crisis could affect the building's timeline.
construction workers are considered essential under Montana's stay-at-home order, and construction is continuing, Lockwood superintendent Tobin Novasio said. But the speed of changes to the fabric of American life has made him uneasy.
“If we had a two-month shutdown, there’s no way we’re going to be ready to open," he said.
He sees potential concerns about construction supply chains that could delay work, or further restrictions that would send workers home, or even a disruption to next year's school schedule.
-- Matt Hoffman School construction still scheduled for fall-- East Oregonian Oregon: March 26, 2020 [ abstract] HERMISTON — Hermiston School District still intends to start construction of its new schools this fall, despite the economic blow to the country dealt by COVID-19.
In a statement on Thursday, the district touted the jobs the projects will bring, paid for by the $82.7 million bond voters passed in November 2019 and a $6.7 million grant from the Oregon Department of Education. Superintendent Tricia Mooney said the statement was not intended to downplay the district’s concern over the public health crisis, and the district’s primary focus was still the well-being of its students, staff and community.
“However, the Hermiston community has a track record of working together for the common good,” she said. “This community will emerge from this crisis stronger, and the District is fully intending to leverage the valuable role of the bond projects to deliver on the commitment to the common good.”
-- Jade McDowell Major school construction projects halted by coronavirus-- The Intelligencer Pennsylvania: March 25, 2020 [ abstract]
Major renovation-additions of elementary schools in the Council Rock and Quakertown Community school districts were humming along on time. Then, the coronavirus hit.
Now, work at Council Rock’s Rolling Hills Elementary School in Northampton and QCSD’s Neidig Elementary in Richland are on hold because of the state’s directive that all non-life sustaining businesses close. That includes construction firms.
Students and staff at Neidig have been housed at the closed Tohickon Valley Elementary School this school year while worked proceeded at Neidig.
Tohickon Valley has been sold to a private Christian school, which has leased it back to the school district to accommodate the Neidig work.
Quakertown officials said the lease will allow for Neidig students and staff to remain at Tohickon Valley into next school year if the state’s coronavirus directive ends up significantly affecting the completion date of the Neidig work, which had been scheduled to be finished in the summer.
“Impact will depend on the length of the shutdown,” QCSD Superintendent Bill Harner wrote in a message to parents.
-- Chris English An Extended Closure Of Schools Could Move Up Renovations In Dist. 207-- Journal & Topics Maine: March 24, 2020 [ abstract] With approval earlier this month of over $65 million in bids, large scale renovations across all Maine Township Dist. 207 high schools are on schedule to begin this summer.
According to Dist. 207 Director of Communications Brett Clark, asbestos abatement projects are expected to be conducted this week — spring break — at all three schools.
Members of the Dist. 207 Board of Education on March 16 approved 59 total bids from Pepper construction Company for the projects, which include creating new secure front entrances at all district schools in addition to other extensive renovations.
The bids cover work and materials related to demolition, earthwork, utilities, asphalt, concrete, pavers, masonry, steel, carpentry, glass, metals, drywall, wood flooring, acoustical panels, fireproofing, lockers, painting, gym equipment and more.
Clark told the Journal & Topics the work is expected to begin this summer, with 30 to 50% completed before school begins in the fall. Some of the work will be completed by winter break and other aspects will continue over three years, he added.
-- Lauren Barry Jacksonville district aid short, judge told-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: March 24, 2020 [ abstract]
The Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District will fall out of compliance with a federal desegregation order to replace the Murrell Taylor and Bayou Meto elementary schools because of a lack of state aid, a district lawyer has said.
Scott Richardson, an attorney for the Jacksonville school system, told U.S. District Chief Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. late Friday that the state's Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation has declined to fully fund the district's request for aid for the replacement schools.
Richardson also told the presiding judge in the long-running Pulaski County school desegregation lawsuit that state officials do not appear to care about the district's potential for violating the court order.
While the district can still appeal the funding decision to the state facility division's three-member commission, Richardson said he doesn't expect success.
"Thus, JNPSD anticipates that the State of Arkansas's official position will remain that this Court's order that JNPSD replace Taylor Elementary and Bayou Meto Elementary will have no meaning for the State," Richardson wrote.
"The State's refusal to participate in replacement of Taylor Elementary and the full replacement of Bayou Meto Elementary," he continued, "likely means that JNPSD will be unable to comply with the Court's order; that is, that JNPSD will fall out of compliance with the District's desegregation obligations because of the action of the State. This also, the State appears unconcerned about."
The dispute with the state over construction funding comes at a time when the Jacksonville/North Pulaski and Pulaski County Special school districts are preparing for a July hearing before Marshall on whether the two districts have met their desegregation obligations in the 37-year-old lawsuit and can be released from further court monitoring.
-- Cynthia Howell List: Employees who are considered essential workers during Ohio's stay-at-home order - Includes School Construction-- abc6 Ohio: March 23, 2020 [ abstract]
Columbus, Ohio — Governor Mike DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of Health, issued a stay at home order that goes into effect Monday night.
The order, signed on Sunday afternoon, identifies essential businesses for the state and society in Ohio and declares that all other non-essential business must cease as of 11:59 p.m.
Essential businesses as defined by the Department of Homeland Security were exempted from Sunday's order.
Outside of the individuals who work in the health care industry such as nurses, doctors, and pharmacies, as well as those who work in law enforcement, the following individuals who work in fields that are considered essential workers, are listed as follows:
-- Falycia Campbell School construction funding lauded by Towson legislators, as session in Annapolis ends early-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: March 20, 2020 [ abstract]
Chris West, who represents the Towson area in the Maryland Senate, said he was exhausted by the end of session.
Maryland’s legislative session, normally 90 days, is tiring enough under the best of circumstances for lawmakers and others who descend on Annapolis, but West said, the work needed to get relief to Marylanders who have been and will be hurt by the spread of the novel coronavirus, along with the decision to shorten the session by about three weeks, required long nights and weekends.
“I left exhausted, but with a very renewed confidence that the government of Maryland is working in a united fashion in the best interests of its citizens,” West said.
West, a Republican, was not the only lawmaker from the region impressed with the General Assembly’s quick pivot.
“They say each session is different, but this was extraordinary,” said Del. Cathi Forbes, a Democrat.
Lawmakers wanted to “work together to blunt whatever was going to come next,” she said, and “It was amazing to be a part of that.”
-- CODY BOTELER Construction continuing on Durfee, Westport school building projects-- Herald News Massachusetts: March 18, 2020 [ abstract] WESTPORT — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh might have called for a stop to that city’s construction projects due to the coronavirus, but that’s not happening locally.
School officials in Fall River and Westport said Tuesday that their high school building projects are ongoing.
Fall River Superintendent Matthew Malone confirmed via email that construction of the $263 million new B.M.C. Durfee High School is “moving forward as planned.”
The Durfee groundbreaking was in 2018 and the school is scheduled to open next year.
Less than 10 miles from the Durfee construction site is the Westport Middle-High School project on Old County Road.
That $97 million project broke ground last year and is also scheduled to open its doors in 2021.
School Building Committee Chairwoman Dianne Baron said the construction crews have also been working as planned at the new site, and the coronavirus has not stopped progress there.
Baron also said there’s good news about the project.
“Full speed ahead as long as we are able to keep working,” Baron said. “We are slightly ahead of schedule and under budget, but this could change in an instant.”
-- Jeffrey D. Wagner Bill would aid small-school construction-- Big Country News Washington: March 17, 2020 [ abstract] OLYMPIA - A bill to help the state’s 150 smallest school districts pay for modernization of their facilities has been approved by the Legislature and sent to the governor.
Second Substitute Senate Bill 5572, sponsored by Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside, is aimed at small districts that struggle to pass bond issues and levies, “and may be in desperate need for this help,” he said.
“Many of our small rural school districts don't have sufficient property value to allow them to access state school construction assistance program financing, sometimes creating an environment with unhealthy conditions for students,” he said.
“This bill would create a construction-grant program specifically for our smallest schools and provide them with an avenue to address their needs. It would also provide access to our tribal compact schools, which is important for reducing the educational achievement gap faced by those students.”
The program would be for districts and compact schools with 1,000 or fewer enrolled students.
-- Staff Writer Everett Schools bond asks to replace elementaries, upgrade high schools-- Tribune Washington: March 04, 2020 [ abstract] EVERETT — Everett School District officials hope the third time will prove a charm in their attempt to pass a capital bond.
The $317.4-million bond measure on the April 28 ballot would replace three elementary schools, modernize buildings at Everett and Cascade high schools, upgrade classrooms at Jackson High and add 58 classrooms across eight other schools.
It comes on the heels of a similar bond proposal that twice failed in 2018 to reach the required 60 percent supermajority voter approval.
This measure differs from the 2018 proposal by asking to replace the elementary schools in lieu of building a fourth high school and buying land for a new elementary.
If it passes, the end result is the school district tax rate will lower from $4.87 to $4.78 per $1,000 of property assessed value, because existing bonds will have been paid off by 2021.
Owners of a home valued at $400,000 would pay $1,912 per year — $36 less than they are currently paying.
“Our goal is to keep a stable tax rate over time,“ said Kathy Reeves, a school district spokeswoman.
If the bond measure fails, tax rates would initially decrease but then rise steeply and continue to rise and fall erratically, Reeves said.
Because capital construction costs are not included in state basic education funding, bonds are the only tool available for school districts to raise money for big-ticket projects.
“These needs do not go away and they cost more if they are delayed. Our population will continue to increase, and buildings will continue to age,” said Reeves.
-- ADAM WORCESTER South Burlington residents voted overwhelmingly against new school construction: What's next?-- Burlington Free Press Vermont: March 04, 2020 [ abstract] South Burlington residents overwhelmingly showed they are not willing to foot the $209 million bill for new school construction. They gave the boot to both the bond and a school budget increase with their unforeseen high number of votes at Town Meeting Day on Tuesday, March 3.
SoBu voters: School construction isn't worth the high property tax increase
The bond to finance a new high school, middle school and athletics complex was voted down with a resounding 6,514 to 1,712 vote. Opponents to the bond launched an information campaign in the months leading up to the vote, complete with yard signs, telling SoBu residents to "Vote No." One of the group's major issues was the difference in price between the construction costs, which was listed on the ballot, versus the full price to taxpayers including financing, which would have been $345 million.
The South Burlington School Board spent years coming up with the plan, as well as money for a project-specific website and an informational campaign of its own, including advertising. Now the Board will have to regroup and possibly decide whether to revive one of the renovation scenarios formerly dropped in favor of new construction.
"We believe that the years of planning and research that went into this are not wasted, are a solid base for the next stage of work." Bridget Burkhardt, South Burlington School Board member said they need community feedback in order to move forward. "We're hoping that we can maintain that level of engagement and that the community be involved in helping us develop a proposal that it can support."
-- April Barton Hawaii school building agency could be exempted from laws-- Hawaii News Now Hawaii: March 03, 2020 [ abstract] HONOLULU (AP) — A proposal to create a new Hawaii state agency to build and renovate public schools is moving forward despite concerns the agency would be exempt from many legal safeguards.
The School Facilities Agency would be responsible for development, planning and construction of capital improvement projects at public schools, taking over that work from the Department of Education, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Monday.
The agency would be exempt from all county ordinances — except building codes — and from state laws focusing on historic preservation, environmental protection, budgeting, and civil service.
The facilities agency would also be exempt from parts of the procurement code and the Sunshine Law, which governs how state and county board conduct official business.
The agency would be allowed to make and execute contracts, acquire or condemn property, construct or reconstruct any project, hold title, sell, lease, and dispose of any project. It could also issue its own bond financing and enter into public-private partnerships.
The governor would appoint the agency’s executive director and five members of an advisory School Facilities Board, which would also include the schools superintendent and a Board of Education representative.
Proponents see the agency as a way to expedite building modern schools and redeveloping old properties without bureaucratic delay.
-- Staff Writer Alaska school needs require collaboration-- Anchorage Daily News Alaska: February 28, 2020 [ abstract] Over the past decade, Alaskans across the state voted for new or improved schools with the expectation that the state would pick up 60%-70% of the cost. Residents of 15 boroughs and six cities made these investments, believing the state would abide by its statutory commitment to contribute substantially to construction costs. The state did so for many years, consistent with its constitutional responsibility to “establish and maintain a system of public schools.” Unfortunately, 50% of the state’s share was vetoed for fiscal year 2020, passing that cost to local governments — and ultimately to local taxpayers.
A bill — House Bill 106 — is also being considered by the Legislature that would extend the existing five-year moratorium on new school bond debt for another five years. If it passes, an effective option for school construction and major maintenance will be taken off the table. If it doesn’t pass, there is little likelihood that program would be used, since there isn’t the trust in place that the state would fund its portion.
Local governments recognize that school bond debt reimbursement is “subject to appropriation,” but also agreed to these investments in good faith. To maintain trust in government, that commitment should not be abrogated. And we can all agree that the state shouldn’t balance its budget on the backs of local governments.
Twenty-one cities and boroughs currently have school bond debt, with payments of almost $100 million this year. Their ability to take on half of the state’s share of school bond debt is limited by a variety of factors, including local tax caps, limited tax bases, insufficient cash reserves, etc. Where taxes can be raised, local taxpayers are less likely to approve increases for bond debt than they are for new and improved schools. To complicate matters, this unanticipated cost comes at a time when other support for local governments, such as Community Assistance and capital project funding, are being reduced.
-- Opinion - Nils Andreassen Pros, cons and confusion over $15 billion construction bond-- EdSource California: February 27, 2020 [ abstract] With some polls predicting a tight vote, Californians on Tuesday will decide the fate of a $15 billion construction bond that Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature have placed on the election ballot. The money – $6 billion for higher ed and $9 billion for K-12 – will help school districts, community colleges, UC and CSU fund construction projects.
There has been considerable confusion and misinformation about the bond proposal, which, by unfortunate luck of the draw, will appear on the ballot as Prop. 13 — the same number as the 1978 initiative that set limits on property tax increases.
This week, Jeff Vincent, director of the Center for Cities and Schools at UC Berkeley, and author of influential research on school construction, explains what the bond would do and how the money would be distributed.
-- Staff Writer As school construction costs soar, districts ask lawmakers for help-- NBC5 Vermont: February 26, 2020 [ abstract] MONTPELIER, Vt. —
A spike in costly school construction projects around Vermont has officials from districts large and small asking state legislators for help.
Three Chittenden County districts in particular -- South Burlington, Burlington and Winooski -- have recently or are currently seeking approval for roughly $350 million in school construction bonding.
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By contrast, the total capital budget for all of state government is roughly $60-70 million each year. In 2007, lawmakers suspended school construction aid, citing a hopeless backlog of deferred maintenance.
Few districts have money saved for school building replacement or major maintenance and many schools built after World War II are falling into disrepair.
In the Windsor Central Supervisory Union, one school isn't even safe to open.
"We operate four elementary schools and one is shut down due to mold and moisture issues," Superintendent Mary Beth Banios told lawmakers last week.
-- Stewart Ledbetter Court battle threatens to delay new Clendenin school construction-- WCHS8 West Virginia: February 26, 2020 [ abstract]
KANAWHA COUNTY, W.VA (WCHS/WVAH) — A squabble between two gas companies is threatening to delay the building of the new Clendenin Elementary School, which was destroyed in the 2016 flood.
The new school isn’t as far along as the new Herbert Hoover High School, but the Kanawha County School Board won the right to move ahead with getting the land for the school at a court hearing Wednesday.
The hearing was to decide the fair market value the school system must pay Vesta Oil & Gas Holdings for the land.
A legal fight between Vesta and Cunningham Energy involving mineral rights has Cunningham trying to intervene in the case.
Cunningham had a much different number in mind than the $25,000 the board says the 35 acres are worth.
-- BOB AARON Riverhead voters overwhelmingly reject school construction bond propositions-- Riverhead Local New York: February 25, 2020 [ abstract] Riverhead voters gave two thumbs-down to the school district’s multimillion dollar capital construction plans Tuesday, rejecting two bond propositions by wide margins.
Proposition 1, to authorize the expenditure of $88,249,340 to address spatial needs, infrastructure and security issues, fell by a vote of 2,626 to 1,151 (70% to 30%).
Proposition 2, to authorize $8.8 million in athletic facility improvements, additional parking capacity and a “fairgrounds” entrance, went down by a vote of 2,775 to 993. (74% to 26%).
There were 250 absentee ballots cast in the election.
School board members, district administrators and faculty absorbed the vote results in stunned silence as the vote results were projected onto a screen in the cafeteria at Roanoke Avenue Elementary School Tuesday night about half an hour after the polls closed.
“The community has spoken,” Superintendent Dr. Aurelia Henriquez said. “We’ll have to go back to the drawing board and try and come up with solutions that the community will buy into,” she said.
-- Denise Civiletti Rising costs force a Plan B for school construction project-- Portland Press Herald Maine: February 24, 2020 [ abstract] PORTLAND — In the face of increasing construction costs, school leaders are rethinking how to renovate/rebuild Lyseth, Longfellow, Presumpscot and Reiche elementary schools.
In Novemer 2017, voters approved a $64 million bond to renovate the four schools, but 2½ years later, it appears that an additional $39 million is needed to complete the work as planned.
The Portland Board of Education was scheduled to have a workshop to talk about options Tuesday, after the Forecaster’s deadline. The Districtwide Advisory Building Committee will meet Thursday to review how to scale back the projects to meet the bond amount.
Harriman, the architecture and engineering firm hired to design the school renovations, estimates the project would now cost $105 million, well over what school leaders had expected.
The advisory committee will look into ways to pare back the plans, said school board member Sarah Thompson, co-chairman of the committee.
The Lyseth project, nearing completion, has already been scaled back. Even if similar changes are made to plans for the other three schools, the cost would drop only to $85 million and more funding would still be needed.
-- MICHAEL KELLY St. Johns County School District adds 5,000 hurricane shelter spaces-- The st. Augustine Record Florida: February 24, 2020 [ abstract] The St. Johns County School District has added more than 5,000 shelter spaces to local schools with $1.2 million in state funding.
The additional shelter spaces were added to Pacetti Bay Middle and Switzerland Point Middle schools as part of a two-year shelter retrofit project funded by the Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program and the Hurricane Shelter Deficit Reduction Program.
The programs are part of the Florida Department of Emergency Management and provide millions of dollars in grant funding for retrofits, inspections, and construction or modification of building components designed to increase a structure’s ability to withstand hurricane-force winds and flooding.
“What this agreement does is it gives us an avenue to create additional shelter seats, and it lets our schools become more robust and resilient,” said Paul Rose, executive director of facilities and operations at the school district. “It provides additional protections for our facilities whether we use them for a shelter or not.”
In all, 5,141 additional hurricane shelter spaces and 133 additional special needs hurricane shelter spaces were added to the schools, which required upgrades to the schools’ windows and doors in order to make them more resistant to hurricane-force winds and flying objects.
-- Christen Kelley Adelman, Bendor, O’Grady: Neglect of Arizona schools’ capital needs violates Constitution-- Glendale Independent Arizona: February 17, 2020 [ abstract] School districts all over Arizona are challenged today by aging schools and inadequate funds to repair or replace them. This is a major problem for our educators and for the children they teach --- and it is a violation of the Arizona Constitution, which requires the state to maintain a “general and uniform” system of public schools.
We’ve faced this problem before. In the 1990’s, a school district’s ability to have decent buildings, textbooks, and computers depended almost entirely on whether it could pass bonds and overrides. Kids in districts with little property wealth or with voters who wouldn’t pass bonds were left behind. After years of litigation, the Arizona Supreme Court held that this system violated the Arizona Constitution.
As a result, the Legislature eventually enacted legislation called Students FIRST to fix this problem. Students FIRST provided money to fix the disrepair that had built up over the years, take care of buildings going forward, build new schools in growing districts, and buy “soft capital” items like textbooks, computers, and buses.
Unfortunately, the state has broken the promise of Students FIRST. It eliminated a “building renewal” program designed to give schools funds to take care of their buildings, and replaced it with a bureaucratic grant program with paltry funding that is only available after a building system --- like a roof or air-conditioning unit --- has failed. The state also ignored its statutory duty to inspect schools; slashed funding for textbooks, computers, and buses; stopped updating its facilities, security, and technology standards --- used to determine funding; and made the program for new school construction a shadow of its former self, providing too little funding and delaying what funding there was until after districts were already overcapacity for years.
-- Opinion Eastside School construction is on schedule-- The World Oregon: February 15, 2020 [ abstract]
EASTSIDE — construction at the new Eastside School has so far cost $9,852,886 and is set to be completed this summer.
“We are on budget and on schedule,” said Nancy Giggy with Integrity Management Solutions overseeing the BEST Bond project.
Eastside School construction began last year after voters approved the $59.9 million BEST Bond project for the Coos Bay School District. The BEST Bond will pay for upgrades to aging buildings, as well as construct a new elementary school and junior high.
“Chambers construction is doing a great job,” Giggy said of the progress at Eastside. “Right now they are putting in the weather barrier, roofing and interior wall framing.”
Since construction began on the new elementary school, Giggy said there have only been two situations where structural steel was held up before arriving on site, which delayed construction briefly. However, during those periods she said contractors “that could still work around those issues did.”
-- Jillian Ward House passes $2.2B school construction bill in big bipartisan vote-- WBALTV11 Maryland: February 14, 2020 [ abstract]
ANNAPOLIS, Md. —
The House of Delegates passed legislation Friday to increase school construction funding by $2.2 billion over five years.
Delegates approved the Built to Learn Act by a 128-6 vote, sending it to the Senate, where there is also bipartisan support. The bill also has the backing of Gov. Larry Hogan.
"I think it's telling how important this bill is on both sides of the aisle," House Speaker Adrienne Jones said.
"Money does matter; money matters," said Delegate Matthew Morgan, a Republican who represents St. Mary's County's District 29A.
There was an unusual House debate for legislation that's nearly universally supported. The discussion centered on clarifying how school construction money will become available.
"It raises concern for the 17 counties that are bundled together when using this historic 10-year average of school construction, because what you have done in the past 10 years is no reflection of what you are going to need in the future 10 years," said Delegate Susan Krebs, a Republican who represents Carroll County's 5th District.
"The old way of business is not going away. You act like we are going to get rid of the way we've done school construction in the state for decades. We are not. That program is still going to be in place," House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Maggie McIntosh said.
-- David Collins State Lays Out Plans for School Construction Projects, But No Funding-- NJSpotlight New Jersey: February 13, 2020 [ abstract] In court over the state’s stalled school construction program, the Murphy administration has quietly moved ahead in at least identifying the next priority projects, two dozen of them in 18 districts.
The Schools Development Authority (SDA) in late January approved its latest strategic plan, listing 24 projects facing the most-dire needs due to overcrowding and building age.
There is no money in place to pay for them, the subject of a lawsuit filed in November as part of the landmark Abbott v. Burke school equity litigation. Representing schoolchildren in 31 low-income, urban districts, advocates have contended the state has failed to live up to its commitment under Abbott rules to provide adequate school facilities.
But the Murphy administration in its first response brief filed this week said the strategic plan meets at least one of the demands in the complaint, and it’s next up to the Legislature to provide the necessary funding.
“While the State recognizes that additional funding will be needed for the projects identified in the new Statewide Strategic Plan, it has alerted the Legislature to that need and, with that new Statewide Strategic Plan now in place, the State is positioned to move forward,” reads the brief filed by Deputy Attorney General Donna Arons.
David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law Center (ELC), which is leading the litigation, said in an interview this week that it looks like the administration has deferred to the Legislature, but it hardly addresses the issue.
-- JOHN MOONEY Virginia lawmakers push funding for school construction-- WCYB Virginia: February 13, 2020 [ abstract]
BRISTOL, Va--Leaky roofs, black mold, and crumbling buildings are just some of the issues facing Bristol, Virginia public schools.
On Thursday, a special coalition brought attention to the issue in Richmond.
Superintendent of schools, Keith Perrigan said the schools are in desperate need of help.
"What we know is there is a school facility crisis all across, not just the Commonwealth, but really across the country," he said.
Some of the schools in Bristol, Virginia were built during World War II. The newest school in Bristol, Virginia is Van Pelt Elementary, and is nearing 50 years.
Perrigan said the state hasn't helped in keeping those schools maintained.
"For the last 10 years the state has not provided localities with any funding to help take care of maintenance of schools to offset the cost for debt service," he said.
Two bills, one sponsored by Del. Israel O'Quinn, R-Washington, and another by Sen. Todd Pillion R-Abingdon are aiming to help fix the problem.
The proposal would take money from the state's literary fund and move it to a school construction fund.
-- Kristen Quon Baltimore County schools to use $14.2 million in state funding to address cooling, heating issues-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: February 12, 2020 [ abstract] The Baltimore County Board of Education voted Tuesday night to accept $14.2 million in state funding for temporary air conditioning and heating units at seven public schools, but can’t say if the systems will be installed before temperatures heat up again.
“We will try” to install the systems by summer, but “there are so many unknowns at this point, it’d be wrong for me to give an exact date,” said Pete Dixit, executive director of school facilities.
The money, disbursed to the school system from Maryland’s Interagency Commission on School construction’s Healthy School Facility Fund, is matched by $16 million in county funds announced in October to cover the full cost of the vertical temporary air conditioning systems that will be installed at Dulaney, Eastern Technical and Lansdowne high schools, the Western School of Technology, Bedford Elementary School, Catonsville Center for Alternative Studies and Campfield Early Learning Center.
Campfield was originally not included in then-$13.4 million funding plan approved by the IAC panel in September.
Also part of the plan, two steam boilers will be replaced at Hampton Elementary School.
-- TAYLOR DEVILLE It's complicated: Neenah's $182 million school building plan includes costs beyond referendum borrowing-- Post Crescent Wisconsin: February 12, 2020 [ abstract]
NEENAH - It's a simple question with a complicated answer.
"How much would it cost a typical homeowner if the Neenah Joint School District proceeds with its $181.7 million building plan?"
District administrators say the spending, which includes the construction of a $157 million high school, would cost homeowners $99 annually for every $100,000 of property value for 20 years.
That means the owner of a $100,000 home would pay an additional $1,980 in school taxes over the 20-year life of the debt. The owner of a $200,000 home would pay an additional $3,960, and the owner of a $300,000 home would pay an additional $5,940.
But that's not the full story. The calculation only accounts for the additional taxes related to an April 7 referendum, which will ask voters whether the district should borrow $114.9 million for the building plan.
That leaves $66.8 million — 37 percent of the total — to be paid by other means. The district has divided that into $47 million of non-referendum borrowing and $19.8 million of operating funds.
Essentially, it's money that would be paid back within state-imposed revenue limits, while the referendum money would be paid back outside the revenue limits.
District administrators haven't defined the tax impact of the non-referendum costs, noting the expenses can be covered within the district's annual operating budget.
"It's no new tax impact," said Andrew Thorson, assistant district administrator of business services.
That's possible because the school district has been taxing $5.5 million annually to pay for an unfunded liability stemming from early retirement benefits for employees.
-- Duke Behnke State school construction needs top $565 million-- VTDigger Vermont: February 12, 2020 [ abstract] Since the state put a moratorium on school construction aid a decade ago, Vermont’s preK-12 districts have bonded on their own for local projects to the tune of about $350 million. But that number could more than double in the next couple years as schools begin addressing long-deferred capital needs.
An ad-hoc group convened by the Vermont Superintendents Association surveyed school districts and gathered information from the Vermont Bond Bank over the summer to get a statewide picture of planned projects. It found another $565 million in proposed or pending construction coming down the pike.
“That was an eye-popping number, I think, for everybody,” David Epstein, a principal at the Burlington architecture firm TruexCullins, told lawmakers in the House Education Committee on Tuesday.
And despite dwindling enrollments, administrators often complain that they’re running out of room. That’s in part because some communities are growing, but also because most schools were built before districts became de-facto hubs for a slew of new social service and mental health services.
Epstein noted his own wife, a school-based clinician, had at one point worked with children from inside a gym storage closet.
“So while she’s working with the most needy populations, there’s basketballs hitting her door, interrupting the sessions. And that’s the way it is in Vermont schools right now,” he said.
Many of the state’s middle and high schools date back to the 1950s and ’60s, when the union school movement swept Vermont. And the most recent wave of school construction was in the late ’80s and ’90s, when the state saw a population boom.
But a recent spate of school construction projects has prompted state officials and lawmakers to return to the subject of capital needs. And of particular concern is which communities are – and which communities aren’t – getting bonds greenlighted at the ballot box.
Two Chittenden County cities – Burlington and Winooski – have recently passed large bonds, and the most expensive project proposed in the state right now is in South Burlington, where the school board is pitching to build a new middle and high school for $209 million. Meanwhile, rural, often poorer districts are putting forward much smaller projects – or getting shot down by voters.
-- Lola Duffort Making the grade: Why school construction costs are climbing and projects are stalling-- Construction Dive National: February 11, 2020 [ abstract] When California-based C.W. Driver Cos. began work on the new 94,000-square-foot K-8 Cadence Park School campus in Irvine in 2016, the overall construction costs came in at $475 per square foot.
But in 2019, as the firm started mapping out the construction of Heritage Fields School No. 3, another K-8 campus for the Irvine Unified School District, costs had surged to $598 a square foot.
That’s a jump of 26% in just three years, and it echoes a trend experienced around the country.
Basic algebra: Costs are adding up
“Over the last few years, the cost increase per square foot has been abnormally high,” said Jonathan Keene, senior project manager at C.W. Driver, which specializes in K-12 and higher education construction. “We’ve seen abnormally high increases in labor costs as well as huge increases in material costs like structural steel.”
School construction costs aren't just rising in high-priced locales like California. From Maryland to Washington State, school and university construction projects are seeing cost increases that are forcing school boards and university trustees to reconsider their original plans or go back to the drawing board altogether.
In an extreme example at St. Paul (Minnesota) Public Schools, cost estimates on 18 projects grew by more than 60% between 2016 and 2019, according to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press newspaper.
“In some of the bigger districts, where they thought they could do 30 schools, they’re now saying we can only do 18,” said Mary Filardo, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based 21st Century School Fund, a nonprofit that supports and advocates for improved school infrastructure nationally. “They’re definitely feeling it.”
-- Joe Bousquin Infrastructure plan could point to sea change for schools-- Roll Call National: February 06, 2020 [ abstract]
The nation’s roads and bridges may be falling down, but its schools aren’t far behind.
So education proponents paid attention last week when, unveiling a $760 billion legislative infrastructure framework, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that any infrastructure package would ultimately include federal dollars for school construction.
“We tell children that education is important, they should study, it’s important to their own self'fulfillment and to that of our country, and yet we send some of them to schools that are so substandard that it sends a different message,” Pelosi said the day after rolling out the infrastructure plan.
A bigger federal role in school construction would amount to a sea change for public education in the U.S., where state and local governments have traditionally paid for building and renovation. While the federal government has demanded school districts educate all children equally, it hasn’t demanded that the school buildings themselves be equal.
High-profile incidents in Baltimore, where schools lacked heat, and in Philadelphia, where schools were contaminated with asbestos, have drawn attention to the state of those buildings. In its latest report card on infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave schools a D-plus.
Democrats may be looking to change that.
-- Jessica Wehrman Ivey proposes $1 billion school bond issue-- abc3340 Alabama: February 06, 2020 [ abstract]
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is proposing a $1 billion school construction bond issue, the state’s largest capital improvement project in more than a decade.
The bond issue would be the largest through the Public School and College Authority since 2007 when lawmakers approved a $1.07 billion bond issue at the urging of then-Gov. Bob Riley.
Ivey first announced the project in her State of the State address on Tuesday night. She said schools could use the money for construction, safety improvements or technology upgrades.
“I urge the members of the Legislature to help us make this investment a top priority for Alabama’s future. Our children are counting on us,” Ivey said.
The bond issue will provide money to every city and county K-12 school system and to two- and four-year colleges. The money would be divided with 73% going to K-12 schools and 27% going to two- and four-year colleges.
Finance Director Kelly Butler said the governor’s proposed distribution formula would give every K-12 school system a base distribution of $200,000 and then add money based on the school system’s size and an equity school formula that tries to steer additional funds to poor school systems.
-- KIM CHANDLER, The Associated Press Owner of the Year 2020: NYC School Construction Authority-- ENRNewYork New York: February 06, 2020 [ abstract] ENR New York is pleased to announce the Owner of the Year for 2020: the New York City School construction Authority.
According to Dodge Analytics, the SCA started 396 new projects in 2019, such as a $78M new school on Staten Island. All of the authority's 3,144 projects listed in Dodge's database are valued at almost $14.8 billion total.
Led by Lorraine Grillo — who hadn't yet been named president and CEO of the organization when it won ENR New York's 2009 Owner of the Year honor — the SCA broke ground on several new school projects in 2019, including the brand-new East New York Family Academy; an annex for the Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside; and the $68 million IS 419 in Flushing.
In September, 18 school sites opened, starting with the new, $62 million PS 398 in Queens, which serves prekindergarten through fifth grade students with 476 new seats.
Another notable school that opened in 2019 is PS 46X in the Bronx. The DeMatteis Organization, one of the project team members, earlier told ENR that the project comprised construction of a new five-story, 77,000-sq-ft building and renovation for an existing 81,700-sq-ft adjacent building. Joining them involved careful planning of structural tie-in work between both.
-- Eydie Cubarrubia School building goal coming into focus-- Mount Desert Islander Maine: February 06, 2020 [ abstract]
BAR HARBOR — “There’s no easy answer” to the question of when, and how extensively, Bar Harbor should renovate or replace its aging elementary and middle school facility, the school’s principal said Monday.
It’s a difficult question for two reasons. One is the sticker shock: The town will need to spend between $13 million and $46 million in the next few years on the buildings, depending on how extensive the renovation is.
The other is the looming question of school consolidation. Mount Desert Island towns will have a straw poll question on the warrant for Town Meetings this spring whether they support continued planning efforts for a combined, district-wide middle school.
If voters agree to the significant tax increases associated with a bond issue for the Bar Harbor school building project, they may be less willing to fund construction of a combined middle school building a few years later.
A School Improvement Committee which has been working with architect Carla Haskell to review options for the Conners Emerson School buildings presented its work to the school board Monday afternoon.
“We’re picking a direction here,” committee member Brian Booher told the school board. “It isn’t a signed, sealed, delivered plan.”
-- Liz Graves Could Florida save millions with solar schools proposal?-- The Floridian Florida: February 05, 2020 [ abstract]
With Gov. Ron DeSantis’ $600 million proposal to increase teacher salaries, many state legislators are scratching their heads to find ways to fund this bold initiative. One potential solution may come from an unlikely place.
Democratic state Sen. Lori Berman (D-Boynton Beach) is advocating for a solar schools proposal that could make it easier for schools to save money on energy costs.
According to a report from the Florida Department of Education, school districts across the state spent more than $528 million on energy costs during the 2017-18 fiscal year. That doesn’t even include charter school expenditures on energy costs, which weren’t part of the DOE report.
Sen. Berman’s proposal (SB 1290) would streamline the process for public schools to embrace solar infrastructure to power their classrooms. The bill would exclude costs associated with a solar energy system – including equipment, installation, design and engineering – from existing per-student station caps on public school construction.
“Despite our nickname, the Sunshine State’s solar power potential has been unrealized,” said Sen. Lori Berman. “Our state needs to consider more measures that incentivize renewable alternatives as they’re far more cost-effective than fossil fuels and, in fact, represent more jobs in this country at a ratio of 3-1. By harvesting the untapped power of the sun in Florida’s K-12 school facilities, we can lead new generations of young Floridians into a brighter, cleaner future.”
-- Javier Manjarres Measure E will fund facilities upgrades in Sebastopol School District
-- Sonoma West Times & News California: February 05, 2020 [ abstract] Faced with aging classrooms and the need to bring school facilities up to current building standards, the Sebastopol Union School District has placed a $17.5 million general obligation bond measure on the March 3 ballot.
“In order to maintain a safe and healthy environment for our students, we need to keep our facilities upgraded and in good working order,” Sebastopol Union Superintendent Linda Irving said.
The proceeds of the bond will be used to modernize and renovate the district’s aging school facilities, particularly Park Side Elementary, which serves grades K-4, and Brook Haven, which serves grades 5-8.
General obligation bonds or GO bonds are used to fund both school renovation projects and new construction. Similar to home loans, they are typically repaid over 25 to 30 years. The loan repayment comes from a tax on residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial property located within the district’s boundaries.
The tax rate per property owner for Measure E is estimated to be $25 per $100,000 of assessed valuation per year. For example, the owner of a home that is assessed by the county at $800,000 would pay $200 per year for this bond.
Irving said the district needs voters to approve Measure E because the scope of the facilities improvements needed by the district is far more than it can pay out of its operating budget.
-- Laura Hagar Rush Editorial: Disaster relief shouldn't take so long-- The Herald Dispatch West Virginia: February 04, 2020 [ abstract] People in West Virginia’s Nicholas County received good news last week when the Federal Emergency Management Agency released about $132 million to rebuild schools that had to be demolished following the June 2016 flood.
A few months ago, in November, FEMA released $52 million to rebuild Herbert Hoover High School in Kanawha County, which also had to be razed following the 2016 floods. Site preparation work for the new school has begun.
Meanwhile, plans are still being formulated for the new schools in Nicholas County, according to an article by Ryan Quinn in The Charleston Gazette-Mail. Nicholas County school officials hope construction on the new schools there can begin this spring. construction could take 3 ½ years, which would schedule the new schools for opening in 2023 — seven years after the flood.
Having the money released is good news, but it raises a question: Why does it take bureaucracy so long to release money to meet a critical need?
It’s like the problem West Virginia state government had with the RISE program. Red tape can slow things down to a crawl when immediate help is needed.
When the floods hit in 2016, volunteers in the private sector were mobilizing before the waters went down. People donated cleaning supplies, heavy equipment and their own labor to help those affected worst by the flood.
-- Editorial Proposed tax would boost school maintenance, construction-- Peninsula Clarion Alaska: February 04, 2020 [ abstract]
A bill that would deduct $30 a year from every worker in Alaska and pool that money to be used for maintenance and construction costs in the state’s schools is making its way through the Alaska Senate.
Senate Bill 50 is sponsored by Sen. Click Bishop (R-Fairbanks), Sen. Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak) and Sen. Jesse Kiehl (D-Juneau) and looks to collect revenues to fund schools.
Money generated from the tax would be deposited into the state’s general fund and accounted for separately to pay maintenance and construction needs of Alaska’s schools. Those maintenance and construction needs are growing, Bishop said in his sponsor statement.
On the Kenai Peninsula, about 25% of the district’s schools are 50 years or older, and 80% are over 30 years old.
“I think we have to take a stand to tackle deferred maintenance in our schools,” Bishop said during the Jan. 28 Senate Labor and Commerce Committee meeting.
A similar tax once existed in Alaska from 1919 to 1980, according to the bill’s sponsor statement. When the tax was repealed in 1980 it was $10 per person. When adjusted for inflation, that tax would have the equivalent value of $30 today.
-- Victoria Petersen Public school advocates keep up pressure on legislators calling school construction ‘priority’-- The Roanoke Times Virginia: February 02, 2020 [ abstract]
RICHMOND — State legislators say they want to make fixing Virginia’s crumbling public schools a “priority.”
Last week at the Capitol, they heard a few bills proposing ideas for how the state can assist localities to upgrade or replace schools, some of which date to before World War I. They’ve become familiar with the stories about ceiling tiles falling, mold, rainwater leaking through roofs and into classrooms, and broken HVAC systems prompting schools to close for days at a time.
“I just think we need to insist upon this becoming a priority,” Del. Delores McQuinn , D-Richmond, told a panel of superintendents.
The school executives described a list of problems preventing them from providing a quality education for students, and they asked the state to step up to provide funding for school construction.
“We don’t have the ability locally to put additional funding into our school infrastructure,” said Bristol Schools Superintendent Keith Perrigan.
Del. Israel O’Quinn, R-Washington, introduced a bill to revive a pre-recession fund to provide grants to school divisions to help curb costs for school construction. It would shift money from the Literary Fund into this fund.
The Literary Fund provides loans for school construction projects. School officials — especially those from the more impoverished districts — say it’s hard for them to tap into that pool of money. They’d prefer grants over loans. And before shovels go into the ground, they need to hire a firm to design a school, and they say they can’t use Literary Fund loans on that aspect.
-- Amy Friedenberger What California voters need to know about proposed $15 billion school construction bond: a quick guide-- EdSource California: January 31, 2020 [ abstract] The March 3 California ballot includes a $15 billion state bond issue to help schools, community colleges and universities with construction costs for their facilities. Last fall, the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom placed the measure on the ballot by approving Assembly Bill 48. It will appear on the ballot as Proposition 13.
Does it have anything to do with the Prop. 13 property tax initiative that voters passed in 1978?
No. They just happen to have the same number. Every 10 years, the state repeats the cycle for numbering measures on the state ballot in the order they come in. Passing the school bond will not alter the previous Prop. 13.
Why is it needed?
The state has traditionally shared the cost of construction with school districts, community colleges and universities. Since 2002, voters have approved four bond measures totaling $45 billion, with 80 percent allocated to K-12. The last bond, in 2016, was for $7 billion strictly for K-12. All the money from that bond has been allocated or committed to districts that have applied.
School districts and community colleges also pass bonds for school construction and repairs not covered by state aid. Local bonds require 55 percent of voter approval to pass. State bonds like Prop. 13 require a simple majority of voters statewide.
How will the money be spent?
$6 billion for higher education, with $2 billion each for community colleges, California State University and the University of California.
$9 billion for K-12:
$5.2 billion for renovations, with $150 million earmarked for testing and reducing lead in school water.
$2.8 billion for new construction.
$500 million for charter school facilities.
$500 million for career technical program facilities.
What will be the total cost?
The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates the full repayment to be $26 billion over 35 years, paid out of the General Fund of the state budget. This includes the $15 billion principal plus $11 billion in estimated interest based on selling bonds over 5 years at a 4 percent interest rate. The annual repayment of $740 million would equal 0.5 percent of the General Fund.
-- JOHN FENSTERWALD Rapidly growing Ridgefield floats $107 million school construction bond-- The Columbian Washington: January 28, 2020 [ abstract]
With continued growth on the horizon, the Ridgefield School District in February will ask voters to consider a $107 million construction bond to build new facilities.
The north Clark County school district last ran a bond a year ago at $77 million, which failed with 58.1 percent of the vote. School bonds in Washington state must pass with a margin of 60 percent plus one vote approval.
This year’s bond measure is $30 million larger than last year’s due in part to the addition of an intermediate school for fifth- and sixth-graders to its slate of projects. That campus would be the first part of a two-phase construction project that would eventually include a middle school for seventh- and eighth-grade students. The second part of that project would be funded through a later bond, Superintendent Nathan McCann said.
The district estimates the bond will cost taxpayers a rate of 97 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value. A home valued at $300,000, for example, would pay $291 annually.
District officials say this bond is critical as they work to accommodate the additional 1,760 students expected to enter the district by 2023-2024. Enrollment at the district was 3,358 students in January, according to the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, meaning the district anticipates an enrollment increase of 52 percent.
“We desperately need this,” McCann said.
McCann adds that current growth projections do not take into account projected growth from development around the 179 Street/Interstate 5 interchange. The Clark County Council late last year voted to lift an urban holding designation, which for years halted development and land division in the sprawling area.
Building out all 2,200 acres that were in urban holding could produce as many as 5,650 homes, many of them in the Ridgefield School District boundaries.
“The bottom line is, we’re in this perpetual mode of growth,” he said.
-- Katie Gillespie Gov. Wolf to seek school construction aid amid health issues-- TRIB Live Pennsylvania: January 24, 2020 [ abstract] HARRISBURG — With budget season approaching, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is developing a plan to help deal with aging school buildings plagued by environmental problems, including lead paint and asbestos insulation, his office said.
Wolf must deliver a budget proposal to the Legislature on Feb. 4, and lawmakers who are pressing for state aid to address what they call a massive and growing problem have asked the Democratic governor to include money in the spending package.
Wolf has discussed the need in the past, saying that a sprawling infrastructure plan he floated last year could have been a source of help.
But that plan — a $4.5 billion infrastructure proposal to be paid off by imposing a tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas production — never saw a vote in the Republican-controlled Legislature, and Wolf’s office said he will try a new strategy to deal with deteriorating school buildings.
“Gov. Wolf remains committed to putting significant resources to protect kids from these harmful contaminants and will be proposing a new comprehensive plan in the near future,” Wolf’s office said in a statement.
In the Legislature, Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler and Sen. Vincent Hughes, both Philadelphia Democrats, have introduced legislation backed by labor unions, public school advocates and rank-and-file Democrats to marshal $125 million for the cause.
-- Associated Press Voters weigh $1.7 billion in school construction proposals-- HeraldNet Washington: January 24, 2020 [ abstract]
EVERETT — Voters will decide the fate of nearly $1.7 billion worth of school construction next month.
Six school districts are seeking approval of bonds, capital levies or both in the Feb. 11 special election. Ballots were mailed to their voters Wednesday.
Edmonds is pushing the most ambitious proposal — a $600 million bond and a four-year $96 million technology and capital levy.
Bond measures are on ballots in Snohomish ($470 million), Mukilteo ($240 million) and Arlington ($71.5 million). Marysville is trying to pass a six-year $120 million capital levy. Arlington ($25 million) and Monroe ($12.3 million) also have multi-year capital levies on the ballot.
Bonds and levies are paid for with assessments on local property taxes. The rules for passing them are different. Under state law, passage of bonds requires 60% support while a simple majority is enough to enact a capital levy.
“While there is much anticipation and excitement for the March Presidential Primary, the February Special Election will have a significant local impact,” said Snohomish County Auditor Garth Fell. “By voting and returning your February Special Election ballot, your voice can be heard on these important school district issues. Remember that local elections matter.”
-- Jerry Cornfield Maryland county executives testify in favor of school construction bill-- WTOP Maryland: January 23, 2020 [ abstract]
County executives from eight Maryland jurisdictions — including Prince George’s and Montgomery counties — traveled to Annapolis to testify in favor of a school construction plan.
The Built to Learn Act would pump $2.2 billion into new school buildings and renovation projects. Some of the funding would come from bonds issued from the Maryland Stadium Authority.
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks reminded lawmakers that the announcement of the Built To Learn Act in November took place at a Prince George’s County school that was undergoing emergency renovations.
“Half the building was being held up by large hydraulic jacks,” she said.
Alsobrooks said it is critical that children go to school in “state-of-the-art buildings that are warm in the winter, cool in the spring and summer and structurally sound.”
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich told members of the House Appropriations Committee that his county is the 14th-largest school district in the nation, with 165,000 students.
“Parents expect that kids are not going to be sitting on desks or on the furniture in the science labs. That they’re actually going to be in chairs, and that there’s going to be room for them,” Elrich said.
-- Kate Ryan Ahead of School Construction Hearing, Officials Lament Funding Squeeze-- Maryland Matters Maryland: January 22, 2020 [ abstract] Ahead of a hearing on a multibillion-dollar plan to fund backlogged school maintenance and construction projects in Maryland, delegates heard Tuesday from officials on the frontlines of school construction struggles.
Strengthening the state’s school infrastructure is a top priority in both chambers, and the House Appropriations Committee will consider a bill on the plan Thursday afternoon.
The question is not if the school construction proposal will pass, but whether legislators should consider tweaking the proposal, said House Appropriations Chairwoman Maggie L. McIntosh (D-Baltimore City).
“This is House Bill 1 – and that means the bill is going to pass. And we can amend it, but that means it’s going to pass,” she told school leaders and her committee.
The bill would allow the Maryland Stadium Authority to issue up to $2.2 billion in bonds to fund school construction projects in the state, in addition to the state’s annual capital funding. A companion measure is cross-filed as Senate Bill 1 and is certain to pass out of that chamber.
Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) has also introduced a bill authorizing $2.2 billion in Stadium Authority bonds, though the measures differ in other ways.
-- Danielle E. Gaines Wilson School Board mulls options for upgrades that could cost as much as $120 million-- Reading Eagle Pennsylvania: January 22, 2020 [ abstract] The Wilson School Board on Tuesday discussed options for a comprehensive facilities upgrade that would replace aging infrastructure and address projected increases in enrollment.
A November 2019 report by enrollment analysis firm DecisionInsite estimates that about 900 additional residences will be built and occupied within the district over the next decade.
The new developments may add as many as 117 students to the district per year, the report predicts, pushing Wilson’s elementary and high school enrollment numbers above building capacity.
In late 2018, the board hired Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, a Cumberland County architecture firm, to conduct a feasibility study. The study provides options for upgrading the district’s facilities to be able to handle any future influx of students.
Possible changes include constructing additions to the high school and other buildings, reconfiguring elementary buildings to hold kindergarten-through-fourth-grade students, converting Cornwall Terrace Elementary and/or Southern Middle School into fifth- and sixth-grade buildings, and switching West Middle School to a seventh- and eighth-grade building.
Currently, grades K through 5 are spread across five elementary buildings, grades 6 through 8 are split between Southern and West middle schools, and grades 9 through 12 are in a single high school.
-- Keith Dmochowski Answer to billion dollar question-- Saint Albans Messenger Vermont: January 20, 2020 [ abstract] When it was public last week that there was $563 million in the pipeline for school construction projects between now and 2023, that was an rough estimate. Back of the envelope sort of estimate. And low. As much as a billion dollars low.
It’s a problem that extends beyond the dollar amount. The problem is that we have no information. We don’t have an inventory of the state’s school buildings. We don’t have a way of gauging which buildings are in the greatest need of repair, how much the repairs would cost, the difference between repairing a building or building anew, or how a school’s building needs match up against its student population.
When the state slapped a moratorium on school construction aid in 2007 what we were left with is a school-by-school
decision making process as to whether construction would happen or it wouldn’t. In most cases, it didn’t. The “deferred
maintenance” has snowballed into a colossal billion dollar-plus challenge. And we’re just hearing about it.
It’s just now becoming public because in Vermont we fly things under the flag of local control. Communities have a general
sense of the needs of their local schools, but, as a state, we haven’t a clue as to the needs of the school the next town over,
let alone the needs of schools in another part of the state.
-- Emerson Lynn Dept. of Education Says it Has Completed School Maintenance Projects Across Territory-- The Virgin Islands Consortium National: January 16, 2020 [ abstract] The Department of Education said Thursday that as part of the year-round maintenance of its schools, it has completed work on important projects in recent months, with several more projects critical to the quality of the school environment expected to be completed by June.
According to D.O.E. Territorial Project Engineer Alan Fleming, the department’s Operations Division “is continuing to work to improve the conditions at our schools, using funding from the Public Finance Authority, Office of Insular Affairs and other local funding made available to us.”
ST. THOMAS-ST. JOHN DISTRICT
According to D.O.E., last October, an ADA-compliant ramp/sidewalk was installed at the Addelita Cancryn Intermediate and Junior High School, which is temporarily being housed on the Lockhart Elementary School campus, in order to accommodate wheelchair-bound students. The ramp/sidewalk connect the area of the Lockhart campus used by Cancryn to the modular units on the school grounds.
Fleming said the project was completed within a two-week period by local contractor Do Right construction and was paid for with $28,498 in funding from the Public Finance Authority.
Joseph Gomez Elementary School will soon have a refurbished basketball court fit for students to enjoy outdoor activities. A playground covering will be installed over the outdoor court and new court surface installed over the concrete base currently in place. Fleming said the job is out to bid and is expected to be completed before the close of the school year.
-- Staff Writer Dept. of Education to Continue Facilities Master Planning Sessions to Guide New Schools Construction-- The Virgin Islands Consortium U.S. Virgin Islands: January 15, 2020 [ abstract] The New Schools construction Advisory Board, comprised of Virgin Islands Department of Education professionals and other V.I. residents, will continue work on a Facilities Master Plan for a period of six months beginning January 15 at Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School that will guide the construction of new public schools expected to be built in the territory over the next 5-10 years. A similar meeting will take place January 21 on St. Croix, D.O.E. has announced.
The federally mandated Facilities Master Plan will establish the use of building standards and scope of work for all Department of Education facilities that will be constructed. Planning sessions are expected to continue through June, with periodic community workshops as milestones are reached.
D.O.E. said the planning sessions follow a series of public meetings the Board held last October to update residents on the work it had been doing since January 2019 and to gain the community’s input on the building of schools—an opportunity made available through funding from Congress following the 2017 storms.
-- Staff Writer Virginia bill seeks to allot additional school construction funding-- WCYB Virginia: January 15, 2020 [ abstract] BRISTOL, Va. — Some officials say Virginia, and the nation, has a school construction crisis. A local lawmaker is proposing a fix.
"Most of the schools we have in southwest Virginia were built during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations, some even earlier than that," Delegate Israel O'Quinn (R-Abingdon) said.
O'Quinn is looking for alternative ways to fund school improvements and updates in what some school officials call a construction crisis.
"The state is not going to be able to solve that problem on their own, localities obviously can't solve that problem on their own," Bristol, Virginia Schools Superintendent. "It's going to take partnerships whether it's public/private partnerships or partnering with the USDA or partnering with the housing authority on grants."
-- Olivia Bailey Buildings, improvements on the horizon for El Dorado Schools-- El Dorado News-Times Arkansas: January 14, 2020 [ abstract]
El Dorado School District has two new buildings on the rise, as well as a few other projects in the next six years.
Superintendent Jim Tucker discussed the district’s 2020 six year master plan of facilities at the El Dorado School Board meeting Monday, which includes a new Barton Jr. High and a new elementary school to replace Yocum.
“Mr. Tucker noted that while these buildings have been very well-maintained, they are aging and will need to be replaced in the coming years,” said Katie Sandifer, digital media and marketing manager for the district, in an email to the News-Times.
Tucker said in an email to the News-Times that a portion of the current junior high would be razed with the rest used as a new location for the district’s Alternative Learning Environment Program and for Adult Education.
“If we are able to build two new schools they could possibly be located at the old high school location and the property north of the new high school on either side of Bob Watson Drive,” Tucker said in the email.
Three projects that have been submitted to the Arkansas Department of Education for partner funding include replacing portable buildings with permanent construction at Hugh Goodwin and Northwest elementary schools, replacing the HVAC system at Northwest and replacing the roof on the Barton cafeteria.
Tucker said the projects will proceed even if partner funding isn’t granted. He also said these projects were the next in line for completion.
-- Siandhara Bonnet 'After all the damage, now they want to sell?' | DC charter school leaving before it opens-- WUSA9 District of Columbia: January 10, 2020 [ abstract]
WASHINGTON — You would think neighbors in the Fairlawn section of Southeast would be happy that Eagle Academy may be moving out of the community. But a group of homeowners feel like they've been duped by the school and its developers, who they say not only damaged their properties, but cut corners.
Back in May 2019, the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs called the project on the 2300 block of R Street, Southeast an "illegal construction site." DCRA issued a permit to do "plumbing work only" for a foundation on a two-story building October 18, 2017, followed by an "alteration and repair" permit in January 4, 2019.
But the school was only issued a building permit for a new 2 story structure on April 5, 2019 - one month prior to our May visit when this reporter observed construction on the two story building was nearly complete. That means for three months, crews were constructing the new building without the proper permit.
At the time, DCRA's then Acting Director Ernest Chrappah sent WUSA9 a statement in response to the violation saying: "“It is implausible a project of this scope could be near completion within such a short time frame.”
-- Delia Goncalves Athens High School will open storm shelter to public this weekend if tornado watch is issued-- WAFF48 Alabama: January 10, 2020 [ abstract] ATHENS, Ala. (WAFF) - Severe weather, including tornadoes are possible in the Tennessee Valley this weekend so it’s time to start thinking about where you can go to be safe.
Athens High School will welcome the public to seek shelter Saturday if a tornado watch is issued. This will be the first time the school does so when a watch is posted.
Since 2010 Alabama High Schools have had to build a community safe room when constructing a new school. Student services supervisor Michael O’rear says this shelter holds 1,500 people, which is plenty for the students and staff.
When school is not in session, if there’s a tornado watch the school will open the doors to the public.
But there’s a few rules: no fire arms, smoking, vaping, alcoholic beverages, or outside food or drink are allowed. The only pets that can come in are certified service animals And a child must be supervised be an adult. O’rear says there will be a police officer here when they open.
And they also have first aid kits and therapy kits on hand, as well as restrooms, a water fountain and a TV.
“It's built to exact specifications for a storm shelter. I think it's a great resource for the public to take advantage of if they don't have a place to go for severe weather,” he said.
-- Caroline Klapp Hawaii Board Of Education Wants More Transparency In School Construction Projects-- Honolulu Civil Beat Hawaii: January 07, 2020 [ abstract]
At the end of the last legislative session in May, many Hawaii Department of Education schools had plenty to cheer about. House Bill 1259 appropriated nearly $295 million for capital improvement projects to certain schools over the next fiscal year.
Approved requests included $2 million for a new performing arts center at Nanakuli High and Intermediate, $1.7 million for new baseball infield turf at Kailua High and $3 million for an all-weather synthetic track at Kealakehe High on Big Island.
That money was on top of $110 million for repair and maintenance projects statewide and $61.5 million for various capital improvement projects, such as building new classrooms to account for growing student populations or new athletic facilities to comply with federal laws.
But despite the infusion of cash to some DOE schools for much needed improvements and upgrades to their grounds, it’s not clear how those projects got the green light ahead of others. It’s a perpetual concern the Board of Education is trying to address.
The BOE has asked DOE leadership to come up with specific criteria for executing both capital improvement and repair and maintenance projects. It is suggesting that projects should be prioritized by safety and accessibility, followed by a school’s socioeconomic and academic needs, according to a Nov. 21 BOE memo.
The DOE is expected to share its new criteria by Feb. 20.
-- Suevon Lee Our View: Maine communities confront difficult questions surrounding old schools-- Central Maine Maine: January 05, 2020 [ abstract] The last time the state offered funding for new school construction and major renovations, in 2016, 75 schools, all well past their prime for safely and comfortably housing students, filed applications. After 14 months, just three of the projects were approved.
For Saco, whose project finished fourth — and out of the money — that meant no relief was on its way, and the elementary classes now being taught in portable and makeshift classrooms would remain there.
Now the school district must decide whether to wait and see if they’ll have more luck in the next round — whenever that comes — or to ask residents to foot the entire bill, as Portland did in 2017.
That’s a decision dozens of districts around the state could face in the next decade, and one that not only affects students, parents and teachers, but all taxpayers — and the very way of life in many communities.
According to Pine Tree Watch, the average Maine school was built between 1950 and 1960, so many have already reached the end of their 40- to 50-year life. constructed before modern building codes, many are also not accessible to all students.
Without funding to renovate or replace these schools, districts have been forced, for years now, to turn trailers, hallways and closets into classrooms. They’ve dealt with cold rooms and backed-up sewage, the result of a lack of modern electric, plumbing and heating systems.
-- Editorial Lee County school district says construction boom, expansion of pre-K, career ed among its top priorities in 2020-- News-Press Florida: January 02, 2020 [ abstract] The Lee school district is focused on growth in 2020.
With money coming from the recently passed half-penny sales tax, the district is embarking on a school construction building blitz — something it hasn’t been able to do since the 2000s.
Likewise, the school system is focused on expanding its educational opportunities beyond the traditional K-12 environment. This includes building better facilities and programs for career education, as well as charging forward with a unique approach to pre-kindergarten education.
Schools to build, schools to name
The school district rounded out 2019 with the official groundbreaking and early construction efforts of Gateway High School.
The $98.2 million build out near State Road 82 is set to open to students in August 2021, but the first class of freshmen will start next fall in a portable campus at Lehigh Senior High School.
-- Pamela McCabe Construction of Federal Way schools delayed a year and $10M over budget-- Federal Way Mirror Washington: December 27, 2019 [ abstract] Federal Way Public Schools recently announced delays in the openings of three new schools, which will set back the construction projects by at least a year and cost upwards of $10 million.
While Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell said the district caused the delay due to their construction timeline and staffing issues, school district Superintendent Tammy Campbell claims the city’s challenging permitting process is the reason for the holdup.
At a legislative breakfast in Federal Way on Dec. 11, former Rep. Kristine Reeves questioned Campbell about the permitting process challenges in regards to the school construction projects.
“I will be sharing that those projects are delayed,” Campbell said at the event. “… It will probably be in excess of eight million dollars for those delays, for those school projects.”
FWPS communicated to parents of Lake Grove, Mirror Lake and Wildwood elementary schools last week about the school construction and opening timeline delays. The elementary schools were originally planned to open in fall of 2020, but with the delays, the schools are tentatively set to open sometime in winter 2021.
-- Olivia Sullivan and Carrie Rodriguez ‘Save our fields’: Residents continue to voice concerns over Heights rebuild-- Del Mar Times California: December 27, 2019 [ abstract] Some community opposition remains to the Del Mar Heights School rebuild that is set to begin construction in summer 2020. The group Play Outside Del Mar has distributed hundreds of “Save our Fields” signs that can be spotted on many Del Mar neighborhood streets and community members again filled the board room at the Del Mar Union School District board’s Dec. 18 meeting in an attempt to preserve what neighbor Andrew Lutz called “the most beautiful public school site in the world.”
“I consider the school to be a real jewel of our community,” said Karen Vaughn, who has lived on the corner of Boquita Drive and Cordero Road for almost 30 years. Both of her children went to the Heights and “Katie” (board member Katherine Fitzpatrick) used to babysit them. “I like the design but I’m very grieved by the loss of field space. I don’t feel that due diligence has been done. I know that there are a lot of issues that planners have had to take into account but I don’t think we’re at our best design at this point. I think we’re giving up too much.”
The current design is driven by the priorities of reducing vehicle congestion on neighborhood streets, maximizing parking, getting rid of all aging portable classrooms and improving pedestrian safety while still preserving views. The 66,990- square-foot design is larger than the existing footprint of the 54,007 square feet campus and while other green areas have been worked into the design, it does result in a reduction in the large contiguous school playing field.
-- KAREN BILLING Approved $234 million makes way for dramatic school improvements-- The Valley Breeze Rhode Island: December 26, 2019 [ abstract]
PAWTUCKET – The Pawtucket School Department last week won formal approval on its $234 million application to continue the progress that’s been made the past several years on local school facilities.
The city district was the only one to submit a Stage II plan meeting all requirements through the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education and meeting the winter deadline. Other districts will have another chance next spring.
School Committee Chairman Jay Charbonneau called it a “huge win for the students of Pawtucket,” saying school officials are thankful for the approval. He said while there’s plenty of credit to go around, “it starts with the voters who overwhelmingly approved this (spending).”
Planned spending includes:
• $55 million for the tear-down and reconstruction of Winters Elementary School;
• $60 million for the tear-down and reconstruction of Baldwin Elementary;
• And major renovations to the two high schools totaling $50 million to $55 million.
• Other upgrades at all other schools, with price tags ranging from $900,000 to $3 million per school.
The Rhode Island Department of Education also agreed to reimburse the district for the purchase of the former St. Leo’s Church and rectory as swing spaces for other schools that are renovated and later for other uses.
Supt. Cheryl McWilliams said school officials are pleased with the approval from RIDE.
-- ETHAN SHOREY Corvallis schools have busy construction schedule in 2020-- Corvallis Gazette-Times Oregon: December 26, 2019 [ abstract] construction of new buildings at Lincoln and Hoover elementary schools. A major renovation and expansion at Garfield Elementary School. And the first phases of renovations at Crescent Valley High School and Cheldelin Middle School.
All of these projects — and more — are scheduled to begin in 2020 as part of the Corvallis School District’s $200 million facilities bond.
Approved by voters in May 2018, the bond includes funding for projects including upgrading schools to modern seismic standards; building new secure entrances at some schools; adding dedicated cafeterias at most elementary schools that didn’t already have them; adding career and technical education spaces at secondary schools; and adding permanent classrooms to district elementary schools to eliminate the need for modular classrooms.
Garfield Elementary School
Kim Patten, director of facilities and transportation for the district, said work will begin at Garfield before school lets out for the summer. Contractors will be doing site preparation on the school’s field so that crews can move three existing modular classrooms and place eight additional modulars there to house students during construction, which will continue through the 2020-21 school year.
“Half the school will be in modulars,” she said.
According to Patten, the project will include construction of a new wing of classrooms near the gym, major renovations to the classrooms on the north side of the building’s east wing, and a redo of the school’s main entrance and office area. The renovation projects will continue inside the building through the year, which is why so much of the school will be in modular classrooms.
Signs of ongoing work will be present throughout the year, with temporary walls to keep students away from construction, a temporary main entrance and office in a vacant classroom, a construction fence on one side of the school’s blacktop, and modular classrooms two rows deep on the field.
“It’s going to feel a lot different here come September,” Patten told the Gazette-Times during a tour last week of the planned construction.
The modular classrooms will fill the view of anyone looking out the back of the school, said Dale Kuykendall with the Wenaha Group, the district’s project management firm for its bond projects.
Patten said even the school’s garden will have to be removed to make way for modulars, although she said the district is committed to rebuilding it. However, she added, the cafeteria and gym shouldn't be affected by construction, and most of the school’s blacktop and playground should still be available. The school’s parking lot expansion should be completed over the summer.
-- Anthony Rimel Woodstock school officials explore replacing 62-year-old facilities-- Valley News Vermont: December 25, 2019 [ abstract] WOODSTOCK — If Ben Ford and Keri Cole continue raising their two young children in Woodstock, the elder would enter Woodstock Union Middle School and High School around 2026, the younger two years later.
By then, Ford hopes, they’ll attend some version of a new campus — with 21st-century energy efficiency, up-to-fire-code sprinklers and learning spaces that are ergonomically and educationally inviting. School officials are considering those upgrades as they aim to replace what they say are outdated buildings that opened in 1957.
Toward that end, Ford, a member of the Windsor Central Modified Unified Union School District board, is co-chairing the committee exploring how, whether and when to pay for a project that would cost Woodstock and six surrounding communities more than $60 million to build. They don’t intend to present a plan for Town Meeting in March, but do want to move forward.
“Hopefully, we’ll have something to bring to the towns sooner than 2022,” Ford said last week. “The longer you hold off, the more potential you’ve got for higher cost.
“But before we (approach the contributing towns), we have a lot of pieces that need to fall into place.”
The biggest piece is finding sources of money. The Vermont Legislature suspended the state’s School construction Aid Program more than a decade ago, and between the ensuing Great Recession and infrastructure expenses incurred after Tropical Storm Irene, lawmakers haven’t shown much appetite to share the cost of new schools for districts with declining enrollments.
“The state is going to open the discussion of whether we develop a plan for school-construction reimbursement again this session,” said state Sen. Alison Clarkson, D-Woodstock. “But even if we do come up with a plan, it’s going to take time. There was already a queue of districts with projects they wanted funded, and the line will just get longer.”
-- DAVID CORRIVEAU Area schools spend millions to maintain buildings, grounds-- Dayton Daily News Ohio: December 24, 2019 [ abstract] Schools try to focus their spending on classroom education, but a review of larger local districts show some have to put aside millions of dollars per year to maintain their buildings and properties, contributing to a string of recent investments and levy requests.
The Dayton Daily News asked the three largest districts in Montgomery County – Dayton, Centerville and Kettering schools – plus the slightly smaller Springboro and Northmont districts, how much they spend per year on facilities maintenance and repair.
The answers ranged from about $3.5 million per year in Northmont to $5 million in Springboro, $6 million in Centerville, $8 million in Kettering and $11 million in Dayton. Those were costs to maintain existing facilities and did not include new construction projects, such as Kettering’s new auditorium.As with most school costs, salaries and benefits top the list, in this case paying for both skilled trades maintenance staff, as well as the many custodians who keep buildings clean and functioning from day-to-day. Other costs include contracts with outside companies for projects such as roof repair or computer networking upgrades, plus maintenance materials and custodial supplies.Penn State University’s Center for Education Policy Analysis said recently that “a growing body of research has found that school facilities can have a profound impact on both teacher and student outcomes.” They said the quality of school facilities affects teacher recruitment and effort, as well as student health, behavior and achievement.
-- Jeremy P. Kelley School construction projects, strategic plan on CCISD horizon-- Houston Chronicle Texas: December 24, 2019 [ abstract]
Clear Creek ISD will focus in 2020 on projects to renovate one school that is 55 years old, rebuild another constructed nearly 75 years ago and develop a multiyear strategic plan for the district.
construction projects
The district is continuing a building program voters approved in the 2017 $487 million bond referendum. Late this year, the school board approved design plans for major improvements to start in 2020 at Ed White ESTEM Magnet School and for a complete rebuild of Clear View High School.
Clear View, an alternative campus with an enrollment of just under 200, was built in 1938 as Webster High School. Using $45 million of bond funds, the district will rebuild the campus next to the existing facility with plans for a 350-student capacity. construction is set to begin in June 2020, with expected completion in December 2021.
Next summer will see the start of the reconstruction of Ed White ESTEM Magnet School. The project, which will cost $19.7 million, will mean additional space, renovations and repairs aimed at bringing the nearly 55-year-old building up to current safety standards. The additions to White will support the magnet school’s science, technology, engineering and math curriculum.
“Ed White, one of our oldest schools, will be a huge renovation,” district spokeswoman Alaina Polsen said.
-- Carissa D. Lamkahouan 'We're in a crisis:' Kings Local Schools try once again to fund construction plan-- Cincinnati Enquirer Ohio: December 22, 2019 [ abstract]
The taxpayers in Kings Local School District are in for some déja vu this March.
The bond issue on the 2020 ballot is nearly identical to the one rejected by voters during the November 2019 election, with 51 percent voting against.
Officials expect a different result for two reasons:
- The millage is slightly lower. This new measure would cost the owner of a $100,000 home an extra $165 annually, about $9 less than the rejected bond measure;
- Officials expect higher turnout, which they believe will help it pass
The levy would generate $89.9 million, which would be used to demolish the junior high school building and build a new middle school in its place.
It would also fund renovations and additional classrooms for the elementary and high school buildings.
School officials say 600 more students have enrolled in the past five years and four of its six classroom buildings are at or over capacity. The remaining two buildings are very close to capacity, said Dawn Gould, district spokesperson.
President of the Kings Board of Education Peggy Phillips expects voter turnout to improve this time around.
“All of the board members, including myself, we received a lot of emails, people coming up to us after meetings to say ‘I’m sorry, I couldn’t get out to vote or something came up," Phillips said. "We heard from a lot of people that for whatever reason didn’t vote this time.”
Last month's election saw a 25.5 percent voter turnout in Warren County.
The last presidential primary election in March 2016 led to 47.3 percent of registered voters casting ballots in Warren County, only slightly higher than the 45.7 percent turnout the previous November.
-- Erin Glynn Flawed process, projected cost raise concerns about KISD bond-- Killeen Daily Herald Texas: December 21, 2019 [ abstract] It looks as if Killeen school district taxpayers will be facing another bond election next year.
After a steering committee proposed a two-part, $265 million initiative last week, it’s up to the school board to decide whether to place it on the May ballot — a move board members are likely to endorse next month.
As proposed, the bond includes the construction of two new elementary schools, the rebuilding of Harker Heights and Peebles elementary schools and the renovation of Ellison High School. The second part calls for upgrades to the athletic stadiums at Shoemaker, Ellison and Harker Heights high schools.
Certainly, district officials — chiefly, Superintendent John Craft — will argue that the projects supported by the bond are necessary to better serve students and accommodate growing enrollment. And in some aspects, the bond would do just that.
But the process of getting to this point wasn’t just flawed. It was essentially fixed.
It started with the rushed announcement in late October that the district was looking into another bond — the second in two years — with the expressed purpose of eliminating portable classrooms at the elementary level.
Before the dust had settled, the district was already sending out invitations to potential bond steering committee members and setting up committee meetings — all the while noting that the steering committee might not decide to seek a bond.
-- Dave Miller St. Paul board borrows $85M more for school construction. Why don’t voters get a say?-- Twin Cities Pioneer Press Minnesota: December 20, 2019 [ abstract]
The St. Paul school board last week agreed to borrow another $85 million for school construction, but it’ll be months before they decide how to spend it all.
The district is one of four in Minnesota that have special permission under state law to borrow money and levy taxes for school facilities projects without voter approval or specific budgets.
In St. Paul’s case, that’s enabled $112 million in renovations to move forward each year since 2016 with relatively little scrutiny from board members or the public.
That’s beginning to change.
Following a Pioneer Press report in May on inaccurate cost estimates, the district hired Dallas-based Jacobs Engineering Group to improve processes in its facilities and finance departments.
More than half of the review team’s 52 recommendations either are being implemented or are in process, according to the district. And officials are starting over on a new five-year construction plan expected to go before the board in spring.
But the district is struggling with what to do with American Indian Magnet and other projects that have undergone significant design work but have not yet broken ground.
A renovation and expansion for the preK-8 school in Dayton’s Bluff was set to begin next year, but after cost estimates jumped to $53 million from $23 million, board members want a detailed explanation for why it’s still moving forward — and why they aren’t just building a new school.
-- JOSH VERGES For Small, Rural, Crumbling " and Closing " Classrooms, New School Bond Rules Could Be Big-- Lost Coast Outpost California: December 18, 2019 [ abstract] The foul odor had invaded almost every classroom. It was late March 2017, and Burnt Ranch Elementary was teetering on disrepair. The heating and ventilation systems were so unreliable that educators and staff in the small Trinity County school had been warming up frigid classrooms with portable heaters. Water leaked through the light fixtures, spilling onto the floor.
Kathleen Graham, the superintendent and principal, knew something had to be done, but raising the money through local bonds – California’s main driver of school facilities funding – was next to impossible for the single-campus, 100-kid district. The alternative wasn’t much better: Competing with larger, better financed and more amply staffed districts for a piece of a state bond passed in 2016, a process that involved navigating California’s byzantine School Facilities Program.
But as winter became spring in rural Northern California, Graham recalled, the need only became more pressing. “Our buildings,” she said, “just went off the charts with mold.”
Health and safety cases like Burnt Ranch have become top-of-mind as California voters weigh a new statewide school bond that would generate $15 billion for schools, community colleges and universities. Proposition 13, slated for the March ballot, would not only raise much-needed funding for maintenance and construction, but also end the first-in, first-out application system for state bond money that disadvantages small, poorer and rural schools.
-- Ricardo Cano Hammond High, Talbott Springs Elementary construction projects are back on the table-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: December 18, 2019 [ abstract]
Three months after the fate of two Columbia school construction projects hung by a thread, the school board voted Dec. 17 to officially keep them on track.
For nearly a decade, a renovation at Hammond High School and a new Talbott Springs Elementary — which began as a renovation — have been on the Howard County Public School System’s list to be completed.
The school board voted 6-0 to keep the Hammond High and Talbott Springs Elementary projects, along with the opening of high school 13 in September 2023, on track in the school system’s annual capital budget. Board member Kirsten Coombs was not present for the vote.
Before the vote, the school board, Superintendent Michael Martirano and central office staff discussed the implications of putting the two projects back on the priority list with concern that funding will not be provided for each year of the projects simultaneously. Audience members gave a small round of applause when the vote went through.
-- JESS NOCERA Teachers who say Amherst high school is making them sick file lawsuit-- The Buffalo News New York: December 14, 2019 [ abstract] Five Amherst Central High School teachers who say renovation work performed in their classrooms is making them sick have sued the company that oversaw the construction.
The teachers say materials used in the project left an odor that lingers to this day in many of the science classrooms in the building and they have repeatedly complained to school and district officials about the problem.
The group, which is barred by state law from taking legal action against the Amherst Central School District, last week sued Turner construction Co. in State Supreme Court.
"There's clearly a problem, and you can smell it when you walk in the school," said Richard Lippes, the teachers' attorney.
In response, Turner emphasized that its role as manager of the project did not include directly performing the renovations in question but said it takes occupant safety seriously and it was cooperating with the district to address the teachers' concerns.
-- Stephen T. Watson Cardiff parents protest after lawsuit halts elementary school construction-- abc10 San Diego California: December 11, 2019 [ abstract] SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Pint-sized protesters lined the sidewalks outside of Cardiff Elementary School, holding signs reading "BUILD OUR SCHOOL!"
The District began construction in June, tearing down old buildings to make room for new ones. The project is being paid for by a $22 million voter-approved bond from 2016.
Principal Julie Parker says the school is over 100 years old and that the buildings they tore down were 60-70 years old and outdated.
Right now, students are in temporary accommodations.
"These are our eight portables, these portables are about ten years over their lifespan now, as you can see they're rusted out."
Parker says rainwater leaked into three of the portable classrooms during recent storms.
She says the temporary accommodations were only supposed to last a year, but a new lawsuit is now halting the construction progress.
"We're continuing to pursue legal avenues in order to make construction continue again because it is obviously detrimental to students who attend school here," said Parker.
-- Amanda Brandeis Costs rise another 33 percent for next year’s St. Paul school construction projects-- Twin Cities Pioneer Press Minnesota: December 10, 2019 [ abstract]
Cost estimates have jumped another 33 percent since last fall for the next batch of St. Paul Public Schools construction projects, the school board learned Tuesday.
The school district in spring hired a consulting firm to dig into badly flawed facilities planning following a Pioneer Press report. The newspaper found cost estimates for 18 key projects had ballooned to $471 million from $292 million between 2016 and 2018.
Responding to recommendations from an external review team in October, the district has been putting new processes in place for tracking costs while updating estimates for projects already underway.
Five large and several smaller projects set to break ground next year were expected to cost $111 million as of October 2018.
The new cumulative price tag: $147 million.
Officials said they’re now building sizable contingencies into their estimates after being overly optimistic in previous years.
“My hope is that tonight is the high-water mark,” Facilities Director Tom Parent said.
A key recommendation from the review team was more frequent and detailed communication with the school board. In the last three years, Parent largely has had the freedom to revise the scope and timelines of major construction projects without board oversight.
Going forward, Parent will check in with the board at five points during the life of each project, including a final accounting of actual spending compared with budgets.
-- JOSH VERGES More of the Story: Harrah elementary and middle school plans move forward after more than 30 years-- Yakima Herald Washington: December 10, 2019 [ abstract] Mt. Adams School District is in the design stage of a new elementary and middle school that is expected to be ready for full use in fall of 2021.
In September, the purchase of 70 acres of farmland on the east side of Harrah from Inaba Produce Farms was finalized, said Superintendent Curt Guaglianone.
Guaglianone said the district was now in the “serious design stage,” and then the plan was to go to bid with contractors in February. He did not yet know how many construction firms were planning to bid. He said they hoped to break ground soon after, and expected to have the buildings ready for use in the 2021-22 school year.
The new building will replace an elementary school that’s more than 80 years old and place grades K-8 in one building with various wings in an effort to minimize student transitions and prepare them for high school, Guaglianone said.
-- Janelle Retka New Norwalk High School To Be Built Largely With State Funds-- Patch - Norwalk, CT Connecticut: December 09, 2019 [ abstract] NORWALK, CT — A new Norwalk High School is slated to be built at the site of the current school on Calvin Murphy Drive in Norwalk, and 80 percent of the funding for the new project will come from state coffers, according to officials.
The new facility will measure 337,000 square feet and house 2,000 students from three educational programs, the high school, an expanded P-Tech Middle College (formerly known as Norwalk Early College Academy) and the Norwalk Visual and Performing Arts Academy. Approximately half of the 2,000 students will be from P-Tech and the performing arts academy.
The plan was announced Monday during a press conferenet at Norwalk High School, attended by state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff; Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling; Director of the state Office of School construction Grants & Review Konstantinos (Kosta) Diamantis; Norwalk Schools Superintendent Dr. Steven Adamowski; State Reps. Lucy Dathan, Travis Simms, and Chris Perone; and local Board of Education members, members of the Norwalk Common Council, and other local officials.
-- Alfred Branch A Building Dilemma-- The Nevada Independent Nevada: December 08, 2019 [ abstract]
ELY, Nevada — On a corner lot next to Little League fields, the walls forming a new school have taken root. The one-story building shines bright against the backdrop of Pinyon Juniper-dotted mountains to the east.
If construction goes as planned, this will be the new home for 181 students who attend Learning Bridge Charter School next year. It’s the only charter school in White Pine County, and the fact that it’s getting a new building is a big deal: There hasn’t been a new school facility constructed in this central-eastern county since 2001.
The charter school’s leaders say the move will be a family affair, emblematic of its parent support. Don’t expect large moving trucks to haul items from the school’s current home — a roughly 52-year-old building leased from the Ely Shoshone Indian Tribe — to its new headquarters.
“When we move this school into the other school, we’ll move it with the parents,” Principal Jerri-Lynn Williams-Harper said. “We’ll literally move this school in our cars and pickup trucks because that’s how deeply embedded our parents are.”
Learning Bridge Charter School’s new building sits on donated land, easing some of the project costs. The price tag is estimated to be $3 million, which officials said will be financed with the help of a loan. Despite a waitlist that has reached triple digits, the school isn’t expanding enrollment. Instead, Williams-Harper said the new building offers a different kind of expansion — more academic possibilities.
“We’ll be able to offer our students even more because we’ll have a new building, new things,” she said. “We’ll be able to do some new programming, but we will still have the same number of students.”
Her vision aligns with what leaders of the neighboring White Pine County School District say new facilities could do for their students, which is to create a better learning environment. They say two of the school district’s buildings, in particular, need an upgrade.
Up the street and around the corner from the new Learning Bridge building lies David E. Norman Elementary School. It was built in 1909. And on Ely’s main drag sits White Pine Middle School, circa 1913. For all the charm and history that come with these century-old buildings, there’s also a laundry list of maintenance headaches, said Paul Johnson, the district’s chief financial officer.
The district wants new buildings. The catch: money.
“I believe strongly there needs to be a new facility for our K-8 kids,” he said, referring to students in kindergarten through eighth grade. “We simply can’t do it ourselves. We need help.”
-- Jackie Valley and Joey Lovato Proposed Unified facilities overhaul to cost estimated $650M-- The Journal Times Wisconsin: December 08, 2019 [ abstract] RACINE — A facilities overhaul proposed by the Racine Unified School District administration comes with an estimated price tag of around $650 million. Incrementally over the next decade, Unified plans to close several of its aging buildings, renovate and construct additions to others and to build some new ones.
The School Board first heard the recommendations for closures and construction on Monday. No official decisions have been made.
The district aims to fund this work through various means, including borrowing and posing a referendum question or questions to voters, asking them to extend the timeline for current tax collections in excess of the district’s revenue limit.
Revenue limits are imposed by the state and, with some exceptions, school districts must obtain voter approval before collecting taxes beyond that limit.
Existing school buildings recommended for closure within Phase One of the plan in the next five or six years are Giese Elementary, 5120 Byrd Ave.; Red Apple Elementary, 914 St. Patrick St.; Schulte Elementary, 8515 Westminster Drive, Sturtevant; Roosevelt Elementary, 915 Romayne Ave.; Janes Elementary, 1425 N. Wisconsin St.; Jefferson Lighthouse Elementary, 1722 W. Sixth St.; North Park Elementary, 4748 Elizabeth St., Caledonia; West Ridge Elementary, 1347 S. Emmertsen Road, Mount Pleasant; and Dr. Jones Elementary, 3300 Chicory Road.
-- CAITLIN SIEVERS Roanoke County proposes new borrowing model to speed up school renovations and construction-- The Roanoke Times Virginia: December 07, 2019 [ abstract] Roanoke County is considering a proposal to increase its annual borrowing by 20% to fund school renovations and replacements requested by the school board.
The Roanoke County School Board wants to renovate two elementary schools simultaneously within the next three years, but needs the board of supervisors to approve the funding for those renovations.
School administrators identified nine schools as outdated, and renovating or replacing them could take 20 years to complete under the current borrowing system.
The board of supervisors approves funds for school building projects through its “10-10-10” debt management system. Under the terms, borrowing for county and school projects is capped at $10 million annually. School projects are eligible for the funds in two of the three years in the cycle. The third year’s amount goes toward the county government’s capital projects.
The school division put its last $20 million allotment toward the Cave Spring High School renovation now under construction. This year is a county borrowing year, and the money has been earmarked for the replacement of a flood-prone general services building.
The new funding proposal presented at a joint meeting Tuesday would increase the debt issue to $12 million annually. Assistant County Administrator Rebecca Owens said the funding could move up the school system’s projects by several years, or sooner if they also dedicate year-end savings to construction costs.
The new plan would require an annual incremental increase of $200,000 each from the county and the school budgets starting July 1, 2020. The plan allows for more funding without raising taxes, Owens said.
-- Alison Graham Hogan proposes $3.8B for school construction over 5 years-- Education Week Maryland: December 06, 2019 [ abstract] ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Gov. Larry Hogan proposed allocating $3.8 billion for Maryland school construction over five years and a separate measure to increase accountability in academic performance during a news conference Thursday, as education funding is expected to be a top issue in the upcoming legislative session.
The Republican said his school construction proposal would be a record amount to cover all funding requests from Maryland's local school districts.
A separate proposal is aimed at giving local communities greater say over how to turn around failing schools. A local school board would create a committee to develop a plan, which could involve changes to curriculum, budget, schedule, staffing or professional development. The committee would be comprised of local residents with experience in education, youth development, management and finance.
“With both of these announcements today on record funding and these accountability measures, we are reaffirming our commitment to increased investment for our schools and classrooms, more accountability for parents, teachers and taxpayers and most importantly, better results for our children,” Hogan said.
-- Staff Writer Baltimore mayor plans to use budget surplus for school construction-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: December 04, 2019 [ abstract] Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young plans to use the city’s projected budget surplus to help fund a massive school infrastructure plan, his spokesman said Wednesday.
The mayor’s pledge comes roughly a month before the General Assembly session begins. The first bill expected to be introduced by lawmakers in Annapolis would dramatically increase funding for public school construction.
The plan — dubbed the “Built to Learn Act” — would send $2.2 billion more to Maryland counties to help pay for renovating and building schools. To access those funds, local governments would also have to kick in some of their own money.
Spokesman Lester Davis said the mayor plans to spend the projected $34 million budget surplus to help fulfill the city’s contribution to the plan. The anticipated local share for Baltimore is $39.5 million, with the state then providing about $400 million.
The surplus allocation “gets us 90% of the way there to meeting our match on this groundbreaking legislation,” Davis said.
-- TALIA RICHMAN Court orders all construction stopped at Cardiff School-- Encinitas Advocate California: December 04, 2019 [ abstract] construction has halted on the new Cardiff School as San Diego County Superior Court ruled in favor of the Save the Park and Build the School opposition group’s complaint.
Earlier this year, Save the Park filed a lawsuit against the Cardiff School District alleging an inadequate environmental impact report (EIR) for the Cardiff School rebuild. The lawsuit contends that the EIR failed to adequately evaluate the impact of the school project, which “completely overhauls the design and appearance of George Berkich Park, which is an important and well-loved community resource.”
On Nov. 18, the Cardiff School District received a ruling from the court that granted a preliminary injunction and made certain other legal findings on Save the Park’s claims regarding compliance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and “taxpayer waste”; the allegation that the district “breached the accountability requirements set forth in Measure GG by constructing improvements not authorized by Measure GG”, the $22 million bond measure funding the rebuild that was approved by nearly 66 percent of Cardiff voters in 2016.
-- KAREN BILLING Lakota school officials mulling entering state funding program for new schools-- Journal-News Ohio: December 03, 2019 [ abstract] LIBERTY TWP. —
Lakota school officials are considering telling the state they intend to build new schools through a process that could see a statewide program fund a portion of costs.
During a work session Monday evening the Lakota Board of Education discussed an option allowed through the Ohio Facilities construction Commission (OFCC) that could eventually pay an estimated quarter of the funds needed to build any new schools or upgrade existing buildings.
But nothing has yet been decided, board members emphasized, especially whether Lakota would later commit to staying in the state process by fulfilling the state stipulation of also asking local taxpayers to pay for the remaining school building costs through a tax hike.
-- Michael Clark Utah high schools could soon cost $145M each in ‘era of intense construction inflation’-- Utah: December 01, 2019 [ abstract] SALT LAKE CITY — The cost of the next Utah high schools built along the Wasatch Front could exceed $145 million, an increase of nearly 50% in recent years.
Blame it on Utah’s sizzling economy, ongoing building boom, low unemployment rate and the escalating cost of materials, driven in part by tariffs impacting steel and aluminum.
The 405,000-square-foot Farmington High School, which opened in 2018, cost $77.5 million.
Jordan School District’s 391,000-square-foot Mountain Ridge High School in Herriman, which opened this fall, cost $82 million to build, including impact and architectural fees. That figure does not include the cost of furnishing the school and equipping it with technology and fixtures, which was about $5 million.
Contrast that to the project cost of Granite School District’s planned 505,831-square-foot Cyprus High School, which is $145 million. Meanwhile, the project cost for the 420,540-square-foot rebuild of Skyline High School is expected to exceed $127 million. Neither project has been put out to bid.
Granite District is not alone with its $145 million estimate for the cost of a new high school. Recently, voters in the Provo School District rejected a $245 million bond proposition, $145 million alone to rebuild Timpview High School.
The report of one architectural firm that assessed the school said it either needs to be replaced or issues of building settlement otherwise remediated because “the likelihood of falling hazards happening in the future is high. It is a game of roulette as to whether or not a student or faculty member is eventually injured.”
“It’s literally an economic issue. When there’s a recession, it’s bad for the community and our taxpayers but it’s good for school construction. We’re definitely not in a recession,” said Granite School District Ben Horsley.
-- Marjorie Cortez Guilford County Schools unveils $2 billion proposal including plan to close, repair and rebuild many schools-- Fox8 North Carolina: November 26, 2019 [ abstract] GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Guilford County Schools has big plans to the tune of $2 billion — including the closure of 13 schools.
The district unveiled a long-range facilities master plan proposal during a joint meeting of the Guilford County Board of Education and Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.
The proposal is expected to cost about $2,045,678,606 with hopes to complete everything within about 10 to 15 years in 3-to-5-year phases.
The goal of the plan is to fully renovate and rebuild facilities that are in the worse conditions, launch construction to accommodate growing areas, make sure schools are safe, invest in technology and more.
Of that $2 billion, the largest single focus area is rebuilding schools, estimated at $769.4 million.
Another $423 million would be slated for full school renovations, and $254.5 million would go toward new school construction.
The plan also includes 24 building closures.
-- Staff Writer East Bay board agrees to ask taxpayers to vote in March to approve $575 million bond measure-- EdSource California: November 22, 2019 [ abstract] A San Francisco Bay Area district has decided to go to the voters in March asking them to approve a $575 million construction bond measure so it can build and upgrade school facilities.
If voters approve the measure, West Contra Costa Unified — which includes Richmond and surrounding communities — could only use the money for construction, renovation, technology or other facilities upgrades.
The new funds would not help offset the district’s $48 million operating deficit, which caused the school board last week to consider firing its superintendent. In the end the board agreed to work with Superintendent Matthew Duffy to find ways to close its budget gap.
West Contra Costa is considering spending cuts and the use of budget reserves to close its budget gap, which surfaced since last spring, in part to fund a 17 percent cumulative raise for the district’s teachers from July 2017 to July 2020 in order to attract and retain high quality educators. Officials said the district may return to the voters next November to ask for a new parcel tax to restore any programs, services and staffing that it cuts to balance its 2020-21 budget.
-- THERESA HARRINGTON FEMA OKs $52M to rebuild Herbert Hoover High; more money could be on the way-- Charleston Gazette-Mail West Virginia: November 22, 2019 [ abstract] The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved spending roughly $52 million to rebuild Kanawha County’s Herbert Hoover High School, whose students have been in trailer classrooms for more than two years.
FEMA employees told the state’s representatives in Congress and the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management on Friday about the grant.
Chuck Smith, the Kanawha school system’s facilities planning executive director, said bids have already been requested from companies to do site preparation, like removing trees and moving dirt, at the new location. The new school will sit off of Frame Road, between the Elkview exit of Interstate 79 and U.S. 119.
In September, Kanawha schools Superintendent Ron Duerring said he hoped construction would begin in November or December. Smith said the site preparation bids are due Dec. 4, but he doesn’t expect the work to begin until early January.
The FEMA funding represents three-quarters of the estimated $70 million total cost of construction. If that funding level holds, the state will have to provide the remaining $18 million.
-- Ryan Quinn Mountain View Whisman board approves $259M school bond measure for March 2020 ballot-- Mountain View Voice California: November 22, 2019 [ abstract] The Mountain View Whisman School District is asking voters to approve a $259 million bond aimed at fixing old school facilities and preparing for a surge of new students caused by rapid housing growth in Mountain View.
The measure, unanimously approved by the school board Thursday, will appear on the March 2020 presidential primary ballot. Though the school district would reserve broad discretion on how to spend the money, the priorities laid out at the Nov. 21 meeting made clear that more classroom space is needed at schools that are expected to grow by as many as 220 students.
The bond would cost property owners $30 per $100,000 of assessed value, and needs to win 55% of the vote to pass.
For years, district officials have raised alarm bells about Mountain View's rapid residential growth and the strain it will put on schools that have neither the space nor the money to support an influx of families with children. Large swaths of the city with little or no housing, including the North Bayshore and East Whisman areas, were recently rezoned to allow up to 15,000 new housing units.
The bond measure would instead focus on a less obvious issue: Dozens of smaller residential projects that are farther along and could start impacting schools in just a few short years. The latest count shows a cumulative 6,638 housing units in the pipeline, with 1,929 already under construction and 2,854 given the go-ahead by the Mountain View City Council, according to city staff.
-- Kevin Forestieri Partisan politics or efficiency? Lamont’s plans for school building program sparks debate-- the ctmirror Connecticut: November 22, 2019 [ abstract] A plan from Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration to shift oversight of the municipal school construction process into the governor’s budget office is not going over well with lawmakers.
Republicans say the Democratic governor’s initiative is a dangerous power grab that threatens a process that not only works well but has traditionally been immune from politics.
And one of the Democratic leaders of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee said that while the move could make sense, lawmakers need more information since it cannot be done without legislative approval.
“This move by Governor Lamont’s administration is playing politics with school construction and a direct violation of state law,” Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, who called the move a “power grab.”
Lamont’s budget director, Office of Policy and Management Secretary Melissa McCaw, announced in a memo this week that staff from the School construction Unit — currently located within the Department of Administrative Services — were being transferred into OPM.
The administration referred questions Friday to DAS Commissioner Josh Geballe, who said the move is about increasing efficiency.
-- KEITH M. PHANEUF Should Fresno Unified Use PLAs to Build Schools?-- GV Wire California: November 21, 2019 [ abstract] The Fresno Unified School Board continues to grapple with whether to use project labor agreements for upcoming school construction projects such as the new southeast elementary school.
Indecision about the agreements, which are supported by labor unions but opposed by general contractors and business owners, has pushed the school’s opening back a year.
The $44 million Juan Felipe Herrera Elementary now is scheduled to open in August 2022, chief of staff David Chavez told board members Wednesday afternoon at a PLA workshop.
Chief operations officer Karin Temple had cautioned the board in September that if it delayed advertising for bids on the project to consider a project labor agreement, the opening likely would be delayed a year.
-- Nancy Price State Superintendent Mark Johnson announces $73 million in school construction grants to 6 districts-- WNCT9 North Carolina: November 20, 2019 [ abstract] (WNCT) North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson has announced that $73 million in grant funds from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund will be awarded this year to school districts in Camden, Graham, Hertford, Northampton, Rutherford and Wilson counties.
The grant awards will allow for the construction of new school buildings in these economically distressed areas.
“This is the third year these funds have been made available to benefit our students and educators who have had to deal with outdated facilities,” Johnson said. “These grants will help address our state’s need to replace old, outdated schools with better learning environments. “
Awards include:
Wilson County: $15 million to expand the Wilson County Schools Early College of Applied Technology Academy, moving the Academy’s high school location from shared space in an existing high school to a new 75,000 square foot facility on the Wilson Community College Technology campus, located on land transferred to the school district. ($20 million total project cost).
The fund was created by the General Assembly to assist school districts in lower-wealth counties through revenue from the North Carolina Education Lottery.
Awards are capped at $15 million per project in Tier 1 (most distressed) counties and $10 million per project in Tier 2 counties.
-- Dalisa Robles Florence One Schools audit reveals $6.2M discrepancy in construction contracts-- SC Now South Carolina: November 18, 2019 [ abstract] FLORENCE, S.C. – In a procurement audit report, Webster Rogers LLP found a $6.2 million discrepancy in Florence One Schools’ construction contracts.
Webster Rogers obtained contracts totaling $8.3 million in construction for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, but the district reported $14.5 million in construction procurements.
During that year, the district had contracts for three construction projects: Southside Middle school, Delmae Heights Elementary School and R.N. Beck Child Development Center.
Webster Rogers did investigate the difference, but Superintendent Richard O’Malley said the district will investigate the difference in construction contracts.
Webster Rogers presented the procurement audit report at a board meeting last week. The report shows that the district was not compliant with procurement procedures for the period July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2018. That period ended shortly before O'Malley became the district's superintendent.
The audit analyzed the district’s general code compliance, surplus property handling and procurement oversight, among other areas. The procurement audit report was provided to the Morning News by the district.
Procurement is a process that the district goes through when purchasing or obtaining goods and services. A procurement audit is a required assessment that examines the district’s compliance with the school district’s procurement code.
-- Lauren Owens Superintendents set to make their pitches before state School Building Authority-- MetroNews West Virginia: November 17, 2019 [ abstract] CHARLESTON, W.Va. — School superintendents from more than two dozen counties will make their best pitches before members of the state School Building Authority Monday and Tuesday in the latest round of NEEDs grant funding.
The SBA could have as much as $50 million to hand out in school construction projects. There will be lots of projects to choose from.
Each superintendent has 10 minutes to talk about their projects. In past years the SBA has favored projects that come with local funding.
Fayette County has had a multi-year school facilities that has been backed by the SBA. This year the county is seeking more than $20 million for a new regional school at Meadow Bridge that will include grades Pre-K through 12. Fayette County does not any local funds to go with the project. Superintendent Terry George will make the county’s presentation Monday.
The funding request from Brooke County is just more than $500.000. Superintendent Jeff Crook will seek funding for a new wastewater treatment plant at Brooke Intermediate South School. The county does have $25,000 in local funding.
-- Jeff Jenkins Appoquinimink School District seeks support of referendum-- Delaware State News Delaware: November 16, 2019 [ abstract] ODESSA — A possible expansion for Appoquinimink School District looms large next month, as the district prepares to go out for referendum.
The referendum, which combines operating and major capital requests, is set for Dec. 17. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For a full list of voting places, visit http://bit.ly/AppoPollingPlaces
If approved, the average taxpayer in the district would see an increase of about $253 annually. The district is seeking a hike of 28.37 cents for every $100 of assessed value for operating and major capital expenses.
“We want to continue to offer top quality education for our kids because they deserve it — and our parents deserve it and our community deserves it,” Appoquinimink Superintendent Matt Burrows said. “We need their support. That’s what this comes down to.”
With the district exceeding growth projections — increasing by more than 400 students this year — raising capital funds would allow for the construction of two new buildings, laying the foundation for a K-12 campus on Summit Bridge Road.
The state approved $58 million in capital projects, which includes only new construction, for the district that encompasses Middletown, Odessa and Townsend. The district must raise the remaining portion needed through a voter-approved tax hike.
-- Brooke Schultz 350 renovation projects are coming to Jackson public school campuses-- WJTV Mississippi: November 14, 2019 [ abstract] JACKSON, Miss (WJTV) – At Northwest Jackson Middle School the public had a chance to meet with members of the Jackson Public School board for updates on school renovation projects.
Scheduled to be done in three phases, we recap where the board is on addressing serious infrastructure needs at Jackson schools.
In total 350 projects need to be done under this bond plan which 86% of Jackson voters said yes to, pumping $65 million to upgrade Jackson public school facilities.
From parents to former educators, many came to Northwest Jackson Middle voicing concerns on school buildings they want the superintendent’s office to address.
“I’m glad that they will fix that walkway in front of Murrah because it’s scary,” retired teacher Cheryl Smith told us. “There are a lot of loose stones, loose pavers out there in front. If you don’t step on the right one they pop right out of the ground.”
In the first phase of the bond seven high schools, two middle and four elementary schools will receive construction activities to bring them in compliance with state department of education standards.
“The smaller projects include up to $50,000 or doesn’t exceed that,” Don McCrakin of JPS explained. “So those are the ones we knocked out very quickly. Pretty much in your larger package, we’ll be right at $500,000 up to $7.7 Million.”
-- Staff Writer N.J. schools are crumbling and the state must pay to fix them, group says-- NJ.com New Jersey: November 13, 2019 [ abstract] Cracked walls. Leaky roofs. Broken down boilers and obsolete fire alarms.
Schools are crumbling in cities where New Jersey is required to fund improvements, and it’s time for the state to take action, an advocacy group claims in a court filing.
The Education Law Center on Tuesday asked the state Supreme Court to order Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration to comply with a 1998 ruling requiring New Jersey to pay for building improvements in about 30 urban school districts.
Although the state has made steady progress over the years, there are still too many buildings that need renovations, repairs or need to be replaced, said David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law Center, the non-profit legal group that represents the schools.
“As in the past, we have no alternative but to seek the Supreme Court’s intervention to direct prompt action by state officials to prevent the school construction program from grinding to a complete standstill,” Sciarra said.
The legal filing comes as the agency responsible for repairing schools, the Schools Development Authority, has been plagued by scandal and is running out of money.
The SDA once managed about $12 billion, but had only $60 million remaining as of April, leaving too little to build new schools or renovate existing buildings beyond emergency repairs, former executive director Lizette Delgado-Polanco said then. She resigned weeks later under allegations of running a patronage pit.
-- Adam Clark Upset with El Rancho High rebuild, raucous chanting interrupts school board meeting-- Whittier Daily News California: November 13, 2019 [ abstract] El Rancho Unified school board President Jose Lara called for a recess during a recent school board meeting after an already-rambunctious audience burst into chants, calling for the recall and resignation of the board majority.
Moments earlier, those board members — Gabriel Orosco and Leanne Ibarra, led by Lara — voted 3-2 to put Orosco and Ibarra on a steering committee meant to guide the second planning and construction phase of the El Rancho High School rebuild.
The first phase, which was not without its share of controversy, is largely focused on rebuilding the stadium. The bonds used to bankroll this project have prompted scrutiny from the state, which is currently investigating the district for possible mismanagement of taxpayer funds.
The second phase will oversee the construction a new aquatics building and the modernization of the gym and science buildings.
-- BRADLEY BERMONT Bethlehem weighing future of 3 elementary schools needing $37.8M in upgrades-- Lehigh Valley Live Pennsylvania: November 12, 2019 [ abstract] With 22 school buildings in the Bethlehem Area School District, there’s always a pricey repair needed somewhere.
As the repair price tag at three district elementary schools climbs to $37.8 million, the district is exploring whether to renovate or replace the buildings.
Monday night the school board discussed the future of Fountain HIll, Thomas Jefferson and William Penn elementary schools during a review of the district’s capital improvements plan at a board facilities committee meeting.
For years, the district focused upon replacing Nitschmann Middle School in West Bethlehem, a project put on a prolonged hold during the financial meltdown. Now that the $53 million school is open, Superintendent Joseph Roy said the district’s looking to other neglected buildings.
First, Bethlehem must look at financing options and how much new debt the district can afford to take on, Roy said. The district’s bond payments for the new Nitschmann jump when the city’s tax increment financing district expires in 2020.
Then the district will form a team to weigh the available options -- repairs, renovations or a new school -- and determine how each could be accomplished. A major question is where students would attend school during construction work, Roy said.
The first priority would be Fountain Hill Elementary School, which was a high school when it first opened in 1937 and was last renovated in 1994. The four-story school is the district’s largest elementary in terms of physical size and enrollment with 568 students. It is ill suited for educating young children.
The district estimates it would cost $18.5 million to just address Fountain Hill’s infrastructure needs and $28.5 million to renovate and put on an addition to solve issues with the basement cafeteria, according to the district’s capita plan. A new school’s estimated at $34.5 million.
After Fountain Hill, the district would weigh its options with William Penn, 1002 Main St., and Thomas Jefferson, 404 E. North St., elementary schools, Roy said. Both built in 1972 with odd open-concept designs, the schools sit in a targeted city reinvestment zone - dubbed Northside 2027 -- and are only one mile apart.
-- Sara K. Satullo Bozeman schools set new record: 7,111 students-- Bozeman Daily Chronicle Montana: November 10, 2019 [ abstract] Bozeman’s public schools have enrolled 7,111 students this fall, setting a new record for the 16th year in a row.
The fall 2019 enrollment report, being presented Monday night to the Bozeman School Board, shows a gain of 116 students over last year, a 1.6% increase.
“We’re growing,” said Steve Johnson, deputy superintendent. It does create challenges, but he said, “I’d rather be in a growing community than closing schools.”
Bozeman High School set a new record with 2,260 students, an all-time high with 36 more students than last year.
The freshman class exceeded 600 students for the first time in 2018 and this fall’s freshmen totaled 601.
And this year’s eighth-grade class, which will arrive in high school next fall, is “surging,” especially at Monforton School, the report said. Next year’s freshman class is projected to exceed 700 students.
Bozeman’s public schools have grown in the past decade by 1,600 students or 29% from 5,509 students in 2009.
To keep up with such growth, voters approved a record $125 million bond issue in 2017 to build Bozeman’s second high school and renovate the original Bozeman High School. New Gallatin High is under construction in northwest Bozeman and set to open in 10 months.
The total high school population isn’t expected to reach 2,400 students until 2021, one year later than earlier estimated.
-- Gail Schontzler WV's governor considers $100M cuts. But school systems and colleges say they need more money to fix buildings.-- Charleston Gazette-Mail West Virginia: November 09, 2019 [ abstract] Gov. Jim Justice’s administration has asked state agencies to prepare for a possible $100 million mid-fiscal-year budget cut and get ready for budget cuts for next fiscal year.
Meanwhile, West Virginia public colleges need more money to repair and maintain buildings and grounds, the state’s higher education oversight agencies say.
And the state School Building Authority, which helps fund prekindergarten-12th-grade school construction and repair, is saying new schools are increasingly expensive.
Brian Abraham, Justice’s general counsel and chairman of the SBA board, stressed the mid-fiscal-year cut isn’t guaranteed to happen.
“Those scenarios are still being played out, so all there is now is planning — and prudent planning,” Abraham said. “You don’t just go on gleefully unaware and run into a brick wall.”
State revenue has come in $33 million lower than expected a third of the way into this fiscal year, which began July 1.
Fossil fuel severance tax revenue is continuing to fall after Justice and the state Legislature agreed to cut severance taxes, and as the coal industry declines and temporary revenue-boosting natural gas pipeline projects are completed.
Education, particularly higher education, has been targeted in past budget cuts.
-- Ryan Quinn Colorado districts aren’t getting enough state money to maintain schools and attract teachers. So they’re turning to loc-- Colorado Sun Colorado: November 08, 2019 [ abstract] The newest part of Fowler Jr. & Sr. High School is actually pretty old – about 45 years old.
Like seven other rural districts in Colorado, Fowler School District set its sights on tapping the state’s BEST Grant program to help fix its three schools, but to do it, Fowler would first need a $4.9 million bond to provide the local match required by the state grant.
Fowler, a sprawling district east of Pueblo with close to 400 students, is one step closer to building that replacement school after its bond measure passed Tuesday.
“It’s exciting that our community was on board with the plans that we have in trying to keep Fowler schools performing at the levels that everybody expects us to,” Superintendent Alfie Lotrich said.
The newest part of Fowler Jr. & Sr. High School is actually pretty old – about 45 years old.
Like seven other rural districts in Colorado, Fowler School District set its sights on tapping the state’s BEST Grant program to help fix its three schools, but to do it, Fowler would first need a $4.9 million bond to provide the local match required by the state grant.
Fowler, a sprawling district east of Pueblo with close to 400 students, is one step closer to building that replacement school after its bond measure passed Tuesday.
“It’s exciting that our community was on board with the plans that we have in trying to keep Fowler schools performing at the levels that everybody expects us to,” Superintendent Alfie Lotrich said.
Read more education stories from The Colorado Sun.
Five other districts that pitched a BEST Grant-related bond to taxpayers this year succeeded: Eaton School District RE-2, North Conejos School District RE-1J, Yuma School District 1, Trinidad School District Number 1 and Lake County School District.
Weld RE-5J Johnstown-Milliken School District’s ballot measure asking for $139.9 million did not pass.
School districts statewide asked for 31 tax measures for various purposes ranging from replacing school bus fleets to rebuilding schools; 19 passed, according to the Colorado School Finance project.
The Colorado Building Excellent Schools Today Grant Program, or BEST, is a rich potential funding pool for school construction in rural districts, but districts must kick in a percentage of their projects’ cost to access the state dollars.
It’s not yet certain how much money will be available for BEST Grants this coming year, according to Kathleen Gebhardt, chair of the Colorado Department of Education’s Capital construction Advisory Board, who said the legislature has to decide on the dollar figure the state will contribute. The grant pool is funded by a number of sources, including marijuana taxes and excess lottery revenue.
In 2018-19, districts submitted 52 grant applications asking for a total of $882 million, and the grant program dispersed $433 million for projects, Gebhardt said. This year, the state received 58 grant applications asking for a total of $825 million, and the program doled out $401 million.
-- Erica Breunlin Election update Nov. 8: Chandler USD bond, Mesa Public Schools override results-- Community Impact Newspaper Arizona: November 08, 2019 [ abstract] Editor note: This story was updated to reflect the most recent results as of Nov. 7.
The Maricopa County Recorder's Office released unofficial results of the state's Nov. 5 mail-in election. On the ballot were two measures from school districts serving Chandler families—Mesa Public Schools and Chandler USD. Both questions on the ballot were passing in the most recent update on Nov. 7.
Chandler USD asked voters to approve a $290 million bond, the largest-ever bond in the district. District officials said the funds would go toward safety and security updates, the building of a new elementary and high school, modernization of older facilities, buses and more.
With 44,356 ballots cast, Chandler USD's bond approval was at 62% Nov. 7.
The district broke down what the bond dollars also would fund into four main categories: $225.5 million for construction, acquisition, additions and/or improvements to new and existing schools; $25 million for the purchase of air-conditioned buses; $31.75 million for the purchase of technology, furniture, equipment and miscellaneous school furnishings and $8 million for the construction, acquisition, additions and/or improvements to new and existing administrative facilities including technology, furniture and equipment. Chandler last passed a bond in 2015 for about $196 million.
-- Alexa D'Angelo Riverhead School to Put Up Two Bonds Totaling $95.2 Million-- East End Beacon New York: November 08, 2019 [ abstract] After a month-and-a-half of contentious public meetings over a hefty proposed construction project, the Riverhead School Board has settled on a plan for a February bond vote with two propositions.
The first proposition, for $85.9 million, would include a $12 million expansion of Pulaski Street School, which is currently operating at 114 percent capacity, 24 additional high school classrooms, a new Pupil Personnel Services building and space reconfiguration at Phillips Avenue and Roanoke Avenue elementary schools.
The second proposition, which could only be approved if the first proposition is approved, includes $8.8 million in upgrades and reconfigurations of the district’s athletic fields between the Pulaski Street School and the Riverhead High School on Harrison Avenue.
School board members unveiled the proposal in a public informational meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
The school’s deputy superintendent, Sam Schneider, said at the meeting that Proposition 1 would cost an average taxpayer, whose house is assessed at $43,500, $195 per year, while Proposition 2 would cost the same homeowner an additional $36 per year.
The school originally proposed a $100 million construction bond in mid-September, after considering a potential acquisition of the former Mercy-McGann High School on Roanoke Avenue. The Mercy-McGann project would have cost the district $126 million.
-- Beth Young School construction process faulted in Minnesota-- Grand Forks Herald Minnesota: November 07, 2019 [ abstract] ST. PAUL — When the Minnesota Department of Education endorses local school construction projects, it could do a better job of explaining its rationale to voters, the legislative auditor said in a report Thursday, Nov. 7.
State law generally requires school districts to submit their construction plans to the state for a formal “review and comment,” which then gets discussed at a public school board meeting. The process is supposed to help voters weigh the merits of a project before deciding whether to back their district’s request to borrow money for it.
The legislative auditor — the state’s official nonpartisan watchdog — said the Department of Education has been doing what the law requires, but the information they provide isn’t all that helpful.
Over a three-year period, the department gave projects a “positive” finding 97 out of 98 times — allowing districts access to special state aid if they have low property values, and setting the bar for voter approval at 50 percent instead of 60 percent.
But those endorsements typically feature language provided by the districts, not an original analysis by the department.
“If it is unclear why the department determined that a project is (or is not) advisable, there may be little basis for discussion in a public meeting, and the department’s ratings may not help inform school district residents,” the report reads.
The auditor recommended a change in statute requiring the department to explain its ratings for each project.
In response, Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker agreed that a more detailed explanation would be “helpful” but said it would “require a significant amount of additional staff time.” She asked that lawmakers find money to pay for the improved process.
-- JOSH VERGES State reviews of MN school construction plans do little for voters, legislative auditor finds-- Twin Cities Pioneer Press Minnesota: November 07, 2019 [ abstract] When the Minnesota Department of Education endorses local school construction projects, it could do a better job of explaining its rationale to voters, the legislative auditor said in a report Thursday.
State law generally requires school districts to submit their construction plans to the state for a formal “review and comment,” which then gets discussed at a public school board meeting. The process is supposed to help voters weigh the merits of a project before deciding whether to back their district’s request to borrow money for it.
The legislative auditor — the state’s official nonpartisan watchdog — said the Department of Education has been doing what the law requires, but the information they provide isn’t all that helpful.
Over a three-year period, the department gave projects a “positive” finding 97 out of 98 times — allowing districts access to special state aid if they have low property values, and setting the bar for voter approval at 50 percent instead of 60 percent.
-- JOSH VERGES Following defeat in school construction funding vote, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse declares the fight is ‘not over’-- MASS Live Massachusetts: November 06, 2019 [ abstract] HOLYOKE - Mayor Alex Morse on Wednesday responded to the defeat of a funding plan to construct two middle schools by declaring the fight for quality public education in Holyoke must continue.
“I want to be clear: the fight to ensure that every student in Holyoke Public Schools has access to a high-quality education in a safe, state-of-the-art facility is not over," Morse said in a statement Wednesday morning.
“In the wealthiest country on earth, it pains me that we have to fight, oftentimes against each other, in our quest to ensure that all of our students have the educational facilities they deserve. Our kids deserve the same opportunities as kids in the wealthiest parts of this country,” he said. “This isn’t the case now and we shouldn’t accept this as our reality. It’s unacceptable.”
Voters on Tuesday solidly rejected a debt-exclusion ballot question that would have raised property taxes to pay for Holyoke’s share of the construction of two new middle school buildings.
The total project had a projected price tag of $132 million, and the state would pay for 60 percent of it, or around $75 million.
Roughly 64 percent of the vote, or almost 2 of every 3 voters, rejected the plan.
In a statement posted to Facebook, school officials said they will “... continue to work closely with the Building Committee, MSBA, and the public to explore opportunities to realize the educational vision of the Holyoke Public Schools.”
-- Patrick Johnson Maryland lawmakers pledge $2.2B for school construction-- WBALTV11 Maryland: November 06, 2019 [ abstract] FOREST HEIGHTS, Md. —
Maryland Democratic lawmakers are making new promises to build and renovate public schools, promising to come up with a plan to find more than $2 billion for school construction in the upcoming legislative session.
State lawmakers, led by outgoing Senate President Mike Miller, joined Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks at Forest Heights Elementary School on Wednesday to announce the $2.2 billion Build to Learn Act.
The proposal is being made public less than two months before state lawmakers head back to Annapolis. Lawmakers talked about school construction and the Kirwan Commission recommendations.
Miller said he wants to make Maryland the best in education once again.
"We can get back to No. 1, but it's going to take some hard work, and it's going to take some strong effort, some tough votes. These people behind me -- the caucus members, the House and the Senate -- are prepared to make the tough vote," Miller said.
The House will introduce a bill to approve the funding when the legislative session begins in January.
"Every second we delay funding that will modernize school buildings, we deny our students an opportunity for a brighter future," House Speaker Adrienne Jones said.
-- Tim Tooten Troy superintendent: Our school buildings are severely lacking-- Dayton Daily News Ohio: November 06, 2019 [ abstract] Troy voters will decide in March whether to fund a complete replacement of the district’s aging elementary schools, as the school board plans to place a bond issue on the ballot.
The school district hopes to issue $98.7 million in bonds to build four new schools — three elementaries to house preschool through fourth grade and one new elementary/middle school to house grades 5-6, replacing seven existing schools.
Troy City Schools officials said as part of their partnership with the Ohio Facilities construction Commission, the district would eventually receive a $31.8 million reimbursement from the state for its share of the project. Superintendent Chris Piper said Troy is expected to become eligible for that money in 3-8 years.
The school board unanimously took the first vote Monday, asking the county auditor to certify what property tax millage would be needed to fund the project. A second vote, to officially put the issue on the March ballot, is expected at the Dec. 9 school board meeting.
Piper said Tuesday that the bond issue is expected to be 6.54 mills, pending confirmation from the county auditor. According to district documents, it will be combined in a single vote with a 0.5-mill levy for ongoing maintenance. That combined millage would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $246 per year.
Troy’s seven existing elementary schools — Concord, Cookson, Forest, Heywood, Hook, Kyle and Van Cleve — are 77 years old on average, according to district officials. Concord and Van Cleve are 100 and 105 years old.
-- Jeremy P. Kelley White Bear Lake voters approve state's largest successful school bond measure-- Star Tribune Minnesota: November 06, 2019 [ abstract] Voters in the White Bear Lake school district Tuesday approved a $326 million bond to fund construction projects across the district — the largest successful school bond referendum in Minnesota history.
The district expects enrollment to surge by about 2,000 students over the next decade, and school leaders are planning renovations and upgrades in every school building.
The bond also will fund the construction of a new elementary school in Hugo and allow the district to combine its split-campus high school into a single, expanded facility.
White Bear Lake was one of more than 30 school districts that asked voters to approve bond issues and take on debt for major construction projects, while more than 40 districts sought voter approval to renew or increase their local operating levies.
In another closely watched race, Worthington, Minn., voters approved three measures that will fund the construction of a new intermediate school and an addition to the high school, addressing longstanding problems with overcrowding in the southwest Minnesota district’s buildings.
Approved were bonds totaling nearly $34 million for the construction of the intermediate school and a separate plan that would allow the district to refinance $14 million to fund an addition to the high school.
The vote was the latest in a long series of school funding elections for the community, which has become larger and more racially diverse in recent decades because of population growth from immigrant groups — including a large number of unaccompanied minors from other countries.
Since 2013, Worthington voters rejected five proposed bond issues. The most recent referendum was in February, when a bond issue failed by 17 votes.
-- Erin Golden Bond issues on Tuesday's ballot to decide nearly $2.8 billion in school projects-- Crain's Detroit Business Michigan: November 04, 2019 [ abstract] Michigan voters in 35 communities will go to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to issue nearly $2.8 billion in bonds for public school improvements in what could be an economic stimulus for the state's construction industry in the coming years.
The biggest school bond issue on Tuesday's ballots is in Ann Arbor, where voters are being asked to approve a $1 billion, 30-year capital bond funded by 1.65-mill property tax increase to renovate aging schools dating back to the 1920s and place solar panels on the roofs of all 35 district buildings.
Ann Arbor's bond proposal calls for adding air conditioning to nearly all of its school buildings and replacing lighting with energy-efficient LED lights. The solar power-generating panels are meant to offset the additional electricity use from climate-controlled air conditioning, Superintendent Jeanice Kerr Swift said.
"We wanted to make sure we were offsetting the (environmental) impact of that," she said.
-- CHAD LIVENGOOD Richmond City Council, school board members questioning bidding process of new school construction-- ABC8 News Virginia: November 04, 2019 [ abstract] RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Some Richmond City Council and school board members are questioning the city’s bidding process when it comes to school construction.
Some officials say they want the city to change its procurement methods for construction when it comes to building three new schools: Greene Elementary, George Mason Elementary, and Elkhardt-Thompson Middle.
All three are currently under construction under a procurement method called “construction manager at risk.”
City Council members Kim Gray, Kristen Larson, and School board member Kenya Gibson say the city could be building four schools for what it’s spending to build three – if the city were to use a different construction bidding process.
“The Mayor and the City administration failed our public school kids, teachers, staff, and parents. Because of their actions, a generation of 750 children will not be getting a new school,” said Kim Gray, City Council Member.
Mayor Levar Stoney’s administration disagrees.
They believe they’re using the best method because any other procedure would have caused the schools to open a year later than planned.
“We are building efficiently, cost-effectively, and in a way that schools into 21st-century learning environments as quickly as possible,” said Lincoln Saunders, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff.
Stoney’s administration said that their goal is to get students out of overcrowding, deteriorating, moldy schools as fast as they can.
But Gibson isn’t convinced.
“Rushing these projects to win pre-election headlines seems audacious, but unfortunately, I worry that’s exactly what happened,” Gibson said.
-- Sierra Fox Construction costs drive up budget of Solana Vista rebuild-- Del Mar Times California: October 31, 2019 [ abstract] The Solana Beach School District is facing about a $5.7 million shortfall in its Solana Vista School rebuild project due to construction escalation costs.
The school board held a workshop on Oct. 24 to discuss its options moving forward including eliminating the scope of the project and finding cost savings through value engineering. Another option would be to simply increase the budget which the board members were not in favor of as it could impact other Measure JJ projects across the district.
“I do think we need to make some savings, I think being $5.7 million over is too much,” said Vice President Richard Leib.
The board is expected to make a decision at its Nov. 14 meeting regarding the scope and budget for the rebuild. Superintendent Jodee Brentlinger said the district will explore its options without compromising student safety, impacting instructional goals or the district’s commitment with Measure JJ to provide parity district-wide.
As much as possible, they will look to stay on budget while building a school that the community can be excited about and proud of: “We don’t want to take out what will make it shine,” said board member Gaylin Allbaugh.
The district laid out its long-range facilities master plan in 2012-13, which at the time included options for both a modernization and a complete reconstruction of Solana Vista. In 2016, the district developed the bond program for Measure JJ and the Solana Vista project’s budget was set for $35 million for construction in 2019-20.
The district’s consultant Blaine Yoder, project director at TELACU construction Management, said the district did not have the assigned scope for the school in 2016 but allocated $35 million for the project, which included a 10 percent construction escalation cost that was considered conservative at that time.
-- KAREN BILLING Demolition and modernization of some schools in USVI to start by summer 2020, D.O.E. says; residents encouraged to atten-- The Virgin Islands Consortium U.S. Virgin Islands: October 29, 2019 [ abstract] St. Croix residents – parents, students, educators, employers – are urged to attend V.I. Department of Education (V.I.D.O.E.) meetings this week. The workshops are meant to shine light on the lengthy process of recovery from tens of millions of dollars in storm-damaged schools and facilities. During the process, Virgin Islands schools are expected to reach, or exceed, national school facilities standards long met in the states.
This week’s public meetings on St. Croix will be held:
Tuesday, Oct. 29th at the Juanita Gardine Elementary School auditorium from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 30th at the St. Croix Central High School cafeteria from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
“We want the community to come out and to be a part of the process,” said V.I.D.O.E. Chief Operating Officer Dr. Dionne Wells-Hedrington.
Ms. Wells-Hedrington, the department’s operational-side expert, and Chaneel Callwood-Daniels, who leads the V.I.D.O.E. schools’ architecture project – sat down with the VI Consortium to lay out an ambitious plan that, if successful, would see virtually every school in the territory rebuilt, better than ever, in the coming years.
New Schools
“Our desire is to build new schools,” said Ms. Wells-Hedrington. “When we are asked how many schools do we want to replace: all … That is our position going forward,” she said. “Every one,” added Ms. Callwood-Daniels.
And how likely is that? “Will we get all? We are not sure,” Ms. Wells-Hedrington said.
In March 2020, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to announce a round of disaster recovery grants that should include school construction funding. As FEMA goes about work, the V.I.D.O.E. “… has been working on getting us ready and prepared for what FEMA says to us,” Ms. Wells-Hedrington said.
By the summer, demolition, critical repairs and modernization of some existing buildings could begin, based on FEMA’s edicts, with the input of a local School construction Advisory Board.
The Board, which has 20 members in the St. Croix District and another 20 members in the St. Thomas-St. John District, is taking public feedback from St. Croix tomorrow and Wednesday. “We are doing this in tandem along with FEMA,” Ms. Wells-Hedrington said.
New construction would have to meet or exceed school construction standards found stateside. “… Not just up to (the VI) Code, but providing our students with really rich, nourishing learning environments,” Ms. Wells-Hedrington said. Schools like Arthur Richards Junior High School in Frederiksted or Addelita Cancryn Junior High on St. Thomas would never look the same.
-- Staff Writer New legal opinion says Dunwoody has no authority over DeKalb Schools construction, trailers-- Reporter Newspapers Georgia: October 28, 2019 [ abstract] The Georgia Department of Education is the only government entity with authority over the DeKalb County School District when it comes to school construction and maintenance, including adding trailers to alleviate overcrowding, according to a legal opinion from an attorney hired by the city of Dunwoody.
The new legal opinion backs up the city’s claims that it cannot force the school district to stop adding trailers to overcrowded schools as part of a years-long war. Frustrated residents have demanded the city stop the school district from adding more trailers by enforcing local building codes, but officials say they are handcuffed by state law from doing anything.
“The Georgia Constitution does not give municipalities the power to affect local school districts, nor has the General Assembly delegated any of its power to the city,” wrote William A. White, a partner with Smith Welch Webb and White Attorneys at Law, in the Sept. 26 report to Assistant City Attorney Bill Riley.
“It is my opinion that the city does not have the authority to directly compel a local school system to comply with its local ordinances,” he said. “This is the case even in the realm of the construction, maintenance and report of school facilities.”
Requests for comment from DeKalb Schools and the state Department of Education on the legal opinion were not immediately answered. School officials have said adding trailers is currently the most cost-effective and efficient way to alleviate severe overcrowding at Dunwoody and many other north DeKalb schools.
-- Dyana Bagby MCPS Superintendent Unveils $1.82 Billion Construction Plan-- Bethesda Magazine Maryland: October 27, 2019 [ abstract] Montgomery County schools Superintendent Jack Smith on Friday released his vision for school construction and infrastructure improvements over the next five years. His long-range plan totals $1.82 billion and includes nine new projects.
The school district’s capital improvements program (CIP) for fiscal years 2021-2026 was previously approved, but each year, the school board can adjust the plan.
Smith’s recommended CIP represents a $74.2 million increase over what has previously been approved.
Smith attributed the increase to a jump in student enrollment. This school year, there are 165,439 students — an increase of 2,759 students from the prior year. MCPS enrollment is expected to reach more than 171,000 students by 2025, which will strain an already cramped school district, Smith wrote.
“Many schools are significantly overutilized and beyond their life-cycle and capital projects are necessary learning to provide the learning environment for students and staff deserve,” Smith wrote. “This recommended CIP will address the growing need for classroom space through additions and new schools, and will focus on our aging facilities and infrastructure through the many countywide systemic projects.”
-- CAITLYNN PEETZ W-JCC’s capital plan reduces cost of new elementary school by about half-- Virginia Gazette Virginia: October 25, 2019 [ abstract] The W-JCC school board still hopes to build a new elementary school and expand two high schools at a cost of over $50 million, among other proposed projects in the first draft of the division’s Capital Improvement Plan.
While the superintendent’s proposed version of the CIP won’t be ready until next month, the public and the School Board got a first look last week at some of the construction and improvement projects Williamsburg-James City County Schools division hopes to undertake in the next decade.
The capital improvement plan covers infrastructure, expansion and improvement projects across the division, and handles the scheduling and budgeting for each item. This draft, drawn up by the W-JCC Capital Improvement Development Committee, calls for $142,471,029 to be invested over the next 10 years.
Along with more routine work like plumbing or roof repairs, there are a number of big-ticket items, including replacing the HVAC systems at Berkeley Middle School and Stonehouse Elementary School at a cost of $6,487,696 and $5,758,492 respectively, expanding the capacity of both Warhill and Jamestown high schools for $9,071,533 and $9,021,100.
-- SEAN CW KORSGAARD City weighs school fees on new housing projects-- Mountain View Voice California: October 23, 2019 [ abstract] The Mountain View City Council last Tuesday night grappled with a difficult balancing act between two competing priorities: encouraging more housing growth and providing enough money to schools to support a deluge of new students expected from the planned rapid development.
New and planned zoning changes, along with projects already in the pipeline, show the city is slated to grow by as many as 20,000 homes -- or about a 75% increase to Mountain View's existing housing stock. The new development is expected to generate thousands of students, and school district officials say they simply don't have the money to accommodate them all.
Estimates vary, but the land and construction costs for additional school facilities could reach $1.2 billion. City Council members generally agreed at the Oct. 15 study session that the city, schools districts and developers should all share in those costs, but struggled to come up with a fair three-way split that doesn't potentially kill the feasibility of future housing projects.
The core question before council members was the so-called Local School District Strategy, a policy that requires large projects in the North Bayshore, East Whisman and Terra Bella areas of the city to finance local schools bearing the brunt of increased enrollment. Developers and school districts have struggled with how to interpret the policy.
-- Kevin Forestieri Grant High School remodel: Erasing inequity-- Portland Tribune Oregon: October 22, 2019 [ abstract] When voters in 2012 approved a $482 million school construction bond for Portland Public Schools, they expected part of the money would be used to upgrade seismic standards and address deferred maintenance issues at some of the district's existing school buildings.
While the $158 million modernization project that recently wrapped up at Grant High School accomplished those goals, it also helped address another problem at the school — that of inequality among students resulting from the outdated design of the nearly 95-year-old building.
On a recent October morning, during an open flex period, students mixed and mingled in Grant's new, light-flooded commons area that doubles as the school's cafeteria space.
It's a far different scene from two years ago, when a team from Mahlum Architects first visited the school to talk with students and faculty as they began the process of creating a design for the modernization project.
At the time, the outdated building contained five basement areas used as classrooms and a cafeteria that students told the design team had created an unintended division among students at the school.
It was insight that would drive the direction of the overall design of the project, and provide team members and Grant High School administrators with some new lessons along the way.
"The design process focus was not just modernization and aesthetics," Carol Campbell, the high school's principal, said. "(It) was a real intentional focus on the spaces themselves, how they were serving students and faculty and the community."
-- Stephanie Basalyga St. Paul school district puts hold on building projects-- Star Tribune Minnesota: October 22, 2019 [ abstract] Major renovations of St. Paul’s public schools are being put on hold after the first wave of the projects came in tens of millions of dollars higher than initially projected.
A monthslong review of the district’s facilities-management practices found the blown estimates were due largely to changes enacted after projects were underway, not overspending.
“You got more stuff than was originally planned,” Chappell Jordan, of the Dallas-based civil-engineering firm Jacobs, said Tuesday. “You changed the scope.
Jordan was part of a five-person review team assembled at the direction of Superintendent Joe Gothard, who said in May he wanted to rebuild public trust in a five-year, $484 million facilities plan that was launched in 2017 with makeovers of nine schools and construction of a new RiverEast Elementary and Secondary.
In remarks to reporters and then to school board members during their meeting Tuesday night, Jordan said district officials should have outlined the potential “risks,” or additional costs, the district could face as it renovated buildings as old as 129 years.
Board Member Steve Marchese said he, too, found it troubling that “things about risk were not including in the initial estimates.” The facilities plan is ambitious and necessary, he said, but board members should have been told how individual choices could affect commitments promised elsewhere in the community.
“There was an undermining of our ability to do our job,” he said.
-- Anthony Lonetree Prince George’s Residents Fight Removal Of Historic Designation At 2 Schools-- WAMU Maryland: October 18, 2019 [ abstract] Prince George’s County residents are — once again — frustrated over changes to the county’s zoning laws.
In the last two months, residents have protested the county leaders for their decision to alter zoning laws that would strip two schools in Upper Marlboro of their historic designation, voiced complaints about the process to bring a now scuttled Amazon warehouse to Westphalia and opposed the construction of townhomes near an airport.
Residents said they’ve been left in the dark by the council on major decisions that could potentially impact the sensibility of their neighborhoods. What they are unaware of is an unusual legislative tactic that allows the council to amend zoning laws without stating its intentions.
That’s playing out right now in Upper Marlboro. Administrative Judge Sheila Tillerson-Adams wants to build a new kind of school in Prince George’s County. The school would be for students expelled from other county schools.
“Don’t call it an alternative high school,” Tillerson-Adams said sitting in her courthouse office. “It will be the James H. Taylor Innovative Academy.”
Tillerson-Adams is referring to Taylor, the first African American circuit court judge in the county. Her proposed school would be built on what is currently the historic sites of Old Marlboro High School and Primary School. It’s also the burial site of Dr. William Beanes and his wife, Sarah.
In order to build the school, the county wants to keep the historical designation of the cemetery, but remove the designation of the two schools through what’s called a minor text amendment proposed by Councilmembers Derrick Davis and Sydney Harrison.
“It’s so we wouldn’t have any limitations in how we would build the school,” Tillerson-Adams said. “We’re not saying we’re going to demolish the building. We just want options. I’m very mindful of the history.”
-- Dominique Maria Bonessi Majority of summer repairs to Providence schools still not done-- WPRI.com Rhode Island: October 17, 2019 [ abstract] PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The majority of repairs slated for Providence public schools over the summer have not yet been completed, according to a construction update released by the city on Wednesday.
The list of projects, billed as part of a $20 million bond for spring and summer repair projects, range from roof replacements to fire code upgrades to heating system repairs.
The construction delays come as state officials, poised to take control of the district, have referenced possible closures of the worst school buildings.
“Some of these buildings really should not have children in them in the present condition that they’re in. That’s the reality,” Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said earlier this week.
Mayor Jorge Elorza’s office released the list over the summer in the wake of the scathing report by Johns Hopkins University, whose researchers had an overwhelmingly negative view of the Providence school buildings.
The construction projects were planned prior to the Hopkins report, as part of the tail end of the city’s five-year 2015 school capital plan and the beginning of its 2020 plan. (The 2020 fiscal year began July 1.)
Only one-third of the projects on the original list provided to Target 12 are completed, according to the construction status update released by the city.
Eight projects from the summer projects list are now marked as “complete,” while 16 others are either under construction, pre-construction or “in-design.”
-- Steph Machado PfISD eyes busy winter of new school construction, facility renovations-- Community Impact Newspaper Texas: October 17, 2019 [ abstract] construction on the first two school projects in Pflugerville ISD’s 2018 bond package now has a defined date.
According to a presentation shown to the PfISD Board of Trustees on Oct. 17, district officials have planned a construction start date of Dec. 2 for the joint elementary school and middle school campus. The combined campus site is located near the corner of Pleasanton Parkway and Weiss Lane in eastern Pflugerville.
David Vesling, executive director of Facilities & Support Services for PfISD, presented the district’s estimated bid schedule for the new school construction projects to trustees. According to that timeline, bid proposals from firms are set to be due on Oct. 29. The winning bid will be approved by the Board of Trustees on Nov. 21, just under two weeks before construction on the district’s 22nd elementary school and seventh middle school is slated to begin.
Those projects are budgeted for $40 million and $61.1 million, respectively, funded by the district’s 2018 bond funds. Two architecture firms were hired by the school district to oversee design and planning for the separate school buildings.
“This is fairly complex because there are two projects going on at one site,” Vesling said.
Both schools are expected to be move-in ready by July 2021, according to the district’s project timelines.
Shortly after construction begins on the combined campus project, PfISD will begin work renovating the district’s historic Rock Gym, located at 700 W. Pecan St., Pflugerville.
Renovations on the building, which received a historical marker from the Texas Historical Commission in 2012, are designed to improve acoustics.
However, Vesling’s presentation stated the renovation project will be expanded to renovate the Rock Gym’s main entrance and add window shading and removable floor covering. Those renovation items will be presented to the PfISD Board of Trustees for approval at a future meeting.
Board President Vernagene Mott directed district staff to survey what neighboring districts are charging to rent similar facility spaces so PfISD can mold its own fees at a market-rate.
-- Iain Oldman Rising costs strain budget on Frisco (Texas) high school construction-- American School & University Texas: October 17, 2019 [ abstract] construction of the Frisco (Texas) school district’s newest high school is underway, and labor shortages and the rising costs of materials have driven up the price tag significantly.
The Dallas Morning News reports that challenges in the building industry have resulted in a nearly $13 million increase for the Emerson High School project, pushing the total to about $111.6 million.
Related: Frisco (Texas) district moves forward with plans for 11th high school
“We did encounter a bit of a sticker shock,” says Scott Warstler, the district’s executive director of operations.
Texas is facing a worker shortage because of complicated immigration policies and the lack of specialized workers. That is causing delays and budget overruns.
Immigrants make up nearly half of the area’s jobs in construction, according to a recent study by the New American Economy. But shifting immigration policies have contributed to a shortage of workers entering the country. Meanwhile, the area needs at least 20,000 more construction workers, according to the Dallas Builders Association.
The Frisco district has to compete for workers against other booming industries like the housing industry.
“Every school district, home builder or any other type of business or organization with a construction project is competing for labor,” Warstler says.
-- Mike Kennedy 2 Atlanta schoolyards to be public parks; eight more to come-- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Georgia: October 16, 2019 [ abstract] Playgrounds at two Atlanta elementary schools will do double duty as public parks thanks to a new program and big donations.
Parks groups announced Wednesday that Dobbs and Kimberly elementary schools have been selected for a pilot program that will transform their schoolyards into after-hours parks open for general public use.
The groups plan to upgrade and open 10 school playgrounds in the next three years so that they can be used by nearby residents. The idea is to add more green space and recreation areas in neighborhoods that lack parks.
The groups announced $1.5 million has been raised to pay for playground renovations, which could include benches, shade trees and other amenities.
Students and residents will help decide how to redesign the sites and what upgrades to add. construction work will begin next summer, when Dobbs and Kimberly schoolyards officially will open for public use after school, on weekends and during the summer.
Dobbs is on Jonesboro Road in southeast Atlanta and Kimberly is on McMurray Drive in southwest Atlanta.
“We are thrilled to help hundreds of families within a 10-minute walk of these schools benefit from greater access to safe outdoor recreation areas,” said George Dusenbury, Georgia state director for The Trust for Public Land, in a written statement.
-- Vanessa McCray As the county grows, finding money for school construction is getting even harder-- Chesterfield Observer Virginia: October 16, 2019 [ abstract] It’s a ritual that has become familiar in Chesterfield: men in business suits and women in dresses, all smiling broadly while flinging dirt on the site of the county’s newest school construction project.
Over the past few years, school and county leaders have broken ground on replacements for aging elementary schools in areas such as Enon and Beulah, Harrowgate and Ettrick, Crestwood and Matoaca, hoping to use the shiny, new buildings as a magnet for reinvestment in communities once left behind by Chesterfield’s decades-long northwesterly sprawl.
They were scheduled to pick up their shovels once more Tuesday morning at Reams Road Elementary School – the last of eight schools to be replaced as part of a November 2013 bond referendum.
“By the end of these elementary school rebuilds [in September 2021], each of the five magisterial districts in Chesterfield County will have a brand new elementary school. That’s equity,” School Board Chairman Rob Thompson said last week.
Even as they reflect on the success of the ambitious, $400 million revitalization program, though, members of the School Board and Board of Supervisors face a new challenge: finding additional money to continue replacing schools that are at (or past) the end of their useful life, while addressing enrollment increases driven by new development.
The local housing market has been reinvigorated since the end of the last recession, bringing hundreds of new single-family homes to Midlothian and the western Hull Street Road corridor. Residential development also is occurring in parts of central and eastern Chesterfield that hadn’t seen such activity in years. As a result, school officials say they need at least three new schools in northwestern Chesterfield – two middle schools and a high school – to address current demand and create space for future students.
With construction costs still soaring, county leaders contend it would be fiscally irresponsible for the school system to try and build its way out of what they see as isolated capacity shortfalls. They want to first maximize use of available space in existing schools.
The debate could have implications for Chesterfield’s next bond referendum (which is expected to be on the ballot in 2021), and before that, perhaps, the upcoming Nov. 5 countywide election.
-- JIM MCCONNELL Problems, positives outlined at each school in Stow-Munroe Falls school building-- TimesReporter.com Ohio: October 14, 2019 [ abstract] STOW — While students and their families enjoyed summer break away from school, the administration of the Stow-Munroe Falls Schools was evaluating the district’s nine school buildings in an initial step to creating a new master facilities plan.
The results of that summer evaluation were presented during the school board’s Oct. 7 workshop by representatives from Hammond construction in Canton and Then Design Architecture in Willoughby giving the presentation.
This assessment was completed to evaluate the school district’s buildings in terms of safety and their ability to support student learning in today’s world, said Robert Gress, the district’s director of operations.
“We’re not going in with any preconceived notions about what we’re doing with any of the buildings,” Gress said. “But with buildings that range from 80 years to over 30, it’s important that we take a look at what is it costing residents to patch and repair our aging schools, especially if the state of Ohio is willing to pay for some of the cost.”
The evaluation was done for free through the Ohio Facilities construction Commission, Gress added.
Cheryl Fisher from Then Design Architecture commended the district’s maintenance staff for its efforts with the school buildings.
“Your district’s maintenance staff has done an excellent job making these buildings safe for the students,” Fisher said. “But everything has a life cycle. Given the age of your school buildings, many have exceeded that.”
Fisher said the last time the district’s buildings were evaluated was in 2006, about 13 years ago. Many things have changed since then.
Jeff Tuckerman of Hammond construction explained one of the things the evaluation covered was the cost of renovating the school buildings versus replacing them. The rule of thumb, as outlined by the OFCC, is that if the cost to renovate is two-thirds or greater than the cost to rebuild, or 66.6 percent, the district should consider rebuilding.
-- April Helms School construction costs increasing; SBA makes corresponding move-- MetroNews West Virginia: October 14, 2019 [ abstract] CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Proposed school construction projects that members of the state School Building Authority will hear about next month will include a recently approved provision that raises the square foot construction cost.
Members of the SBA approved the increase in September. SBA Director of Architectural Services Ben Ashley said the move follows a pattern of higher school construction costs.
“We’ve had projects bid over the last year or so that have been over our dollars-per-square foot funding allowance,” Ashley said. “With that in mind and looking at the construction cost indexes in both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, we are finding an upward trend.”
So as architects hired by county school boards prepare projects for their Nov. 18-19 presentations before the SBA they are working in the higher allowed costs, Ashley said.
“We don’t necessarily use this standard as setting the budget but we ask counties to set the budgets and then make sure it doesn’t exceed this fair cost that we’re establishing around the state,” Ashley said.
-- Jeff Jenkins Camden seeking school’s ‘real’ costs-- DailyAdvance.com North Carolina: October 12, 2019 [ abstract] CAMDEN — Camden officials agreed this week to move forward with a study intended to generate a “real number” for the cost of a planned new high school.
Both the Camden Board of Commissioners and Camden Board of Education voted Thursday to have M.B. Kahn construction perform a new study — dubbed an “educational needs assessment” — to determine the total square footage needed for a new high school. The study also will determine the amount of space the new school would need for specific purposes such as a library, cafeteria, regular classrooms and career and technical education classrooms.
M.B. Kahn recently completed a school facility needs study for county commissioners and the school board. The new work is intended to build on that study by identifying the specific needs for classroom space and support facilities for a new high school.
Commissioner Clayton Riggs said the county needs to know how much money the school district will receive from the state to help with the cost of a new school, and how much the school is going to cost.
“The easiest way to make a decision is to have a real number,” Riggs said.
-- Reggie Ponder Millions being poured into WUSD infrastructure-- The Wickenburg Sun Arizona: October 09, 2019 [ abstract] Wickenburg Unified School District expects the dust to settle with the solar panel project being constructed in the Wickenburg High School parking lot, but the district has plans for work in the pipeline at each of its four schools.
“The contractor is claiming to be done with the whole thing on Nov. 8,” said Dr. Howard Carlson, WUSD superintendent, at the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce Education Committee meeting Sept. 25. “That clears the way for the Webb season.”
The first performance at Del E. Webb Center For the Performing Arts, which shares the parking lot with WHS, is slated for Nov. 7 with The Bellamy Brothers.
The solar panel project is completely funded and will be maintained by APS as part of its Schools and Government Program. More than 300 schools have had solar systems installed through the program and has provided students a chance to learn about renewable energy.
Vulture Peak Middle School is in line for at least two projects. The most pressing is an emergency project through the Arizona School Facilities Board. This board was created in 1998, and AZSFB is a cabinet-level, state-government agency managing nearly $300 million in state funding appropriated for K-12 school district facilities. A 10-member board meets monthly to grant funding for new school construction and to renew existing school facilities, according to its website.
The trees at VPMS have grown into the septic tank system at the school on Vulture Mine Road, and using the toilets has become an issue. An engineer from AZSFB visited the site last week.
“They’ll be designing it,” Carlson said. “Then they will put it out to bid to be repaired. SFB considers it an emergency so that will move much quicker. It is coming pretty quick, and that’s a good thing.”
The school district filed a lawsuit in September 2015 against EMC2 Group Architects; Caruso Turley Scott; Hess-Rountree; Ricker, Atkinson, McBee, Morman and Associates; and others for professional negligence, breach of contract, and indemnity in reference to the construction of Festival Elementary School in Buckeye.
The district claimed “the school is experiencing issues due to design defects, including but not limited to structural movement of school buildings, separation of walls, cracking of walls, structural movement of the slab, damage to the roofing system, damage to the stucco system, and other issues …”
-- Shawn Byrne A $120 million question for Marysville: School bond or levy?-- HeraldNet Washington: October 07, 2019 [ abstract] MARYSVILLE — Leaders of Marysville public schools plan to have a frank conversation Monday on the district’s most critical facility needs and whether to ask voters to help fix them.
At an afternoon work session, the Marysville School District Board of Directors will discuss putting a measure on the February ballot to raise $120 million to pay for tearing down and replacing two aging elementary schools, Liberty and Cascade.
The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Educational Service Center Board Room, 4220 80th St. NE in Marysville.
Monday is a chance for the school board to hear more about why those two elementaries need replacing. Directors also will hash out the pluses and minuses of financing improvements with a six-year capital levy versus a longer-term construction bond.
-- Jerry Cornfield After contentious town hall, Philly high schools could be closed longer than expected-- WHYY Pennsylvania: October 07, 2019 [ abstract] Philadelphia school district officials may have to abandon their plans to relocate students from two Center City high schools after parent outrage boiled over at a town hall meeting Monday morning.
The district originally vowed that students from Benjamin Franklin High School and Science Leadership Academy would be moved to new locations by Thursday. Now students will be out until at least next Monday, if not longer.
The district also announced that the building the two schools share at Broad and Spring Garden Streets will be closed until at least January. A delay-plagued construction project, coupled with the discovery of exposed asbestos in the building’s boiler room, has already caused students to miss nine days of school.
At a tense town hall with parents, faculty, and students, district officials pitched the idea of moving students to South Philadelphia High School and Strawberry Mansion High School as soon as Thursday.
When those relocation options went up on a projection screen before a packed auditorium, the audience started grumbling.
“Hell no,” yelled out one parent.
It only got more contentious from there.
-- Avi Wolfman-Arent Californians will vote on biggest-ever school construction bond in 2020-- San Francisco Chronicle California: October 07, 2019 [ abstract] SACRAMENTO — Californians will vote next year whether to approve the largest school construction bond in state history.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB48 on Monday, placing a $15 billion bond to upgrade public school and college facilities on the March ballot.
“We are back asking the voters yet again to do what they historically have always done,” Newsom said during a signing ceremony at a Sacramento elementary school, “and that is to embrace our children and embrace their fate and future and do more to do justice to the cause of public education in the state of California.”
The bond proposal is the product of a last-minute deal between legislative proponents and Newsom’s office, which sought changes to California’s school construction bond program.
Rather than being awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, the $9 billion included for preschools and K-12 schools would be prioritized for health and safety projects such as mold removal and seismic retrofits, removing lead contamination in water sources and reducing overcrowding.
Nearly $3 billion of that money would be for new construction and about $5 billion for modernizing existing facilities. Separately, charter schools and career technical education programs would receive $500 million each.
-- Alexei Koseff Vineyard residents upset after Alpine School District runs short on school construction funding-- Fox13 Utah: October 07, 2019 [ abstract] VINEYARD, Utah — Alpine School District may not be able to not keep promises made to taxpayers during the 2016 bond election.
It comes after $387 million in property taxes were allocated to build or renovate a dozen schools.
Emily Bean settled in Vineyard with her husband and three kids under three last year.
“We were sure this was going to be an elementary school soon. With our planning, we thought we should be golden. It will be built by the time our kids are ready to go to kindergarten,” Bean said.
The elementary school site near Bean’s home was said to be one reason why the district needed $387 million. Three years later, the bond is an estimated **$58 million short.
“It’s crazy. It’s pretty ridiculous they ran out of money,” said Kim MacMurdo, mother in Vineyard.
District spokeswoman Kimberly Bird admits the district may not build the Vineyard school or another proposed in Eagle Mountain next year. Two other communities face elementary overcrowding in Saratoga Springs and Lehi.
“We recognize that Vineyard is a high-growth area. We recognize that they, too, are bursting at the seams and we need to do something about them and about their particular school situation. I believe it will happen. It’s a matter of priority and when,” Bird said.
FOX13 dug into expense reports and learned the district was over budget in every construction phase: $10.4 million in phase 1, $35.4 million in phase 2 and $34.7 million in phase three.
-- HAILEY HIGGINS SCA chief on overcrowding: We're doing the best we can-- The Riverdale Press New York: October 06, 2019 [ abstract] They’ve heard what he had to say, and they’re already at work making schools better.
The city’s School construction Authority was the target of a new study commissioned by Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr., which outlined 10 specific steps he believes will correct overcrowding at more than 650 city schools.
The problem, according to the construction authority? Diaz never came to them for input, and authority chief Lorraine Grillo has some serious issues with what the borough president concluded.
Of the more than 1,750 schools in the city, more than 38 percent of them are over capacity, according to Diaz. That’s because, more often than not, elementary and middle schools are zoned to include too many students — which the school must accommodate — leaving a rather big crowd for students to stand out in.
Diaz offered 10 recommendations including leasing more classroom space and using better models to predict future student populations at schools.
Yet, the authority already is working on those suggestions — even before they were made, according to an agency spokesman. The city has more than 200 “transportable units” — temporary trailers serving as classrooms — with plans to remove 35 percent of them. The agency always looks ahead five years, and maintains leases for more than 300 locations for classroom space.
“We do demographic studies every year,” Grillo said. “Projections are based on birthrates. We get information from city planning on rezoning. Other elements combined to put into our projections, which go out five years and 10 years.”
Yet those projections were a sticking point for not only Diaz, but also for P.S. 7 Milton Fein School principal Miosotis Ramos. Diaz called the authority’s current process for projecting the number of seats schools would need in the future as “antiquated,” and often incorrect, partially because communication between the construction authority and other city agencies involved in neighborhood development is poor.
“We have a system here that’s been in existence since the SCA took over the capital planning process,” Grillo said. “We have a system in place, we work with the DEP, department of buildings, housing. We have a very good relationship with everybody.”
Still, though, Ramos believes inaccurate projections can affect funding the school receives, even if the difference in the number of students seems small.
-- KIRSTYN BRENDLEN With unexpected millions flowing, Salem-Keizer school officials add more building projects-- Salem Reporter Oregon: October 04, 2019 [ abstract] Seven local schools will get more hefty remodeling projects than planned as Salem-Keizer School District executives spend an unexpected infusion of $65 million.
The money is flowing because investors have been paying more for the district’s bonds than expected, putting additional cash in the district’s hands. Last year, voters approved selling $620 million in bonds to pay for school remodeling and expansion across the district.
District executives elected to put half the unexpected money into additional school projects and half into reserve instead of cutting the overall debt taken on. The bonds will be repaid by property taxes.
District executives now plan to spend $668 million on school construction after adding the unexpected money and some state grants. That spending won't increase the amount taxpayers pay.
McKay and South Salem high schools, Mary Eyre Elementary School and Houck Middle School will see larger construction projects than originally planned.
McKay is the most overcrowded in the district, with about 2,400 students in a building designed for 1,800. District officials who already planned to spend $48 million to remodel the school now plan to add another $6 million for a black box theater, music storage space and relocation of portable buildings.
-- Rachel Alexander Hogan, Olszewski spar over paying for A/C in all Baltimore Co. schools-- Fox45 Maryland: October 03, 2019 [ abstract] TOWSON, Md. (WBFF) - The long-simmering battle over the lack of air-conditioning in some Baltimore County and Baltimore City schools heated up again today.
It comes one day after Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski announced he's dedicating $16 million to buy temporary air-conditioning units for schools without central air.
The county funds will match the $13 million already given by the state.
Olszewski also says the governor could provide the money for a permanent fix to the air-conditioning problem with a stroke of his pen - something the governor strongly disputed today.
Hogan said: "We had a proposal for $2 billion in school construction, the largest in history. The county executive failed to support it because he wanted the state to pay 100 percent of the school construction instead of 50 percent. So, I would urge him to get on board with supporting our school construction plans, say 'Thank you for the $30 million,' and fix the damn air-conditioning."
-- Bryna Zumer Oversight change tightens school renovation budget-- The Valley Breeze Rhode Island: October 02, 2019 [ abstract] SMITHFIELD – Town Council President Suzy Alba says the cost savings from switching to a general contractor from a construction manager at-risk for the upcoming school renovation project will allow greater improvements as part of the “most significant bond issue” the town has faced.
Rescinding the request for proposals for a construction manager at-risk will save the town $2.5 million to $3 million in overhead costs, according to Town Manager Randy Rossi.
Rossi was not able to give cost estimates for a general contractor, but said expected savings will go back into school renovations.
As co-chairman of the School Building Committee, Rossi said the Rhode Island Department of Education recommended the switch to a general contractor to stay in line with the promises made to the agency and taxpayers.
“They’re expecting the project scope and outcome to be what they were presented. Otherwise, we are not fulfilling what was coming to taxpayers or department heads,” Alba said.
-- JACQUELYN MOOREHEAD 2 Philadelphia schools closed due to presence of asbestos: Officials-- 6abc Pennsylvania: October 01, 2019 [ abstract] PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Two Philadelphia schools will be closed for at least two days due to the presence of asbestos.
Officials say Benjamin Franklin High School and Science Leadership Academy, which share a campus in Spring Garden, will be closed on Tuesday, Oct. 1 and Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019.
The School District of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers will meet regularly to review the progress and determine the status of re-opening on Thursday, October 3.
The issues were identified during recent environmental safety walkthroughs.
Officials said there was damaged insulation material in the campus boiler room, and testing confirmed it contained asbestos.
Asbestos fibers were also detected at a low concentration in the Science Leadership Academy common area, which is currently under construction.
The campus will be closed for abatement and further testing.
The discovery comes in the wake of a $37 million construction project. The project was supposed to be completed in July, but that didn't happen.
Already this school year, the school district addressed asbestos concerns over at William M. Meredith Elementary in Queen Village.
-- Staff Writer Audit: Poor Oversight Of State Law Lost DOE Millions-- Honolulu Civil Beat Hawaii: September 25, 2019 [ abstract] The Hawaii Department of Education’s “laissez-faire approach” to implementing a state law meant to offset the cost of building new schools in growing neighborhoods has lost the DOE an estimated $11 million in potential revenue, according to a state audit report released Tuesday.
The DOE’s administration of the 12-year-old “school impact fee” law, has been beset by poor oversight, a “lack of well-defined policies and procedures,” an inconsistent calculation of fees that at times were “based on questionable assumptions” and inexplicable delays, according to the report.
“It is difficult to pinpoint whether these problems are the result of a lack of resources, lack of planning, or inherent flaws in the law that need to be identified and addressed. Most likely, it is a combination of these,” the 64-page report concludes.
The school impact fee law, passed by the Legislature in 2007, allows the DOE to collect fees from builders of new residential projects in designated districts to fund the construction of additional school facilities to accommodate population growth.
The school impact fee audit, which took place from February 2019 to June 2019, is the first performance analysis of a DOE program by the state auditor since its 2012 report on the DOE’s school bus transportation program.
-- Suevon Lee Edmonds School Board seeks voter approval for $600 million bond to build, replace schools-- my edmonds news Washington: September 25, 2019 [ abstract] Edmonds School District officials are seeking voter approval for a $600 million construction bond to build two new schools, replace three others and cover the cost of other district-wide building improvements.
At its Sept. 24 business meeting, the Edmonds School District Board of Directors held a first reading for a proposed resolution to be included on the February ballot.
If approved, the bond would allow for a new middle school on the former Alderwood Middle School campus, a new elementary school near Lynnwood High School and the replacement of one middle and two elementary schools.
The bond would also cover the cost to complete the second phase of Spruce Elementary School’s renovations, as well as the construction of an Innovative Learning Center, which would serve as the new location for Scriber Lake High School and possibly other alternative learning programs.
The schools to be replaced are College Place Middle School and Oak Heights and Beverly elementary schools. District spokesperson Harmony Weinberg said that due to the buildings’ age, it would be more cost efficient to build new schools than continue to make repairs.
“With the cost to replace them versus fixing them being comparable, we would rather provide a new facility,” she said
Currently, the district’s elementary schools are at 107% of capacity. Weinberg said the new school buildings would help reduce overcrowding in classrooms, as well as accommodate future growth.
-- Staff Writer Maryland Mulls $50M Pilot Program to Assess School Construction Projects-- The Washington Informer Maryland: September 25, 2019 [ abstract] ANNAPOLIS — A proposal to assess school construction projects in Maryland based on need may be conducted through a $50 million pilot program.
A work group comprised of Maryland state, county and school officials met Wednesday but didn’t determine specific details on the plan, but a draft outlined the pros and cons of implementing the program.
The good: Priority funding would maximize limited state and local resources, promote sufficient facilities for every child and allow taxpayers to monitor and evaluate the program.
The bad: School systems with the greatest needs, such as Baltimore City, could receive the lion’s share of funding.
Del. Marc Korman (D-Montgomery County) made that point last month with the group and reiterated it Wednesday.
“What is the value of ranking all the schools if you’re only going to solve the top three?” he said. “The pilot program is really going to deal with a small number of problems. You can create some negative situations among all the jurisdictions.”
State Sen. Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City), also a member of the group, said a statewide assessment fits best, especially when some data already exists.
“It’s going to have the same score, but it’s just cutting the data,” he said. “The data will be available.”
Some of the figures would be based on a colored chart based on categories such as red, which represents number one, as the highest priority with immediate needs such as asbestos, electrical hazards and mold. Green represents number nine would be the lowest ranking for school and other buildings “that are within the expected life cycle and do not require replacement.”
-- William J. Ford Action News Jax Investigates: 2,000+ repair requests made by Duval County Public Schools during first week of school-- CBS47 Florida: September 23, 2019 [ abstract] JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The City of Jacksonville is facing two lawsuits over the half-cent sales tax to help fund new construction and upkeep.
A Duval County teacher's tweet sparked a passionate response on both sides of the half cent sales tax issue.
Action News Jax has also requested all repair requests made to DCPS so far this school year.
One lawsuit is from Duval County Public Schools system and the other is from a group of parents who believe the City Council is blocking the effort to get the half-cent sales tax on the ballot.
There were more than 2,000 repair requests made in the first week of school (Aug. 12 through 16), according to documents from DCPS; click here and here to view the repair requests from the first week of school.
The cost of construction and renovations to Duval County school totals about $1.08 billion.
The Duval County School Board decided to seek legal counsel in July after the City Council voted down a push to get the half-cent sales tax on the November ballot.
On Sunday night, Mayor Lenny Curry tweeted a poll, asking if people were watching the Emmys or football.
That's when a local teacher snapped back. He wanted to know if his classroom's air conditioning would be fixed in the morning.
Action News Jax investigator Courtney Cole spoke to Mayor Curry who says he's ready to work on getting repairs to Duval County Public Schools.
The tweet you see at the top, is one that got one teacher fired up on Sunday night. It's from Mayor Curry.
The mayor tweeted: "It's Sunday night and the season is ball. It's also the Emmy awards. Who ya got?"
It's safe to say Chris Guerrieri didn't like either of those two choices.
The teacher at Palm Avenue Exception Student Center tweeted this response back to Mayor Curry: "I am working on lesson plans wondering if the AC in my class is going to work tomorrow. My profile pic is a picture of it by the way."
That's when Mayor Curry responded and told him to send him a direct message with his school and classroom ... so he can get the problem fixed.
On Monday, Cole caught up with Mayor Curry to learn if he's working with the teacher to get this problem fixed.
-- Courtney Cole BONNEVILLE SUPERINTENDENT WANTS THE STATE TO HELP PAY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE-- Idaho Ed News Idaho: September 23, 2019 [ abstract] IDAHO FALLS — The superintendent of East Idaho’s largest school district wants the state to shoulder more responsibility in funding K-12 infrastructure.
“That’s a big part of the problem here,” Bonneville Superintendent Scott Woolstenhulme told EdNews in a recent interview.
Woolstenhulme’s call for a change in infrustructural funding comes weeks after Bonneville voters rejected the growing district’s $42.7 million request for patrons to bankroll construction of a new elementary school and upgrades to Bonneville and Hillcrest high schools.
It’s also the first-year superintendent’s answer to minimizing the district’s growing tax burden on local property owners — and reducing friction between the district and a local opposition group.
Bonneville’s Aug. 27 request for upgrades — and the school board’s subsequent approval of a $2 million emergency levy — sparked a local tax battle in the growing district. Compounding the controversy is the news that Bonneville will hold off hiring a deputy superintendent in order to fund a secretive $191,000 payout to its former superintendent.
Opposition group D93 Citizens decried the district’s past actions as ill-advised, expensive and excessive.
“We are the highest taxed of Idaho’s 10 largest school districts,” said the group’s spokeswoman Hallie Stone.
-- Devin Bodkin Bronx BP Releases Report Calling for School Construction Authority Reform-- CityLand New York: September 23, 2019 [ abstract] Report outlines action plan for the School construction Authority to address public school overcrowding and cost proposals. On September 4, 2019, Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. released a report outlining an action plan for the School construction Agency to address public school overcrowding and school construction cost proposals. The School construction Authority is charged with the building and maintenance of public school space in New York City.
President Diaz’s report, titled “Reforming the School construction Authority: An Action Plan for Efficient Use of Public School Space,” outlines measures the School construction Authority can take to improve school overcrowding conditions, build new schools faster and better utilize existing space.
President Diaz’ number one recommendation within the report directs the School construction Authority and the Department of Education to “. . . eliminate all Transportable Classroom Units as soon as possible.” The report notes that forcing students to learn in trailers harms their education and is unacceptable. The report continues, “If there is a single TCU remaining at the end of this five-year capital plan, there must be real consequences for leaders at the [Department of Education] and [the School construction Authority].”
-- Abby Cannon Dangerous Air Pollution Is Getting Into Schools And Homes Near Highways, Research Shows-- WGBH Massachusetts: September 23, 2019 [ abstract] Traffic-related air pollution is a health problem around the region, contributing to cardiovascular disease and other health impacts. But it’s not just an outdoor problem.
New research from Boston-area scientists shows dangerous air particles are getting into homes, schools and workplaces along highways in the region. But there are ways to limit that exposure.
Brugge used to be on the faculty at Tufts Medical Center in Chinatown. Tufts researchers have measured traffic air pollution all over Boston, and have found the highest levels just outside their offices in Chinatown. Brugge pointed out that just up the street from there are several public schools built right along the Mass Pike.
"They don't have the adequate filtration," he said. "There are lots of schools near highways. There's three schools right along the Mass Pike here. They don't have anything special in their ventilation system."
Richard Chang, the headmaster of the Josiah Quincy Upper School in Chinatown, said that's absolutely true.
"We do not have any kind of remediation at this point," Chang said. "The Arlington Street building was constructed in 1912. It does not have central ventilation of any kind, and so typically teachers would open up windows when it's warm. And those windows face the Mass Pike highway, and there is no barrier to any of the pollutants that would be present."
The city plans to build a new school to replace that one, and the architect says they intend to include state of the art filtration. But it isn’t scheduled to open until 2023.
"It's human instinct to sometimes not want to know the truth," Chang said. "Because it’s kind of scary that we might be in these buildings that actually are very dangerous for us — harmful — that can cause cardiovascular diseases. Not just pulmonary diseases. It's going to become an issue: How do we remediate and to improve the air quality for schools such as ours?"
According to a 2017 report from the city, about 70 percent of middle and elementary schools and 44 percent of high schools in Boston had deficient or poor ventilation.
Researchers say something could be done now to reduce the exposure at schools like Josiah Quincy Upper School.
Neelakshi Hudda of Tufts University has studied the effectiveness of free-standing air filters that can just be plugged in. The devices are called High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, and they filter the tiniest and possibly most dangerous particles, called ultrafines.
Hudda published a study comparing air quality in two different situations. "One where there was nothing, just the home as is," she said. "And then one where the HEPA filter was running inside the home."
She found the filters can cut as much as 85 percent of ultrafine particles in a room.
"So, HEPA filters [are] designed to clean up the air," Hudda said. "And that is exactly what it does. It reduces the concentrations indoors."
Boston Public Schools spokesman Dan O’Brien said in a statement that for HEPA filtration to be effective, it would need to be part of a centralized HVAC system — but the Josiah Quincy Upper School doesn’t have one. And, O’Brien said, HEPA filtration would be incompatible with the HVAC system in the elementary school next door.
The statement also said the school system’s testing didn’t reveal any air quality issues in those schools that would require additional filtration. But ultrafine particles aren’t regulated, and schools don’t test for them.
-- Craig LeMoult Goldstein Investigates: Are Public Schools Safer Than Charters During An Earthquake?-- KCAL9 California: September 23, 2019 [ abstract] LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – It’s a drill that’s practiced every year in schools across Southern California: kids prepare for an earthquake.
But an investigation by CBSLA’s David Goldstein found that because of a loophole in a state law, not all schools may be as safe as they could be.
In the devastating Long Beach earthquake of 1933, 230 schools collapsed in the magnitude 6.3 quake.
The disaster prompted new legislation for K-12 school construction called the Field Act, which mandated rigorous oversight of the construction of every public school to ensure they’re safe.
But Goldstein discovered not all school buildings are created equal.
Charter schools like 18 local campuses of Alliance Schools don’t have to comply with the Field Act, even though they accepted $6.4 million in taxpayer money this fiscal year to rent these buildings.
So are students safer in buildings under the Field Act?
“Students are absolutely safer in a Field Act when an earthquake happens, no question about it,” said Tom Duffy with the Coalition For Adequate School Housing.
Dr. Lucy Jones was on the California Seismic Safety Commission when it recommended twice that “no public school should be exempt from the Field Act”, even though there are hundreds.
A CBSLA interactive map shows more than 200 charter campuses in SoCal that don’t have to comply with the Field Act.
-- Staff Writer Ogden school board approves first sale of bonds to fund school construction-- Standard-Examiner Utah: September 21, 2019 [ abstract] OGDEN — Voters approved the sale of $87 million in bonds to improve school buildings in Ogden School District in November 2018.
Thursday night, Ogden school board members voted to authorize the sale of the first portion of that $87 million — about $30 million in bonds, and no more than $33 million — that will be repaid over about 20 years.
“This is ... the first substantial step toward implementing the capital program represented by the bonds adopted last fall,” said Dale Okerlund, senior vice president at Lewis Young Robertson and Burningham, a municipal advisory and consulting firm in Salt Lake City.
Okerlund serves as a financial advisor to the board.
“The interest rate environment at the moment is quite extraordinary,” Okerlund said. “It’s very cheap to borrow money in terms of interest rate cost ... in the short end, it’s getting cheaper. So, in that way, it’s a good time to borrow money. That’s been true to one degree or another for the past decade. It’s particularly true at the moment.”
The bonds will actually be sold just under a month after Thursday’s approval, so it’s possible the market may change somewhat, Okerlund said.
There are three ways for the district to sell these bonds.
-- Megan Olsen
School Board moves ahead on three Baton Rouge school construction projects-- The Advocate Louisiana: September 19, 2019 [ abstract] With little discussion, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board on Thursday advanced projects to rebuild University Terrace Elementary for an estimated $25.2 million and to upgrade athletic and other facilities at Glen Oaks High.
These two are among more than 22 major school construction projects approved by voters in April of 2018 to be built over the next 10 years.
Thursday’s unanimous votes allow the search to begin for an architect for the University Terrace project and allow bids to be prepared for the improvements at Glen Oaks High. The schedule is to hire an architect for University Terrace by December and to start construction at Glen Oaks High by this spring.
-- Charles Lussier DLR Group Designs Elementary School Revamp on Capitol Hill-- School Construction News District of Columbia: September 19, 2019 [ abstract] WASHINGTON, D.C.—Community members gathered with students and staff recently to celebrate the official opening of the newly renovated Maury Elementary School. DLR Group’s design offers 21st century educational spaces to enhance learning and, in response to a growing student population, includes a significant addition that expands the building’s capacity from 360 students to 539 students.
Located in Washington D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, Maury Elementary School was originally constructed in 1886. DLR Group’s design complements the surrounding historical residential architecture style while also offering a modernized, state-of-the-art learning environment. A glass-edged discovery commons seamlessly connects historic and new components of the school, celebrating the original iconic historic cornerstone building and amplifying transparency and indoor-outdoor connections. Maury Elementary School features flexible instructional spaces, such as music and art classrooms, science labs, and collaboration areas designed to adapt over time. A maker space is used for hands-on and project-based learning. DLR Group reorganized the school with circulation spaces that also serve as active learning zones to reduce transition times and to foster greater opportunity for discovery, collaboration, and play.
-- Staff Writer East Helena celebrates placing final beam in new high school building-- KTVH Montana: September 19, 2019 [ abstract] EAST HELENA — There was another major milestone Thursday for East Helena’s new high school.
School leaders and community members were on hand for a “topping-off” ceremony, where crews placed and secured the final large steel beam for the new school building.
“This is a monumental occasion,” said East Helena Public Schools Superintendent Ron Whitmoyer.
The beam included handprints and signatures from the members of the first freshman class at East Helena High School. 122 students are currently attending high school classes in a wing of East Valley Middle School, while the work continues on the future high school building.
The students weren’t able to attend Thursday’s ceremony because it was an active construction site, but Whitmoyer said those marks on the beam showed the kids are a central part of the new school.
“They’ll be a part of this building for as long as the building stands,” he said.
-- Jonathon Ambarian Proposed hike on fee to help pay Howard school costs draws opposition from developers-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: September 19, 2019 [ abstract] A proposal that would raise a fee builders pay toward Howard County school construction costs drew tense opposition Wednesday from developers, affordable housing advocates and businesses, all of whom described the bill as regressive.
The measure, which is poised to pass the County Council, would hike the one-time fee assessed on new homes from $1.32 per square foot to $6.80 per square foot, a 415% increase. The fee is charged to developers who build new homes.
Opponents say this cost will be passed on to the consumer, thus increasing the cost of homes countywide.
But the revenue — lawmakers expect to generate $150 million over 10 years — would help pay for the school system’s renovation, maintenance and construction costs. As of late June 2018, the school system still has $54.3 million in debt service, according to a state analysis.
The school system last week announced a much-needed replacement of the 46-year-old, one-story Talbott Springs Elementary School will be delayed by at least three years because of anticipated low budgeting from the county, schools Superintendent Michael Martirano previously said.
-- ERIN B. LOGAN Removing lead from water would be priority in proposed school construction bond-- EdSource California: September 17, 2019 [ abstract] The first significant state funding to test and remove lead from drinking water in California’s schools is included in a state construction bond that will appear on the March 2020 ballot if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the bill that the Legislature passed on Friday.
The proposed $15 billion bond for preK-12 and higher education would set aside $150 million in priority funding to test for lead and replace water fountains and other sources with high levels of it. Schools that require more extensive lead removal efforts, such as replacing a contaminated water line, could seek supplemental funding of up to 10 percent of the value of a school renovation project covered by the bond. The state would pick up 60 percent of the cost.
Until now, “there has never been a comprehensive plan for lead remediation, only for identifying the problem,” said Eric Bakke, legislative advocate for the California School Boards Association, who pushed for including the money in the original version of Assembly Bill 48, authored by Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach. “The issue has been on my radar for years.”
Both houses of the Legislature passed the bill on Friday, the final day before adjourning for the year, following a week-long negotiation with Newsom’s staff. Newsom has until Oct. 13 to sign it.
-- JOHN FENSTERWALD Massachusetts Welcomes Innovative New High School-- School Construction News Massachusetts: September 12, 2019 [ abstract] BILLERICA, Mass.—The new Billerica Memorial High School is now open, a sign of the town’s reaffirmed commitment to educating its students in an innovative, healthy and flexible environment. The project is the result of a partnership between the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the town of Billerica, design firm Perkins and Will, construction manager Shawmut Design and construction, and project manager Leftfield.
“As a community, this is a space that we all should be proud of,” says Billerica Schools Superintendent, Timothy Piwowar. “We’ve equipped our students with a facility that will allow them to best prepare for their future, helping Billerica to become a top-tier destination for education in the Merrimack Valley.”
“The new Billerica Memorial High School will stand as an extraordinary vessel of learning for many future generations,” says Billerica Town Manager John Curran. “Anyone who walks through this building will know that the people and the educators in this town place a high value on a first-rate education for their children.”
The design of the new school supports Billerica’s diverse and forward-looking educational program through a flexible planning and design approach. Highly specialized areas—like the auditorium and STEAM spaces—are complemented by agile classrooms and informal learning areas that can be easily modified to meet different user needs.
“We wanted to equip Billerica’s students, teachers, and administrators with a space that will support evolving educational models well into the future,” says Brooke Trivas, principal at Perkins and Will. “Flexible classrooms and interdisciplinary spaces allow students to develop skills like communication and collaboration, while providing teachers and administrators the freedom to grow and expand their teaching styles.”
-- Staff Writer Anne Arundel schools superintendent submits proposed $209.1 million capital budget-- Capital Gazette Maryland: September 11, 2019 [ abstract] At Wednesday’s school board meeting, Superintendent George Arlotto introduced a $209.1 million capital budget, including funding for nine major school projects.
The recommendation includes projects on the design of a new west county elementary school and Old Mill Middle School South.
This budget is $43 million more than the 2020 fiscal year budget, including $3 million for design of an elementary school near the Two Rivers community, $4 million for a feasibility study and design of a new Old Mill Middle School South.
Other items of nearly $139 million are for the construction of Edgewater Elementary School, Tyler Heights Elementary School, Richard Henry Lee Elementary School, Quarterfield Elementary School, Hillsmere Elementary School, Rippling Woods Elementary School and Old Mill West High School.
-- NAOMI HARRIS Gov. Newsom, lawmakers strike deal on $15 billion education construction bond-- EdSource California: September 11, 2019 [ abstract] After intensive down-to-the-wire negotiations, legislative leaders and staff from the governor’s office have agreed on legislation to place a $15 billion preschool, K-12 and higher education construction bond before voters in March 2020.
The $9 billion that will go to K-12 will be slightly less than Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach, had proposed with Assembly Bill 48, but the distribution of the money will be significantly different.
School districts have been clamoring for more state funding, since money from the last state bond has been spent or committed. In return, as part of the deal, the California Department of Finance and the staff of Gov. Gavin Newsom got a major concession: an end to the first-come, first-served process of allocating state building assistance. In its place will be a system that will push small districts needing financial help and low-income, low-property wealth districts farther ahead in line for a larger share of state dollars and give priority to districts with pressing facilities needs, including removing lead in water and reducing seismic hazards.
With the Legislature set to adjourn at midnight Friday, the revised bill was posted late Tuesday, barely meeting a mandatory 72-hour window for a public review before a bill can be voted on. That left key school groups scrambling to examine the lengthy bill’s details.
However, Eric Bakke, legislative advocate for the California School Boards Association, said he is pleased there will be a school construction bond on the March ballot.
“This agreement signifies school facilities is a priority to the Legislature and for this Administration, which is a win for our students and our local communities that invest in school facilities,” he said. “Access to the program has been difficult for many school districts, so we appreciate the reforms focused on low-wealth communities and the additional supports provided to small school districts.”
-- JOHN FENSTERWALD Riverhead school facilities need $100 million expansion and upgrade, officials say-- Riverhead Local New York: September 11, 2019 [ abstract] Riverhead school facilities need a $100 million expansion and upgrade to keep pace with population growth in the district, according a capital facilities proposal presented by school officials at the board of education meeting last night.
The district unveiled a $99.9 million construction bond proposal to expand and improve the district’s current assets. Officials said they have backed away from the idea of purchasing and renovating the former Bishop McGann-Mercy High School campus, largely because that would come with a price tag of $125.6 million.
“There were multiple factors that played into our decision, but in the end, it really came down to the [additional] $25 million more to go to the public,” school board president Greg Meyer said in an interview.
The proposal, presented last night at an unusually well-attended school board meeting in the high school cafeteria, is the result of several studies and projections — including a Western Suffolk BOCES long-range planning study— that examined current and projected increased student enrollment, particularly at the secondary level, and its impacts on the district’s space requirements.
-- Maria Piedrabuena State committee talks K-12 school construction, major maintenance funding-- Wyoming Tribune Eagle Wyoming: September 11, 2019 [ abstract] CHEYENNE – Lawmakers held preliminary discussions Tuesday in Casper regarding legislation that could transfer funds to an account used for capital construction and major maintenance needs for school districts statewide.
With the decline of federal coal lease bonus revenues, the challenge for state legislators and local school administrators has been to find revenue to fill that gap for building projects.
In recent years, lawmakers have broadened revenue sources for K-12 school capital construction by directing investment income to a school major maintenance account and depositing one-third of state royalties on school lands to a mineral royalties account. But the Legislature will still have some work to do during its next session.
Matthew Willmarth, senior school finance analyst with the Legislative Service Office, told members of the Select Committee on School Facilities on Tuesday in Casper there is no mechanism to transfer those funds to the School Capital construction Account. That would require legislation or a budget bill footnote, he said.
In addition, he said, state royalties on school lands are accrued throughout the fiscal year, but the entire revenue is not received July 1, which is when the fiscal year starts.
Investment income is generally not calculated until up to 90 days after the end of the fiscal year, and that creates a cash flow problem, Willmarth said.
-- Steve Knight Howard school construction projects face delays because of county funding shortfall-- Baltimore Sun Media Maryland: September 10, 2019 [ abstract] construction of a new Talbott Springs Elementary School and an addition to Hammond High School will be delayed by at least three years in the most recent Howard County school system’s capital budget, it was announced at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
Howard Schools Superintendent Michael Martirano said he lowered the capital budget request for fiscal 2021 from $135.6 million to $56.01 million because of “anticipated county funding levels," after meeting with Howard County Executive Calvin Ball.
“My proposal reflects the conversation with the county and what the school system will receive,” Martirano said.
The $135.6 million projection was based on the school system’s long-range master plan.
Budgeted projects for the upcoming fiscal year being maintained are new construction of the 13th county high school in Jessup, slated to open in September 2023, and a new boiler at Hammond Middle School.
Last year, the county funded $54.6 million of the school system’s $92.3 million capital budget request, a shortfall of about $37.7 million.
County government anticipates funding between $41 million to $48 million of the school system’s $56.01 million budget request this year, said Holly Sun, the county’s budget administrator. The remaining dollars will come from the state, which is expected to be around $10 million, according to a schools spokesman.
This “preliminary projection is in line with [the county’s] historical trends, based on existing revenue structure and based on the debt capacity," Sun said.
“While people would want 100% [of the capital funding] to go to the school system, in reality you cannot have that."
-- Jess Nocera After years of downsizing, Ken-Ton weighs new classrooms-- The Buffalo News New York: September 09, 2019 [ abstract] The Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda School District closed three elementary schools over the past six years as enrollment declined and costs rose.
Now, the district is weighing a $77 million construction project that features work at each of its nine schools – including 16 new elementary school classrooms.
Why is the district proposing the additions at Edison, Hoover and Lindbergh elementary schools? Officials say they need more classrooms as space tightens at the remaining elementary schools.
And, they say, it makes more financial sense to pay the one-time cost of building the classrooms – an expense largely covered by state aid – than for district taxpayers to almost entirely cover the greater ongoing expense of operating an entire school.
"It's much more cost-effective to pay for these new classrooms," said John Brucato, the district's assistant superintendent for finance.
The classroom construction is a piece of the capital project primarily devoted to addressing student safety. Highlights include new pipes to keep lead out of water consumed at fountains and used in food preparation, renovations for more secure building entry points and improved drains that won't trap children at the bottom of swimming pools.
The district and its consultants are putting the final touches on the proposal and are hoping to bring down the price.
The Ken-Ton School Board still needs to vote to send the plan to district residents, who would make the final decision. A public vote could take place as soon as February.
-- Stephen T. Watson City pushes for 'design-build' authority to speed up school construction projects-- Politico New York New York: September 09, 2019 [ abstract] The city is nudging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to take action on a bill that would streamline construction for city schools — a process the School construction Authority argues will allow it to build and renovate facilities faster and at a cheaper cost. In June, the state Legislature passed legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Ed Braunstein and State Sen. Leroy Comrie, that would expand “design-build” authority — a process that shortens the timeframe for capital improvements by allowing design and construction to occur at the same time — to a number of city agencies. “It gets projects done cheaper and more quickly,” Braunstein told POLITICO. “And we passed the legislation at the end of this session and we’re just hopeful that the governor is gonna sign it.”
-- MADINA TOURÉ and NICK NIEDZWIADEK Fire marshal delays opening of new Saratoga Springs middle school-- Daily Herald Utah: September 09, 2019 [ abstract] Lake Mountain Middle School in Saratoga Springs will not open as planned on Tuesday.
“We are frustrated, to say the least,” said Kimberly Bird, a spokeswoman for the Alpine School District.
The district learned Monday afternoon the Saratoga Springs school would not be ready to open the next day after the state fire marshal did not grant occupancy.
“Hogan construction has been working with the fire marshal over the past several months to understand his expectations in order to safely open the school,” a statement from Hogan construction reads. “While all of the critical life safety and egress requirements were in place today, the fire marshal wanted to see a higher level of finish in the occupiable areas. Our construction team will continue to do everything possible and anticipate meeting the level of finish early next week and achieving occupancy as soon as possible.”
The school was expected to partially open Tuesday. Parents were alerted to the last-minute delay Monday afternoon. Bird said staff will be at the school Tuesday to alert those who didn’t receive the message from the district.
She did not know Monday when the school is now expected to open.
Students had been using a hybrid educational model for the last few weeks as construction on the new middle school continued. The model has students utilizing online education with an option to receive in-person help from teachers at the nearby Vista Heights Middle School.
-- Braley Dodson Group supports bond for school Buildings, Renovations, Infrastructure, Capacity, Safety-- Press & Guide Michigan: September 09, 2019 [ abstract] A coalition seeking approval of a funding bond for the Dearborn Public Schools said property owners will not see an increase in the 4.82 millage rate because of the proposal.
A breakfast presentation, held Sept. 9 at Park Place Catering, 23400 Park, Dearborn, by a coalition of community and business leaders explained the BRICS bond – which would target Buildings, Renovations, Infrastructure, Capacity and Safety.
Speakers included Citizens for Dearborn Schools Co-Chairs Maria Dwyer and Hussein Mohamed Hachem, Dearborn Mayor John O’Reilly, Jr., state Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D–Dearborn), Dearborn school board member Mary Petchlikoff and Dearborn Public Schools Supt. Glenn Maleyko.
The Nov. 5 millage proposal would generate $240 million in funding. The two-part bond would provide $86 million in the first three years, and the second series would provide $154 million in the fourth through sixth years. If the millage is approved, construction could begin in the spring of 2020.
Proponents say if the millage passes, residents will not pay more in taxes because the millage rate will stay the same, while enabling the district to address needed infrastructure updates and repairs, security and safety improvements, and repairs and replacement of lighting, boilers, restrooms, roofs, windows and technology infrastructure.
The school district has 34 buildings covering 3.2 million square feet and serves 20,700 students. The average building age is 65 years, with 12 buildings older than 90 years. Duvall Elementary and Salina Intermediate schools were built in 1921, and soon will reach the century mark.
-- Sue Suchyta McConnell vows to help Kentucky school delayed by wall funding shift-- Click Orlando Kentucky: September 09, 2019 [ abstract] Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would defend funding for a new middle school in his home state of Kentucky after it was selected as one of the military projects the Trump administration will delay in order to fund border wall construction.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced on Tuesday the list of projects impacted by the funding move, which would shift a little less than $1.8 billion from projects in 23 states and three US territories. The middle school was slated to receive $62.6 million in February 2020.
"Senator McConnell recently talked to Secretary Esper regarding the issue and is committed to protecting funding for the Ft. Campbell Middle School project," a spokesman for McConnell said in a statement.
The school is to be located on Fort Campbell, which covers 105,000 acres partly in Tennessee and partly in Kentucky. The base is home to the Army's fifth largest military population, including members of the 101st Airborne Division, known as the "Screaming Eagles."
The Kentucky Republican voted to support Trump's national security declaration in March, which allowed the President to use military funding for border wall projects.
-- Caroline Kelly and Jim Acosta, CNN State formula helping replace schools in certain communities, but not others-- Boston 25 Massachusetts: September 09, 2019 [ abstract] Back to school means new classmates, new teachers and, for some students, new buildings.
Across Massachusetts, 10 brand new public schools opened this academic year and many more are in some phase of construction. 25 Investigates Ted Daniel examined state data to determine why some communities have been able to get shiny new state-of-the-art facilities and others - despite crumbling school buildings - have not.
Massachusetts has a system like no other in the country when it comes to funding school construction. Everyone pays for it. A penny of every dollar collected under the sales tax goes directly to funding public school projects.
"We have created what we believe is probably the best system in the country right now," said Jack McCarthy, Executive Director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), the agency that allots state dollars to school construction projects. "The greatest thing for us is our source of revenue. We don't need to rely on an appropriation each year. That helps us plan."
The formula used to determine which construction and renovation projects get funded is based on a set of established priorities, adds McCarthy. The list includes: structural integrity, present or future overcrowding issues, loss of accreditation, outdated HVAC systems, replace or add to obsolete buildings.
According to McCarthy, the process was created to level the playing field between wealthy and distressed communities.
"It's very measured and very prescriptive, but we feel that it leads us to finding the most urgent and needy buildings," said McCarthy.
-- Ted Daniel , Patricia Alulema School bonds fuel construction boom in Washington County-- Portland Tribune Oregon: September 08, 2019 [ abstract] The changes in the Beaverton, Tigard-Tualatin and Sherwood school districts have come thanks to school bonds voters in all three districts approved earlier this decade.
In Beaverton, William Walker is the latest school to be rebuilt using 2014 bond money. The $680 million bond measure was the largest in the school district's history.
The Tigard-Tualatin School District celebrated the passage of its own $291.3 million bond measure in 2016. In the same election, voters in the Sherwood School District approved a $247.5 million bond measure.
Both the Tigard-Tualatin and Sherwood school bonds include money for all of their neighborhood schools, as well as the construction of new campuses.
The Tigard High School renovations are budgeted at $66 million. Tualatin High School is getting a more modest set of upgrades, with a $16.8 million project budget.
Over the last year, portions of the Tigard campus have been gutted and renovated.
Now, the principal's office and other administrative offices are directly in the front where students enter, facing Southwest Durham Road.
"The first phase is done, almost," said Darren Barnard, director of operations and bond for the Tigard-Tualatin School District.
-- Courtney Vaughn, Dan Brood and Ray Pitz Governor Murphy Announces Opening of Four New Schools This September In Irvington, Passaic, Perth Amboy, And Trenton-- Insider NJ New Jersey: September 07, 2019 [ abstract] TRENTON – As students across New Jersey return to school for the 2019/2020 school year, Governor Phil Murphy announced four new schools constructed and opened by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) this week. These new facilities provide more than 3,800 additional seats for students throughout New Jersey, furthering the Administration’s commitment to providing high quality educational facilities for all New Jersey students.“New Jersey is proud to offer its students the best public school system in the nation,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “With that privilege comes the responsibility of ensuring best-in-class educational facilities across all our communities, that serve the needs of all our state’s students. With the opening of four new schools this year, our administration has made good on that promise.”
The four completed school projects represent a total state investment of more than $306 million. The schools opened include the Madison Avenue Elementary School in Irvington, the Sonia Sotomayor School No. 21 in Passaic City, Rose M. Lopez Elementary School in Perth Amboy and the Trenton Central High School.
All of the new schools incorporate the guidelines developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) known as the “Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (“LEED®”) program in order to achieve maximum energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in the design of schools. All four schools are on track to achieve LEED certification, with three of the buildings expected to achieve LEED Silver certification.
“The opening of these four new schools demonstrates SDA’s commitment to positively impacting New Jersey’s students, delivering facilities that will provide educational opportunities for thousands of students now and for years to come,” said SDA Interim CEO Manuel Da Silva. “We know that quality educational facilities allow students to focus on learning. The new schools will ensure that students have the facilities they need to achieve academic success.”
-- Staff Writer Too stressed or too cheap? How to assess a locality's ability to pay for improved schools-- The Roanoke Times Virginia: September 07, 2019 [ abstract] When Pulaski County adopted a historic 13-cent real estate tax increase in 2018, the locality identified itself as one both willing and able to fund a major school capital project.
Pulaski County voters stepped up to generate the revenue necessary to build a new middle school. Through their passage of the November 2017 referendum, county residents voiced a desire to do more.
In some localities, it’s simply a matter of political will. But for those in economic distress or with low property wealth, it can be impossible.
But it is challenging to assess a locality’s ability to pay for school construction projects, differentiating between those who are unwilling and those who are unable. This isn’t something Virginia measures. There’s little need, given that localities are largely on their own for building and renovating school facilities, regardless of their wealth.
Funding formula flaws
Still, a number of measures can help to provide insight to a locality’s capacity to fund capital projects.
Local property taxes account for the bulk of revenue in most localities, making it an important indicator of their ability to pay. But that figure doesn’t always tell the full story, said Hamilton Lombard, a demographer with the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.
-- Casey Fabris Achieving fair funding for school modernization in California: a case study [VIDEO]-- EdSource California: September 06, 2019 [ abstract] EdSource examines the challenges that an urban, low-wealth school district in California faces modernizing its schools. Fresno Unified, the state’s 4th largest district, is struggling to repair aging buildings while student and community needs for air-conditioned lunch rooms, health centers and gymnasiums go unfunded. Fresno Unified ‘s assessed value per student is about a fifth of the statewide average. That puts it at a disadvantage with wealthier districts in floating larger construction bonds that are eligible for matching state funding. Finance and research experts suggest ways to reform the system.
-- JOHN FENSTERWALD CT spending on school construction dropped sharply over last decad-- The Middletown Press Connecticut: September 06, 2019 [ abstract] A Washington D.C. think tank recently released figures that show Connecticut’s capital spending on school construction dropped by 45 percent from 2008 to 2017.
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities also said that Connecticut was one of five states that cut school capital spending “drastically” — by half or more — as a share of the state’s economy.
Michael Leachman, senior director of state fiscal research for the center, said he considers the economy measurement important because it shows that the state “has cut support for school capital spending deeply even after you account for the fact that its economy was really hurt by the last downturn.”
He said that schools need to be of “good quality and safe and well-heated or cooled or whatever. The lights need to be on. It’s pretty straightforward and if you cut the revenue you have available, you’re going to be less able to do those things.”
By the center’s figures, Connecticut’s capital spending on school construction declined from $826 million in 2008 to $452.9 million in 2017, while the percentage of the state’s gross domestic product going toward school construction dropped from .34 percent to .17 percent.
Connecticut’s own figures on school construction expenditure differ a bit from the figures used in the Center’s report, but also reflect a major drop in outlays from the school construction grant program, falling by more than half from nearly $700 million in 2008 to $330.9 million in 2019.
-- Kathleen Megan Gov. Newsom, lawmakers still negotiating K-14 construction bond-- EdSource California: September 06, 2019 [ abstract] Negotiations over the next few days between the Newsom administration, the Department of Finance and legislative leaders will determine whether there will be a California state bond for K-12 and community college construction on the March 2020 ballot, as well as the size of the bond and how the money will be distributed. One possibility is a combined bond for K-14 and higher education that contains less money for schools and community colleges than originally proposed.
With funding from the $9 billion bond that voters passed in 2016 either already spent or committed, Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach, proposed Assembly Bill 48, with the full support of education groups like the California School Boards Association. The bill called for two bonds, the first for $13 billion in March, followed by a bond of undetermined size two years later.
The Legislature must pass a bill by the last day of the session on Sept. 13 and the governor must sign it within 30 days of receiving it, to put a measure on the March ballot. But the bill was sent last week to the Senate Rules Committee to provide time to negotiate the details with Newsom’s staff and the Department of Finance.
None of the parties involved in the talks would comment on the negotiations and the coalition of school groups that have been following the progress had not seen wording of an amended bill on Wednesday. Eric Bakke, legislative advocate for the California School Boards Association, confirmed that discussions have continued with the hope of reaching terms for the March ballot.
-- JOHN FENSTERWALD SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AMONG MILITARY PROJECTS CUT TO PAY FOR BORDER WALL-- WCBI DoDEA: September 04, 2019 [ abstract] Washington — To build parts of President Trump’s long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, the administration is planning on diverting billions of dollars in military funds originally allocated to build, maintain and renovate shooting ranges, roads, missile launch pads, hangars and even schools for children at military bases and facilities in the U.S. and abroad.
After authorizing the transfer of $3.6 billion in military construction funds to erect approximately 175 miles of border barriers, the Pentagon on Wednesday revealed more information about the projects that will be affected by the move. The planned multi-billion-dollar transfer — which has been strongly denounced by Democrats — is expected to defund more than 120 construction projects that the military was hoping to conduct over the next years.
Funds for the construction of schools at military bases and facilities will be transferred to finance the construction of border barriers, including a $62,634,000 grant for a middle school at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and a $56,048,000 grant for an elementary school for children of U.S. troops stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany.
-- CBS News Building projects keep Newport-Mesa busy as new school year draws near-- Los Angeles Times California: August 31, 2019 [ abstract] For campus administrators, teachers and students, school officially goes back in session Tuesday as classes begin in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.
But there was no summer break for maintenance crews and construction teams that continued to work through the off-season on several major projects and completed some long-awaited updates to campuses throughout Newport Beach and Costa Mesa:
Corona del Mar High School: sports fields
Corona del Mar High School is getting two lighted synthetic-turf sports fields.
One of them will include a rubber track at its perimeter.
The updates also will include scoreboards, fencing, gates and upgraded walkways. Both fields will include bleachers, with seating for up to 664 spectators at the main field and 200 at the second field.
-- LILLY NGUYEN Holyoke City Council committee denies resident’s nonbinding ballot question on proposed middle schools-- MASS Live Massachusetts: August 30, 2019 [ abstract] HOLYOKE — The City Council’s Charter and Rules Committee has denied a resident’s petition to add a nonbinding question on school building projects to the Nov. 5 ballot, with members saying the language would likely confuse voters.
Sydney Avenue resident David Yos sought to add a ballot question asking: “Should the City of Holyoke build one to two affordably-funded new Schools?”
Already on the ballot is a question asking residents whether to approve a Proposition 2 ½ tax override to pay for a long-term construction bond, which would fund the city’s share of costs to build two proposed middle schools. The Massachusetts School Building Authority this week approved $73.2 million for the project, leaving the city to pay the rest of the estimated total of more than $132 million.
-- Dennis Hohenberger Md. work group’s challenge: Assess the state of school buildings-- WTOP Maryland: August 29, 2019 [ abstract] Overcrowding. Leaky roofs. A lack of temperature control. All are problems in Maryland schools — but what should be addressed first?
A work group is examining whether the state should create an index to compare the relative condition of school buildings throughout the state — from electrical hazards and asbestos threats to overcrowding and missing playground equipment.
At the most basic level, threats to life and health would be most heavily weighted, while school infrastructure that is beyond its expected life but still in good repair would be documented, but not heavily weighted as a deficiency.
At the moment, school construction money in state law isn’t tied to such an index — but it could be if there’s sufficient support from education officials, lawmakers and the public.
A nine-member work group met in Annapolis on Wednesday morning to wade through a proposed formula to apply scores for physical facility deficiencies as well as conditions that could hinder teaching and learning.
A statewide assessment of school facilities was recommended by the Knott Commission, which made the recommendations contained in the 21st Century School Facilities Act of 2018.
The work group’s task was to be based on a statewide school facility assessment that was supposed to be complete by July 1, but a bid protest during the procurement process means that task hasn’t yet begun.
-- Danielle E. Gaines - Maryland Matters Medford schools prepare for a natural disaster-- New10 Oregon: August 29, 2019 [ abstract] MEDFORD, Ore. — Due to the constant threat of earthquakes in the region, the Medford School District is working on completing seismic upgrades to all 20 schools in the district.
Hoover Elementary School began construction during spring break while students were still in school and completed the cafeteria on Thursday, August 28th. All classrooms were finalized on Friday, August 23rd just in time for the new academic school year.
"In light of the threat and the awareness that it's brought, it's the right thing for us to bring these buildings up to life safety standards and to make sure that we are prepared. We don't want to wait until the moment of need to try and go prepare, at that time we will be responding," Jon Havniear of the Medford School District said.
-- Marissa Olid Cain is selected school-facilities division director-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: August 27, 2019 [ abstract]
Timothy E. Cain will start work Sept. 3 as director of the state's Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation after serving for the past four years in administrative roles at the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.
Cain, 52, a chemical engineer by training, was selected for the new role by the three-member Commission for Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation.
As division director, Cain will oversee facility and transportation programs intended to ensure adequate and safe school campuses and school buses. One of the main functions of the division is to evaluate school construction, addition and repair plans for their eligibility for partial state funding.
He succeeds Brad Montgomery, who left the division chief's job earlier this summer.
Arkansas Education Secretary Johnny Key, who is also chairman of the facilities commission, called Cain an experienced engineer and public servant.
"Mr. Cain will be an excellent addition to the team, as we work to transform Arkansas to lead the nation in student-focused education," Key said in announcing Cain's selection.
-- Cynthia Howell Three contractors accused of fraud in billion-dollar school modernization project-- Rochester Democrat and Chronicle New York: August 27, 2019 [ abstract] Three local contracting companies could be spared prosecution for allegedly defrauding taxpayers with their work during the City School District's massive renovation and construction programs.
The three — Journee construction Inc., Bell Mechanical Contractors, and Kaplan Schmidt Electric — were accused of fraudulent "pass-through" contracts. These contracts allowed, in this case, a minority-owned company to be credited for work it did not do, while receiving illicit payments from the contractor, prosecutors alleged.
The three companies can avoid prosecution if, under an agreement with federal prosecutors, they:
• Cooperate with a still-active investigation into other allegations of fraud with the school district's $1.3 billion "modernization" program. The FBI has an ongoing investigation into allegations of fraud within the construction program.
• Pay a financial penalty: Journee construction Inc. will pay $70,000; Bell Mechanical Contractors will pay $50,000; and Kaplan Schmidt Electric will pay $25,000.
• "Conduct its operations with respect to any disadvantaged business programs in compliance with all applicable laws and requirements for such programs," according to a statement from federal prosecutors.
-- Gary Craig Critics challenge independence of experts reviewing St. Paul school construction woes-- Twin Cities Pioneer Press Minnesota: August 26, 2019 [ abstract] Superintendent Joe Gothard is shrugging off criticism over the membership of an external review team digging into overspending on St. Paul Public Schools facilities.
The Pioneer Press reported in May that expected costs for 18 building renovations had grown by $179 million in just two years and that district officials failed to line up appropriate funding.
In response, Gothard put project planning on hold and called for a group of experts to review what went wrong and recommend changes in facilities management. Their report is due in October.
Critics charge, however, that the cohort has too many ties to the district and is not sufficiently diverse to produce a fair assessment of the district’s failings.
City councilmember Jane Prince last week encouraged Gothard to add women and people of color to the all-male, all-white team of experts.
“My experience is that a diverse and representative committee with deep experience can help to build taxpayer confidence in the process you are now undertaking,” she wrote.
-- JOSH VERGES Some skeptical of DeKalb schools’ plan to seek more building money-- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Georgia: August 26, 2019 [ abstract] The DeKalb County School District has several public meetings scheduled, beginning today, laying out its case to possibly seek up to $265 million in additional funds to pay for construction cost increases and additional capital projects.
The plan to seek more money — potentially through a referendum for additional tax funds — to complete projects in the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax V program is being met with opposition from residents and parent groups across the district. Many are worried about approving so much when the district’s leadership is up in the air, with many district departments being run by interim leaders and Superintendent Steve Green set to vacate his post by next summer.
“To me, it’s like a ship without a captain, and no hands on deck,” parent Debbie Miller said. “Now is not the time to be asking for this. You don’t have a leader.”
The district released a detailed statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that addresses cost overruns for sprinkler systems and construction cost increases as well as building or rebuilding a handful of elementary schools.
“Many of the old, small elementary schools that are receiving some renovation money in E-SPLOST V would better serve the district by being totally rebuilt rather than replacing key systems,” district officials said. “In E-SPLOST V, there was not enough money to build more than a few new elementary schools and replace key systems for a few others. Even schools receiving enough money to substantially renovate/replace key systems will still be facilities built over 60 years ago to meet the instructional needs of that time.”
-- Marlon A. Walker Study offers new school site options-- Rocky Mount Telegram North Carolina: August 26, 2019 [ abstract] NASHVILLE — The Nash-Rocky Mount Board of Education last week heard two recommendations about where the district’s new elementary school should be located.
The school district already has been told that it should receive $10 million from a state grant for construction of the new school and another $10 million from Nash and Edgecombe county commissioners.
The school board heard a presentation from the Operations Research and Education Laboratory (OREd) at N.C. State University, an organization it hired to help select a site for the new school. According to the grant presentation presented to the state, the school board plans to close Red Oak, Cedar Grove and Swift Creek elementary schools — all aging and outdated facilities — in order to build a single state-of-the-art school.
Thomas Dudley, program manager for the OREd team, said his team has two different scenarios to propose.
“We are here presenting the results of our study looking in the optimal location for your new elementary school according to a rigorous demographic analysis we conducted,” Dudley said.
As part of the process, OREd interviewed multiple government officials and planners in Nash and Edgecombe counties and created a “data-focused membership and utilization forecast study” based on factors including land-use studies, community growth factors, a housing development inventory, current and projected school capacities in the district, the resident live birth rate and membership forecasts for Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools.
-- AMELIA HARPER BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE-- The Herald Bulletin Indiana: August 25, 2019 [ abstract] ANDERSON – The sound of buzzing saws and clanking hammers radiated from behind the plywood barrier that separates the existing cafeteria with the extension being built at Tenth Street Elementary School.
Principal D.J. Suchocki said the addition of the space, which hopefully will be open to students sometime this semester, will allow about 60 more students to eat breakfast at the same time, rather than having students wait in the gym while others eat.
“We just didn’t have enough seats to serve the 300 kids we are providing breakfast with in the morning,” he said. “Now that all the students receive free breakfast, more kids come to eat in the morning.”
The lack of space also made it a challenge to usher 500 students through lunch in a two-hour period, Suchocki said.
The cafeteria addition is one of several construction projects under way throughout Anderson Community Schools. Some are funded by the district’s capital fund; others, like the Tenth Street cafeteria and the newly opened Anderson Intermediate School, are paid for through a $41 million bond referendum approved by voters in 2018.
ACS’s construction projects are among many taking place at schools and districts throughout Madison County and surrounding communities.
-- Rebecca Bibbs Student safety a prime goal of many school construction projects-- The Herald Bulletin Indiana: August 25, 2019 [ abstract] One priority for almost every school and district engaged in construction is student safety.
Anderson Community Schools, for instance, has completed secured entries at all its operational school buildings, except Anderson High School and Eastside Elementary School.
“We’re pretty much down to the final piece of that process,” said ACS Superintendent Timothy Smith.
Indiana Christian Academy spent about $80,000 on security improvements, including replacements for doors considered older and less secure, said the school’s administrator, Kevin Plew.
“They were secured by magnets but that magnet could be released and the door unlocked if someone walked too close to the door,” he said. “The new doors are no longer controlled by magnets, but have an interior locking mechanism that keeps them constantly locked. This provides constant security for our campus.”
-- Rebecca R. Bibbs Mayor, chancellor celebrate latest round of modernizations as start of school year nears-- The DC Line District of Columbia: August 24, 2019 [ abstract] Many DC students returning to school on Monday will find new classrooms, new programming space and new greenery on campuses across the District, thanks to $450 million worth of modernization projects completed over the summer.
The projects included connecting two historic school buildings at Ward 2’s Hyde-Addison Elementary in Georgetown and constructing Ward 4’s new Ida B. Wells Middle School on the campus of Coolidge High in Takoma. Other DC Public Schools sites with new construction or extensive renovations include Maury Elementary and Jefferson Middle School Academy in Ward 6 and C.W. Harris Elementary, Houston Elementary and Kimball Elementary in Ward 7, although work will continue at several of those sites as their modernization projects shift to a new phase.
After celebrating the Ward 4 projects with two events on Saturday, Mayor Muriel Bowser and DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee will kick off the school year on Monday with a 9 a.m. ribbon-cutting at Maury Elementary on Capitol Hill — and then mark the end of the first day with a similar event at Kimball Elementary in Fort Dupont.
As a prelude, Bowser and Ferebee visited Hyde-Addison on Wednesday morning.
-- Jake Maher Queen Anne Elementary gets first major update in nearly a century-- Queen Anne & Magnolia News Washington: August 24, 2019 [ abstract] Queen Anne Elementary will open its doors this fall in an almost unrecognizable learning environment for its students.
After spending last year on the John Marshall campus as during construction, students will arrive on the improved Queen Anne Elementary campus, 411 Boston St., and find some significant changes to the facility’s brick building.
The project was finished by its Aug. 25 deadline and met its $13.2 million budget. The overall project included 20,000 new square feet and 6,000 square feet of renovations.
“Queen Anne Elementary now has eight additional classrooms, full-size gym, expanded cafeteria, new school office, larger playground and one of the first dedicated elementary visual arts/makerspace in Washington state,” writes QAE principal Janine Roy in an email to Queen Anne News.
The addition is the first new construction on the campus since the 1922 masonry building was constructed; a structure that was supposed to complement the original 1904 school building.
Vincent Gonzales, Seattle Public Schools capital planning project manager, said the initial levy described the project as a gymnasium addition. He said that since they were cleared to add a gym, they also decided to get the addition of the classrooms and other spaces approved for the project.
He said the gym addition will be the greatest boon for the students.
“They didn’t have a gym, so they were using the former covered play area…” Gonzales said. “Just for elementary school in general, kids really need a gym. It’s kind of hard to believe that this many years went by and they didn’t really have anything…. I think that when the kids come through that door and they see the gym, especially the ones that were here before… I think they are going to be blown away.”
-- Daniel Warn A modest proposal: Use the state surplus to help meet school construction needs-- NC Policy Watch North Carolina: August 23, 2019 [ abstract] In some ways, February seems like a lifetime ago. But in those early days of the 2019 legislative session, there was broad, bipartisan consensus that it was finally time for state leaders to do something about school districts’ $8 billion-plus of outstanding school capital needs. Senate leaders wanted to funnel more money into their pay-as-you-go plan known as the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund (SCIF) while House leaders coalesced around a $1.9 billion bond – $1.5 billion of which would support public schools.
A mere six months later, legislative leaders have failed in their attempts to provide any new support for school buildings. Both chambers have given up on trying to pass their standalone bills related to school construction, and are apparently unwilling to engage on a budget bill that could generate the necessary support from either the Governor or three-fifths of legislators.
However, fate has provided legislative leaders with a second bite at the apple in the form of nearly $900 million in one-time money from revenue coming in above projections. Currently, Speaker Moore and Senator Berger appear intent on sending $663 million of the surplus to North Carolinians in the form of $125 checks.
Berger and Moore should re-think that plan and consider using that money for a cause they both claim to care about: our state’s dilapidated public schools. After all, sending the $663 million to schools would actually go further for schools than either the Senate’s SCIF plan or the House’s bond proposal.
-- Kris Nordstrom Councilmembers Mercer Rigby & Jung to Introduce Legislation Raising the School Facilities Surcharge on Developers to a r-- Scott E's Blog Maryland: August 23, 2019 [ abstract] Announced via press release:
Councilmembers Mercer Rigby & Jung to Introduce Legislation Raising the School Facilities Surcharge on Developers
Ellicott City, MD (August 23, 2019) – Howard County Councilmembers Christiana Mercer Rigby and Deb Jung will introduce legislation in September that would raise the School Facilities Surcharge on newly-constructed residential units in Howard County. This authority was enabled by the Maryland General Assembly earlier this year through legislation introduced by Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary.
“Looking to the future, our public infrastructure projects must be adequately funded in Howard County,” said Mercer Rigby. “We are taking the opportunity to raise the School Facilities Surcharge, bringing Howard County in line with neighboring jurisdictions and funding school construction at the level we need.”
“We need to use every means available to fund school construction,” said Jung. “Howard County has had one of the fastest growing school systems in the state for the past 10 years, and there is an anticipated shortfall of tens of millions of dollars in capital funding every year. An increase in the School Facilities Surcharge will help fill that gap and provide relief for our overcrowding crisis.”
-- Staff Writer School board OKs 5-year plan, applies for construction funding-- Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News Georgia: August 23, 2019 [ abstract] CANTON — The Cherokee County Board of Education has approved multi-year goals as a district and for each of its 40 schools and centers, and has started the process of getting state financing for new school construction projects.
Next year, the school district will begin its new five-year strategic plan, titled “Blueprint.” The 2020-2024 plan was developed over about eight months with input from staff, parents, students, community partners and volunteers.
The plan, approved by board members Thursday, states a new vision for the district: “Together, we will prepare the emerging generation to confidently rise up to limitless learning potential and success.” There are also updated core beliefs, focusing on “rigor, relevance and relationships”:
-- Shannon Ballew School maintenance updates from around the county-- The News-Review Oregon: August 23, 2019 [ abstract] While students enjoyed summer vacation, crews have been hard at work freshening up school campuses throughout the county.
In addition to seismic upgrades at some schools, pavement projects across the Roseburg school district and a Yoncalla gym update entering its third phase. Repairs and renovations are nearly complete at the Douglas High School cafeteria.
The Douglas High roof and beams were damaged in February’s snowstorm. Along with the repairs, new insulation is being added to improve energy efficiency. Properly installed drainage sumps, which will allow for effective water removal, are also being added.
construction will still be going when school starts next week.
“They are going to still be wrapping up, like putting on the ceiling tiles and hooking up the kitchen again,” Winston-Dillard Superintendent Kevin Miller said.
Miller said potentially unsafe areas will be taped or fenced off. Repairs should be completed by the second week of September.
At the Roseburg school district, Physical Plant Manager Tracy Grauf said minor work included pavement projects on playgrounds at Green, Eastwood, Hucrest and Winchester elementary schools, updates to the Jo Lane Middle School bus lane and the entryway to Sunnyslope Elementary.
“We are basically cleaning up some rough playgrounds, some driveways that were failing and walkways that were failing and stuff like that,” Grauf said.
-- Erica Welch Storm Shelters Installed In Every Moore Public School-- News9 Oklahoma: August 23, 2019 [ abstract] MOORE, Oklahoma - The Moore Public School District has officially taken a big step in school security and safety.
Each of the schools in the district now have a storm shelter.
News 9 checked in with the school district closer to spring of 2019, but there were still a few shelters that were under construction. Now Superintendent Dr. Robert Romines said tens of thousands of kids will be safe if severe weather hits while school is in session.
"Huge relief," said Supt. Romines. "When the sirens go off and you're watching the weather, the national weather service and those types of things as the superintendent it's a huge relief to know that I'm going to send my students and our staff to a safe place."
Administrators took News 9 on a tour through three of the "safe areas" they have. Many looked just like regular classrooms, with these storm shelters doubling as multi-purpose rooms. The additional uses include choir rooms and cheer and pom facilities.
Supt. Romines said he accepted his current position one week before the deadly and tragic EF-5 that ripped through Moore back in 2013, but his journey with the city started long before that.
"You know I'm a lifer," said Supt. Romines. "I've been in Moore my entire life. You know kindergarten all the way through."
-- Ashley Holden The White House and schools have this in common: Asbestos-- The Hill National: August 23, 2019 [ abstract] What do the White House and schools across the United States have in common? Shockingly, the answer is asbestos.
Over the past few weeks, dozens of senior White House staff including Ivanka Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Stephen Miller, and Larry Kudlow had to move out of their offices so the hazardous cancer-causing mineral could be removed. The government says the work should be done by the end of the month
But for millions of parents across the country, worries about asbestos won’t be resolved so quickly. They can find the hidden hazard lurking within some supplies in their children's’ backpacks and their school buildings themselves.
In 2018, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Consumer Watchdog team discovered that Playskool crayons sold at Dollar Tree contained asbestos. Given that U.S. PIRG only tested a small sample of of school supplies, it’s possible others contain this dangerous carcinogen, too.
Asbestos is in a lot more things than you’d think. Earlier in 2018, U.S. PIRG found that three different children’s makeup products sold by the national retail brand Claire’s contained alarming amounts of asbestos. In 2007, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), found evidence of asbestos in a startling array of household products, including toys, window glazing, spackling paste, roof patch, and duct tape.
Even given that list, parents have more to worry about than school supplies and things around their homes. Like the White House, the buildings students spend 30-40 hours a week in may also be contaminated. Many of the 131,000 public and private school facilities nationwide were constructed in the 20th century, when builders used asbestos regularly. That toxic legacy plagues students and teachers to this day — and school districts are trying to remedy it on a regular basis.
-- Opinion - ADAM GARBER AND LINDA REINSTEIN Alamo School Completes Renovation After Years In Portable Classrooms-- KPIX5 Texas: August 22, 2019 [ abstract] ALAMO (KPIX) – After spending a few years in portable classrooms, students and teachers are finally back in permanent classrooms at Stone Valley Middle School.
The brand new school is all thanks to Measure D, the $260 million facilities bond that voters approved back in 2012. Finally, the teachers and students can benefit from the construction.
Originally designed as a kindergarten through 8th grade school back in the 1950s, Stone Valley Middle School now reflects how the needs of the community have changed over the decades.
The school went through a major renovation, which included tearing down old buildings, and re-configuring them to create more of a campus feel.
Elizabeth Graswich, the Director of Communications for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, says none of this would have been possible without the voters’ support.
-- Jackie Ward How are Yakima Valley school construction projects coming along? Here's the rundown-- Yakima Herald Washington: August 17, 2019 [ abstract] School construction projects throughout the county are underway and on track with timelines.
Sunnyside, West Valley, Grandview, Selah, East Valley, Zillah and Mt. Adams school districts all have construction projects in the works. All but West Valley and Mt. Adams have broken ground on developments.
Some of the projects will be ready for the start of classes, while construction is just starting on others.
Here’s a roundup of each district’s construction projects and where they stand in the process.
Sunnyside
construction on a $24.5 million project at Sunnyside High School will begin soon, with new classrooms, multi-use learning spaces, athletic building and fields, along with parking, sidewalks, courtyards and access roads in the plan. In February, Sunnyside voters approved a 20-year, $16 million bond measure to be combined with district funds and $6.5 million in state matching funds.
On Thursday, five contractors bid to expand campus parking by roughly 125 spots, said Superintendent Kevin McKay, noting that this was considered “phase zero,” as it’s a small portion of the larger development.
“We’ll start to see some evidence of construction with that parking lot,” he said.
Design plans for buildings are close to being finalized. In mid-October, contractors are expected to bid on the building, and the district hopes to see construction on those begin by November, he said.
The classrooms and fine arts center should be ready for the 2021 school year.
Plans for a new athletic building, track and sports field likely will be impacted by the final price of the building developments, McKay said.
The construction on campus is not expected to displace any classes, he said. So far, “we are moving forward as planned.”
-- Janelle Retka Indiana lawmakers look for ways to pay for school tornado shelters as interest grows-- RTV6 Indiana: August 16, 2019 [ abstract] INDIANAPOLIS — As interest grows among Indiana schools in building tornado shelters, state lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are looking for ways to help schools pay for the structures.
Call 6 Investigates found Indiana has no laws in place requiring schools to have tornado shelters, nor does it have any requirements for newly constructed schools to include a storm shelter.
Since our story aired last month about the lack of tornado shelters in Indiana schools, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security has received several phone calls from schools interested in building a tornado shelter.
FEMA grants are available, and the application process opens on October 1, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
“We have received several calls from schools expressing interest, and IDHS Mitigation is working with them to educate them on the program and the application process,” said Ashley Steeb, public information specialist with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. “We will also be providing them with technical assistance in forming their projects and completing their applications for submittal.”
Schools have to come up with a 25% match, which can run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to more than a million dollars.
Even though this federal funding is available to build tornado protection for students, most Indiana schools have not applied for the money.
Senator Eddie Melton, D-Gary, is looking for ways to help schools make that 25% match.
-- Kara Kenney Iowa City schools' facilities plan 3 years ahead of schedule-- The Gazette Iowa: August 16, 2019 [ abstract] IOWA CITY — As a few teachers navigated gleaming hallways and moved into their new classrooms, Mann Principal Julie Robinson pointed to brand-new features in the renovated 102-year-old school.
It was gutted and rebuilt, she said, walking past a tech-savvy learning lab, the music room’s recording studio, an enormous gym and storm shelter addition.
construction of the school, which serves about 230 PK-6 students in downtown Iowa City, finished on time this summer — “the busiest summer this district has ever seen,” Facilities Director Duane Van Hemert said. A dozen district schools received major updates and additions.
The building frenzy in the Iowa City Community School District is the result of the largest school bond in Iowa history, $191.5 million, approved by voters in 2017.
The bond financing buoyed the district’s master facilities plan — which is on track to be completed three years early, in 2021.
“No delays,” Van Hemert said. “But a lot of hair-pulling and a lot of sweat.”
Updating schools ahead of schedule means more students will be able to experience those improvements, Superintendent Stephen Murley said, while saving the district money.
“Kids only get one shot at a grade level,” he said. “So if we weren’t done three years early, some of those kids would have left that building in that time.”
While Mann will open to students Aug. 23 with grand new spaces, Robinson said the work also gave the building some much-needed amenities.
The school now has a secure entrance, air-conditioning and a wheelchair-accessible playground structure.
-- Molly Duffy School Board to lobby lawmakers for capital funds-- Ocala StarBanner Florida: August 16, 2019 [ abstract] Members float lobbying for a state cellphone tax. For decades, state has taxed landlines to pay for capital needs at universities, colleges and K-12 districts.
School Board members plan to lobby state legislators for more capital dollars to cover new construction and maintenance. One idea: Ask the lawmakers to add a cellphone tax.
For nearly 50 years there has been a tax on landline phones, cable television and electricity to pay for school capital needs. That program, called Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO), has paid state universities, colleges and K-12 school districts billions of dollars through the decades for new construction and maintenance.
But the fund is shrinking because there are fewer landline phones and cable subscribers statewide and more energy-efficient products, especially air conditioners.
The School Board is discussing this lobbying effort because half of Marion County’s schools are more than 50 years old. Air conditioning systems are failing, new roofs are needed, and officials fear they may never catch up on routine maintenance if the state doesn’t begin ponying up more PECO dollars soon.
Marion County Public Schools received only $896,000 in PECO maintenance funds in 2018-19 and will receive nothing in 2019-20. The money is used for 47 campuses that serve 43,000 students.
The crisis means that 82 percent of the School District’s list of projects for the next five years is unfunded. The district will only have $76.4 million, all from a local capital property tax, of the $429.7 million needed to renovate and maintain its campuses and dozens of district offices through 2024.
And now the district is faced with spending $21 million on costly repairs of aging administrative buildings or using that money to build a new office complex. The board believes that it makes financial sense to build a new complex.
Robert Knight, the district’s facilities director, said that the board must find a new funding source because “it’s clear the state does not intend to be a major player when it comes to (capital) funding.”
Knight said the district has gotten no money from the state for new construction in a decade and very little ($5 million in 10 years) for maintenance.
-- Joe Callahan Unfinished summer construction affecting the start of school in some districts-- kxan Texas: August 16, 2019 [ abstract] CENTRAL TEXAS (KXAN) — Thousands of central Texas students are back in class, and many more head back to school next week. But parents and teachers are learning that summer construction at campuses doesn’t always stay on schedule.
KXAN Investigator Erin Cargile has been checking on the status of unfinished projects around the area, and asking how those will impact the school day.
Bowie High School
Students in the Austin Independent School District start the new school year Tuesday, and Bowie High School in south Austin is still a construction zone outside.
AISD said the contractor is working seven days a week and 10 hours a day to finish the parent-drop off lane. It should be ready to use on Monday, the day before school starts.
But the parking lot at Bowie will not be ready until August 28, which is more than a week into the school year. The district said it has negotiated offsite parking for students until it’s ready.
Kealing Middle School
Parents at Kealing Middle School in east Austin were alerted that class schedules would be delayed due to ongoing construction. Austin ISD said the renovation is almost complete. There’s still some work to do in the office, but the district says there will be no impact to the school day.
“There will be no impact on the operations of the campus,” said AISD communications specialist Eddie Villa.
-- Erin Cargile Vermont schools desperately need upgrades, but the state offers little help-- VTDigger Vermont: August 16, 2019 [ abstract] At the preK-8 Concord School in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, students went without a gym for the better part of January, February and March.
That meant no basketball, no school play, and no all-school assemblies.
The problem? The prefabricated corrugated metal building was built with a flat roof and no insulation when fuel was dirt cheap, under the assumption that the building’s heat would melt any snow, according Kingdom East Unified School District Superintendent Jennifer Botzojorns.
Now, the building is several decades past its warranty date, and the HVAC is on the fritz. That means that when a winter storm hits, snow quickly piles up on the roof, which in turn, she says, becomes structurally unsound.
Kingdom East officials put a $24 million bond before voters earlier this summer to make improvements at the Concord School along with the district’s Lunenburg and Burke Town schools. (In Burke, a child’s foot recently went through a rotted floor board in a middle school classroom.)
But the bond vote failed. “Resoundingly,” Botzojorns noted.
The state once contributed about 30% toward school construction projects, but it suspended the program in 2007. Since then, local districts have been mostly on their own to pay for maintenance and renovations.
Vermont’s schools are in varying condition. But many are showing their vintage, especially since the last major spate of school construction took place in the 1960s, during the push to create bigger union high schools serving larger geographic regions.
“I’m hearing increasingly from superintendents that they’d like to see school construction aid restored,” said Jeff Francis, the executive director of the Vermont Superintendents Association.
-- Lola Duffort Owasso set to open doors for new school with storm safety shelter-- ABC 8 Tulsa Oklahoma: August 15, 2019 [ abstract] It may look like just a gym, but it's really the safest place from severe weather at Morrow Elementary.
“It's a tornado shelter. So that is where we would go if there were a weather emergency. We're excited that we have a storm shelter at Morrow,” said principal Tiffani Cooper.
This safe shelter is the second completed one for the Owasso school district and can withstand a direct hit from an EF-5 tornado.
“Having a safe shelter allows us to put all the children of the school and all of the staff of the school in one place. That's regulated and designed with the sole purpose of protecting children,” superintendent Amy Fichtner said.
Many schools have been pushing for these shelters after the 2013 Moore tornado ripped through Plaza Towers Elementary School, killing several children.
Owasso had its own close call just two years ago when a funnel started to form over the city.
Fichtner said her district is adding shelters at other schools, too, bringing the total to four by 2020.
She said building Morrow Elementary from scratch gave them the perfect opportunity to add the shelter to save time and money.
“Ideally, if money were no obstacle at all, we would have done everything at the same time, but the reality is, embedding it with other construction was wise planning,” Fichtner said.
-- Gustavo Olguin Proposed Facilities Master Plan outlines Austin ISD programming options, future facility renovations-- Community Impact Newspaper Texas: August 13, 2019 [ abstract] Austin ISD trustees were presented Aug. 12 with a draft of the district’s 2019 Facilities Master Plan, a 431-page document that outlines recommendations to better provide programs to the entire district through facility renovations, program realignment and community partnerships.
The Facilities Master Plan, which was last updated in 2017 prior to the passage of the district’s 2017 bond, will be up for board approval this October. The vote will go alongside a vote on the district’s school changes plan, which will lay out the closing, consolidating and rezoning of schools to better use district resources and save operational money overtime.
The Facilities Master Plan is being updated to acknowledge former needs that are now being met through the 2017 bond, according to Operations Officer Matias Segura. It also points out elements that pertain to facilities that still need to be addressed and were excluded from the 2017 bond.
“Now while we’re engaging in this school changes process, the idea is here over the next several months [the two plans] will begin to converge,” he said. “We’ll have a really good understanding of what our future facilities will be, assuming ultimately both get approved by the board.”
Implementing some of the recommendations in the Facilities Master Plan could be achieved with realignment of programs and school feeder patterns through the school changes plan. More robust recommendations—such as the construction of a multipurpose performance center at the Burger Activity Center and improvements to high school fields, gyms and auditoriums—would likely need a new bond package to be implemented.
-- Nicholas Cicale $80M of APS projects includes 4 renovated schools, 1 new building-- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Georgia: August 11, 2019 [ abstract] When Beecher Hills Elementary School principal Crystal Jones welcomes children back to class Monday, students will be stepping into a brighter, bigger building.
The updated and expanded southwest Atlanta school now boasts a new gymnasium — a first for the school— and a revamped computer lab, cafeteria and classrooms.
The year-long renovation of Beecher Hills is one of five major school construction projects, totalling $80.2 million, completed by Atlanta Public Schools in time for the start of the year.
Jones showed off the building, with its shiny new floors, freshly painted hallways and reconfigured spaces, to appreciative parents during a Friday open house before the first day of school.
“It looks like what you would want for your child to experience in terms of excitement for learning — a bright, colorful, engaging environment. And, I think it matches the enthusiasm that instructors have for teaching the students,” said Teri Platt, whose child is starting second grade.
Last year, Beecher Hills students temporarily relocated to another building while their school was overhauled. Platt’s daughter has seen photos of the construction work, but won’t see the finished product until Monday.
-- Vanessa McCray Construction 'summer of hell' comes to a successful close for Iowa City schools-- Iowa City Press-Citizen Iowa: August 11, 2019 [ abstract] Several construction projects are wrapping up before the start of school in what has been one of the busiest summers in Iowa City Community School District history.
The facilities director overseeing the projects describes this summer as one of the most intense and complex seasons of construction in the school district's campaign to renovate campuses across the district. Voters passed a nearly $192 million bond in 2017 to fund a 10-year Facilities Master Plan, and in 2018 the school board voted to accelerate the plan by three years.
“Not to use profanity, but I told all my people that this is going to be the summer from hell," said Duane Van Hemert, director of Facilities Management for the school district. "And it has been."
construction crews and district staff have had to step up to manage a heavy workload, weather delays and the logistical feat of removing and replacing everything within a building, explains Van Hemert.
-- Aimee Breaux Crowd cheers opening of Utica's new Waltham School building-- The Times Illinois: August 07, 2019 [ abstract] A new era in education began Wednesday in Utica with the official opening of the recently completed Waltham Elementary School building on Route 178.
"Today marks an important day in the history of Waltham School," said Jim McCabe, Waltham School Board president, to a cheering crowd of teachers, staff, students and citizens. "Today, we bring together what was — at one time — 16 individual one-room school houses to one (new) home."
McCabe said the new building is the result of 10 years of planning, working and dreaming.
"Today, we open the door to a 21st Century learning environment that will allow all of us to educate the students in our community to achieve the greatest goals," he said.
Waltham Elementary School Superintendent Kristi Eager was moved to tears as she recognized the many people involved with the school's construction.
"Housing all our children in one school facility has been a long time in the making, and I am so proud of all the efforts from those who have supported our school district along this journey," she said.
Eager had particular praise for the school's staff and teachers.
"You are the best," she said, pointing to a group of teachers. "I can't wait to see the education you will provide our students in this new learning environment. We have always done amazing things in the education field and now we have a facility that will enhance it."
-- Steve Stout Hawaii school building built out of plastic Lego-like blocks-- The News Tribune Hawaii: August 03, 2019 [ abstract] A Hawaii school building has been built entirely out of plastic Lego-like blocks composed of marine debris and household waste, a report said.
The New Zealand-based ByFusion Company constructed the plastic blocks that now make up the athletics pavilion near the soccer field at Island School in Lihue, The Garden Island reported Thursday.
The 20-foot (6-meter) building was revealed to the public Wednesday and is the first of its kind to be built on Kauai and in the United States using the ByFusion products, officials said.
"This demonstrates to the world how to combat the plastic crisis that's plagued our oceans," said Heidi Kujawa, ByFusion chief executive officer.
Each block is made of shredded, cleaned plastic waste compressed into a rectangle at the processing facility in New Zealand, company officials said.
The blocks were used to construct the building walls while the spaces in between were filled with traditional materials, officials said. Stucco was then used to seal and stabilize the blocks.
-- Associated Press School add-ons cushion cost of growth around Williamson Country-- Tennessean Tennessee: August 01, 2019 [ abstract] With the last bricks are laid on construction projects across the county, the new school year is marked by various expansion projects, providing more desks for students, while also mitigating the cost of rapid growth in Williamson County Schools.
The district welcomes approximately 1,200 new students each year, which leads to the need for additional space for students and eventually more school buildings.
However, Williamson County Schools Superintendent Jason Golden said that school add-ons are a way to curtail the high dollars spent on new school buildings. And students will reap the benefits of some of those projects this school year.
The addition of 10 new classrooms at Scales Elementary and 22 new classrooms at Independence High , for example Golden said, are aimed to save the county additional money – at least for a while.
“Over the last couple of years, really because of the capital struggles, we went back and studied every one of our campuses and determined where we could add-on to our schools,” Golden said.
“As a result, we are working on add-ons that are less expensive than building new schools. It’s easier to build a classroom area than build the common areas like a cafeteria and gym.”
Typically, a new high school costs approximately $50 million to $60 million to build, while an elementary school costs approximately $25 million.
-- Kerri Bartlett Tacoma takes a chance on progressive design-build-- Daily Journal of Commerce Washington: August 01, 2019 [ abstract] School districts face many challenges today. Escalating material prices, outdated budgets, tariffs and a competitive bid climate challenge the traditional delivery of new and renovated educational facilities.
When Boze Elementary School needed replacing, Tacoma Public Schools chose an innovative, non-traditional method to meet these challenges head-on: progressive design-build.
The replacement of Boze marks the first time in Washington that a district has used progressive design-build to deliver a K-12 school.
Tacoma Public Schools officials knew they would need a cohesive team to mitigate risks and guide the replacement of Boze to a successful conclusion with this new delivery method.
The team of Korsmo construction and BCRA were selected for their strength in design-build experience. Together with Tacoma Public Schools, the progressive design-build team focused on meeting program needs and design goals — all while maximizing the budget and meeting a rigorous inclusion target.
Meeting district needs
With progressive design-build, collaborative decision-making happens early and often. With designers and contractors in alignment prior to solicitation, Tacoma Public Schools joined a cooperative team where everyone was an engaged participant in a process dedicated to a value-rich outcome.
Using design-build best practices, Korsmo-BCRA and Tacoma Public Schools were able to expedite decision making and work through Boze’s challenges together.
Early partnering allowed the progressive design-build team to create project efficiencies that saved time and maximized every program dollar for the district. Early agreements on which spaces and features were priorities for the owner helped control costs throughout design and construction without sacrificing program needs — a key to defining project success.
-- Heather Hocklander Indiana doesn’t require schools to have tornado shelters-- RTV6 Indiana: July 31, 2019 [ abstract] SALEM — Summer may be winding down, but as the school year winds back up, Call 6 Investigates has learned K-12 students in Indiana are vulnerable when it comes to tornadoes.
Indiana has no laws or building codes in place requiring tornado shelters in your child’s school, nor does Indiana have any rules requiring newly constructed schools include a storm shelter.
Most Indiana schools do not have basements, nor do they have tornado shelters or safe rooms in place, leaving children to hunker down in interior hallways and rooms.
Call 6 Investigates has learned federal funding is available to build tornado protection for students, but most schools have not applied for the money.
Elementary school creates tornado safe room
Across the rolling corn fields of southern Indiana, tornadoes are common.
The footage of the deadly 2012 tornado that hit a Henryville school resonated with mother of two Nicole Purlee.
“It was terrifying,” Purlee said. “These are our babies, these are our kids.”
Purlee lives in Salem, which is 19 miles from Henryville.
Her two children attend classes at Bradie Shrum Elementary in Salem.
She doesn’t worry much about her children’s safety during tornadoes, because the school installed a state-of-the-art tornado safe room.
-- Kara Kenney Out of 7,000 potential NYC school sites, special task force says only 2 are viable-- 6sqft New York: July 30, 2019 [ abstract] New York City has assembled a task force to find sites for new public schools, but the search is proving to be exceedingly difficult, as the Wall Street Journal reports. The School Siting Task Force said at a meeting on Monday that out of 7,000 city-owned properties they looked at, they found only two to be viable possibilities. Citing an urgent need, city officials said they would be putting out a Request for Proposals for private properties in the next few weeks as the School construction Authority anticipates a need for 45,000 seats within the next five years and is looking to find 70 sites for new schools.
According to the Journal, officials say it’s particularly difficult to find sites in developing areas as “they struggle to keep up with shifts in the student population in a high-priced city where neighborhoods and families’ choices change quickly, leaving some schools with empty classrooms and others bursting, often beyond capacity.”
The task force identified two possible sites, one on a former airport in Flushing, Queens and the other next to John Dewey High School in Gravesend, Brooklyn. Any potential site must be at least 20,000 square feet and on solid ground. District 20 in southwest Brooklyn and District 24 in Queens are high on the list of priorities for more seats.
The forthcoming RFP hopes to find sellers among “small developers, retiring business owners, people who inherited property they don’t want, and others who might not think of reaching out.”
-- Alexandra Alexa SUNDAY EDITION | JCPS exploring tax options with $1B in unmet facility needs-- WDRB.com Kentucky: July 28, 2019 [ abstract] LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – The busiest construction season for Jefferson County Public Schools – the summer months when schools are mostly empty – may be winding to a close, but district officials are already taking a close look at how to improve facilities and build new ones.
With more than $1 billion in unmet facility needs and rapidly aging schools, the district is looking at every financing option available – including raising taxes – to pay for building projects. JCPS is empaneling an advisory committee to examine various revenue streams that the district can tap to fund improvements, according to Renee Murphy, the district’s communications director.
“It’s no secret that we have extensive facility needs, but the next steps to address this are being determined now,” she said in an email to WDRB News.
One financing possibility for the Jefferson County Board of Education is a recallable “nickel” tax that would equal about 5.6 cents for every $100 in assessed property value for local homeowners. That means a homeowner with a $100,000 house would pay an additional $56 in annual property taxes.
JCPS is one of more than 100 school districts across the state that don’t have a nickel tax, which can be defeated on the ballot if enough voters sign a petition challenging its adoption.
-- Kevin Wheatley DeCroce Pushes to Bring School Agency Under Direct State Contro-- Parsippany Focus New Jersey: July 26, 2019 [ abstract] PARSIPPANY — Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce (R-Morris, Essex Passaic) demanded the Legislature take action on her bill to abolish the School Development Authority (SDA) and place school construction responsibilities under the Department of Treasury, after the state was forced this week to fire 30 SDA employees whose hiring violated state ethics guidelines
DeCroce’s legislation (A-5330,) introduced by the Assemblywoman after the SDA staffing scandal broke in April, will transfer all school construction responsibilities now handled by the troubled agency to the Division of Property Management and construction in the Department of Treasury. Assemblywoman DeCroce noted that her legislation will provide the Governor and Legislature more direct authority to control school construction activities, while allowing the state Economic Development Authority (EDA) to retain its responsibility for the financing of school construction projects.
“The SDA has had a long and troubled history, largely because it has been able to operate with little oversight as a legally-establish state authority. The staffing scandal is just the latest problem demonstrating that we need to abolish the agency and bring its operations within the state administration, where the Governor and Legislature can have more direct control of matters,” said Assemblywoman DeCroce, whose district spans Morris, Essex and Passaic counties.
The firing of 30 people earlier this week followed the release of three investigative reports on a staffing scandal that forced the resignation of SDA CEO Lizette Delgado-Polanco, who stepped down in April after only eight months in office.
-- Frank L. Cahill NC Gov. Cooper pushes to bring $41.5 million to Robeson County schools-- WMBF News North Carolina: July 25, 2019 [ abstract] North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper visited the Public Schools of Robeson County on Thursday to look at the challenges rural school districts face.
He toured St. Pauls Elementary School where he pushed for a school construction bond that would allow voters to guarantee funding for new buildings and renovations across North Carolina.
The governor’s office said the $3.5 billion bond would provide Robeson County with $16 million more for school construction.
Cooper said $41.5 million in guaranteed funds for school construction would go to the Public Schools of Robeson County compared to the legislature’s budget which only provides $25.5 million with no guarantee that projects would be completed.
“Students across North Carolina deserve safe, updated classrooms, particularly in areas like Robeson County that are still recovering from natural disasters,” Cooper said. “The legislature’s budget didn’t do enough for our schools and offered no guarantee any school construction would be completed. We must do better.”
-- Staff Writer West Ada revives resolution for state to pay half of school construction costs-- Meridian Press Idaho: July 25, 2019 [ abstract] For school board chairman Ed Klopfenstein, finding another mechanism to pay for school construction is really about giving students a place to learn.
Over the past 20 years, the West Ada School District has gained 950 new students a year, on average. The state’s largest school district, West Ada is set to reach 40,000 students this fall.
All of that growth has resulted in overcrowding in four of the district’s five major high schools and several of its elementary schools. While district staff want to build schools to accommodate those children, they worry about the burden on local taxpayers.
“We have an overflowing number of kids, but we have to wait until it’s a real issue … before we ask patrons for the money,” said Klopfenstein, chairman of the West Ada school board.
To give districts another way to pay for new schools, the West Ada school passed a resolution asking the state to pay for half of the cost to build new facilities using sales tax revenue from new construction.
This is the second year the district has brought forward the resolution, which failed by over 2,000 votes at last year’s Idaho School Boards Association annual convention in November. The West Ada school board voted July 9 to send the resolution to this year’s convention.
If passed into law, West Ada officials believe the resolution would relieve some of the burden of new school construction on local taxpayers, making it easier for districts to pass bonds.
Idaho is one of a handful of states that uses bonds and levies — property tax increases that must be approved by voters — as the only way to fund new construction in school districts. That means local taxpayers have to foot the bill for most of new school construction, often with interest.
“We’re very concerned that if taxpayers don’t see a lessening of that burden, we’re going to start getting bonds that don’t pass — and that’s going to be very detrimental to the kids,” Klopfenstein said.
-- Patty Bowen Pasco County schools plan expansions to cope with growth-- Tampa Bay Times Florida: July 24, 2019 [ abstract] Student enrollment in Pasco County schools has risen by about 8,500 children since 2010, with the number projected to jump by another 1,300 in the year beginning Aug. 12.
Much of the growth has occurred along the State Road 54 corridor, between Trinity and Wesley Chapel. Many of the schools in that zone are expected to surpass 100 percent of their built capacity for yet another year.
To ease the crunch, the district has several construction projects in the works, including new classroom wings at Bexley Elementary and Sunlake High, a new middle school on the Cypress Creek Middle-High campus in Wesley Chapel, a new K-8 campus in the Starkey Ranch subdivision and a new technical high school in Wesley Chapel, and campus-wide renovations including added seats at Land O’Lakes and Zephyrhills high schools.
District planners anticipate that these initiatives, along with corresponding changes to attendance boundaries, will make critical dents at several crowded schools including Odessa and Connerton elementary schools, Seven Springs Middle and MItchell High. Planned new charter schools in Wesley Chapel should help reduce the burden at elementary campuses in that community, they added.
One school, though, remains a point of continued concern.
Wiregrass Ranch High only recently came off 10-period days because of significant crowding, its numbers reduced with the opening of Cypress Creek Middle-High in 2017.
-- Jeffrey S. Solochek N.J. Governor Fires Staff at Authority Roiled by Patronage Hires-- Yahoo! Finance New Jersey: July 23, 2019 [ abstract] (Bloomberg) -- New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s administration fired 30 employees of a state authority that finances local school construction after an independent review found that his former appointee stacked it with friends, family and political contacts who were unqualified for their jobs.
All but three of those dismissed Tuesday from the Schools Development Authority had been hired by Lizette Delgado-Polanco, the former chief executive officer who resigned in April amid media scrutiny of her oversight. A review by an outside law firm faulted the agency for “patronage-type hires” that undermined its work.
The authority controls billions of dollars in construction spending in 31 of New Jersey’s poorest school districts. Created in 2007 to replace the scandal-plagued New Jersey Schools construction Corp., the authority is seeking approval to sell more bonds. Delgado-Polanco, a former vice chairman of the Democratic party and union official hired eight months into Murphy’s tenure in August 2018, told investigators that she had created a department, and hired for it, to drum up lawmakers’ support to continue borrowing and building.
The 106-page report was prepared by Carmagnola & Ritardi, a Morristown law firm hired by the state Attorney General’s Office to review anonymous complaints. A second, separate investigation of alleged file tampering was conducted by DeCotiis, FitzPatrick, Cole & Giblin, a Teaneck law firm hired by the Law and Public Safety Department. In a 26-page report, DeCotiis, FitzPatrick said it had found no “hard or compelling evidence” of such activity, but discovered sloppy record-keeping.
A third review, a 27-page audit, recommended hiring changes to which management has agreed. “The SDA has a track record of success delivering quality schools throughout New Jersey, so it’s important that we take time for self-reflection and demonstrate a willingness to improve,” Rob Nixon, chairman of the authority’s board, said in a statement.
-- Elise Young - Bloomberg Hartford, Tolland get extra help in school construction bill-- the ctmirror Connecticut: July 22, 2019 [ abstract] The General Assembly voted in special session Monday for a bill that provides funding for the state’s share of local school construction projects, effectively rewards Hartford for closing several schools and ends reimbursement bonuses for intra-district diversity magnet schools.
The measure passed 30-1 in the Senate and 93-35 in the House, where a majority of Republicans opposed the bill, primarily over a provision that will raise the reimbursement rate for renovations to several Hartford schools from 80 percent to 95 percent.
Local school construction in Connecticut is partly reimbursed by the state on a sliding scale based on a community’s wealth, and the bill approved Monday provides $160.5 million to pay the state’s share of eight projects in seven communities.
The reimbursements generally range from 10 percent to 70 percent for new construction and 20 percent to 80 percent for renovations, with bonuses increasing the reimbursements to 85 percent under some circumstances.
-- MARK PAZNIOKAS and KATHLEEN MEGAN Forrest County schools will soon have a new way of responding to tornado warnings-- Hattiesburg American Mississippi: July 18, 2019 [ abstract] Mike Papas has one emergency storm shelter under his belt and five to go.
The auxiliary services director for Forrest County School District is overseeing construction of six safe rooms for the district. The one at Dixie Attendance Center was recently finished.
"We had the final walk-through," Papas said. "We're finishing the emergency plans for (how to respond to) weather-related events.
"We'll be ready when the students show up Aug. 6. It'll be ready for use."
Twelve schools in Forrest County are getting the Federal Emergency Management Agency above-ground, dome-shaped shelters, which are built to withstand 250 mile-per-hour, E5 tornado winds.
The shelters are one large room that comes with restrooms, lighting, fans, heating and air conditioning.
The safe room at Dixie can hold about 800 people — more than enough for the kindergarten through eighth-grade school's about 510 children and additional staff and faculty.
Hattiesburg Public School District elected not to participate in the Hazard Mitigation grant program pursued by the Forrest County Board of Supervisors, which provided $1 million for each shelter, with a 10 percent match from each school district.
Forrest County Agricultural School District received one shelter, while Petal School District got five and Papas' district got six.
All are in different stages of construction, but all will provide better protection from a tornado than the protocols students go through now.
"Currently, as you get information from emergency management, you would (put the students) in the hallway away from windows and doors," said Petal Schools Superintendent Matthew Dillon. "Now, with advance notice, we'll be able to get the children to the storm shelters."
Being ensconced in a storm shelter will be much safer for students than crouching in a hallway, covering their heads with their hands and arms.
Approximately two and a half years after an EF3 tornado struck Hattiesburg and Petal, and six years after an EF4 twister hit the same areas, the safe rooms are welcome.
-- Ellen Ciurczak OP-ED: LESSONS OF NEWARK’S SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION SUCCESSES, MISTAKES-- NJ Spotlight New Jersey: July 17, 2019 [ abstract] The state could have built almost twice as many schools for Newark kids if it followed the model of one of the city’s charter schools.
It’s perhaps one of the saddest open secrets that Newark children have routinely been cheated out of their constitutional right to funding for safe, adequate school facilities; a recent report by TAPinto Newark underlines that fact yet again.
It’s been nearly 20 years since our state’s highest court — rightly — declared that kids in cities like Newark have a constitutional right to learn in adequate school buildings. Twelve billion dollars and almost two decades of greed, graft and mismanagement later, the state has fallen short on this promise in just about every imaginable way.
TAPinto Newark’s well-researched report found that the state routinely exceeded its own cost-per-square-foot rules by almost four times the state limit in Newark.
The most egregious offense is not in the basic compliance question of whether the state followed its own rules (though that should be taken seriously), but rather the fact that Newark kids have desperately needed those funds and the state could have built more schools if the dollars had been spent more wisely.
-- Opinion - KYLE ROSENKRANS School board declares emergency, discusses future Richmond school-- The Daily Independent California: July 15, 2019 [ abstract] The Sierra Sands Unified School District board of education declared its own proclamation of emergency during a special meeting Thursday night. The declaration comes after the district conducted its initial survey of facilities districtwide to assess the damage caused by first the July 4 magnitude 6.4 earthquake and the 7.1 that followed on the night of July 5.
“Initial assessments indicate that it will be necessary to contract out for repair and replacement services in order to ensure school sites are ready for occupancy by the start of the 2019-2020 school year,” said district business director Pam Smith.
Smith said that by adopting its own emergency, the district could proceed under the California Uniform Public construction Cost Accounting Act to immediately replace or repair any public facility without adopting a plan or giving any bids.
“It’s going to be millions of dollars but it’s not going to be as bad as we thought,” Smith said.
The board also adopted a supporting ordinance to submit a form to the California Office of Emergency Services for non-state agencies since cost-sharing under California and federal regulations are issued at a county level. Those designations will be for the County of Kern and will cover all affected jurisdictions and Special Districts within the county.
Board member Tim Johnson asked whether the district would qualify for support or funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.
-- Jack Barnwell Maryland House Speaker Urges Support For More School Funding-- WJZ13 Maryland: July 13, 2019 [ abstract] GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — Maryland’s House speaker is urging her colleagues in the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland to make a robust education funding plan its top priority.
Speaker Adrienne Jones spoke Saturday at the caucus’s unity breakfast.
She is asking the 50-member caucus to make a funding plan to implement a state commission’s recommendations the No. 1 priority for the next legislative session, or however long it takes.
Jones, a Democrat, also is asking the caucus to put its weight behind the passage of a bill to add $2 billion in additional school construction over the next decade.
-- Staff Writer San Diego district bond update: $2 billion spent, $6.4 billion to go-- American School & University California: July 12, 2019 [ abstract] The San Diego Unified School District says it has spent about $2.2 billion of the $8.4 billion that voters have approved for bond projects since 2008.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the district's goal for its bond program is to improve the poor overall condition of its education facilities.
Related: San Diego school board puts $3.5 billion bond request on ballot
San Diego Unified's current facilities condition index is considered “poor” by industry standards. District officials hope to reach a “fair” condition, or 10 percent, by 2024.
Improving the facilities condition index number is difficult because buildings deteriorate every year, says Andy Berg, member of the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, which monitors the district’s bond programs.
San Diego voters have approved three large bond requests in the last decade—a $2.1 billion bond program in 2008, a $2.8 billion program in 2012, and a $3.5 billion in 2018..”
To date, the district has spent $53 million from its bond programs on school security renovations, which include adding perimeter fences, isolating school access to a single entry point and installing emergency communication devices such as intercoms and mobile notification systems.
The district plans to spend another $250 million on school security over the next five years, says Lee Dulgeroff, chief facilities planning and construction officer.
Bond money has also been earmarked for lowering lead levels in drinking water.
-- Mike Kennedy NO FUNDING IN SIGHT TO REPAIR NEWARK’S CRUMBLING SCHOOLS-- NJ Spotlight New Jersey: July 11, 2019 [ abstract] Buildings in cash-strapped district have leaky roofs, damaged walls, peeling paint, old electrical systems, missing sinks and toilets.
Newark’s school buildings desperately need fixing. Yet, despite a longstanding court order that the state replace Newark’s crumbling schools, no help is on the horizon.
In 2016, New Jersey’s education and school construction agencies offered to pay for urgently needed repairs in certain school districts. The projects had to address school conditions that could cause “imminent peril to the health and safety of students and staff.”
This was exciting news to Newark officials, who knew the district’s schools were in serious disrepair. They catalogued the most egregious problems: falling roofs, obsolete fire alarms, faulty heating and cooling systems, broken windows, and deteriorating doors. Ultimately, they asked the state to fund more than 150 projects at an estimated cost of $311 million.
Nearly a year later, the state responded. The education department approved just 11 projects in Newark — a fraction of what district officials said was needed to make their buildings safe and sound.
-- Patrick Wall NYC can save billions in school construction costs: report-- New York Daily News New York: July 10, 2019 [ abstract] New York City can save billions of dollars on planned new school construction by reshuffling students among existing buildings, a new report argues.
The report titled Cut Costs, Not Ribbons, released on Wednesday by the Citizens Budget Commission, contends that the city can cut $2 billion in proposed construction costs to alleviate overcrowding by adjusting school enrollment policies.
“The City has not been able to build itself out of the school crowding problem,” said Andrew Rein, president of the Commission.
Almost half of city schools are overcrowded, according to the report, enrolling 95,000 more students than they have room for while other schools are under capacity.
The city has spent $9 billion since 2005 to build new schools with almost 100,000 additional seats, and plans to start building another 60,000 seats at a cost of $8 billion over the next five years.
-- MICHAEL ELSEN-ROONEY Lots of work going on at Gwinnett schools-- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Georgia: July 08, 2019 [ abstract] The impact of their physical environment on student success is a concept that didn’t receive much attention until the last few decades. But poor conditions can lead to increased truancy, vandalism and bullying, a lack of focus for students and high teacher turnover.
When facilities are well-maintained and obsolete structures make way for retrofits or newer buildings with technological advances, improvements on student outcomes will follow, according to several national studies.
Gwinnett County school officials are keeping that in mind as they undertake a multimillion-dollar program of school construction and maintenance this year.
As the largest district in the state, Gwinnett County experienced a construction boom in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Averaging about five new schools a year, it needed to keep up with growing enrollment. The district went from 80,000 students in the 1994-1995 school year to 136,000 in 2004-2005. The 2019-2020 school year has a projected total of 180,500 students.
To pay for that growth, the school system has sizable debt. According to data from the National Council on School Facilities, Gwinnett is paying over $50 million in interest on $1.2 billion debt.
-- Arlinda Smith Broady Cost of Building Schools in Newark Far Exceeded Limits Set by Legislature-- TapintoNewark New Jersey: July 07, 2019 [ abstract] NEWARK, NJ - Over the past decade, the state agency responsible for building schools in 31 former Abbott districts has spent more than $263 million to build five schools in Newark at a cost that far exceeded the limits set by the Legislature.
The Educational Facilities construction and Financing Act, which was enacted in 2000, set a limit of $143 per square foot, which was to include the costs of construction, site development, land acquisition and professional service fees.
But the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) has spent an average $424 per square foot to build the five schools in Newark, nearly three times the limit set by the Legislature.
The last three schools to open in Newark since 2016 -- South Street School, Oliver Street School and Elliot Street School -- cost an average of $515 per square foot. South Street, which was completed in 2018, cost $69 million or $669 per square foot, nearly 5 times the limits set by the Legislature.
To look at the cost another way: The SDA spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars to build schools for only 3,733 Newark children -- an average of more than $70,000 per student.
-- Mark Bonamo Sonoma County schools rush to complete construction projects over summer-- The Press Democrat California: July 07, 2019 [ abstract] Shortly after classes were dismissed for the summer, excavators, bulldozers and hard hats made their way onto school campuses across Sonoma County to build new facilities and expand and repair existing ones.
Motorists traveling along Highway 12 can see work happening at Rincon Valley’s Whited Elementary School. The $4 million project includes new playgrounds, parking lot and landscaping.
To the west at Herbert Slater Middle and Abraham Elementary schools in the Santa Rosa district, a $5.8 million roofing and heating, ventilation and air conditioning project is underway.
And in Rohnert Park, Technology High, a math, science and engineering magnet school, is preparing to move out of Salazar Hall at the Sonoma State University campus onto its new $20 million campus 2 miles west.
With school campuses mostly vacant for the summer, education officials say, it’s a mad dash to complete construction projects before students, faculty and staff members return in August.
“It’s a busy time of year when the majority of students and staff are off and we’re able to do these projects without disrupting classes,” said Rick Edson, deputy superintendent at Santa Rosa City Schools.
Technology High is moving to the site of the former Waldo Rohnert Elementary School on Bonnie Avenue. Waldo Rohnert students moved to the John Reed Elementary this past school year, allowing the district to gut the school and begin construction on the new high school campus in January.
The project will be completed by August.
“It’s a pretty aggressive timeline,” said Josh Savage, the Cotati-Rohnert Park school district’s director of facilities.
-- SUSAN MINICHIELLO Williamson tax committee explores new ways to fund school buildings-- Tennessean Tennessee: July 03, 2019 [ abstract] The Williamson County Commission Tax Study Committee discussed briefly an alternative funding mechanism that could distribute dollars to capital projects, or new school construction, for example.
After the committee approved Tuesday an 11-cent property tax increase, which will also be considered by the full commission July 8, it briefly discussed the implications of raising the county’s adequate facilities tax.
County Commissioner Tom Tunnicliffe, 7th District, and concerned constituents, have taken a closer look at the structure of the county’s adequate facilities tax, which was devised by a private act in 1987.
Currently, the county does not tax new commercial construction in the county’s six municipalities.
However, some residents and Tunnicliffe are posing the question, “Why not?”
“Why are the residents maxed and the commercial space in the cities charged zero,” Tunnicliffe said.
“I just wanted to get the discussion out there and see if there is any interest in carrying it forward. I am new to the commission, so tell me why it’s a bad idea.”
The county’s adequate facilities tax is structured under the Williamson County Private Act of 1987, Chapter 118, which gives the county authority to tax new residential and nonresidential development. The maximum rate allowed for nonresidential development is $2, while the maximum rate for new residential development is $1 (both per gross square foot).
-- Kerri Bartlett New Jersey Department of Education approves $189.5 million school facilities project in Edison for referendum-- CentralJersey.com New Jersey: July 02, 2019 [ abstract] EDISON – The message was loud and clear: although the urgent need is to address overcrowding needs in the Edison School District, hold the golden toilets and magazine spread in “Architectural Digest.”
That was the charge the Edison Board of Education gave Jeanne Perantoni, principal and CEO of SSP Architects, Bridgewater, and Heather Wilkerson, project manager for SSP Architects, as they worked on crafting a cost-effective referendum proposal for the much needed renovations, improvements and additions to six schools – John P. Stevens High School, Edison High School, John Adams Middle School, James Madison Intermediate School, John Marshall Elementary School and Lincoln Elementary School – in the Edison Public School District to address the current overcrowded needs in the district.
The board hired SSP Architects to prepare a long-range facilities plan in November 2018 at a cost of $75,000.
Perantoni and Wilkerson presented a $189.5 million bond referendum package to send to the state Department of Education for review. The hard construction costs total $42.9 million at J.P. Stevens, $29.9 million at Edison High School, $10.1 million at James Madison, $9.3 million at John Adams, $9.2 million at Lincoln and $3.99 million at John Marshall.
The hard costs are without soft costs including construction contingency fees, legal fees, bonding surveys, environmental and soil consultations, and printing materials. Perantoni and Wilkerson explained that the soft costs can all be negotiated.
Perantoni said the board had a tough decision since the proposed facilities project is building for past deficiencies.
“With high class sizes you already have, plus students coming in the middle schools and high schools, [they] exacerbate the problem,” she said. “[The facilities project is] long overdue.”
-- KATHY CHANG Governor Carney Signs $863 Million Capital Budget to Complete 2019 Legislative Session-- Delaware.gov Delaware: July 01, 2019 [ abstract] DOVER, Del. — Governor John Carney on Monday signed the largest infrastructure package in Delaware history, capping a 2019 legislative session that included action to invest in Delaware’s highest-needs schools, fix roads and bridges, raise the age to buy cigarettes, ban single-use plastic bags, and make it easier for all Delawareans to vote in elections.
Highlights of 2019 Legislative Session:
Opportunity Funding: $75 million/three years for English learners, low-income students, and new mental health supports in schools
Infrastructure: Record $863 million capital budget will invest in clean water, new roads and bridges, affordable housing, colleges and universities, and economic development projects
Plastic Bag Ban: Ban on single-use plastic bags will help protect Delaware’s environment, wildlife and communities
Tobacco 21: Raising the age to buy cigarettes to 21 will prevent younger Delawareans from smoking, improve the health of young Delawareans, and reduce health care costs
Early voting: New law allowing in-person voting up to 10 days prior to an election seeks to increase voter participation
Medicaid Waiver: New reinsurance program seeks to lower costs for Delaware families who get health insurance on the exchange
Safe storage: New law requires safe storage of firearms around children
The $863 million Fiscal Year 2020 capital budget signed by the Governor on Monday will fund new school construction, preserve open space and farmland statewide, invest in new drinking water infrastructure, and provide new funding for Delaware’s colleges and universities. Delaware’s capital budget also includes $425.3 million for the Transportation Trust Fund – part of a six-year, $3.2 billion plan to fix roads and bridges statewide through 2025.
“We are investing in the future of our state – improving schools for all Delaware children, fixing roads and bridges in every Delaware community, and responsibly managing taxpayer dollars so we’re prepared to keep investing where it matters most,” said Governor John Carney. “Our work with members of the General Assembly is paying off. Graduation rates are up, unemployment is down, and our state is on sound financial footing, just two years after climbing out of $400 million budget deficit. But we have plenty of work ahead to make sure that all Delaware families have an opportunity to participate in Delaware’s success. That’s why we’re investing in high-needs schools, in clean drinking water, affordable housing, open-space, and rural broadband infrastructure – to give more Delaware families a real shot to succeed in the Delaware of the future.”
-- Office of the Governor Simonsen's facility needs were extensive before May's tornado-- News Tribune Missouri: June 30, 2019 [ abstract] Long before the tornado, the Simonsen building, which had closed its doors to its last class of freshmen a few hours before the tornado, had a long list of needs.
Simonsen is tied with JCPS' building at 501 Madison St. — the Jefferson City Academic Center and Etta and Joseph Miller Performing Arts Center — as the oldest in the district, originally constructed in 1926. In Simonsen's case, it was occupied in 1938, according to a 2013 report from ACI Boland Architects.
Kansas City-based ACI Boland released its "School Facilities Appraisal" of JCPS' buildings in December 2013. In addition to calculating student capacities, the appraisal also rated the buildings' sites, structural and mechanical features, maintainability, safety and security, educational adequacy and environment for education.
In total, ACI Boland gave Simonsen 681 points out of a possible 1,000 in its appraisal. At 68.1 percent, it was a "borderline" rating, in the middle of a five rating-category scale that ranged from "very inadequate" and "poor" to "satisfactory" and "excellent."
Simonsen was not given the lowest rating by ACI Boland among JCPS schools. The JCAC building, West Elementary School and East Elementary School had lower borderline scores. Jefferson City High School, which is currently being renovated, was also given a borderline rating of 69.5 percent at the time.
Out of the six areas within buildings that ACI Boland evaluated, Simonsen was rated as borderline in its site, structural and mechanical features, safety and security, and educational adequacy.
Simonsen's maintainability and environment for education were rated as satisfactory.
Each of the six areas for which Simonsen and other schools were scored on were themselves broken down into different aspects for which ACI Boland assigned varying amounts of points.
For example, among the 10 aspects of Simonsen's site rating, including size, accessibility and topography, ACI Boland gave Simonsen less than half of the available points for one aspect — suitability for special instructional needs, such as outdoor learning.
-- Phillip Sitter Warren Local BOE approves increase in construction costs-- The Parkersburg News and Sentinel Ohio: June 30, 2019 [ abstract] VINCENT — The Warren Local Schools Board of Education has authorized a cost increase of about $2 million for construction of the district’s new high school, but the board wants some clarification on how that additional expense might be split with the state.
The board met at a special meeting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday to consider the resolution, along with a few housekeeping matters, which included closing the books on fiscal year 2018-19 by approving a report from the treasurer.
Board member Bob Allen, who chairs the district operations committee, said Thursday afternoon the board authorized the resolution to keep construction on schedule – any delays would almost inevitably increase the cost even further — but has submitted a request to construction manager-at-risk Barton Malow Company for clarification.
The district has an agreement with the Ohio Facilities construction Commission under which authorized costs in the district’s $63 million building program will be split, with the state paying 72 percent and the district paying 28 percent. Allen said it was not clear in the amendment to costs for the new high school building how that split would be applied to the additional amount, and the board is concerned about the impact it might have on the local share of costs.
“We had a discussion on the information we’ve been provided, and we didn’t want to stop or delay the construction, but (superintendent) Kyle (Newton) is reaching out to Barton Malow for information to support what they provided us,” Allen said. “The numbers came from the subcontractors, and we feel that they’re accurate, we’re just questioning the split and not necessarily agreeing with that.”
Allen said the resolution was passed unanimously by the four board members who attended Thursday’s meeting. Sidney Brackenridge was unable to attend because of a previous commitment, he said.
-- MICHAEL KELLY Guest Column: Special needs students would benefit from improved school facilities-- The Florida Times-Union Florida: June 28, 2019 [ abstract] Our youngest child is high-functioning and high-cognitive autistic.
We had our children in private schools, but they could not and would not work with special needs children — so traditional public school became our only option to provide our children an appropriate education.
Over the last two years we have seen many changes in the school district that have benefited all students, including those with special needs. As part of our advocacy work we have delved into many parts of the school district’s operations including curriculum, budgeting and facilities.
The Duval school district’s half-cent sales tax referendum is urgently needed. Even with proper maintenance, old systems break down and are more expensive to repair because parts are not readily available.
Repairs are very disruptive to the classroom; imagine conducting a meeting in your office while the air conditioning is not functioning — and a plumber is repairing the bathroom next door.
This is what many of our teachers and students have to deal with each day.
The Civic Council and some City Council members have raised concerns about the cost of the plan, comparing it to construction costs of charter and private schools. But there are different requirements for building traditional public schools — as opposed to charter schools — that must be taken into account when comparing costs. These differences include:
• Enhanced building requirements that are mandated by the State Requirements for Educational Facilities policy.
• The fact that public school buildings serve as community hurricane shelters.
• The fact that public schools are required to accept all students — and thus have a greater need for space to meet this responsibility.
• The need to provide support space for our vulnerable special needs children.
This referendum would address the urgent capital needs of all schools in the district.
-- Tim and Darlene Miller June Edu. Vision boardroom bits: capital updates, other needs, concerns-- Jackson Sun Tennessee: June 28, 2019 [ abstract] Thanks to the 10-year capital plan, many school buildings across Jackson-Madison County no longer have leaking roofs or outdated HVAC systems.
By the start of the school year, others will join the list of completed projects, including:
East Elementary: roofing, civil engineering, HVAC and asphalt construction
East was at the top of the list among getting roofs, followed by Community Montessori and Parkview Learning Center because East hadn’t gotten a new roof in over four years.
The gym floor will also be replaced once those other tasks are finished. The gym floor became dangerous as it warped to the point people could trip over it, incoming superintendent and chief operations officer Ray Washington said.
At a March East PTO meeting that was dominated by infrastructural concerns, the then-PTO president Jennifer Latham said it wasn’t just a concern for students.
“When we have grandparents and parents come in for programs, I don’t want somebody to fall and break a hip,” Latham said that evening.
Community Montessori: roofing
Parkview Learning Center: roofing, painting and repairs to cracks
Whitehall Elementary: flooring and painting
-- Lasherica Thornton Lafayette population growth, student enrollment outpacing new school construction-- daily advertiser Louisiana: June 28, 2019 [ abstract] Next year, Woodvale Elementary School students for the first time will walk into 20 brand-new classrooms, part of an expansion of the campus that features the large classroom wing that children don't have to go outside to enter.
It's a $4.7 million construction project that workers are busy building, and one of the $47 million in school classroom additions in Lafayette Parish School System planned to replace some of the portable units that make up 474 temporary classrooms across the district.
Plus, Lafayette plans to open a brand-new elementary school for students in Broussard this fall, and another building has been renovated as a new elementary school in Lafayette.
But none of it is enough.
Lafayette Parish, like districts across the country, is trying to keep up with a growing population of students through new construction, school renovations and even rezoning.
But no matter how it tries, the demand created by an ever-increasing student population is outpacing classroom construction, and one in five Lafayette students must attend classes in portable classrooms.
-- Leigh Guidry $13 billion state bond for school construction targeted for 2020 California ballot-- EdSource California: June 20, 2019 [ abstract] Legislation to put a $13 billion school construction bond on the state ballot next year and a second bond in 2022 moved forward this week with strong support overall from the education community — and a vague promise by the bill’s author to address concerns that state building aid to school districts isn’t equitably distributed.
With $9 billion in state funding from the last state bond, in 2016, either spent or committed, Assembly Bill 48 received unanimous approval of the Senate Education Committee after a short hearing on Wednesday. But important details remain to be fleshed out before the full Senate votes later this summer and Gov. Gavin Newsom has yet to give his opinion of the proposed amount and other aspects of the bill. The size of the second bond also hasn’t been determined. School construction bonds that voters passed in 2002, 2004 and 2006 ranged from $10.4 billion to $13.1 billion.
Under the state school construction program, the state supplements the cost of construction projects that school districts and community colleges fund with bonds raised through local property taxes. The state pays half of the cost of a new school and pays for 60 percent of the cost of renovating a school or college campus.
AB 48 would include preschool facilities in next year’s next bond, and the bill’s author, Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach, who chairs the Assembly Education Committee, confirmed Wednesday that $500 million would be set aside for charter school construction — the same as in the 2016 bond, Proposition 51. There also would be money to fix water systems contaminated by levels of lead violating federal standards. But where the rest of the money would go hasn’t been set. If Prop. 51 is a guide, however, $10 billion would likely go to K-12 districts and $3 billion to community colleges.
-- JOHN FENSTERWALD NC school boards could lose their power to sue counties for construction money-- The News & Observer North Carolina: June 19, 2019 [ abstract] North Carolina school boards could lose the ability to sue county boards of commissioners to get more money for school construction projects.
The state Senate’s budget plan would remove the lawsuit threat that school districts have used over the years to try to get commissioners to increase the amount of money for building and renovating schools. This comes after state lawmakers already voted last year to remove the ability of school boards to sue counties for more money to operate schools.
Now both county governments and school boards are lobbying state lawmakers as they work out a compromise budget. The House had not included the new limit on school boards in its budget.
“Counties have an obligation by statue to provide funding for school construction,” Kevin Leonard, executive director of the N.C. Association of County Commissioners, said in an interview Wednesday. “It’s not like they’re not going to do it.
“Leaders in county government have to provide the facilities that are needed for the county. It’s not up to the school board to decide that.”
But school boards are warning that the loss of the lawsuit threat could put students at risk by not giving schools the leverage to get funding for needed facilities.
-- T. KEUNG HUI Two Burlington schools getting millions of dollars in building improvements-- MyChamplainValley Vermont: June 19, 2019 [ abstract] Two schools in Burlington that share the same campus are in the process of getting millions of dollars in building improvements.
It’s been in the works since Town Meeting Day two years ago, when Burlington voters approved a bond for school infrastructure.
The Burlington School District is nearing the end of year two of its ten-year capital improvement plan. The district developed that plan in July 2017, not long after voters gave it permission to borrow $19 million.
The school district’s property services director, Marty Spaulding, said the bond money is being combined with money the district already had in its budget “to address $39 million of deferred and preventative maintenance needs at all of the schools in the district, with the exception to the high school.”
Spaulding gave the school board a walk-through Tuesday evening of the construction progress at Edmunds Middle School and Edmunds Elementary.
The capital plan includes about $10 million for work at the Edmunds campus, including one project taking place right now. When students return this fall, they’ll go into both buildings through a central entrance that will be compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
-- Mike Hoey State Board Approves $401M for School Construction Projects-- Mile High CRE Colorado: June 18, 2019 [ abstract] The Colorado State Board of Education has approved 43 school construction projects totaling more than $401 million from the Capital construction Assistance Fund for the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grant program that is partially funded by marijuana state excise taxes.
The projects at school districts, BOCES and charter schools from throughout Colorado range from roof and boiler replacements to constructing entire school buildings.
Approximately $129 million of the 2019 awards will be funded through cash grants provided by income earned from the Colorado State Land Board, marijuana excise taxes, spillover from the Colorado Lottery and interest on the assistance fund. Applicants will contribute $110 million in matching funds.
Another $100 million is through lease-purchase grants from the state. Financing will be repaid with future assistance fund revenues. Applicants will contribute $62 million in matching money for those projects.
The grants are intended to improve health, safety, security and technology in public schools. Schools apply for the grants and the Capital construction Assistance Board reviews the applications, prioritizing them and submitting their recommendations to the state board for approval.
Since 2008, BEST has funded 354 grants in 141 school districts for a total of $2.1 billion in projects.
Forty-three projects and three backup projects were selected for the 2019-20 cycle out of 58 grant applications that had requested a total of $437 million in state grant funds with $383 million in matching funds.
-- Staff Writer School Building Authority hands out $6 million for school projects-- MetroNews West Virginia: June 17, 2019 [ abstract] The state School Building Authority handed out more than $6 million in funding Monday for a handful of school construction projects in West Virginia.
The agency had $5 million to allocate under its Major Improvement Projects (MIP) program and just more than $1 million as part of its three-percent grant program.
Both Harrison and Kanawha counties received $1 million MIP grants.
Kanawha County will use its grant for a $3.5 million renovation project at Alum Creek Elementary School, SBA Director of Architectural Services Ben Ashley said.
“They are combining the two buildings with a hallway. They’re moving the office to the front of the school to better process the visitors separately from the students. They are removing a portable classroom and make it one safe facility,” Ashley said.
The $1 million grant going to Harrison County will be part of a $2.5 million impacting Lost Creek Elementary. Ashley said the school will be moved to West Milford where it will use an unused wing of South Harrison Middle School plus a classroom addition to create a new school.
“They’ll be able to house a new school there in its own wing,” Ashley said.
Other MIP grants went to Jefferson, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Wayne and Webster counties.
-- Jeff Jenkins Federal Way district breaks ground on three school construction projects-- Federal Way Mirror Washington: June 13, 2019 [ abstract] Three Federal Way elementary schools broke ground this week, with construction to begin in the coming weeks of summer.
The week kicked off with Wildwood Elementary’s groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, followed by Mirror Lake and Lake Grove.
“It takes an entire village to do this but it [started] with you, the citizens of Federal Way, who gave us the largest bond ever in the history of the school district,” said Geoffery McAnalloy, FWPS School Board president.
Approved by voters in Nov. 2017, a school construction bond of $450 million was allocated to Federal Way Public Schools to improve eight total schools, including Thomas Jefferson High School, Totem and Illahee middle schools, and Olympic View, Lake Grove, Mirror Lake, Star Lake and Wildwood elementary schools, as well as improvements for Memorial Stadium.
Crowds of students, parents and teachers gathered this week at the various school sites to celebrate the new school milestone.
FWPS superintendent Dr. Tammy Campbell and district officials were joined by Mayor Jim Ferrell, Greater Federal Way Chamber of Commerce CEO Becca Martin, South King Fire and Rescue commissioner Bill Fuller, school board members, and City Council members as well as officials from FORMA constructionand Integrus Architecture for the ceremonies.
Each of the new schools have been designed for the 21st century learning experience the scholars of today need, Campbell said.
-- Olivia Sullivan Former inspector general calls for a review of N.J.'s school construction fund. Are we throwing millions of dollars away-- NJ.com New Jersey: June 13, 2019 [ abstract] As Yogi Berra might have said, it’s deja vu all over again at the Schools Development Authority (SDA).
A short 14 years ago, reporters, the public and elected officials were in an uproar about the billions of public dollars spent by the SDA’s predecessor. The $8.6 billion in public funds committed should have been sufficient to build schools in the state’s needy districts, but half of the funds were gone with little to show for those billions: some repairs but not one new school built.
At the time, I was serving as the statewide inspector general, and Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey tasked me to find out how that could have happened. Within weeks, my office delivered a scathing report of government waste and mismanagement at its worst. My office found that:
There were almost no rules governing the SDA;
It was run by private contractors with conflicts of interest;
Well over 200 SDA employees were paid high salaries but had ill-defined or meaningless jobs;
Neither contractors nor employees were accountable for the millions of dollars wasted; SDA managers could spend tens of thousands of dollars without approval; special interest groups were controlling the design process; and more.
-- Opinion - Mary Jane Cooper Duval County Public School proposes $1.9 billion master plan to fix aging schools-- Fox30 Florida: June 12, 2019 [ abstract] JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Duval County School District revealed a new master plan Tuesday aimed to fix aging schools in the district. The “bold” plan includes the construction and renovations of dozens of schools, totaling at approximately $1.9 billion.
In January, Action News Jax reported DCPS had the oldest school buildings in the state. The Assistant Superintendent of Operations said the district was working to maintain these buildings with a lack of funding.
Collaboration of expert research and community feedback, Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene presented her recommendation for a master plan to the school board Tuesday.
Her statement said in part, “It is a collaborative vision that represents the hours of tireless work from staff as well as the passionate input from our community. It also reflects what I truly believe is a better future for our children and for our community."
The four main highlights of the proposal include construction, consolidation, reduction, and safety enhancements.
-- Elizabeth Pace Post-merger districts mull small school closures-- VTDigger Vermont: June 09, 2019 [ abstract] In the seven-town Addison Central School District, school board officials will spend the summer thinking about a wholesale redesign to tackle growing deferred maintenance needs and steadily declining enrollments.
On the more radical end, officials imagine sending students from all seven of the district’s existing elementaries into one, centralized facility. On the other, they imagine whittling down to four to six elementaries.
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District-wide, almost 40% of classroom space is going unused, according to a district analysis, and enrollments are projected to continue to decline. The ACSD’s facilities also need an estimated $60 million for maintenance and upgrades.
“The status quo is not sustainable financially and from a student equity standpoint,” said ACSD board chair Peter Conlon.
Addison Central isn’t the only district in Vermont having this conversation. And with many districts now unified across several towns, school officials are thinking about reconfiguring grades, offering choice between schools, and generally taking a more regional approach to delivering education.
Vermont’s schools are generally quite old, and with the state’s school construction aid program on indefinite hiatus now for about a decade, facilities face a slew of deferred maintenance needs. With mergers behind them, consolidated districts are increasingly thinking about bonding for big renovation projects. That’s made officials take a hard look at the facilities they have – and think seriously about whether their footprints shouldn’t shrink.
Lawmakers in the House Education Committee took days of testimony on school construction needs in the most recent legislative session. They didn’t ultimately advance any legislation, but Conlon, ranking member of the committee, expects the topic to be picked up again next year.
Talk of closing schools in the ACSD has been met with particular trepidation in Ripton, the smallest town in the district. Laurie Cox, its Selectboard chair, thinks maybe the local pushback comes from the town’s particularly strong sense of community.
-- Lola Duffort Longview schools anticipate $4M spike in cost for bond projects-- TDN.com Washington: June 08, 2019 [ abstract] Longview school officials are predicting a $4 million increase in the cost to build two new elementary schools in the district due to poor soil conditions and higher-than-expected construction costs.
But there is still time for the school board to revise its bond proposal to account for the difference before voters cast ballots on it in November.
A soil study, conducted at the Mint Valley Elementary School construction site, suggests that almost $2.4 million more will be needed for building foundations due to poor soil conditions.
The district’s construction consultants anticipate that another $1.6 million will be needed to cover a rise in the cost for construction materials and labor.
The Longview School District is not alone in the price spikes, as several other Cowlitz County construction projects rose in cost over the last year due to unstable soil conditions and quickly increasing construction costs.
-- Mallory Gruben School repairs begin with boost from new Alachua County sales tax-- The Gainesville Sun Florida: June 08, 2019 [ abstract] As summer begins, changes are underway for some Alachua County Public Schools now that more than six months have passed since voters approved a half-cent school facilities tax.
The more ambitious construction and demolition projects are still a long way out, but a few schools have begun to reap some of the benefits of the tax revenue, which began collecting in January.
Portable classrooms are sprinkled throughout the parking lot at Gainesville High School while crews install a new heating and air conditioning system in the ninth-grade center. Some buildings at Duval Early Learning Academy also will have a new HVAC system, as well as some roof replacements.
The media center at Howard Bishop Middle School has already gotten a new roof.
“It was amazing,” said Principal Mike Gamble. “They were able to do it in three weekends without disrupting anything.”
The sales tax, passed last November with support from 68% of those who voted, will generate $22 million for school infrastructure over each of the next 12 years.
The first check from tax proceeds arrived in late March, with $5.2 million collected so far. The projects underway now are funded through both the half-cent sales tax revenue as well as property taxes dedicated to school capital improvements.
Also coming this summer is a remodel of two rooms at Kanapaha Middle School and a resurfacing of the school bus lot at Stephen Foster Elementary.
Small as the changes may be, both Gamble and district officials say the process of spending taxpayer money is a slow and methodical one.
-- Sarah Nelson Erie’s Public School District is preparing for a major three year renovation project-- YourErie.com Pennsylvania: June 07, 2019 [ abstract] Erie’s Public School District is preparing for another major construction project scheduled to start on Monday, June 10th. The project has been in the works since the 2017-2018 school year.
Starting Monday, the school district parking lots are going to see a lot of vehicles and not because of students. The district is starting phase one of a phase three construction projects. The project will cost the EPSD $80.7-million. Some of the renovations include Wilson middle and Harden elementary, both will get a new roof and brick repointing.
Mckinley and Lincoln will see renovated parking lots. Erie High, Lincoln and Edison will receive new emergency generators. One major renovation happening is at veterans stadium.
“We’re redoing all of the concrete,” said Erie’s Public School District Director of Operations Neil Brockman.”Restoring it so that looks good and is safe for everybody.”
These improvements have been in the works since the 2017-2018 school year according to Brockman. The district has been working closely with HHSDR Architect to develop the plan. Contracts for the bids started at the beginning of the year. The project will start on Monday and run through the summer and continue through academic school year for phase one of the project.
Brockman say the renovations are being done focus around the concept of “Warm, Safe and Dry.”
-- Staff Writer Manchester voters approve $47 million school modernization project-- Hartford Courant Connecticut: June 04, 2019 [ abstract] Voters on Tuesday approved a $47 million bond issue for the renovation and expansion of three elementary schools — the second phase of a district-wide modernization and consolidation of school facilities.
Although only about 9 percent of voters turned out, unofficial results showed they voted 2-1 in favor of the spending, which had bipartisan support on the boards of directors and education.
“This is a great day for Manchester, a great day for our children,” Mayor Jay Moran said. “Manchester spoke again, and Manchester said education is important.”
The approved bonding will pay for “like new” renovations and expansions at Buckley, Bowers, and Keeney elementary schools and the beginning of efforts to renovate three other school buildings that are closed or will be closed for other uses. The total cost will be $93 million, and local taxpayers will be responsible for $47 million after state reimbursement.
Officials say the plan meets the goals of placing all children in modern schools, sustains state-mandated racial balance, keeps class sizes at 17 to 22 students, leaves room at each renovated school for enrollment growth and maximizes state reimbursement for construction costs.
-- JESSE LEAVENWORTH Windle says it could take years to implement county school renovations-- The Outlook Alabama: June 01, 2019 [ abstract] All buildings in the Tallapoosa County School System need some type of renovation and it’s going to take a long time to finish those projects due to funding, according to superintendent Joe Windle.
Windle presented a $34 million wish list to the Tallapoosa County Commission in March which listed renovations and projects from a facilities assessment. He said if the county commission will reaffirm the 1-cent sales tax devoted to schools for 25 to 30 years the school system can secure $25 million in long-term financing for the renovations and capital projects.
Q. What are the specifics of the $34 million wish list for county schools?
A. That wish list was based on the facilities assessment that was completed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood, which did a complete assessment of our facilities across the county system. We used their estimate and then our own judgment because we’ve been looking at these facilities for 10 years now and really our capital plan has been a wish list because we did not have the funding to fund the (projects) that are on our list, especially new construction and major renovations. In the capital plan, which requires a funding source, all of our funding sources were unknown. But with the passage of the 1-cent sales tax for education in May of 2015 we began to dig our way out of the financial difficulties that we were in.
For example, (Reeltown Elementary School’s building) is over 90 years old. We have over 500 students in that building. It’s heated by a boiler producing steam heat and is the oldest active boiler system in a school in the state of Alabama.
One of our gyms is over 60 years old, another of our gyms is over 50 years old and both of those gyms are competitive gyms and the only gyms on that particular campus. (Reeltown’s band room) originally was a canning plant.
-- Gabrielle Jansen Years of inadequate funding have left many school facilities neglected-- Education Drive National: May 31, 2019 [ abstract]
- Many students in Virginia and other parts of the nation are attending school in substandard or even dangerous conditions because of a lack of funding for maintaining, updating, or building school facilities, the Washington Post reports. A 2013 study found that it would require more than $18 billion to renovate schools more than 30 years old in Virginia alone, and a 2014 federal study indicated that 53% of the nation’s schools were in need of repairs and upgrades. Estimates for addressing these school facility needs range from $197 billion to $542 billion.
- Schools that are not properly maintained or replaced can contribute to health problems in students and teachers, impact attendance rates at the schools and interfere with a student’s ability to learn. Neglected schools also impact student and teacher morale and are often indicative of equity issues, with schools in more affluent — and white communities — often better maintained than in low-income, minority neighborhoods.
- Some states and cities are increasing funding for school capital projects by raising local taxes or diverting more state funding to school construction. But some bond referendums have failed, and the additional funds that are made available are inadequate to meet the need. Some school districts are pursuing public-private partnerships to help address the issue and, at the federal level, Congress is considering investing $100 billion over a 10-year period to rebuild public schools.
-- AMELIA HARPER Provision in Senate budget would prevent school boards from suing counties over capital outlay-- The Progressive Pulse North Carolina: May 29, 2019 [ abstract] In North Carolina, county commissioners hold the purse strings of the state’s 115 school districts.
A provision hidden in the N.C. Senate budget document would further expand commissioner’s authority over districts by stripping them of the right to sue counties over insufficient appropriations for building construction, repair and renovation needs.
The Senate released its two-year spending plan on Tuesday. It is expected to approve a budget by week’s end.
School boards across the state are being asked by the North Carolina School Board Association (NCSBA) to contact state senators to let them know they oppose the provision.
“While the court process has been used infrequently, it removes the pressure and incentive for county commissioners to work with school boards at every stage of the process to address school capital needs,” the NCSBA explained in an email message to school leaders.
The NCSBA is the professional organization that represents local boards of education in North Carolina.
It warned that if the provision is approved as part of the state budget, school districts could pay a severe penalty.
-- Greg Childress School officials advocating for construction grant re-establishment-- My Journal Courier Georgia: May 28, 2019 [ abstract] Several school officials are advocating for the re-establishment of a grant that would help fund school construction projects. For some, this is a chance to get money that was promised in fiscal year 2004 before the grant was discontinued.
Jacksonville District 117 Superintendent Steve Ptacek has been working with a group of superintendents advocating for the state to honor the final school construction grant made in 2004.
“Jacksonville was on the priority funding list for fiscal year 2004,” Ptacek said. “That list was never funded.”
According to Ptacek, the list created for Fiscal Year 2004 had 52 underlined schools, meaning those schools were on the previous 2003 list, but were not funded due to lack of funds.
“Jacksonville was on the fiscal year 2003 list and moved to the 2004 list with a priority placement,” Ptacek said. “If they are going to fund the grant, they need to honor their commitment to the schools on that list first."
-- Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree State funding delayed for years? Warren County district looks at other options for building new schools-- Journal-News Ohio: May 25, 2019 [ abstract] A slowdown in state funding for new school buildings won’t be a deterrent in plans being developed by the Franklin Board of Education.
On Monday, the board voted to move forward with a new building project through the state’s Expedited Local Partnership Program, which allows the project could be done in phases with the local share of funding being used up front to begin or do smaller projects until the state funding is available through the Ohio Facilities construction Commission.
District officials were told April 3 that the Classroom Facilities Assistance Program would not be able to assist Franklin schools for until 2027 with its estimated $120 million project for new or renovated buildings.
A Journal-News review of state records recently showed that a jump in school districts winning voter approval of local school funding projects last year combined with uncertainty surrounding future state funding from Ohio’s pending biennium budget, which must be approved by June 30, has forced OFCC officials into a slowdown.
“It’s simply a matter of more demand than available funding,” said Rick Savors, spokesman for the OFCC, said at the time.
-- Ed Richter SPOTLIGHT: THE STATE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES IN NJ-- NJ Spotlight New Jersey: May 24, 2019 [ abstract] With the Schools Development Authority engulfed in scandal and all but out of funds, when will there be money to fix this Paterson school and others like it?
Under our new partnership, NJ Spotlight is teaming up with NJTV News to jointly cover critical public policy issues in New Jersey. This is the first of our “Spotlight” features that aims to bring perspective to core topics and debates, this time on the state of New Jersey’s school facilities.
Given the recent scandal over hirings, firings and tapped-out finances at New Jersey’s Schools Development Authority, the date is striking on the cupola of Paterson’s School No. 14: 1886.
Yes, 1886 — a school built just after the Reconstruction period continues to serve about 270 elementary school students in one of New Jersey’s largest cities. The basement auditorium doubles as a lunchroom. And the library isn’t a lot more than a bookshelf in the second-floor hallway.
The condition of School No.14 and of many schools in New Jersey came into stark relief last month, as the Murphy administration fended off questions over personnel practices at the SDA, the agency charged with overseeing school construction across the state.
-- JOHN MOONEY Longterm Washington County Public Schools plan could close, consolidate 6 schools-- Herald-Mail Media Maryland: May 23, 2019 [ abstract] A facilities master plan under review by the Washington County Board of Education recommends replacing or modernizing one school every two years starting in 2024.
That’s one of the proposals in the 2019 Educational Facilities Master Plan that board members reviewed this week.
School officials say that unless construction plans begin in the next few years, many of its 47 school buildings will fall increasingly behind in repair and replacement.
The plan also recommends closing or consolidating school populations to reduce both construction and operating costs — saving $3 million or more in annual operating expenses once the initial plan is approved, according to Robert Rollins, director of facilities maintenance and operations.
The master plan is updated and submitted yearly to the Maryland Department of Planning and the Maryland State Department of Education’s Public School construction Program.
The focus of WCPS’ 10-year plan includes some of the 24 out of 47 school buildings either constructed or last modernized in the 1970s or earlier, he said.
The 2018 facilities master plan brought up the proposal for three “prototype” elementary schools that would close six aging schools and build three new facilities in two-year intervals, each combining two of the older schools.
The prototype design, replicated for each new school, would help lower overall design costs and allow flexibility with future enrollment changes, officials said.
-- Alexis Fitzpatrick New Philadelphia nears decision on school facilities master plan-- TimesReporter.com Ohio: May 23, 2019 [ abstract] NEW PHILADELPHIA After receiving feedback from more than 1,200 individuals, the New Philadelphia City School District is nearing a decision on the adoption of a master plan to improve its aging facilities.
Members of the board of education hope to adopt a plan by the end of June.
“We’re getting close to a decision, but we still have to analyze the data,” Superintendent David Brand said.
“With aging facilities, overcrowding and security concerns, we knew we needed to do something, but the question was what,” he said. “We’re whittling down the options.”
The district is running out of space because it has a growing student population. Enrollment is up 12 percent to 14 percent over the last four years. To cope with this situation, the district is utilizing every space available in its buildings. For instance, at West Elementary all fourth- and fifth-grade students are attending classes in modular trailers.
The district conducted a series of more than 25 public meetings over the past several months to gather input from New Philadelphia residents.
The board is weighing a number of options:
n Do nothing and make necessary repairs to the district’s buildings, which would cost around $14.5 million;
n Take advantage of an offer from the state of Ohio to pay 55 percent of the cost of constructing new buildings to unify the district and reduce operations expenses; n Or a combination of the two other options.
-- Jon Baker Oregon Voters Approve Taxes To Help Local Schools-- OPB Oregon: May 22, 2019 [ abstract] With turnout dipping below 15% in some parts of the state, school administrators can be grateful that the Oregonians who did cast ballots were largely supporters of public education.
School bonds and levies were passing across Oregon in the May election Wednesday morning.
Election Funds School construction In Rural Districts
Seven out of eight bonds for school construction were passing Wednesday, many by large majorities. Oregon’s larger districts, like Portland, Beaverton and Salem-Keizer have passed bonds in recent years and are already carrying out significant construction efforts to replace or update their aging buildings.
The construction bonds passing in May 2019 are mostly in small rural school districts. The small Umatilla County district of Stanfield won the approval of a $14 million bond, after three years of planning. It’ll total $18 million of construction money, thanks to a $4 million match from the state. Stanfield’s construction plans focus on replacing modular buildings, improving safety with secure vestibules at building entrances, and removing asbestos and lead pipes, according to the district.
-- Rob Manning and Elizabeth Miller Worsening Napa Valley Unified finances could stop new American Canyon middle school construction-- Napa Valley Register California: May 22, 2019 [ abstract] AMERICAN CANYON — Current and projected declines in Napa Valley Unified School District enrollment could cost American Canyon a new middle school that was to break ground this summer, with still more district budget cuts possible.
The school district has money to build the school from the 2016 Measure H bond and the project was moving full steam ahead early this year. But Superintendent Rosanna Mucetti on Monday said the district doesn’t have the $2.2 million needed annually to run the school, not without cutting programs.
Mucetti tied the American Canyon situation to larger district budget challenges. The district’s reserve of 3.6 percent is close to the state-mandated 3 percent it must maintain to avoid the possibility of state receivership and the loss of local control, she said.
“NVUSD right now is on the cusp of that potential reality, like many of our district counterparts in the state of California that are suffering from declining enrollment,” Mucetti said.
She talked about the planned, second American Canyon middle school and the district budget situation during a community meeting Tuesday night in the American Canyon High School library. About 75 people attended a session that lasted close to three hours, with Mucetti often stopping to take questions from skeptical listeners.
-- BARRY EBERLING Fairborn Primary to be first school in Ohio with tornado shelter to fit 1,200 students-- abc6 Ohio: May 21, 2019 [ abstract] FAIRBORN, Ohio (WKEF/WRGT) - construction is underway at Fairborn Primary on a building that will house a tornado shelter capable of fitting 1,200 students inside. Once it's completed, it will be the first school in Ohio to have such a shelter.
The shelter will be in the school's gym and has concrete walls that are three times as thick as regular cinder blocks. The concrete will also be reinforced with steel.
Jeff Patrick with Fairborn City Schools says the shelter will be able to withstand 250 mile per hour winds, which is equivalent to an EF 5 tornado. The contractor for the job is SHP out of Cincinnati, is consulting with an engineering first out of Wichita, Kansas in order to make sure the structure can withstand such intense winds.
Normally students are discouraged to take shelter in a school gym because the ceiling can be torn off by high winds. However, the new shelter at Fairborn Primary has a roof with a special design, "The roof deck will be made of concrete which will prevent from an uplift during a tornado and so that should be as safe as any area in Fairborn City Schools," said Patrick.
-- Christina Schaefer Options for Newport school buildings offered ahead of community meetings-- NewportRI.com Rhode Island: May 21, 2019 [ abstract] NEWPORT — As the community prepares to replace Rogers High School, it must decide whether it wants to take down the current school and build a new one, or completely renovate the existing school and make additions.
The community also must determine how it wants to configure the grades in the coming decade, meaning which grades would be in each of the three school buildings since there is currently a space crunch at both Pell Elementary School and Thompson Middle School that will get progressively worse by 2029, according to a demographer’s forecast.
Those two critical decisions must be made soon as the process moves forward to present a bond referendum to the voters in November 2020, project architect Kate Jessup with StudioJAED of Providence told members of the Ad Hoc School Building Committee on Monday night.
Just to repair Rogers as it is now, without accommodating new educational needs, would cost $76 million in 2019 dollars, Jessup said. But the cost of construction escalates every year, so after a bond issue is passed and the repairs are made, it could cost close to $100 million, she said.
Complete renovation and additions could cost almost as much as new construction.
An earlier study determined a new high school would require 235,000 square feet. If that were the case, a new high school would cost about $139 million, while phased-in renovation and additions would cost $136 million, Jessup said.
However, she said the architects are now estimating 175,000 to 200,000 square feet can be built and meet all state educational requirements, so construction costs would decrease accordingly.
As for grade configurations, one option would be to have an early childhood center of kindergarten and pre-kindergarten on the new high school campus, a proposal that has a lot of support in the community, Jessup said.
She said teachers and students in the Newport Area Career & Technical Center would love the opportunity to offer an early childhood care program that would allow high school students to work with the early childhood center.
-- Sean Flynn Study: Repeal of prevailing wage produced no significant savings to WV-- Charleston Gazette-Mail West Virginia: May 21, 2019 [ abstract] Rather than allowing the state to build five schools for the price of three, as some proponents claimed, repeal of the state’s prevailing wage law has produced only nominal savings to taxpayers, a study released Monday shows.
However, the report, “The Impact of Repealing West Virginia’s Prevailing Wage Law,” found that since the 2016 repeal, wages for most construction workers have declined, apprenticeship training has dropped sharply, on-the-job injuries have increased, and more contracts have gone to out-of-state contractors and subcontractors.
“There are no savings to the taxpayers from repeal of the prevailing wage law,” Steve White, director of the Affiliated construction Trades, said a news conference to release the report.
ACT and the West Virginia State Building Trades Council commissioned the report by Michael Kelsay, economics professor at University of Missouri-Kansas City, and Frank Manzo of the Midwest Economic Policy Institute.
The authors concluded that repeal of prevailing wage, in May 2016, has not had a statistically significant impact on school construction costs, based on analysis of 107 school construction projects bid between July 1, 2015, and June 13, 2018, valued at more than $500,000.
It notes that a report by the state School Building Authority in 2017 also reached a similar conclusion, finding that school construction costs declined marginally, from $255 per square foot to $252 a square foot.
White said the report focused on school construction because it provides an “apples to apples” comparison, as opposed to the diversity of other publicly funded construction projects.
The authors of the study said the West Virginia findings are consistent with the results of 19 of 20 national studies on prevailing wage, which found that prevailing wage had no significant impact on construction costs.
-- Phil Kabler St. Paul schools construction costs skyrocket. What’s the impact and what are the causes?-- Twin Cities Pioneer Press Minnesota: May 18, 2019 [ abstract] An ambitious and costly effort to rehabilitate aging buildings throughout the St. Paul school district has been plagued by staggeringly inaccurate cost estimates, employee turnover and a lack of oversight.
Eighteen high-priority projects alone will cost around $471 million, according to recent estimates — $179 million more than expected two years earlier.
“Every contractor wants to come work for St. Paul Public Schools because it’s frickin’ open checkbook,” said Nan Martin, a former administrative services manager within the facilities department handling the projects.
A Pioneer Press review of planning documents and financial records and interviews with two dozen people connected to the facilities department has found:
The man charged with executing the plan disregarded criticism and staff recommendations, and minimized the projects’ rising costs.
Faulty planning and overspending in facilities have gone largely unchecked as the administrators he reported to have come and gone.
Oversight from elected leaders has been lacking, too, as school board members have rarely challenged the growing costs.
The most striking project so far has been Humboldt High, which is expected to be completed next year.
An early design plan for the addition and renovation estimated total costs at $14.4 million. That number jumped to $26.8 million by spring 2016 and $48 million by fall 2018.
-- JOSH VERGES Edelblut praises signing of school infrastructure fund bill-- Concord Patch New Hampshire: May 15, 2019 [ abstract] CONCORD- New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut today thanked Gov. Chris Sununu for signing HB 357 into law. The bill, which was a top priority for the Department, will allow New Hampshire school districts to use the remaining $19.1 million allocated through the Public School Infrastructure Commission past the June 30th deadline under the previous statute. These grants target school security and other life safety infrastructure projects.
"Schools across New Hampshire are benefitting from these school infrastructure grants,
but not every district was able to put those funds to use before the June 30th
deadline," Edelblut explained. "In some cases, schools aren't able to start
construction until the students go home for the summer. I want to thank the
Governor and Legislature for solving the 'use it or lose it' problem that
districts faced."
-- NH Dept of Education Cleveland picks the six promised elementary schools to axe from school construction plans-- Cleveland.com Ohio: May 14, 2019 [ abstract] CLEVELAND, Ohio – Six new elementary schools the voters were promised when they passed a school construction tax in 2014 will never be built under revised plans Cleveland school district officials have proposed to the school board and public.
The students at most of these schools — all of which have low enrollments, poor grades or aging buildings — will instead be moved to other schools. That will likely happen in the 2020-21 school year, sometimes by relocating an entire special program, or through a merger with another school.
At the same time, two elementary schools originally slated just for minor repairs will see much more benefit than originally planned, with Douglas MacArthur Girls Leadership Academy being replaced with a new school and Gallagher elementary receiving major renovations.
“Schools we had thought about building back in 2013 and ‘14 no longer seem to be appropriate in today’s landscape,” said district CEO Eric Gordon.
Major changes include axing new construction from East Side neighborhoods that already have many open seats in new schools, merging the district’s two boys-only schools, Kenneth Clement and Valley View Boys Leadership Academies, and moving both Tremont Montessori and Dike School of the Arts to existing, but still not identified, buildings.
-- Patrick O'Donnell, The Plain Dealer K-12 advocates join calls for infrastructure spending-- Journal Star Illinois: May 14, 2019 [ abstract] SPRINGFIELD — A group of K-12 education representatives on Tuesday added to the chorus of calls for a statewide capital infrastructure bill that goes beyond road and bridge projects.
At a Capitol press event, the group detailed infrastructure needs at school districts across the state, appearing in front of poster boards with images of outdated and dilapidated Illinois school facilities. They did not, however, give any suggestions as to how the revenue for capital infrastructure projects could be raised.
“I think our role is to show that the need exists across the state pretty widespread, and then show the most effective and efficient ways that we could use the money to enhance educational opportunities,” said Brent Clark, executive director of the Illinois Association of School Administrators. “I think our big job is to rely on the General Assembly to determine the revenues to fund a capital bill.”
In a budget proposal packet distributed by Gov. JB Pritzker in January, K-12 deferred maintenance needs were estimated at $9.3 billion. The state has not passed a capital projects bill since 2009.
Superintendents at the news conference detailed 100-year-old buildings, excessive use of mobile classrooms and crumbling facilities that schools don’t have the funding to correct.
Brian Ganan, superintendent of Komarek School District 94 in North Riverside, said his district’s building was constructed in 1936 and has significant infrastructure issues.
-- Jerry Nowicki Taylor Ranch Elementary could become hurricane evacuation center-- Herald-Tribune Florida: May 14, 2019 [ abstract] VENICE — The fastest way to provide residents in Venice, Englewood and Nokomis with a nearby hurricane shelter is to fortify Taylor Ranch Elementary School.
That was one of several conclusions in an update memo on mid-county hurricane evacuation centers authored by Sarasota County Emergency Services Director Rich Collins that was shared with the Venice City Council on Tuesday by Sarasota County Commission Chairman Charles Hines during a quarterly update briefing.
Hines said that while he has not discussed the memo, which came out Monday, with the other four commissioners, he agreed with its premise.
“To harden that, to me, makes a lot of sense,” Hines said.
Taylor Ranch is one of several options Collins and the emergency management staff has been researching as a potential evacuation center in the Venice area. Sarasota Memorial Hospital has offered land on its new Laurel Road hospital campus for the city and county to partner on building a shelter. The county is also exploring the possibility of constructing a multiuse building that could double as a hurricane shelter and possibly an indoor sports arena — looking both at parcels on Laurel Road and county-owned land in the Pinelands Reserve Area on Knights Trail Road, south of the county landfill.
At a recent Council of Governments luncheon, Hines and Venice Mayor John Holic talked about the possibility of locating such a structure at Wellfield Park, but on Tuesday, Hines said that, at 12 to 13 feet above sea level, Wellfield isn’t high enough.
The council briefly discussed that prospect later in the meeting but tabled the possibility, pending the result of the county’s current efforts.
-- Earle Kimel Voters approve $275M school construction plan for North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale-- Twin Cities Pioneer Press Minnesota: May 14, 2019 [ abstract] Voters on Tuesday approved a far-reaching plan to reconfigure school buildings across the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale district.
The $275 million borrowing plan will finance two new school buildings and seven expansions while closing four existing buildings.
The district said 61 percent of voters and all but one precinct supported the bond election.
The vote will cost the owner of a $200,000 home about $60 in annual property taxes, district officials have said. That figure would be larger but the district is paying off some old construction debt.
Superintendent Christine Osorio said Tuesday night that she had met with 117 groups since December to talk about the plan. Preparations began two years ago, she said, and she got staff and parents to buy in before presenting the proposal to the broader public.
“We spent a lot of time talking to those groups before bringing it forward and actually made some adjustments,” she said. “We built the plan together and that gave us a really good head start.”
Carey Nadeau, a parent who led a vote-yes campaign, said the district’s school buildings are in dire need of improvement.
“We’ve had schools that haven’t had anything done in 50 years. The way that kids learn and the way that teachers teach has changed since then,” she said.
Maplewood retiree Dori Paycer voted no Tuesday morning.
-- JOSH VERGES Eugene School District approves construction timeline for new elementary schools-- The Register-Guard Oregon: May 11, 2019 [ abstract] The Eugene School Board at its last board meeting approved a proposal defining a timeline for rebuilding two of its elementary schools and spending money to create a swing school for students.
Now, when the district rebuilds Edison Elementary and Camas Ridge Community School — in that order — it will teach students at a swing school on the old Willard Elementary School site using portables and a prefabricated building.
The board didn’t take more than a few minutes to unanimously approve the proposal May 1. During discussion, board chairwoman Alicia Hays called back to the board’s discussion of the different options for the two elementary schools’ rebuilds over a series of work sessions and community input meetings.
“I believe this is the fourth time we’ve had the presentation,” said board member Mary Walston. “I think we as a board have made the right decisions.”
In March, the district proposed three options to the board that included co-locating the two schools on one site while they were rebuilt and relocating Camas Ridge altogether about a mile west of its current site. Ultimately, at its work session April 4, the board eliminated these possibilities and looked closer at building a temporary site for students.
The cost of using a combination of portables and a prefabricated building as presented at the April 17 work session would be between $10.5 million and $11.5 million, depending on the number of portables. This cost is not included in the $319 million bond measure.
-- Jordyn Brown State report points out ADA shortcomings at six Bristol, Virginia, school buildings -- Bristol Herald Courier Virginia: May 11, 2019 [ abstract] BRISTOL, Va. — Teachers in a Virginia High School special-needs classroom must use a homemade wooden ramp to push wheelchair-bound students up into a cramped restroom or change the students’ diapers.
In another part of the building, a series of ramps take the place of an elevator as the lone interior connection for wheelchair-bound students, family or staff between the majority of the school and the band room, gym and auditorium.
At Washington-Lee Elementary, anyone in a wheelchair must go outside and down a steep sidewalk to reach lower levels of the school. Built into a hillside, the school has four levels and no elevator.
At Washington-Lee, Highland View and Stonewall Jackson elementary schools, don’t bother looking for a handicapped-accessible bathroom — they don’t exist. That’s why all students who require one attend Van Pelt Elementary, which has one such restroom for each gender.
At Virginia Middle School, a person entering the school through the main entrance is immediately faced with up and down stairways — forcing anyone in a wheelchair to go around the building to another entrance.
None of Bristol, Virginia’s six public school buildings even remotely comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. They are grandfathered in until significant construction occurs within their walls. So work has long been delayed because it would trigger federal requirements to come into compliance and the city simply cannot afford to pay that bill.
-- David McGee Competition tight for Lehigh Valley school construction projects as demand outpaces supply-- The Morning Call Pennsylvania: May 09, 2019 [ abstract] In mid-March, a pair of major Lehigh Valley school construction projects went out to bid within days of one another.
Both projects are designed to address pressing needs in two aging school buildings. In the Northampton Area School District, it means the construction of a new Lehigh Elementary School building. In the Whitehall-Coplay School District, it means a complicated, phased plan to upgrade the high school’s roof, HVAC system and more.
But only one of the projects will get done on schedule.
That’s because Northampton school officials saw bids for the $34 million Lehigh Elementary School come back about $200,000 shy of estimates, while Whitehall-Coplay’s school board was forced to rethink its renovation project and reject bids when they came back $5 million over budget.
While it’s not unusual for a renovation to cost more than building anew, the gulf between the two projects is a sign of what may be the most competitive construction market for Lehigh Valley school districts in years. The demand, combined with a booming economy, a labor shortage and the rising cost of building materials, is changing the calculus for school officials as they embark on costly new projects.
-- SARAH M. WOJCIK Lawmakers consider repealing law that cuts prevailing wages on school construction projects-- Las Vegas Now Nevada: May 06, 2019 [ abstract] LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Four years ago, Republicans in charge of Nevada's legislature passed a significant change to Nevada's laws requiring workers on school construction projects be paid the prevailing wage.
Under the change, those workers only got 90 percent of whatever the prevailing wage was, and the rules didn't kick in until a project cost at least $250,000. Prevailing wage laws are very important to labor unions, and labor unions are a big Democratic constituency, so the passage of that 2015 law to cut prevailing wages on school projects was a big blow.
-- Steve Sebelius With $8.5 billion work backlog, Pr. George’s schools look to public-private partnerships-- The Washington Post Maryland: May 05, 2019 [ abstract] Prince George’s County is on track to become the first jurisdiction in the United States to use a public-private partnership to build and maintain several of its public schools — a move officials say will speed construction and decrease the system’s estimated $8.5 billion maintenance and construction backlog.
The decision comes amid increasing frustration about aging schools in the populous Washington suburb and growing discussion in Maryland surrounding public-private partnerships, which are being used to build the Purple Line light-rail system and which Gov. Larry Hogan (R) wants to use to build toll lanes on the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270.
Christian Rhodes, chief of staff to interim Prince George’s schools chief Monica Goldson, said the county wants to hire a private company to manage construction of five to seven new schools this fall.
By removing the bureaucratic hurdles typically involved in school construction — including several procurement processes — and giving one company a contract to build multiple schools, construction costs should decrease, proponents of the idea say.
The private company that the school system selects will design the building and finance its construction; county and state funding, including for payments to the contractor, will kick in once students are in the building. The schools will have to meet the same safety and code regulations as all school system buildings.
Officials say the schools will be built 14 years faster than if the school system was running the process, and at an estimated 15 to 20 percent lower cost. The locations for the schools — some new and some replacing existing buildings — have not been determined by the school system.
-- Rachel Chason Donald and McKay open to modifying school construction fees bill-- The Frederick News-Post Maryland: May 04, 2019 [ abstract] Two Frederick County Council members are currently working on a bill that would increase school construction fees—but by how much, and over what period of time, is still being determined.
Councilmen Jerry Donald (D) and Steve McKay (R) initially introduced a bill for discussion in March, but Councilmen Phil Dacey (R) and Michael Blue (R) expressed concern about how much fees were increasing.
School construction fees, also known as mitigation fees, are paid for by developers who want to build in areas where schools are crowded. They also have failed the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (AFPO), which determines various tests developers must pass with regard to infrastructure and growth needs, including in areas where schools might be at risk of crowding.
Under Donald and McKay’s initially proposed legislation, the fees increase by either hundreds or thousands of dollars, depending on the type of property and what type of school is near it.
Now, they are considering phasing the increase over two or three years, based off their colleagues’ concerns.
“If we did it over a couple of years, and we put in mechanisms so that it would get to where it should be in two years, then we would come up with a solution we can all live with,” Donald said of one example.
-- Steve Bohnel Marietta City Schools shares school construction, levy plan-- The Marietta Times Ohio: May 03, 2019 [ abstract] The Marietta City Schools board of education Thursday morning disclosed the broad outlines of a project that would replace all the system’s aging buildings with a single new campus.
The board intends to put a levy to pay for the local share of the project on the Nov. 5 election ballot.
The district’s six classroom buildings – four elementary schools, a middle school and a high school – range in age from 105 years (Washington Elementary, 1912) to 53 years (Marietta High School, the most recent structure, built in 1966). Those buildings have a capacity of 4,500 students, and this year’s enrollment in the district is about 2,600.
The aging buildings have become an obstruction to improving education in the district on several fronts, the board and administration said at the special board meeting.
“We have real class-size disparities,” said superintendent Will Hampton. “There might be classes of 26 or 27 students in one building, 16 or 17 in another, and that’s something I can’t balance. To fix that, we need to come together, even the playing field.”
The proposal is to put up a single new building for all grades that would be divided into several distinct areas to separate elementary, middle and high school levels. The district is working toward an agreement with Washington State Community College for 49 acres at the upper end of its property, contingent on passage of the levy to finance the project. That agreement is expected to be brought to the board at its May 20 meeting, board president Doug Mallett said.
-- MICHAEL KELLY OP-ED: NOW IS THE TIME TO FUND SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION-- NJSpotlight New Jersey: May 02, 2019 [ abstract] As the governor moves to re-staff the SDA, he must find committed, experienced professionals who can manage large-scale public-building programs or design and construction of school facilities.
The Schools Development Authority, or SDA, has been in the news lately. But as politicians argue over control of the agency, the state’s constitutional obligation to provide and fund safe and adequate school facilities remains in full force and effect.
New Jersey’s school construction program has its genesis in the 1997 ruling by the state Supreme Court in the landmark Abbott v. Burke school-funding lawsuit. In that ruling, the Court found that students in the state’s high-poverty, racially isolated, urban districts were consigned to “dilapidated, unsafe and overcrowded” school buildings, many of which were in a “grave state of disrepair.” After years of inaction by lawmakers, the Court ordered the state to “finance the construction and renovation” of needed building improvements to give students safe and adequate environments in which to learn.
-- David Sciarra OUR VIEW: Schools need storm shelters-- McAlester News-Capital Oklahoma: May 02, 2019 [ abstract] State lawmakers and local school district officials must find a way to ensure schools throughout Oklahoma are prepared for violent weather.
A quality education will remain job one for school district officials and state legislators. Safety is a close second.
Storm shelters save lives. But there are not enough of them throughout Pittsburg County.
Nine school districts in Pittsburg County have storm shelters, safe rooms or cellars — Canadian, Crowder, Haileyville, Hartshorne, Indianola, Kiowa, Krebs, Pittsburg and Quinton.
There are districts — including McAlester and Tannehill — with storm shelters or safe rooms under construction or in the planning stages.
Parents must feel confident that if violent weather strikes that their children are in a safe place. In some cases, a storm shelter at school would be safer than being at home.
-- Editorial Top construction projects for Howard schools to be funded, but officials voice concern for future needs-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: May 01, 2019 [ abstract] While Howard County Executive Calvin Ball’s capital budget touts millions of dollars to fulfill the school system’s top construction project requests for fiscal 2020, school officials are concerned for the future.
“Although [fiscal] 2020 provides the dollars necessary to move Talbott Springs, high school 13 and Hammond High School forward, I can’t look at that alone without looking at 2021 and 2022 because there are additional costs to accrue and those balloon if those dollars aren't there,” schools Superintendent Michael Martirano said during a work session with the school system and the County Council on Monday.
“I don’t want us to be lulled into the level that everything is fine because then the dollars we requested for the $92 million for this year were predicated on balancing the dollars for the future years,” he added. “What comes home to roost in the out-years is a concern for us.”
In September, the county Board of Education adopted a $92.3 million fiscal 2020 capital budget request, a $626.9 million 2021-25 capital improvement program request, and a 10-year master plan for capital improvements or major construction projects of nearly $1.3 billion.
Martirano said, “We have a pretty articulated 10-year plan but every year it changes based upon the fiscal realities of our county … I feel confident that we are moving in the right direction but also this is not going to yield results right away.”
Ball last month announced his inaugural capital improvement program spending plan for fiscal 2020, which begins July 1, including $54.6 million for the school system.
-- Jess Nocera Detroit schools face tough choices with too many repairs, not enough money-- The Detroit News Michigan: April 29, 2019 [ abstract] Detroit — Detroit’s public school district is struggling with two realities: Most of its buildings are broken, but it can’t collect a single penny of taxes to address nearly $543 million in needed repairs.
Inoperable boilers. Corroded plumbing fixtures. Missing ceiling tiles in classrooms. Exterior walls with cracks. Roof leaks. Incomplete fire alarm systems. Electrical panels in classrooms known to be fire hazards.
These expensive, growing capital needs exist across 100 school buildings at the Detroit Public School Community District where facilities were neglected for nearly a decade under emergency management.
Waiting another four years to deal with widespread poor building conditions would cause the price to soar to nearly $1.5 billion, according to an assessment by engineering consulting firm OHM Advisors.
But waiting is what DPSCD must do. The district cannot issue debt to fund school construction through the state’s School Bond Loan Fund — the program most Michigan schools use to fund expensive school construction — because it has already borrowed the maximum permitted by law.
At Moses Field Center, the school's HVAC system had a significant leak which needed immediate attention before the pump fails, according to a report. Repairs in 2018 were estimated at $22,840, but in 2023 the system will need $2,021,690 in work.
At Moses Field Center, the school's HVAC system had a significant leak which needed immediate attention before the pump fails, according to a report. Repairs in 2018 were estimated at $22,840, but in 2023 the system will need $2,021,690 in work.
Faced with the conundrum of needing to provide safe and adequate facilities for students and staff without having access to the state fund, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti is moving ahead with a two-part plan: spend $9.7 million to make repairs at 46 school buildings using general funds and then ask the community to decide the fate of what is left to fix.
Starting next month, Vitti said the district will hold meetings across the community to ask parents and residents whether and how to fix the remaining schools; whether to close, consolidate or build new schools, or seek an alternative financial solution in Lansing.
"We need to have an honest conversation with the community based on the amount of money needed to upgrade the facilities," Vitti said. "Is this where the investment should be? Or where should it be? Is there an opportunity to consolidate? Should we maintain?"
-- Jennifer Chambers How crumbling school facilities perpetuate inequality -- Phi Delta Kappan National: April 29, 2019 [ abstract] With Congress and the president pledging to address America’s long-term infrastructure needs, the challenges of maintaining school facilities are gaining more visibility. It is about time, too, because our public school facility infrastructure needs significant upgrading. The average public school building was built around 1968 — more than 50 years ago — and the National Center for Education Statistics reports that half of all public schools in the United States need at least one major facility repair (Alexander & Lewis, 2014). The American Society of Civil Engineers (2017) gave our public K-12 infrastructure a quality grade of D+ on their 2017 Infrastructure Report Card.
However, despite tremendous needs, many of our schools lack the funds to renovate or modernize their obsolete and crumbling facilities. The State of Our Schools 2016 report documents a $38-billion-per-year shortfall on capital investments for public school construction and an additional $8-billion gap in maintenance and operations spending (Filardo, 2016). This spending gap has worsened in recent years. States and localities cut capital spending for elementary and secondary schools nationally by nearly $21 billion, or 26%, between fiscal years 2008 and 2016, after adjusting for inflation (Leachman, 2018).
How the condition of school buildings affects education
The Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education stated in a 2014 Dear Colleague letter that:
Structurally sound and well-maintained schools can help students feel supported and valued. Students are generally better able to learn and remain engaged in instruction, and teachers are better able to do their jobs, in well-maintained classrooms that are well-lit, clean, spacious, and heated and air-conditioned as needed. In contrast, when classrooms are too hot, too cold, overcrowded, dust-filled, or poorly ventilated, students and teachers suffer.
Decades of research confirm that the conditions and qualities of school facilities affect students, teachers, and overall academic achievement. In their review of the peer-reviewed literature, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health conclude that “the evidence is unambiguous — the school building influences student health, thinking, and performance” (Eitland et al., 2017).
-- Mary Filardo, Jeffrey M. Vincent, and Kevin J. Sul Pelosi, Schumer Pitch for Infrastructure Spending Includes Schools-- Education Week National: April 29, 2019 [ abstract] Ahead of a meeting with President Donald Trump this week on infrastructure, the top two Democrats in Congress want to make sure that schools get consideration if the federal government takes action.
In a Monday letter to Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., name-checked school infrastructure in a list of areas where improvements to infrastructure are vital for the country's future.
"To truly be a gamechanger for the American people, we should go beyond transportation and into broadband, water, energy, schools, housing and other initiatives," Pelosi and Schumer told Trump.
The Washington Post reported that among the Democrats slated to meet with Trump about infrastructure is Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who is the top Democrat on the Senate education committee. She might be as good as, or better than, any other lawmaker in the meeting to make the case for any big infrastructure spending bill to include schools. Trump himself talked up the idea of spending money to fix up schools when he ran for president, but when his administration has floated general ideas for infrastructure, schools haven't made the list.
House Democrats have introduced legislation that would authorize federal aid for school repair, construction, and modernization. Earlier this year, the House education committee backed legislation to provide $100 billion for K-12 infrastructure, including $70 billion in direct federal spending.
-- Andrew Ujifusa Lancaster schools celebrate new junior high with groundbreaking ceremony-- Lancaster Eagle Gazette Ohio: April 26, 2019 [ abstract] LANCASTER - Although the weather was grim and gloomy, the future looked bright as officials and students gathered to officially kick off construction of the new General Sherman Junior High.
Steve Wigton, Lancaster City Schools superintendent, said he's glad they could finally hold the commemorative event for the new building.
"It feels great that we can do this, our seventh ceremony," he said. "And I really have a sense of gratitude for the community for allowing us to do this for our students."
The crowd gathered in the future parent drop-off area, listening to speeches from elected officials and music by some of the district's students.
Wigton pointed out features of the school, where certain rooms and programs would be located, as well as where the school's football field, track, and baseball and softball diamond would be.
-- Barrett Lawlis Murphy Names Da Silva Acting CEO of Schools Development Authority-- Insider NJ New Jersey: April 26, 2019 [ abstract] Governor Phil Murphy today named Manuel Da Silva Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Schools Development Authority. Da Silva will then be considered by the board to serve on an interim basis.
“The SDA funds and manages the construction, modernization, and renovation of school facilities all across New Jersey,” said Murphy. “I’m proud to support this critical work by recommending Manuel Da Silva as Acting SDA CEO, helping New Jersey students and educators benefit from world-class educational facilities.”
“I am thrilled to be recommended by Governor Murphy to serve the SDA as Acting CEO,” said Da Silva. “Providing the best possible educational facilities to the students of New Jersey is a responsibility I take very seriously. I look forward to taking on this challenge and leveraging my experience in construction and organizational management to support our children.”
Da Silva replaces Lizette Delgado Polanco, who resigned earlier this week after an embattled tenure.
“I am confident Manny has the construction experience and the right temperament to guide the SDA through this period of transition,” said SDA Board Chair Rob Nixon. “Manny is well regarded by the Board and I look forward to their approval of him becoming Interim CEO.”
The governor’s office offered Da Silva as a leader in the construction industry and executive with over 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors. Da Silva joined the SDA in 2010 as a senior manager in the engineering section. He went on to serve as Program Director of Program Operations, with responsibility for the management of capital projects. In 2017, he was named Vice President of construction Operations, where he’s overseen all capital construction, facilities projects, and emergent projects.
-- Staff Writer Santa Rosa School Board wants county to help fund new school-- nwfdailynews.com Florida: April 26, 2019 [ abstract] MILTON — Santa Rosa County School District officials want the county to impose impact fees up to $5,000 on each new single-family home built in the fast-growing county to pay for new schools.
Superintendent of Schools Tim Wyrosdick said its half-cent sales tax that generates about $7.6 million annually fails to generate enough revenue to buy land and build new schools. During a presentation to School Board members Thursday, he said from 2017 to 2025 the county will grow by 30,000 people and add 1,500 students.
“We have maximized use of the half-cent sales tax,” Wrysodick said. “There is zero state funding for new school construction.”
However, convincing county commissioners to impose impact fees likely will be a hard sell.
“We have concerns about impact fees putting a strain on our growth and stifling our economy,” District 5 Commissioner Lane Lynchard said. “We have questions and we need answers before we move forward.”
District 2 Commissioner Bob Cole did not hold back his feelings.
“I am totally, totally against it,” Cole said. “They’ve heard citizens cry for impact fees. They need to be held accountable on the half-cent sales tax that they already asked residents to give them.”
However, District 3 Commissioner Don Salter said he would consider Wyrsodick’s proposal.
“I understand they’ve maximized all their potential funding,” Salter said. “Everybody agrees that we got to have quality schools for our children.”
-- Kevin Boyer and Duwayne Escobedo 40 school districts score $103M in state building funds-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: April 25, 2019 [ abstract] Forty Arkansas school districts will receive $103.7 million in state funding for 56 campus construction, expansion and system replacement projects in the coming 2019-20 fiscal year.
The three-member Arkansas Commission for Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation on Wednesday unanimously approved state funding for the individual projects for districts as large as Springdale, Little Rock, Benton, Cabot, Fort Smith and Arkadelphia, and as small as Earle, Bay and Maynard.
The West Memphis School District is in line to receive the largest amount of state funding in this first year of a two-year funding cycle. The district is scheduled to receive $11.2 million from the state for a new West Junior High School and $11.2 million for a new junior high to replace East and Wonder junior highs.
The newly approved funding is the state's share of the cost of the local district building projects -- a percentage of the total project cost. The state's share is determined by a district's student enrollment and its local property tax wealth, with wealthier districts qualifying for smaller percentages of state building aid or even no state building aid.
-- Cynthia Howell County seeks action on school construction funding during special session-- WBALTV11 Maryland: April 25, 2019 [ abstract] TOWSON, Md. —
Baltimore County officials are making a last-minute plea for additional school construction money.
County leaders want Gov. Larry Hogan to permit lawmakers to take up a school construction bill during next week's special session. Some called the idea a longshot to have lawmakers add a school funding bill to an agenda that has just one item to elect a new speaker of the House.
"Too many of our schools are aging. Too many of our schools are rundown," Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski said. "As the Legislature prepared to convene for a special session, I believe we have an opportunity to step up and do right by our children."
County officials said the right thing is more money to help replace rundown schools like Dulaney, Lansdowne and Towson high schools. It's money Baltimore County thought was on the way until a bill designed to secure the funding failed in the state Senate.
"This was Baltimore County's most important priority. In fact, it was the county executive's only priority, and it was such a shame that it didn't get passed," state Sen. Chris West said.
The lack of state funding put pressure on the county executive and Board of Education to make good on promises to build new high schools.
"It is vital that we have provide equitable, safe and healthy learning environments for each and every one of them," said Kathleen Causey, president of the Board of Education.
-- Tim Tooten NJ school construction agency head to resign following reports of hiring relatives-- The Inquirer New Jersey: April 23, 2019 [ abstract] TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The head of a New Jersey agency overseeing school construction projects facing questions about reports she hired unqualified people said Tuesday that she is resigning.
Schools Development Authority CEO Lizette Delgado-Polanco wrote in a letter to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy Tuesday that her last day will be Friday.
"I've worked my entire life fighting for the rights of New Jersey residents. As the CEO of the SDA, I worked hard to fight for our most vulnerable population: our kids," she said in the letter.
Murphy's office did not respond to word of her departure.
Delgado-Polanco was at the center of reporting by The Record newspaper, which said she hired family members, including a second cousin and the mother of her grandchild.
The newspaper also reported at least 10 hires that were made despite candidates' lacking qualifications.
The authority has said the new employees were hired because they had the necessary skills.
But the Record reported that at least one of the new hires got a salary of $105,000 to be the deputy director of Small, Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise despite lacking a required degree and earlier working in a car dealership.
The newspaper also reported, for example, that the daughter-in-law of another official at the authority was hired to be a "human resources specialist-benefits."
-- Mike Catalini, The Associated Press Proposed Legislation Could Be A Boon For Public Facilities-- Facility Executive National: April 22, 2019 [ abstract] Something good could happen as a result of congressional action. A recently introduced bill would provide a $5 billion boost for the construction and rehabilitation of government-owned buildings. The Public Buildings Renewal Act (S. 932), if passed by Congress, will open up tax-exempt financing for public buildings — many of which are in dire need of salvaging and/or improving.
Bill sponsors say the bill will encourage public-private partnerships for construction projects, lower the cost for taxpayers, and incentivize investors. It would also create jobs and provide an economic boost.
Many government facilities which heretofore have been ineligible for federal tax-exempt funding could get significant attention because of the bill. Eligible facilities would include the following:
- an elementary or secondary school;
- facilities of a state college or university used for educational purposes;
- a public library;
- a courthouse;
- hospital, health care, laboratory or research facilities;
- public safety facilities; or
- offices for government employees.
-- Mary Scott Nabers SOME NJ DISTRICTS PILE UP DEBT BUILDING SCHOOLS, OTHERS ARE DEBT-FREE-- NJ Spotlight New Jersey: April 22, 2019 [ abstract] Although New Jersey is in better shape than the country as a whole for school debt, paying off construction bonds costs about a quarter of state’s annual debt service.
New Jersey provides several ways to help school districts fund construction projects, but that hasn’t stopped some districts from amassing huge amounts of debt as they construct state-of-the-art facilities, sometimes for relatively small numbers of students.
In total, New Jersey public school districts ended the 2016 school year $6.9 billion in debt, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data provided by The Hechinger Report as part of its Districts in Debtseries. That amounts to about $5,100 per student. While that sounds like a lot, New Jersey is in better shape than the nation as a whole. School debt in the United States totaled $434 billion in 2016 — the latest year for which complete numbers are available — which averages out to about $8,900 per student, Hechinger reports.
-- COLLEEN O'DEA When Michigan school districts go into debt, kids and communities pay price-- Bridge Michigan: April 22, 2019 [ abstract] WHITMORE LAKE—Whitmore Lake Road is a two-lane stretch of blacktop cutting through wide fields and dense woods. In the predawn hours, around a curve, the community’s high school, a modern brick and glass edifice, beams out of the darkness. For the small, unincorporated community of 6,000 just north of Ann Arbor, the 12-year old building is a crown jewel — one that’s all the more precious given how close it came to slipping away.
The public comes on weekends to swim in the competition-size pool, throw events in the recreation center and watch performances in the 700-seat theater. The school features geothermal heating and cooling, a high-tech computer lab and a two-story atrium.
In 2003, before the Great Recession, Whitmore Lake was like thousands of other school districts across the country. Its school buildings were outdated and overcrowded. The district relied on seven portable classrooms, and some teachers were assigned to teach in modified storage closets. But the district was also luckier than most: The community was expecting a large-scale housing development to be built across the road from the high school, bringing with it a potential enrollment bump and the extra state dollars that would follow the additional students. Voters approved nearly $48 million in bonds for remodeling and renovating existing facilities, adding the pool complex and construction of the new high school that would hold 100 more students than the previous building.
The housing development never came. The recession hit, and the local tax base fizzled. By 2014, the district had just $24,000 in the bank with a $600,000 payment coming due for salaries, benefits and day-to-day operating expenses recalls Superintendent Tom DeKeyser. According to administrators, it also still owed about $60 million for long-term bonds, and was relying on a state loan to help make the $3.6 million in payments that would be due that school year. The district was basically using a second credit card with a better interest rate to pay off another credit card’s debt.
“I can feel myself sweating just thinking about it,” DeKeyser said.
Plenty of school district officials across the country likely feel the same way.Nationally, school district debt has grown substantially, from nearly $323 billion in 2006 to $443 billion in 2016, according to U.S. Census data. In Michigan, school districts’ long-term debt is just over $13 billion, according to the state’s Treasury Department.
-- Emily Richmond When school districts can’t raise funds for facilities-- The Hechinger Report Kansas: April 22, 2019 [ abstract] EFFINGHAM, Kan. — In 2014, a cash-strapped school district in rural northeast Kansas turned to its residents with a plea: Pay a little more in taxes annually so we can renovate classrooms, update the wiring and give students better spaces to learn.
Voters rejected the measure by a margin of 54 to 46 percent. While disappointing, the results were hardly surprising to the district’s leaders. Unified School District 377 has tried — and failed — to pass measures for capital construction five times in 18 years. The last successful school bond campaign was in 1974.
Since then, maintenance problems have compounded. One snowy morning this January, the 26-year-old boiler in the district’s central office building, which also houses the preschool and kindergarten classes, sputtered to a stop. Replacing it would cost as much as $50,000, said Superintendent Andrew Gaddis, who has been in the position for about 18 months. The best-case scenario would be an affordable patch job that would last through the winter, buying the school board a little more time.
“We’ll have to find the money somewhere,” said Gaddis in his office later that month, sporting a small blue and gold “Kansans Can” pin on the lapel of his blazer. “Any teacher will tell you kids can’t learn if they’re not comfortable.”
-- Emily Richmond NEW PLANS FOR OLD MULDOWN SCHOOL PROMPT PUBLIC DISMAY-- Daily Inter Lake Montana: April 18, 2019 [ abstract] New plans for the current Muldown Elementary School that would convert the gymnasium into a maintenance facility instead of preserving it for sports practices and activities have some school staff, parents and community members scratching their heads.
The Whitefish School District is constructing a new school building, but part of that larger project also includes retaining the kindergarten wing and the gymnasium in the current building, while the rest of the school would be demolished.
Dow Powell, owner’s representative for the school district on the construction of the new Muldown building, last week presented the plan to the Whitefish School Board April 9, saying the gym area of the current building would be converted to a maintenance and receiving area, replacing the current receiving and maintenance buildings that are adjacent to the Whitefish High School track.
Those buildings could be demolished in the future as part of a proposed new stadium at the high school.
“The proposal was to keep the kindergarten wing, button things off, keep it warm and keep it alive for a future use — maybe extra classrooms for overfilling classes,” Powell said. “That is going to be a pretty nice and easy fix.”
Several parents and teachers spoke against the proposal during public comment, noting a desire to keep the gym for youth and high school sports practices.
Dana Grove, a first-grade teacher at Muldown, noted how the conversation about the gym came after a presentation on the district’s extracurricular involvement.
“I think it’s interesting that we had this great discussion about activities and how 85 percent of our kids are in all these activities and we have all these growing needs and we’re going to eliminate a gymnasium in Whitefish,” she said.
-- DANIEL MCKAY Richmond School Board Fails To Post Meeting Notices For School Construction Committee-- Community Idea Stations Virginia: April 18, 2019 [ abstract] Recent miscalculations to the tune of $30 million for three new Richmond public schools have drawn public scrutiny into the school construction process.
Last April, Richmond’s school board voted to create a group called the Joint construction Team (JCT) to oversee school construction. The group includes the chief administrative officer, the mayor’s chief of staff, the superintendent, the RPS board chair and other representatives from each agency.
According to the city of Richmond’s website, “The JCT meets weekly for one hour and only proceeds on key decisions when both parties agree. JCT representatives provide monthly updates to the school board and minutes from all JCT meetings are uploaded to RPS ‘Board Docs.’”
If Mayor Levar Stoney or Richmond Superintendent Jason Kamras created the group without a vote from city council or the school board, it wouldn’t be considered a public body. But -- since the school board voted to create it -- it is.
“If there is an action that the school board took to say… ‘we’re going to create this thing,’ then you're back in public body territory,” said Megan Rhyne with the Virginia Coalition for Open Government.
“They are public meetings,” said school board chair Dawn Page, speaking after a recent school board meeting. “So we welcome the public to participate in this process because we do want to be good stewards of public dollars.”
Page said the district had been posting public notices ahead of the meetings. But the district hasn’t been doing that. The meetings are not listed in monthly rundown of district meetings for March or April. They also aren’t posted under the “meeting notices” heading on the district’s website.
-- Megan Pauly Middle school construction plans required some creative thinking-- Hastings Star Gazette Minnesota: April 17, 2019 [ abstract] An almost $23.55 million Hastings Middle School construction project started Monday and required a little creative thinking from school administrators — where to put the classes when construction goes on next school year?
A science class needs a sink, so an art room was found to be a fit. A computer lab will be repurposed into a full-fledged classroom. A teacher with two classrooms will have to settle with one for half of the construction project.
"You know, you find teachers are very resilient, very flexible," said Joe Haas, assistant middle school principal, who helped plan the project. "Would a teacher rather stay in their classroom because it's the most comfortable? Absolutely."
But the school's teachers know the upcoming nuisance will be worth it, he said. The four-phase project will update the school's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, which was last updated in the late '60s to early '70s, and is slated to be finished by summer 2020.
Monday's work started in the locker rooms and isn't expected to affect the remainder of the school year.
The project stretches past the HVAC and locker replacements too. Upgrades to the gym floor, bleachers, auditorium stage and seating are planned as well.
"It's a huge project, a lot of people are working together," Haas said.
-- David Clarey Board Questions Decision To Lower PPS Bond By $100 Million-- OPB Oregon: April 16, 2019 [ abstract] A recent audit of Portland Public Schools’ 2017 bond found cost estimates provided to the public for the school renovations and health and safety projects were $100 million less than professional construction estimates circulated internally.
But auditors found no documented reason why the estimate was lowered — or who made the decision.
Consulting firm Sjoberg Evashenk presented their findings to the PPS Board at a meeting Monday evening.
Portland voters approved the $790 million bond in May 2017, to cover modernization and renovation at three Portland high schools and one middle school, and to address health and safety problems such as lead-based paint and ADA requirements.
School board members have been wrestling with cost overruns on the 2017 bond since April 2018, when projects appeared to run nearly $90 million over budget. Costs have risen since then, though the district has made changes to rein them in to a degree.
Internal documents from the PPS Office of School Modernization showed cost estimates totaling $678 million for the four major rebuilds. But when executive leadership from OSM presented the bond to the PPS board in January 2017, total project cost for those four school projects had been reduced to $580 million.
-- Elizabeth Miller California plan for school construction bonds sparks debate for reform-- EdSource California: April 12, 2019 [ abstract] For the past few years, a small group of advocates for equitable school construction has been examining how school districts with small tax bases and low-income families can get a bigger share of state funding to upgrade school facilities.
Now, they say, there is an opportunity to make that happen.
On Wednesday, the Assembly Education Committee took the first step, by passing Assembly Bill 48, toward placing two K-12 and community college construction bonds of as-yet undetermined size before voters in 2020 and in 2022. Before the vote, representatives of many education groups and school districts voiced support.
The committee’s chairman, Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach, is championing the move, citing a huge unmet need for upgrading and building schools. Three years ago, voters passed Proposition 51, a $9 billion bond, of which $7 billion was earmarked for K-12 districts, but all of that money has since been divvied up.
The issue is timely because while the state spends billions to support the operations of K-12 schools, building construction is funded largely by bonds through local property taxes. A new plan to ask the public to support a bond to pay for school construction is prompting discussion on just how the money should be allocated.
The biggest question is whether the state should change the current “first-come first-served” system of matching grants to districts to one that targets money to the neediest districts.
Advocates for reform want the next bond issue to ensure that all California students have access to safe, up-to-date, fully equipped schools and classrooms, regardless of where they live. They want the Legislature to do for facilities funding what it did for districts’ operating revenue seven years ago when, prodded by former Gov. Jerry Brown, it passed the Local Control Funding Formula.
-- JOHN FENSTERWALD Newport News officials outline proposal to fund school maintenance projects-- Daily Press Virginia: April 12, 2019 [ abstract] The Newport News School Board and City Council plan to meet Tuesday to discuss two proposals to close the gap between the school division’s approved operating budget and the overall city spending plan.
The proposed city contribution to the division’s budget next year includes $110.9 million in the general fund — the amount the city provided in the current budget — and just under $10 million in debt service for payments on school construction projects.
The general fund falls about $2.4 million short of the school division’s funding request to operate the 27,000-student school system for the fiscal year that starts in July.
The school division’s budget, without any cuts made from not receiving more city funding, comes in at $315.7 million — $197.4 million from the state, $113.3 million from the city, $3.1 million from the federal government and $1.8 million from other revenue sources.
It’s $10.7 million, or 3.5% , more than the current year, most of which is due to an additional $8.7 million in state revenue.
-- Jane Hammond and Josh Reyes Senate OKs formula shift for school building funds-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: April 11, 2019 [ abstract] The Arkansas Senate on Wednesday gave final legislative approval to a change in how the state distributes millions of dollars to school districts for construction costs.
Senate Bill 535 by Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning, tweaks the formula for calculating the "academic facilities wealth index" to better account for a school district's wealth.
A district's wealth index, under the state's Academic Facilities Partnership Program, determines the percentage of state funds available for a particular project. But some have questioned the fairness of the current index, saying it fails to take into consideration unique challenges facing districts with declining enrollment.
The changes included in SB535 were the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Public School Academic Facilities, in accordance with Act 801 of 2017. The new formula will make more state construction funds available to poorer districts with declining populations, meaning less funds will be available to wealthier, growing districts.
"These funds need to be effectively and fairly targeted to school districts and schools with the highest need and lowest capacity to meet those needs," the committee wrote in its 2018 report.
-- Hunter Field Iowa Supreme Court to hear case from parents on Iowa City elementary school closure-- FOX28 Iowa: April 10, 2019 [ abstract] IOWA CITY, Iowa, (CBS2/Fox28) — The Iowa Supreme Court will hear an appeal from parents and grandparents who first took the Iowa City Community School District to court in 2017 about the voting procedure used when the decision to close Hoover Elementary School was made.
School board leaders voted to close the elementary school in 2013, as part of the master facilities plan that is seeing to the construction of several new schools and renovation of others. Hoover Elementary School will close at the end of the 2018-2019 school year, but there is not yet a demolishing date set in place. Closing the school will allow for further expansion of City High School.
The families who filed the appeal tell CBS2/Fox28 news they’re arguing that their constitutional rights were violated when the school district did not put the question on whether or not to demolish the school on the ballot.
"I think it's unfortunate that this school board to not allow the community to have that debate and make that decision,” said Del Holland, one of the plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit in 2017.
The 2017 lawsuit was to get the demolition of Hoover on a facilities plan referendum in 2017. Holland says he and several other members of the community signed and filed a petition.
"We hoped that it would be in a timely enough manner that the court decision would allow for it to be put on the ballot as it should have been, but that didn't happen,” said Holland.
-- Kayla James New high schools to be delayed after state bill fizzles, Baltimore County executive says-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: April 10, 2019 [ abstract] After a $2 billion school construction bill stalled in the Maryland Senate at the end of the 2019 legislative session, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said new school buildings on the county’s wish list will be delayed at least a year.
“There is no plan B,” Olszewski said Tuesday, the day after Sine Die, the last day of the legislative session.
“I am disappointed that we did not get the school construction funding that was so desperately needed,” Olszewski said. “It’s unfortunate our students will not have the school facilities that they deserve as a result of the legislation’s failure.”
In recent weeks, Olszewski came out in strong support of the Build to Learn Act, a bill introduced in the House that would have authorized more than $2 billion in 30-year Maryland Stadium Authority bonds for school construction.
The county executive toured Lansdowne High School last week to draw attention to the aging school and bolster public support for the bill.
Lansdowne is not the only school advocates want to rebuild. Community members at Towson and Dulaney high schools, like Lansdowne, have said for years that the problems with those facilities — brown water, sinking foundations, overcrowded classrooms and more — are too dire to repair or renovate.
County officials have estimated the cost of building new high schools at more than $100 million each — a cost Olszewski said would be hard to swallow for Baltimore County, which is facing down a nearly $81 million deficit next fiscal year.
-- Libby Solomon Capital School District voters approve $115 million expansion plan-- Delaware State News Delaware: April 09, 2019 [ abstract] DOVER — Three phases of a nearly $115.67 million construction plan were approved by voters in the Capital School District on Tuesday, according to results posted by the Department of Elections.
The “Straight A’s for Capital Students” campaign asked voters to approve adding and enhancing two middle schools, shifting Central Middle School into an elementary school and approving added operational revenue.
The plan was approved 1,746 to 801. The district also got the additional “operating expenses” it asked for with 1,661 voting in favor against 862.
The referendum concerned a three-phase plan totaling nearly $115.67 million for consideration.
The two new proposed middle schools will be interconnected on Pat Lynn Drive at the former Dover High School site. The construction of two new middle schools, each with the capacity to hold 800 students, will cost a total of $99.4 million in combined local and state funds.
The total cost for upgrades and equipment for the middle schools, along with Central Middle re-purposing is $11.5 million in local funds. The additional operating expenses requested totaled $4.7 million.
Due to overcrowding, the state had pledged $64 million in funds.
-- Staff Writer District seeks $250 million to build five new schools, close three others-- Rapid City Journal South Dakota: April 09, 2019 [ abstract] Rapid City schools are looking at financing a massive infrastructural overhaul by way of a $250 million bond issue that would raise property taxes.
New schools would be constructed, existing ones would be closed, and district boundaries could be redrawn over the next three to six years as part of the proposed master plan for school facilities.
"We must have this conversation, and I understand that it's not going to be an easy conversation. I know that there are going to be some great supporters out there, and I know that there are going to be people that don't want to see their taxes raised," Superintendent Lori Simon said Monday. "But it's time, and we really must do something about our facilities, because doing nothing is not an option."
Officials estimate the bond will mean a tax increase of $2.37 for every $1,000 of a home's assessed value. An owner of a home worth $100,000 would, for example, pay an additional $237.26 in property taxes under the plan.
If approved by the school board, residents would have the opportunity to vote on the bond issue by referendum. A similar effort to opt out of the state property tax freeze, which would have raised $6 million a year for the schools over five years, was defeated at the ballot box in 2015 when residents voted against it 9,833 to 7,391.
-- Matthew Guerry Residents weigh in on school facilities plan-- Rapid City Journal South Dakota: April 09, 2019 [ abstract] More than 40 residents and school officials attended the first of several planned public forums that the Rapid City school district is hosting to gather feedback on a proposed 10-year facility plan.
Those in attendance heard directly from Superintendent Lori Simon about the proposal, as well as from several members of the task force that crafted it. Simon said the task force, which is comprised of school administrative and board officials as well as residents, felt it was important to get feedback on their plan before submitting a final version to the school board in June.
"Let's be proactive. Let's talk to our community and engage with them as much as we can before we finalize a plan to take to the board," she said.
The massive facilities overhaul includes the construction of five new schools over three to six years and would be financed with a $250 million bond issue that would raise property taxes. At the school board's approval, the bond issue would then be subject to a referendum vote, which would require a 60 percent majority to pass.
Residents have not been asked to support a bond issue since 1991, when one worth $20.7 million was floated to finance the construction of a third high school. More than 60 percent of voters rejected the measure at the polls.
-- Matthew Guerry Richmond to pursue third-party analysis after cost to build new schools mushrooms $30 million-- Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia: April 09, 2019 [ abstract] The Richmond School Board wants an outside review of how much it will cost to rebuild and renovate city schools after learning the division needs $30 million more than expected to replace three outdated schools.
The board on Monday unanimously approved a recommendation from Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras to have a third party review the cost, an analysis it initially signed off on last fall. The vetting never happened after the projected costs of the review came back higher than expected.
“We need to make sure we have one set of numbers that everybody can agree on,” Kamras said.
The pursuit of the independent review comes after a minority of the nine-person School Board raised concerns in a March 27 letter to city officials about the revelation that building a new E.S.H. Greene Elementary, George Mason Elementary and a new middle school on Hull Street Road is now expected to cost the city $140 million rather than $110 million.
That initial projection, developed by former interim superintendent Tommy Kranz, undersold various construction costs and inflation rates, city officials said. Kranz has said the Kamras administration never reached out and should have done its own vetting.
-- Justin Mattingly Rustburg Middle School at 100: Always a family-- News Advance Virginia: April 06, 2019 [ abstract] When Brian Triplett walked into Rustburg Middle School to interview for a teaching position two years ago, it was like stepping back in time.
Triplett said before the interview, the last time he was probably in the school was 1985 when he was an eighth-grade student.
“It’s remarkable how it has not changed a lot in those years,” said Triplett, who now teaches technology and basic technical drawing there. “Sometimes I’m on hall duty or lunch duty and it’s just surreal because I’m looking around and [thinking] I was 12 years old in this school, and I could’ve been standing right here in the lunch line or sitting in this area of the cafeteria.”
The original building, which currently houses the school’s main office and serves as the main entrance to the school, was constructed 100 years ago. It has undergone at least three additions or renovations since it was first built.
Rustburg Middle School has been a point of contention between the Campbell County School Board and the Campbell County Board of Supervisors as the boards work to develop a capital improvement plan for the school division.
-- Liz Ramos House Finance cuts school debt reimbursements-- Must Read Alaska Alaska: April 04, 2019 [ abstract] House Finance Committee trimmed education spending Wednesday, as it worked through dozens of amendments to the budget.
The committee voted to stop reimbursing school districts for the past debt they’ve incurred for capital projects.
Those costs — about $140 million a year — will now fall on the local districts and their taxpayers.The budget amendment was put forward by Rep. Ben Carpenter of Nikiski.
At least on this item, the committee agreed 7-4 with Gov. Michael Dunleavy, that local jurisdictions need to cover their construction costs — even if they incurred them during a time when the State of Alaska picked up the tab “subject to appropriation.”
For decades, local voters could incur bond debt for school construction and the State would make the payments. After all, the State of Alaska had the cash.
That ended in 2015 when the price of oil crashed. But the the old debts were grandfathered in and the Legislature has been appropriating payments for them. In 2018, the Legislature trimmed back to paying 75 percent of the debt, rather than 100 percent.
In Anchorage, these public debt payments will cost property taxpayers. A homeowner would see about $420 more in taxes tacked on for property valued at $331,000 (the median cost of an Anchorage home). That, on top of the $59.1 million school bond that Anchorage voters just passed during this week’s municipal election, which will cost that same homeowner another $50 a year. The cost of living in Anchorage will definitely go up.
-- SUZANNE DOWNING Today’s school construction problems aren’t rooted in the Whitman administration, ex-commerce secretary says-- NJ.com New Jersey: April 04, 2019 [ abstract] It has become a practice in New Jersey political circles to place some responsibility for the current issues at the School Development Authority and the state’s fiscal challenges on Governor Christie Whitman. It is important for responsible policy makers, citizens and journalists to resist these bald attempts at revisionist history.
In 1998, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in the Abbott v. Burke casethat the state must provide 100 percent funding for all school renovation and construction projects in special-needs school districts. According to the court, aging, unsafe and overcrowded buildings prevented poor children in those districts from receiving the “thorough and efficient” education required under the New Jersey Constitution.
In response to a court mandate, the Whitman Administration and the legislature enacted the New Jersey Educational Facilities construction and Financing Act on July 18, 2000, launching the School construction Program. Full funding for approved projects was authorized for the 31 special-needs districts, known as ‘Abbott Districts.’ In addition, grants totaling 40 percent of eligible costs were made available to the remaining school districts across the state.
Besides responding to a Supreme Court ruling, Governor Whitman was also motivated by a strong desire to improve the educational opportunities for the state’s most vulnerable populations. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority was tasked with operationalizing the School construction Program. The Governor also appointed two of the state’s most respected public sector managers to head up the task: The late Caren Franzini and Beth E. Sztuk, both seasoned and respected public sector executives.
-- Opinion - Gualberto Medina School construction bill favors urban Maryland, could fail in Senate-- Herald-Mail Media Maryland: April 02, 2019 [ abstract] ANNAPOLIS — It’s dubbed the “Build to Learn Act,” and calls for $2.2 billion in new money for school construction in Maryland.
It passed nearly unanimously in the House of Delegates last month, but could be in trouble in the Senate, where a companion bill has been stalled in the Budget and Taxation Committee since February.
The bill calls for the Maryland Stadium Authority to issue revenue bonds for the money, backed by annual payments of $125 million from the Education Trust Fund beginning in fiscal year 2021.
The bulk, 73 percent, is to be split between four jurisdictions — Baltimore city and Baltimore, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, which would get $400.4 million each.
Also, Anne Arundel County would get 11.4 percent, Howard County would get 4.5 percent and Frederick County would get 3.4 percent.
The approximately 8 percent remaining — $173.8 million — would be divided among the remaining 17 counties.
“We inquired about that during committee (discussion),” said Del. Paul Corderman, R-Washington. Corderman sits on the House Appropriations Committee, which reviewed the bill.
-- Tamela Baker Tazewell County voters defeat school facilities sales tax again-- Journal Star Illinois: April 02, 2019 [ abstract] Tazewell County voters Tuesday rejected a 1 percent school facilities sales tax, defeating the measure 9,185 to 7,105, or 56 percent to 44 percent.
It was the fourth rejection of the sales tax, which is in place in 54 of the state’s 102 counties, including five of the six counties that border Tazewell.
The sales tax was rejected by Tazewell voters by 68 to 32 percent and 60 to 40 percent margins in 2009 and 2013, but it lost only 52 to 48 percent last November, giving district superintendents and school boards hope voters would approve it this time around.
Revenue from the sales tax can be used only to pay for facilities work or make payments on construction bonds.
The latter lowers property taxes, but even that incentive wasn’t enough to sway voters Tuesday.
The Morton School Board pledged if the sales tax passed to freeze the K-12 district’s property tax levy for one year and use revenue from the sales tax in the next four years to pay off the debt from an elementary school construction project completed in 2017.
According to the district, the owner of a $200,000 home would have seen an estimated $200 per year reduction in the district’s portion of his or her property tax bill in the next four years, and about $60 per year after that.
For the Morton School District and K-8 Pekin Public Schools, sales tax revenue would have been about $2 million annually.
-- Steve Stein Duval County Public Schools Seeks Public Input On School Changes, Closures-- The Jaxson Florida: April 01, 2019 [ abstract] The Duval County Public Schools Facilities Master Plan is a major project designed to update many of the district’s aging schools. The plan has been designed by consultant group Cooperative Strategies following the Facilities Condition Index study presented earlier this year. Meetings were held in different districts through March, and DCPS is seeking input from the public in an online survey located here through April 4.
The current proposed plan would build new schools and facilities, and close several older schools with the goal of providing the best learning environment for students. Part of the plan would involve demolishing closed schools and selling the land. Other older schools would be demolished to be replaced with new construction. The current draft of the plan proposes razing several architecturally significant, century-old schools, including Pickett Elementary, Highlands Elementary, Matthew Gilbert Middle School, and Kirby-Smith Middle School. Kirby-Smith Middle, built in Springfield in 1924, is one of the oldest remaining school buildings in Jacksonville, and has been an architectural landmark of its neighborhood for nearly a century.
-- Bill Delaney Olszewski tours Lansdowne High to drum up support for state school construction funding bill-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: April 01, 2019 [ abstract] In Lansdowne High School, students enter cramped classrooms through too-narrow doorways. They drink bottled water because the taps run brown. They dodge supplies outside the library and cafeteria, stacked in the hallways because there is nowhere else to put them.
The cafeteria runs too cold — except when it is too hot. Floors crack as the building’s foundation settles. And with its five level changes in the hallways, according to Principal Ken Miller, students with disabilities cannot attend Lansdowne High at all.
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said during a tour of Lansdowne High on Monday that the school needs a new building, and he called on state lawmakers to help pay for it by passing a school construction funding bill currently pending in the Senate.
“We’re here to tell a story,” Olszewski said. “The need is great, the county’s ready to do our part, we’re ready to put up our 50 percent, but we need the state to be a partner.”
On the tour, Miller showed Olszewski, who was accompanied by interim school superintendent Verletta White and a group of elected officials, problems the school faces. He said staff work hard to keep the focus on academics, despite “obstacles.”
“It is a challenge, but it’s just something that we have to deal with,” Miller said. “And obviously if we had a new facility it would alleviate those obstacles and make things a little easier. But we just keep focused on the goal, which is the academics and the success of our students.”
“We have amazing teachers and we have amazing students as well doing great things,” White said after the tour. “We’re going to continue to do those great things. But we need the time, the space, the place and a facility that’s conducive to learning in order to keep that momentum going.”
-- Libby Solomon Sun Prairie Schools seek $164 million referendum for second high school-- WKOW Wisconsin: March 31, 2019 [ abstract] SUN PRAIRIE (WKOW) — As spring elections approach, the Sun Prairie School District asks voters to consider the largest referendum in the state to build a second high school.
For those living in the school district, the ballot will include two questions. The first is for $164 million to build a second high school, improve the Cardinal Heights Middle School, remove the aging Prairie Phoenix Academy building and add additional sports facilities. The second would increase the amount of revenue the district can collect by $5 million to pay to operate the new school as well as improve teacher pay and to help pay for construction along the way.
As one of the fastest growing cities in the state, school board president Dr. Steve Schroeder said the current high school alone can’t keep up with the growth.
“As a matter of fact, it will be beyond capacity in four years,” he said.
That’s why he said the district needs a second high school sooner or later but, at $164 million Schroeder said he understands why some voters may have a little sticker shock.
“That $164 million is a lot of money to ask, but I think it’s important to look at what the actual tax impact is,” he said.
If both questions pass on Tuesday, taxpayers can expect a property tax increase of about $128 per $100,000 on the cost of a home. For an average Sun Prairie home valuing $250,000 that would be an additional $320 a year.
-- Michelle Alfini Weymouth school officials use tours to state their case for new school-- The Patriot Ledger Massachusetts: March 30, 2019 [ abstract] WEYMOUTH — Town residents and relatives of Weymouth students got a glimpse at conditions inside Chapman Middle School on Saturday as the town weighs whether to temporarily raise property taxes to pay for razing the school and building a new one.
“This place needs to be replaced, stat,” said Doug Smock, who was on the tour. He said he was most concerned by asbestos and leaky pipes in the school. “It was a beautiful building when it was built, but that was 60 years ago. The kids deserve better.”
Voters will decide at the town’s April 30 election whether to temporarily override Proposition 2½, a state law that limits property tax rates, to pay for a new building. The override would temporarily raise property taxes by about 65 cents per $1,000 in home value annually to cover debt payments for the town’s $99 million share in the project. That would raise taxes for a taxpayer with a home valued at $380,000 by $247 annually, said Ted Langill, Mayor Robert Hedlund’s chief of staff and chairman of the school building committee.
The new school would be built on the same site as the current building. construction would begin in spring of 2020 and take about two years to complete.
John MacLeod, the town’s director of asset management, led the tour. He said about 150 residents have attended a tour so far.
“I’d like to have 1,500,” he said, adding that it was past time for the building to be replaced.
On Saturday, MacLeod led a group of about two dozen people through hallways, classrooms and gym facilities, pointing out problem areas and explaining improvements that would be in the new building. Members of the group snapped photos and took notes, sometimes expressing shock at the conditions.
-- Audrey Cooney Moore County Schools Searching For Ways to Cover Construction Shortfall-- The Pilot North Carolina: March 29, 2019 [ abstract] While Moore County Schools spends the next few weeks identifying nearly $2.7 million in cuts to three new elementary school construction projects, the school board will try to find ways of covering that shortfall.
The board discussed the conundrum in a special meeting on Friday morning, 10 days after the county commissioners asserted that they don’t plan to provide funding for the schools beyond the $103 million financed through general obligation bonds that voters approved last May.
On March 5, the commissioners approved a $2.7 million cost overrun on the new elementary school on Morganton Road that will replace the current Southern Pines primary and elementary schools. Though the four new 800-student elementary schools slated to open between now and 2021 are very similar, their ultimate price tags are proving to be unpredictable. That’s due in part to variances in the amount of work involved in preparing each site for construction, but the school board is placing most of the blame on inflation.
“All of these overages are not because we didn’t do a proper estimation,” said board member Ed Dennison, who recalled vigorous debate between the school board and commissioners over the 4 percent annual inflation projection included in determining each project’s budget and the overall bond amount.
“All of the overage is because the inflation rate went up higher, really, than we were allowed to use when we did our proposal.”
-- MARY KATE MURPHY Audit: poor accounting, mismanagement contributed to confusion over RPS capital funding-- Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia: March 28, 2019 [ abstract] Inaccurate books. Poor communication. Misused money.
All hampered city and schools officials during the past five years and contributed to confusion over the amount of construction and maintenance money available to Richmond Public Schools during last year’s budget process, according to a report issued this week by the city auditor.
The audit doesn’t match Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s description of a financial house in order at recent town halls where he’s selling a tax increase, thrusting the survival of his pitch to raise the real estate tax rate from $1.20 to $1.29 per $100 of assessed value further into question.
Most Richmond City Council members have said they won’t support the increase, but Stoney’s spending plan, including $19 million he has proposed for RPS maintenance projects such as HVAC and roof repair, depends on it.
Kimberly Gray, the 2nd District councilwoman and a frequent critic of Stoney, seized on the auditor’s findings as evidence that the city and school system hadn’t properly handled the money they already have.
“We cannot afford to have this level of waste and the lack of accountability,” Gray said.
Auditor Lou Lassiter’s analysis began at the council’s request after city and school officials clashed last year over how much remained in the school system’s maintenance and construction budget.
Council members thought RPS had a certain amount of money. The school system said it had far less. Months later, after purportedly balancing the books, Stoney’s administration announced different figures altogether.
-- Mark Robinson No funding for $174M plan to cut classroom trailers in Prince William-- Inside Nova Virginia: March 28, 2019 [ abstract] Despite agreeing on a plan to reduce the number of classroom trailers at Prince William County schools within the next decade, leaders still have not identified a source to cover the expected $174 million cost.
County Supervisor Frank Principi, D-Woodbridge, said he was frustrated by the lack of funding for the trailer plan.
“We’re losing the opportunity to get [the plan] in fiscal year 2020,” noting the board of county supervisors wants to have the budget done by April 30.
Principi is one of three supervisors working with three school board members on a joint committee created two years ago to discuss capital needs — like school additions and new school construction.
The committee voted in October to approve a plan to eliminate the 206 portable trailers used as classrooms at 44 schools. The plan could be added to the school division’s 10-year capital improvement program, which accounts for all new school construction, expansions and other projects. In total, the plan proposes to add an additional 133 new classrooms to the school division’s construction plans.
Safety and improved student performance are some of the reasons to build new schools or additions to get students out of trailers, Principi said. Without another funding option, the county’s tax rate may have to be increased in fiscal year 2021 if the two boards are serious about eliminating trailers.
-- Emily Sides School Bond Construction Committee Begins Work-- The Transylvania Times North Carolina: March 28, 2019 [ abstract] The process of selecting architects and construction managers for school bond construction in Transylvania County Schools has begun.
Acting on the $68 million bond passed in November, the Transylvania County Board of Educationand Board of County Commissioners forged an interlocal agency agreement for the school board to establish a School Bond construction Committee. The agreement, signed in February, assigned the school board to govern construction and renovation at Brevard High School, Rosman Middle School and Rosman High School.
The committee convened for its first meeting Tuesday, March 19, at the Education Center on Rosenwald Lane to review its responsibilities as assigned by the two boards, set meeting dates and outline the process for evaluating architectural and construction manager at risk (CMAR) firms before submitting their recommendations to the school board, according to a press release.
Committee membership, as defined by the agreement, includes two school board members, two school staff (selected by the superintendent, who may be one of the two members), two county commissioners and the school finance officer. The meetings are public and subject to all the provisions of the N.C. Open Meetings Law, the release said.
Members in attendance included School Board members Tawny McCoy and Courtney Domokur, Superintendent Jeff McDaris and teacher Jake Raines, Commissioners Mike Hawkins and Jason Chappell and school finance officer Norris Barger, with school board attorney Chris Campbell.
-- Staff Writer Why Richmond school construction will cost $30 million more than first estimated-- WTVR.com Virginia: March 28, 2019 [ abstract] RICHMOND, Va. -- The cost of construction for three new Richmond school building is more than $30 million more than the initial cost estimates, according to numbers provided by city officials. While the projects already underway will not be impacted, Mayor Levar Stoney said the discrepancy shows that school board members need to make "tough choices" moving forward when considering new school construction.
An increase in the city meals tax beginning last year generated $150 million for new school construction. The Richmond School Board's five-year plan called for the construction of five new school buildings, and renovations of two more.
At least one of those projects, a new building for George Wythe High School, is on hold indefinitely given the new cost estimates, two elected officials told CBS 6 Thursday.
The original cost estimates for the projects made in 2017 totaled $110 million, per city officials:
George Mason Elementary School: $25 million
E.S.H. Greene Elementary School: $35 million
New Middle School on Hull Street: $50 million
Following the completion of the procurement process, city officials said the actual cost is $140 million.
George Mason Elementary School: $36 million
E.S.H. Greene Elementary School: $42 million
New Middle School on Hull Street: $62 million
City officials cited a significant increase in construction costs, an expanded plan of Greene Elementary, and required LEED Silver certification for all new school buildings as reasons for the procurement increases.
-- JAKE BURNS Shelby board of education could soon face big decision on school construction-- Mansfield News Journal Ohio: March 26, 2019 [ abstract] SHELBY - The board of education might have to make an important decision very soon regarding school construction.
In May, Shelby school officials should learn if the state will provide money for construction of a new school, as long as they can come up with their local match.
After a third bond issue failed in November, the district proposed to the Ohio Facilities construction Commission that it believed it could finance its share of the cost of the project without having to go back to voters.
The solution was not possible before November because money from the Rover Pipeline had not been confirmed.
Since then, the OFCC has put Shelby on a list of eight districts to receive money possibly when it becomes available.
"Seven of the eight schools have passed bond issues," said David Conley, who provides municipal advisory services for the district. "They're waiting until May because there are other schools on the ballot who could leapfrog schools on the list."
In other words, the funding is no sure thing.
"There's nothing that's written in stone," Superintendent Tim Tarvin said. "The hope is that the OFCC will notify school districts who are going to receive money in May. They'll take those schools to the July commission meeting."
-- Mark Caudill New Haven Community Schools seeks $25M bond to upgrade schools-- The Voice Michigan: March 22, 2019 [ abstract] New Haven Community Schools will ask voters this spring to approve a $25 million bond proposal that would allow the district to remodel and upgrade its facilities.
School officials are hoping to obtain funding to complete a slew of projects aimed at bringing the district up to date and improving the students’ learning environment. Proposed projects include updating technology, enhancing school security, replacing school buses and improving school sites, playgrounds and athletic facilities.
“This is a win-win proposal for our students and the New Haven community,” school board President Sue Simon said. “I also believe a successful bond will attract new families to New Haven and have a positive effect on homeowner property values.”
If approved, the current tax rate is projected to increase by .9 mills, costing the average taxpayer an additional $32.40 per year. The district would sell the bonds in two phases, one in 2019 and the other in 2024, in an effort to reduce interest costs.
“If approved by voters, the bond proposal will help assure that our schools and school facilities support 21st century instruction and learning,” Superintendent Barbara VanSweden said. “In addition to financing updates of New Haven’s schools, the bond proposal funds will be used to enhance student safety by constructing secure school entrances, to update technology and related infrastructure, and to replace school buses as they wear out.”
-- Katelyn Larese School construction debate part of a larger infrastructure crisis for NC-- NC Policy Watch North Carolina: March 22, 2019 [ abstract] The current debate in Raleigh over how to address the billions of dollars in school construction needs is part of a much larger discussion about how to maintain and build the physical infrastructure that makes modern life possible. A new report documents how declining public investments have left America’s roads, bridges, water pipes, sewers, airports, railroads, and schools in bad shape.
Even as the nation’s engineers sound the alarm, governments across the country are investing less in infrastructure as a share of the economy than at any point since the 1950s, and North Carolina is no exception. Our collective investment in shared infrastructure has fallen markedly, a major reason that our schools, roads, and other systems are in such dire need of an upgrade.
As is often the case during economic downturns, the NC General Assembly diverted funds from infrastructure to address the budget crisis created by the Great Recession, delaying repairs and putting off new projects. What came next, however, was less common. Instead of getting back to work when the economy improved, legislators passed several rounds of tax cuts and kept kicking the infrastructure can down the road.
-- Patrick McHugh Glacier Gateway Elementary needs $19 million renovation, school officials say-- NBC Montana Montana: March 21, 2019 [ abstract] COLUMBIA FALLS, Mont. — The last time Glacier Gateway Elementary School was renovated was 1975. Columbia Falls school officials said it’s time for another renovation -- this time with a $19 million price tag.
District documents identified a number of problem areas at the school, including a leaking roof, inefficient heating, technology issues, overcrowding and safety concerns.
“It’s never going to be what we’d like it to be,” Columbia Falls School District Superintendent Steve Bradshaw said. “There are too many doors to the place, too many open areas, too many places where people can hide.”
Part of the issue is age -- a portion of the building was constructed in the 1940s.
“The shape that our buildings are in now, you’re either going to do (the renovation) now, or you’re going to have a roof fall in or something,” Bradshaw said, explaining renovations will have to be done.
The district estimated work to fix all the building problems at Glacier Gateway Elementary School will cost $19 million. Building an entirely new school would cost an estimated $24 million.
An additional $128 per year in taxes on a house valued at $200,000 would be needed to fund the $19 million renovation project, Bradshaw said.
“I understand that extra $10, $30, $40, $50 a month -- whatever it is -- can make a world of difference for people living on a fixed income,” Bradshaw said.
-- Marian Davidson School Safety: How School Construction Is Changing Due To Security Concerns-- WPSU Pennsylvania: March 21, 2019 [ abstract] Martha Sherman has two kids at Mount Nittany Elementary School in State College. On a recent morning when she was dropping them off, office staff wouldn’t let her go beyond the front office. She wanted to walk her son Zane to his kindergarten class, but his school, like many others, has a safety policy that says parents can’t do that.
“He was just anxious about going by himself. His sister had run off, excited, and went to class so she couldn't take him, which she normally takes him,” Sherman said. “And so, I thought ‘I’ll just take you to your classroom.’ And they said ‘No, we'll get him there.’”
Sherman says it was tough on her son, who’s in a big school for the first time this year.
“He’s very sensitive. And he's a creature of habit,” Sherman said. “And so, you know, the routine changed. And so, he was just anxious.”
While she understands the need for safety precautions, Sherman says she thinks there could be some flexibility to make families feel more welcome. She’s also a criminologist at Penn State who questions whether locking down school buildings will even work.
“I don't think it's an effective tool for keeping the school safe. I think that if somebody wants to get into the school do harm, they’ll get into the school and do harm,” Sherman said. “But, the school has to try. And it is certainly easier for them to tell who belongs if not very many people belong.”
In this time of mass shootings, schools are feeling the pressure to make changes to how schools are constructed in an effort to keep intruders out.
-- EMILY REDDY Trump's border wall money may come at expense of schools for military kids-- Reuters DoDEA: March 20, 2019 [ abstract] WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Defense is proposing to pay for President Donald Trump’s much-debated border wall by shifting funds away from projects that include $1.2 billion for schools, childcare centers and other facilities for military children, according to a list it has provided to lawmakers.
The Pentagon gave Congress a list on Monday that included $12.8 billion of construction projects for which it said funds could be redirected. Around 10 percent of the list relates to educational establishments and includes school buildings for the children of service members in places like Germany, Japan, Kentucky and Puerto Rico.
The move comes as a surprise given the Trump administration’s oft-touted support for the sacrifices made by military families and suggests the White House’s desire to build a wall on the border with Mexico outstrips nearly all other issues.
However, of the $1.2 billion in projects related to education, approximately $800 million worth are far in the future, and those funds could readily be used for wall construction and replaced later.
The Pentagon told Congress that just because a project was listed, it “does not mean that the project will, in fact, be used” as a funding source to build sections of the border wall.
Trump earlier in March asked for $8.6 billion in his 2020 budget request to help pay for his promised wall on the U.S-Mexico border to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. It drew swift criticism from Democrats.
-- Mike Stone CCSD's billion dollar maintenance backlog: Can Washington help?-- 3 News Las Vegas Nevada: March 19, 2019 [ abstract] LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Something’s in the air, and Cinnamon can smell it.
She's the pot-bellied pig at Mabel Hoggard Elementary, a math-science magnet, that also has chickens and vegetables and a lot of cool learning.
The reason the school choir was singing, was a U.S. Senator came here with the Superintendent.
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada visited the school, along with the head of CCSD, Dr. Jesus Jara and Trustee Linda Young.
They're here at this school, parts of which are 67 years old, to talk about the unglamorous but essential topic of deferred maintenance.The senator is co-sponsoring a bill that would spend $100 billion to help districts like our's keep their schools from crumbling.
The “Rebuild America’s Schools Act” would offer districts direct grants and school construction bonds over the next decade to repair and modernize their facilities.
“It really is an investment in the infrastructure of our schools across the country, and I want to make sure here in Nevada we are primed and ready to go after that money,” Cortez Masto told me.
CCSD sure needs it.
In five years, 68% of its 338 campuses will be 20 years or older.
It has a deferred maintenance backlog of $6 billion, and the superintendent says that it’s so big, Washington needs to help.
“Every single student deserves a high-quality instructional facility,” says Dr. Jara.
CCSD faces a maintenance backlog, according to the District, because it continues to grow by leaps-and-bounds, now with more than 320,000 students.
Legislation passed in 2015 allowed the district to borrow up to $4.1 billion over ten years for maintenance and construction, but even that is being stretched by the ever-growing needs of a growing school system.
-- Jeff Gillan East Helena breaks ground on new high school site-- Independent Record Montana: March 19, 2019 [ abstract] The East Helena community broke ground at the site of the upcoming East Helena High School on Monday.
The building, designed by SMA Architects, is set to open in fall 2020. Dick Anderson construction will begin site prep as early as next week, according to school district superintendent Ron Whitmoyer.
"This school stands for something that is unique about this community," Whitmoyer said. "And what education is all about."
Whitmoyer said the school is representative of the East Helena community's pride. He hoped that the sunny weather during groundbreaking will be an omen of good success for the school.
The school will be an official breakaway from the Helena school district for the community. Traditionally, East Helena students received their elementary education in East Helena before traveling to Helena for high school. With 110 students already signing up for East Helena High, Whitmoyer is excited to start a new journey with the community.
Whitmoyer expressed admiration for the soon-to-be East Helena High School students. He said their willingness to break tradition with Helena will set the standard for the next 100 years.
Scott Walter, East Helena school board chairman, said the school is representative of the genuine passion the community has for education.
"The measure of our success is not the building we build," Walter said. "It's what takes place inside the building."
-- Tyler Manning Maryland House of Delegates passes $2.2B school construction bill-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: March 19, 2019 [ abstract] The Maryland House of Delegates has overwhelmingly passed legislation to provide $2.2 billion in school construction funding — on top of current school projects — by fiscal year 2020.
The Build to Learn Act, sponsored by House Majority Leader Del. Kathleen Dumais, a Montgomery County Democrat, passed by a 133-3 margin late Monday.
“Students should have a good learning environment, no matter their zip code,” House of Delegates Speaker Michael Busch said in a statement.
This bill authorizes $2.2 billion in 30-year Maryland Stadium Authority bonds for school construction. Local educational authorities must give priority to older schools with significant facility deficiencies, those with high concentrations of students in poverty, and overcrowded schools, lawmakers said.
The Democratic-backed legislation is a larger version of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s Building Opportunity Act, which would authorize the Maryland Stadium Authority to issue up to $1.8 billion in revenue bonds, backed by annual payments of $125 million from the Education Trust Fund beginning in fiscal 2021, to be used for public school construction projects in the state.
-- Luke Broadwater Senate backs interim committee on school construction, maintenance-- Idaho Press Idaho: March 19, 2019 [ abstract] The Senate just voted 26-7 in favor of a resolution to set up an interim committee to study Idaho’s methodologies for public school construction and maintenance in Idaho, which Senate Majority Leader Chuck Winder, R-Boise, said is a continuing problem that the three years of study of Idaho’s school funding formula didn’t address, because it wasn’t within that panel’s purview. Idaho requires school district patrons to vote by a two-thirds supermajority to raise their own property taxes to pass a bond to build a new school. Voters also must approve tax levies for facilities improvement and maintenance.
-- Betsy Russell Estimated $1.95 billion needed to replace aging Duval schools-- The Florida Times-Union Florida: March 18, 2019 [ abstract] Repairing or replacing Duval County’s aging and outdated public schools will cost about $1.95 billion if a proposed draft facilities master plan is approved without changes by the School Board, which is seeking public input from the community about the recommended improvements.
The plan includes $1.03 billion in new construction expenses and $922 million of expenditures in improvements, renovations and additions to schools. As proposed, the plan would eliminate at least $1 billion in current backlogged repairs, district leaders say.
The draft master plan recommendations include these potential scenarios:
Build 30 new schools either as replacements on site or at new locations.
17 consolidations impacting 42 schools. Children from those schools would attend new or renovated facilities. Any building no longer being used because of the consolidations will be demolished and the land sold to prevent the former schools from deteriorating into future blight.
Upgrade security at all schools and remove the majority of portable classrooms from throughout the district.
Eliminate more than 5,000 student seats from the district’s inventory, and improve the district’s facility utilization rate.
District leaders have been working for the past several months on a proposed master facilities plan addressing Duval’s aging schools including various structural, mechanical, electrical and interior building issues.
Duval schools are some of the oldest in Florida. At least 65 percent are 50 years or older. In addition, at least 56 — or 30 percent — of Duval’s buildings are identified as being in poor or very poor condition, or they need to be replaced, according to a Jacobs Engineering Group study commissioned by the board.
-- Teresa Stepzinski School board floats plan to consolidate-- The Robesonian North Carolina: March 18, 2019 [ abstract] LUMBERTON — The Board of Education of the Public Schools of Robeson County talked school construction on Monday night and also floated closing some of the county’s smallest schools and one high school.
In a continuation of last week’s regular meeting, the school board looked at three sources of construction money: local and state bond referendums that may bring in as much as $100 million and a federal long-term, zero-interest loan program that could fund building 13 new kindergarten through eighth-grade schools.
In the short-term, the school board will look to consolidate the county’s smallest schools to save millions of dollars in operating costs. Schools with fewer than 500 students, including South Robeson High School, are possible targets of consolidation, and the board plans to do it by the 2019-20 school year.
The board will meet again on March 27 at 6 p.m. with maps and statistics on enrollment, school capacity and district lines. In general, school enrollment in southern Robeson County is shrinking, and schools in the northern of the county are growing beyond capacity.
Adjusting district lines to minimize busing is also on the table. Current district lines send some students on long bus trips when other schools are much closer.
“The only thing holding us up is us,” board Chairman Mike Smith said. “I’m committed to making the hard decisions.”
-- Scott Bigelow Construction costs soar for Manatee schools-- Herald-Tribune Florida: March 17, 2019 [ abstract] BRADENTON — construction costs in the Manatee County School District have clocked in at 84 percent over budget over the last three years.
The original approved budget for 20 major construction projects completed in the district from 2015 to 2018 was roughly $27 million. The final price tag for those projects came in at more than $49.9 million, according to project summary sheets obtained via a public records request.
“I think we’ve got to go about our process of identifying the cost differently,” Superintendent Cynthia Saunders said after she was shown the numbers for the three-year period.
The anticipated cost of three schools currently under construction has already gone up by a total of $18 million — a 12 percent increase over the original budget of $145 million.
The reasons for going over budget are many, according to current and former operational staff.
Sandra Ford, the district’s chief of operations, said the cost overruns are largely due to the district’s inability to forecast costs beyond the five-year capital plan. She said many planning staff positions have gone unfilled since being eliminated in the aftermath of the district’s fiscal meltdown in 2013, when the district discovered an $11 million deficit.
“There is not currently a long-range plan,” she said.
Deputy Superintendent Doug Wagner said that when the board approves a project, members are relying on old numbers. The initial budget is based on estimates that may be years old and have not been updated to reflect current circumstances.
And former deputy superintendent for operations Ron Ciranna said an array of factors led to the increases, including the increasing cost of labor and materials following two major hurricanes, the School Board adding onto projects after initially approving them and the decrease in planning positions within the district.
Jon Mast, CEO of the Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association, said that, whatever the reason, the district’s inability to accurately pinpoint a project’s cost was troubling.
“For government to continue to outspend their budgeted items to me is malfeasance. Period,” Mast said.
-- Ryan McKinnon State orders ESASD to mitigate mold at Middle Smithfield Elementary-- Pocono Record Pennsylvania: March 17, 2019 [ abstract] BUSHKILL — There’s moisture in the air at Middle Smithfield Elementary School — and maybe mold too. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry has ordered the East Stroudsburg Area School District to take corrective action after a Jan. 23 inspection identified mold and nearly a dozen leaks in the school’s ceilings.
“Trust me, I’m not happy about these leaks right now, but I am happy we received a letter and that they’re forcing us to resolve the issue,” said Wayne Rohner, a school board member and chairman of the property and facilities committee. “Hell, I’ve been trying to do that since 2009, unsuccessfully.”
“During the construction, we knew about it — everybody knew about it. Anyone who says this is a surprise is systematically lying to you. It’s documented.”
Indoor air quality tests were performed at the school on Tuesday, but administrators won’t receive the results of those tests until next week at the earliest, district Facilities Director Scott Ihle said on Friday. Garland Roofing began initial repairs in mid-February and continues to address leaks as the weather allows.
As of Friday, the school building remained open for its regularly scheduled classes.
“There is nothing to indicate to my department or the district that there is an unsafe environment at this time,” Ihle said. “We are confident to say that — as far as we are aware of — we do not have a mold problem in that school.”
“I was with the Labor and Industry inspector while he went through the building before the report was submitted, and not once did he mention mold. It was not until we received the written report from Labor and Industry that mold was mentioned.”
-- Bill Cameron $79M to build new Kennedy Middle School in Natick-- MetroWest Daily News Massachusetts: March 15, 2019 [ abstract] The final price tag for the construction costs of a new Kennedy Middle School is $79.1 million, more than $8 million under budget, according to the project’s building committee.
Committee Chairman Stephen Meyler said savings are coming from using less expensive materials, such as composite versus brick, that don’t sacrifice quality.
An energy-efficient design for the four-story, 183,250-square-foot building also provides savings, Meyler said.
construction is expected to start March 27, and be completed in January 2022.
Braight Builders Corporation of Marshfield is the general contractor, after a 6-0 School Committee vote Monday. Board member Paul Laurent was not present.
The town went with a new building, because the expectation is it will cost less than fixing up the 54-year-old middle school.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority could reimburse Natick up to $37.3 million of project costs. The actual amount is determined when the MSBA reviews the project near completion.
-- Henry Schwan NCSD maintenance crews attempt to subdue odor in Berg Middle School-- Newton Daily News Iowa: March 15, 2019 [ abstract] A persistently “unpleasant” smell in the corridors of the recently constructed Berg Middle School has provoked concerns from the community, but the school district announced Wednesday in an email to parents the odor “is not harmful” and is being dealt with.
Signed by Newton Community School District Superintendent Bob Callaghan, Berg Middle School Principal Lisa Sharp and NCSD Maintenance Supervisor Jack Suttek, the announcement stated new construction can cause “unforeseen issues,” especially when the work is completed during “the middle of the school year and in an atypical winter.”
The new state-of-the-art middle school opened its doors to staff and students in grades 5-8 in January, while demolition of the neighboring old building was still underway. Although the new BMS “is well-designed to construction and safety code,” administrators attributed the smell to several “perfect storm” occurrences.
-- Christopher Braunschweig Editorial: Rural school districts deserve assistance to get construction funding-- Yakima Herald Washington: March 14, 2019 [ abstract] Like many rural schools built during the Depression era, Harrah Elementary in the tiny Mt. Adams School District was always more Doreatha Lang shabby than art deco chic. As decades passed, so, too, did the usefulness of the building, though generations of students admirably pressed on and endured the crumbling classrooms, lately getting some instruction in a musty bus barn and portables with iffy heating.
But then, what option did the district have?
Mt. Adams’ enrollment fluctuates but never rises to four figures and, with much of its land tax-exempted because it falls on the Yakama reservation, there’s little tax base (1,894 registered voters, at last count), so passing a construction bond or levy wouldn’t raise enough funds if it passed, which it never did.
Grim, folks. Grim as “The Grapes of Wrath,” released a scant two years after Harrah Elementary’s construction in 1937.
Yet, there is celebration in this tight-knit community southwest of Yakima. Through state funds from the School construction Assistance Program, as well as some clever financial finagling by capital budget whiz Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside, Harrah has scrimped and saved and checked under the couch cushions and come up with the $27 million needed to break ground on a new facility that will be more conducive to learning and less so to hypothermia in winter months.
So, a happy ending, right?
In a way. But Honeyford’s crafty Ways & Means Committee maneuvering that last year enabled Mt. Adams and three other small, rural districts proceed with construction was merely a one-off.
Now comes the hard work of passing legislation that will ensure that districts with little tax base and lots of abject poverty — whose chances of reaching a 60-percent “yes” vote on bond measures seem as likely as the Sonics returning to Seattle — will be able to replace dilapidated structures and give students the resources they deserve.
-- The Yakima Herald-Republic Editorial Board Ahead of projects, ABSS gets warning: School construction costs rising-- thetimesnews.com North Carolina: March 13, 2019 [ abstract] Jim Watson warned the Alamance-Burlington Board of Education Tuesday, March 12, that they’re not going to get “a bargain” when building the county’s new high school.
The retired superintendent of Lincoln County Schools told board members, in 2012, nine new schools were constructed in North Carolina. At that time, the cost per square-foot was $146.52. By 2017, it had risen to $201.70.
High schools can be even more costly.
Davidson County’s 200,000-square-foot Oak Grove High School, which opened in 2017, clocked in at $243.83 per square-foot, according to Watson.
ABSS has $70 million slated for its 240,000-square-foot high school — around $2.5 million of which would go toward the purchase of land (100 acres, assuming 60 are useable).
“You’re in an escalating climate,” Watson told the board. “You’re in a period of time when a lot of construction’s going on. There’s a lot of construction going on in the public sector. Lots of local school systems have passed local bonds. Lots of public work is going on with universities and community colleges, and the folks that are in this business have no trouble finding work. I guess we would say this is a builder’s climate.”
But there are ways to save money.
Watson presented three different options for building a school:
-- Jessica Williams Statewide school construction bond clears House-- WRAL.com North Carolina: March 13, 2019 [ abstract] House lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved a proposal to put a $1.9 billion school construction bond on the 2020 ballot.
A preliminary 109-6 vote on Wednesday was followed by a 99-6 final vote Thursday with almost no debate, and the measure now heads to the Senate.
"There's no reason we can't have the newest, best schools for our kids," House Speaker
Tim Moore
said in a rare floor speech Wednesday to push House Bill 241.
The $1.5 billion earmarked for public schools – the University of North Carolina system and state community colleges would each get $200 million from the bond, if approved by voters – would be allocated using a formula that balances school population, growth and income, with each county getting at least $10 million.
-- Matthew Burns Construction group sues school district over PLAs-- Finance & Commerce Minnesota: March 12, 2019 [ abstract] A Waconia-based electrical contractor and a construction trade association are suing the Minneapolis Public School District over labor agreements that require union working conditions on school construction projects.
In the lawsuit, Laketown Electric and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Minnesota and North Dakota claim that project labor agreements, or PLAs, stifle competition and violate “freedom of speech and association under the First Amendment” by requiring non-union firms to abide by collectively bargained wage and benefit agreements for the duration of the project.
“A contractor that does not agree to these terms cannot work on a project covered by a project labor agreement, even if the contractor submits the lowest bid,” according to the complaint filed Tuesday in federal court in Minnesota.
The Minneapolis Public School District didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Minneapolis Building and construction Trades Council said Tuesday that the lawsuit is “misguided.” In a statement, council business manager Dan McConnell said PLAs have been successfully used on high-profile projects such as U.S. Bank Stadium and the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis.
-- Brian Johnson Florida legislators announce bill to ensure structurally sound schools for all students in the state-- Southern Poverty Law Center Florida: March 12, 2019 [ abstract] Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani and Florida state Sen. Janet Cruz today announced legislation that would create uniform requirements to ensure that all Florida students can receive an education in school buildings that are structurally sound.
The legislation, House Bill 1233 and Senate Bill 586, would create what is known as the Florida Students’ Bill of Rights.
The Students’ Bill of Rights requires that all Florida students attend schools that are designed and constructed, where applicable, to minimize the impact from hurricanes or other natural disasters; that meet required fire-safety and health standards; that are accessible to individuals with disabilities; that follow safe school design principles; and that have sound infrastructure.
Because not all school buildings adhere to the same construction safety standards, many Florida students lack access to life-saving protections. Private schools supported by state funds – and some charter schools – do not have to meet the state building code requirements that public schools do. Additionally, they are not built to the same safety standards as most public schools, and they are not required to meet the same minimum safety requirements.
“When newly built schools do not play by the same rules and do not adhere to basic structural safety requirements, student lives are at risk,” Eskamani said. “There are Florida children attending schools that are falsifying fire-safety and health records. How can we expect our students to reach their fullest potential, when we are not protecting them with some of the most basic safety requirements?”
-- Staff Writer Parents and teachers call JCPS' $120M facilities plan unfair with elementary closing-- Courier Journal Kentucky: March 12, 2019 [ abstract] Jefferson County Public Schools will move forward with a $120 million facilities plan that officials say will result in new, state-of-the-art schools.
"It's time to have new schools for our students," JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio said. "We haven't done that in many years and now we're doing it."
The JCPS board approved the plan Tuesday night by a unanimous vote.
JCPS will build three elementary schools in different areas of the county, with new construction near West Broadway, South Dixie Highway and Newburg.
Two current elementary schools in each of those areas would be combined to create the new schools: Roosevelt-Perry and Wheatley; Watson Lane and Wilkerson; and Gilmore Lane and Indian Trail.
construction on the new schools could begin as early as this year, with the goal of the campuses opening for students in fall 2021.
JCPS hopes to work with the YMCA of Greater Louisville to build two of the new elementary schools, one in western Louisville and one in the South Dixie Highway corridor. Students at the schools would have access to YMCA facilities, such as swimming pools.
-- Mandy McLaren Proposed bill to help fund school construction supported by County Commission-- Clarksville Now Tennessee: March 12, 2019 [ abstract] The Montgomery County Commission voted this week to support a bill that would create additional funding for the construction of schools in Clarksville-Montgomery County.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The Montgomery County Commission voted this week to support a bill that would create additional funding for the construction of schools in Clarksville-Montgomery County.
The decision to support the bill was unanimous with a vote of 21-0.
House Bill 124 (TN Local Education Capital Investment Act), sponsored by Rep. Jason Hodges of Clarksville, would provide funding for “rapid growth school districts” in need of assistance with school construction.
“Clarksville is growing at a tremendous pace right now,” Hodges said. “Communities are having a really tough time keeping up with the growth, especially for schools. ”
Enrollment growth in the district continues to rise at a 30-year average of approximately 654 students per year, according to a study by the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS) based on 2017-2018 enrollment data.
The study says capacity at the elementary school level continues to be strained throughout the district, which requires the construction of new schools to avoid overcrowding. Middle school capacity is currently at a ‘critical’ level across the district with little room to absorb additional growth.
Hodges said new schools can cost upwards of $25 million to construct, a price tag that becomes unsustainable for local governments. These costs have led to property tax increases and higher vehicle registration fees for citizens.
-- Nicole June Tolland to replace crumbling foundation of Birch Grove Primary School-- Hartford Courant Connecticut: March 11, 2019 [ abstract] Engineers have determined that a Tolland school’s crumbling foundation is deteriorating faster than anticipated and needs to be replaced immediately.
In a letter sent to the community last week, Town Manager Steve Werbner and Superintendent Walter Willett said the town has been visually monitoring the condition of Birch Grove Primary School’s foundation for well over a year, but a report from an engineering firm shows substantial damage.
The town is planning to replace the building by 2020. It is expected to cost $46 million.
“The concern over time is that the condition will worsen especially in the continued presence of moisture at ground level, which could impact the structural integrity of the building,” the pair wrote.
Birch Grove, a 90,000-square-foot school for pre-kindergarten through second-grade students, was built in 1999, with a second phase of construction in 2003. Willett said the district knew that Birch Grove Primary School’s foundation was poured by the J.J. Mottes Co., a now-defunct Stafford Springs business that has been linked to the faulty concrete aggregate causing foundation failure. When school officials noticed the telltale spider cracking on the foundation’s walls, they took a core sample and found that the foundation contained pyrrhotite, the mineral that causes foundations to crumble.
-- KATHLEEN MCWILLIAMS Small tax, big return: Education facilities tax has benefit of tapping out-of-state workers-- Daily News-Miner Alaska: March 10, 2019 [ abstract] News-Miner opinion: Alaska has a substantial amount of maintenance and construction needs at its K-12 schools and at University of Alaska campuses. The state is also a bit short of revenue right now, as most everyone is probably aware of following the release last month of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s stripped-down budget proposal for the next fiscal year.
So how can Alaska raise a bit of money to help pay for this needed care and construction?
Republican Sen. Click Bishop, of Fairbanks, has proposed an annual $30 employment tax, with the revenue to be deposited in the educational facilities maintenance and construction fund. Money deposited into that account is contained within the general fund and can be used by the Legislature for any purpose, but the intent is that the money in that pot be used to improve education facilities. School districts would have to provide some level of matching funds to receive money from the account.
The head tax is a good idea.
And what makes this idea so good is that this education facilities tax would be imposed on all employees, including those who are self-employed and those who are nonresidents.
Getting those nonresidents to help out is the big draw of Sen. Bishop’s bill.
Alaska has thousands of out-of-state workers, as Sen. Bishop notes in the bill’s sponsor statement:
-- Opinion After 82 years, Mt. Adams School District poised to finally build new elementary school-- Yakima Herald Washington: March 09, 2019 [ abstract] A long-awaited replacement for the 82-year-old Harrah Elementary School building in Mt. Adams School District is close to becoming a reality, with funding nailed down and a land purchase in negotiation.
If all goes to plan, the new school will be built on 70 acres of farmland adjacent to the east town limits and will house students from kindergarten through eighth grade.
“They’ve been anticipating this for years, so it’s really exciting,” Superintendent Curt Guaglianone said of the community. “During our board meeting when we announced it — when the board says, ‘Yes, we’re purchasing this land. Yes, we’re going to build this school’ — we had three people in tears. ... Community members just didn’t think it would ever, ever, ever happen.”
Finding the funds
The community has tried for 30 to 40 years to raise the funds to build a new school, Guaglianone said, but has never been successful. While the roughly 900-student district is the second largest in the state geographically, it has a small tax base. Much of the land in the district is tax-exempt as part of the Yakama reservation.
“We have more miles and acreage than any other than one district in the state, but yet our tax base is the lowest,” he said. “The tax burden falls on a very small number of people and that’s because we’re on federally impacted land… (so) the federal government has taken land off of our tax rolls.”
Because of this, the district has struggled to raise the bond or levy money necessary to fund the construction of a new school. In the last year, the district ran two bond measures for the cause, for $4 million and $3 million respectively. But the district didn’t get the required 60 percent support from voters. The number of registered voters in the district was 1,894 in 2018.
-- Janelle Retka Illinois schools hungry for capital-program funding-- WRAL.com Illinois: March 09, 2019 [ abstract] NEW BERLIN, ILL. — Outside the wide, well-lit hallways of the New Berlin Elementary School, there's a roomy expanse of school district-owned farmland, and to the south of that, the problem that farmland might one day solve.
The junior-senior high school, first built just after World War I, has been cobbled together with five additions, the latest of which was a half-century ago. The oldest section's electrical grid won't support air conditioning. The cramped cafeteria hosts so many lunch periods they nearly collide with breakfast and dinner.
It stands in stark contrast to the pre-K to 5th grade center, a gem built in 2009 for $14.5 million, subsidized, on paper, by a state contribution of $5 million from an innovative, 20-year-old school-construction grant program. But the state hasn't funded it in a decade and New Berlin, 18 miles (29 kilometers) west of Springfield, waits for its promised $5 million, reluctant to invest in long-term solutions for the problematic high school.
"There is an opportunity cost," New Berlin School Superintendent Adam Ehrman said in the grade school. "It's $5 million of our money that we've had to continue for 10 years to put into this building that we've not invested into the market. Students' education can't always wait."
The new governor, Democrat J.B. Pritzker, has proposed a multibillion-dollar state construction program. Educators such as Ehrman have a suggestion for where to put a chunk of it.
-- JOHN O'CONNOR, AP Political Writer Colorado considers giving full $58M in marijuana tax dollars to school infrastructure-- Education Drive Colorado: March 08, 2019 [ abstract] In many school districts, facility needs are met primarily from local funding and are often funded by property taxes. However, this funding method can create inequities between rich and poor areas, leaving many lower-income districts with facility needs that are left unmet. Colorado tried to address the issue by funneling portions of certain taxes on marijuana into its BEST program, which serves to help districts who need it most. But now, it's considering increasing that funding as the state struggles to meet more facility needs than it can handle.
Colorado is one of many states that has elected to use “sin taxes” to fund education needs. Sin taxes have a long history in the U.S. and are often seen as a way to make “undesirable behaviors” help pay for public needs. In the past, sin taxes have been imposed on items such as alcohol and tobacco and on behaviors such as gambling. Many states use lottery funding, which is often classified as a sin tax, to fund education. And in recent years, as more states have legalized marijuana, taxes on these sales have been used to fund educational activities ranging from school construction to preschool education.
-- AMELIA HARPER New report: Legislation to address NC’s school building crisis would only begin to address school facility needs-- NC Policy Watch North Carolina: March 06, 2019 [ abstract] North Carolina lawmakers are debating two proposals that would direct state money to fund long overdue public school construction needs, but both fall short of offering sustainable solutions for the state, according to a new report from the NC Justice Center. Ultimately, rolling back tax cuts made in the last several years could completely address the state’s school building needs without undermining funding for education.
“Where students learn matters for their educational outcomes,” said Kris Nordstrom, Senior Policy Analyst with the Justice Center’s Education & Law Project and co-author of the report. “Leaving children to learn in unhealthy, unsafe environments will have a negative impact on their well-being now and in the future as well as our state’s educational goals.”
North Carolina has a massive backlog in needed investments such as school construction and repairs, the report said, across a range of projects in communities facing very different demographic and fiscal challenges. Rapidly growing populations in some urban parts of the state drive needs for construction, while economically struggling communities lack the tax base to fix aging and dilapidated school buildings.
-- Rob Schofield Report calls for new Northwest schools to address overcrowding as council faces issue over old Hardy site-- The DC Line District of Columbia: March 06, 2019 [ abstract] In a new report Northwest parents are calling for the creation of at least four new public schools to address severe overcrowding at Woodrow Wilson High School and many of its feeder schools.
After spending two years studying solutions for Wilson and its 14 feeder schools, a working group of parents said the city needs to begin long-term plans for at least two new elementary schools, a new middle school and a new high school in Northwest DC.
“Given the long lags in planning and construction for new schools, it is imperative that the city begins the planning for these new schools now,” Brian Doyle and Melody Molinoff, co-chairs of the Ward 3-Wilson Feeder Education Network, wrote in a Feb. 8 letter to city leaders on behalf of the parent and community members of the working group.
The group released its report at the same time, sharing results of a four-month 2017 community survey and offering long-term planning suggestions. DC Public Schools convened the working group in May 2017, with participation from school leaders as well as parents and other community members.
-- Cuneyt Dil Colorado bill would put more marijuana tax money toward school repairs, construction-- Chalkbeat Colorado: March 05, 2019 [ abstract] Colorado schools submitted more than 50 requests worth more than $800 million this year seeking a share of state funds to pay for new roofs, heating and cooling systems, asbestos abatement, safety upgrades, and — for a lucky few — new school buildings.
They were eyeing the state’s Building Excellent Schools Today or BEST program for cash-strapped districts. That program would be able to grant a few more of those requests under a bill making its way through the Colorado legislature.
This bill, sponsored by state Rep. Shannon Bird of Westminster and state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger of Arvada, both Democrats, would take all the marijuana excise tax money collected by the state — estimated to be about $58 million in the 2019-20 fiscal year — and put it toward the BEST program.
Until this year, marijuana tax money going to the program was capped at $40 million a year. Legislation last year increased that to 90 percent of all excise tax money, and this legislation would put the remaining 10 percent toward school repairs and construction. That would be an increase of roughly $5.8 million over this year.
The bill has passed the House Education and Finance committees with bipartisan support and goes next to Appropriations.
-- ERICA MELTZER Fredericksburg parents urge School Board to build new elementary school-- Fredericksburg.com Virginia: March 05, 2019 [ abstract] Nearly a dozen parents urged Fredericksburg’s School Board on Monday to build a new school to ease overcrowding instead of—or in addition to—expanding Lafayette Upper Elementary School.
School Board members voted last month to approve a 25-Year Student Capacity Plan that would expand Lafayette instead of building a long-promised third elementary school. construction would begin in July, and Hugh Mercer Elementary second-graders would move there when work is completed in 2021. The plan also calls for James Monroe High School to be expanded in 2024 to provide space for an additional 200 students.
School and city officials hashed out the plan during several joint meetings in which they considered the city’s other pressing needs, including a new fire station. Their decision was based partly on Moseley Architect’s school enrollment projections, which several parents have said are inaccurate and underestimate future enrollment growth. They added that Lafayette would be at capacity by the time it’s completed.
-- CATHY JETT SLED investigating if school construction near Myrtle Beach was by the book-- The Post and Courier South Carolina: March 05, 2019 [ abstract] Horry County officials revealed Tuesday the State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the construction of five new schools.
The work, done by Raleigh firm Firstfloor Energy Positive, totaled more than $200 million. It has been under close scrutiny by local media for years, partly because it was the most expensive bid submitted when Horry County sought a builder.
Last May, the nonprofit group Public Access to Public Records requested several documents related to the project. It was in response to records requests that Horry County Schools spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier sent a statement to media Tuesday acknowledging the investigation.
“The district has and will continue to comply with South Carolina laws pertaining to the Freedom of Information Act, but at the same time, the district will not release information that would compromise a law enforcement investigation,” she wrote.
A spokesman for SLED did not immediately return a phone call Tuesday.
-- Chloe Johnson Process underway for new Monroe County school-- Bluefield Daily Telegraph West Virginia: March 03, 2019 [ abstract] LINDSIDE — After two failed bond referendums, Monroe County was approved in December for $21 million from the state School Building Authority (SBA) to construct a badly needed new school.
The process is now under way by educators, parents, students and community members to plan and finally provide a new, modern facility for grades K-8 in the Peterstown area. Both Peterstown Elementary and Peterstown Middle will close and students will move to the new school.
“We received the School Building Authority contract and our board approved that contract on February 19, 2019,” said Joetta Basile, Monroe County Schools Superintendent. “The contract outlined the SBA funds awarded for 2019 and 2020 as $11 million in FY (fiscal year) 2019 and $10.1 million in FY 2020. We are in the design planning phase now, working closely with the architects and School Building Authority.”
Basile said a planning committee was organized and comprised of students, employees, parents and community members, “who are providing input and guidance into the design of the building.”
“The schematic design is scheduled to be complete by the end of May,” she said.
Basile and board of education Chair Keith Wickline presented their case to the SBA in October 2018.
-- Charles Boothe Does the state’s school building reimbursement formula hurt poor cities and towns?-- MASS Live Massachusetts: March 01, 2019 [ abstract] A formula created in 2004 to ensure the state was giving poor cities and towns enough help building new schools includes a quirk that some say is now hurting the same communities it was meant to help.
“It perpetuates inequity,” said state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, who introduced a bill to change the formula.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority provides state funding for school building projects that is matched with money from cities and towns.
The state covers between 40 percent and 80 percent of eligible construction costs. The size of the state match is calculated based on a formula that reflects how poor the community is — so poorer communities get more money.
The state funding does not cover the full percentage of construction costs because certain expenses are ineligible for reimbursement, like legal fees or asbestos removal. There is also a cap on the total amount the state is willing to pay per square foot, which is virtually always lower than the actual cost.
So, an 80 percent reimbursement rate generally means that around 62 percent of costs are actually covered.
The program also allows communities to apply for “incentive points,” which raise the size of the state match. Districts get points for things like building energy efficient facilities, regionalizing a school district, renovating existing buildings or adopting best practices for maintenance.
-- Shira Schoenberg Mayor Spano plans to 'plow through,' build new schools as Yonkers waits for more money-- Lohud.com New York: March 01, 2019 [ abstract] YONKERS - Sitting around, waiting for money from Albany to rain down on this city, is not how the mayor plans to build four new schools.
"Let's operate as if we have the money. Let's just plow through," Mayor Mike Spano said during a recent interview at City Hall. "Because if we sit here, and every day we have this discussion, and the discussion is, 'Well, that's a nice plan, mayor, we don't have the money to do it' — then we're not going to get anything done."
That said, dollars from Albany will soon be needed. The city is planning a $523 million construction phase, including the building of four schools, as part of its $2 billion "Rebuild Yonkers Schools" vision, originally proposed in February 2016. And they've already begun acquiring the needed property for three new schools.
Spano thinks he'll have more leverage to convince the state Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to increase state aid for the project if plans for the first new school, a pre-K to 8 school near Ravine Avenue, are complete and shovels are ready to break ground.
This could happen before the end of this year.
The state government bureaucracy "sometimes does not move unless they see crisis," Spano said. "And I'm not trying to create a crisis, but I'm trying to highlight a crisis, and the only way I can highlight is to move forward."
-- Colleen Wilson, Rockland/Westchester Journal News Cost to eliminate school trailers climbs to $174 million in Prince William County-- Inside Nova Virginia: February 28, 2019 [ abstract] A joint committee of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and the Prince William County School Board has had its eye on eliminating 206 portable trailers used as classrooms at 44 schools in the county, and the price tag on that effort just went up.
The committee voted 5-1 on Oct. 29 to approve a $143.2 million plan to eliminate the trailers. The plan could be added later this year to the to the school division’s 10-year Capital Improvement Program, which accounts for all new school construction and expansion projects.
After student enrollment data was finalized in January, school division staff added two elementary school additions to be built in 2028, said Diana Gulotta, the division’s spokeswoman. Those two additions total more than $28.9 million and provide 13 classrooms, increasing the proposed plan’s cost to more than $174 million.
-- Emily Sides Kanawha County delegate asks Justice for help with school construction-- Metro News West Virginia: February 28, 2019 [ abstract] The wait continues for ground to be broken on the construction of two schools in Kanawha County that were destroyed by the June 2016 floods.
Delegate Dean Jeffries, R-Kanawha, recently wrote a letter to Gov. Jim Justice asking for help on this matter as Jeffries said in the letter that the community feels betrayed and forgotten that nothing has been done yet.
Herbert Hoover High School (HHHS) and Clendenin Elementary School were both devastated by the floods, as students at HHHS are remaining to be taught in portable classrooms sitting in the parking lot of Elkview Middle School.
“They have been contained in portables and they are nice to have something but the kids need a school,” Jeffries said. “It’s rough on our community. Schools are their identity, they are socio-economic drivers. Without having those, our community is suffering.”
Justice has seen the letter, according to Jeffries and the two parties are hoping to meet soon to talk about what Jeffries calls a “crisis right now.” Jeffries said he has spoken with most parties involved such as the West Virginia School Building Authority (SBA), Kanawha County Board of Education and the HHHS principal, and all parties seem to think that FEMA is what is holding up the project.
-- Jake Flatley Maryland county executives testify in support of bill to boost school construction funds-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: February 28, 2019 [ abstract] Maryland county leaders, including Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., testified Wednesday in Annapolis in support of a bill that could add $1.8 billion to the state’s school construction funding over the next four years.
The plan by Gov. Larry Hogan would use revenue bonds funded by casino gaming revenues to pay for public school construction projects through a program run by the Maryland Stadium Authority.
Olszewski told the Maryland Senate’s Budget and Taxation Committee that without the additional funding, school projects that Baltimore County parents expect could grind to a halt.
-- Libby Solomon North Carolina lawmakers file bill seeking $2 billion school construction bonds-- abc 11 North Carolina: February 28, 2019 [ abstract] With so much growth in North Carolina, school construction has been the norm, and in the coming years, we could see even more.
"The backlog of school construction needs is so vast that counties need the assistance of the state, as they have periodically provided over the last half a century or more," NC School Boards Association's Director of Governmental Relations Leanne Winner said.
Speaker Tim Moore along with other lawmakers introduced House Bill 241, which calls for a $1.9 billion general obligation bonds to pay for construction at public schools.
"If I didn't believe that this was a fiscally responsible approach, that this was a way that actually is a fiscally conservative approach for taxpayers, you wouldn't see me standing before you advocating this," Moore said.
In the past, school districts have mostly relied on money raised locally in the county. It's been 20 years since the state has stepped in with major funding.
"This is a positive approach to being able to inject that money quickly and aid the locals in their efforts to keep up," North Carolina Rep. Jeffery Elmore (R-94th District) said.
-- Ana Rivera Survey results favor high school renovation or replacement-- Coshocton Tribune Ohio: February 28, 2019 [ abstract] COSHOCTON – The majority of individuals appear to be in favor of renovations or replacement of Coshocton High School, according to a recently completed survey.
Coshocton City Schools have received answers from a survey circulated by SPH Leading Design, a design and architectural firm from Columbus specializing in educational facilities. According to results, most people agree the high school should be replaced or renovated, and lags behind the new elementary building in most regards.
The high school building houses grades seventh to 12th and opened in 1970. The elementary building has grades kindergarten through sixth. Coshocton Elementary School started classes in October 2013 and houses about 1,000 students. About 67 percent of funding came from the state with the remainder from a 3.16 mill bond issue approved by district voters in May 2010 for construction.
The survey had 492 respondents with 87.8 percent living in the district and 43.3 percent having children currently enrolled in the district. Participants were asked to reply to questions on a one to five scale where one was totally disagree and five was totally agree. Superintendent David Hire said more than half of people participating not being current parents of school-aged children was good for results, as parents can be a bit biased regarding their own children’s education.
-- Leonard Hayhurt Editorial: Better fund school facility improvements-- The ledger Florida: February 26, 2019 [ abstract] Aging, run-down educational facilities show the Legislature’s failure to adequately fund infrastructure needs at the state’s public schools, colleges and universities.
The problem has gotten so bad that Alachua County voters last fall passed a sales tax increase to fund facility improvements at local K-12 schools. As the University of Florida struggles to keep up with repairs of campus buildings, officials are seeking $38.1 million in state funding this upcoming legislative session for facility upgrades.
The state’s main source for funding construction and repairs of educational facilities, the Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) program, has lacked adequate funding to meet statewide needs in recent years. The program is funded through a tax on utilities and telecommunications services, which has brought in declining revenues due to energy conservation and people dropping cable television and landline phones.
To make matters worse, lawmakers have diverted funding from traditional public schools to charter schools. This year, Gov. Ron DeSantis proposes spending $50 million on traditional public school facilities and $155.5 million on charter school facilities — even though there are around 4,000 traditional public schools and only about 654 charter schools in the state.
Ideally lawmakers would raise the PECO tax or, better yet, establish a more stable funding source. But such reforms are a remote possibility in a GOP-controlled Legislature that opposed tax increases and new taxes even before a state constitutional amendment was passed that requires a two-thirds majority of both chambers to approve them.
-- The Gainesville Sun editorial board Fact check: Do Republicans plan to pay for new schools with teacher salary money?-- The News & Observer North Carolina: February 26, 2019 [ abstract] North Carolina needs new school buildings, but leaders disagree on how to pay for them.
In December, Republican House Speaker Tim Moore announced his support for putting a $1.9 billion school bond on the ballot in 2020.
In January, Senate Republicans introduced a pay-as-you-go plan that uses tax revenues — avoiding borrowing and avoiding the ballot.
In response, Democrats argued that the Senate plan uses money that could go toward other priorities. On Feb. 20, Democratic state Sen. Wiley Nickel took it a step further.
“SB5 pays for school construction with teacher pay raises,” the Cary senator tweeted, referring to the bill number.
In the same tweet, Nickel then walks back his claim, suggesting teacher pay isn’t immediately affected: “This plan puts into jeopardy funding for teacher pay raises, classroom supplies, broadband, roads and training for corrections officers.”
His tweet then concludes with an image of the words, “NC teachers shouldn’t have to pay the price for school construction.”
Politicians often try to extrapolate negative consequences from legislation they oppose – even if those consequences are unlikely or uncertain. Nickel’s tweet is a prime example of a claim that should raise eyebrows. It suggests elected officials would take money away from teachers (who vote) and put it toward buildings (which don’t vote).
PolitiFact looked at the bill in question, SB 5, to answer the question: Does it take money earmarked for teacher salaries and put it toward capital projects?
No. We found no evidence that the bill affects teacher salaries or potential raises.
-- PAUL A. SPECHT some pennies are more equal than others: inequitable school facilities investment in san antonio, texas-- EPAA/AAPE Texas: February 25, 2019 [ abstract] In Texas, local taxpayers fund the majority of educational facilities construction and maintenance costs, with local wealth influencing facilities outcomes. The traditional school districts that comprise the predominantly Latino and segregated San Antonio area vary considerably in property wealth as well as district capacity and expertise. We conducted an analysis of 12 San Antonio area school districts to address the questions: 1) To what extent do state and local investments vary by district? 2) How do district actions and constraints affect facilities quality and equitable investment? Methods include descriptive quantitative analysis of facilities investment data and qualitative interviews with school district leaders, staff, and school finance experts. Examining Texas school finance data demonstrated the variance in school district investments in educational facilities. Despite some districts with lower property wealth exerting higher levels of tax effort, they were able to raise less money per student for educational facilities through interest and sinking taxes. Interview findings revealed that several districts acknowledge lacking the capacity to maintain high-quality facilities for all students. Respondents frequently criticized current state policies and funding for educational facilities as inadequate, inequitable, and inefficient and expressed a need for policy improvements in an era of increasing state disinvestment.
-- Marialena D. Rivera, Sonia Rey Lopez School construction brings together Gov. Cooper, GOP speaker-- Miami Herald North Carolina: February 23, 2019 [ abstract]
Political adversaries for the past two years, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and a top Republican legislative leader are now rare allies on whittling down North Carolina public schools' construction and repair needs.
House Speaker Tim Moore and Cooper want to put a public education construction bond package on the 2020 ballot and have been traveling around the state separately drumming up support. That puts them at odds with Senate Republicans, who approved a bill last week to build more by spending more money from existing tax revenues, rather than issuing debt that would be repaid plus interest through the 2040s.
Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger downplayed the speaker's alliance with Cooper, saying they're still quite unified on a conservative agenda this decade that's resulted in lower tax rates, less regulation and expanded school choice.
"I have a great deal of respect and a lot in common in terms of philosophy with Sen. Berger and with the Senate," Moore said in an interview. "We are generally aligned on most issues, but there are differences."
But this school bond partnership, with backing from legislative Democrats and House Republicans, exemplifies the increased leverage Cooper has after November election gains weakened the GOP's majorities so they no longer hold veto-proof control.
During his State of the State address Monday, Cooper is expected to call on legislators to support the bonds and expand Medicaid through the federal health care overhaul law — something Berger opposes but Moore hasn't fully closed the door on.
Choosing between a $1.9 billion bond package backed by Moore and many Democrats and the "pay-as-you-go" plan from Senate Republicans comes as state educators estimated in 2016 there were $13 billion in public school building and infrastructure needs through 2026.
-- GARY D. ROBERTSON ASSOCIATED PRESS Edgerton School District moves classrooms, alters calendar ahead of construction-- Gazette Extra Wisconsin: February 22, 2019 [ abstract] Kindergartners attending classes at the high school. A library sharing space with a gym. A school year that starts earlier than usual.
The 2019-20 school year might be a year of inconveniences for the Edgerton School District, which Superintendent Dennis Pauli describes in a letter to residents.
But that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
It’s because of a $40.6 million facilities referendum that passed overwhelmingly in November and includes substantial construction projects, including:
$29.9 million to renovate and expand Community Elementary School, including improvements to parking and infrastructure repairs.
$95,000 to add secure entrances to Yahara Elementary School and Edgerton Middle School.
$2.13 million for districtwide infrastructure updates, including secure entrances for remaining buildings.
$2.65 million for high school science lab upgrades.
$5.85 million for upgrades to the high school’s commons area, band/choir room and office.
The first phase of construction will begin this summer. The district expects to complete all projects by the 2020-21 school year, Pauli said.
To accommodate construction, the school district obtained a school year calendar waiver from the state Department of Public Instruction to allow next school year to begin Aug. 22, 2019, and end May 22, 2020. The new calendar will help construction crews accomplish more during the summer of 2020, Pauli said.
State law prohibits school districts from beginning classes before Sept. 1 unless they obtain a waiver.
-- Ashley McCallum State building aid plan could dent some school budgets-- Times Union New York: February 22, 2019 [ abstract] Much of the debate over school spending this year is over how much should go to rich vs poor districts. And while Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the education lobby are far apart on how much to spend overall, they mostly agree that equity between rich and poor is important.
But a proposal to change the building aid part of the package, which reimburses schools for construction and renovation projects, could be particularly costly to some wealthy suburban districts including Saratoga Springs.
According to the governor’s proposal — which if approved by lawmakers would take full effect in 2020 — districts like Saratoga Springs could lose millions of dollars in building aid over the years going forward, based on an analysis by Association of School Business Officials of New York.
-- Rick Karlin Oakland school rebuild means construction disruption to angry neighbors-- San Francisco Chronicle California: February 21, 2019 [ abstract] For months, Sandra Montgomery has watched from her backyard in Oakland as construction workers demolish and rebuild Glenview Elementary School. Close to “ground zero,” her house is consistently enveloped by a cloud of dust from construction.
Montgomery, who works from home as an accountant, has learned to adjust to the constant drilling and the clouds that hang over her neighborhood. But she’s not adjusting willingly. She’s been forced to after the Oakland Unified School District largely ignored her neighborhood’s grievances about the extended impact of the project, which has escaped scrutiny, she said.
“They talk a good talk,” Montgomery said, referencing the school district. “It’s just all talk. They stall and defer, hoping the problems are going to go away. You really can’t trust what they say. They are lying to us.”
Such criticism is just a snapshot of the dysfunctional relationship between Oakland Unified, neighbors of Glenview Elementary and contractors since construction began in 2017. The district was forced to address seismic concerns at Glenview, and instead of remodeling the current structure, officials opted to rebuild. Since then the district has dealt with overspending and delays in building, as well as seeing two of its contractors indicted in an unrelated bid-rigging scandal. That case ended in one being found not guilty and a mistrial for the other.
-- Sarah Ravani South Hadley denied state funding for elementary school renovation-- Daily Hampshire Gazette Massachusetts: February 21, 2019 [ abstract] Plans to replace or renovate Mosier Elementary School have been pushed back a year after the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) denied the South Hadley school district’s statement of interest.
“The state determined that other schools were in worse shape than our school for this year, so we’re resubmitting for our next cycle,” said South Hadley Superintendent Nicholas Young, noting that Mosier made it into the final round of consideration before it was cut.
The school, which was built in the 1960s, suffers from both functional and cosmetic issues, Young said, such as old wiring, single pane windows, dated plumbing, cracked floor tiles, cracked ceiling tiles “and everything in between.”
One structural issue at the school is rot inside the walls of the building’s portable classroom extension, which has led to ongoing construction this week. The extension houses four classrooms and bathrooms.
While engineers determined that the structure was considered safe, Young said, the school district wanted to avoid added strain on the extension due to snow.
-- JACQUELYN VOGHEL Trump Emergency Declaration Could Endanger Aid for School Projects on Military Bases-- Education Week National: February 20, 2019 [ abstract] More than $500 million in funding for construction projects at schools serving the children of military personnel could be in jeopardy, thanks to President Donald Trump's move to declare a national emergency and shift some $8 billion allocated to defense construction and other purposes to build a wall along the southern border with Mexico.
That's according to an analysis of military construction projects circulated by the House Appropriations Committee, which is controlled by Democrats. The list of potentially impacted projects includes turning the former Fort Campbell High School in Fort Campbell, Ky., into a new middle school. construction projects at schools on military bases in Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom could also be affected.
For its part, the Trump administration has said it will divert roughly $3.6 billion from military construction to wall construction, but it has not yet identified which projects would be affected.
"At this time, no decisions have been made regarding specific projects funded [by the most recent military construction spending bill]," said Lt. Col. Carla M. Gleason, a Pentagon spokeswoman in an email.
When asked about the potentially delayed Fort Campbell project, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a Trump administration ally, defended the president's move.
"It would be better for middle school kids in Kentucky to have a secure border," he said in an interview on ABC's Face the Nation Sunday. "We'll get them the school they need."
-- Alyson Klein Bill aims to direct more marijuana money to Colorado schools-- KOAA News5 Colorado: February 19, 2019 [ abstract] DENVER – A bill currently making its way through the Colorado legislature would allocate more marijuana tax revenues for school construction projects.
When voters legalized retail marijuana sales in Colorado, one of the key selling points of legalization was that certain tax revenues related to legalized marijuana would go toward schools statewide. Specifically, a portion of excise tax revenues — taxes paid by wholesalers purchasing from growers — would go toward funding capital construction projects at some of the most in-need schools, especially in rural areas. Under the current law, whichever amount is greater — $40 million or 90 percent of total excise tax revenues — goes toward the public school capital construction assistance fund.
“What my bill will do is make sure than 100 percent of the state’s marijuana excise tax revenue will be credited to this account and made available for public school capital construction,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Shannon Bird (D-Westminster).
The bill summary is shown below:
Current law requires the greater of the first $40 million of state retail marijuana excise tax revenue or 90% of the revenue to be credited to the public school capital construction assistance fund (assistance fund) and limits the maximum total amount of annual lease payments payable by the state under the terms of all outstanding lease-purchase agreements entered into as authorized by the “Building Excellent Schools Today Act” (BEST) to $100 million. Beginning July 1, 2019, the bill:
-- Zach Thaxton Fort Bend school officials agree to start negotiations with county on human remains-- Chron.com Texas: February 19, 2019 [ abstract] Upcoming discussions between Fort Bend ISD and county officials could lead to a memorial and cemetery for 95 people, believed to have been convict laborers, on the site where their remains were discovered last year during a school construction project.
Officials and activists expressed hope that the negotiations, authorized Monday night by Fort Bend ISD trustees and on Feb. 12 by county commissioners, could lead to an agreement for the school district to convey to Fort Bend County the land where the abandoned cemetery was discovered. The county would build and maintain a permanent resting place for the people who were buried there.
"They'll work through all of those things," said Veronica Sopher, spokeswoman for Fort Bend ISD. "Our hope is that we're going to be able to come to an agreement with the county that preserves and memorializes the Sugar Land 95."
The discovery of the remains during construction of a new technical center drew national attention. The remains were exhumed and examined by archaeological experts. As the process unfolded, the school district said it lacked the legal authority and expertise to oversee the burial site.
The school district ultimately pursued a plan to bury the remains at the Old Imperial Prison Farm Cemetery. Members of a task force appointed by the city of Sugar Land to study the issue protested, saying the remains should be kept at the original site.
The district's proposal remains pending before a state district judge. Discussions with the county, however, could result in a different plan to bury and memorialize them on a piece of the land where the remains were discovered, according to a timeline on the school district's website.
The district says delays and archaeological work have added to construction costs, but the James Reese Career and Technical center is still scheduled to open in the fall.
Before taking the formal step to authorize the negotiations on Monday, trustees deliberated during a closed session that lasted a little over an hour.
-- Brooke A. Lewis New Arlington Co. Board member wants schools to rein in construction costs-- Inside Nova Virginia: February 19, 2019 [ abstract] Arlington’s newest County Board members appears to be straddling the middle of the road when it comes to school funding and its impact on homeowners’ tax bills.
In remarks to a local service organization, Matt de Ferranti telegraphed the likelihood that Arlington property owners would see a higher real-estate-tax rate this year, in part to pay for higher school costs. But at the same time, he said the days of gold-plated school facilities must come to an end.
“We need to bring down the cost per seat of our schools,” de Ferranti said at the Feb. 20 meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Arlington. De Ferranti said that teachers, not Taj Mahal-style facilities, were the keys to success for local students, and that spending should be prioritized to get the best educators available.
Whether de Ferranti’s call for restraint in capital spending will be heeded on the school side remains to be seen. Few of the current School Board members have made belt-tightening a priority.
An auditor’s report on school-construction costs last year essentially absolved school officials from blame on high costs, saying Arlington’s projects were more expensive than those of other jurisdictions for reasons ranging from heavy community engagement (read: demands of parents) and a lengthy and cumbersome process of winning county-government approval of new projects. But the report’s legitimacy was called into question after school leaders spent months holding on to it before releasing it to the public.
As for taxes, de Ferranti acknowledged it was “likely but not certain” that County Board members ultimately would vote to increase the 2018 real-estate tax rate of $1.006 per $100 assessed value, in part to pay for school costs.
-- SCOTT McCAFFREY School board votes to demolish and rebuild Columbia Elementary-- Las Cruces Sun News New Mexico: February 19, 2019 [ abstract] LAS CRUCES - Following a recommendation by Superintendent Greg Ewing, the school voted Tuesday night to demolish the Columbia Elementary School building on Elks Drive, and construct a new building on the same property, between Columbia and Vista Middle School.
Ever since Columbia Elementary school was evacuated in September due to persistent and severe mold infestations, Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Greg Ewing has maintained that the school's future was a decision for the school board.
At a January special meeting of the school board, Ewing said, "We have taken the position that this is not an administration decision." He sought guidance at a series of meetings over the school year, including an emotional town hall meeting at Jornada Elementary School, as board members struggled publicly with a difficult and risky decision.
At Tuesday evening's school board meeting, Ewing weighed in after all, recommending that the Columbia building be demolished and replaced with a new school building on a different part of the property, to avoid flooding issues that have persisted at the school.
-- Algernon D'Ammassa Winslow officials to discuss controversial school renovation glitch with attorney-- Central Maine Maine: February 19, 2019 [ abstract] WINSLOW — Local officials plan to discuss what to do about a planned school renovation project that, according to a recent announcement, is potentially millions of dollars over budget.
The Town Council and the school board will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Winslow Town Office. They plan to enter executive session to consult with town attorney Bill Lee. Winslow Town Manger Mike Heavener said no official action will be taken after the executive session.
“It’s basically going to be a conversation they want to have with the town attorney regarding the school renovation project and the fact that the cost came in much higher than estimated,” Heavener said. “I think they just want to get a legal opinion on what sort of options they have.”
Heavener said a discussion about whether the options need to go before voters again “may come up.” Asked about the possibility of suing Stephen Blatt Architects, Heavener said that might also be discussed.
Members of the public brought up both of these ideas at a Feb. 12 meeting, when officials first revealed that the project would cost more than initially anticipated. Doug Breer, an architect with Stephen Blatt Architects, and Peter Pelletier, construction manager with Ledgewood construction, cited rising construction costs as the reason for the inaccurate projection they initially had given, and they presented four options for Winslow to consider.
-- MEG ROBBINS Trump’s border wall may halt a Kentucky military middle school-- Chicago Sun Times National: February 18, 2019 [ abstract] A military project for a middle school at Fort Campbell Army base could be in limbo since President Donald Trump declared a national emergency Friday allowing him to reallocate funds for his proposed border wall.
The $62 million project to construct Fort Campbell Middle School near the Tennessee/Kentucky border was one of the hundreds of military spending measures allocated in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.
But the project could be on the chopping block.
Trump announced that he would free up $8 billion for his 234 miles of border wall. To do so, he would tap into a variety of government budgets including an attempt to access $3.6 billion in military construction money, according to USA TODAY.
Maj. Martin Meiners, spokesman for Fort Campbell, did not immediately return a request for comment.
The Pentagon said in a statement that while the president can reallocate funds, the government agency would play a hand in the spending.
“… this declaration of a national emergency at the southern border requiring the use of the armed forces authorizes the secretary of defense to determine whether border barriers are necessary to support the use of the armed forces and to re-direct obligated DOD MILCON funding to construct border barriers if required,” the Department of Defense said.
-- USA Today Network Thanks to interest from bond proceeds, Lawrence district is spending more than the $87M it planned for school improvemen-- LJWorld.com Kansas: February 17, 2019 [ abstract] With 3 1/2 projects down and 3 1/2 to go, the Lawrence school district is spending more than the $87 million it projected to voters as part of the 2017 bond issue.
At the halfway point, an updated document provided to the Journal-World shows that budgeted spending for the seven school projects now totals $90.66 million.
District officials, though, say the additional spending is a good thing. It’s not creating any financial pressure on the bonds because the spending is coming from interest — like the kind you could get on a savings account.
The bond issue passed with approval from roughly 75 percent of district voters in May 2017. With that, the district sold $87 million in bonds to get a large amount of cash upfront.
That cash has been sitting in a bank account, and large amounts of money bring in large amounts of interest. It’s expected to draw $6.38 million, and that presents the district with a choice: whether to spend the money on additional improvements at the schools, or to use it to help pay off the debt created by the bond issuance.
Thus far, the district has budgeted $3.66 million of the interest for projects at the secondary schools — hence the $90.66 million total.
“… The district has used bond interest and premium to expand what we can accomplish in meeting building needs and to capitalize on efficiencies with bidding/use of existing contractors while construction is ongoing,” district spokeswoman Julie Boyle said in an email. “This is a common practice. These funds have been used on roofing, technology updates, and to respond to changes since the secondary facilities master plan was completed in 2016.”
-- MACKENZIE CLARK What’s happening with the Bridgewater Mitchell School four years after roof collapse-- The Enterprise Massachusetts: February 16, 2019 [ abstract] BRIDGEWATER — Sunday marks four years to the day that the Mitchell Elementary School shut down due to a partial roof collapse under the weight of snow.
The Bridgewater School Building Committee, in charge of deciding the school’s fate, took a vote on Jan. 28 on which design option to submit to the state as part of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA)’s grant program. The options included a repair to simply fix the issues, two renovation and addition options to fix the issues and add additional space or two new construction options to replace the existing building.
At that meeting, the committee voted 11-1, with two members absent and one member abstaining, to put forth one of the new construction options. Members finalized that decision with another vote to submit it to the state at their most recent meeting on Monday.
But with the new construction comes the highest price tag of the options: about $82.2 million. With the state grant program funding about 40 percent of that cost, coming out to roughly $32.9 million, about $49.3 million will fall on Bridgewater taxpayers, if they vote to pass a debt exclusion to fund the project in a special town election in the fall.
Already, concerns and questions have been raised about the project, which would raise annual taxes by an average of $521 per household for 25 years. Can the existing building not be salvaged for a cheaper price tag? Why do Bridgewater residents have to pay to replace a school built just 20 years ago? Can town or school district officials hold those responsible for the issues in the original building accountable?
And most of all: what happens if taxpayers say no?
Paul Fox Jr., director of facilities for the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District, took The Enterprise on a tour of the Mitchell School Wednesday to show its current state.
-- Corlyn Voorhees Spring ISD prepares to launch new middle school campuses, programs-- Community Impact Newspaper Texas: February 15, 2019 [ abstract] Spring ISD will see several changes this year at the middle school level, where new attendance boundaries, the opening of two middle schools and a new campus for Roberson Middle School are all planned for August.
construction on the two middle school buildings is underway as part of the $330 million 2016 bond referendum, which provided up to $80 million for middle school construction.
The district announced late last year the formation of a ninth middle school—Spring Leadership Academy—which will occupy the building formerly used for the Spring Early College Academy on T.C. Jester Boulevard. The district’s early college, which allows selected students to earn college credit while attending high school, will operate out of Lone Star College-North Harris beginning this fall.
“[The academy’s move] has provided us the opportunity to provide more choice and opportunity for our families here in Spring [ISD],” said Lupita Hinojosa, SISD chief of school leadership and student support services.
The district’s decision to open a leadership-focused middle school and boost other offerings throughout SISD came about after the district gathered community feedback through a listening tour in September that indicated as many as 5 percent of families opt out of SISD when entering sixth grade, Hinojosa said.
“We determined that there had been a slight decrease [in enrollment], and as we researched we noticed that the decrease was happening at [the]middle school [level],” she said.
Among the concerns parents listed during the district’s listening tour were safety, bullying and class sizes at the middle school level, Hinojosa said. They also expressed an interest in new opportunities and programs, which SISD is addressing in part through the new academy and also by offering international baccalaureate curriculum at the new Springwoods Village Middle School under construction off I-45 North on Crossgate Boulevard near Northgate Crossing Elementary School. The $33 million school was named in December and will accommodate up to 725 students, Hinojosa said.
-- Vanessa Holt Pay-as-you go plan for school construction gets nod from Senate committee-- The Progressive Pulse North Carolina: February 14, 2019 [ abstract] State Sen. Harry Brown enthusiastically endorsed a pay-as-you go plan for school construction, telling senate colleagues this week that the proposal could vastly improve the state’s bottom line.
“I will argue that nine to 10 years from now when this ends, we will as a state be in, probably, the best financial shape the state’s ever been in,” said Brown, an Onslow County Republican.
The plan Brown touted is Senate Bill 5, a school construction bill titled “Building North Carolina’s Future.” It’s sponsored by Brown and Sens. Kathy Harrington (R-Gaston) and Joyce Krawiec (R-Forsyth).
The proposal is an alternative to a $1.9 billion bond referendum backed by Republican House Speaker Tim Moore.
Gov. Roy Cooper and other Democratic lawmakers also support a referendum.
Brown contends the pay-as-you go option would save the state $1.2 billion in interest payments over 30 years and put money in school district’s hands much sooner than a statewide bond referendum.
“We think our plan is the right way to go because it dedicates more money faster and for less cost,” Brown said during the chamber’s appropriation committee meeting on Wednesday.
-- Greg Childress Give schools a better chance to pass construction bonds-- Seattle times Washington: February 13, 2019 [ abstract] Washington state’s Constitution, ratified in 1889, required a simple majority to pass a ballot measure authorizing bonds to pay for school construction. The Legislature changed that requirement to 60 percent in 1943 because of concerns about property taxes getting too high.
The Legislature should put the threshold back to 50 percent. Too many school districts struggle to pass a school bond.
Last year, 46 school-bond measures were put on the ballot statewide, according to the state superintendent’s office. Of the 28 measures defeated, 24 earned more than 50 percent of the vote. And 12 of those failed with the approval of more than 55 percent of local voters.
School districts need money to keep their school buildings from crumbling and to accommodate growing student populations. But some fail repeatedly to pass school construction bonds.
Puyallup Superintendent Tim Yeomans says it generally takes five tries to pass a bond in his school district, which uses more than 200 portable classrooms. Art Jarvis, interim superintendent in the Peninsula School District who has worked in a number of Washington districts, says passing a bond is nearly impossible in Peninsula, which has the worst facilities he has ever worked in. A bond measure on the 2018 ballot barely failed with about 59 percent of the vote. The Bethel School District, which houses about a quarter of its students in portables, failed in November to pass its fourth school construction bond measure in three years, with yes votes totaling 59.22 percent.
-- Editorial Kamras lays out $21 million capital maintenance request for Richmond Public Schools-- Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia: February 12, 2019 [ abstract]
What will it cost to repair and maintain Richmond Public Schools’ facilities next year?
According to the capital spending plan that Superintendent Jason Kamras proposed to the Richmond School Board on Tuesday night at a budget work session: $21 million. The sum covers major capital projects — HVAC and roof repairs, security upgrades, and plumbing and electrical work — across the school division for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
Kamras' proposal includes $1.25 million for new security cameras in schools; $1 million to enhance the school system’s wireless infrastructure; and $1 million for improvements to schools' bell and intercom systems.
At Tuesday’s session, the RPS administration provided a project-by-project breakdown of the proposed spending that requires School Board approval. The budget would direct dollars to two buildings the School Board had previously marked for replacement: George Wythe High in South Richmond and Woodville Elementary in the East End.
The schools were among five the board said it wanted to rebuild under the $225 million first phase of its long-term facilities plan. But neither was funded for construction through the 1.5 percentage-point meals tax increase that generated $150 million for school construction when it kicked in last year.
About $140 million from the tax increase paid for the construction of three new schools: a new middle school on Hull Street Road, a new George Mason Elementary School in the East End and a new Greene Elementary School in South Richmond. The new buildings are scheduled to open at the start of the 2020 school year.
-- Mark Robinson Lawmakers Scrambling to Confront School Construction Needs-- Maryland Matters Maryland: February 12, 2019 [ abstract] Lawmakers have put forward more than a dozen bills this year seeking millions of dollars – billions, in fact – for school construction funding. But hammering out a long-term solution to long-needed school improvements could take more work than just one legislative session can provide.
“There’s a lot going on in school construction. I’m looking at all of the options,” House Appropriations Chair Maggie L. McIntosh (D-Baltimore City) said last week.
She hopes this year – or next – to figure out a path that would satisfy local school boards throughout the state, from those struggling with increases in enrollment to those struggling to bring old buildings into tip-top shape.
“There’s just a very, very part pent-up demand,” McIntosh said.
She’s been meeting with county executives and education leaders throughout Maryland to discuss options.
Some increased school construction funding will “absolutely” get passed this year, lawmakers assert. McIntosh may also borrow ideas from some of the dozen or so House bills headed to her committee to draw up a new plan altogether, she said.
Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) put forward a bill that would direct money from the state’s Education Trust Fund to fund $1.8 billion in school construction projects through the Maryland Stadium Authority. Del. Kathleen M. Dumais (D-Montgomery) has a bill that would authorize the same amount of spending on public school construction from the stadium authority, but draws the funding from excess lottery revenues.
Dumais, the House majority leader, said her bill would aim to increase school construction funding without pulling funds from the trust fund, which could then be used for the far-reaching education policy recommendations of the Kirwan Commission.
Dumais said lawmakers have the difficult task of balancing the need to fund sturdy school buildings, and the need to fund the programs that take place inside of them.
-- Danielle E. Gaines Officials plan school construction to accommodate population influx-- WINK Florida: February 12, 2019 [ abstract] As people are flocking to Southwest Florida in high numbers, officials have been addressing ways to accommodate the growth in the education sector.
For many Gateway parents like Jeff Gerardo who have kids in grade school, they are excited about a potential new school opening just down the road.
“You’re getting three schools all the way to 5th grade and after, towards middle school, 6th, 7th and 8th grade, where are they going to go?” Gerardo said. “The choices are very limited.”
The Lee County School Board is considering the construction of several schools to match county growth.
They plan to build a middle and high school in the east zone. This and other projects, like the expansion of Lehigh Senior High School, are being paid for by the half-cent sales tax approved by voters.
The district and Lee County are also making sure the school is up to shelter standards while looking for ways to reduce expenses. The east zone high school, for instance, is projected to cost $78 million with construction to start this summer.
“We actually go in and do what we call value engineering,” said Scott Reichenbacher, Senior Program Manager. “That’s rethinking materials, rethinking layout means and methods that could save dollars.”
-- Brea Hollingsworth and Michael Mora Why Montgomery County doesn't build two-story schools-- Leaf Chronicle Tennessee: February 12, 2019 [ abstract] When the Montgomery County Commission rejected plans for the Kirkwood School campus on Monday night, discussion returned to the idea of building two-story schools, instead of continuing the trend of one-story buildings.
And again, the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System rejected the idea.
There are two schools built as two-story: West Creek Middle and Clarksville High. Also, Ringgold Elementary and Montgomery Central High both have two-story additions.
But there are several reasons CMCSS decided to stop building two-story schools, Facilities Manager Norm Brumblay told The Leaf-Chronicle this week.
Here's why they say it's not a good idea:
Two stories costs more
"It costs more to build up than build out. Unlike residential construction, there is a 15 to 20 percent cost premium on building multi-level construction in our region," Brumblay said.
When it comes to expanding schools, he said, "Single-story additions don’t require the demolition of existing structures (and) construction of support systems around existing structures"
Two-story schools also require elevators, stairwells, sprinkler pumps and extensive fireproofing.
"Multi-story construction is quickly ruled out when the budget is the primary constraint on scope, which is most of the time for CMCSS."
-- Jimmy Settle Chapman School building tour reveals wear and tear-- Wicked Local Weymouth Massachusetts: February 11, 2019 [ abstract] During a recent heavy rainstorm, there were approximately 68 buckets placed in the hallways throughout Chapman Middle School to collect water runoff from roof leaks, according to Weymouth construction supervisor John MacLeod.
MacLeod said roof leaks still occur in some locations of the school a few days after a storm because of how the water flows.
“Sometimes there are 20 buckets (placed) days after a storm,” he said while touring the Chapman with residents during a Feb. 9 school building committee forum. “The maintenance staff does a phenomenal job. They know how to attack it and where to put the buckets out.”
The building tour also revealed stained or missing ceiling tiles in various places because of water leaks.
MacLeod said the maintenance staff decided not to replace the ceiling tiles in a hallway section because of constant leaks.
Building Committee chairman Ted Langill said portions of the school’s exterior walls have asbestos encased.
“It takes significant maintenance to maintain it,” he said.
Weymouth is mandated to remove the asbestos by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Langill said Chapman lacks a comprehensive fire protection sprinkler system, and the building’s heating and ventilation system needs to be replaced.
-- Ed Baker How Rome school officials want to replace Staley Elementary-- Observer-Dispatch New York: February 11, 2019 [ abstract] ROME — For 60 years, George R. Staley Elementary School has endured the ravages of time and water without a major renovation.
The school stands on a floodplain by the Mohawk River on top of a high water table. Floods have risen as high as the bottom of the school’s windowsills and a corner of the building sits within 10 feet of the river, said Superintendent Peter Blake.
Moisture is a constant concern, said Director of Facilities Alex Rodriguez. In September, Staley opened two days late because mold was growing in six classrooms.
“It happens from the high humidity levels and from the HVAC system, that could be better,” Rodriguez said. “So if we could exchange air better, it would help with the humidity, but it’s a double whammy when you have both going.”
The Rome City School District wants to fix these and a host of other issues in the school.
“Staley is the oldest building in the district that hasn’t had a full renovation at all,” Blake said. “It’s had your typical things that fail over time — some window work, some roof work — but nothing on the interior.”
Any major renovations on the school would require bringing the school up to modern building codes, making renovation more expensive than new construction, he said.
So the district wants to build a new, 32-classroom school on the site of the district’s former high school on Turin Street, but is waiting to hear from the New York State Education Department about whether it agrees a new school is needed. The district can only get state aid for whatever portions of the project the state determines the district needs to have enough room for students, Blake said.
-- Amy Neff Roth Olszewski invites Hogan to tour Lansdowne High School in bid for more school construction funding-- Baltimore Sun Maryland: February 11, 2019 [ abstract] Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski has invited Gov. Larry Hogan to tour Lansdowne High School to illustrate the need for more school construction funding, according to a letter from Olszewski’s office.
“I am pleased to invited you to visit Lansdowne High School with me, so you can see firsthand Baltimore County’s need for more State investments in school construction,” Olszewski says in the letter, dated Feb. 6.
The letter indicates that Hogan and Olszewski discussed the visit, and that Olszewski’s staff is going to coordinate with Hogan’s staff to schedule a tour of the southwest Baltimore County school. T.J. Smitth, Olszewski’s press secretary, said in an email that the staffs of each office are in contact and are working to schedule a tour date.
Lansdowne High School’s physical facilities were rated the lowest of any high school in the county in a 2014 facilities assessment report, and community advocates have long called for substantial improvements or a replacement school.
The school was knocked for having structural settlement, no air conditioning, water damage and poor circulation, among other issues.
In January this year, there were at least two electrical issues at the school: a malfunctioning motor on an air handling unit and an electrical outlet that had to be replaced after a phone charger caught fire. Lisa Mack, who represents District One on the Board of Education, said Monday she’s asked school system staff to “facilitate an inspection of Lansdowne's electrical system to ensure that students and faculty are safe.”
-- Cody Boteler Study of Henderson County school facilities finds $150M in needs-- BlueRidgeNow.com North Carolina: February 11, 2019 [ abstract] The Henderson County School Board is looking to prioritize $150 million in facility needs over the next decade, which includes millions in upgrades to the district’s oldest schools.
The School Board was briefed on the 10-year facility needs study by Emily Kite of Novus Architects, whom the board hired last year to walk the 1.8 million square feet of school facility space and come up with a list of needs.
The all-encompassing assessment covers facility and school safety needs throughout the county as well as whether each schools meets current capacity needs recommended by the N.C. Department of Instruction. It also works to connect buildings together and replace modular classroom units.
That adds up to a $149.9 million list of needs over the next 10 years, covering renovations, new construction and overall maintenance needs at the schools. About $44.4 million is recommended in the 2019-20 fiscal year.
At this point the list is only an assessment of the school system’s needs, not necessarily what the School Board plans to ask of county commissioners this year.
“It’s not if these projects need completed, it’s just when,” said Superintendent Bo Caldwell. “We certainly want to work together with the county commissioners to let them know of our needs and work together with them for the funding.”
-- Andrew Mundhenk Boards at odds over school grant-- Rocky Mount Telegram North Carolina: February 10, 2019 [ abstract] While Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools looks set to have $20 million available for new school construction after receiving a $10 million state grant, Nash County commissioners are hoping to reduce the amount they will have to pay by resubmitting the grant application in hopes of getting more.
But school district leaders have different ideas.
In October 2018, the school district and Nash County commissioners were notified that the the school district will be receiving $10 million in grant funding from the state’s Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund. That funding was awarded on the basis of Nash County’s Tier 2 status as well as a number of other factors.
But within three months, Nash County was dropped to a Tier 1 status, placing it among the most economically-depressed counties in the state and in the same tier ranking as Edgecombe County. While the change in status reflects bad news for the county economically, it places the county in a stronger position when it comes to grant funding.
If Nash County had been listed as a Tier 1 county when the grant application was made, it would have likely received $15 million in Needs-Based Public School Capital funds instead, Nash County manager Zee Lamb said.
“We plan to reapply during the next grant cycle to see if we can get the $15 million grant instead of the $10 million since our status has changed,” Lamb told the Telegram.
Under the current grant, based on the former Tier 2 status, local funders — in this case, Nash County and Edgecombe County — would have to match the grant and fork out $10 million toward the school construction process, Lamb said. If the grant can be amended to reflect the county’s new Tier 1 status, the local match will be reduced to $5 million.
-- AMELIA HARPER North Branford schools chief says high school upgrade overdue-- New Haven Register Connecticut: February 10, 2019 [ abstract] NORTH BRANFORD — On a recent morning, North Branford Superintendent of Schools Scott Schoonmaker stepped in front of a high school Spanish class. “Raise your hands if you think we need a new or renovated high school,” he said.
Without hesitation, each student shot a hand into the air and the group began chattering excitedly.
Though the project is in its early phases, the North Branford Board of Education is considering options to either renovate or rebuild the town’s high school, which was constructed in the 1960s and serves around 600 students.
“If you look at the high school and the condition that it’s in, we’re at that critical point where we need to do something,” Schoonmaker said.
About whether legislative bills calling for development of plans for school regionalization for small districts are impacting the project, Shawna Papa-Holzer, chairwoman of the Board of Education, wrote in an email that the town and board are keeping an eye on the legislation but “the plan to pursue the project continues.”
Schoonmaker said project planning takes a long time, and construction is unlikely to begin for at least two years. Though he is also monitoring the regionalization bills, he said, he does not think student relocation would make sense for the district and doubts that any schools in the area would be able to accommodate North Branford High School’s population.
Schoonmaker has served as the superintendent for 10 years and he said since he started, the need for an upgrade has been a topic of discussion. As the high school struggles with poor heating, undersized rooms, building traits unconducive to high security standards and a problematic elevator, that upgrade is overdue, Schoonmaker said.
A visitor walking into a section of the school called “the diamond,” which is hit hard by the building’s heating problem, felt the temperature drop. A student wearing a thick winter coat walked by.
-- Meghan Friedmann Across Greensboro, cracks are showing " literally " as aging schools wait for improvements-- News & Record North Carolina: February 09, 2019 [ abstract]
Over the past century or so, the city's schools have established their place in the community — from helping to nurture the sit-in movement to pulling families and neighbors together on weekends for sports matches and drama productions. But cracks are showing — literally — as aging facilities wait for improvements.
Three of the city's big high schools are among buildings that should get major renovations in the next decade or so, consultants have advised Guilford County school officials. And students, parents and boosters for those schools have some definite ideas about what needs fixing or replacing, ranging from ventilation issues to sagging ceilings.
Renovations at Grimsley, Smith and Western high schools are among the “Phase One” priorities the consultants presented to a joint committee of school board members and Guilford County commissioners last month. Phase One includes about $960 million in renovations, additions and new school construction across the county's schools. Although there are four phases total, the first one contains the bulk of the nearly $1.5 billion consultants say it would take to upgrade the condition of schools to new or like new within 20 years.
-- Jessie Pounds No school renovation referendum in Norwich this year-- The Day Connecticut: February 09, 2019 [ abstract] Norwich — There won’t be a referendum ballot question in November on a proposed school restructuring plan, the committee in charge of creating the plan decided, preferring to spend more time to develop, plan and seek public support rather than rush through a plan to meet the target referendum date.
The School Facilities Committee, which includes school officials, two City Council members and public representatives, on Thursday reviewed preliminary results of an extensive survey seeking input on school restructuring, curriculum priorities, amenities and transportation issues.
Chairman Mark Bettencourt said the committee already has missed a deadline to submit a request for state funding for a school renovation or new construction project and would have to seek special legislation to obtain funding by June. But Bettencourt said even if state funding were in place and the committee had a proposed plan, he questioned whether the committee and the public would be ready for a November 2019 vote.
“Probably in the past in the city, we pushed too fast,” Bettencourt said. “I’d rather take the time. If the people think it’s pushed, and we’re trying to rush it through, it won’t be successful.”
The committee now is aiming at a referendum in November 2020 as “a more realistic expectation,” Bettencourt said.
The school survey will remain open until March 15, and the committee will stress the importance of responding to parents during parent-teacher conferences the week before. The survey is posted on the school’s website.
In May 2017, the City Council rejected a $144.5 million major school consolidation and renovation plan that would have cost city taxpayers $57.6 million after the state reimbursement formula was applied. That plan called for renovating and expanding four city elementary schools, closing three others, keeping the recently renovated Kelly Middle School for grades seven and eight and closing Teachers’ Memorial Middle School.
-- Claire Bessette Newport faces major funding challenge for new high school-- NewportRI.com Rhode Island: February 08, 2019 [ abstract] NEWPORT — The city and its School Department are planning for the construction of a new high school, establishing a preschool and kindergarten center, and moving the city utilities building and public works garage off Halsey Street.
The funding for those projects will be a major challenge for the city, so Finance Director Laura Sitrin outlined for City Council members Thursday night the impact of bonding for $100 million, $120 million, or $150 million.
A $120 million bond received the most discussion, maybe because it is in the middle. Estimated costs of a new high school and new public works center are costly.
Natick, Massachusetts, built a new high school for $78.5 million in 2012, but costs have gone up since then. Natick has a population above 32,000, while Newport’s population is above 24,000.
East Providence unveiled in 2018 a proposal to build a $190 million high school, but the city has a population of 47,000. If Newport could build a high school for half that cost, perhaps unlikely, it would still be $95 million.
The Halsey street utilities and public works facilities must be moved to make way for a redesign of the Pell Bridge ramps, which is expected to free up land for economic development.
A recent estimate for the city indicated it would cost $28.4 million to move the public works facilities to another location and $11.3 million to move the utilities building, which could be paid for from water and water pollution funding paid by ratepayers.
Sitrin calculated municipal government would bond $25 million of that total cost.
If the city borrowed $120 million in a 30-year bond, that would require an annual debt service payment of $9.92 million to cover all principal and interest costs, Sitrin said.
-- Sean Flynn Sen. Ford backs bill for school infrastructure-- Salisbury Post North Carolina: February 08, 2019 [ abstract] SALISBURY — N.C. Sen. Carl Ford has joined the list of sponsors for the Building North Carolina’s Future legislation, which would fund infrastructure projects for North Carolina schools.
Senate Bill 5 would allow the state’s 115 school districts to apply for money for building schools and making repairs and renovations.
Ford, R-33, said the bill would allow the state to help kindergarten through 12th-grade schools with construction and maintenance.
The bill currently has 20 senators as sponsors. Sens. Harry Brown, R-6, Kathy Harrington, R-43, and Joyce Krawiec, R-31, are the primary sponsors.
“I haven’t heard anyone against it,” Ford said. “I’ve heard people wanting more.”
Ford said the state House has begun talks about drafting a bill addressing money for school construction and upkeep. However, that version would have debt associated with it. The bill had not been filed as of Thursday.
Ford said the House and Senate leadership will meet to try to agree on a school infrastructure bill or may decide to continue with separate bills.
Ford said the Senate bill would be a much better and quicker way to get money to school districts.
-- Liz Moomey Harford schools will settle with Youth's Benefit Elementary subcontractor for $500,000-- The Aegis Maryland: February 07, 2019 [ abstract] Harford County Public Schools will settle for $500,000 with a construction firm that worked on the multi-phase, $37.1 million project to build a new Youth’s Benefit Elementary School in Fallston.
The Harford County Council approved, by unanimous vote, Tuesday a request from school system officials to transfer $485,000. The money comes from funds available in the ongoing HCPS project to renovate the HVAC system and enclose open classrooms at Bel Air Elementary School. The funds will be transferred into the Youth’s Benefit Elementary capital project account.
The subcontractor, Rommel construction, filed a claim against the school system, alleging “some inefficiencies” because of the need to redesign the roof during construction and “due to a change in the construction schedule,” Cornell Brown, assistant superintendent for operations, told council members.
The Board of Education approved the transfer of funds during its Jan. 22 meeting, said Deborah Judd, assistant superintendent for business services. The County Council must also approve such transfers.
construction on the new Youth’s Benefit started with a groundbreaking ceremony in October 2014. The three-phase project was designed to bring more than 1,000 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, who had been in separate buildings dating to the 1950s and 1970s, under one roof.
-- David Anderson Meraux Elementary gets $10 million in federal funds for construction-- NOLA.com Louisiana: February 07, 2019 [ abstract] The Federal Emergency Management Agency has agreed to provide an additional $10 million to help St. Bernard Parish cover the cost of building Meraux Elementary School’s new campus.
U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., announced the funding in a news release on Thursday (Feb. 7), noting St. Bernard Parish made the “necessary decision” to relocate the school after Hurricane Katrina. The school’s former campus was outside of levee protection, according to the release.
Kennedy said the FEMA funds help St. Bernard provide “a state-of-the-art facility that offers students a safe and strong learning environment.”
The Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation in 2015 donated 14.6 acres of land on Paris Road in Chalmette to the St. Bernard Parish Public School Board. Community leaders sought to build a new school to serve the growing number of grade school-aged children in the parish.
-- Wilborn P. Nobles III Sullivan board OKs timeline for consolidating schools-- Bristol Herald Courier Tennessee: February 07, 2019 [ abstract]
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. — The Sullivan County Board of Education on Thursday approved closing grades six through eight at Mary Hughes School and Holston Valley and Bluff City middle schools at the end of this school year.
The closures were proposed in a resolution introduced by Vice Chairman Randall Jones at the board’s work session last week. It clarifies the timeline and remaining steps in the board’s master facilities plan after the completion of phase one, which includes the construction of Sullivan East Middle School and West Ridge High School. It was approved 5-2, with board members Mark Ireson and Paul Robinson voting against it.
The facilities plan is the board’s solution to excess space in schools because of declining enrollment and many outdated buildings.
Jones’ resolution states that those grades at the three schools will be consolidated into East Middle by Dec. 31, or as soon as possible after the certificate of occupancy for the new school is received.
Jones’ resolution doesn’t close the school buildings — it only states where students will go to school. To close a building, the board will have to follow its retirement of facilities policy to find another use for or sell school buildings that are closed to students.
-- Lurah Spell Top 25 U.S. Cities for School Construction Starts-- Daily Commercial News National: February 07, 2019 [ abstract] There are 51 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the United States with population levels above one million. Drawing from constructConnect’s data pool for those 51 cities, Table 1 ranks the Top 25 markets in America for educational facility construction starts last year. (Map 1 showcases the Top 20.)
Leading all cities was the Big Apple, New York, with groundbreakings on school projects valued at $3.4 billion. In second place, not far behind, was Dallas-Ft Worth, at $3.1 billion. The Dallas portion of the $3.1 billion was two-thirds (67%) and the Fort Worth portion, one-third (33%).
Near the summit of the rankings, also, were: Los Angeles and Houston, each at $2.6 billion; and Seattle-Tacoma, $1.6 billion. In the latter dual-city combo, Seattle was 70% and Tacoma 30%.
There was another ‘twin-city’ result that was noteworthy. In San Francisco-Oakland (8th spot), the former’s piece of the pie was only 37% while the latter’s slice was a more taste-satisfying 63%.
-- Alex Carrick Committee to evaluate future plan for school facilities-- The Pioneer News Kentucky: February 06, 2019 [ abstract] With school district construction needs stretching in the millions of dollars, members of the local planning committee have a daunting task.
Recommendations made by this committee could shape the Bullitt County Public School District for many years to come.
But, at the end of the day, facilitator Don Martin said the most important task of the assembled group will be to eliminate any physical barriers which disrupt the learning opportunities for the 13,000 students in Bullitt County.
The committee, using information from various sources, will devise a recommended list of construction projects which will be sent to the local school board and then to the state Department of Education for final approval.
Martin, a facilitator from the Kentucky School Board Association, said that the hope is to finish the plan by mid-April. There is state funding for the unmet needs of a district and Martin said a goal is for Bullitt County to get its fair share.
In comparison to other districts, Martin told the 20 committee members that Bullitt County is in good shape.
It is a growing community and the school district continues to grow at a steady pace. Other areas in the state are not as lucky, said Martin.
Superintendent Jesse Bacon said it is an exciting time. In addition to the facilities plan, the district is working on its strategic plan.
The vision is for students to achieve at a high level, which is more than simply test scores. Bacon said Bullitt County wants to be a system where teachers want to stay and where the business community will have students who graduate with the skills needed to fill the work force.
-- Thomas Barr Grand jury report on Penn Hills School District: Catastrophic financial condition-- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pennsylvania: February 05, 2019 [ abstract] Nearly a decade after the Penn Hills School District moved forward with two costly construction projects, an Allegheny County grand jury released a report Tuesday blaming the school board and district officials for poor leadership, mismanagement, inept decision-making and favoritism that has left the district in a “catastrophic financial condition.”
The district is now $172 million in debt, with the third-highest property tax rate in Allegheny County. The district’s financial situation makes it unclear how it will recover or even continue to operate, the report said.
The 75-page report released Tuesday describes how board members, district leaders and vendors made decisions that showed a lack of understanding of future costs and obligations related to the projects. Meanwhile, the state Department of Education failed to provide proper oversight, the report said.
In an email Tuesday, Superintendent Nancy Hines said the report provided her with a "sense of relief that we have some type of closure," but she noted that questions about the decisions and accounting missteps remained unanswered.
"However, I choose to live in the moment and to look forward," she said. "There are so many good people who are associated with the Penn Hills School District, and among this group are our students, our residents, and our staff. Penn Hills is a proud and resilient community."
-- Matt Kckinney Superintendent: Spark for school closing plan came from Ohio construction research-- Dayton Daily News Ohio: February 05, 2019 [ abstract]
West Carrollton’s decision to seek state help to fund new school buildings did not prompt plans to close an elementary, according to its superintendent. The process to become eligible for a Ohio Facilities construction Commission program, however, did help the school district uncover data showing Frank Nicholas Elementary should be shut down because of dropping student numbers, Andrea Townsend said. “Through the OFCC project and looking at the enrollment trends, that’s how we determined we had declining enrollment,” Townsend said. “So the conversation did spark from the OFCC project, but they’re not related.”
Student population figures for West Carrollton – an open enrollment district that includes parts of Miami Twp. and Moraine – dropped more than 6 percent from 2014-17, according to Ohio Department of Education data.
K-12 enrollment for the district was 3,911 in 2015 and dropped to 3,540 last year, according to said Jack Haag, West Carrollton business manager.
Nicholas is lowest in the number of students.
The 62-year-old building on Vance Road in Moraine has 167 students. That’s less than 50 percent of the populations of CF Holliday (439), Harry Russell (383) and Harold Schnell (442), other elementaries in the district that house grades 1-5, records show.
-- Nick Blizzard Audit: State Education Department lags in school building reviews-- timesunion New York: February 04, 2019 [ abstract] ALBANY — The State Education Department has a perpetual backlog of school building project reviews, with nearly half taking six months or longer before they are approved.
Of the hundreds of projects submitted for approval by SED, many typically languish for months, adding inflationary costs and impacting the way districts plan for things such as building renovations, new construction or modernizing structures for 21st century technology.
The SED unit that reviews building projects, the Facilities Planning Bureau, also uses 30-year-old technology and, at the time of the audit, had almost half of key reviewer jobs unfilled. The result is that school districts must wait for extended periods before they get state approval to start new construction projects.
-- Rick Karlin CCS: $322 million needed in next 5 years, overall 10-year capital plan calls for $471 million-- Independent Tribune North Carolina: February 04, 2019 [ abstract]
Cabarrus County Schools’ 10-year capital projects plan could cost the county $471 million, with $332 million of those needs in the next five years.
During the Cabarrus County Board of Education’s annual planning session at the end of January Tim Lowder, the district’s executive director of operations, gave a presentation on the plan and the estimated funds needed to cover all of the projects.
As always, Lowder began the presentation by reminding the board that the 10-year planning document is a snapshot of options that are open to the district for the discussion at this time. Future decisions and situational outcomes may change, influence or redirect the plans that are presented.
Within the next 12 months…
In order to operate efficiently, Lowder first outlined the projects he says the district must tackle within the next year. Those projects include purchasing land for a new middle school to feed into Jay M. Robinson, purchasing land for a new high school in the Northwest Cabarrus area and begin the process of replacing R. Brown McAllister Elementary School by selecting an architect and engineer.
The new feeder middle school is scheduled to open in 2022, so Lowder said it would be beneficial to purchase land and begin architect and construction team selection this summer; as long as the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners agrees to fund the project.
-- Erin Kidd Saying Goodbye To A School Tradition-- County 17 Wyoming: February 03, 2019 [ abstract] As the snow melts this spring, a long-time fixture on Gillette Avenue will fade into history. The demolition of Parish Hall is scheduled to begin in March, weather permitting.
According to Dennis Holmes, associate superintendent of instructional support for Campbell County School District, the condition score of the existing Parish Hall is extremely low.
The Wyoming School Facilities Commission uses the facilities condition index (FCI) to calculate the physical condition of school district owned properties across the state.
“The FCI analyzes the condition of 53 building components – such as flooring, roofing, interior/exterior walls, windows, electrical systems, HVAC, etc. – to determines an overall condition score for each building,” explains the Schools Facilities Commission website.
Every educational facility around the state is then ranked on a list determining the need of renovation or replacement.
“To renovate the building would be an extremely high cost,” said Holmes. “The cost to maintain the building as is, is quite high. Therefore, the building will be torn down and replaced with parking for Twin Spruce.”
Ground was broken for the 10,500 square-foot Parish Hall in 1962. So, in terms of age, the building’s not all that old. District Supervisor of Building and Grounds Tim Volk said that the larger issue is some major cracks in the foundations that just aren’t feasible to repair.
Pre-School District Parish Hall History
The Parish Hall was a later addition to the original St. Matthew’s Catholic Church, which stood on Gillette Avenue where the current Cloud Peak Building sits. construction of that original church was completed in 1951, according to the Diocese of Cheyenne, which encompasses all of Wyoming.
That same year, Mrs. Margaret Goings donated three lots in the 600 block of Gillette Avenue to the Parish.
At the Trustee meeting in January 1960, plans for a future Parish school were discussed and by Nov. 1, 1961, Ray O’Brien & Sons of Casper was awarded the contract in the amount of $52,500 to build the Parish Hall and Catechetical Center. The 120 by 40-foot building was constructed of steel and concrete block. A brick veneer was added the next year by W.G. Ross Masonry construction Company of Buffalo, adding $11,408 to the total cost.
-- Charity Stewart KISD updates status of current construction projects-- Killeen Daily Herald Texas: February 02, 2019 [ abstract]
Voters in May approved two school construction bonds for a total of $426 million to build and renovate schools in KISD. Voter approval came after Superintendent John Craft and staff went on a monthslong mission saying the district population increases warranted new schools.
For the 2019-2020 school year, the district projects enrollment to be 45,583, up from about 45,091 for the 2018-2019 school year.
Millions in taxpayer dollars will serve to accommodate those thousands of students, the district says.
Proposition A of the bond, for $235 million, will pay for construction of a new high school and elementary school and renovations to existing schools for ADA compliance and security upgrades.
Proposition B, for $191 million, will pay for consolidation of some schools, and renovation of Killeen High School and other schools.
The real work of turning the bond into bricks has begun. In addition to bond projects, other construction projects are planned/underway from other funding sources.
High School No. 6
A new high school with a capacity for up to 2,500 students will be built on district-owned property on Chaparral Road. Out of the $235 million total of Proposition A, the new high school will take $171 million of bond funds.
Several preparatory steps are being taken before physical construction begins later this year. On-site testing of land was conducted during December, according to KISD.
“Throughout the design process, the design team and staff closely analyzed vehicular and pedestrian flow around the property, as well as the placement of athletic fields, concessions buildings and marching band practice areas to ensure that we have maximized efficiencies on the site,” said Adam Rich, construction and facilities planning program manager.
-- Matt Payne Senators Propose $100 Billion Investment to Rebuild & Repair Schools-- Big Island Now Hawaii: February 01, 2019 [ abstract] Sen. Mazie K. Hirono joined Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and 16 of their colleagues, to unveil new legislation aimed at improving school infrastructure in the United States. The bill, the Rebuild America’s Schools Act, would provide $100 billion in federal grants and school construction bonds over the next decade to assist communities in building and renovating schools while creating an estimated 1.9 million jobs.
“Far too many children across the country lack access to suitable learning environments, and many attend schools that are in dire need of renovations and repairs,” said Sen. Hirono. “Although states like Hawaii are working to improve learning environments for their students, more investment is needed to support current efforts that are already underway, and the federal government should play a role. The considerable resources provided by this legislation would help to facilitate much needed improvements to how and where our children learn, and create high-paying jobs in our communities.”
The Rebuild America’s Schools Act establishes formula funds for states to award local communities with competitive grant funding for school repair, renovation, and construction projects through state matching criteria and permissible spending. By focusing on communities with the greatest financial need, schools will also have the ability to expand access to high-speed broadband in order to ensure all students have access to digital learning.
-- Staff Writer Sen. Serafini seeks cost break for school construction-- Herald-Mail Media Maryland: January 31, 2019 [ abstract]
ANNAPOLIS — For two years, Sen. Andrew Serafini served on a commission studying needs and costs for school construction. An issue frequently raised during those discussions, he said, was the added costs of requiring “prevailing wage” to pay workers when the state pays for more than 25 percent of the project.
So he’s offered two bills this year to exempt school construction projects from the prevailing-wage requirement under certain circumstances.
Serafini, R-Washington, presented both bills Thursday in the Senate Finance Committee. The first is to exempt school projects included in a pilot program the Maryland General Assembly authorized last year. The other would take the exemption statewide.
Under the first measure, school construction projects in Washington, Harford and Prince George’s counties that qualify for the Innovation Incentive Pilot Program would be exempted from the requirement.
These are projects for which the state would pay a higher percentage of construction if the per-student cost is 30 percent below average. The program is available only to those three counties and will be piloted for five years.
Prevailing wages are determined by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. They are defined as wages paid to at least 50 percent of workers in a given locality who perform the same or similar work on projects that resemble the proposed project.
Serafini noted that K-12 school construction accounts for about a third of the state’s capital budget. “It’s a problem — when all the systems add up what they need to update or upgrade their schools, it’s over about $2.5 billion.”
-- Tamela Baker Foot the bill or boot it?-- Minot Daily News North Dakota: January 30, 2019 [ abstract] A Minot attorney wants North Dakota to tap into the billions of dollars in a school trust fund to pay for educational facilities, sparing schools from having to pursue bond issues.
“Why don’t we use that money? Why don’t we take the tax burden off people’s backs,” Robert Hale said.
At Hale’s request, Rep. Larry Bellew, R-Minot, is sponsoring House Bill 1525, which would use a portion of the Common Schools Trust Fund principal to acquire, construct and maintain public school buildings across the state. The House Education Committee took testimony on the bill Tuesday.
The bill proposes to use the Common Schools Trust Fund to pay off existing school bond issues, estimated at $800 million to $1.2 billion statewide, and replace future bond issues, Hale said.
Long-time legislator Bellew admits passing a bill that spends from the Common Schools Trust Fund will be difficult.
“That’s been almost a sacred cow since I have been here. We’ve always used the Common Schools Trust Fund for foundation aid,” he said. “It will make it a very hard sell.”
An alternate method for paying for school building maintenance and improvements is attractive to districts such as Garrison, where voters have rejected five bond referendums and a measure to double the building fund tax to 20 mills.
“We have approximately $7.7 million capital payments, expected over the next 10 years. That includes everything from roof repair to just general maintenance of plants to replacement of various items,”said Supt. Nick Klemisch. “Our last bond referendum sought to replace the current elementary and add on to the high school, which would have eliminated over $5.5 million off of that capital maintenance by taking that building off-line and then addressing some of the major concerns with the high school.”
-- JILL SCHRAMM NC Senate Republicans say this plan will raise $2 billion for school construction-- The News & Observer North Carolina: January 30, 2019 [ abstract] Republicans in the legislature want to help school districts repair or replace dilapidated schools, but they have come up with two competing strategies for how to do it.
Senate Republicans are putting up a pay-as-you-go plan for school construction as an alternative to the $1.9 billion bond House Speaker Tim Moore has proposed.
The Senate GOP method would use a money from the State Capital Infrastructure Fund, a new pot of cash the state will start filling this year. The fund was established in the 2017 budget and will receive 4 percent of state tax revenue and other money. The legislature set up the fund to pay debts, for UNC system school and state agency buildings, and for repairs and renovations.
Senate Republicans propose increasing the contribution to the fund to 4.5 percent of tax revenue, and letting K-12 schools use some of the money for school construction. They said their plan will result in a little more than $2 billion each for K-12 schools, UNC and state community colleges, and state agencies over nine years, without the state having to take on debt.
-- LYNN BONNER Norcross Introduces the Rebuild America’s Schools Act-- Insider NJ New Jersey: January 30, 2019 [ abstract] WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), and Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) led House and Senate Democrats in introducing a proposal to invest more than $100 billion in America’s public schools. The Rebuild America’s Schools Actwould fund $70 billion in grants and $30 billion in bonds to help address critical physical and digital infrastructure needs in schools across the country. According to economic projections, the bill would also create more than 1.9 million good-paying jobs.
“In Congress, my top three priorities are jobs education and security, and the Rebuild America’s Schools Act will create jobs in our communities, improve educational opportunities and ensure students learn in buildings that are safe and more secure. It’s a win-win-win,” said Congressman Norcross, a member of the Education and Labor Committee. “No student should be going to a school that poses a serious safety threat but, unfortunately, that’s happening right now. The Rebuild America’s Schools Act provides investments that help students and teachers, as well as the men and women who will build new schools. As a grandfather of students and a construction worker by trade, I’ll continue to support initiatives that lift up workers, improve schools and help students succeed.”
The bill comes as students, teachers, and parents across the country are demanding more support for public education. In a recent poll conducted by Politico/Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 84% of Democrats and 65% of Republicans said increasing K-12 funding is an “extremely important priority” for the 116th Congress.
There is currently a $46 billion nationwide shortfall in annual funding for public school infrastructure. The bill was introduced with 153 House cosponsors.
-- Staff Writer NYC officials pave historic 1787 Brooklyn schoolyard to make staff parking lot-- Daily News New York: January 30, 2019 [ abstract]
School officials paved a piece of history and put up a parking lot, the Daily News has learned.
A green space that dates to 1787 — the city’s oldest high school yard — at the Erasmus Hall Educational Campus in Brooklyn was converted into a makeshift parking lot with a new gravel pit installed in December.
The space has been used as a play yard and common area since it was incorporated as part of the city’s first secondary school, where construction began about 10 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.
In more recent years the area had been used as a walkway for students or an informal gather space before or after class.
Now it’s a parking lot for administrators after thousands of pounds of gravel were spread across the yard in a strip that fits at least 10 cars, staffers said.
“They’re spending money to wreck the symmetry of a historic courtyard, to put in a parking lot,” one staffer said. “That’s pretty offensive.”
-- NOAH GOLDBERG and BEN CHAPMAN Senate Committee kills school modernization referendum-- WDBJ7 Virginia: January 30, 2019 [ abstract] RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ7) The Senate Finance Committee has killed legislation calling for a statewide referendum on school improvements.
Senate Bill 1330 would have authorized a referendum in November, asking Virginia voters if they support a $3 billion bond issue for school construction and repairs.
Senator Bill Stanley (R-Franklin County) introduced the measure to help local governments repair or replace outdated and inadequate school facilities.
The committee approved another Stanley proposal, Senate Bill 1702, which would create a Public School Assistance Fund and Program. The fund would provide grants to help local school boards replace or repair the roofs of school buildings.
-- Joe Dashiell Stamford Capital Budget: $25M for the city, $25M to rid it of mold-- Stamford Advocate Connecticut: January 30, 2019 [ abstract] STAMFORD — The coming fiscal year’s Capital Budget proposal had its first moment in the spotlight this week with a public comment period before the Planning Board Tuesday.
But like most everything else in the city this year, mold — which has infested everything from city schools to City Hall — stole the show. Planning Board Chairwoman Theresa Dell said the 2019-20 budget includes a previously planned $25 million for city projects, and another $25 million for mold alone.
The move to a $50 million total came after the Board of Finance doubled the city’s safe-debt limit so important capital projects and mold remediation could both happen, said Dell.As the budget now stands, city departments and non-governmental agencies had requested $77.8 million for projects and the Planning Board has already cut that down to $50.4 million — mold included.
Within the original $25 million, several inventive projects hide such as free downtown Wi-Fi, and money to help plan for a driverless-car route.
But before talk of interesting capital projects, one must pay for the mold.
Mold money
Nearly all comment Tuesday was on mold and coming from parents of students at Newfield Elementary School who construction-13453036.php" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(119, 119, 119); display: inline; text-decoration-line: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">bemoaned the desperate shape of the school’s many moldy “modular” classrooms.
All three women who spoke lobbied for real construction instead of more of the trailer-resembling modular additions.
“We’re not trying to get more modulars,” said one Newfield mother.
“Our school has outlived its shelf life,” said another.
The parents were there to press for the $2.97 million the Board of Education has requested for the district-wide construction. The capital budget also calls for $650,000 for modular construction.
-- Barry Lytton Richmond City Council backs Stoney's 20-year spending plan for school construction-- Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia: January 29, 2019 [ abstract]
How Richmond Public Schools leaders plan to spend $650 million in future borrowing is a question some on the Richmond City Council still want answered more thoroughly, after the council late Monday night unanimously endorsed a 20-year proposal to devote half of the city’s future debt capacity to building and renovating city schools.
“I’m looking forward to a comprehensive plan from schools,” said Michael Jones, the 9th District councilman. “Are they closing down schools, consolidating, redistricting? I look forward to hearing what they’re going to be doing.”
Kristen Larson, the 4th District councilwoman, also posed the question of whether the School Board would move to shutter schools as a part of its long-term strategy, something school system leaders have been loath to do.
“The ball is in the schools’ court, and they really need to roll their sleeves up and do some of the work,” said Larson, a former School Board member.
Spending details were not outlined in the nonbinding plan the council affirmed Monday. Instead, the plan lays out how city leaders could use $800 million in the next 20 years to upgrade the school system’s 44 buildings. Yet the final decision on how much the City Council will send the school system will be determined each year during budget deliberations.
-- Mark Robinson Sarasota schools audit shows issues with construction cost record-keeping-- Herald-Tribune Florida: January 29, 2019 [ abstract] An operational audit of the Sarasota County School District raises questions about the district’s record-keeping, particularly in its ability to justify certain construction costs.
A state audit of the Sarasota County School District raises questions about the district’s record-keeping, particularly in its ability to justify certain construction costs.
The review by the Florida Auditor General looked at spending in the 2017-18 year, Todd Bowden’s first year as superintendent. The audit revealed a set of costs incurred in building the Suncoast Technical College North Port campus that could not be verified with invoices from the construction company.
When auditors analyzed a sampling of about $75,000 of a total of $1.2 million in general conditions costs, they found that only roughly 63 percent of that amount — about $47,000 — could be confirmed through records. The other 37 percent, or about $28,000, could not be verified through documentation. While the district indicated that the additional costs were for security after a theft at the construction site, officials could not provide records corroborating that.
Rising construction costs were an issue for the STC North Port campus. Last February, the school district asked School Board members to approve a $400,000 cost hike for a nearly 50 percent increase in the architect’s fees almost four months after the campus opened, and more than 18 months after the district first learned of the price change.
-- Elizabeth Djinis School board gets update on $163 million worth of construction-- Independent Tribune North Carolina: January 29, 2019 [ abstract]
Cabarrus County Schools currently has four ongoing projects totaling $163 million.
Tim Lowder, the district’s executive director of operations, gave the Cabarrus County Education an update on these current projects during its annual planning session on Saturday, Jan. 26.
The board holds this session each year to get updates on projects, review academic progress, discuss its 10-year plan and make tweaks to its strategic plan.
The district’s ongoing projects include three new schools and purchasing land for a new middle school.
Performance Learning Center
Earlier this month, the district opened its new Performance Learning Center at 4521 Weddington Road just behind Harold E. Winkler Middle School. A dedication for the school was held on Thursday, Jan. 17.
The Performance Learning Center is a small, non-traditional high school geared toward students who are not succeeding in a traditional classroom. The cost of this project was $4 million because it is built to hold about 150 students.
Cabarrus County Schools entered into contract on August 7, 2017 with Liles construction Company, Inc. and Morris Berg Architects for the design-build delivery of this 13,496 square foot school.
The new school offers a creative and unique learning environment that caters to a very specific group of the high school population. There are a total of nine classrooms that make up the learning space in the programming. Six of these classrooms provide an open concept learning space that share a small collaborative break out area for small group study.
These six rooms have a full glass overhead door that can be opened onto the large 2,400 square foot multipurpose area. The open concept design of these classrooms is industrial with no ceilings and exposed structure painted.
-- Jacqueline E. Kidd County And School Officials Consider Nontraditional School Construction-- Rhino Times North Carolina: January 28, 2019 [ abstract] “Thinking outside of the box” is one of the most clichéd phrases of all time, but it’s still a pretty good strategy when it comes to handling many difficult situations and it certainly is the strategy that the Guilford County Board of Education and the Guilford County Board of Commissioners are considering in light of hundreds of millions of dollars in capital projects that school system officials want to see in the coming years.
The Guilford County commissioners and school board members have a major facilities meeting coming up on Thursday, Jan. 31 and, heading into that meeting, the discussion is centered around innovative ways to save money on school projects going forward.
Most of those in the conversation agree that the first step in the process is putting underused schools to better use – but there’s also expected to be a need for some new construction in the coming years and one thing many seem to agree on is that Guilford County’s current method of building schools may have to be replaced.
One option, for instance, is a long-term lease-to-buy plan on specially built low energy consumption schools. In one model, a third party – perhaps a non-profit – builds the structure with energy-efficiency as a priority, gets grants and tax breaks associated with that method of construction, leases the building to the school system for five or ten years as part of a lease-to-own program, which also means the school enjoys radically reduced energy costs. In other parts of the country, versions of that model have been successful and have shaved millions off the usual cost of simply building and moving in.
Guilford County Board of Education Member Pat Tillman said that he and other school officials have been researching non-traditional school funding and construction methods that seem to be working well elsewhere.
“With the traditional way we fund schools, we are never going to catch up,” Tillman said.
-- Scott D. Yost School district needs $6 billion more for maintenance and capital needs through 2025-- The Nevada Independent Nevada: January 27, 2019 [ abstract] Rain was falling steadily on a recent afternoon when Roy Brod handed out assignments to his school district maintenance crew. Leaky roofs. Suspicious smells. Water heater problems.
The group knew it could be in for a long night. Meteorologists were predicting several days of wet weather. Brod was predicting a thousand work orders for water leaks during that time.
“When it rains, we have a lot of calls,” Brod, a construction supervisor, said matter-of-factly.
The nature of his business is repairing what breaks in the Clark County School District, the fifth-largest in the nation. He leads the emergency response crew, a five-person team that includes one plumber, one HVAC technician, two building engineers and himself. They’re responsible for tending to whatever problems arise in the 8,000-square-mile district from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
His first stop on this day is Veterans Tribute Career and Technical Academy, where a staff member reported a water-heater leak. Brod and Michael Abbey, a plumber, arrived within an hour and a half to find a small puddle of water next to the heater. They diagnosed the issue — a cracked drain line — and stopped the leak. They needed a new part to fully repair the drain line.
Brod likened their work to triaging patients in a hospital. They bandage broken fixtures or systems as best as possible and then move on to other calls in the queue. Full fixes would come later.
The work method speaks to the reality facing the school district. Associate Superintendent Blake Cumbers, who oversees the facilities division, said there are too many needs, too few skilled workers and not enough funding to wrap their hands around all the maintenance problems. The district has capital and modernization needs estimated at $10.1 billion through 2025 but only $4.1 billion allocated. The facilities division also routinely lacks 40 to 50 workers because of vacancies.
-- Jackie Valley From the mayor: State must help with school building-- Williston Herald North Dakota: January 26, 2019 [ abstract]
It has only been about 10 years since our country experienced the Great Recession, the eight trillion dollar housing bubble burst, sharp cutbacks in consumer spending, and the most dramatic employment reduction by far of any recession since the Great Depression. While those in Williston were cautious initially, the Bakken shale bed spared our community from what could have been an otherwise financially devastating time and helped fuel and support other industries in the area yielding an overall strong economy; from clothing stores to car lots, dental practices to restaurants, advancements in crude extraction had a chain reaction and Williston thrived.
It’s hard to argue against a strong economy. That said, if you were to ask someone to identify signs that an economy will continue to thrive into the future, what do you think they would say? A likely and common response is job creation and wage increases as signs of a strong economy or economic growth. While that’s not untrue, it’s more reflective of the current state of things and not the future of a city or a state’s economic success. Did you know that the economic growth of a state is directly related to the skills of its workforce? Or that the skills of the workforce are highly dependent on the state’s schools? Research shows that even with the substantial mobility of the U.S. population, most students will continue to live in the state where they were educated — which is why North Dakota legislators should support the successful passing of Senate Bill 2161.
Senate Bill 2161 has the potential to provide the supplemental construction funding desperately needed to provide safe and adequate learning space in schools experiencing high rates of enrollment, like Williston’s District No. 1. Grants provided by the bill would enable school districts to diversify their funding sources for building projects — providing an additional option beyond using property tax revenue — and alleviating the impact to tax payers.
-- Howard Klug TJ officials consider trying to recoup some costs for high school construction project-- TRIB Live Pennsylvania: January 25, 2019 [ abstract] A delay in the construction of the new Thomas Jefferson High School is costing West Jefferson Hills School District more than $1.5 million.
District leaders, however, say they will consider trying to recoup some of the costs.
School board members on Jan. 22 agreed in an 8-0 vote to a settlement with the general contractor for the project, Nello construction Co., by which the district will pay $1,550,000 for costs associated with the delayed completion of the project.
Board member Kerri Gonot was absent.
Nello construction Co. declined to comment.
“We settled with every contractor but Nello,” Superintendent Michael Ghilani said. “That’s something that we’ve been working on for over a year that we were finally able to close out.”
The new Thomas Jefferson High School, which was set to open for the 2018-19 school year, now is scheduled to open for the 2019-20 school year.
The agreement with Nello states that all of its work will be completed by April 1, excluding landscaping and paving, which must be done by May 15.
“Our goal in this project was A. to get the project done on time. That ship has sailed. We will be in the building next year,” Ghilani said. “But, also to get out of this project without us having to go to litigation. This is kind of the final buttoning up of that.”
The costs incurred by the contractors due to the delay in the project include increases in labor, increases in materials and “increases in inefficiencies because of the time that the work has to be done,” Ghilani said.
Delays to the construction of the new high school being built on 161 acres off Old Clairton Road started early in the project due to issues with the groundwork, district leaders have said.
-- STEPHANIE HACKE DOE Says School Will Be Built Near Greenpoint Toxic Site, Levin Continues Search for Alternate Location-- Greenpoint Post New York: January 24, 2019 [ abstract] The controversial siting of a public school near a toxic site in Greenpoint will not be changing course, according to the city’s Department of Education, in an announcement that comes after years of neighborhood concerns over the location, and despite ongoing efforts by Council Member Stephen Levin to have the school relocated.
The K to 8 school, planned as part of the Greenpoint Landing megaproject, has long been fixed to rise on the southwest corner of Dupont and Franklin Streets, across from the former NuHart Plastic site at 280 Franklin St.
The NuHart location, itself slated for a two-tower development and with some preliminary work already underway, is contaminated underground with two types of dangerous toxins that have begun seeping away from the site, but have not reached the school.
While the former plastics plant and state Superfund site is set to undergo a massive cleanup prior to its imminent development, fears of the future school’s proximity to the location has prompted locals and elected officials, especially in the last year, to call for a relocation of the school.
But the DOE, despite these calls, told the Greenpoint Post earlier this week that the school will rise on site as planned.
“We are working closely with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and receive regular updates on their progress with the remediation plan for the NuHart site,” a DOE spokesperson said.
The agency’s statement, however, came as a surprise to Levin, who told the Greenpoint Post on Tuesday that the School construction Authority, the agency in charge of building schools, has been receptive to the idea of changing the school’s location.
-- Laura Hanrahan State approves plans for consolidated middle school in Groton-- The Day Connecticut: January 23, 2019 [ abstract] Groton — The state has approved the final plans for the new consolidated middle school, allowing the town to go out to bid for the project.
Superintendent Michael Graner said his reaction to the approval was "unbridled joy."
"We have been working towards this for five years now," he said. "It started with the idea we wanted to try to develop a middle school that would meet the needs of children on both sides of town and that ultimately gave rise to the vision of Groton 2020 to build a consolidated middle school."
The town now has permission to bid out the estimated $86.09 million middle school project, which will receive 47.5 percent reimbursement from the state, Graner said.
In 2016, residents had approved at referendum construction-referendum" style="box-sizing: border-box; background: 0px 0px; color: rgb(51, 102, 153); text-decoration-line: none; outline: 0px; font-weight: 700;">$184.5 million for the Groton 2020 plan for the consolidated middle school and two elementary schools.
Graner said the town cleared a long series of obstacles over the course of planning for the Groton 2020 plan, and he's delighted so many people supported the projects.
During the planning process, officials petitioned the state for one of the construction projects — the elementary school at the Carl C. Cutler Middle School site — to be designated as a diversity school to address racial imbalance. That project is slated to get 80 percent reimbursement from the state, he said.
-- Kimberly Drelich Fairview eyes school tax increase beyond state maximum-- GoErie.com Pennsylvania: January 22, 2019 [ abstract] The preliminary budget proposes raising taxes above district’s 2.8-percent inflation index, but the school board may pare that.
Fairview School District’s preliminary 2019-20 budget would raise property taxes beyond the district’s state-prescribed inflation index.
The $27.4 million preliminary budget proposes increasing taxes by 0.1053 mill above the 2.8-percent inflation index.
But that doesn’t mean that the district will do that, schools Superintendent Erik Kincade said.
“We do that every year with the preliminary budget as a safeguard, and every year have come in below the index,” Kincade said. “And I doubt that we will exceed it this year. But what could give it a little traction is that we are planning a major high school renovation in 2021 and are socking funds away in a committed fund balance account to help pay for that.”
The school district has not finalized construction plans. Options include renovating the existing high school and building a three-story extension to provide additional classroom space on the school’s north side, Kincade said. construction costs so far are estimated at $40 million.
The district also is looking at expanding Fairview Elementary School to accommodate growing enrollment. District enrollment has grown by about 200 students, to about 1,800, in the past three or four years, Kincade said, with most of that growth at Fairview Elementary.
-- Valerie Myers Charlie Scott resurrects bill to shift school construction to local level-- Casper Star Tribune Wyoming: January 21, 2019 [ abstract]
Sen. Charlie Scott is again proposing that individual school districts shoulder the responsibility of building new schools, as state leaders continue to search for a way to fill the funding gap left by the loss of coal lease bonuses.
In a bill nearly identical to one he sponsored last year, the Natrona County Republican is backing a constitutional amendment that would require the state’s 48 school districts to raise funds from within their own communities — via bond issues or other sources — to fund school-related construction. The move would shift the burden away from state coffers, which have shouldered it since a state Supreme Court decision in 2001.
Since that case, one of the four Campbell County decisions that radically reshaped how Wyoming funds its education system, the state has relied heavily on coal lease bonuses to fund more than $2 billion in school construction. But in the wake of the recent bust, which saw the last of the coal lease bonus monies, lawmakers have been searching for a replacement.
Scott argued that the system should return to what it was before Campbell. Each district — and its residents — is responsible for deciding to fund new schools.
“Frankly my experience with that was that over the years, that was a pretty good system because when the schools really needed something, people would vote for it,” Scott told the Star-Tribune on Friday. “When schools had excesses, were asking for things they didn’t need or were fancy-gold-plating it, voters would vote it down.”
-- Seth Klamann Toms River Regional $147M school repair referendum: What you need to know-- Asbury Park Press New Jersey: January 21, 2019 [ abstract] TOMS RIVER - Voters in Toms River, Pine Beach, Beachwood and South Toms River will be asked Tuesday to decide the fate of a $147 million referendum to fund repairs to the Toms River Regional district's 18 school buildings.
Why is the referendum needed?
The request comes as the district faces a backlog of maintenance needs. The district's schools are aging, with many of the buildings constructed in the 1960s and 1970s.
Just this year, air conditioning systems at the High School North auditorium and South Toms River Elementary media center failed, a pedestrian bridge near Cedar Grove Elementary was shut down because it was deemed unsafe, and a sinkhole opened in blacktop in front of North Dover Elementary, revealing a 6,500-gallon tank that's since been covered for safety and will be addressed after consultation with state environmental officials.
For the past decade, Toms River Regional has spent between $2.7 million and $3.6 million a year on maintenance. Since the 2014-15 school year, the district has also funded $4.7 million in capital projects, including such items as boiler replacements and bleachers, according to Michael Kenny, coordinator of the Office of Grants and Communication.
-- Jean Mikle Facilities tax won’t increase; vote was illegal-- Times-Gazette Tennessee: January 20, 2019 [ abstract] After objections by Middle Tennessee Association of Realtors, county officials have admitted that Bedford County Board of Commissioners' Jan. 8 vote to increase the Adequate Facilities Tax was not legal, and the vote will likely either be rescinded next month or else the increase will be allowed to fade away without the required second vote.
The tax was created by the state, and adopted by the county in 2006, to address the burden that rapid population growth puts on local school systems. The tax is used to pay debt service on construction of new school facilities. Bedford County adopted it in 2006 at what was then the maximum rate, $1 per square foot. The law allows counties to raise the tax by 10 percent every four years. The county had not raised the tax since it was first adopted, but commissioners voted last week to raise it to $1.33.
Specifics unmet
An email to members of MTAR says it’s illegal to take 12 years of increases in one gulp, and also says the state ties such increases to specific population growth targets which Bedford County has not met. The email claims that the county attorney (John T. Bobo, although his name is not mentioned in MTAR’s email), after meeting with MTAR’s attorney, has conceded the point and indicated that the measure will be withdrawn.
County Mayor Chad Graham said Friday that he had not seen the MTAR email, but that the day after the commission’s original vote, his office started getting calls from “concerned parties.”
-- JOHN I. CARNEY County school board advances school facilities upgrades-- Bowling Green Daily News Kentucky: January 18, 2019 [ abstract]
Warren County Public Schools’ board of education advanced a slew of construction and renovation projects Thursday, including plans to replace Cumberland Trace Elementary School, add an auxiliary gym at Greenwood High School and other pro-jects.
During the board’s monthly meeting, CMTA project manager Chad Riggs also gave an update on the district’s Guaranteed Energy Savings Project, which represents a $30 million investment in improving its energy systems.
“Today we’re about 82 percent” complete with the project, Riggs said. “So it’s going well.”
The project involves adding energy-efficient lighting to schools, underground geothermal heating and cooling systems and solar panels. More than 900 panels were installed at the new Jennings Creek Elementary School.
So far, after one year of construction, Riggs said the district has saved about $630,000. Once the project is completed, he said the district should see a savings of $830,000 a year.
Chris McIntyre, the district’s chief financial officer, previously told the Daily News that money will be used to pay off a $28 million bond for the project.
“This project allowed us to upgrade not only the lights but also the HVAC units,” McIntyre said Thursday, adding that new HVAC systems run more efficiently.
-- Aaron Mudd Hogan Budget Boosts Spending For Education, School Construction-- The Annapolis Patch Maryland: January 18, 2019 [ abstract] ANNAPOLIS, MD — Gov. Larry Hogan, R, this week released a $44.6 billion state budget for the upcoming 2020 fiscal year, fortifying his objectives for the 2019 General Assembly session — education, economic growth, health, state employees, transportation and the environment — into writing.
The budget grew 4 percent over last year, and includes $19.6 billion for operating expenses.
At a press conference on Thursday, Hogan said he made a record investment of $6.9 billion for Maryland's K-12 education, and has set aside $438 million in a "Building Opportunity Fund," a $3.5 billion five-year school construction program.
Maryland senators and delegates said based on the budget highlights, many of the priorities of the legislature were funded as they liked.
Senate President Mike Miller, D-Prince George's, Charles and Calvert, said a proposed salary increase for state employees and correctional officers, money for retirement relief, and provisions for much-needed facilities in some areas of the state were all good things.
"Obviously there's going to be changes (to the budget)," Miller said Friday. "But the initial reflections … is that it's a very positive budget.
-- Deb Belt W-B Area rescinds project labor policy for new school building after ruling-- The Citizens' Voice Pennsylvania: January 18, 2019 [ abstract] The Wilkes-Barre Area School District will not use a project labor agreement to build the new consolidated high school in Plains Twp.
The school board voted Thursday to rescind a policy supporting project labor agreements that require labor-agreement terms for building project workers hired by district contractors and subcontractors. The district was negotiating a project labor agreement specifically for the new high school project with union organization leaders, but the state Commonwealth Court issued a ruling last week that prevents the district from using a project labor agreement, district Solicitor Raymond Wendolowski explained.
According to the court ruling, PennDOT discriminated against nonunion contractors by requiring them to hire a union work force if they won the bidding for a highway project.
The school district plans to open bids for the high school project in late February.
The new high school will allow the consolidation of all three district high schools — Meyers, GAR and Coughlin — during the 2021-22 school year and by January 2022 at the latest, officials said Thursday.
The district plans to borrow up to $137.3 million to fund the construction of a new high school between Maffett and North Main streets in Plains Twp. The district bought the 78-acre site from Pagnotti Enterprises for $4.2 million.
-- MICHAEL P. BUFFER ES board approves Master Facilities Plan-- Lovely County Citizen Arkansas: January 17, 2019 [ abstract] The Eureka Springs School Board voted Monday to approve the district’s Master Facilities Plan for 2019.
Facilities director Mike Dwyer presented the narrative summary to the board, discussing future projects, current projects and completed projects.
Dwyer said the high school greenhouse has been completed.
“This year, that was our main construction item,” he said. “The entryway to the elementary was completed as well.”
For current projects, Dwyer said the district is looking into a renovation of the elementary school. He said he and superintendent Bryan Pruitt have met with architects regularly to determine how to “do a facelift on that facility,” including upgrading floors, ceilings, doors and other items that have aged over time.
“I think the architects have some preliminary ideas,” Dwyer said. “Our main focus is to get into the public areas, the highest trafficked areas.”
The district is also working on an outdoor classroom, which is being built by SkillsUSA students in the high school.
“These guys are doing really well,” Dwyer said. “Everything they have been doing has been topnotch. This is a really big project and a few were scared to take it on, but they have pushed on through.”
For future projects, he said the district is still working on being approved for federal funds to build a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) storm shelter through a partnership with the Berryville and Green Forest school districts.
-- Kelby Newcomb, CCNNews@cox-internet.com North-side schools face millions in updates-- Ottumwa Courier Iowa: January 16, 2019 [ abstract] OTTUMWA — The Ottumwa School District faces millions of dollars in improvements to its north-side buildings, according to a recent facility assessment. Just how much the district will need to spend is yet to be seen.
The district contracted with Estes construction to conduct a comprehensive facility condition report with total recommendations ranging from $35.9 million to $42 million. The report will be used by the facility committee to create a District Facility Master Plan.
“We want to be proactive thinkers when it comes to our facility planning instead of being reactive,” said Superintendent Nicole Kooiker. “We also want to be able to get community feedback and support for whatever decisions we make in the future. We want a long-term plan that will be beneficial for our students and families for many years to come.”
The report was broken up into the categories of health and life safety, building improvements and site improvements. Each recommendation was given a grade of urgent, required, recommended or suggested.
“We wanted to get a comprehensive review of the ongoing facility needs at some of our older buildings and use that to prioritize the long-term maintenance and capital improvement plans in each of those facilities,” said John Berg, the district’s Chief Financial Officer, who also sits on the facility committee.
-- Tracy Goldizen Repairing Puerto Rico's schools post-Maria will cost $11B, take 7 years-- Construction Dive Puerto Rico: January 16, 2019 [ abstract]
- Puerto Rico Education Secretary Julia Keleher told Education Week that it will cost $11 billion and take from three years to seven years to bring the U.S. territory’s 856 public schools up to new building codes after they were devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
- Keleher said she will try to secure $100 million of unspent Federal Emergency Management Agency Category B financial assistance, which pays for urgent health and safety work like mold remediation. In a December 2018 press release, FEMA said work on the schools will focus on resiliency and energy efficiency.
- Puerto Rico’s schools are also able to tap into approximately $1 billion of long-term construction work at 64 schools, which are supposed to be a realistic sampling of the type of work that is needed at all of the island’s educational facilities. Work on those 64 structures will better inform the Puerto Rico Department of Education as to how much total construction costs will be.
-- Kim Slowey Request For More School Construction Funds Left Out Of County Executive’s Proposed Capital Budget-- Bethesda Magazine Maryland: January 16, 2019 [ abstract] The Montgomery County school board’s request for $37 million in new funds for construction and building improvements, most of which would have provided security upgrades at several schools, has been shot down by the county executive.
Late last year, the school board requested amendments to its six-year capital improvements program to “address technology upgrades to various existing security systems,” as well as provide secure entrances and guided building access at schools that don’t have those features.
But when County Executive Marc Elrich unveiled his plans for the county’s capital budget and amendments to its current Capital Improvements Program Wednesday morning, the additional $37.6 million requested by the school district was not included.
About $28 million of that total was budgeted for security improvements.
“None of that is frivolous, all of it was necessary and our needs are so backed up and have been so long delayed that we’re crumbling at the seams,” school board Vice President Pat O’Neill said. “I realize other agencies took a big hit, but it’s a problem.”
Maryland estimates there are about $800 million in backlogged construction projects in Montgomery County.
-- CAITLYNN PEETZ State treasurer eyes new revenues for school construction -- The Salem News Massachusetts: January 16, 2019 [ abstract] BOSTON — After taking the oath of office in the newly renovated Senate Chamber on Wednesday for another four years, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg previewed a second term in which she plans to maintain and expand programs she said have been successful and seek new revenue sources and funding flexibility for school construction projects in Massachusetts.
"I said that I wanted the treasurer's office to help all Massachusetts residents achieve economic stability, security, and opportunity. I asked you all to join me on this journey and together we have achieved amazing results," Goldberg said after she was sworn in by her parents, Carol and Avram.
The treasurer called for lawmakers to increase "our funding flexibility" and to find additional revenue streams for the Massachusetts School Building Authority, especially "as our schools become older and older, and the cost of construction continues to increase."
In next year's state budget, Beacon Hill leaders have already set aside $917 million in sales tax revenues for the school building authority, but it appears Goldberg is angling for a larger appropriation.
"As long as we have buildings without any science labs — and I'm going to underline without any science labs – or overcrowding forces the use of hallways and gyms as classrooms, we are not meeting our kids' needs, nor our businesses' that require a trained workforce," Goldberg said. "We hope to be able to work with our legislative partners in increasing our funding flexibility and finding additional revenue streams."
-- Colin A. Young Bonds passed, so when will Alamance’s school construction start?-- thetimesnews.com North Carolina: January 15, 2019 [ abstract] $150M school bond, taxes, timing, and the county’s new high school among topics broached at annual meeting of Alamance commissioners, Alamance-Burlington school board, and General Assembly representatives
The annual meeting of the Alamance County Board of Commissioners, the Alamance-Burlington Board of Education and the county’s state legislative delegation is usually about schools and funding, which this year means bonds.
Alamance County voters approved $189.6 million in bonds for the Alamance-Burlington School System and Alamance Community College on Nov. 6, and now the commissioners and school board have to figure out how to spend it.
“The public has entrusted us with a lot of money,” school board member Tony Rose said. “There’s a lot of eyes on this.”
In March, County Manager Bryan Hagood said, he would give the commissioners a revised capital finance plan with firm timelines, projected costs and estimated property tax increases and a resolution to allow the county to put up money for design and other cost that will have to be paid before bonds are issued, for which the county will be reimbursed once the money is borrowed.
Commissioner Eddie Boswell asked where that money would come from. Hagood said the county had capital reserves and the commissioners have talked about raising property taxes up front, which would give the county money to spend before borrowing money.
“If we kind of hold to what we’ve talked about, we will have the money to do it,” Hagood said.
-- Isaac Groves Construction begins on new Baldwin schools, as redistricting challenges loom-- AL.com Alabama: January 15, 2019 [ abstract] Baldwin County’s public school system officially kicked off the construction project of two new schools in one of the fastest growing regions in Alabama.
Ceremonies, pictures and speeches marked the occasion for the schools located in Daphne and Fairhope. But the projects, while a celebration for school officials, signified steep challenges ahead in what appears to be a sensitive redistricting plan.
Superintendent Eddie Tyler acknowledged the potential for a lot of emotional days ahead.
“I know parents will get upset and that’s fine,” said Tyler.
The redistricting plan, which will apply for schools within the Eastern Shore area that includes Spanish Fort, Daphne and Fairhope, is expected to accommodate the new schools: A K-6 expansion project in Fairhope and a new elementary school in the Belforest area of Daphne.
“I’d rather have them go through this once with their child instead of having me move their child again in three years,” said Tyler. “We’re going to start the conversation this spring, and we’ll listen to parents. We understand they want answers, and some will be angry. Not all will be angry.”
-- John Sharp District 205 OKs $40M in bonds for building work-- The Register-Mail Illinois: January 14, 2019 [ abstract] GALESBURG — In the first school board meeting of the year, the District 205 Board of Education approved two bond issues, outlined plans for facilities committees, and made an agreement with Russell construction as preparation escalates for the district’s ongoing Building Replacement Program.
The district is planning to use approximately $40 million in Health/Life Safety bonds, alongside an additional $12 million or so, to fund sweeping changes to its schools that will leave some buildings updated, others closed, and the district’s grade structure significantly overhauled.
Grades K-4 will be attending neighborhood schools, grades 5-6 will be in Lombard Middle School, and 7-12 will attend a larger campus at Galesburg High School. Nielsen, Gale and Churchill are all set to be closed under this plan by the 2020-2021 school year. construction is set to begin by this summer.
The district’s bonds are being levied in two separate chunks, one at $22,635,000 and the other totaling at $17,040,000. While the first set of bonds was approved Monday morning at the state level, the second is still being worked through the Illinois State Board of Education’s approval process. Interest rates for the first set of bonds sat at 4.34 percent with the average coupon at 5.285 percent. Both bonds were approved by the board.
A Letter of Intent was approved from Russell construction. Russell has worked with the district for past renovations on Lombard and Steele, a relationship Assistant Superintendent of Finance Jennifer Hamm considered worth continuing.
-- Matt Koester School boards have busy 2019 construction schedule-- Rome News-Tribune Georgia: January 13, 2019 [ abstract]
Last week the Rome City and Floyd County School boards held their first meetings, each giving updates on respective 2019 construction projects.
Floyd County Schools met Monday night where David Van Hook, director of facilities, gave updates on the progress of Armuchee High School modernization.
Ground for the school’s new gym broke in October and crews have been struggling to lay the building’s foundation due to excessive rain, according to Van Hook.
“You can only imagine what we are dealing with there,” Van Hook said.
Project updates can be found online at cdccarmucheehs.com. So far the only major updates to the site have been grading, installing storm pipes and the beginning stages of laying the foundation.
The site for the new Pepperell Middle School has been approved by the state without comment, according to Van Hook. Southern A&E has created a floor plan for the new building which encompasses all the classrooms and program needs. The project is on schedule for a July demolition and framework for the new school is scheduled to go up no earlier than September.
Superintendent Jeff Wilson said the board may have a called board meeting on Sept. 1, or as soon as the Georgia Department of Education approves the contract for the school. During the called meeting the board will have to approve the contract with the state in order to continue construction.
Rome City Schools met Tuesday night where Superintendent Lou Byars presented the system’s ELOST collections to date, and gave an update on ongoing projects.
-- John Popham Pine Plains schools to hold special vote after renovation costs run high-- Poughkeepsie Journal New York: January 12, 2019 [ abstract] The Pine Plains Central School District is facing a shortfall for its auditorium renovation project at Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School.
So the district will hold a special vote, asking residents to let it use another $1.3 million from a capital reserve fund to complete the work. The vote will be held from noon to 9 p.m. in the junior/senior high school cafeteria on Jan. 28.
Voters already approved $2.9 million in capital reserve spending for the plan, which initially included replacing the middle school gym floor.
"All of this construction is a lot more expensive than initially estimated," Pine Plains Superintendent Martin Handler told the Poughkeepsie Journal. “Fortunately, we have the money in the capital reserve to cover it," so borrowing/bonding for it isn't necessary.
But using reserve funds requires approval from a majority of district voters.
"It’s just a matter of getting permission to use money we already have to cover the shortfall," Handler said. "No new money, no new taxes, no impact on the budget."
A combination of factors led to the shortfall, including a lengthy state-approval process, an active construction climate and escalating costs of materials, particularly steel, Handler said.
District resident Sue Treacy said she will vote in favor of the referendum.
“I think that Pines Plains is on an upward trajectory in academics,” Treacy said. “Unfortunately, buildings age, and needed repairs and updating are a never-ending story. The district needs to invest in its school. Can't skimp on our kids.”
-- Nina Schutzman Council reviews implications of SK facilities plan-- The Narragansett Times Rhode Island: January 11, 2019 [ abstract] SOUTH KINGSTOWN — During a work session to review the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), the town council got a look at the long-term financial implications of the plan to overhaul the school facilities—and assuming voters support the bond referendum, those implications would be major.
Looked at over a six-year period, the CIP is updated annually, taking into account non-recurring capital improvements—including purchases, new constructions and renovations, ranked in order of priority—that may be needed.
“It’s designed to make sure that we don’t have bumps in the road—that we’re not seeing spikes in capital expenditures because we haven’t planned for them,” Town Manager Robert Zarnetske explained during Monday’s work session.
Zarnetske lauded town staff and his predecessor Stephen Alfred for establishing an “astonishingly smart” and “efficient” program, which was recently featured by the University of Massachusetts as exemplary.
While items identified in the first year of the program will be included in the upcoming fiscal year budget, Zarnetske explained that beyond year one, it’s just a plan and is likely to change.
Still, the numbers in the CIP offer an idea of what can be expected.
-- KENDRA GRAVELLE Half-cent sales tax providing safety upgrades for St. Johns County schools-- News4JAX Florida: January 10, 2019 [ abstract] ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. - A half-cent sales tax that St. Johns County voters approved in 2015 has provided funds for school safety upgrades.
Entering year three of the 10-year referendum, St. Johns County Superintendent Tim Forson toldNews4Jax on Thursday that it has been a huge success, with the money going to new construction, reconstruction and school facility improvements that include technology, safety and security upgrades.
One of last year's project that was paid for by funds from the half-cent sales tax was new iron fencing outside St. Augustine High School -- part of the school's single point of entry plan that all St. Johns County schools now have.
Forson said the referendum has been a huge success and, thanks to a growing economy, it’s brought the St. Johns County School District more money than expected.
"Projection initially would be about $13 million a year, but what we're seeing is $18 to 19 (million) projection in this next year," Forson said. "So we’ve seen sales tax dollars come forward at a faster rate and a higher number."
Three new schools -- one elementary and two K-8s -- opened in the last two years thanks to the half-cent sales tax.
"(If the district didn't have the money from the tax) I would say at least two of three schools that we have constructed and brought online would not have been constructed," Forson said. "So you're talking about as many as 23,000-25,000 students, stations or seats that we would not have."
He said that would have meant more overcrowding and lots of portable classrooms.
-- Elizabeth Campbell School construction, renovation part of Langfords legacy-- AL.com Alabama: January 10, 2019 [ abstract] Former Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford died Jan. 8, and it’s hard to look back over his contributions while in public service without seeing the impact he had on schools in Jefferson County.
Perhaps nothing Langford championed will last longer than his successful push in 2004 for a 1-cent countywide sales tax to fund more than $1 billion in school construction across Jefferson County’s 12 school systems.
The proceeds of that tax led to the building of more than 30 new schools and the renovation of dozens more.
Those proceeds came at a much-needed time, according to Phil Hammonds, who was Jefferson County's school superintendent during the years after the passage of the tax.
“The one-cent sales tax was a game-changer for the school systems throughout Jefferson County,” Hammonds wrote in a statement to AL.com. “Some facilities were at least 50 to 60 years old and pretty much worn out.”
Hammonds oversaw the more than $370 million Jefferson County's school system received from the tax which ultimately built or renovated 20 schools in the district.
-- Trisha Powell Crain Iowa should act quickly on school funding-- Quad-City Times Iowa: January 09, 2019 [ abstract] After a divisive election season, the Iowa Legislature can get off to a strong, bi-partisan start this year by approving a long-term extension of the statewide one-cent sales tax that funds construction projects at Iowa's schools.
This, really, is a no-brainer. For years, Iowa school districts have relied on a one-cent sales tax to pay for an array of maintenance and improvement projects.
In fact, Scott County voters were among the first, in 1999, to approve of the tax to pay for building projects. Almost immediately, the proceeds from the tax were earmarked in Davenport for classroom renovations at Central High School, along with an array of other projects.
Other districts in our area also used the proceeds to improve their learning environments, with the penny sales tax becoming a vital, accepted, part of their budgets.
The sales tax has been around for so long that voters in all of Iowa's 99 counties approved it. And, in 2008, the state legislature converted it to a statewide sales tax, bringing equity to its distribution. It's now known as Secure and Advanced Vision for Education, or SAVE.
Still, this tried-and-true funding source is due to expire in 2029.
There is no doubt this funding is vital to our schools.
In Bettendorf, for example, the money is going toward construction of the new Grant Wood Elementary School. That's a big project, but the funds also have been devoted to other expenses, like heating and air conditioning costs, buses and tennis courts.
-- Editorial Proposal to build Verona school gym includes town's first storm shelter-- Springfield News-Leader Missouri: January 09, 2019 [ abstract] A tiny community in southwest Missouri will gain its first tornado storm shelter if voters approve a proposed bond issue.
There are currently no shelters in Verona, a Lawrence County town with less than 700 residents.
In April, voters in the Verona school district will decide the fate of a $3.125 million bond issue to build a new gymnasium with an underground locker room that will double as a tornado safe room.
"The locker room is below ground level and completely encased in concrete," said Tony Simmons, in his sixth year as superintendent. "It will be a safe room."
Simmons said the 400-student district has outgrown its existing dome-shaped gym, constructed not long after World War II and the oldest building still in use on the K-12 campus along Ella Street.
"We don't have the seating. When we have ballgames, it's standing room only," he said. "It's due for an upgrade."
Simmons said while the court itself is regulation size, there is no cushion. If a basketball or volleyball player steps out of bounds, they are likely to step on the feet of fans sitting on the front row.
Over the years, to mitigate crowding, the district blew out one wall of the gym to expand seating. They also place bleachers on the auditorium stage during games.
Still, it's not enough.
Simmons said simply adding a new gym next to the existing one would have been less expensive, but the district increased the proposed cost by adding a shelter in the design. He estimates that added 30 percent to the overall price tag.
The proposal is described as a "no tax increase" bond issue, meaning it will increase the district's indebtedness but will not increase personal property taxes.
-- Claudette Riley School construction stays on track-- Cleveland Daily Banner Tennessee: January 08, 2019 [ abstract] Workers on the construction site for the city's newest school — Candy's Creek Cherokee Elementary School — have remained on track despite an unusually rainy winter season.
That was the message Hal Taylor, director of operations for Cleveland City Schools, shared during Monday's Cleveland Board of Education meeting.
"We're moving right along with everything the way we should be," Taylor said. "We're still looking good on our timeline."
The new school is being built off Georgetown Road/Highway 60, and workers have been shooting for a March completion date. The hope is that this will give educators enough time to settle in before opening their doors to students this August.
Taylor described how workers have been getting heating and air-conditioning systems up and running, installing tile flooring, painting walls, setting up mechanical equipment, equipping the cafeteria kitchen and laying down gym flooring.
"Fortunately, most everything they're working on now is inside the building," Taylor said, referencing the rain.
Some site work, such as removing a large mound of fill dirt near the new school's driveway, has had to be postponed because of the rain.
-- CHRISTY ARMSTRONG Building Committee presents $71.4 million schools project to Westerly council-- The Westerly Sun Rhode Island: January 07, 2019 [ abstract] WESTERLY — Town Council members focused mainly on the need for regular maintenance Monday following a presentation of the proposed $71.4 million school building project by the School Building Committee.
School officials are hopeful that as much as half of the project cost would be reimbursed by the state Department of Education. If that happens, the direct cost to the town's taxpayers would be $35,711,423, according to the committee's current projections and estimates.
Superintendent of Schools Mark Garceau walked the council through the process used by the building committee that resulted in plans for a $41.9 million new State Street School, $10.2 million in renovations, reconfiguration and additions to Dunn's Corners School and $3.48 million in renovations, reconfiguration and additions to Springbrook School.
The projects also calls for $206,587 to prepare Tower Street School Community Center for use as temporary quarters for students during construction as well as $4.2 million in improvements at Westerly High School's Babcock Hall and $9.3 million in improvements at the high school's Ward Hall. An additional $1.9 million in general districtwide improvements would also be made.
-- Dale Faulkner Hamilton appointed to WV School Building Authority-- The Journal West Virginia: January 07, 2019 [ abstract] Sandra (Sandy) Hamilton was appointed to the School Building Authority (SBA) of West Virginia by Gov. Jim Justice on Nov. 1, 2018, to an unexpired term ending July 31, 2019.†Hamilton is the executive director of the Berkeley County Development Authority.†A lifelong resident of Berkeley County, she graduated from Musselman High School and Shepherd University. She is a member of multiple boards and organizations, including the Martinsburg Rotary Club, Berkeley County Schools Business Education Partnership, James Rumsey Technical Center’s Local School Improvement Council, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College’s Advisory Boards, Region 9, Farmland Protection Board, and the Martinsburg Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce.
The School Building Authority was created by the West Virginia State Legislature in 1989 to address the educational planning and school construction needs of the state in an efficient and economical manner. The Legislature also created a state funding mechanism that would assist local boards of education in the construction and renovation of new and existing facilities. Since itsí inception, the SBA has partnered with counties to provide over $3,200,000,000 in funding for construction projects across all 55 counties in West Virginia.
-- Staff Writer Virginia attorney general says condition of schools responsibility of localities-- The Roanoke Times Virginia: January 04, 2019 [ abstract] Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring says the condition of public school buildings is the primary responsibility of localities and local school boards.
Herring issued his opinion Friday in response to several questions raised by state Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin, who has been leading a push to repair Virginia’s deteriorating schools, particularly in financially strapped rural and urban areas.
Stanley and some colleagues in the Senate are expected to introduce a few bills related to school infrastructure to be considered when the General Assembly session starts Wednesday.
“While the Virginia Constitution does establish education as a fundamental right, it places the responsibility for determining the funding for maintaining the required educational program on the General Assembly,” Herring wrote in the conclusion of his opinion. “The General Assembly has elected to require localities to provide the majority of funding for the construction and improvement of the school physical plant.”
Stanley asked Herring, a Democrat who announced he will make a run for governor in 2021, in September whether the state and localities are in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education II ruling by allowing students to attend schools in poor condition.
-- Amy Friedenberger Mild weather a boon for school construction projects-- Fremont News Messenger Ohio: January 03, 2019 [ abstract] FREMONT - Mild weather in December and early January has allowed construction crews more time for early site work at Fremont City Schools' four new elementary school sites.
FCS Superintendent Jon Detwiler said Wednesday contractors from Mosser construction were putting in utilities and getting as much preparation done as possible before temperatures consistently dip below freezing.
Detwiler said Atkinson Elementary School was getting its initial construction pad ready, with early work also taking place at Croghan Elementary School pn Thursday.
Contractors started initially at the Otis and Lutz Elementary School building sites.
Detwiler said in December the district's goal was to get all four elementary schools to the same point before wintry weather sets in.
Voters in 2017 approved a $58.6 million levy to construct four new elementary buildings and a new Ross High School as part of a facilities plan to upgrade building quality and technologies.
construction on the new Fremont Ross high school building is expected to begin sometime this summer, Detwiler said.
-- Daniel Carson 29 Portland schools at risk of collapse during major earthquake, district says-- KGW8 Oregon: January 02, 2019 [ abstract] When the big earthquake hits, many Portland Public Schools may not be standing. There are 29 schools in the district at risk of collapsing during a major earthquake, according to PPS.
The news came as a shock to many parents like Kristin Moran, whose daughter is a fourth grader at an elementary school on the list of unsafe buildings.
“It was really scary as a parent to learn that my daughter is in a building that could easily collapse during an earthquake,” Moran said.
Twenty-nine schools in the district are unreinforced masonry buildings or URMs, which are considered one of the most dangerous buildings during a major earthquake. URMs were built with outdated construction techniques that used brittle material and do not have any rebar or steel reinforcements.
There are many URM buildings across the city, so in October, the Portland City Council passed an ordinance saying all URM building owners have to send out notifications to people and post signs on the buildings stating it may be unsafe in an event of a major earthquake.
-- Lindsay Nadrich Bangor’s schools are nearly a century old. The city wants to find out how many repairs they need-- Bangor Daily News Maine: January 02, 2019 [ abstract] School buildings in Bangor may be undergoing an infrastructure makeover in the next few years.
The school committee unanimously voted to contract Oak Point Associates for a facilities study to assess all 11 school buildings for required updates or possible consolidations, and to use $170,000 from the reserve fund to pay for the facilities study.
“Some of our buildings, you can only put so many coats of paint on them,” Superintendent Betsy Webb said. “It is really is time to say that in the next decade, they may need to be fully gutted and renovated.”
The school buildings in Bangor are 50 to 100 years old. After Oak Point Associates, an architecture firm based in Biddeford, surveys the condition of the buildings, the architects will recommend options for future growth and expansion, maintenance and repairs, and possible construction.
The school department owns land on Griffin Road, which may be suitable for construction of an elementary school.
-- Eesha Pendharkar Construction expected to start in 2019 in Bethlehem Central School District-- News 10 New York: January 02, 2019 [ abstract] BETHLEHEM, N.Y. (NEWS10) - construction is expected to begin this year on the $32.2 million Bethlehem Central School District capital project approved by voters in 2016.
Superintendent Jody Monroe said the referendum will support building and site renovations, security upgrades, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work throughout the district. Approximately 53 percent of the project work will take place at the high school.
Two of the most anticipated projects, renovations of the Library Media Center and the auditorium at the high school, will begin in 2019.
"The new year is shaping up to be an exciting one here in Bethlehem," said Superintendent Jody Monroe. "We recently received final approval from the State Education Department to move forward with our capital construction. We have been anxious to get started and are pleased to announce that work on our cornerstone projects at the high school will begin in early 2019."
Monroe said the district's facilities and operations staff have been working for more than three years on planning and design, in collaboration with architects, faculty and staff and community groups. They have established a tentative timeline for construction, and are currently working on preliminary plans to streamline any relocation and rescheduling that will be necessary during construction.
-- Staff Writer Hearings start on high school construction plans-- The Sun Chronicle Massachusetts: January 01, 2019 [ abstract] ATTLEBORO -- It’s a new year and the city's embarking on q new project, the biggest and most expensive project in its history -- a $260 million high school.
Public hearings before the conservation commission, planning board and zoning board are scheduled for Wednesday, Monday and next Thursday respectively as part of the permitting process with road and utility construction slated to begin in April.
As can be imagined, planning for the four-story, 476,425 square foot building to be situated on a 45-acre parcel off Rathbun Willard drive just to the west of the current school, takes a lot of planning and a lot of approvals.
According to an architect from Kaestle Boos Associates, designers from an array of firms have put in 100,000 hours already, and there are many more to come.
But now some of those plans will be put to the test before city boards from which permits are needed.
Each board has oversight on a particular aspect of the project, which is expected to be completed in November of 2023.
The school is expected to be open for students in September of 2022.
The conservation commission regulates construction near wetlands and there are seven “bordering vegetative wetland systems” that have been delineated and one possible "vernal pool."
-- George W. Rhodes New FEMA safe room open in Rogersville-- The Marshfield Mail Missouri: January 01, 2019 [ abstract]
Logan-Rogersville’s Upper Elementary School recently held a grand opening for its new safe room Saturday, Dec. 1, at the upper elementary school.
The shelter, which was completed in September, comes as a beneficial and much needed facility for the Logan-Rogersville R-VIII School District, who partnered with the City of Rogersville for the project.
“The shelter will be used on a daily basis by the school district for physical education classes, athletic team practices and special events,” said Jason O’Neal, assistant superintendent of Logan-Rogersville Schools. “We applied for a FEMA grant and were awarded a $1,845,000 grant, which includes 75 percent federal funding and 25 percent local funding.” FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The actual cost of the project was $2,073,298 and included deconstruction of an existing dilapidated gymnasium (which was no longer cost effective to maintain); construction of a 8,733 square foot tornado safe room, which also doubles as a gymnasium for school and community use; and construction of an additional 1,678 square feet of entrance area and connecting hallway between the existing and new facilities. According to O’Neal, the shelter includes a generator room, restrooms mechanical room and storage room.
-- Sarah Bicknell Residents give input on Master Plan-- Fowler Tribune Colorado: January 01, 2019 [ abstract] Fowler School District held its second open house regarding its Facilities Master Plan on Dec. 20. The event was held at Fowler Middle/High School’s gymnasium and featured mock-ups for each of the three proposed facility master plan scenarios.
Each scenario offered varying degrees of renovations, remodeling and other improvements that would benefit the school district in accessibility, safety, and education accommodation.
The school district utilized a Planning Assistance Team, comprised of parents, teachers and members of the Fowler community, to construct each scenario. Superintendent Alfie Lotrich and School Board Treasurer Mike Thomas were part of the team, although they mostly served as observers and left the majority of the decision making to the team members.
The Planning Assistance Team consulted with RTA Architects, which researched the facilities master plan options, coordinated Planning Assistance Team meetings, and organized the community open houses. Doug Abernathy of RTA Architects attended the Open House on Thursday to take questions about the facility master plan.
Each master plan scenario, tiered by cost and the extent of work required, recommended specific updates or changes to both Fowler Elementary and the Fowler Middle/High School.
Scenario C included the most significant facility changes. If Fowler School District adopted Scenario C, the middle/high school would be moved south of Highway 167, where the elementary school is already located. A new middle/high school would be built directly south of the standing elementary school building. The area north of Highway 167 would become an athletic complex with a larger baseball field to accompany the current track and football field.
“In this option, the committee actually said, ‘Hey, let’s move everything to the south side of the road. Let’s move the entire school to the south side of the road,’” said Abernathy. “Basically everybody ends up on one campus.”
-- Christian Burney Coming in 2019: CV and Mechanicsburg will continue build-up of schools in 2019-- The Sentinel Pennsylvania: December 30, 2018 [ abstract]
ew Year, old growing pains.
Transition issues that are already present in the Cumberland Valley and Mechanicsburg school districts will carry over into 2019.
Both districts have turned in recent years to new school construction, building renovations and adjustments to attendance patterns as solutions to ongoing enrollment increases and changes in educational programming.
Here is how the New Year may play out:
Cumberland Valley
This district has one building under construction at Bali Hai and Lambs Gap roads in Hampden Township. Though scheduled for completion in March, Mountain View Middle School will not open for students until late August 2019.
It makes no sense to transfer students to Mountain View one month before the state testing cycle in April, Superintendent Fred Withum III said this summer. By the time state testing is complete, there is not enough time left in the academic year to justify the cost of operating new bus runs to the school.
Mountain View shares a campus with the Winding Creek Elementary School, which opened for students this past August. That same month, The Sentinel reported that enrollment growth was so rapid, that both buildings will essentially fill up as soon as they open. That would put the district back to the baseline it had five years ago.
-- Joseph Cress School replacement created challenges for school board in 2018-- The Brunswick News Georgia: December 29, 2018 [ abstract]
Plans are now moving smoothly forward to begin construction on a new Altama Elementary School.
Glynn County Schools recently received approval from the Georgia Department of Education on its site application to build the new school at 6045 Altama Ave. in Brunswick, three-fourths of a mile from the current 53-year-old school building.
The road to this point in the process, though, has been bumpy.
The Glynn County Board of Education and district leaders faced criticism from many community members earlier this year when the school board voted to build the new school on the same 18 acres on which the current school is located, at 5505 Altama Ave.
The property sits adjacent to one of four Superfund sites in Glynn County. Superfund sites are areas that have been contaminated by hazardous waste and ordered by the federal government to be cleaned up or mitigated.
Many voiced concerns that building the new school on that property would lead to future health issues for the school’s occupants.
The school board changed its plans in response and voted in July to build the school at a new site.
“We have worked hard to be transparent and open in finding the best site for this new school,” said Virgil Cole, superintendent of Glynn County Schools, at the meeting July 10. “The question we have continually asked ourselves is where is the best place for this school.”
Looking back
The year began with a school board meeting at which board members were given a report about the toxaphene levels on the current school site.
-- Lauren McDonald Growth in Horizon West spurs Orange school construction-- Orlando Sentinel Florida: December 28, 2018 [ abstract] In the past 15 years, the Orange County school district has built 50 new schools, and it plans to build 14 more in the next five -- all to handle increasing student enrollment. Three of those new campuses are expected to be ready for students in August, all in the fast-growing Horizon West community.
There is so much residential growth in that section of Orange that the district is now building so-called relief schools for schools that were built to relieve crowding on other campuses not so many years ago.
Population surges south of Orlando and in the Lake Nona area have prompted school construction, too. And a voter-approved sales tax — given the OK in 2002 and again in 2014 — has provided money for the district to renovate or replace more than 100 old schools, spurring campus construction projects across the county.
But building new schools because existing ones are packed with students is most prevalent in a swath of southwestern Orange where Horizon West has sprung from former citrus groves.
“This is one of the fastest-growing areas of the country,” said Pam Gould, the Orange County School Board member whose district includes Horizon West. “It’s crazy. It’s absolutely crazy.”
Here’s a by-the-numbers look at what’s happening, based on school district data.
-- Leslie Postal Huffman ISD and contractor spar over new school building-- Houston Chronicle Texas: December 28, 2018 [ abstract] From a distance, Falcon Ridge Elementary looks like a beautiful school.
Dark metallic shingles line parts of the second story and handcrafted stonework covers part of the entrance. Visitors wind their way around a large pond and through thick patches of trees to get to the brick building.
On the inside, however, cracks have begun to appear. Literally.
Ceiling tiles have sagged above students’ heads. One child fell into a hole on the second floor that had been patched over with a thin layer of concrete and insulation wrapped in a plastic tarp. Another was nearly struck by seven solid-maple planks that tumbled 40-feet from near the ceiling into the building’s commons. Cracks and gaps have formed in the gymnasium’s wooden floor, and a sneeze guard in the cafeteria is said to have begun shedding shards of glass into the food below.
The school is now the focal point of a multi-million dollar lawsuit and increasingly contentious claims between a construction management firm, a bond program manager and the 3,500-student Huffman ISD.
Officials with Paradigm construction LLC say the school district stopped paying the company after June, even though it took until August to substantially complete the school following delays spurred by Hurricane Harvey’s deluge and alleged interference from a firm selected to manage Huffman ISD’s bond program. They claim that as they worked seven days a week to get the building ready for the first day of school, Huffman’s bond manager inserted new subcontractors into the project who tinkered with already finished features and made it difficult for Paradigm’s unpaid subcontractors to finish their work.
-- Shelby Webb 5 CPS Schools Selected for Green ‘Schoolyard Transformations’ in 2019-- wttw Illinois: December 27, 2018 [ abstract] A handful of Chicago elementary schools will receive major upgrades next year as part of a program aimed at improving outdoor learning spaces while also addressing flooding and other water management issues.
Five schools were selected earlier this month for participation in Space to Grow, an initiative that transforms Chicago schoolyards with the goal of providing kids in low-income neighborhoods with safe spaces to play and recreate.
The new “green schoolyards” will incorporate special surfaces and landscape features that help capture a significant amount of rainfall, resulting in less neighborhood flooding, according to a press release from the Metropolitan Water District of Greater Chicago. MWRD runs the Space to Grow program in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Department of Water Management, the Healthy Schools Campaign and the environmental advocacy group Openlands.
Schools eligible for the program are located in areas identified by the city to be at high risk for flooding. Eligible schools must also be in need of a playground, have at least 30,000 square feet of available outdoor space and have no other major construction projects planned.
Since its creation, Space to Grow has completed transformations of 15 schoolyards that together have the capacity to capture nearly 2.8 million gallons of rainwater, equivalent to more than four Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to MWRD.
-- Alex Ruppenthal School bond referendum floated to find money to build schools-- The Robesonian North Carolina: December 27, 2018 [ abstract] RALEIGH — School board Chairman Mike Smith has the same New Year’s wish this year that he’s had since he joined the board 28 years ago — money to build new schools.
State Rep. Charles Graham would like to make Smith’s wish come true in 2019. The Democrat said supports a statewide school bond referendum of about $2 billion that would build schools across the state, including one or two in Robeson, which has 23,000 students but has not built a school since the 1980s.
The question remains: If the Public Schools of Robeson County gets enough money to build two schools, would those schools get built? The school board has struggled since Hurricane Matthew to get traction to replace West Lumberton Elementary, which was lost to that storm.
“When I joined the school board in 1990, we had just received $64 million in state school bond money,” Smith said. “We spread it among 41 schools.”
There are still more than 40 schools.
Recent conversations about consolidation, which would be needed if a modern school is constructed, “went nowhere,” Smith said. The conversation dissolved into a heated exchange, he said.
Besides the push and pull of school board members who are elected by district, the school district has other priorities, including a new central office and a technology school.
Graham said he is moderately hopeful about getting money for the local schools.
-- Scott Bigelow Tewksbury school estimated to top $98.5M-- Lowell Sun Massachusetts: December 26, 2018 [ abstract] TEWKSBURY -- The new elementary school project in town is estimated to cost over $98.5 million.
The Elementary School Building Committee announced the figure at its Thursday meeting. The total project cost, not just construction, is expected to be $98,503,725, according to Anne Marie Stronach, vice chair of the Elementary School Building Committee and member of the Board of Selectmen.
"That's not the final cost to the taxpayers," Stronach said. "That's the cost we have to bill the project for."
The cost estimate includes money already spent, including the $1.1 million appropriated at the May 2016 Annual Town Meeting for the feasibility study and schematic design, according to Town Manager Richard Montuori. The figure also does not take into consideration what the Massachusetts School Building Authority will reimburse. The construction cost for the project is estimated at $77,450,806.
The MSBA will have meetings with the committee on Jan. 2 and Feb. 13, and vote on whether or not to approve the project. If approved, the committee can get to work on preparing a ballot question for the next annual town election, and then for a vote at the next Annual Town Meeting.
The school is planned to accommodate about 790 students in grades two through four. In addition to this proposed new construction at the Ryan Elementary School site, the current Central Office is planned to be demolished and a new athletics field is also planned.
-- Kori Tuitt Could year-around school replace building project?-- Pilot Tribune Iowa: December 21, 2018 [ abstract] SL school board regroups, pledges to listen, after $29m Early Childhood vote falls short
A former Storm Lake School Board leader approached the current board Wednesday night with some unexpected advice: consider skipping another bond issue try, and go to year-around school instead.
Dr. Mark Schultz suggested that if the district went to a four or five-track system, and staggered the breaks for them, the overpopulation crunch in the existing school buildings could be eliminated.
“You might save $29 million,” he told the board.
He encouraged the board to hold a forum, bringing in parents and some people with expertise in such a system.
The traditional school year with three months off for summer is a relic of another century, when schools took a back seat to farming, Schultz said, and leads to “summer slide” as students forget what they’s learned over the previous school year. He felt disadvantaged kids might be less likely to get in trouble without a lengthy period off school.
“It solves your problem almost immediately, as early as this fall.”
He felt the option might be better than to try a second vote to build the new preschool-first grade Early Childhood complex. When he was on the board, an initial vote for the middle school failed by only 12 votes, and the board pulled an auditorium out of the plan, assuming that would make the difference. It then lost big, he said, noting that those who oppose a project may tend to rally after an initial defeat. “At best, it wouldn’t solve the issues until three years from now,” he said of the construction plan.
A forum would be a logical first step to air the year-around school possibility. “I don’t even know if I could be for it, to be honest… I’m intrigued by it.”
-- DANA LARSEN District 200 OKs First Phase Of Master Facilities Plan-- Oak Park-River Forest Patch Illinois: December 21, 2018 [ abstract] OAK PARK, IL --- All systems are go for the first phase of Oak Park-River Forest District 200's largest master facilities plan in 50 years to move forward, according to a press release from the district. The initial project, which is estimated to cost more than $32 million from the district's existing cash reserves, will include establishing all-gender restrooms, adding an ADA-accessible elevator, and renovating classrooms and other parts of the school.
District officials noted that since funds for the initial phase of the master facilities project would come from existing reserves, homeowners would not face a property tax increase. This funding source will also allow District 200 to remain "debt-free," officials said.
In the first phase of construction, priority will be given to the district's Special Education TEAM (Transitional Education with Access to the Mainstream) program. These include a sensory room and an ADA-compliant restroom.
-- Lisa Marie Farver Houston District Still Hasn’t Received $7.5 Million For Naming Rights At Fine Arts High School-- Houston Public Media Texas: December 21, 2018 [ abstract] In October 2016, the Houston school board accepted a controversial $7.5 million donation from the Kinder Foundation, which received the naming rights for one of the district’s most prestigious high schools.
The money helped plug a budget shortfall in the construction plans for the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.
That new $88 million downtown campus is now set to welcome students in January — but the Houston Independent School District still hasn’t received the original donation.
In response to a public records request made by News 88.7, HISD said that it is still finalizing bank deposit details to receive the donation.
Instead, the school’s booster nonprofit, HSPVA Friends, is holding the money in a controlled account. It’s ready to transfer at least $1.5 million immediately to reimburse the district for expenses like the orchestra pit lift, music practice rooms and the studio theater. But it needs bank account information from HISD.
“HSPVA Friends is ready to transfer that amount into the HISD controlled account as soon as HISD provides the account information,” Alene Coggin, executive director of the nonprofit, wrote to the school’s principal in October. “HSPVA Friends would like to complete the reimbursement to HISD for all grant expenses incurred during the construction phase no later than January 2019.”
Still, the delay has frustrated parents like Sarah Terrell, who opposed the school’s renaming to start.
-- LAURA ISENSEE Longview school facilities plan could be headed for price jump-- TDN.com Washington: December 21, 2018 [ abstract]
Kelso’s experience is causing pocketbook anxiety in the Longview School District.
The Longview School Board on Thursday grappled with the probability that the cost of its facilities plan could rise sharply past the $120 million range now under discussion.
Superintendent Dan Zorn said the district’s consulting group estimates that construction costs will rise about 4.5 percent between April and November.
The district had originally planned to resubmit its facilities bond to voters in April, but the board moved the vote to November due to the faculty and staff strike at the start of this school year.
Some board members voiced concern that costs could increase further. They pointed to the $20 million spike in Kelso’s school facilities plan and the recent $50 million increase in the state’s estimate for the Oregon Way-Industrial way intersection project.
Zorn said the district may look to extensive soil studies for its construction sites to reduce the risk of unforeseen costs.
“It will be something we study further because both these cost escalations in those projects are related to the (unstable) dirt,” Zorn said.
Thursday night’s work session allowed the board to review the three proposals created by a bond advisory committee. The proposals all focus on building at least one new elementary school; updating district safety and security; expanding high school trades programs; and renovating Longview Memorial Stadium.
-- Mallory Gruben Lower Merion School District to condemn two properties in Villanova-- Philadelphia Business Journal Pennsylvania: December 21, 2018 [ abstract] Lower Merion School District has voted to condemn two properties in Villanova – a 10.4-acre parcel at 1835 County Line Road and three acres at 1800 W. Montgomery Ave. – and spend a total of $12.92 million on acquiring them.
The school district said it was exercising its right of eminent domain to acquire the two properties for the construction of future athletic fields and in a move to thwart Villanova University from buying them. The owners of the two properties had been in negotiations with and executed agreements of sale with the university, prompting the school district to move to control them.
“These combined sites are the best available choice for fields for the 21st-century middle school that the district is planning for 1860 Montgomery Ave.,” the school district said in a statement.
A spokesman for Villanova had no immediate comment.
The school district said it will pay the owner of 1835 County Line $9.95 million and the owner of 1800 W. Montgomery Ave. $2.96 million. Separately, the school district is building a new middle school at 1860 Montgomery and that is scheduled to open in 2022.
The school district said when it began negotiations last summer to acquire 1835 County Line and 1800 W. Montgomery, it learned the owners of the properties were also negotiating with Villanova University.
“Earlier this fall, although the sellers had indicated the district offers were basically acceptable with minor revisions, the agreements of sale were never returned to the district,” the district said in a statement. “The district later learned the sellers had executed agreements of sale with Villanova University.”
-- Natalie Kostelni Mount Vernon City Council approves higher school impact fees-- goskagit.com Washington: December 21, 2018 [ abstract]
MOUNT VERNON — The Mount Vernon City Council on Wednesday voted 4-3 to increase fees that go toward funding school construction.
Under the new fee structure, construction of each new single-family home is subject to an impact fee of $9,421 — $2,763 more than the current rate.
“We recognize our (fee) is a large increase over 2016,” said Robert Coffey, school district board president, referring to the last time impact fees were assessed.
The Mount Vernon School District requested that fee increase in September.
Coffey said the increase is needed because of how steeply construction costs have risen in recent years and a continuous 1 percent growth in student population.
School districts assess impact fees to supplement school bonds in funding new construction, shifting the cost burden off of residents’ property taxes.
The fee is collected by the city on behalf of the district.
The district uses a formula — widely employed by other districts in the state — to determine the number of students added by a new housing unit and how much those students cost the district, District Superintendent Carl Bruner said previously.
Councilman Joe Lindquist, who voted in favor of the district’s fee increase, said he trusts the results of the formula and thought the district wouldn’t ask for the fee increase if it wasn’t justified.
“I feel like they’ve done their homework, and I’m willing to give them what they ask for,” he said ahead of the vote.
-- Brandon Stone Robertson County leaders raise taxes on new home construction to fund schools-- Tennessean Tennessee: December 21, 2018 [ abstract] Robertson County Commissioners are hoping to raise money for schools by adding 30 cents per square foot to the privilege tax on new residential construction projects.
The move comes three years after commissioners lowered the privilege tax to 70 cents per square foot from $2 in a bid to promote growth and entice home builders to work in Robertson County.
“We’ve got schools coming, and we have to find a way to pay for it,” Robertson County Budget Committee Chairman Keith Hoover said during the commission’s December meeting.
Coopertown Elementary project looms
One week earlier, the Robertson County School Board took a major step forward on what is expected to be a multi-million-dollar renovation at Coopertown Elementary School and hired a Clarksville-based architect to begin drawing up plans. The project is expected to move quickly in the New Year and could reach commissioners for a funding vote as early as February, School Board Chairman Jeff White said in a prior interview.
-- Nicole Young Rauner approves streamlined school-construction pilot-- Miami Herald Illinois: December 20, 2018 [ abstract] Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed a law allowing schools to use a streamlined approach to construction.
The Republican approved the legislation Thursday for a pilot program allowing schools to use a so-called design-build process.
It allows districts to hire architects, engineers and construction contractors as a team. construction is quicker because the structure can start going up while later phases are still being developed.
The law allows five design-build projects approved by the Illinois State Board of Education.
Calumet City Democratic Rep. Thaddeus Jones sponsored the plan. He says national studies have shown that design-build projects are of lower cost, are completed more quickly and have solid quality.
Detailed reports delivered to the General Assembly must accompany such projects.
-- Associated Press Cape school officials propose upgrades to two elementary schools, construction of a prekindergarten center-- Southeast Missourian Missouri: December 19, 2018 [ abstract] Upgrades to Alma Schrader and Jefferson elementary schools and construction of a centralized prekindergarten center are among the projects Cape Girardeau school officials hope to fund with an April bond issue.
The school board voted Monday to adopt a proposed master facilities plan detailing these and other projects, including an indoor aquatic center.
Board members will have to decide next month whether to put a $12 million, no-tax-increase bond issue on the ballot to fund these improvements, superintendent Neil Glass said Tuesday.
The plan calls for spending $4 million to remodel Jefferson and Alma Schrader schools and another $4 million to help fund an indoor aquatic center in partnership with the City of Cape Girardeau and possibly other entities.
School officials said in the master plan an aquatic center needs to be anchored to an existing school.
A joint Cape Girardeau school-city advisory committee has narrowed a list of possible sites to three. But only one — the Jefferson School site — is favored by school officials.
construction of a preschool could cost $1.5 million, school officials said.
Other projects include new roofs on Blanchard Elementary School and parts of Central High School and the Career and Technology Center at an estimated price tag of $500,000, heating and cooling upgrades at district buildings at a cost of $200,000 and repaving of school district parking lots at a cost of $150,000.
-- Mark Bliss Report shows school district facilities updates could cost $544M-- The Spinal Column Michigan: December 19, 2018 [ abstract] Buildings in the Walled Lake Consolidated School District are getting older and need attention – some more than others.
That’s the main premise of a facilities infrastructure assessment done by TMP Architecture.
“A lot of information was gathered to thoroughly and comprehensively assess each of the facilities and schools in Walled Lake Schools,” explained Superintendent Ken Gutman. “We shared the assessments through an inclusive, community focus group process in November with staff, PTAs and parents via a presentation and survey. The preliminary survey results indicated our community would support an effort to repair, enhance, renovate and rebuild older facilities.”
The average age of all buildings in the district is 48 years old; the median year in which buildings were constructed is 1966.
Elementary school walls are inefficient and classroom designs are obsolete. The oldest building in the district (Dublin Elementary, which is 90 years old) is 74 years older than the newest building.
Middle schools in the district have “poor circulation and accessibility”, according to the report. Classroom spaces do not support current best practice teaching methods.
-- ANNE SEEBALDT School renovation project being trimmed before bids go out-- Piatt County Journal Republican Illinois: December 19, 2018 [ abstract] Building renovations promised in the Monticello school referendum will fit into the high school/Washington Elementary project budget, but enhancement and infrastructure improvements may need to be scaled back in order to fit within its available $33.2 million.
In running numbers before the project goes out to bid this spring, architects found the project to be in the $38 million range, and detailed to the school board Dec. 10 what could be done to bring the cost down by $5 million.
A proposed entryway improvement for the high school may be moved to the optional list. The estimated $105,000 upgrade would include the addition of brick pillars with a sign above the main doors to the school.
The project’s overall scope would be nearly identical to original proposals: A new multipurpose gym and 14-classroom addition to Washington, a science lab addition to the high school, and renovations to existing spaces in both schools.
construction methods could change to include more pre-cast panels in order to save dollars, and a changeover from steam to hot water heat may need to wait.
“Most of this stuff, if you didn’t tell me about it I wouldn’t know it was in there,” said Superintendent Vic Zimmerman about the proposed cuts. “It’s mostly architectural elements, cosmetic pieces, and stuff behind the scenes like going from copper wire to aluminum wire in some places, parapet walls and heights of roofs.”
-- Steve Hoffman School board to tour Fairchild Wheeler’s building flaws-- ctpost Connecticut: December 18, 2018 [ abstract] BRIDGEPORT — There are cracks in the cement stairwell right off the main office, warped cafeteria flooring and gaps between flashing on the roof that leaves the building exposed to the elements.
School board member Chris Taylor’s account of what he saw on a tour of the Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Magnet Campus on Monday has all the members of the board of education prepared to take a look for themselves.
The full school board decided on Monday evening to hold off on voting to accept the $126.8 million project as complete for a second time, thus delaying the release of the remaining $5 million in state bonding on the project to the city.
“The things I saw are concerning,” Taylor told the board, adding it will be up to the school district’s meager facilities budget to correct issues that are not addressed.
On a tour of the 250,000 square foot plant with the facilities’ three principals, Taylor, who said he worked 30 years in construction before retiring, found areas on the roof that needed to be caulked, facade panels that don’t line up flush with the building and cracks in the roof’s rubberized membrane that he said could lead to mold and mildew damage.
-- Linda Conner Lambeck Anne Arundel school officials hope to make dent in $2.1 billion project backlog with state funds-- Capital Gazette Maryland: December 17, 2018 [ abstract] Jennifer Brienza said her daughter was a year old when Old Mill High School was listed as one of Anne Arundel County’s construction priorities.
She’s 14 now.
“It’s certainly Old Mill’s time to be fixed,” said Brienza, a leader behind the movement to fund Old Mill construction. “We’ve waited longer than anyone else to be fixed.”
Old Mill is among several schools awaiting large-scale construction projects, and a new stream of state funding could make a dent in the district’s $2.1 billion backlog of infrastructure projects, according to school officials.
construction-20181211-story.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(6, 73, 146);" target="_blank">Gov. Larry Hogan last week announced plans to inject an additional $1.9 billion in school construction projects. State officials hope to accommodate 30 percent more project funding requests, thanks to a new constitutional amendment that requires casino revenue be used for school funding.
It is unclear how much additional funding Anne Arundel County will receive; the state’s Interagency Commission on School construction will determine which requests can be fulfilled, said Shareese DeLeaver Churchill, a spokesperson for the governor.
-- Lauren Lumpkin Irresponsible. Union opposes AISD's plan to close 12 schools-- kxan Texas: December 17, 2018 [ abstract] AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin ISD's employee union called the proposal to close 12 schools in the next three years irresponsible during a school board meeting Monday.
"This is irresponsible is what this is, it must stop, we must do more," said Education Austin President Ken Zarifis. "I know that the district can do better."
Zarafis said teachers and staff feel left out of the process and don't believe cuts that impact the classroom is the best course of action.
District spokesperson Reyne Telles said the district can't afford to pay for full staffs at campuses, which in some cases have enrollment that's less than half of the maximum capacity.
"We've put out all the things that we think are feasible on the table for consideration, and we'll be taking a closer look at those things in the coming months," Telles said.
Frozen to Transfer Schools
Also Monday, Austin ISD announced the schools that will be frozen to transfers during the 2019-20 school year.
Considerations include enrollments that exceed capacity, construction and programming, such as dual language campuses, according to the district.
-- Tom Miller South Kitsap gets $1.23 million grant for STEM classroom upgrades-- Kitsap Sun Washington: December 17, 2018 [ abstract] SOUTH KITSAP — South Kitsap School District may not be getting a new high school, but it is getting a $1.23 million grant for renovation of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) classrooms at the existing South Kitsap High School.
Washington STEM and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction announced that South Kitsap was among seven districts in the state to receive awards from the STEM Capital Grants Program. The Legislature appropriated $10 million in construction funds to build or modernize STEM classrooms. Fifteen districts applied for the competitive grant.
The grant will allow South Kitsap to modernize and renovate nine STEM labs and six STEM/career and technical education classrooms.
The district in November passed a $21.7 million capital levy for school renovations but failed to pass a bond for a second high school. The grant will help stretch levy dollars by covering work that will allow the district to meet safety and ADA requirements, as well as graduation requirements for lab science credits.
-- Chris Henry Unprecedented rises in school construction force change in Kelso bond plan-- TDN.com Washington: December 17, 2018 [ abstract]
Kelso School officials are strongly recommending that the district eliminate one elementary school from its bond plan and build a bigger, three-story school in Lexington, despite community worries that 950 students is too many for one building.
The $98.6 million bond voters approved in February was earmarked to build new elementary schools at the district’s Wallace, Beacon Hill and Lexington sites. However, due to more than $20 million in anticipated cost overages, the district is considering building only two new schools and eliminating the Beacon Hill project.
“Market conditions and escalation are causing school districts to reconsider how they move forward with their bond projects,” Phil Iverson, regional project manager for the constructional Services Group, said at a school board work session Monday night. (Iverson is helping guide the district through the bond project.)
The most recent cost analysis for Wallace and Lexington came in about $14.4 million over budget. The majority of the overage — about $8.2 million — comes from unanticipated increases for labor and material costs.
Cost overruns for the Beacon Hill project were projected at $6 million.
“I think when we received that estimate, we were all surprised, to say the least,” Iverson said. “Pre-bond planning couldn’t predict the market. ... It’s just unprecedented, and there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight.”
Poor soil conditions at both sites will require deeper foundations, accounting for about $5 million in overruns, Iverson said. About $1.2 million in overruns for Wallace come from unanticipated street improvements required by the city, said Scott Westlund, finance director.
-- Mallory Gruben Are bonds best way to fund school construction?-- The News Virginian Virginia: December 16, 2018 [ abstract]
A Virginia Senate Subcommittee has recommended that a referendum be conducted in 2019 seeking approval to issue $4 billion of bonds for school construction. The study group mentioned schools in urban areas with leaking ceilings and rural schools so behind that only one electrical outlet may exist per classroom.
It is true many Virginia public schools are in need of replacement or significant renovation. It is also true that funding school construction is difficult for localities (think Waynesboro and Staunton high schools). But is one big splash to address today’s urgent needs the best way to proceed when considering how to keep up with the needs long term?
That some school systems have failed to meet student facility obligations is true but understanding why is important. Some of the lagging is due tremendous growth (Loudoun County) which has outpaced the ability to build. In these instances growing revenues and slowing growth will offer remedy.
Some areas have undergone such tremendous economic stress from basic societal and macro-economic changes — coal, tobacco, textiles — that recovery, if ever, is distant. These area, these students, will need help to succeed.
-- Tracy Pyles Fieldcrest school board still disagreeing over building repairs and needs-- NewsTribune Illinois: December 15, 2018 [ abstract] WENONA — Problems with four school buildings in three towns and disagreements about what to do with those buildings are not going away for the Fieldcrest School Board.
A month after a district-wide defeat of a referendum proposing a new middle school addition at Wenona and new high school at Minonk, school board members continued to disagree.
There still is not a consensus over the big picture — whether to close at least one building and construct a new grade 7-12 school building or to find ways to cut costs or repair the four buildings. Nor was there a consensus over a smaller, immediate concern.
Earlier this fall, board member Charles Lohr of Wenona balked at a proposal to abate all asbestos wrap around water pipes in a girls locker room at Wenona. Lohr, former mayor of Wenona, says the board received one quote for $25,000 for asbestos abatement and the fixing of the leak.
Just after Thanksgiving, Lohr says, he saw an acquaintance who was in town and who works for the district’s architectural firm and asked him to come with him into the building to look at the pipe. Lohr said the man, Rick Krischel, told him if the asbestos in a 3-foot area was abated and contained, then the pipe and safety work could be completed for about $2,500.
“I’ve never seen a $25,000 leak,” Lohr said.
-- Craig Sterrett Address school facilities-- The Telegraph New Hampshire: December 14, 2018 [ abstract] In an area as affluent as Greater Nashua, it is inexcusable to ask students to attend an antiquated school with “undulating” floors, inadequate plumbing and a lack of insulation.
In June, The Telegraph reported these conditions as some of those facing students and teachers at Elm Street Middle School.
The projected costs of upgrading the school to meet current standards is $50 million.
Now, city and school leaders are determining the best approach. Should they spend the $50 million to renovate Elm Street, or should they abandon it in favor of an entirely new structure?
Last week, Nashua Board of Aldermen member Rick Dowd announced the Joint Special School Building Committee (JSSBC) has officially selected a construction manager and an architect for the middle school project.
“We need to end up with a school that meets the educational challenges of a middle school going forward, as well as being mindful of cost,” Dowd said during a recent meeting.
“When we look at the cost of renovating Elm Street versus new, we’re not only looking at initial cost, but also 20 years from now. What is the difference in lifecycle cost between the two? It makes a huge difference because we anticipate that this school will be around for another 50 years, and the current school is 80 years old,” Dowd added.
-- Editorial Forest Hills School District sued for $2 million in Anderson High School renovation project-- The Enquirer Ohio: December 14, 2018 [ abstract] A company that did site preparation work for renovations at Anderson High School is suing the Forest Hills Board of Education and the former general contractor for more than $2 million in unpaid invoices.
J&D Rack Co. claims in a lawsuit filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court that Forest Hills is withholding money it owes Rack for change orders because the school board is over budget in its $103 million, districtwide building project.
Forest Hills’ failure to pay has forced Rack to lay off a third of its employees, Rack’s lawsuit says.
The Green Township company is airing more than its financial complaints.
“(Forest Hills) is mired in public scandals and, upon information and belief, substantially over budget in its $103 million district-wide construction project,” Rack says in its lawsuit.
The district has had a run of creating headlines dating back to 2015:
-- Jeanne Houck School construction and Kirwan funding not an either/or proposition-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: December 14, 2018 [ abstract] As a newly elected state senator who represents a Baltimore County legislative district in which there are two high schools that badly need replacing (Towson and Dulaney) and who also feels that the Kirwan Commission has identified important issues that need to be addressed legislatively, I was pretty astounded by The Baltimore Sun editorial, construction-20181212-story.html" style="font-family: Georgia, "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 18px; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(218, 165, 32);" target="_blank">“Hogan sets up a schools showdown” (Dec. 12).
Contrary to the central theme of the editorial, we do not need to make an “either/or” decision to either support capital spending to deal with decrepit schools or, alternatively, to improve the academic performance of our schools. Schools that are at the end of their useful lives need to be replaced, and at the same time, we need to follow the recommendations of the Kirwan Commission that will make Maryland a global leader in quality education. In the case of Dulaney High School in particular, it is irresponsible to posit that we need to choose between great academics or brown water.
The Sun seems to suggest that this is a partisan issue. I emphatically disagree. Gov. Larry Hogan wants to use some of the available funds to get moving right away on urgent school facility needs, but he has complimented the work of the Kirwan Commission ( construction-20181211-story.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(218, 165, 32);" target="_blank">“Hogan announces plan to spend $3.5 billion on Maryland school construction, balks at estimated Kirwan costs,” Dec. 11). As a Republican state senator, I intend to explore how rapidly and at what cost we can move forward to implement the proposed Kirwan Commission reforms. I know that many of my Democratic colleagues agree with this approach.
-- Opinion D.C.’s Development Boom Exacerbates Frustrations With First Source Law-- Washington City Paper District of Columbia: December 13, 2018 [ abstract] To repair the Castle on the Hill, Adrienne Smoot-Edwards’ construction company, Phoenix Restoration Group, needed $100,000 more just to put warm bodies in the room.
Phoenix, one of the few D.C.-based construction businesses fluent in historic preservation, was hired to help modernize the towering Cardozo Education Campus, perched north of Florida Avenue NW. The company employs 13 full-time people with collective decades of experience in historic preservation. They know how to handle 100-year-old glass, copy an old profile on a piece of wood, remove and restore historic locksets, and remove old finishes off of doors and windows without damaging the underlying wood.
But a roughly 30-year-old District law called First Source required Smoot-Edwards to hire additional workers—D.C. residents—for that project, work that in her estimation was physically unnecessary, given the breadth and sophistication of her team’s expertise. And hiring additional workers to comply with the law would cost an extra $100,000—money that, Smoot-Edwards says, “was not in the budget to hire people I don’t need.”
So the general contractor on the Cardozo modernization project, Smoot-Edwards says, extended Phoenix’s contract by $100,000, just so the company could say on paper that it used D.C. residents for construction work.
-- MORGAN BASKIN Harford school officials 'encouraged' by Hogan's plan to fund $3.5 billion in capital projects statewide-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: December 13, 2018 [ abstract] What portion of the Harford public school system’s funding request for capital projects will be fulfilled by the state hasn’t been determined, but school officials are “encouraged.”
Harford County Public Schools’ capital funding request for Fiscal Year 2020 is more than $74 million, most of which is sought from the county. About $12.1 million, however, is requested from the state for projects that include roof and HVAC replacements, according to school system budget documents.
Gov. Larry Hogan announced this week that he plans to fund $3.5 billion in school construction projects across the state, in part because of a new constitutional amendment that adds casino revenue to school funding.
Hogan said Tuesday he will submit legislation during the 2019 General Assembly session that would add $1.9 billion in new school construction projects over five years. That funding would be in addition to the $1.6 billion in public school construction funding included in the state’s five-year capital budget.
“We are encouraged by Governor Hogan’s announcement and look forward to receiving more information about the application, review, and approval process and how it could potentially benefit Harford County Public Schools,” Harford superintendent Dr. Sean Bulson said. “We will continue to utilize the Educational Facilities Master Plan, along with the Capital Improvement Program, to provide the Board of Education of Harford County with information as they evaluate future capital projects.”
-- Erika Butler NC lawmakers rejected a $2B bond for school building. Now they want to bring it back-- The News & Observer North Carolina: December 13, 2018 [ abstract] RALEIGH
When teachers protested by the thousands in Raleigh this summer, one of their demands was for voters to have the chance to approve additional state spending for education funding, like building new schools.
Republican leaders in the N.C. General Assembly shot that idea down at the time. But they appear to have now changed their minds, with House Speaker Tim Moore announcing his plans to support a $1.9 billion education bond next year. If it passes the legislature in 2019, it would be on the ballot in 2020 for voters to decide on.
“Education is what matters most to families and businesses — to the private and public sectors alike — and North Carolina is poised to build on historic commitments to our schools with another long-term investment in capital construction for our rapidly growing student population,” Moore said in a press release.
Most of the money would go toward building new schools, Moore said, while about $600 million would go to the state’s university and community college systems.
-- WILL DORAN STATE REJECTS PLAN FOR NEW PICKERING MIDDLE SCHOOL IN LYNN-- ItemLive.com Massachusetts: December 13, 2018 [ abstract] LYNN — School Committee members were scheduled to come up with an action plan for a potential new Pickering Middle School on Thursday night, but were instead unpleasantly surprised to learn that the state has turned down their proposal for a new school.
Mayor Thomas M. McGee, chairman of the School Committee, received a letter from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) on Wednesday, telling him the city has not been invited into the MSBA program to build a new Pickering in the wake of last year’s failed vote.
McGee shared the news with the School Committee and explained that although it wasn’t stated in the letter, the rejection was likely due to the city’s financial challenges.
The city had to exhaust a $14 million state loan to balance its budget for the past two years and is looking at a potential $5 million budget gap for next year. In addition, over a five-year period, the mayor said the city is looking at hundreds of millions of dollars of capital needs.
The city can submit another statement of interest to the MSBA, a quasi-independent government authority that helps fund the construction of school buildings, in its next round, from Jan. 4 to April 12, 2019.
“I think we’re all disappointed,” McGee said. “As we try to resolve what’s an ongoing financial crisis, a $5 million deficit looking at 2020, we are really trying to get our hands around that and address the ongoing operating challenges that we can hopefully find a solution to that and work as quickly as possible to get back in the mix.”
School Committee member Michael Satterwhite said if the city were to submit another statement, a big obstacle would be confirming that Lynn has the funds for another feasibility study for a new school building.
-- GAYLA CAWLEY Virginia governor plans $80 million for school construction, but experts say billions are needed-- The Virginian-Pilot Virginia: December 13, 2018 [ abstract] In the decade since Virginia last had money to help school districts with construction needs, localities have turned elsewhere to get projects done.
Virginia Beach sold bonds to finance replacing Great Neck Middle School. Isle of Wight County secured over $7 million in federal loans to tear down Windsor Middle School and replace it with Georgie D. Tyler Middle School.
But those and other now-completed projects still sit near the top of the state’s waiting list — a list frozen in time that may thaw if lawmakers approve a one-time allocation included in Gov. Ralph Northam’s next budget proposal.
Either the $80 million set aside by the governor for loans or a competing proposal from state Sen. Bill Stanley to offer up to $4 billion in bonds would end a decade without state support for school construction projects, an area where Virginia has lagged behind neighboring states.
The conversation alone is leaving educators hopeful and cautious of criticizing either plan, which the General Assembly will consider once it convenes in January. But the true level of need is probably closer to Stanley’s number, said Mary Filardo, the director of the 21st Century School Fund and a national advocate for improving school facilities.
“The $4 billion is really a reasonable proposal,” Filardo said. “The $80 million loan program is just really not.”
Before the recession, there was a school construction grant fund and a low-interest loan program — the one Northam proposes reviving — but funding sources dried up in 2009.
-- Sara Gregory and Jane Hammond Hogan announces $3.5B for Maryland school construction-- Herald-Mail Media Maryland: December 11, 2018 [ abstract]
ANNAPOLIS — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced plans Tuesday to create a $3.5 billion fund for school construction in the state over five years.
Much of the money will be available as the result of a constitutional amendment that Maryland voters approved last month. It requires the state’s portion of casino revenue set aside for education to be used to enhance spending on schools above current state funding formulas.
The rest already is in the state’s five-year Capital Improvement Program.
“I happen to believe very strongly that every single child in our state deserves access to a world-class education regardless of what neighborhood they happen to grow up in, and an important part of that is making sure that our students are educated in facilities that are modern, safe and efficient and which provide them with an environment that encourages growth,” Hogan said at a news conference at Highland Park Elementary School in Landover, Md.
“We want to make sure that schools have heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer, that they fully meet the 21st-century needs of Maryland students, teachers and taxpayers,” he said.
Last winter, a cold spell exposed the poor state of school buildings in many big-city districts, including Baltimore, where the failure of heating systems closed dozens of institutions due to frigid classrooms.
While the governor said progress was made in the state’s largest city as well as statewide in addressing school infrastructure concerns, he said his new proposal will be made in legislation next month to create a Building Opportunity Fund.
Hogan said the measure will dedicate about $2 billion from revenue resulting from the constitutional amendment with revenue bonds. That will be in addition to public-school construction funding now in the state’s five-year Capital Improvement Program.
“The state already has received $3.7 billion in funding requests, including requests for upgrades and repairs to some of our aging schools,” he said. “With this new Building Opportunity Fund, we will be able to fulfill nearly all of those local funding requests.”
-- Staff Writer OPRF admin pushes capital plan focused on students, classrooms-- Oakpark.com Illinois: December 11, 2018 [ abstract] Tuesday evening, the school board at Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 began discussing initial steps to implement portions of the Imagine OPRF master facilities plan. The board had recommendations from its administration on both construction priorities and ways to finance a first phase of work.
The construction recommendations focused on remaking classrooms, science labs, special ed spaces and student gathering spots. The finance proposal came with sternly expressed concerns that the district has to change the historic trajectory of its spending to avoid financial pitfalls and property tax spikes.
The Imagine OPRF plan, if fully executed, is projected to cost $219 million and could take up to a decade to fully implement. The initial discussion Tuesday took place after press time.
According to a memo drafted by D200 Supt. Joylynn Pruitt-Adams, among the administration's "initial recommended components" are an estimated $32.6 million worth of projects.
They include the renovation and/or construction of 76 general education classrooms, all-gender restrooms, three science labs and daycare facilities. Other components are the first-phase installation of a student commons area on the first, second and third floors; and the installation of an ADA-compliant elevator at the north end of the high school.
-- Michael Romain School Building Authority approves grants for school construction projects-- The Register-Herald West Virginia: December 10, 2018 [ abstract] Counties all over the state are set to receive funding from the state's School Building Authority to go towards construction projects at schools, including four counties in The Register Herald's Coverage area.
Before Monday's meeting, 27 counties had been competing for a part of $45.8 million. According to SBA's director of architecture Ben Ashley, the requests from all 27 counties added up to a total of $137 million.
Of the 27 counties that submitted requests, 19 counties are set to receive funding, including Fayette, Monroe, Nicholas and Summers counties.
The funding received from the SBA will be used in the following ways:
• Fayette County will receive $6,605,223 to use toward Phase II upgrades and renovations in Fayette County Schools. Local funds include $2 million, and the total projected cost of the projects is $15.2 million.
Fayette County originally requested $13.2 million for construction projects going on in the county, Ashley previously reported.
• Monroe County will receive $11 million toward a new Peterstown PreK-8 school. Local funds include $3.9 million, and the total projected cost of the projects is $24.2 million.
Monroe County had originally requested $21 million from the SBA, Ashley said.
-- Jordan Nelson School sales tax closer to Tazewell ballot reappearance after Washington approval-- Journal Star Illinois: December 10, 2018 [ abstract] WASHINGTON — The School Board for Washington Community High School threw its support Monday behind an effort by Tazewell County superintendents to place a 1 percent county school facilities sales tax on the April 2 ballot.
The same sales tax measure was narrowly defeated in November by a 51.5 percent to 48.5 percent margin.
School boards representing more than half of Tazewell County’s public school students must pass resolutions like the one passed unanimously Monday by the Washington high school board to get the sales tax back on the ballot in April.
The November defeat marked the third time Tazewell County voters rejected the sales tax, but defeats in 2009 and 2013 were by much larger margins.
“We feel we did a good job informing voters about the sales tax before the November election, but the communication wasn’t great everywhere. Everyone needs to have a structured message,” said Washington high school Superintendent Kyle Freeman.
Revenue generated by the sales tax can be used only for construction or renovation projects, or to pay off bonds for facilities work, which lowers property taxes.
-- Steve Stein Hopson to present proposal to close schools, build anew to shrink Shelby County Schools footprint-- Commercial Appeal Tennessee: December 08, 2018 [ abstract] Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson will present a proposal Tuesday to shrink the district's footprint, which could include closing dozens of schools over the next five years.
It will also include suggestions on building new schools to replace dilapidated facilities in under-invested neighborhoods across the city.
With a growing list of over $500 million in deferred maintenance projects and 17,000 open seats across the district, a need to downsize and replace facilities prompted Hopson to develop a long-term plan to address both issues.
The Shelby County Commission, the local funding body for SCS, has long requested such a plan. But what happens to the proposal after Hopson presents it is unknown, as his last day as superintendent is Jan. 8. The work to analyze the district's footprint and present a long-term plan is his last major project of his six-year tenure.
Board member Billy Orgel, chairman of the facilities committee, said he expects Hopson to present a combination of closures, new construction and rezoning.
"We're trying to be efficient with the use of our funds," Orgel said.
-- Jennifer Pignolet Renovate or build new? In some instances, new schools can be built for less than the cost to repair-- The Pueblo Chieftain Colorado: December 08, 2018 [ abstract] As revealed in great detail in a master plan and facilities assessment, the current state of the 30 schools that make up Pueblo City Schools (D60) is, at best, feeble.
Highlighted in a series of Pueblo Chieftain articles as well as two recent town hall forums, the plan/assessment crafted by MOA Architects points out structurally failing buildings with a total of $785 million in needed repairs, with a third deemed to be of a critical or urgent nature and required to keep schools operational.
Additionally, severely underutilized square footage throughout most of the schools is expected to increase in light of a trend of declining enrollment.
Of the district’s 30 permanent buildings, only one was built in the last 25 years. Five were constructed between 1993 and 1968 with 24, or 80 percent, built before 1968.
The crux of the report, as well as the information presented during the public forums, has centered around the hundreds of millions needed to bring the schools up to snuff. Although school closures and/or consolidation has been noted as a potential option, new school construction has, for the most part, not significantly figured into the conversation.
In light of the suggested $785 million in needed upgrades, as well as the nearly $600 million in total priority costs for the 14 district schools in the worst shape, an important question, voiced by more than one stakeholder during this process, emerges.
At what point does it become cheaper, and more fiscally responsible, to build new schools rather than rehabilitate 50-year-old, or older, structures?
-- Jon Pompia How Forrest County is keeping school children safer from tornadoes-- Hattiesburg American Mississippi: December 07, 2018 [ abstract] Three of 12 storm shelters located at Forrest County schools are expected to be completed within the first few months of 2019.
The Forrest County Board of Supervisors has been working since 2013 on several grants to fund shelters at a dozen schools in the county. Each will cost about $1 million, with school districts making a 10 percent match.
construction on a shelter at Dixie Attendance Center should be finished in February or March, while a shelter at Forrest County Agricultural High School could be ready for occupancy by April or May. A shelter at North Forrest High School should be done by early spring.
These are the first Forrest County school shelters, built with money from a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, to be nearing completion.
"It is one large room," said Elizabeth Bailey, Dixie Attendance Center principal. "There will be restrooms, an electric room, heating and air conditioning, and a huge fan to keep air circulating."
The shelter can hold 700-750 people — more than enough room for Dixie's 510 kindergarten through eighth-graders plus teachers and staff.
"Parents will no longer have to worry about their children being safe and secure at school during severe weather events," said President David Hogan.
The shelters will also be located at five schools in the Petal School District and four other schools in the Forrest County School District. They will be occupied during extreme wind events for about two hours at a time.
The schools are also allowed to use the rooms for other things like physical education classes or band and choir practice. But the rooms must maintain readiness in case of a weather event.
-- Ellen Ciurczak Perrysburg schools facing $38 million in renovations-- Sentinel-Tribune Ohio: December 07, 2018 [ abstract] PERRYSBURG — The possibility of renovations — as well as building new schools — is being discussed by the board of education.
The district is considering rapid growth in enrollment and limited capacity, organizers said during Wednesday’s planning session “Master Planning: Charting the Future of Perrysburg Schools.”
The board, along with representatives of the Collaborative Inc., Toledo, openly discussed capacity and quality of educational facilities.
Principal of the Collaborative Inc., Dave Sera, said that the company has spent nine months assessing the district’s educational facilities, with the exception of Hull Prairie Intermediate which recently opened last year.
Sera said that the building analysis shows that district would be looking at spending $51 million to bring its facilities up to the standards of the Ohio Facilities construction Commission.
-- Bri'on Whiteside State senators want to revise system for school facilities funding-- The Notebook Pennsylvania: December 06, 2018 [ abstract] “Our steps have cracks and holes in them. Once my teacher’s foot got stuck in a hole, and almost fell,” 4th grader Cheyenne Jacquet wrote in a letter to state legislators more than a year ago.
Cheyenne added that her school, Cassidy Elementary, a 94-year-old building in Overbrook, looks “unwelcoming and raggedy,” with portions of the leaky building closed off to students.
“Since I’m not yet an engineer, I can’t say how unsafe the school’s foundation is, but I know it needs work,” Cheyenne wrote. “Inside the school is a hot mess. Bathrooms are out of order, mice running rampant, windows and locks are broken. There are cracks and holes in the walls, broken lights, plaster falling from the ceiling and horrible leaks from the ceiling and pipes.
“The heating system is so old that children sit in their classrooms with their coats on freezing to death.”
The students at Cassidy, organized through a program run by the National Liberty Museum, hand-delivered their letters to state legislators in Harrisburg in 2017, seeking help in making their schools safe and modern.
In recent years, the state government has provided virtually no assistance to school districts with their infrastructure needs.
In 1973, the General Assembly approved a program called PlanCon, designed to reimburse a portion of construction and renovation costs incurred by school districts.
But in 2012, under the administration of Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, the state stopped funding it. That left already-underfunded districts like Philadelphia, with its aging inventory of buildings, even more desperate for dollars.
The District is replacing Cassidy, entirely at its own expense, because it is such an extreme case.
Because it doesn’t have nearly the funds it needs, the District is forced to employ triage: In other school buildings, students and teachers endure deteriorating, but somewhat less urgent, conditions because the District can’t afford to address them.
-- Greg Windle School bond projects approved for San Diego public schools-- KUSI News California: December 05, 2018 [ abstract] SAN DIEGO (KUSI)- The San Diego Unified School District is forging ahead with plans to update and modernize its schools. On Tuesday, the SDUSD school board formally approved project plans for Measure YY which was passed by voters last month.
To show reporters how the bond money will be spent, we were invited to tour a middle school in Clairemont. Innovations Middle School lives up to its name, in reflecting the latest innovations in school design. The school district’s top priority is to renovate and sometimes replace older school buildings that have exceeded their useful life.
On our tour, Lee Dulgeroff, the head of the district’s facilities, planning and construction department shows us a typical classroom which has the digital capabilities to support a student population
that does most of its learning through computers and other electronic devices.
“We have a fiber optic backbone that runs at 10 gigabits per second and a really robust wireless network. It’s costly to provide the backbone but we believe it’s an investment well made because it’s so integral to learning today,” Dulgeroff said.
On another part of the campus, we visit a technical education classroom, where students get hands-on experience with computer coding and making objects by using laser cutters and 3-D printers. A dirt lot outside the building is a work in progress.
-- Sasha Foo Task force narrows recommendations for improving school-construction funding-- Washington State Wire Washington: December 05, 2018 [ abstract] The Improving State Funding for School construction Joint Legislative Task Force held a meeting this morning, in which members discussed recommendations due to the legislature December 15. The task force, which was created in the 2017-19 capital budget, went on site tours in four school districts and held four meetings “to hear from school facilities and construction experts and stakeholders” between July and December of this year.
The task force landed on five key recommendations (on the blue pages of this document), based on task force members’ responses to a survey. The top five are as follows, in order of priority:
- “Address the needs of rural schools that cannot otherwise qualify for the School construction Assistance Program (SCAP).”
- “Adjust square footage per student allocation to reflect what is getting built (130 sq. ft. for elementary).”
- “Support K-3 class size.”
- “Consider credit for construction of schools used for other community services like early learning and health services.”
- “Pursue simple majority on school district bonds.”
-- SARA GENTZLER Legislature must lower hurdle for passing school bonds-- The Seattle Times Washington: December 04, 2018 [ abstract] For years, students in the Bethel School District have spilled out of school buildings and jammed into nearby portable classrooms. About 200 portables now house a quarter of the district’s student population, or about 5,500 kids.
Yet in November, the Pierce County district’s latest attempt to pass a school-construction bond failed once again — this time by the thinnest of margins, with support coming in at 59.22 percent.
Bethel’s failure to pass its fourth school construction bond in three years illustrates why the state Legislature needs to scrap the requirement that school construction bonds win at least 60 percent of the vote. This unreasonably high bar for passing school bonds dooms many important projects to failure, contributing to overflowing classrooms and schools in disrepair. This in turn affects the quality of education in dozens of districts across the state, as children can’t do their best learning inside crumbling, unsafe buildings, or when they’re packed in like sardines.
“All of our buildings are over capacity for what they were initially designed,” said Bethel Superintendent Tom Seigel, who said his district is growing by about 300 students per year.
-- Editorial Board Modular buildings put squeeze on Rapid City students-- Rapid City Journal South Dakota: December 02, 2018 [ abstract]
When Canyon Lake Elementary on the city's west side opened in September 1949, a short item in the newspaper noted what would turn out to be an ongoing trend.
"With first day registration completed at Canyon Lake elementary school, nearly 300 more pupils in lower grades are enrolled this fall than in 1948."
"Right away, they had to build an addition," Canyon Lake Elementary Principal David Swank said Thursday afternoon standing in the concrete yard in front of two annexes. "They were overcrowded."
A crowded school has remained a theme in the school's nearly 70-year existence. An addition came in 1953 and 20 years later — school officials aren't sure on the exact date — came the first of ultimately four annexes built on Canyon Lake School comprising both the "west" campus building and the old Kibben-Kuster school building, called "East Canyon Lake" by school officials.
Between the 1980s and the early 2000s, in fact, Rapid City's school district constructed 20 such annexes — modular buildings retrofitted with bulletin boards, desks and other classroom amenities — as a semi-permanent fix to a growing problem.
It's not a new problem either. The headline of that 1949 article — "New School Site Big Problem for Education Board."
-- Christopher Vondracek WW Public Schools receives state approval for alternative construction delivery method-- My Columbia Basin Washington: December 01, 2018 [ abstract] WALLA WALLA, Washington — On Thursday, Nov. 28, Washington State’s Project Review Committee (PRC) unanimously approved a request from Walla Walla Public Schools to utilize the General Contractor/construction Manager (GC/CM) delivery method for the Walla Walla High School bond-related capital improvements. Superintendent Wade Smith, accompanied by members of the district’s design and management team, presented plans to the independent committee as part of the approval process.
General Contractor/construction Manager (GC/CM), often referred to as a “collaborative delivery model,” permits the district to hire the general contractor early on in the design phase, capitalizing on their ability to participate and partner through the pre-construction and design programming, rather than bringing on the firm after the design work is complete. According to Smith, who has successfully implemented a similar delivery model in Oregon for many capital improvement projects, the benefits are many.
“This procurement method allows the district to be much more involved in the selection of the general contractor, permitting us the opportunity to interview prospective firms, take into consideration their location, their outreach and willingness to include smaller businesses/subcontractors in the work, and past performance on similar projects,” said Smith.
Walla Walla High School will be the first project to break ground in the recent voter-approved $65.6M replacement bond that passed at a remarkable 73%. Smith says the proposed Wa-Hi plans overwhelmingly support the alternative delivery model.
“A project that includes complex phasing, construction at an occupied campus, specialized preservation work, safety and security considerations, and tricky environmental site issues with Yellowhawk Creek bisecting the campus, the GC/CM model is well poised to ensure a successful project,” said Smith.
“This not only allows the general contractor to provide cost-saving suggestions and constructability services early on, it also permits them to be actively involved with staff, scheduling, and devising prudent safety plans well in advance of the construction process,” said Smith.
-- Walla Walla School District Boston school building plan raises questions, skepticism-- The Boston Globe Massachusetts: November 30, 2018 [ abstract] A lack of construction timelines. No firm decisions about where most new schools would go. And too few dollars to cover the costs of constructing or rebuilding a dozen schools.
Those concerns taken together make many Boston parents and advocates question whether the school system’s long-term school facilities proposal, outlined in a 166-page report released Wednesday night, will get completed in the specified 10 years — if at all.
“I’m disappointed there isn’t more detail,” said Kevin Murray, a member of the grass-roots parent group Quality Education for Every Student.
-- James Vaznis North Allegheny school board addresses capital improvement plan-- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pennsylvania: November 30, 2018 [ abstract] The North Allegheny school board on Nov. 7 discussed the 2019 capital improvement plan, which highlights $14 million in projects in addition to the planned expansion of Franklin Elementary School and the renovation of McKnight Elementary.
The board also held a state-mandated public hearing on the Franklin expansion, which has a maximum project cost of $33 million. That amounts to $1.4 million in average debt annually, and an impact of 0.241 mills in taxes.
No one presented evidence during the Franklin hearing other than the architect. One resident said he would email his questions to administrators instead of speaking.
Most of the projects in the 2019 capital improvement plan are maintenance and cosmetic work at the schools, such as repairing paving. The biggest plans are at the intermediate high school, including installing turf and lights on the baseball, football, softball and soccer fields, resurfacing the track and replacing or constructing dugouts for the baseball and softball fields.
“If it is in here, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be done,” said member Richard McClure, chairman of the board’s buildings and grounds committee.
-- SANDY TROZZO Hamden school board votes to close schools, but specifics uncertain-- New Haven Register Connecticut: November 29, 2018 [ abstract] HAMDEN — The Board of Education Thursday voted to close and repurpose the Shepherd Glen and Church Street elementary schools , choosing a path forward for reconfiguration of the district.
The board also voted to shift sixth-grade students to Hamden Middle School, petition the Legislative Council to allow the district to take over the current Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School building, and direct Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler to develop plans for intradistrict magnet and universal preschool programs.
The specifics of the plan are still undetermined, Chairman Chris Daur said.
He said renovation of the Alice Peck Learning Center is expected to begin in summer, shifting students there to Wintergreen, where the board intends to consolidate special education services.
They may be joined by students from West Woods Elementary, which the board intends to renovate in the imminent future. But state funding has not yet been secured for that effort, Daur said.
State funding also will need to be obtained to construct an addition to Hamden Middle School, which will allow the building to house sixth-grade students, Daur said. construction there, if all goes as expected, likely will begin in 2020, he said.
Then, in September 2021, Shepherd Glen and Church Street would close, town sixth-graders would make the leap to the middle school, and a firm plan for the redistricting of the town elementary schools, to incorporate Goeler’s plans for universal pre-K and magnet schools, would be implemented.
New attendance zones likely will be crafted in the next two to three years, board member Myron Hul said.
-- Ben Lambert Arlington County Board seems satisfied on school-construction audit-- Inside Nova Virginia: November 28, 2018 [ abstract] The two County Board members on the Arlington government’s audit committee appear to have come away satisfied with an audit on school-construction costs.
The remarks by John Vihstadt and Erik Gutshall come after the audit committee met on Nov. 20 with its school-system counterpart to review a consultant’s report on the cost to build county schools, which often are among the highest in the commonwealth.
While recommending some procedural changes, the consultant concluded that, given a number of specific-to-Arlington factors, construction costs for schools were not necessarily out of line with those in similar jurisdictions.
In briefing fellow board members, Vihstadt and Gutshall seemed to accept that view. It was “a very helpful study,” Vihstadt said.
Arlington is “a community with very limited [available] land,” said Vihstadt, agreeing with one reason the report gave for high building costs. Other complexities raised in the audit included an unusually high level of public engagement prior to adoption of development plans; the requirement that some school facilities (such as gyms and theaters) to be built to standards allowing them to serve the broader community; and a complex regulatory environment.
Vihstadt said the county government has been taking steps to lessen red-tape hurdles required to get to approval of a use permit allowing a school’s construction.
In separate remarks, Gutshall intimated that while having lengthy community conversations about the size, scope and amenities of school buildings could result in delays and higher costs, they remain important discussions to have.
The County Board and School Board are “fully appreciative of the role of community engagement,” he said.
-- SCOTT McCAFFREY Hawaii Aims To Quicken The Pace Of School Repairs-- Honolulu Civil Beat Hawaii: November 28, 2018 [ abstract] Repair and maintenance work at any one of the Hawaii Department of Education’s 256 aging school buildings is so commonplace, the budget for this work surpasses that of desired classroom upgrades, including facilities for new STEM labs.
The DOE has a whopping backlog of 3,800 repair projects statewide. But even with a budget of $274 million, it can’t get to those repairs quickly enough, with the appropriation/design/bid/construction cycle averaging a glacial seven years.
But under a new DOE initiative that leverages a new contract procurement process and database to track the pending backlog in real time, the DOE hopes to shorten those years to months, leading to much quicker fixes to sagging roofs or faulty ventilation systems.
“We’re making it much less cumbersome,” said Dann Carlson, assistant superintendent for school facilities and support services, during a presentation to community stakeholders at Impact Hub Honolulu on Tuesday morning.
-- Suevon Lee Weymouth middle school project aims for efficiency, resiliency-- The Patriot Ledger Massachusetts: November 28, 2018 [ abstract] WEYMOUTH — Planners say providing natural light, opportunities for students to be active and good air quality would make a new Chapman Middle School more efficient and create a better learning environment, all while saving the town money on the project.
Residents and town officials gathered Wednesday with staff from HMFH Architects for the second sustainability workshop for the proposed new Chapman Middle School. The group focused on ways to achieve the primary goals created in the first workshop, to make the building energy efficient and resilient, boost natural light and indoor air quality, and encourage an active lifestyle.
Weymouth is asking the Massachusetts School Building Authority to help pay for the construction of the building, which would house the district’s 1,470 students in grades six through eight, as part of a reorganization plan that town officials say is the best approach for addressing the aging middle school.
The authority’s board of directors voted last month to allow the school building committee to develop a detailed scope, budget and timeline for the project with the help of its project manager, Hill International, and designer, HMFH Architects.
The state provides incentives to increase the energy efficiency and sustainability for new construction. Districts that construct schools that exceed Massachusetts Energy base code by 20 percent receive additional reimbursement.
-- Jessica Trufant Construction on new elementary school in Merced County to start soon, officials say-- Merced Sun-Star California: November 26, 2018 [ abstract] School officials expect Los Banos to have a new elementary school ready by the start of school in 2020.
“Our elementary schools are bursting at the seams,” Los Banos Unified School District Board President Anthony Parreira said, adding officials are trying to get the new school built as soon as possible.
The new school is anticipated to cost around $25 million and will be funded by Measure X, passed by Los Banos voters in June, and district facility funds, Superintendent Mark Marshall said.
It is expected to be built at the corner of B Street and Place Road, right behind the old junior high school, Parreira said. The location and rough design of the school was purchased and approved years ago.
Last year, the school district needed to send updated school plans that complied with current facility standards to the state for re-approval.
The new school, which has yet to be named, will be built to accommodate 990 students from Kindergarten to sixth grade, Marshall said.
For years, Los Banos school officials have been sounding the alarm about the burgeoning student population and need for more schools and classrooms.
The school district finished construction last year on doubling the size of Mercey Springs Elementary School. The district also recently built Creekside Junior High School in 2016 and Pacheco High School opened in 2010.
-- VIKAAS SHANKER Here are the trends shaping Arizona school construction-- AZ Big Media Arizona: November 26, 2018 [ abstract] Nothing will ever take Arizona back to the great school construction boom of the early 2000s. From 1999 to 2007, the Arizona Schools Facilities Board, the organization that distributes funds for school districts to build new schools or make improvements to existing facilities, provided funding for 219 new schools. Then, as those in the commercial real estate world remember, the economy faltered and very little new building occurred. In fact, from 2008 to 2016, the ASFB provided funds for just three new schools.
Part of the problem is that the funding formula that the ASFB uses to determine how much money a new project will receive remained the same, while the cost of construction went up, leaving districts with a funding gap that they would have to fill through ballot measures. Up until the 2016 election, the vast majority of district bond measures that were on ballots across the state did not pass, meaning no new schools would be built.
“If a district qualifies, the Arizona School Facilities Board can provide some funding for new educational spaces,” said Barry Chasse, owner of Chasse Building Team, a company that is active in education construction. “However, their current funding formula is completely inadequate to build a new school…let alone a state-of-the-art school.”
The view towards school districts asking for more funds through the bond process changed sometime after 2015, as more and more districts dealt with higher student enrollments and no increases in funding from the state. In the 2016 election cycle, 43 out of 54 ballot measures that were put forth by districts seeking funding for facilities improvements or new schools passed. That was followed by a perfect 22-for-22 record in 2017 for districts seeking budget overrides or bond measures.
“Bond money is vital and completely necessary to build schools benefiting Arizona students,” added Chasse. “Districts are competing with private and charter schools for students. They have no choice but to ask their local communities to support bonds to allow the construction of new education facilities.”
-- STEVE BURKS Runoff from Camden school construction site results in state environmental orders-- Penobscot Bay Pilot Maine: November 26, 2018 [ abstract] CAMDEN — Sediment runoff into the Megunticook River from the construction site of the new middle school on Knowlton Street in Camden has resulted in a list of directives from the Maine Department Environmental Protection issued Nov. 20 to its project contact, including the contractor and architect.
The DEP ordered them to immediately stabilize the construction site, submit photos of that work by Nov. 21, and submit an action plan to the DEP.
The issue came to the DEP’s attention after the town consulted with the state’s environmental agency earlier in November. Camden Planning and Development Director Jeremy Martin said Nov. 20 that earthworks at the construction site had resulted in clay soil to migrate down the banks into the river.
On Tuesday, Nov. 27, Martin, along contractors and the DEP, will meet at the site to assess and work toward a resolution.
Martin said the disruption of the soil at the site where construction of the 84,000-square-foot new school has partially begun, and where demolition of the old school continues, has resulted in discharge into the river. Heavy rainstorms did not help, and efforts to clean the berms around the site has been underway, but not to the necessary extent.
-- Lynda Clancy Enfield council establishes building committee for $84M renovation of JFK Middle School-- Journal Inquirer Connecticut: November 23, 2018 [ abstract]
ENFIELD — The Town Council unanimously established a building committee for the reconstruction and renovation of John F. Kennedy Middle School at its regular meeting Monday night.
Voters approved an $84.37 million referendum question on Nov. 6 to renovate the middle school after a similar proposal failed last year when the project cost around $10.6 million more.
The measure to renovate the school was approved in a vote of 9,778 to 8,050, a margin of 1,728.
The committee is tasked with preparing schematic drawings and outlining specifications for the project, contracting with contractors to work on the project, approving design and construction expenditures, and overseeing the construction and successful completion of the project.
Town Manager Christopher Bromson said the committee would use the same timeframe as the Enfield High School Building Committee. He said the Enfield High School Building Committee is an example of the right way to do it, and it should serve as a model for how the council should proceed.
The Enfield High School Building Committee was established for the recently completed multi-phase $103 million renovation of Enfield High School. The new high school has 113 classrooms and several new additions, including the four story, 51-room Enrico Fermi Wing, cafeteria, auditorium, school store, formal career center, conference spaces, and an outdoor patio café.
-- Jessica Lerner State’s share of a new Bassick called into question-- ctpost Connecticut: November 22, 2018 [ abstract] BRIDGEPORT — The state office of School construction Grants authorized the city to proceed with a brand new Bassick High School but not at the 78.9 percent reimbursement rate the school board was told would be chipped in.
Kosta Diamantis, director of the office, said this week that the reimbursement rate on a brand new Bassick would be roughly 69 percent, requiring the city to bond for the rest.
The difference could mean the city must bond $36 million rather than $24 million on the projected $115 million project.
Even so, Diamantis said the city stands to break even or do better on the project price tag in the long run because there would be less costly environmental clean up and maintenance moving forward.
“There would be more things reimbursable in a brand new school than in a renovation,” Diamantis said. “The difference in maintaining a new school versus a school that is old would more than make up that 10 percent.”
Diamantis said he was sold on a new versus renovated or a blend of old and new, after meeting with project architects and city building officials.
The state official said he also plans to visit the school on Monday to set his mind at ease about the historic nature of the 1929 portion of Bassick.
-- Linda Conner Lambeck Albia school improvements come with a hefty price tag-- Albia Newspaper Iowa: November 21, 2018 [ abstract] Estes construction ICAT (Iowa construction Advocate Team) was hired by the Albia Community School Board to study facility improvement needs at the high school and junior high, Lincoln Center, Mick Technology Building and the Monroe County Sports Complex.
Their job was to identify short and longer term needs and provide information to the board to help produce a District Facility Master Plan. The assessment made of the buildings was a visual, non-destructive inspection, identifying existing conditions and providing an estimate of probable costs to perform the necessary maintenance, repairs or renovations required to bring the current conditions into compliance with building codes, quality, comfort, improved learning environment, aesthetics and accessibility requirements for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The report is intended to be used as a planning tool for the school district to use in short and long-term facility goals.
At first glance of the report, the costs are eye-popping, particularly in terms of the work already done in the district using mostly S.I.L.O. (School Infrastructure Local Opetion) penny sales tax. Those major projects included the remodeling and addition to Grant School, remodeling of Kendall School, construction of the new track and soccer field, building the MAC wrestling facility, air conditioning at Lincoln Center, addition of the new high school cafeteria and improvements done to the football field.
-- Staff Author Baltimore County school system starts new process for Johnnycake Elementary overcrowding relief-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: November 21, 2018 [ abstract] About seven months after announcing a plan to parents at Johnnycake Elementary School to reduce overcrowding at the aging building, Baltimore County Public Schools has set in motion a new, largely different plan.
Unlike an earlier proposal that would have shifted boundaries of about a half-dozen schools, including Johnnycake, when a new Chadwick Elementary School in Woodlawn opens in 2020, the new plan, detailed in a construction/JohnnycakeES/EdHeightsJohnnycakeLetters.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(218, 165, 32);" target="_blank">letter to parents dated Nov. 5, calls for boundary changes between Johnnycake Elementary School and Edmondson Heights Elementary School. Some parents and officials said they were surprised by the surfacing of a new plan.
-- Cody Boteler A mass grave " and chilling secrets from the Jim Crow era " may halt construction of a school in Texas-- The Washington Post Texas: November 19, 2018 [ abstract] It was once known as the Hellhole on the Brazos — a notorious network of sugar cane plantations and prison camps where former slaves worked and died.
A tract near Houston, in what is now known as Sugar Land, became a graveyard for many of those people; it was unmarked, untouched and unconfirmed for decades.
It wasn’t until this year that the remains of 95 likely prisoners were unearthed in the old Hellhole on the Brazos, after the Fort Bend Independent School District had broken ground there for a new school.
On Monday, a judge ordered the school district to halt construction and ruled that the human remains should remain at the site pending an investigation, including DNA testing to identify them, construction-site-will-not-be-movedfor-now" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 19.76px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(44, 108, 180); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(213, 213, 213);" target="_blank">according to NBC affiliate KPRC.
“This find is very different from any other,” Fort Bend County District Judge James Shoemake said, according to KPRC. “We have a history that’s different. I want some more effort. This is important stuff. Families and communities are affected by this. You came here for permission [to build]; I’m not going to give you permission.”
-- Meagan Flynn and Lindsey Bever Jasper County schools get sales tax boost-- Effingham Daily News Illinois: November 19, 2018 [ abstract] NEWTON — The Jasper County School District will get some financial help from those making purchases in the county with a new 1 percent sales tax approved Nov. 6.
Known as the 1 Cent County School Facilities Sales Tax, Jasper County voters said yes to the tax earlier this month, with nearly 63 percent in favor of it. It is estimated the sales tax could potentially generate about $800,000 for the district to help finance school renovations and construction.
The uses of the sales tax are for new facilities, additions and renovations, technology infrastructure, architectural work, fire prevention and life-safety work, land acquisition, energy efficiency, parking lots, demolition and roof repairs.
The dollars cannot be applied to direct instructional costs, textbooks, buses, furniture and fixtures that are movable, operating costs and salaries.
Jasper County Superintendent Andrew Johnson said the passage allows the school district to fund school facility needs without relying solely on property taxes. Approximately 30 percent of the revenue will come from residents outside of the county, which is a similar breakdown of the school facilities tax that passed in Richland County in March, Johnson said.
The sales tax does not apply to anything not currently taxed, such as groceries and unprepared food, medications, farm equipment, mobile homes, vehicles, boats and RVs.
Jasper County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Natalie Hopson said many businesses supported the tax.
-- Dawn Schabbing Richmond to break ground on 3 new schools: ‘We are all investing in our children’-- CBS 6 Virginia: November 19, 2018 [ abstract] RICHMOND, Va. – Richmond Public Schools will break ground on three new schools on December 19.
The groundbreaking comes after Richmond City Council passed a meals tax increase to fund the renovation and replacement of crumbling Richmond school facilities.
The meals tax increase will reportedly generate $9.1 million in new funding per year. With that added tax revenue, Richmond could expand its debt capacity to borrow up to $150 million to fund new school construction over the next five years.
The meals tax, proposed by Mayor Levar Stoney, will fund the replacement of George Mason Elementary School, E.S.H. Greene Elementary School, and Elkhart-Thompson Middle School.
The December 19 groundbreakings will mark the formal beginning of construction for the new schools.
“This is another significant step in our progress to invest in the future of our public school students and get them the state-of-the-art schools with the modern learning environments they deserve,” said Mayor Stoney. “We value our students and will continue to fight to provide them with the resources they need to succeed, both inside and outside the classroom.”
-- VERNON FREEMAN JR Higher ground for Quileute Tribal School in La Push-- Penisula Daily News Washington: November 18, 2018 [ abstract] LA PUSH — All was quiet in a misty clearing surrounded by a coastal forest near La Push on Tuesday.
Three years from now, the empty land on the southern end of the Quileute Reservation will be teeming with children playing and learning in a state-of-the-art school campus.
The Quileute Tribe is ramping up efforts to move students from the existing Quileute Tribal School, which is in the tsunami zone, to a recently-harvested, 278-acre tract on higher ground.
construction of the new school is expected to begin as early as next summer, project manager Susan Devine said.
“I think the most important thing is kids should be safe from tsunamis,” Mark Jacobson, Quileute Tribal School superintendent, said during a School Board meeting on Tuesday in his office overlooking the surf.
“That’s the No. 1 concern.”
The Quileute Tribe’s long-awaited Move to Higher Ground project received a shot in the arm with the Sept. 25 announcement of a $44.1 million federal grant for school design and construction.
-- Rob Ollikainen Center Grove approves $45 million expansion, renovation project-- Daily Journal Indiana: November 16, 2018 [ abstract] Center Grove Schools has said OK to a $45 million project that will transform the district’s high school, adding an Olympic-sized swimming pool and new and expanded classrooms for the next generation of students.
With the approval, the board will move forward with the process, with construction slated to begin in the spring. The district has not said when the work will be complete.
The $45 million in bonds will be paid back by the district over the next 20 years and will not cause an increase in property taxes, as Center Grove has paid back some of its other outstanding bond debt. Taxes could go down, however, if this or other projects weren’t added.
About 10 people spoke at the school board meeting on Thursday night in support of the project. The comments ranged from the need for new classrooms and improved learning environments to the current inconveniences and even danger of a smaller and more crowded pool. High School Swimming Coach Jim Todd discussed the importance of the new pool for not only athletes, but for the student body as a whole.
-- Staff Author Idaho trustees reject West Ada bond payment resolution-- Meridian Press Idaho: November 16, 2018 [ abstract] BOISE — Taxpayers in Idaho won’t have a break from bond payments anytime soon.
The Idaho School Boards Association voted to deny a resolution from the West Ada School District that, if voted into law at the Legislature, would have required the state to pay for half the cost of school facility bonds.
The resolution got 3,185 yes votes and 5,325 no votes from the open caucus of trustees from across Idaho present at the ISBA Annual Conference on Friday.
The caucus did, however, support a resolution asking the Legislature to reduce the two-thirds majority needed to pass bonds for school construction.
Resolutions that get a passing vote from ISBA can use the association as a legislative platform. ISBA staff make those resolutions their top priorities in the upcoming legislative session, said Quinn Perry, policy and government affairs director for the association.
Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, said he is in favor of looking at solutions for paying for school construction, but he wasn’t sure West Ada's proposal was the right approach.
“It’s a pretty big issue in the state and something we need to spend time on,” said Winder, noting that this issue was important across the state, not just in quickly growing school districts like West Ada.
In September the ISBA executive board voted to not endorse West Ada’s proposal. Perry said the wording of the proposal was confusing and “the concept made the board nervous” because it would be using general fund dollars.
-- Patty Bowen Amazon’s Arrival Could Strain Queens Schools-- The Wall Street Journal New York: November 15, 2018 [ abstract]
Parents worry Amazon.com Inc.’s arrival in Long Island City will strain Queens schools that are already bursting, but also hope the company will bring students new opportunities for training and tech jobs.
Enrollment has surged in swaths of Queens and parents say the city’s Department of Education hasn’t added classrooms quickly enough to meet demand. The borough has some of the city’s most crowded schools. A spring report by the School construction Authority said schools in Queens, with about 285,000 children, were packed..
-- Leslie Brody New 5-year plan gives Williamson County School Board sticker shock-- Tennessean Tennessee: November 15, 2018 [ abstract] The longer Williamson County waits to fund sorely needed new schools, the more they'll cost to build.
Williamson County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney made that point during a school board work session on Thursday as some board members expressed sticker shock while reviewing the district's newest five year capital plan.
Between now and 2024, the district will need over $543 million to fund capital projects, including new school buildings and renovations to existing schools.
That's a considerable hike from the board's 2017-18 five-year plan, which outlined a need for $427 million.
"When we first did the 10-year plan, the total we said we needed for construction was a half-billion dollars," said board member Rick Wimberly. "It seems like the five-year plan wouldn't be as high as the 10-year plan. What am I missing?"
Looney said the district's 10-year plan called for the majority of construction to be done in the first six years.
Several new schools in the works have also been postponed in recent years as the district struggles with funding to help accommodate its population, Looney said. The district, already serving 40,000 students, expects to see its population increase by 20,000 more over the next decade.
-- Elaina Sauber Parents, civil rights leaders want school closures delayed-- Boston Globe Massachusetts: November 14, 2018 [ abstract] Nearly a dozen organizations led by parents, civil rights leaders, and educators called on Mayor Martin J. Walsh and school officials Wednesday to halt all school closures and major construction projects until they develop a comprehensive districtwide facilities plan.
Many of the organizations, including the NAACP, are disappointed the city’s much-anticipated proposal last month to overhaul school facilities included plans only for certain schools or neighborhoods, instead of providing a school-by-school rundown of construction needs and estimated costs.
“As a city of neighborhoods, Boston must make long-term decisions that address the city as a whole, and in a comprehensive way,” the groups wrote in a letter they planned to present to the School Committee. “In light of years of distrust in our schools, it is also especially important that meaningful stakeholder involvement be at the core of any plan.”
The School Committee is expected to vote on some aspects of the proposal, known as BuildBPS, next month. The proposal would build or extensively renovate a dozen schools and phase out middle schools, which would reshuffle students across the city as the middle grades are absorbed by elementary, K-8, and high schools.
-- James Vaznis School board considering land options for school construction-- Citizen Tribune Tennessee: November 14, 2018 [ abstract]
Dr. Jeff Perry, Hamblen County school superintendent, told the school board Tuesday night the administration is looking at another option as it continues trying to figure out how to move students while also doing construction on existing schools.
“We are looking for additional land,” Perry said.
The additional land the school system is looking for lies within the Lincoln Elementary and Middle schools district, he said. The move comes a month after Perry talked about building a new facility next to Fairview-Marguerite Elementary School and using it as a staging area to house students while schools with open classrooms are renovated.
Perry said that option is still on the table, but another option could be finding land within the district and, depending on the size of the land, build either a one story or two-story school on that property. He told the board that if a land parcel was too small for a one-story building then a two-story permanent middle school could be built for Lincoln Middle School.
Because of state regulations, a two-story building could not house elementary students.
-- Cliff Hightower Groton superintendent: Building new elementary schools would be more cost-efficient-- The Day Connecticut: November 12, 2018 [ abstract] Groton — New elementary school buildings would provide greater value to the community, with no increase in the price of the school plan approved two years ago, according to schools Superintendent Michael Graner.
At a referendum slated for next month, voters will decide whether or not to approve a revision to the Groton 2020 plan to instead build two elementary schools, rather than convert the town's two middle schools into elementary schools. Graner, meanwhile, said in a recent interview that building new schools is the more cost-efficient option.
Two years ago, Groton voters approved a $184.5 million proposal to build one new consolidated middle school on the former Merritt Farm property next to Fitch High School and renovate the existing middle schools into two elementary schools. After the town notified the state Department of Administrative Services School construction Grants and Review of the outcome of the vote, DAS officially approved the school plan in a letter and confirmed the state’s commitment to pay $100 million of the $184.5 million project, Graner said. The Permanent School Building Committee then began work to design the schools.
But DAS later notified the town that its guidelines had changed, opening up the possibility for a new plan for the elementary schools, he said. If school officials could prove it was more cost efficient to build new schools than to do renovations, DAS would consider approving the same funding. Architects, the Permanent School Building Committee and school officials met last summer with DAS officials in Hartford to discuss the cost estimates of renovating the two schools compared to the cost of building new schools.
“It turns out that building new was more cost-efficient,” Graner said.
-- Kimberly Drelich Bonsall High School plans in limbo with bond failure-- The San Diego Union-Tribune California: November 10, 2018 [ abstract] The defeat of Bonsall Unified School District’s $38 million school bond initiative dealt a crippling blow to plans for a new high school in the rural, North County community.
Measure EE, which would have funded construction of a campus for Bonsall High School, failed by nearly 18 percentage points, with just 41.02 percent of voters in favor, compared to 58.98 percent opposed.
This is the second go-around for that proposal; a similar, $58 million measure on the 2016 ballot was defeated by a much narrower margin of 49.37 percent to 50.63 percent. Earlier efforts to build a school at the site also fell short.
The losing bond bid leaves the district scrambling for alternatives to construct a campus that would serve future high school students as the community grows. Given the two-time defeat, the district will have to evaluate its options, with the help of outside experts and incoming school board members, said Superintendent David Jones.
“The wisest thing for me to do is to bring in facilities experts and financial experts from the county, from our own staff, from the board of trustees,” Jones said. “To open up our minds and ask ourselves what is a good option for our high schools students. It’s going to take a team effort and a group of people to begin planning.”
Opposition to the bond centered on the proposed school site, at Gird Road, off State Route 76. Residents of that neighborhood have fought the project, saying it would worsen traffic and pose safety and environmental problems.
-- Deborah Sullivan Brennan Kelso considering eliminating one school from bond plan-- TDN.com Washington: November 10, 2018 [ abstract]
Rising projected costs are prompting the Kelso School District to consider eliminating one of three new elementary schools it had planned to build with the $98.6 million bond voters approved in February.
Instead, the district may build one larger school at the Lexington site and rebuild Wallace Elementary while abandoning plans to rebuild Beacon Hill Elementary, district officials announced Friday.
Superintendent Mary Beth Tack and Scott Westland, the district’s finance director, said the public will be involved in the discussion on how to proceed, and Westlund said it would take about two months to make a decision.
Initial bond plans called for rebuilding Wallace and Beacon Hill elementaries and constructing a brand-new school on a 10-acre parcel of land in Lexington. If the Beacon Hill project is abandoned, the Lexington school would be built to handle up to 950 students, up from 650 as originally envisioned. Beacon Hill students would be sent there, but there would be some attendance boundary changes.
The district unveiled initial drawings for the Wallace and Lexington elementary schools two weeks ago. construction was scheduled to be complete by fall 2020.
However, along with increases in labor and material costs, geological tests for the Wallace and Lexington sites have shown a need for more robust foundations, driving up the costs for all three schools by a total of about $20 million, Westlund said.
-- Andre Stepankowsky Ohio Bill Could Direct School Funding Toward Air Conditioning-- the News Ohio: November 09, 2018 [ abstract] Columbus, Ohio — Ohio would be required to study which of its schools have air conditioning under a state lawmaker’s proposal to put school construction funding specifically toward meeting standards for climate control, among other school infrastructure improvements.
HB 738, introduced Oct. 4 by Rep. Niraj Antani (R-Miamisburg), requires the Ohio Facilities construction Commission (OFCC) and the Department of Education (ODE) to study the status of school buildings regarding air conditioning, accessibility, and school safety. The bill also requires that once the study is completed, 25 percent of future school construction money be dedicated to air conditioning, disability accessibility, and safety.
The state lacks data on how many Ohio schools have air conditioning or how much it would cost to air condition school buildings in Ohio that do not already have it. Earlier this school year, a heat wave caused multiple Ohio schools to close or send students home early, sparking debate on social media from educators and parents over whether climate control is necessary for a good learning environment.
-- Staff Author A Closer Look at MCPS Superintendent’s Proposed Fiscal 2020 Capital Budget, CIP Amendments-- Bethesda Magazine Maryland: November 08, 2018 [ abstract] The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) superintendent recently rolled out his capital budget for fiscal 2020 and amendments to the capital improvements plan (CIP) for fiscal years 2019-2024 that aim to tackle intensifying overcrowding problems in county schools, including the possibility of reopening Woodward High School.
Shaped by the pressures of an ever-increasing student population and the need for upgrades at aging facilities, Superintendent Jack Smith’s proposal includes options for reopening Woodward High School in Rockville for use by 2025, as well as a capacity study for all elementary schools in the Walter Johnson (WJ) and Bethesda-Chevy Chase (B-CC) clusters to address overcrowding.
The options include nearby Northwood High School, which is slated to undergo an expansion to help ease overcrowding. The two approaches for the project include phased construction with students remaining on-site or using Woodward High School as a holding school for Northwood for two years, beginning in September 2023.
The first option would require the use of approximately 50 relocatable classrooms and construction could cause disruptions to student learning, MCPS staff says. Doing construction while students remain in the school limits potential design options and would increase the project’s cost.
-- CAITLYNN PEETZ Most California school construction bonds, parcel taxes pass-- Edsource.org California: November 08, 2018 [ abstract] Besides voting for a new state superintendent of public instruction, voters in dozens of school districts in California on Tuesday decided whether to borrow money for school construction projects and tax themselves.
With all precincts reporting but not all ballots counted, voters passed school construction bond measures in 89 of 112 K-12 and community college districts. And they passed parcel taxes in eight of the 13 school districts that had placed them on the ballot to create new sources of revenue or to extend existing parcel taxes.
Michael Coleman, the creator of the online California Local Government Finance Almanac and principal fiscal policy adviser to the League of California Cities, reported the results on Wednesday (see pages 17-21).
Voters tentatively approved both the school bonds and new taxes at about the same rates as in the past. They have historically passed 84 percent of school bonds requiring a 55 percent majority, according to Coleman. The tentative passage rate on Tuesday is 81 percent.
On school taxes, voters have historically passed 56 percent of the parcel taxes, according to Coleman. The tentative passage rate of 8 out of 13 on Tuesday would be 61 percent.
-- JOHN FENSTERWALD Percentage of state money invested into building new Valley schools varies-- WKBN 27 Ohio: November 08, 2018 [ abstract] (WKBN) - Over the past 20 years, many of the school systems around Youngstown have new buildings, thanks to money from the Ohio Facilities construction Commission.
The start of the statewide effort to build new schools in Ohio began in 1997 with what was then called the Ohio School Facilities Commission.
Of the 48 school systems in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties eligible for the money, 31 -- or 65 percent -- of the systems have used it. They range from a low of $12.3 million in the Springfield Local School District to a high of $190 million in the Youngstown City School District.
The total amount invested in the 31 districts -- state and local money combined -- is $1.168 billion.
On a Friday morning last month, Joe Traina, the Wellsville Schools buildings and grounds supervisor, led me into lunch at Wellsville High School. The building was the second in Ohio to open using state money dedicated for new schools.
Twenty years ago, construction of the sand-colored brick building with a red metal roof, combined with renovations of the old high school, cost $13.5 million. The Ohio School Facilities Commission paid 87 percent of that.
"I think it's in great shape. We have very, very few problems with this building," Traina said.
"It enabled this district, which is a low-wealth district, to build a great facility...for ten percent of the actual cost," said Wellsville Superintendent Richard Bereschik.
Wellsville High School has a traditional feel -- hallways with metal lockers that lead into classrooms. When it was built, whiteboards replacing chalkboards was considered high-tech.
-- Stan Boney $20.6 Billion of Bond Sales Backed by Voters in Midterm Election-- Fortune National: November 07, 2018 [ abstract] Voters across the U.S. were backing at least $20.6 billion of bond sales to support school construction and infrastructure upgrades including road and bridge repairs, led by multi-billion-dollar measures in California. Results are still pending on hundreds of state and local measures.
The nationwide election brought about $76.3 billion of bond referendums from California to Maine, the most in an election since 2006, according to data from market research company Ipreo by IHS Markit. It signals an increasing willingness by states and local governments to borrow for needed public works while they reap the financial gains from the nearly decade-long economic expansion.
The debt sales would finance infrastructure projects and housing programs in California, school construction in Texas and North Carolina, and affordable housing in Oregon, where rising home prices have been a strain on many residents.
-- Bloomberg Writer Denied zoning approval, Ohio district moves forward with high school construction-- American School & University Ohio: November 07, 2018 [ abstract] A local zoning board has denied approval of plans for a new high school, but the Licking Heights (Ohio) district says it will use a legal exemption to begin construction this week,
The Columbus Dispatch reports that Licking Heights officials are moving forward with the project because it is already two months behind schedule and they didn't want to risk further delays.
Related: Judge says Illinois district violated zoning laws by building bleachers without approval
The district’s wants to build a 259,000-square-foot high school on land it owns inPataskala, Ohio, but in September, the city's zoning board denied the district’s request to rezone the land from agricultural to school use by a 3-1 vote
The zoning board cited traffic and infrastructure concerns, among other issues.
The district has appealed the decision, and that is still pending.
School officials also have tried without success to reach a settlement with city council.
Instead, they’ll use an exemption established in a 1980 Ohio Supreme Court case, which states that political subdivisions, including school districts, have no obligation to comply with local zoning procedures, as long as they make “reasonable efforts” to comply with local zoning restrictions.
The district already has conducted four traffic studies and will put some recommendations into place, Licking Heights superintendent Philip Wagner says.
-- Mike Kennedy RI begins rebuilding schools after voters approve $250 million repair bond-- WPRI.com Rhode Island: November 07, 2018 [ abstract] PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- It looks like Gov. Gina Raimondo's vision of saving local schools will finally come to fruition.
Rhode Islanders approved a $250 million school repair bond which would not only renovate existing school buildings, but also fund the construction of new ones.
"This is a big first step in what will be a multi-year process to get these buildings back into good shape," General Treasurer Seth Magaziner, who led a task force aimed at rebuilding schools across the state, said.
The money will be distributed to cities and towns to help fund any repairs needed to their school buildings. With the passage of the bond, voters also approved building a new high school in East Providence.
"They so desperately deserve a new high school based on the condition of the old high school," East Providence Superintendent Kathryn Crowley said.
Eyewitness News took a tour of East Providence High School in December 2017, where the Rhode Island School Building Task Force detailed the crumbling infrastructure of the building, which was built in 1952.
-- Sarah Doiron and Steve Nielsen CMS could change the boundaries around these suburban schools-- Charlotte Observer North Carolina: November 06, 2018 [ abstract] The public will learn Wednesday how many schools and students would be affected if the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board pursues plans to redraw boundaries in response to a state law allowing four suburban towns to create charter schools.
In an August resolution titled “The Municipal Concerns Act of 2018,” the board ordered Superintendent Clayton Wilcox to do a “feasibility report” on changing boundaries to relieve crowding and assign all students who live Matthews, Mint Hill and Huntersville to schools within those towns.
The board will not vote on any changes Wednesday. Instead, the superintendent’s report will go to a new advisory panel with representatives from CMS, the city of Charlotte and all six suburban towns, scheduled to hold its first meeting Dec. 4.
School board leaders say their resolution, which also includes low priority for future school construction in Matthews, Mint Hill, Huntersville and Cornelius, is a response to House Bill 514. That bill was introduced by state Rep. Bill Brawley, a Matthews Republican, and approved by the General Assembly in June. It allows those four towns to spend municipal tax money on charter schools that could offer priority seating to town residents.
-- ANN DOSS HELMS Wake County voters pass $1.1 billion in school construction and park bonds-- The News & Observer North Carolina: November 06, 2018 [ abstract] Wake County voters overwhelmingly gave their blessing Tuesday to borrowing more than $1 billion in bonds to pay for school construction projects and new parks, based on complete but unofficial election results.
Around two-thirds of voters (66.7 percent) backed a referendum to borrow $548 million for Wake County school system construction projects, with all 204 precincts reporting. Those returns also showed 65 percent backing borrowing $349.1 million for Wake Technical Community College projects and 68 percent supporting borrowing $120 million for parks, open space and recreation construction.
“By passing the bond we were asking voters to think of the cheapest way to pay for our schools,” Wake school board chairwoman Monika Johnson-Hostler said Tuesday evening. “That’s the success of this campaign. Both the Wake Commissioners and the school board went into this together.”
Approval of all three bonds will raise the county’s property tax rate by 3.8 cents. That would be an increase of $114 on the property tax bill of a $300,000 home in Wake County.
-- T. KEUNG HUI, ANNA JOHNSON AND JOE JOHNSON Parents demand a public school at proposed Glendale shelter site, and ADA accessibility districtwide-- QNS.com New York: November 05, 2018 [ abstract] Community Education Council 24 is asking for big improvements to schools in the southwestern Queens district by issuing a set of resolutions to build a new school at a proposed homeless shelter site in Glendale, and requests that all of the district’s schools comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Demand for the 78-16 Cooper Ave. site not only goes along with work from City Councilman Robert Holden, but leaders from CEC 24 want the possible facility in review by the School construction Authority to act as a release valve for overcrowding, according to the resolutions.
“I appreciate the CEC’s efforts in advocating for improved school safety, construction and funding,” Holden said. “School District 24 is overburdened and I have made it my mission to change that by fighting for locations such as 78-16 Cooper Ave. and by working closely with the SCA on multiple locations.”
CEC 24 is calling for the Cooper Avenue site to become a high school to help relieve overcrowding in the area as the district is one of the most congested in the city.
The city Department of Homeless Services began negotiations to create a shelter at the location this summer, months after it announced an earlier shelter plan was off the table. Holden intervened and said he would help the agency find a different location to house the homeless.
-- Mark Hallum Danvers residents concerned with Smith School construction plan-- Wicked Local Danvers Massachusetts: November 02, 2018 [ abstract] Reactions to the Smith Elementary School construction plan have been mixed. During a forum held at the school last night, various members of the community weighed in.
″[The school] will be on top of my property,” said resident Josephine Uminski. “I tried to work with [the town], but they refused to change their plans.”
The town has been working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority to build a new Smith School because the current location is outdated and too small for the 280-student population.
Project Manager Kevin Negro said a new building is expected to cost around $52 million. However, the state is reimbursing the town for $20.5 million, while Danvers’ share amounts to around $31.5 million.
During the Nov. 1 presentation, architect Charlie Hay also gave general information about the design of the school and some of the overall positive effects of a new building.
For example, the new school will be able to enroll 465 students, which is significant because the student population in Danvers is expected to increase from 15 to 17 percent in the next 10 years.
In addition, the number of parking spaces will triple (45 to 123) compared to the old school.
Hay also explained he met with traffic consultants, and they had “no concerns or objections” with the plan.
-- Robby McKittrick New school construction in Orange Beach hits a snag-- WKRG Alabama: November 02, 2018 [ abstract] BAY MINETTE, Ala. (WKRG) -- The Baldwin County Board of Education has voted to take “no action” on a bid to build a new Middle/High School in Orange Beach that was $20 million over estimated construction costs.
They are still moving dirt on the site where the county plans to build a new middle and high school in Orange Beach the day after the school board took "no action" on the only bid they received to build the schools. "The bid was two and a half times what was budgeted and the biggest reason was the contractors just did not feel they could meet that timeline with the hurricane that just happened in Panama City. There is just not a labor to go around," says Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon.
The school system had budgeted 25 million dollars to build the complex. Thrash Contractors believed it would take more like 42.7 million dollars. "We're going to go back to the drawing board and hopefully extend the time frame so we can get a budget worthy number but unfortunately that will probably put us behind a year in opening the school," says Kennon.
-- Debbie Williams OP-ED: BALLOT QUESTION SHUTS OUT MOST STUDENTS FROM FACILITIES FUNDING-- NJSpotlight New Jersey: November 02, 2018 [ abstract] Trenton needs to bring all school buildings up to par, not just vo-tech districts that are the primary beneficiaries of proposed $500M bonds.
New Jersey should celebrate the strong gains made over the past 15 years to improve the condition of our public-school building infrastructure.
Sparked by a state Supreme Court order, New Jersey stands out in providing state financing to rebuild dilapidated and outmoded schools in poor neighborhoods. We also make state grants to supplement local taxes to maintain and upgrade schools in every district across the state.
Why are safe, not-overcrowded and educationally adequate school buildings essential? Simple. They promote student well-being, improve student learning, and increase teacher satisfaction and retention. They are literally the foundation for a high-quality education.
But our commitment to providing modern, up-to-date schools for all is at a crossroads. In 2008, lawmakers approved $2 billion in bond financing for school construction in urban, or “SDA districts,” and $1 billion for “Regular Operating Districts,” or RODs. All of that funding has now been allocated, yet urgent needs remain. In the SDA districts, 381 additional school-construction projects, including 200 renovations and 102 new buildings, must still be completed. RODs also have pressing needs, including classrooms for full-day kindergarten and pre-school expansion.
-- Op-Ed David Sciarra Abington School District starting $104 million renovation-addition at high school-- The Intelligencer Pennsylvania: November 01, 2018 [ abstract] The project includes the Stephen A. Schwarzman Center for Science and Technology being funded with $25 million donated by the Blackstone CEO and Abington High School graduate.
Contractors hired by the Abington School District are gearing up for a $104 million renovation-addition at the senior high school that will include the Stephen A. Schwarzman Center for Science and Technology being funded with $25 million donated by the Blackstone CEO and Abington High School graduate.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was to be held Friday afternoon. In addition to the science and technology center, work will include an auxiliary gymnasium, career center, new cafeteria and other amenities. The Schwarzman facility is expected to open in the fall of 2020 and the remainder of the work in 2022, a district media release said.
The work will be the first major addition and renovation at the high school in nearly two decades. The building was originally constructed in 1956.
The expansion will allow for the ninth grade to join grades 10-12 at the high school. When the project is completed, sixth-graders will then join grades 7-8 at the junior high school.
School district enrollment has increased 10 percent in the last decade and an updated high school was needed, school board President Raymond McGarry said.
-- Chris English New Schools $17 Billion Capital Plan Aims To Increase School Accessibility, Reduce Overcrowding-- WNYC New York: November 01, 2018 [ abstract] The $17 billion capital plan for New York City public schools that officials say is "the largest ever" would significantly increase accessibility in a system where many students with physical disabilities are barred entry.
The funds for the years 2020-2024 would be used to reduce overcrowding and end the use of trailers for classroom instruction, issues that have long been concerns raised by families and staff alike. But the most significant aspect would be the $750 million set aside to make one-third of schools accessible by the end of fiscal 2024. Currently, only 20 percent are accessible according to a report from Advocates for Children, and only $178 million was allocated for accessibility in the current capital plan.
One school district, District 16, which spans Bed-Stuy in central Brooklyn, has no accessible schools.
Karin Goldmark, the school system’s Deputy Chancellor of School Planning and Development, says that construction work would make schools accessible to students with mobility, vision and hearing impairments.
Increased funding for accessibility is a step toward affording students with physical disabilities the same opportunities as their able-bodied peers, advocates say.
-- Beenish Ahmed OPRF board hears from community on facilities plan that could cost more than $218 million-- Chicago Tribune Illinois: October 31, 2018 [ abstract] More than 250 residents attended a special meeting on Oak Park and River ForestHigh School’s master facilities plan, which could total more than $218 million if fully constructed.
Residents were given an opportunity to provide comment to the school board at the Oct. 30 meeting. Board members could vote to accept a portion of, or the entire plan, at the Nov. 15 school board meeting.
Some spoke against the plan, citing the high price tag. There were some who voiced support for it as well.
Resident Chris Deegan suggested the school board seek alternative funding solutions, such as potentially selling naming rights to new facilities as a way to reduce the reliance on tax dollars.
“I think, with the history of Oak Park and the need we have with this facilities plan, there is a leveraging opportunity to look for resources,” Deegan said. “I work at [the University of Illinois at Chicago], and this is what development officers do. There are naming opportunities for these clusters like performing arts, athletics, the library, etc. It won’t pay for the whole thing, but it will certainly reduce the cost from $218 million.”
Following the November 2016 defeat of a $44.5 million referendum plan for a new swimming pool and campus upgrades, the OPRF administration chose to work on a new long-term master facilities plan.
In January 2017, the school board officially established the Imagine OPRF workgroup and tasked the 40-person group to come up with a long-range facilities plan to address equity issues on the school campus.
-- Steve Schering Pa. bill would open major school-construction projects to competitive bidding-- The Philadelphia Inquirer Pennsylvania: October 31, 2018 [ abstract]
Citing a study that shows schools across Pennsylvania have wasted tens of millions in taxpayer dollars on roofing, a state legislator has introduced a bill to open major construction projects to competitive bidding.
State Rep. Jesse Topper said his bill, now in the State Government Committee, would improve on so-called cooperative purchasing.
In cooperative-purchasing agreements, schools pool their money to purchase items such as classroom and cafeteria supplies. School officials say that by using a centralized system they save cash and time.
Cooperative purchasing is a model used by some school districts in an attempt to lower prices on various purchases, including cafeteria and classroom supplies, according to the National Association of State Procurement Officials.
But Topper questioned the wisdom of using the system for roofing and other construction projects.
"Co-op purchasing has some things it can do for time factor and familiarity, but we need to balance a lot of that to ensure we're getting the best bang for our buck," said Topper, a Republican who represents parts of Bedford, Franklin, and Fulton Counties.
By using cooperative purchasing instead of competitive bidding, school districts overspent by more than $100 million on school roofing projects from 2005 to 2010, according to an assessment by market research firm Ducker Worldwide commissioned by the Coalition for Procurement Reform, which represents national and state consulting and construction companies.
The researcher interviewed 52 roofing contractors and architects and analyzed 73 school district contracts. It also collected more than 80 price points to calculate the total cost per square foot of installed roofing.
-- Gillian McGoldrick RTR facility task force recommends to build new school-- Marshall Independent Minnesota: October 31, 2018 [ abstract] TYLER — The Russell-Tyler-Ruthton Facility Task Force has made a recommendation to close some or all of the existing three school facilities and to build a new pre-K to 12th grade school facility and they will pass that information along to the school board at its Nov. 14 meeting.
Due to the complexity of the issues at hand, the recommendation — which was nearly unanimous — includes several parts.
“They want a pre-K to 12 facility and they want it built in Tyler,” RTR Superintendent Dave Marlette said. “It may be built on the existing site or there are another site or two that may also work. We’re leaning toward the current site, but that hasn’t been determined yet.”
The RTR Facility Task Force spent three months examining the current facilities, identifying needs assessments and looking at a wide-range of different facility improvement options. Marlette said it was important that the process come from the bottom-up, with the community driving the recommendations to go forward.
The task force recommendation is: “That the School board of Independent School District No. 2902 (RTR) be authorized to close some of all of its existing three school facilities and to issue general obligation school building bonds to provide funds for the acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities, including the construction and equipping of a new (pre-K to 12) school facility and related site improvements, in Tyler, Minnesota, to replace the closed school facilities, at a site to be determined.”
“The recommendation was to have the new facility in town because we need the infrastructure,”Marlette said. “If you go out in the country, you have to build all the infrastructure like sewer and water.”
-- JENNY KIRK MCPS Proposed Capital Budget for Fiscal 2020, CIP Amendments Include Elementary School, Security Projects-- Bethesda Magazine Maryland: October 30, 2018 [ abstract] Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith’s recommendations for the fiscal 2020 capital budget add funding for three elementary school addition projects and to implement security upgrades at many schools throughout the county.
At Monday night’s Montgomery County Board of Education meeting, Smith unveiled his proposed capital budget and amendments to the fiscal 2019-2024 capital improvements program, outlining plans to “address technology upgrades to various existing security systems,” as well as provide secure entrances and guided building access at schools that don’t have those features.
Smith also recommended an amendment to the CIP to provide funding to plan additions at Highland View Elementary School in Silver Spring, Lake Seneca Elementary School in Germantown and Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Gaithersburg. Funding for construction will be considered in a future CIP after 2024.
“MCPS must continue to address building capacity, aging infrastructure and facility security to ensure students have a safe and welcoming place to learn,” Smith said.
-- CAITLYNN PEETZ School board approves renovation designs for Bozeman High-- NBC Montana Montana: October 30, 2018 [ abstract] BOZEMAN, Mont. — The school board gave CTA Architects Engineers the green light Monday night to go forward with designs the Bozeman-based architects have been working on since June.
They'll now be working with a $17.5 million construction budget to bring them to fruition.
Among the changes to come to Bozeman High is the demolition of 5 wings, at least 12 new teaching stations, remodeled and improved parent-drop off points and a possible third floor with classroom space.
The architects say it was important that Bozeman High had its own identity and not just be a replica of the new high school.
“We wanted to make sure that the school has the same opportunities that the new school has. It's very different when you're starting a new school from scratch and we wanted to make sure the school had the same benefits. Commons is a very large space that's very important to schools -- an auditorium is also very important to both schools,” said CTA Architects Engineers senior project manager Bob Franzen, who said they had been working with parents and school board members on the designs.
Franzen says among the challenges they'll face is working with the existing building.
He says it's never easy to attach new structures in today's building codes to old ones.
-- Larisa Casillas Montgomery Co. boards hear about school construction proposals-- The Roanoke Times Virginia: October 29, 2018 [ abstract]
CHRISTIANSBURG — Both the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors and school board on Monday night heard about an estimated $110 million proposal to replace Belview Elementary School and to improve and expand Christiansburg High School.
Some parts of the potential project were presented to both boards by executives of the Los Angeles-based Tamkin Development Corporation, which has submitted a proposal to Montgomery County Public Schools under the guidelines of the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002.
Better known as a PPEA, the measure allows firms to leverage private dollars to speed up public projects such as new schools.
Assistant superintendent of operations Tommy Kranz, who made a presentation on the PPEA process this past spring, told both boards that the school district’s administration is currently evaluating the proposal to determine if it’s worth being published.
If MCPS decides to publish the proposal, the school district would have to advertise the plan for 45 days and then use that time to solicit proposals from other firms. Kranz said he plans to bring the item to the next school board meeting on Nov. 6.
The school district has received the Tamkin proposal at a time when Montgomery County, which owns all the public schools within its limits, is unable to take on additional debt for massive projects such as new schools until at least the early 2020s.
-- Yann Ranaivo Neighbors say new school construction is destroying their properties-- WSB-TV 2 Georgia: October 26, 2018 [ abstract] DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Neighbors tell Channel 2 Action News that the construction of a new school is destroying their properties.
One woman gave Channel 2’s Justin Wilfon video of increasing water runoff through her yard and trees that have started to lean.
The homeowner said it all started when the DeKalb County School District started clearing trees for the new Pleasantdale Elementary School.
Neighbors say the issues started long before Hurricane Michael.
For Monica Bowers, it’s a problem that’s hanging over her head.
"Terrible. Just absolutely terrible," Bowers said.
A giant tree in her DeKalb County yard fell over. Only another tree stopped it from crashing into her house.
"It's a real big nightmare," she said.
She blames the tree’s collapse on the DeKalb County School District.
Video from News Drone 2 shows why.
After the district cleared away other trees for the construction of Pleasantdale Elementary School, Bowers said, that allows more rainwater and silt to run off the school’s property and toward her eroding away the hillside and knocking down that tree.
"I would say we have twice the water coming. You think you’re in like Niagara Falls," she said.
-- Justin Wilfon RIPEC report: Approval of bonds on ballot could hamper R.I.’s ability to borrow in future-- Providence Journal Rhode Island: October 26, 2018 [ abstract] PROVIDENCE — An independent public policy research organization has cautioned that two school construction bond proposals totaling $500 million may limit the state’s capacity to borrow for other capital improvements over the next five to 10 years.
The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) looked at the fiscal impact of three bonds before the voters on Nov. 6: $250 million to repair and replace school buildings across Rhode Island; $70 million for renovations at Rhode Island College’s School of Education and the University of Rhode Island’s Bay Campus; and $47.3 million to support the “green” economy and clean water.
In his report, RIPEC executive director John Simmons says the state’s current debt capacity is $1.3 billion over the next decade.
If both public school construction bonds — the $250 million on this ballot and another $250 million proposed for 2022 — are approved, RIPEC says that will account for nearly half of the state’s total borrowing capacity over the next decade. RIPEC says these bonds could limit the state’s capacity to continue borrowing for other improvements.
The business-oriented organization did not say whether voters should approve the three bonds on this year’s ballot.
But it did pose the following questions: Are these the right priorities? Will Rhode Island have the resources to pay for other capital improvement projects in the future? Will these projects strengthen the state’s economy? Do the benefits outweigh the costs when interest rates are taken into account?
-- Linda Borg Can School District depend on receiving state money?-- The Athens News Ohio: October 24, 2018 [ abstract] Voters in the Athens City School District are continuing to debate whether to approve or reject a proposed property tax levy to fund new and renovated facilities in the district.
The proposed 5.88-mill levy, over the next 30 years, would generate the funds to repay $60.5 million in bonds, which the district would sell in order to complete its master plan for new facilities, along with funding from the state.
In a recent Facebook poll posted by The Athens NEWS, 599 people shared whether they support or oppose Issue 3 on the Nov. 6 ballot. The poll received 23 comments and 27 shares. Of those who responded, 52 percent (312 people) voted in favor and 48 percent (287 people) voted opposed. Though the poll doesn’t show much beyond the opinions of some Facebook users, it does show a narrow divide even in the small sample of people who responded.
One of the most confusing and contentious points regarding the levy has been the issue of state funding. The district aims to secure funding through the Classroom Facilities Assistance Program, or CFAP, which is how conversations about new facilities and a master plan began. Through this program, offered by the Ohio Facilities construction Commission (OFCC), the state would pay 32 percent of the total cost for the district’s master plan to renovate and/or build new school buildings according to state standards.
-- Kayla Beard Pueblo D60 assessment notes $785 million in needed repairs-- The Pueblo Chieftain Colorado: October 24, 2018 [ abstract] It was, to paraphrase architect Jack Mousseau, a bitter pill.
But one that will have to be swallowed if Pueblo City Schools' (D60) mission of providing a high-quality education as a high-performing school district is to be fulfilled.
On Tuesday, Mousseau, a principal in the Denver-based MOA Architects, presented to the board of education an in-progress review of a district-wide master plan and facilities assessment commissioned by the district.
It's a report that paints a dismal picture of aged and failing buildings, severely underutilized square footage, continual declining enrollment and, perhaps most telling, nearly $785 million in needed repairs.
"We're not coming to tonight with resolution but with the situation," Mousseau told the board. "It's what I would call the state of the school district."
A state that was revealed through well-researched data on enrollment projections, student capacity of schools, facility conditions and operations, and maintenance costs.
In all, D60 has 30 permanent buildings, with but a single one built in the last 25 years. Five were constructed between 1993 and 1968 with 24, or 80 percent, built before 1968.
And with a dwindling life span comes a host of problems and issues. District-wide, $785 million is needed to address what's defined as a "condition issue," with $218 million required to rectify what are deemed top-priority, or critical issues, that could lead to a school closing itself.
-- Jon Pompia Charter school opening delayed, district accelerates plan to build new Viera elementary school-- Florida Today Florida: October 23, 2018 [ abstract] Brevard County Schools officials say the district "needs to get going" on building an elementary school in Viera, after a charter school postponed opening a campus in the same area.
At a workshop Tuesday afternoon, the School Board signed off on the district's updated five-year capacity plan, which includes a $20 million elementary school in Viera — a reversal from a summer workshop at which the board was considering delaying its plan to build a new Viera elementary school.
The district's five-year plan also includes the construction of a Viera middle school in August 2023.
"Thank you for supporting schools for the Viera community," Kayla Spellman, a parent, told the School Board Tuesday. "It's something that we need."
District staff over the summer suggested the School Board rethink its plan to build an elementary school in Viera, anticipating a new K-6 charter school, Pinecrest Academy, would open August 2019.
-- Caroline Glenn Clarkston school board considers possible bond or capital levy-- The Lewiston Tribune Idaho: October 23, 2018 [ abstract]
Almost a year after voters rejected a $60.5 million bond in Clarkston, the school district is looking to put a committee in place to address another possible run at a bond or capital levy.
The facilities committee will be tentatively in place by January. They’ll be tasked with the creation of a proposal that outlines timelines and phased plans to take care of the buildings in the district, which will then be presented to the school board.
“We don’t want the whole idea of a bond to go away. It’s been a year now and we haven’t talked much about it,” Superintendent Tim Winter said, adding that it’s important to keep the conversation alive within the school district and in the community.
In the meantime, the district plans to chip away at facility improvement projects as its budget allows.
The last time the district successfully approved a bond was about 20 years ago, and there currently is no bond on the books.
“I think it’s really good timing,” school board president Scott Dolezal said. “Let’s know where we’re at, let’s know where our needs are and let’s talk about how we improve.”
The 2017 bond focused largely on the construction of a new high school, but it’s too early to tell what the committee may bring forth in its next proposal, Dolezal said.
-- JUSTYNA TOMTAS Who are the financial backers of San Diego’s school bond measure? Charter schools, labor unions and construction compani-- The San Diego Union-Tribune California: October 23, 2018 [ abstract] A charter school advocacy group, labor unions, architects, engineers and others have together spent more than $622,000 on the campaign to pass a San Diego Unified School District bond measure in November, making it San Diego County’s most expensive school bond race for the Nov. 6 election.
If it passes with at least 55 percent of the vote, Measure YY would raise property taxes by $60 per $100,000 of assessed valuation for 39 years, so someone with a house assessed by the county at $500,000 would pay $300 per year. The bond would authorize $3.5 billion for projects, but after factoring in interest, it’s expected to actually cost $7.5 billion by the time it’s completed.
Advocates of the bond say it will help keep students safe. The bond, which is supported by a campaign committee named “Safety and Learning for Our Schools,” would include school building safety and security improvements, modernization and repairs and classroom technology.
But the bond also includes language about building new facilities, not just improving old ones. The bond includes language that would allow the building of new school administrative facilities, joint-use athletic fields, performing arts theaters and facilities for marine science, language and health science education.
The bond proposal has fueled controversy largely because it’s the third time that San Diego Unified has asked voters to raise taxes for a bond measure since 2008. The district is still spending money from two other bond measures — the $2.1 billion Proposition S, which was passed in 2008, and the $2.8 billion Proposition Z, which was passed in 2012.
-- Kristen Taketa and Lauryn Schroeder Guilderland school district regroups after $42 million project rejected-- The Daily Gazette New York: October 22, 2018 [ abstract] GUILDERLAND -- Guilderland school district officials are considering how to move forward after last week's narrow rejection by voters of a construction-project/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; color: black; transition: all 0.1s ease 0s;">$42.7 million capital project.
The proposed project, which included upgrades to aging phone and fire alarm systems, renovations to science classrooms and other infrastructure work, was rejected by 51 percent of the nearly 2,700 residents who voted on the proposal. That was a higher turnout than was seen for the district’s budget vote in May.
The school board meets Tuesday, and the first step will be a look at the results of an exit survey so district leaders can reconsider the items included in the project.
But Guilderland Superintendent Marie Wiles said many of the improvements spelled out in the proposed project still need to be addressed.
“There’s quite a bit of work that still needs to be done,” Wiles said Monday. “We absolutely will need to do some of this work.”
The capital project included more than $20 million in safety and security improvements in district buildings, including updating fire alarm systems, new telephones and public address systems, additional security cameras and the purchase of shatter-resistant covers for windows. Wiles said current equipment is nearing the end of its usefulness, but that the district does have some time to consider how to move forward in replacing them.
-- Zachary Matson School construction delayed in Ohio district after artifacts are unearthed-- American School & University Ohio: October 22, 2018 [ abstract] construction on a new school campus in theSouthwest Licking (Ohio) district is on holdafter arrowheads and other artifacts were unearthed on the site.
WSYX-TV reports that although design plans for Watkins Memorial High and Elementary Schools in Pataskala are moving forward, site work on the project has been postponed until at least spring.
Crews recently uncovered artifacts that were from 50 years up to 12,000 years old according to archeologist Andy Sewell with Lawhon Associates, an environmental engineering company.
Superintendent Robert Jennell says the district wants “to respect and preserve the history.” But it’s unclear what else might be uncovered in a second phase of the search.
Any items found that are more than 50 years old need to be recorded in a report to the National Register of Historic Places.
The planned site for the new campus is adjacent to the existing high school and middle school.
-- Mike Kennedy Schools whiff on state funds for construction-- The Robesonian North Carolina: October 20, 2018 [ abstract] LUMBERTON — When the Public Schools of Robeson County was not on the list of school districts to win one of the state construction grants for low-wealth counties, questions arose.
It was a $15 million opportunity that appeared custom-made for Robeson County, a poor county. Despite a great need for school construction here, the public schools did not apply for the first or second round of funding, and the reasons are several.
“We needed a shovel-ready project, and we don’t have it,” said school board Chairman Mike Smith of the state construction grant.
“We don’t have the $5 million in matching funds,” said Craig Lowry, a school board member.
A three-to-one match is required for the funding.
“If we had that $20 million, it would not build a $40 million school,” said Erica Setzer, PSRC’s chief financial officer.
And, they all say, the matching funds would have to come from or through the Robeson County Board of Commissioners. The school system asked for an increase of $18 million in funding this year, but did not get an extra dime.
Mark Johnson, the superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction, recently announced $141 million of grant money for 13 counties.
The money came from a fund created by the General Assembly to assist school districts in lower-wealth counties through revenue from the North Carolina Education Lottery. Awards are capped at $15 million per project in Tier 1 counties, which are most distressed, and $10 million per project in Tier 2 counties. Robeson is Tier 1.
“I thank the General Assembly for making these funds available to help schools in areas that are most in need,” Johnson said. “I look forward to seeing these projects get underway in the coming months.”
-- Scott Bigelow Ground broken on new Sipsey Valley Middle School building-- Tuscaloosa News Alabama: October 18, 2018 [ abstract] Emily Kelly is excited about next school year for a few reasons.
For one, the 10-year-old will be attending Sipsey Valley Middle School every day with her father, Frank Kelly, who is also the school’s principal. For another reason, she and her classmates will be among the first students to go to school in the middle school’s new building, set to open next August.
“It’s exciting because I get to be one of the first groups to go to the school,” Emily said.
Emily was one of several students on hand Thursday as the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education broke ground on the 86,500-square-foot building, which is about halfway complete. The $17.4 million project will be across from Sipsey Valley High School.
Since Sipsey Valley High was built in 2010, the middle school has had to share space with the high school students, albeit in different wings of the building. In recent years, portable classrooms have been put in place to accommodate the growing student population in the middle school.
“We’ll have that whole building all to ourselves,” SVHS Principal Dennis Alvarez said, greeted by applause by the high school’s choir, who performed during the ceremony. “Won’t that be exciting?”
The new middle school building will have 20 classrooms and be able to hold up to 600 students.
Frank Kelly said the excitement from the community for the school has been seen in how many people drive by the construction and talk about what it can bring to the area.
-- Drew Taylor School boards across Utah ask voter approval of $600 million in school construction bonds-- Deseret News Utah: October 16, 2018 [ abstract] SALT LAKE CITY — From Ogden to St. George, four local school boards are asking voters to authorize more than $600 million in general obligation bonds to build and renovate schools, which in some cases means adding security measures to enhance school safety.
Nearly half of the total $601.5 million ask is a question before Nebo School District patrons.
The Nebo School District Board of Education is asking voters to approve issuance of $298 million in school building bonds to rebuild Springville, Spanish Fork and Payson high schools. It also will be used to construct middle schools in Salem Hills, Maple Grove Hills and Spring Canyon.
The bond will require no new property taxes but would be an extension of the current tax rate levied to pay for previous bonds.
More than 32,800 student attend Nebo District schools, according to 2017 enrollment figures.
The next largest ask is that of the rapidly growing Washington County School District. It seeks voter approval of $125 million in general obligation bonds to build schools, renovate existing schools and purchase land and school furnishings.
The school district's enrollment has grown by nearly 4,000 students the past four years, with more than 30,000 students attending the district's schools in 2017.
-- Marjorie Cortez School Construction Fees To Be Adjusted Each Year-- WFMD Maryland: October 16, 2018 [ abstract] Frederick, Md (KM) The Frederick County Council on Tuesday approved a bill to adjust the school construction fees over a seven-year period.. The vote was 5-3 with Councilmembers Jerry Donald and MC Keegan-Ayer in the “no’ column.
The fees are paid by developers with projects in areas which fail the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance schools test. These builders can either build the new school capacity and let their projects go forward, or they could stop building homes until the schools are adequate. A law enacted by the last Board of County Commissioners lets developers pay a certain amount toward school construction, and their project is allowed to continue.
This legislation adjusts the fees annually, starting in January 1st, 2019 to January 1st, 2026, without any action by the Council, and are based on the recent school construction cost data from the state, plus two-percent. The annual increase will be no more than six-percent.
Supporters of the bill say the fees have not been adjusted since 2014, and school construction costs have increased since then. But opponents say it would bring up the cost of housing. Developers pay the fee, opponents argue, but it’s reflected in the price homebuyers pay.
The Council also approved bills to set up limited food waste composting.; establish a Senior Services Advisory Board; and allow farm based craft breweries to hold promotional events.
-- Kevin McManus The February ballot for Seattle’s school construction levy, and how feedback changed it-- Seattle Times Washington: October 16, 2018 [ abstract] Seattle Public Schools officials say they’ve found a more equitable way to decide which school buildings will get the resources they need for upgrades.
Their new process involves accounting for the number of low-income students and students of color each school serves, as well as how those students performed on state tests.
The proof, they say, is in the most recent list of projects proposed for the district’s capital-construction levy, up for renewal by voters in February 2019. The list of items, totaling $1.4 billion, includes a long-awaited new building for Rainier Beach High School, technology improvements and small repairs to buildings and outside grounds for about 50 schools. Board members considered it at a meeting last week.
Five of the 13 major construction projects, totaling nearly $435 million, are located south of Interstate 90, in the southeastern region of the city. The rest are scattered across west and north Seattle.
The list might look different if the community hadn’t spoken up. Parents in Southeast Seattle recently criticized an equity scoring method, which places schools into one of four equity tiers. They pointed to Kimball Elementary in Beacon Hill, a diverse and high-need school, which received the same equity score as North Beach Elementary School, which is 74 percent white, KNKX radio station reported.
-- Dahlia Bazzaz In Prince George’s, a battle over whether developers must fund school construction-- Washington Post Maryland: October 15, 2018 [ abstract] In the final months of his eight-year tenure, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III is battling with the County Council over legislation that touches on two of the county’s most hotly debated issues: education and development.
The back-and-forth, which led Baker to issue his third-ever veto, began last month, when the council approved a bill allowing it to waive a school facilities surcharge for some residential developers. Supporters say such waivers would spur development in areas where long-vacant buildings have frustrated lawmakers and residents alike.
Opponents — Baker chief among them — say the legislation is an illegal move by the council that could deprive the already beleaguered school system of an important funding source that has been codified in state law since 1995. The state General Assembly, not the County Council, is the body that has the authority to impose or waive taxes, Baker wrote in his veto letter.
-- Rachel Chason State Denies School Building Grants - Brevard NC-- The Transylvania Times North Carolina: October 15, 2018 [ abstract] The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction denied a request by Transylvania CountySchools for more than $19 million in capital needs grants.
Last Monday evening, Graham Wilson of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction sent an email to the school system stating, “Nineteen counties submitted applications for projects in excess of $245.7 million, illustrating the need for this critical program.
“While your application was strong, there were other counties with more critical, immediate needs that received the awards for FY 2018-19. We strongly encourage you to resubmit your application next year, when additional funding will be available for award.”
“While I am disappointed we did not receive any monies from the grant, I am not surprised,” said Transylvania County Schools Superintendent Jeff McDaris. “The grant was structured so as to favor Tier 1 counties, and we are a Tier 2.”
The 100 counties in North Carolina are categorized in three economic tiers, with Tier 1 counties being the most economically distressed.
The local school system had applied for the grants in order to pay for new construction at BrevardHigh School and Rosman High/Middle school. The county is in the midst of a campaign to pass a $68 million bond in November that would be used to construct new buildings and do extensive renovations to the two campuses.
School board members had previously expressed hope that if the county did receive the state grants and the bond referendum passes, then there would be money available to address some of the capital needs at the other schools in the county.
-- John Lanier BCSD to begin construction of new elementary school-- Bakersfield.com California: October 12, 2018 [ abstract]
East Bakersfield will be getting a new elementary school within the next few years.
The Bakersfield City School District has announced that it will begin construction soon on its 44th campus, to be named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School. The $40 million campus will be located at Belle Terrace and Citadel, next to Belle Terrace Park.
The district celebrated the start of construction with a groundbreaking ceremony Friday. Mayor Karen Goh and a few district officials spoke at the event, which was also attended by a group of Munsey Elementary students who participated in the groundbreaking.
“I want to thank the people in the community and our district who placed a trust in us back in 2016 by voting for our school bond, Measure N. That was a key part of building this school,” said Steve McClain, assistant superintendent of business services for BCSD. “We anticipate building more schools as our community around us continues to grow.”
McClain said the school, which will sit on a 23-acre property, is scheduled to open in fall 2020 and serve around 900 students. This will be the first school in the district to be built since Fletcher Elementary and Cato Middle opened in 2014.
-- JOSEPH LUIZ ROCHESTER SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROPOSAL COULD APPROACH $200 MILLION-- KROC Minnesota: October 12, 2018 [ abstract] Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Voters in the Rochester School District could be asked to approve a nearly $200 million school bond issue next fall. The Rochester School District Facilities Task Force will be looking guidance from the Rochester School Board next week after the group brings forward some of the ideas it is exploring as the members prepare to present their final recommendations in late November.
The ideas under consideration will be presented as three draft options. All three include the construction of a fourth Middle School, most likely in southwest Rochester. Two of the options also call for a new elementary school along with rebuilding one or two existing elementary schools to boost capacity. The third option would address all of the need for new space at the elementary level by the construction of larger buildings at three existing school sites. Superintendent Michael Munoz says the rebuilding option would allow students to continue using the existing school buildings until the new school is ready, at which time the old building would be demolished. The sites considered for reconstruction are identified in the draft report as Churchill, Bishop, and Longfellow.
-- Staff Author Siuslaw School Bond Measure 20-291 would finance upgrades at all three district facilities-- Siuslaw News Oregon: October 12, 2018 [ abstract] Oct. 13, 2018 — One of the local measures on the November ballot asks Florence residents to invest heavily in the educational future of area students. Measure 20-291 requests investment from taxpayers in the amount of $108,700,000, with the length of the bond issue is 31 years. The requested amount will finance major structural upgrades at the Siuslaw elementary and middle schools and a complete replacement of the high school.
Measure 20-291: Bonds to construct and Upgrade School Facilities, Improve Safety
Shall Siuslaw School District issue $108,700,000 in general obligation bonds to construct, expand and remodel facilities, improve safety, and enhance curriculum? If the bonds are approved, they will be payable from taxes on property or property ownership that are not subject to the limits of sections 11 and 11 b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution.
If passed, the cost to voters will be $2.72 per $1000 of the assessed value of property owned. A property valued at $300,000 would have a monthly tax responsibility of $68 and a total cost for the year of $816.
The $108 million requested in Measure 20-291 would be divided between the district’s three schools. The elementary school is slated to receive $18,925,269, the middle school improvements are estimated to cost $1,333,329 and the majority of funds, $88,359,075, would be allocated for a complete replacement of the high school.
According to Siuslaw School District administrators and independent consultants hired to assess and analyze the structures and surrounding areas owned and operated by the district, the need for significant improvements at all schools in the district is clear.
-- Mark Brennan Two local companies allegedly involved in criminal fraud during City School District modernization-- Democrat & Chronicle New York: October 12, 2018 [ abstract] When the FBI arrested local businessman Orville Dixon in July, agents claimed that he defrauded taxpayers through a collaboration with two companies contracted as part of the City School District's massive school construction and modernization program.
As part of the City School District contracts, those companies, the FBI alleged, needed to hire a certain percentage of subcontracting companies owned by minorities or women. Instead, they allegedly used Dixon, who is African-American, and his company as a fraudulent so-called "pass-through" — a method allowing, in this case, a minority-owned company to be credited for work it did not do, while receiving illicit payments from the contractor.
Absent from the 11-page criminal complaint were the names of the companies. However, enough information about the work of the companies was available in the complaint that, when compared with public records about the modernization project, shows them to be Bell Mechanical and Kaplan Schmidt Electric.
Officials with the two firms did not respond to emails or phone calls left with their businesses over the past two weeks. Officials with the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment about the names of the two companies — information also confirmed for the Democrat and Chronicle by other sources.
-- Gary Craig Disaster Recovery: School Infrastructure Resilience Roadmap & Best Practices-- EfficientGov National: October 11, 2018 [ abstract]
Communities facing the loss of a school after a hurricane, earthquake or other disaster can increase school infrastructure resilience. Get a roadmap for stakeholders, tools and best practices.
School districts that face the loss of a school in a natural disaster like a hurricane face myriad challenges after the immediate danger passes, ranging from education and public safety to reconstruction. To improve community resilience, replacement schools can be designed to mitigate disaster risk and increase school infrastructure resilience in affected areas following a disaster.
The World Bank Global Program for Safer Schools (GPSS) offers a 2017 roadmap to engage stakeholders and 2018 100 Resilient Cities workshop in Cali, Columbia, generated best practices for communities focused on or required to increase school infrastructure resilience.
Roadmap for School Infrastructure Resilience
According to a 2017 World Bank briefing, there is impact to the learning environment through the affected community’s recovery phase, which extends into public safety and public health operations.
Damaged school infrastructure exposes the educational community to physical and mental stress and interferes with school operations, teaching and learning. When non-resilient communities experience a natural disaster, the effort to bring children back to school and recover the full operation of the education sector is prolonged, often involving a lengthy emergency response and a protracted recovery and reconstruction process.
The GPSS launched a Roadmap for Safer Schools in 2017 to provide governments affected by devastating natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes a systematic guide infrastructure managers and government and school district stakeholders can use to structure and promote a more informed dialogue on making new school infrastructure investments.
The Roadmap:
- Uses concepts and language that are accessible for those without experience in disaster risk reduction and construction
- Provides guidance on the technical expertise required by the activities
It consists of six steps that follow a logical sequence from diagnosis to analysis, opportunity and investment, shown in this inforgraphic posted to the blog:
-- Andrea Fox Country Day breaks ground on $18 million lower school renovation-- Hometown Life Michigan: October 10, 2018 [ abstract] A construction worker on hand for the ground-breaking of the $18 million Detroit Country Day Lower School had three words for Caleb Zandstra Wednesday: Go for it.
He didn't have to tell Zandstra twice.
The father of two DCDS students climbed into the rig, swung the big arm toward the school building, and began the razing that will allow DCDS officials to renovate the school.
Zandstra, who bought the right to bring down the first wall of the project at a fundraising auction, took the opportunity to heart with his son, Aiden.
"My kids love everything construction, and I figured this would be a great father-son bonding moment," Zandstra said. "I thought my son would enjoy the opportunity to be the leader and break down this wall.
"It was really exciting," he said afterward. "Having the opportunity — the guy said 'go for it,' so I did."
The wall came down at the end of the official ground-breaking ceremony, where DCDS Headmaster Glen Shilling sunk the first shovel into the ground for the planned $18 million renovation of the school.
The beginning of the lower school project comes soon after completion of the district's $14 million renovation of its middle school. Officials cut the ribbon on that project last month.
-- Brad Kadrich N.J. needs an all-inclusive plan, not a piecemeal approach to 21st century schools-- NJ.com New Jersey: October 10, 2018 [ abstract] New Jersey's public schools are a powerhouse. Student academic performance ranks at the top among states and the world's leading nations. Our graduation rate is the second-highest in the country. Outcomes for at-risk students outpace the national average for all students. We've built a solid foundation for continued progress.
One ingredient in our success is the concerted effort over the past 15 years to modernize New Jersey's school building infrastructure. Our state is unique in providing state financing to rebuild dilapidated and outmoded schools in the poorest districts. We also make grant funds available to supplement local resources to improve school facilities in every district across the state.
School buildings that are safe, not overcrowded and educationally adequate improve student learning, provide security and increase teacher satisfaction and retention. Ensuring that classrooms and other school spaces are conducive to learning and well-being is the least we can do for our students.
New Jersey has made great strides in providing a 21st-century school building for all. But that progress has now stalled because the Legislature has allowed the school construction program to run out of funding. The state agency charged with school construction, called the Schools Development Authority, has exhausted the nearly $3 billion in funding approved by lawmakers for urban school construction a decade ago. In these districts, 381 additional construction projects are needed, including 200 school renovations and 102 new school buildings.
-- David Sciarra Auditor questioned if impact fees were misspent in more than Lee County school district-- Florida: October 09, 2018 [ abstract] When the Lake County school district received the results of an audit in April, the report questioned whether the district misspent $10.3 million in impact fees in fiscal year 2016-17.
Lake County, north and west of Orlando, is one of three school districts whose impact fee use has been questioned by the Florida Auditor General in the past year. The first was Miami-Dade in 2017. The latest was Lee County.
School impact fees are levied on new construction and can be used to pay the cost of building schools needed due to the growth.
The audit challenged whether the Lake County school district's use of the $10.3 million to pay on debt incurred prior to fiscal 2016-17 was appropriate. It also questioned whether the district's records showed how using the fees to pay for debt incurred during previous fiscal years addressed "the educational capital needs of future residents."
"We believe a person who is paying the impact fee today is still receiving a benefit because we built the schools in the past planning for their arrival," said Scott Ward, the Lake County school district's chief financial officer.
"As the person that’s paying that impact fee today, they have an immediate seat in a school versus having to wait until we have enough impact fees to build the next school."
-- Thyrie Bland Westport school building committee takes notes from Somerset-Berkley-- SouthCoast Today Massachusetts: October 09, 2018 [ abstract] WESTPORT — The Westport School Building Committee held a “non-meeting” at Westport Junior-Senior High School on Oct. 2 to hear about the communications plan employed by the Somerset-Berkley Regional School Committee’s recently completed school project.
Richard Fenstermaker and Julie Ramos Gagliardi, members of the Somerset-Berkley building committee, were invited to Westport to deliver a presentation on “Community Communications” and talk about the plan that school district employed to help win approval of its new high school project.
The pair also offered suggestions on how to keep the public informed about the progress of work throughout the construction process, and how to keep the community engaged in the project until it is completed.
“This is not an official meeting of the School Building Committee,” Westport school project supporter Irene Buck told the audience of about 30 people, including most of the local building committee, a few School Committee members and other town officials.
The goal of the session, she said, was “stimulating our imaginations and our ideas” about the best ways to continue the community outreach effort through the construction process of the new junior-senior high school on Old County Road, expected to be finished by September 2021.
Fenstermaker detailed the Somerset-Berkley building committee’s efforts to plan for the use of a generic “model school” design offered by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, slightly modified to suit the district’s specific needs in order to develop final construction and bid documents.
-- Robert Barboza Mount Vernon School District asking for increase in fees on construction-- goskagit.com Washington: October 06, 2018 [ abstract]
MOUNT VERNON — The Mount Vernon School District is asking the city of Mount Vernon to increase fees on the construction of single-family homes by $2,763 to help pay for capital projects in the district.
Such school district impact fees are used to supplement school bonds in funding new construction. They shift some of the costs of capital projects from current residents to new development, Mount Vernon School District Superintendent Carl Bruner said.
“The point of impact fees is to have new development contribute to impacts on schools,” he said. “It’s a way to have new growth bear part of the burden.”
The district’s request for an increase has raised questions from the Mount Vernon City Council, which has made an effort to lower the costs of development.
Revenue from the fee can only be used for capital projects, not on personnel or operations, he said.
Bruner said the district uses a formula — widely used by other districts in the state — to determine the number of students created by a new housing unit and how much those students cost the district.
According to the formula, a single-family home creates a $14,495 impact on the district. When the district last evaluated impact fees in 2014, that number was $8,646.
Cities can set impact fees lower than the dollar figure calculated by the district.
Currently, the fees are discounted by 23 percent, making the $8,646 figure determined by the district $6,658.
-- Brandon Stone SMCPS loses state capital improvement funding under new plan-- The BayNet.com Maryland: October 06, 2018 [ abstract] Lexington Park, MD - Some changes in state legislature over the 2018 session could have major negative impacts on more rural school systems including the St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS).
On Tuesday, Oct. 2, the St. Mary’s County Board of Education went before the county commissioners seeking approval of their State Capital Improvement Plan for the fiscal year 2020.
House Bill 1783, also know as the “21st Century School Facilities Act,” went into effect June 1. However, this was only after Governor Larry Hogan’s veto was overridden.
In his letter to veto, Hogan said, “this bill represents one of the most irresponsible, partisan, and tone-deaf legislative decisions ever made by members of the Maryland General Assembly.”
Hogan went on to point out the bill, which puts together a group of non-elected political appointees, is “insulting to our citizens.” This group of individuals will form the Interagency Commission on School construction (IAC) which replaces what was the Public School construction Program.
A major impact made by this change is there will no longer be an appeal process for the board of education to submit to. Rather, the IAC will have the power to take projects forward at their discretion.
Additionally, after taking into account the county's wealth index and sustainability, the state decided to reduce their share of funding for capital improvement projects in the county from 58 percent to 57 percent. The figure will likely be lowered when reevaluated in three years, but it is already extremely small when compared to the initial 75 percent share that the state had.
-- Zach Hill County Executive's adequate public facilities council modeled after Harford County-- The Frederick News-Post Maryland: October 05, 2018 [ abstract]
County Executive Jan Gardner introduced the concept of a new Adequate Public Facility Ordinance (APFO) advisory council last week, to help with the issues of school construction and overdevelopment in Frederick County.
The idea, she said, was inspired by an Adequate Public Facilities (APF) advisory board already established in Harford County. That council was created in 2003 to address the same school construction issues, according to Cindy Mumby, Harford County’s director of government affairs.
“I would say that topic dominates the discussion,” Mumby said about how the board focuses on school crowding, overdevelopment and similar issues.
Harford County’s board consists of a representative from the county’s schools superintendent’s office, the planning and zoning commission, PTA, the county council, county executive and board of education.
Gardner told The Frederick News-Post this week her APFO advisory council would look a lot like Harford County’s, but declined to say who would be appointed. It would meet twice a year and submit an annual report to the county executive with findings about where school crowding is occurring, and what could be done to alleviate the issue.
“Counties share a lot of these same circumstances,” Gardner said about adopting Harford County’s model. “I read that Harford County had actually closed some areas to development, based on a recommendation from this committee.”
-- Steve Bohnel Erie School District renovation plan starts at $60 million-- GoErie.com Pennsylvania: October 05, 2018 [ abstract] The district wants to borrow at least that much to fix structural problems that had gone unaddressed because of its financial crisis.
The Erie School District is preparing to renovate its schools with a plan that is likely to involve at least $60 million spread across many of its 16 school buildings over three years.
Just don’t expect the overhaul, all but certain to be funded through a bond issue and possibly a tax increase, to result in the construction of gleaming, new institutions of learning.
While wide-ranging, the plan comes down to three words: “warm, safe and dry,” as Superintendent Brian Polito said.
The plan will focus on such basic but critical areas as fixing leaky roofs, upgrading existing heating and air-conditioning systems, repaving parking lots, sealing and re-pointing facades and increasing safety measures. The Erie School District has put off those types of projects for years because of lack of money.
-- Ed Palattella High school some feel 'should be condemned' hopes fifth levy is the charm-- KIRO7 Washington: October 05, 2018 [ abstract] OLEDO, Wash. - Stepping into Toledo High School you feel like you’re back in the 1970s. Since then, not much has changed structurally and the building is starting to fall apart around students and staff.
“Some folks felt like this really should be a condemned building,” said Superintendent Chris Rust.
From the outside, the brick building doesn’t look bad, but looks can be deceiving. Inside, avocado green cabinets and retro chairs are eye-catching. A closer look shows cracks in the cinderblock, rotten walls and ceiling tiles that are stained black from years of leaks.
“I haven’t had it tested (for mold). I don’t know, but it doesn’t look good,” said art teacher Ron Gaul.
Rust said the building went up in 1974. These days, a lot isn’t up to code. Electric cables hang from the ceiling and walls are paper thin.
He’s afraid the school would crumble if there’s another earthquake.
“In most places what we teach people is drop, cover and hold, here we teach them get out, get away,” said Rust.
Since 2014, voters in Toledo have rejected four school levies. Rust said it’s different this time because they’re hoping to build a new school, which means they’d get more money from the state.
If this levy passes in November, the district would get $18 million from Washington, the new $10 million coming from a distressed schools grant and the other $8 million from the School construction Assistance Program. Taxpayers would foot the remaining $7 million bill.
“It works out to about $1 per $1,000 for a homeowner,” said Rust.
Teachers are frustrated students have to live like this.
-- Shelby Miller Tupper Lake school construction rolls on-- Adirondack Daily Enterprise New York: October 05, 2018 [ abstract] TUPPER LAKE — This town’s schools are winding down construction on their two-year, $8.3 million capital improvement project, but the cycle of state loans, assessments and reimbursement for public school improvements is already back in motion.
The majority of the work done this time around was for upkeep, improving technology and infrastructure more than making visual changes. District Business Administrator Dan Bower said there is still minor work going on to finish the projects and he anticipates completing paperwork in December.
State building assessments have already begun and the district is compiling a list of priority projects for its five-year plan.
When the district borrows money to spend within a capital improvement project, it creates revenue down the line that can be used to spend on future projects. As the district spends money, the state reimburses it at a rate of 78 percent on the dollar.
The district borrowed a total of $8.1 million in a bond issued to Janney Montgomery Scott LLC at a 2.8 percent interest rate to be paid through 2033. The project is 78 percent funded by the state and will be paid through annual payments for 15 years. This year’s payment totals $672,825.
-- AARON CERBONE Construction on new Mark Twain Elementary School set to begin-- WQAD Iowa: October 04, 2018 [ abstract] BETTENDORF, Iowa - construction on the new Mark Twain Elementary School building is set to begin this month.
A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for October 4th, 2018 at 10am.
The new school will be constructed at 1620 Lincoln Road in Bettendorf.
Once completed, the building will house about 450 students.
Students at the current Mark Twain Elementary School along with students from Thomas Jefferson Elementary School will attend school in the new facility.
Leaders say the new building will incorporate several 21st Century learning concepts into the traditional school design.
-- RYAN JENKINS Washington County Public Schools maintenance backlog: about $63.5 million-- Herald-Mail Media Maryland: October 04, 2018 [ abstract]
Washington County Public Schools currently has $63.5 million worth of unfunded routine maintenance and replacement projects, with approximately $53.9 million at school facilities.
According to a school system report for fiscal year 2020, the total figure includes $9.2 million in projects to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, many of which can only be fixed with a major facility renovation.
The report, which the Board of Education approved 6-0 on Tuesday, will be sent to the state for approval. Board President Melissa Williams was not present for the vote.
WCPS' unfunded maintenance increased approximately $8 million from last year’s report, partially due to construction costs rising over the past two years. Projects vary from roof and HVAC replacements to updating energy conservation efforts.
The highest priority maintenance projects total more than $28.2 million, according to the report. That includes more than $8.9 million in elementary schools, more than $7.1 million in middle schools and more than $12.8 million on the high school level.
The highest priority projects to update facilities for ADA compliance would cost $238,530 for elementary schools, $308,760 for middle schools, $179,700 for high schools and $39,000 for other buildings, totaling $765,990.
-- Alexis Fitzpatrick Measure M: Facilities bond goes to voters-- Enterprise California: October 03, 2018 [ abstract] Many of the campuses in the Davis school district were built in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and are now 40 to 60 years old.
Measure M on the Nov. 6 ballot is a local school facilities bond that, if approved, would fund some $150.9 million in funding for projects ranging from modernization and safety improvements at campuses throughout the school district, and in some cases new construction at several of the oldest schools.
What would it fund?
* Provide dedicated space for science, math, engineering, arts/music instruction, support 21st century learning and address specific priorities at individual school sites;
* Across the school district, Update aging classrooms and educational facilities to meet current fire, seismic and safety codes;
* Fix and/or replace deteriorating roofs;
* Repaint school exteriors and interiors and refresh or replace trees and landscaping;
* Resurface playgrounds and asphalt areas;
-- Jeff Hudson North Powder school construction will not be slowed by winter-- The Observer Oregon: October 03, 2018 [ abstract] Winter and its icy grip is fast approaching, but North Powder School District Superintendent Lance Dixon is not worried about his district’s partly constructed new high school and gym.
Dixon said Monday the ongoing construction, which began in May, likely will not be impacted by the onset of wintry conditions because both buildings will be weatherized by early next month.
“In a month they will be weather tight,” Dixon said.
The superintendent explained that the high school building, which will also serve as a middle school, is now completely enclosed, with the walls and roofing almost complete.
“Shingles will be added next week,” he said.
Wall and roofing work is now being completed for the gym. The next step for the project will involve the installation of heating and ventilation systems for the gym and high school.
Having the heating and ventilation system in place for the gym will be particularly helpful during construction because this will allow the wood flooring to be brought in and acclimated before being installed. To acclimate the wood flooring, it must be kept in an environment that has the same moisture content as its eventual location. This allows contractors to determine what the actual size of the wood they are installing will be, Dixon said.
-- Dick Mason Ashland schools plan for more construction after record kindergarten enrollment-- Columbia Daily Tribune Missouri: October 02, 2018 [ abstract] Record kindergarten enrollment in the Southern Boone School District in Ashland will force a conversation with the school board about planning for an early childhood center, Superintendent Chris Felmlee said Monday.
The official tally of 162 kindergartners, 25 more than last year, is a continuation of a trend the district has seen for several years, Felmlee said. An eight-classroom addition to the Southern Boone Primary School opened in August 2017 to serve students in kindergarten through second grade.
“We’re all full,” Felmlee said Monday of the building. He said there are eight kindergarten classes now, but a ninth will be needed next year. Felmlee said there has been a record kindergarten enrollment for each of the past several years.
Overall enrollment in the school district is up 4 percent, 1,666 in the official September 2017 count to 1,738 in this year’s tally, made on Sept. 26.
“Our next bond issue, we’re looking at an early childhood center, with preschool, kindergarten and Parents as Teachers,” Felmlee said.
Five of the seven school districts in Boone County saw enrollments increase this fall, with the fastest growth rate, 5 percent, in the Harrisburg School District in the northwest. There are 24,611 students enrolled in the seven districts, up from 23,963 in fall 2017.
-- Roger McKinney Morton superintendent hits the road to talk about school facilities sales tax question-- Journal Star Illinois: October 02, 2018 [ abstract] MORTON — The Morton School Board will freeze the district’s property tax levy for one year if voters approve a 1 percent Tazewell County school facilities sales tax Nov. 6.
That’s one of the messages being disseminated by Morton Superintendent Jeff Hill as he speaks to community and school groups about the school facilities sales tax question.
Hill told the School Board on Tuesday among the groups he’s spoken to recently are the Morton Park District board and Morton High School parent-teacher organization.
“If I’m missing anyone, please let me know,” he said.
Two emails have gone out to Morton students’ parents, Hill said, spelling out what the district would do if the school facilities sales tax passes.
It’s estimated the district would receive $2.1 million annually in school facilities sales tax revenue, based on its portion of Tazewell County’s public school student enrollment.
School Board members passed a resolution Sept. 4 saying they would not raise the district’s 2018 property tax levy (taxes payable in 2019) and use school facilities sales tax revenue to pay off bonds issued for a construction project for four years starting in 2020 if the sales tax question passes.
-- Steve Stein School construction bill delayed as council member adds late amendments-- The Frederick News-Post Maryland: October 02, 2018 [ abstract]
In a surprise twist, County Council members decided to table a vote on a school construction fees bill during the first part of its meeting Tuesday night.
The decision came after Vice President M.C. Keegan-Ayer (D), who represents District 3, added five amendments to the bill right before the meeting started.
Council President Bud Otis, given the lateness of those amendments, proposed that the vote be tabled. Every council member but at-large Councilman Billy Shreve voted to table the third reading and vote, thus approving a modified agenda.
Otis, who is unaffiliated, told The Frederick News-Post the bill was too important to rush through, which is why he proposed to table it.
“I just don’t see us rushing on such an important issue,” he said after the first portion of the meeting. “I’ve tried and tried and tried to negotiate between competing groups, and they both have good points. But they don’t want to yield much, so it’s hard to come to the middle.”
The original proposed bill, before Tuesday’s meeting, proposed that county revenues from school construction fees would rise from $139,000 for fiscal 2019 to $341,000 for fiscal 2023, with a maximum 6 percent increase per year.
-- Steve Bohnel Town tops off two new elementary schools-- The Valley Breeze Rhode Island: October 02, 2018 [ abstract] NORTH PROVIDENCE – The last steel beam was hoisted up and set in place atop the future Stephen Olney Elementary School last week, met by the excited cheers of the students who will reap the benefits of new construction.
The raising of the final piece of steel, celebrated with a “topping-off” ceremony attended by town and school officials, marked a milestone in the construction of the town’s two new elementary schools: Stephen Olney off Douglas Avenue and James L. McGuire Elementary School on Central Avenue.
A boy and a girl from each grade at both Olney and McGuire were randomly selected to sign the steel beams before construction crews lifted them into place. The students’ excitement was captured on camera by 6-year-old Oscar Chen, who snapped photos using a digital camera for his school yearbook at McGuire.
“I took like 500 pictures,” he exclaimed.
“That’s what it’s all about,” said School Committee Chairman Anthony Marciano. “Just seeing the looks on their faces … they know this is going to be their school. You can hear the excitement in the kids’ voices.”
-- NICOLE DOTZENROD New Audit Finds No Cause for Alarm Over APS Construction Costs-- ARL Now Virginia: October 01, 2018 [ abstract] Arlington may spend slightly more on school construction than some of the county’s peers around the D.C. region, but a long-awaited audit report suggests that the school system has done a decent job holding costs down in recent years.
Prepared by an independent firm for the School Board’s internal auditor and released today (Monday), the new analysis commends Arlington Public Schools for matching other dense urban areas like Alexandria and D.C. when it comes to the cost of new school construction. The audit found that the county does tend to spend more on architectural and engineering work than some of its neighbors, but analysts chalked up that discrepancy to Arlington’s challenges finding space for new schools.
APS has earned plenty of criticism for its spending on construction projects in recent years, particularly after a state analysis showed that the school system spent significantly more on the new Wakefield High School than other counties around the state did on comparable projects. The Board hired an internal auditor, John Mickevice, in 2014 as debate raged across the county about the costs of major construction efforts of all sorts, and he construction-costs/article_4454069c-b814-11e7-88af-77ae348cafa9.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 163, 216); font-weight: 700; padding: 2px 1px;">commissioned this review of costs last October.
In general, the audit found that the school system is hardly perfect when it comes to managing big projects — for instance, the analysts note that Arlington’s lengthy public engagement process does inevitably tend to drive costs up — and includes some suggestions about how APS might streamline some of its design and acquisition practices. But it also does not contain any sweeping indictment of the school system’s methods, finding that Arlington has often paid less per seat for its elementary and high schools than its neighbors.
“Even with our challenges, this shows we’re still in the ballpark with everyone else,” School Board member Barbara Kanninen, the chair of the Board’s audit committee, told ARLnow. “This idea that somehow we’re too extravagant is simply not confirmed… and it is a little bit validating.”
-- Alex Koma Officials Celebrate New South Street School, Say More Facilities Are Needed in Newark-- Tap Into Newark New Jersey: October 01, 2018 [ abstract] NEWARK, NJ - Diana Freeman, a seventh and eighth-grade science teacher at the newly constructed South Street School, said good teachers often make do without the latest technology or facilities.
Still, she appreciated her state-of-the-art science lab at the brand new South Street School, which was today heralded in with lawmakers and district officials during a school assembly.
“You do whatever you have to do,” said Freeman, who has been a teacher for over 30 years in the district. “But this is refreshing.”
The old South Street School was opened in the 1880s and all the classrooms were directly linked together without any hallways. That school is now closed, and the new facility at 44 Hermon St. bears the old school’s name.
The new pre-K to eighth-grade school features an open-space rooftop classroom that may also double as a playground where students can grow gardens. The three-story school also has a new gym with a specially padded floor, and the library and each classroom have fresh smartboards.
The property at 44 Hermon St. was bought by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority in 2004, records show. The $69.9 million project was constructed by an NJSDA subcontractor and then handed over to the district, which now owns the property, officials said.
“This is more than just a school, boys and girls,” NJSDA CEO Lizette Delgado Polanco said during the assembly. “This is a community gathering place. This is a safe haven. This is a place for athletics and the arts. This is a place, where you - our future leaders of tomorrow - will be educated."
-- REBECCA PANICO Arkansas House: Future school construction funding under study-- magnoliareporter.com Arkansas: September 30, 2018 [ abstract] Weekly column written for members of the Arkansas House of Representatives:
An advisory committee has spent the past year studying the efficiency of how the state pays for improvements to public school facilities.
The advisory panel is made up of educators, contractors, engineers and architects. It recommended to the legislature’s Education Committees that the state provide $90 million next fiscal year. This amount would provide incentives for local school districts and continue the progress that Arkansas schools have made since 2005 in upgrading school campuses.
Lawmakers on the Senate and House Education Committees will take up the recommendation, although a final decision on the amount of facilities funding will be up to the entire General Assembly.
Legislative budget hearings begin in October, in preparation for the regular session that begins in January.
Some elected officials believe that current funding amounts for school facilities cannot be sustained over the long term. Others say that the state is obligated to comply with its constitutional mandate to provide adequate academic facilities for all children in Arkansas, regardless of where they live.
-- Staff Author Audit Dispute: Lee Schools defends use of funds-- fox4now.com Florida: September 27, 2018 [ abstract] FORT MYERS, Fla. -- An audit from the Florida Auditor General questions how the Lee County School District spent tax payer money and whether administration is doing enough to keep students safe.
The report states 15 items the agency believes needs improvement. However, Lee County School District officials disagree with several of those findings. Read the full audit here.
Superintendent Greg Adkins finds the timing of the audit's release suspicious. In the upcoming election, voters will head to polls to vote on a half cent sales tax increase referendum the school district is hoping will help pay for new schools and added security. "In the last 16 years, I've never seen an audit like this," Adkins said. "Three anonymous phone calls were made to the auditors office, and then this thing started to go south."
The school district disputes several findings in the audit. They issued the following statement:
"The School District of Lee County strongly disputes many of the findings in a just released Operational Audit released by the Florida Auditor General. The report is focused on District operations during the 2016-2017 school year.
One finding questions how the District spends its impact fee dollars. Lee County, like others in the state including but not limited to Miami-Dade, Broward and Hillsborough Counties, uses revenue collected from impact fees to pay for debt on school construction. “Our expenditures pass the rational nexus test,” says Chief Financial Officer Greg Blurton. “We have spent impact fee dollars only for authorized purposes that are allowed under county ordinance, state law and case law.”
-- Staff Author County executive announces fast-tracking of two school construction projects-- LocalDVM.com Maryland: September 27, 2018 [ abstract] FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. - Thursday, County Executive Jan Gardner announced plans to tackle overcrowding in the east side of the county by advancing the design of two school construction projects.
"This would move up the design for the new east county elementary school by about six months, and would move up the design for an addition to Oakdale Middle School by two-and-a-half years. That's pretty significant,” explained Frederick County Executive, Jan Gardner.
The county executive got unanimous approval from the Frederick County Board of Education Wednesday night to move forward with fast-tracking the projects, but not without questions.
"One of our concerns was we didn't want to re-prioritize projects that were already in place. [Gardner] gave us that assurance that she could find the money to move those projects up without affecting the start date of our other projects," explained president of the Frederick County Board of Education, Brad Young.
Gardner says design work will be funded by impact and school construction fees paid for by developers.
The announcement comes as overcrowding continues to challenge county schools.
"What we've seen is a spike in certain areas and the Oakdale area is one of those areas where they're having more students than was projected," Young said.
Gardner will submit her first-ever supplemental budget to the Frederick County Council for approval to include the accelerated projects in the upcoming fiscal year.
-- Jasmine Pelaez New Bourne School Building Vision Becoming A Reality-- The Bourne Enterprise Massachusetts: September 27, 2018 [ abstract]
As Jane F. Norton walks through the unfinished halls of the new elementary school, she points to yet-to-be installed features: display cases, the skylights, and the gym bleachers.
Ms. Norton, who is principal of the James F. Peebles Elementary School, seems to see the school vividly, as though the construction were complete and there were already students in the hallways. Where someone may see steel beams and concrete, Ms. Norton sees a cafeteria, office, or auditorium.
Where there is drywall, Ms. Norton sees classrooms and lockers. She sees the dirt surrounding the building to be the parking lot, playground, and student drop-off locations that they will soon become.
Ms. Norton led a tour of the building on Monday, September 24, along with the construction supervisor, Mark Paulding. The group being led around the building consisted of members of a committee formed to help ease the transition of students into the building when the school is completed. Members of the group are teachers, parents, administrators, and school committee members.
Even though much of the interior is still skeletal, Ms. Norton knows exactly where every finished detail is going to be. She points out where the school’s stage is being built and how it will open up into the cafeteria and gymnasium.
As the tour is guided through the classroom hallways, she describes which grade level will be in each wing and what each common area will look like down to where the seating will be placed and said that the tables they have chosen are specially designed for working in teams. She notes that the 5th grade common area will be the largest, since they will be the senior students in the building.
-- KATIE GOERS Pullman to look at bond for school renovation-- Moscow-Pullman Daily News Washington: September 27, 2018 [ abstract]
The Pullman School District is considering proposing a new renovation bond to address capacity concerns at the Lincoln Middle School, Pullman Superintendent Bob Maxwell said during a state of the district address Wednesday evening.
LMS is the top priority in regards to facility concerns in the district, followed by a new transportation building and renovations to the Pioneer Center, Maxwell said.
Maxwell said LMS is reaching its maximum capacity and some teachers are having to share their teaching spaces and use carts to move between classrooms.
In 2002, voters passed a $15.4 million reconstruction bond to upgrade the school and increase its capacity to 700 students. The work was completed in 2004 and the original bond is set to expire in 2020.
Maxwell said an additional bond would be used to address space issues in the common areas, add additional classrooms and bathrooms.
He said ideally, the remodel bond would also not exceed the current collection rate.
"We need to take a look at it now so we don't get behind the curve," he said.
-- Katie Short Anne Arundel school board approves $172 million capital budget-- Capital Gazette Maryland: September 26, 2018 [ abstract] The Anne Arundel County school board on Wednesday night unanimously adopted Superintendent George Arlotto’s $172 million capital budget for fiscal year 2020.
The budget includes a $102 million allocation for major construction and renovation projects throughout the school district.
The board also adopted the superintendent’s six-year plan that outlines maintenance, renovation and new construction projects through fiscal year 2025.
During the public hearing portion of the meeting, advocates for Old Mill reconstruction thanked Arlotto for making room in the budget to break apart and renovate the cluster of schools. They say the massive project — estimated to cost almost $700 million and take 10 years to complete — is long overdue.
Arlotto, in the fiscal year 2020 capital budget, allocated $10 million to design Old Mill High School West, slated to be built on the former Papa John’s farm property in Severn.
Multimillion-dollar renovations are also planned for George Cromwell, Edgewater and Tyler Heights elementary schools.
-- Lauren Lumpkin Construction projects continue at schools-- The Franklin Sun Louisiana: September 26, 2018 [ abstract]
Summer construction work at area schools continue to stretch deep into the school year, said Superintendent Lanny Johnson.
Johnson said improving the parking area at the school in Gilbert was the largest project tackled by the school system. It was decided gray rock would be laid instead of concrete due to the discovery of water and gas pipes.
Johnson made those remarks at the School Board agenda meeting Monday.
construction projects are also ongoing at the multi-purpose building and gym at Franklin Parish High School. The batting facility at the high school moved a step closer toward completion with the wiring and lights being hung.
“The building program is going slow, too slow for me,” Johnson said. “I look for it to be done by Thanksgiving.”
Johnson also assured the School Board, that contractors would not receive final payment until a punch list was complete and he and the architect signed off on the work.
In other construction projects, Johnson said the old school building in Baskin was still scheduled to be torn down this summer. Maintenance crews were battling with water leaks in two-inch lines at several facilities in the parish. Hot water heaters also were installed in pre-k restrooms throughout the parish.
In other business, the School Board has begun reviewing requirements for graduation exercises.
School Board members hope to crack down on pre-graduation vandalism, which has been a problem in recent years.
“There is a difference between a prank and vandalism,” said School Board member Tim Eubanks.
-- Joe Curtis Quincy Public Schools Building Committee looks at resurfacing vs. upgrading Flinn track-- Herald-Whig Illinois: September 26, 2018 [ abstract] QUINCY -- State officials have denied several projects in the 2019 plan for health life safety work in Quincy Public Schools.
One major project denied was the estimated $450,000 to install a new running surface over the existing concrete paving on the track at Flinn Stadium. Superintendent Roy Webb said if the district holds a public hearing, then resubmits the request to the Illinois State Board of Education, the project will be approved.
"The issue with that is that's $450,000 to redo the six-lane track that's out there," School Board member Mike Troup told the Building Committee on Tuesday.
Upgrading to eight lanes all the way around -- instead of eight lanes in only a portion of the track -- would take the cost to an estimated $800,000 after factoring in moving bleachers and other existing fixtures.
Webb said the upgrade would be considered new construction, which is not covered under health life safety funding.
"The question is do we spend $450,000 of taxpayer money today or work with the booster club to see what they can raise ... to do what they really want to do," Troup said.
The Illinois High School Association requires eight-lane tracks for sectional meets.
"The question for the board and Building and Grounds is that $400,000 to $500,000 worth a sectional meet," Webb said. "Every other meet we can run there. We hosted the conference meet, run our own meets there. The only thing we miss out on is a sectional meet for $500,000 for one or two days every four, five or six years."
-- Deborah Gertz Husar BVSD school board considers how to spend unallocated school construction money-- Daily Camera Colorado: September 25, 2018 [ abstract] Air conditioning more schools, boosting the budget for renovations at Nederland schools and making up a shortfall to build a central kitchen are all possibilities as potential upcoming projects.
The Boulder Valley school board on Tuesday discussed priority projects that could be paid for with unallocated money from 2014's $576.5 million bond issue for capital construction projects.
The district has $6.8 million from bond premiums available and expects another $12 million to $18 million more when it sells its last round of bonds in January.
The district has another $7.5 million in reserves set aside for overruns. So far, with about 60 percent of the projects completed, the district has come in about 2 percent under budget.
-- Amy Bounds Ramsey moves forward with $42.9 million school construction referendum-- northjersey.com New Jersey: September 25, 2018 [ abstract] RAMSEY — The Board of Education gave the go-ahead Monday to seek state and county approvals to bring a $42.9 million, five-school construction proposal to voters on Dec. 11.
The measure is the first of two to be put to voters, and includes $5.8 million to renovate two of the district's three elementary schools — Hubbard and Tisdale — to accommodate all-day kindergarten.
Ramsey is the last school district in Bergen County with a half-day kindergarten program.
A second referendum, now scheduled for November 2019, will ask whether voters want to approve a "slight" tax increase to cover $760,000 in operating expenses to staff the all-day kindergarten program, which would go into effect for fall 2020.
The referendum follows a $2.5 million renovation of the district's 82-year-old high school building in 2017.
Cost by school
According to an April presentation on the referendum, the schools and proposed projects include:
-- Marsha Stoltz State Funding Match Okayed For Barranca Construction-- Los Alamos Daily Post New Mexico: September 25, 2018 [ abstract] The Public School Capital Outlay Council (PSCOC) has approved $8.8 million in state matching funds for the Barranca Mesa Elementary remodel project; the local match via Bond funding totals $10 million.
The total estimated cost for this project is $18.8 million. These funds will go to construction for renovation of the existing Barranca facilities.
“Thank you to the Los Alamos community for supporting this project, and thank you to the PSCOC Chair David Abbey and all the members of the committee,” Superintendent Kurt Steinhaus said.
The Public School Capital Outlay Council manages the allocation of state funding to public school facilities in New Mexico’s 89 school districts. They are charged with ranking schools based on greatest need for remodeling, and they consider proposals from school districts for matching funds.
The PSCOC includes representatives from the executive and legislative branches of government, such as members from the Governor’s Office, the Department of Finance & Administration, the Public Education Commission, the Legislative Education Study Committee, the Public Education Department, the New Mexico School Boards Association, the construction Industries Division, the Legislative Finance Committee and the Legislative Council Service.
The PSCOC reports to the Public School Capital Outlay Oversight Task Force, which is made up of legislators, senior leaders from school districts and charters, and members of the public.
-- Carol A. Clark Steel construction phase at new Ross Street School completed-- CentralJersey.com New Jersey: September 25, 2018 [ abstract] WOODBRIDGE — The steel construction phase of the new $30 million Ross Street Elementary School No. 11 in the downtown area is complete.
And to celebrate, township and school officials, including the fifth grade class at Ross Street, held a Topping-Off ceremony on Sept. 20 where attendees signed the structural steel beam before it was hoisted into place and secured atop the building’s frame.
“It is fitting that today we are well on the way to completing construction of the first new school in Woodbridge in more than 50 years,” Mayor John E. McCormac said. “The Topping-Off ceremony represents the unwavering commitment by the township administration, municipal council, school board and district administration, educators and residents to improve the future of education for all students in Woodbridge.”
Officials came together to break ground on the new school in July.
McCormac said officials are proud to be able to work together to make the schools in the township “the best they can be — not only in appearance — but in the quality of education received by each and every student.”
The mayor was joined by Schools Superintendent Robert Zega, Township Council members Nancy Drumm and Greg Ficarra, Board of Education member Joseph Velez, Ross Street School No. 11 Principal Tammy Giordano, students, representatives of DOBCO construction, Iron Workers Local No. 11 and LAN Associates, the project architect.
-- Kathy Chang ACS approves its capital project plan-- Alabaster Reporter Alabama: September 24, 2018 [ abstract] The Alabaster City School System will turn its attention to renovating and upgrading its existing facilities over the next couple of years, as the system’s largest construction project to date wraps up.
The city’s Board of Education approved the school system’s updated five-year capital plan during a Sept. 10 meeting.
Each year, school systems throughout the state are required to submit their five-year capital plans with the State Department of Education outlining funding amounts, funding years and years of expected completion for their capital projects.
Over the past few years, the capital plan’s largest project was the construction of the new Thompson High School, which opened to students last spring. With the new THS and all of its extracurricular facilities now nearly completed, the capital plan is now focusing on renovations to existing schools in the city.
Alabaster School Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers said the five-year capital plan is the school system planning for its future needs, and funding amounts for the projects included in the plan are not set in stone.
-- Neal Wagner School budget seeks $33 million for a new Talbott Springs Elementary-- Maryland: September 24, 2018 [ abstract] Howard County is moving ahead with a proposal to fund a new Talbott Springs Elementary School despite state school planners challenging the need for a new building.
In a capital budget proposal released earlier this month, schools Superintendent Michael Martirano is looking for nearly $33 million over three years for a replacement school in Columbia.
Martirano is recommending a $89.2 million capital budget for the 2020 budget year, as part of $938 million 10-year master plan for capital improvements, or major construction projects.
The school board approved the proposed budgets Thursday night, but made some changes. In the long range plan it was proposed to build a new middle and high school career development center to replace the existing Applications and Research Laboratory in Ellicott City, the board voted to remove it and instead use funds for a 14th high school and a renovation of Centennial High School, according to Kirsten Coombs, a school board member.
-- Jess Nocera BCSD growth prompts need for new facilities in coming years-- The Gazette South Carolina: September 21, 2018 [ abstract] With the continued regional growth that is projected for the coming years, Berkeley County School District will have to consider erecting a new middle school, two new elementary schools, and in the next decade or so, also a new high school.
However, a number of questions about how to properly plan for growth remain unanswered - one vital question being how the district will cover the related costs.
“That’s going to be a tough one,” said Tony Parker, the district's former superintendent.
Parker is also with consulting firm Harding Parker & Associates, LLC, which signed a contract with the district in July, though at the time there was controversy about whether the firm was even needed. At their Sept. 18 board meeting, board members reviewed the facilities master plan the firm compiled.
Parker said there have been conversations about a one-cent sales tax to help fund building new schools and renovating old ones, and there is also the idea of a bond referendum. Parker also brought up an impact fee on new construction.
“All of these are issues that are going to have to be considered by this board of education to come to a consensus on how do you address the growth that is going to be coming into Berkeley County in the future,” he said.
Mike Miller, founder of Numerix, LLC in Charleston, reviewed the area's growth forecast data. Miller said the forecast models are built from historic trends and future development potentials and are intended for medium to long-range planning – or three to 10 years.
Miller said the forecast predicted an average annual growth of 759 students in the district over the next decade, which equates to a growth rate of about 2.1 percent annually.
-- Monica Kreber Viroqua Area Schools referendum focuses on growth-- Vernon County Broadcaster Wisconsin: September 21, 2018 [ abstract] When voters in the Viroqua Area School District go to the polls for the fall general election Nov. 6, they will be asked to vote “yes” or “no” in a referendum to allow VAS to issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $36.82 million.
The bonds would pay the cost of a district-wide building and improvement program consisting of construction of additions for academic and other purposes at the elementary school, high school and Laurel High School; safety and security upgrades; remodeling and modernizing school buildings; capital maintenance and building infrastructure improvements; site and athletic improvements; and acquisition of related furnishings, fixtures and equipment.
“Vernon County was the fasted growing county in the state of Wisconsin last year, and at VAS we are running out of space for children,” District Administrator Dr. Kehl Arnson said. “The Board worked to develop a long-range plan that includes more space for our students to learn and grow.”
-- Angela Cina Wyoming commission votes down classroom capacity increase-- The Wichita Eagle Wyoming: September 21, 2018 [ abstract] A Wyoming schools commission will not max out elementary classroom sizes at 25 students following pushback from educators and some lawmakers.
The Casper Star-Tribune reports the state School Facilities Committee voted Thursday to maintain the current number of students that can be in a classroom.
Lawmakers and facilities officials say the proposed change aimed to allow schools to maximize space as the state moves toward maintaining its current inventory of school buildings.
Opponents, including the Wyoming Education Association, claimed the proposal was an attempt by lawmakers to cut spending on future construction.
-- Associated Press Greenpoint Toxic Site Near Potential School Inches Closer to Cleanup, Public Meeting on Project Set for Oct. 4-- Green Point Post New York: September 20, 2018 [ abstract] A toxic Superfund site in Greenpoint near the location of a potential school is steadily approaching a full-fledged cleanup, with a remediation process now proposed and a public meeting to discuss it set for two weeks time.
The former NuHart Plastic plant, located at 280 Franklin St., has been designated a New York State Superfund site since 2010, and is mainly contaminated underground with two dangerous chemicals—trichloroethylene and phthalates.
The site, in addition, is across the street from the proposed location of a public school, set to be built as part of the massive Greenpoint Landing development— a separate development now inextricably linked to the toxic site.
The two properties are at intersecting crossroads, where the school’s five-year hold on construction due to concerns about migrated toxins from the Superfund site is steadily coming up at the end of this year. The Superfund site, meanwhile, is under new owners who are in the midst of developing the location.
Now, after a meeting held this summer to inform the community on next steps for both sites, another milestone has been reached—a tentative plan that outlines how the developers will clean up the toxic site.
-- Nathaly Pesantez New Britain Mayor Sounds Alarm Over School Construction Monies-- Hartford Courant Connecticut: September 20, 2018 [ abstract] Alarmed that millions of dollars in state funding might be at risk, Mayor Erin Stewart is pressing the school system to resolve delays in filing crucial paperwork.
Until there’s a solution, the city might have to absorb $1 million to $2 million in short-term borrowing costs, Stewart said.
In a memo to Stewart last week, city Finance Director Lori Granato warned of an even more serious consequence. She said state aid for the $53 million Smalley School renovation and expansion might be in jeopardy, leaving the city to either pay the bills itself or halt construction.
“This is extremely disturbing. How in God’s name will we pay for this?,” Stewart wrote in a Sept. 14 memo to Granato.
Schools Superintendent Nancy Sarra, however, has told Stewart the situation is under control. The schools plan to submit all overdue documents to the state by Oct. 1, Sarra said in a memo to the mayor on Monday.
The dispute arose last week when Granato was in a conference call with officials from the state Department of Administrative Services.
The agency told Granato that New Britain schools were years behind in filing a final audit and other closing documentation for the $30 million Gaffney School renovation. construction ended more than three years ago.
Without that project officially closed, the state won’t supply its share of roughly $50 million in renovations costs for Smalley Academy, she said.
-- Don Stacom CMS and town officials meet to talk school construction. Will unity last?-- The Charlotte Observer North Carolina: September 19, 2018 [ abstract] It took months of threats and drama to get there, but Wednesday morning the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School board shared breakfast with officials from six municipalities to talk about the future of public schools.
“In this new environment, how are we best going to plan for the future to best take care of all of the kids in our district?” CMS board member Elyse Dashew asked the group, which also included state legislators and county commissioners.
“This new environment” includes a state bill passed this summer to authorize municipal charter schools, a CMS resolution to bump any towns that won’t renounce that option to the bottom of the construction list and moves this week by two of the towns to study the prospect of town charter schools.
At stake is the unity of a countywide school district formed 58 years ago. The city of Charlotte and five of six suburban towns — only Mint Hill was not represented — sent officials to hear the CMS pitch for working together for public education.
-- ANN DOSS HELMS Exploding toilets the latest issue in R.I. governor’s race-- Providence Journal Rhode Island: September 19, 2018 [ abstract] CRANSTON, R.I. — During the frigid first week of January, a frozen urinal pipe burst at Cranston High School East, flooding the boys’ bathroom, closing the school for five days and becoming the latest fodder in an already bitter Rhode Island gubernatorial campaign.
To hear Gov. Gina Raimondo tell it at a campaign event on Monday, Cranston Mayor and Republican rival for governor Allan Fung’s failure to invest in the city’s “crumbling schools” had led to a situation where “the toilets were literally exploding off the wall.”
Two days later, standing on a sidewalk in front of Cranston East, Raimondo repeated her criticism of Fung’s management of city schools while modestly walking back the description of “exploding toilets.”
″[Fung’s] own superintendent told me the story. That some of the windows were broken and didn’t lock. The pipes froze, and when they thawed, the urinals actually came off the wall. I don’t know why the mayor didn’t remember that. Maybe he didn’t care. But I was shocked by it because I do care.”
Although Raimondo said she learned of the Cranston East flooding from a meeting with the school district’s superintendent and Fung, district officials dispute her characterization of what happened in January.
“We have not had any exploding toilets at Cranston East or any other school in the district,” the Cranston Public Schools’ chief operating officer, Ray Votto, said in an email response to the Raimondo campaign. “The Cranston East flooding was caused by a window blowing open in the middle of the night. Cold air entered the restroom and froze a waterline that was connected to the toilets, causing the line to rupture, thus flooding parts of the school.”
Behind all the bathroom talk, there is a real policy debate: whether voters should approve a $250-million school construction bond in November.
-- Patrick Anderson Queen Creek school district building new school in fast-growing area-- KTAR News Arizona: September 19, 2018 [ abstract] PHOENIX — construction is underway for a new elementary school in one of the fastest growing school districts in the Valley.
The new school, which hasn’t been given a name, is being built on 15 acres near Ellsworth and Ray roads in Mesa. It’s in the northern part of the Queen Creek Unified School District’s boundaries.
The 89,000-square-foot school will serve up to 950 students in pre-K through fifth grade and employ about 70 certified and classified employees.
Jim Lamb, director of bond projects and construction for the Queen Creek Unified School District, said the school will sit on one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. It’s located in Cadence at Gateway and across the street from Eastmark – two master-planned communities in the East Valley.
“The school is really being built to accommodate that hypergrowth in the area,” Lamb said.
construction for the school will cost $20.5 million, which will be paid for with funds from the Arizona Schools Facilities Board and a voter-approved bond.
-- GRISELDA ZETINO Washington County BOE to request $21 million for projects-- Herald-Mail Media Maryland: September 19, 2018 [ abstract] Washington County Public Schools will ask for nearly $21 million from state and local governments to fund four projects in the upcoming fiscal year.
The board of education on Tuesday unanimously passed a motion approving its capital-improvement program, or CIP, for fiscal year 2020. The request will now be sent to the state for approval.
The CIP outlines specific planning and funding requests for construction, renovations, additions and systematic projects — like HVAC or roof replacements — that qualify for state funding.
Chief Operating Officer Jeff Proulx said the CIP was a companion document to the Educational Facilities Master Plan, which was approved in June and shared with the county commissioners at a recent joint meeting.
The request includes $12.53 million for the new Sharpsburg Elementary School, broken down into $6.511 million from the state and $6.019 million from the local government. This is the second CIP request for the school, which will open in August 2020.
Also requested is the third CIP installment for the BOE share of the downtown urban-improvement project for $4.707 million. The project is expected to be completed in May 2020.
-- Alexis Fitzpatrick SBA OKs money for financially distressed county, digital building plans-- Charleston Gazette-Mail West Virginia: September 18, 2018 [ abstract]
The West Virginia School Building Authority’s board voted Monday to award Calhoun County the first money from a fund the Legislature mandated to provide “emergency grants to financially distressed” counties.
The board also approved paying about $120,000 annually to establish a digital system for counties’ decade-long plans for school constructions, closings and renovations, called Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plans [CEFPs].
The state will pay North Carolina-based Dude Solutions Inc., which it already pays to provide a school building preventive maintenance software program, to provide this new service.
Separately, state Department of Education Executive Communications Director Kristin Anderson said the education department is putting $410,000 toward the new service.
In a law passed in 2017 (House Bill 2561), state lawmakers required the SBA to maintain at least a $600,000 fund to help school systems that are “either in deficit or on the most recently established watch list established by the Department of Education of those counties at-risk of becoming in deficit.” The law says the “emergency grants” are to be for “making repairs or performing urgent maintenance.”
-- Ryan Quinn Sioux Falls Voters Approve $190 Million Bond for School Construction-- SDPB Radio South Dakota: September 18, 2018 [ abstract] Sioux Falls voters overwhelmingly approve a bond that will fund construction of three new schools. The $190 million bond will also fund security and other improvements on the district’s other campuses.
The Sioux Falls School District needed at least 60% affirmative votes to pass the bond. In the end, nearly 85% of voters support funding the construction of new facilities.
The bond issue was largely driven by continued growth in the Sioux Falls school district, which is resulting in crowding issues. This bond will cover construction of a new elementary, middle and high school, along with other improvements district wide. The new schools are expected to be completed by 2024.
-- JACKIE HENDRY Klamath County School District construction crews finish summer projects-- Herald and News Oregon: September 16, 2018 [ abstract]
Before school started last week, six fifth- and sixth-grade teachers at Peterson Elementary School spent at least a week moving supplies, books and other curriculum materials from modulars and the main school building to classrooms in a new building on campus.
Students were greeted with new desks, SMART technology, painted concrete floors and bright windows.
Stephanie Hull, who teachers fifth grade, said moving a classroom takes time, but she was pleased with the new space. “Not every teacher is lucky enough to have a new room,” she said. Hull, a Mazama High School graduate, has taught in the district for 27 years.
The new building features six classrooms, restrooms and a small break room area for teachers. Plans include doubling the size of the parking lot adjacent to new building, and workers before school started Sept. 4 leveled and graveled the area along Clinton Avenue. Future plans include paving the area to create permanent parking.
Peterson, with 600 students, is one of the largest elementary schools in the district.
The Peterson Elementary School classroom building was just one of a dozen projects the district’s maintenance crew took on this summer. The 13-member crew includes plumbers, electricians and carpenters.
-- MARCIA SCHLOTTMANN School facilities levy sparks contrasting outlooks-- The Athens News Ohio: September 16, 2018 [ abstract]
On Sept. 13, The Athens NEWS toured some of the Athens City School District facilities in need of the most updates. This reporter took photos of some of the visible signs of deterioration and other issues. A detailed slideshow can be found here.
The long-running debate over a plan to update Athens City School District facilities is continuing as voters in the district consider whether to approve or reject a proposed 30-year tax levy that would partially fund a master plan for new and renovated facilities.
The master plan depends on the Ohio Facilities construction Commission supplying 32 percent of the funding for the project, which would include:
• construction of two new pre-kindergarten to third-grade school buildings on the current sites of East and Morrison-Gordon elementary schools.
• A new high school for grades 9-12 on the site of the current Athens High School building.
• A complete renovation of The Plains Elementary School, which would house grades 4-6, that would include the current building and a significant addition.
• Renovation of the Athens Middle School, which would house 7-8 grades.
Some parents and residents in the district claim that the proposed facilities plan would solve many of the issues students and staff members face in the current school buildings, and would leave behind new and updated buildings that would serve the district for decades in the future.
Meanwhile, other parents and residents argue that the proposed levy is asking too much of families without promising enough in return.
-- Kayla Beard Construction begins on project to convert Howell School building to senior living apartments-- Dothan Eagle Alabama: September 15, 2018 [ abstract]
After being inactive for decades, “The Old Lady” is finally receiving the makeover she deserves.
Refurbishing and construction in and around the old Howell School building began about two weeks ago, said Joe Donofro, architect for a project to convert the property into senior citizens apartments. Plans for the development, called Twin Peaks, include installing 22 apartments inside the Howell building while constructing two wings that will increase apartment offerings to a total of 55.
Donofro began efforts to revitalize the building, one of only a handful specifically listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Dothan, in 2008. After a couple of contractors backed out of the project, Rob Coats of The Banyan Foundation agreed to help develop the project in 2014, Donofro said.
From there, developers had to create plans and gain approval from various commissions in the city – including the Historic Preservation Commission since the building is located in the NBCAR (Newton-Burdeshaw-Cherry-Appletree-Range) National Historic District. Plans also had to gain approval from the National Park Service and the Alabama Historic Preservation since the project involved a building of historical significance.
-- Jeremy Wise Drainage delays may push back Danbury elementary school project-- The Facts Texas: September 15, 2018 [ abstract] DANBURY — A failure to gain drainage district approval could set back the construction timeline for Danbury ISD’s new elementary school if plans are not resolved soon.
The board of directors for Brazoria County Drainage District No. 8, which covers Danbury, denied approval of engineering plans for the school’s retention pond during its meeting Thursday. Engineers cited the need to clearly delineate the difference between the school’s retention system and public ditches before they could move forward.
The decision comes in the same week the school district hoped it could start work on the elementary school project, which voters funded through an $18.7 million bond measure last November. The project was initially scheduled to finish in time for the 2019 school year, but that timeline was already moved back to December 2019 because of contracting issues, The Facts previously reported.
-- codi kozacek SOIL TESTING SCHEDULED FOR SITE OF NEW SOMERS MIDDLE SCHOOL-- Daily Inter Lake Montana: September 15, 2018 [ abstract] Geotechnical engineers will return to Somers Middle School next week to take additional soil samples of the site before new design plans are finalized. The goal is to start construction in spring 2019.
“We’re just drilling to confirm what we think is there,” said Joshua Smith of Slopeside Engineering.
construction was set to begin this spring on a $15.8 million addition and renovation to the existing building, but was stopped before it began when soil reports revealed a worst-case scenario: wet, loose, sandy soil susceptible to soil liquefaction — when soil behaves like a liquid, typically during an earthquake. Soil liquefaction causes settling, and, in the case of the original construction plans, the potential for differential — uneven settling that usually leads to structural damage.
Architects returned to the drawing board. L’Heureux Page Werner Architect Max Grebe said that, according to modern building codes, the school needed to be designed and constructed to withstand a 6.0 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter a little more than six miles away.
Smith anticipated finding a soil composition similar to the one which halted construction. However, he said that such risky soil composition might not be as close to the surface, and that the surface of the relocated school site is more uniform.
“We don’t have as much differential settlement to deal with, however, we still anticipate hitting liquefiable soil. I think mitigation measures will be necessary,” Smith said. He predicted these measures wouldn’t be cost prohibitive, like the original plans.
-- HILARY MATHESON Substantial Completion for Montville Schools' Construction Projects-- Tap Into Montville New Jersey: September 15, 2018 [ abstract] MONTVILLE, NJ – Business Administrator Katine Slunt said the school district is at “substantial completion” for all of the construction projects that had been planned for this summer and early fall.
Speaking at the Montville Township Public Schools Board of Education meeting Sept. 4, she said, “All of our projects except for the air conditioning project at the high school are at substantial completion.” She said the bleachers were being installed and the floors being done over the next two weeks, which would finish up the gym at the high school.
“Substantial completion is not necessarily ‘completion,’” she clarified. “What it means is that we have met the basic requirements of what we contracted for and that we have our certificate of occupancy – we’ve received all of our inspections. We still have punch lists. We still have items that need to be installed and finished up and that will be ‘completion.’ [By] the meeting at the end of the month, we should be finished with most of the projects, and I’ll be able to provide photos of the befores and afters.
“The air conditioning for the 300 and 400 wing of the high school will be substantially completed by the end of September. The plan was to slowly roll out the air conditioning in all the other buildings. As the students came back to school [Sept. 4], there should not be the expectation that every space would be air conditioned. Unfortunately, the amount of air conditioning that’s required and the process that needs to go on to do that mechanically [could not be] accomplished in the summer – and we did not plan to accomplish that this summer. That project will continue to roll out throughout the fall, into the spring, and throughout next summer.”
-- MELISSA BENNO Lawmaker: State overspent for school construction costs in excess of $100 million-- Daily Local News Pennsylvania: September 14, 2018 [ abstract] One of the facets of school costs that can drive up property tax bills is large-scale infrastructure projects. Many school buildings across Pennsylvania are many decades old and require costly maintenance or replacement.
The traditional way that such a project gets completed is by putting out a notice to builders that they can bid on the contract, and then the lowest bid that meets the contract’s stipulations wins the job. But another method that has seen some popularity in Pennsylvania and across the country largely circumvents the public bid process, drawing accusations that it has left taxpayers on the hook for inappropriately inflated expenses.
The Pennsylvania House State Government Committee held an informational hearing Thursday to look at the topic in relation to legislation proposed by Rep. Jesse Topper, R-Bedford. His bill would end the practice of using cooperative purchasing agreements to arrange for school infrastructure projects.
“We certainly live and operate in a time when school districts are looking for any opportunity to save money,” Topper told committee members. “We also know that a huge cost to school districts is any kind of a construction project, whether it be a roofing project, an expansion, renovation.
“And so we're just looking to make sure that this system that we have currently in place that offers not only competitive bidding but also this cooperative purchasing for construction is actually working,” he continued. “I think there have been cases across the state where it has not been working.”
-- Dave Lemery Middle school costs explained-- The Valley Reporter Vermont: September 13, 2018 [ abstract] The cost of four options for the middle schools in the local school district range from $7 million to $17 million.
Community members heard details on the four options on Wednesday, September 5, when members of the Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD) executive committee explained the four possible scenarios for Harwood Union Middle School and Crossett Brook Middle School and their costs.
The executive committee is comprised of some members of the HUUSD Board, school principals, the TruexCullins architectural firm, and ReArch, the construction manager that the board hired. The cost of middle school renovations, regardless of which option is selected, are in addition to an estimated $19 million needed to upgrade Harwood Union High School.
In the first proposal, renovation would happen at Harwood Union Middle School with no work done at Crossett Brook and with no change in student status quo. Harwood Union Middle School would be expanded with the addition of two wings, one on either side of the existing middle school, and a renovation to the existing middle school space. There would be team spaces and administrative suites and the space would be self-contained. This plan costs an estimated $7,035,929 – subject to change.
The second option, would be renovation and additions to Harwood Union Middle School with no work to Crossett Brook, with the proposed wings, plus a new gym space attached onto the building and 10,000 feet of renovation to the existing middle school. This space would be self-contained. The new gym option would have an eating area for the middle school and new classrooms for health, art and music. This renovation would cost an estimated $12,498,688 -- subject to change.
Option three also involves work only at Harwood Union Middle School and features the addition of an entire second floor. The renovation would be the same as the proposed second option with an elevator access to the second floor. All seventh- and eighth-grade students in the district would attend Harwood Union Middle School, and Crossett Brook would host the Waterbury and Duxbury fifth- and sixth-graders only. This would mean the addition of new staff to accommodate the influx of students. The board members present expressed the dire need of more parking spaces. This plan would cost an estimated $17,471,489.
-- Katie Martin New School Building Options Presented - Brevard NC-- The Transylvania Times North Carolina: September 13, 2018 [ abstract] On Monday evening, Chad Roberson of the architectural firm Clark Nexsen provided the Transylvania County Board of Education with preliminary schematic options for RosmanHigh/Middle School and Brevard High School.
Roberson said the options are not final plans, but are working documents broad in nature that would be revised based on constant feedback from the school board, administrators, teachers and the community. Revised versions of the options should be presented at another board meeting on Sept. 24. The school system's current goal is for the changes to occur after passage of a $68 million bond referendum in November. Roberson said Rosman High/Middle School is a "much more challenging" site than Brevard High due to the topography.
"The Rosman campus is much more limited," he said. "It is very steep at Rosman."
Portions of the campus cannot be built upon because the slope of the land is greater than 30 degrees.
The other challenge is that much of the property used for athletics is close to or in the floodplain. Due to underground springs and rain flowing down from the slopes, storm water removal is a key consideration when it comes to planning new construction. Roberson said the school has limited parking and students often are dropped off on the street in front of the school. In addition, parts of the school, such as the athletic fields, field house and farm, are separated from the main campus by a few roads.
Roberson said the firm had completed one option for Rosman High/Middle School, but it is investigating another option.
-- John Lanier Philip R. Smith community makes school transition seamless-- Journal Inquirer Connecticut: September 13, 2018 [ abstract]
SOUTH WINDSOR — Philip R. Smith Elementary School Principal Michelle Dixon has smoothly transferred her community of 400 students and 55 staff to a temporary new home, the old Orchard Hill Elementary School building, where they will stay for two school years.
The move is a part of the town’s Ten-Year Elementary Facilities Master Plan, which began with constructing a new Orchard Hill school and leaving the old one as a transition space for students.
With the plan now in its second phase, the original Philip R. Smith building will be demolished to make way for a new school in the same location at 949 Avery St.
The 400 students, in kindergarten through fifth grade, had their first day of school at the Orchard Hill swing space, at 350 Foster St., on Aug. 29.
Although the first school day ended early as temperatures soared into the 90s, Dixon considers the start of the school year a well-orchestrated success.
“I don’t think this transition could have gone any smoother,” she said. “Right off the bat, students felt at home.”
Dixon, who is in her seventh year as principal, has been preparing for almost a year to make the old Orchard Hill building feel like a home for the Philip R. Smith community.
The first steps began in October and November, when she and staff members mapped out the building.
Classroom teachers, 19 in total, visited the space in April and then began packing up furniture and items after the last day of school in June. Within two weeks everything was delivered to teachers’ classrooms, Dixon said.
“All the planning we did brought us closer together,” she said.
-- Katherine Eastman Future of new West Ada high school hangs in the balance-- 7KTVB Idaho: September 12, 2018 [ abstract] ADA COUNTY — Growth is the theme of the Treasure Valley; our housing and construction markets are booming, industry and jobs are growing, and we continue to top lists for best places to live in America.
But all that growth is leading to overcrowding in our schools, particularly in the West Ada School District. To alleviate that, the district is hoping to build a new high school by 2020. But Meridian Planning and Zoning recommended denial of their plan last week, likely delaying that timeline.
The new school is going to be called Owyhee High School, and it would help alleviate overcrowding at area high schools. West Ada says Eagle High School is almost 300 kids over capacity, Rocky Mountain is about 640 students over, Mountain View High School is about 440 students over capacity, and with nearly 9,000 approved new home sites in Meridian High School's current attendance zone, that school will be bursting at the seams, too.
West Ada School District Chief Communications Officer Eric Exline says those approved home sites alone will bring 2,000 high school kids to that area alone over the next several years - which is roughly the population of a whole high school.
The future site of Owhyee High School is off Ustick Road just west of McDermott Road in unincorporated Ada County. Right now there's not much except a dairy farm, a couple houses, and corn fields surrounding the land.
"We never got any indication that we had a problem," Exline told KTVB. "Never really thought we were going to be turned down on a school proposal. This is the first time I've ever experienced that."
But that's the reality the West Ada School District is facing.
-- Morgan Boydston Roseburg elementary schools getting seismic upgrades-- The News-Review Oregon: September 12, 2018 [ abstract]
A seismic upgrade for one Roseburg elementary school is nearing completion while work has begun on another school in the district, thanks to grants from the state of Oregon to improve school buildings that have been identified as high risk in a major earthquake.
The seismic upgrade at Green Elementary, which is being performed by Vitus construction from Gold Hill, started with preliminary work in April, but the main construction project was completed during the summer vacation while students were out of the building.
Green was the first elementary school in the district school to be targeted for upgrades, after it was determined to be “very high risk” by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries.
The agency conducted a statewide seismic needs assessment of critical facilities, that included public schools and community college buildings.
With the exception of two modular classrooms, the entire Green school campus got an upgrade.
Officials expect the finish work to take several more weeks, but that work can be completed while the students are in class.
“The main seismic upgrades have all taken place, and we have students back in their chairs, and we started school right on time,” said Tracy Grauf, physical plant manager for the Roseburg School District.
-- Dan Bain SKSD seeks City Council’s endorsement for school facilities measures-- Kitsap Daily News Washington: September 12, 2018 [ abstract] PORT ORCHARD — At the invitation of the Port Orchard City Council, South Kitsap School District residents were given an opportunity to see a presentation by Superintendent Karst Brandsma that outlined the district’s two propositions — one a bond measure, the other a capital projects levy — that voters will consider when they cast their ballots on Nov. 6.
At the end of Brandsma’s pitch, district residents who attended the hearing had their chance to voice their opinions. Predictably, their views were mixed, with a handful taking issue with the school board’s November election propositions.
The $184 million bond measure — Proposition 1 on the ballot — would fund construction of a second comprehensive high school in the South Kitsap School District that would house approximately 1,500 students in grades 9-12. According to school district officials, the 240,000-square-foot building would address crowding and safety concerns at both the new campus and the existing South Kitsap High School.
A second measure — Proposition 2 — is a $21-million capital projects levy that would address areas Brandsma said the district has identified in which it is deficient: safety and security, capital project renovations and technology upgrades.
Brandsma said the district received about 800 responses earlier this year to a survey from parents, staff and community members concerning school facility needs and challenges. One of their concerns, not surprisingly, was about raising taxes.
-- Bob Smith Wausa OKs $3 Million Bond Issue-- Yankton Daily Nebraska: September 11, 2018 [ abstract] WAUSA, Neb. — The Wausa, Nebraska, school facilities are about to receive a major facelift, including replacement of a 105-year-old building.
By a 3-1 margin, Wausa school district voters approved a $3 million bond issue. The all-mail balloting ended Tuesday, with the bond issue passing 315-102, or 76 percent approval. The measure required a simple majority.
Superintendent Brad Hoesing said he was pleased with the decisive margin.
"On behalf of our staff and students, I am very grateful that the patrons of Wausa took action and approved our bond referendum," he told the Press & Dakotan." Our community has, time and again, worked hard to ensure that Wausa Public School will continue to thrive now and in the future."
The 417 returned ballots represent about 60 percent of the 691 ballots mailed to Wausa school patrons, according to figures from Knox County Clerk Joann Fischer.
The bond issue, along with available district funds, will finance the estimated $4.35 million project. The plans call for renovating and improving portions of the district’s existing K-12 school building and for constructing one or more additions to the school building.
The timetable calls for completing the work by fall 2022.
The bond issue means a home with a valuation of $100,000 will see a tax increase of $20 annually, according to figures from the school district. For ag land, the tax increase will vary for different valuations of dry and irrigated land.
From fire code and accessibility issues to the presence of bats, the Wausa school board determined the current facilities are unsafe and inadequate. The project includes replacing the 1913 structure and renovating other current facilities. The work will be completed in phases.
-- RANDY DOCKENDORF Hobart gears up for more students; adds classrooms-- Chicago Tribune Illinois: September 10, 2018 [ abstract] Bracing for residential growth in Hobart, the school board backed an option last week to add four additional classrooms to its new elementary school.
The board awarded $18,268,330 in construction bids for the school at its Sept. 6 meeting.
The board selected an alternate option to add the four classrooms in the 70,000-square-foot-school at a cost of $527,761, said Superintendent Peggy Buffington. She said the contingencies were built into the school’s budget.
Buffington referred to Mayor Brian Snedecor’s speech in August when he announced his re-election bid.
“The mayor is running on a platform of increased housing,” said Buffington, citing the proposed Cressmoor Estates development, northeast of the new school. It includes 447 single family homes, duplexes and townhouses. More residential development is being discussed along 61st Avenue, as well.
“It’s the smartest financial idea,” said board president Terry Butler. “We have some property that’s going to be developed in a pretty large tract. Better to plan for more students now,” he said.
-- Carole Carlson Facing waves of new families, LUSD sets date for next school-- Tracy Press California: September 08, 2018 [ abstract] MOUNTAIN HOUSE — Lammersville Unified School District trustees voted unanimously to hire Roebbelen Contracting as the general contractor to build Julius Cordes Elementary School, during their regular board meeting Wednesday night.
According to Superintendent Kirk Nicholas, construction on the $42 million campus is slated to begin January or February. He said the school would be paid for through Mello-Roos taxes, matching state funds and the state construction bond from Proposition 51.
Nicholas warned that the state had been slow to process the proposition funding, so LUSD might have to provide short-term financing for part of the project.
“We are on track to start and finish when we want to finish,” he said. “At this point in time, there is some frustrations with the state process and the manner in which Prop. 51 dollars are being doled out to school districts.”
Due to Mountain House’s rapid housing growth, he said the need for the new school — the district’s seventh K-8 campus — is also growing rapidly. It is expected to house 775 students by the time Cordes Village is built out in the southeast part of the town.
“One of the things that we’re facing is more than one village is being built at one time, and so the numbers are going up at a quicker rate than normal,” Nicholas said. “The growth is good; it’s extraordinary right now. We’re excited.”
-- Denise Ellen Rizzo Old schools, hot buildings: A public health concern?-- The Inquirer Pennsylvania: September 08, 2018 [ abstract]
When Rafi Cave dropped his daughter off at school Friday, it felt like a revelation — it was the first time since classes began Sept. 4 that children at Evans Elementary in Yeadon had a full day's instruction.
"We're a week into school, and she hasn't met her reading teacher yet," Cave, a member of the Yeadon Borough Council, said of his fourth grader, Ryen.Last week's late-summer heat wave forced schools from Philadelphia and Camden to Tredyffrin/Easttown and Cheltenham to call multiple early dismissals in the nascent school year.
To Gina Curry, a member of the Upper Darby school board, the fact that many school systems were unable to cool their buildings is a symptom of a larger problem.
"This is not just a matter of air-conditioning units," Curry said. "It's about a failing infrastructure. This is a public health concern."For many districts, the cooling challenge isn't limited to installing units: Wiring old buildings is expensive. And in Pennsylvania, where schools are funded heavily by local property taxes, and state money for school construction has withered, the costs can be prohibitive for poorer districts.
-- Kristen A. Graham and Maddie Hanna Sweltering schools bring up age-old infrastructure problem in Pennsylvania-- WITF Pennsylvania: September 08, 2018 [ abstract] (Philadelphia) -- A recent heat wave in Southeastern Pennsylvania has education advocates calling for more state funding for school infrastructure upgrades. Temperatures in the mid- and upper-90s forced the School District of Philadelphia's to dismiss classes early five times in under two weeks. Only about a quarter of the city's public schools have air conditioning. And some suburban schools also have only fans.
Crumbling schools need repair, and the recent hot weather shows how vital it is to improve facilities, said Gina Curry, a school board director in nearby Upper Darby.
"We have buildings that are in tremendous need of repair, and that takes away from instruction and the quality of it because they can't focus because it's too hot or too cold," she said at a Friday press conference organized by local politicians.
State Rep. Leanne Kruger-Braneky, D-Delaware, said the state should put more of a priority on its PlanCon program, an initiative used to help districts with some of the costs of building new schools.
"The Republicans have control of the House and Senate, and so they decide what bills get run," she said.
A recent bi-partisan construction-program-but-funding-remains-a-question/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(156, 0, 0); text-decoration-line: none;">proposal says school repairs and renovations should also be eligible for PlanCon reimbursement funds. The program, though, stopped accepting any applications from school districts in 2015.
Even when it existed, annual PlanCon funding was a drop in the bucket compared with the massive school infrastructure needs across the state.
-- Tom MacDonald Where will the next St. Johns County high school be built? This school board member has a good idea.-- The St. Augustine Record Florida: September 08, 2018 [ abstract] St. Johns County School Board member Beverly Slough hears the question at least once a month.
“When are we going to get a new high school?”
Slough, who represents District 1 schools in the northwest part of the county, said this week the school board and the St. Johns County School District not only has pretty good idea when the next high school will be built, but it also has a likely location picked out.
The most probable site, according to Slough, is a 43-acre plot of land owned by the St. Johns County School Board located just off County Road 210 between the Sandy Creek and Twin Creeks housing developments. Planning for the school’s construction could start as early as 2020, Slough said. If built, the high school would be the fourth high school to pop up along the CR 210 artery and would be located just a few miles from Nease High School.
“Now it’s just about having money for construction,” Slough said.
The borrowing capacity needed for the construction of a new high school is expected to be available in 2021 after the district pays off a $150 million loan that it took in 2005 to build five new schools, according to Nicole Cubbedge, Director for Facilities Planning and Growth Management for SJCSD.
“It’s like when you pay off a car and now you have revenue to put towards a new car,” Cubbedge said.
School board members Patrick Canan and Kelly Barrera agree constructing a new high school in the northern part of the county is a priority in large part due to the current student populations of Nease and Bartram Trail High Schools. If the new school were to be built between the two schools on CR 210, it could solve some of the current overcrowding issues.
-- Travis Gibson Woodbridge: Oak Tree Road School unveils $8M renovation-- MyCentralJersey.com New Jersey: September 08, 2018 [ abstract] WOODBRIDGE - Oak Tree Road School No. 29 on Wednesday became the first fully-renovated township school district building to open in nearly 50 years.
The school, which cost $8M to renovate, welcomed 520 first- through fifth-grade students. On Friday, a ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony took place after school.
“Today’s ceremonial ribbon-cutting represents a significant commitment by the township administration, the Woodbridge Township School Board and district administration, the municipal council, educators, teachers, professional staff, parents, students and residents to improve the future of education for all students in Woodbridge,” Mayor John E. McCormac said. “We are proud to be able to work together to make our schools the best they can be, not only in appearance, but in the quality of education received by each and every student.”
McCormac and Superintendent of Schools Robert Zega noted the project got underway in 2017 after voters approved a referendum that established district-wide full-day kindergarten and new school construction and upgrades to existing school facilities and buildings.
-- Bob Makin A big pair of scissors makes it official: Grant's massive renovation is history-- Missourian Missouri: September 07, 2018 [ abstract]
A song rang out Friday morning through Grant Elementary School’s packed gymnasium as a chorus of all ages celebrated a recently completed addition:
“We are one, standing hand in hand,” they sang.
In addition to Grant’s 300 or so students and their teachers and staff members, the event drew a vibrant range of guests: an alumna from 80 years ago, construction workers who labored on the yearlong project, Columbia City Council and Chamber of Commerce members, parents, former teachers and residents of the South Garth Avenue neighborhood.
In the moments leading up to the ribbon-cutting — complete with the requisite pair of oversized scissors — teachers and students did a call-and-response rendition of the school’s unifying motto: “I am Grant School.”
“It’s beautiful, it’s so beautiful,” said Betty Kemper, who attended Grant in 1935 and 1936 and happens to be the grandmother of school principal Jen Wingert.
-- DAVID COLTON Sidney patrons hear info on school facilities needs-- KMA Land Iowa: September 06, 2018 [ abstract] (Sidney) -- Discussion on a possible facilities project continues in the Sidney School District.
School officials Wednesday night held the first in a series of "community engagement sessions" at the Sidney Junior-Senior High School commons. Speaking on KMA's "Morning Line" program Thursday morning, Sidney School Superintendent Tim Hood says between 60-to-70 people attended the meeting, in which patrons learned where the district is at in terms of a future building project, and how it got there.
"I kind of went through the process we used to hire a construction management firm (Boyd Jones) and our architectural firm (Alley Poyner Macchietto)," said Hood. "Then, we basically turned it over to the architect firm. They went through every one of our building sites, and some of the things that needed to be addressed within a year, then one to three years, five years, and then 10 years. And then, they did their best estimate on some of those costs."
Hood says some of the more immediate needs at the junior-senior high school include installing a new fire alarm system, and ADA-related improvements--such as a new elevator for the building's two-tier gym.
"Last thing that we want to do is, if we got to a bond referendum, and do something, then all of a sudden have to go back to our public, and say, 'oh, by the way, we have all these other things that we have to address, too,'" he said. "We want everybody to know from the very beginning of this where we think we are with our present facilities, and those are things that need to be considered in this conversation."
-- Mike Peterson Air-conditioning problems plaguing Guilford schools; one school dismissed early-- News & Record North Carolina: September 05, 2018 [ abstract] GREENSBORO — The cooling systems in more than two-thirds of Guilford County’s public schools have had problems or service interruptions this academic year, which began last week for most students, just as temperatures rose.
School maintenance staff and contractors have had to go to 81 schools to address air-conditioning problems this school year, some of them multiple times, Chief Operating Officer Scott McCully said. The district has 117 schools, not including nine that are located on college campuses.
Southwest Middle School students went home about 1 p.m. Aug. 29, the third day of school, after the cooling system for the entire building shut down.
District maintenance staff responded promptly to the school after staff discovered the problem first thing that morning, Principal Alisa Armond said.
As the day went on, she said, condensation formed on the floors in the cafeteria and common areas due to the heat and they had to put down sheets of construction paper in the walkways to prevent people from slipping.
“I didn’t look at thermostats; it was very warm, I will say that,” she said.
When maintenance staff realized they didn’t have a part they needed to get the repair done right away, Armond said, district leaders decided to cancel school. Maintenance staff fixed the issue that evening and students came back to a cool school the next morning, said Armond, who added that they’ve had no problems since.
-- Jessie Pounds Morton School Board pledges property tax freeze if school facilities sales tax passes-- Journal Star Illinois: September 04, 2018 [ abstract] MORTON — If voters pass a 1 percent Tazewell County school facilities sales tax question Nov. 6, here’s what the Morton School Board will do:
It will use the revenue to pay off bonds issued for a construction project for four years starting in 2020 and not raise the School District’s 2018 tax levy (taxes payable in 2019) by the consumer price index, as Tazewell taxing bodies do annually in their tax-capped county.
The district would lose an estimated $700,000 in revenue for the 2019-2020 fiscal year by not raising the levy by 2.5 percent, the 2017 consumer price index.
Because of the nuances of the tax cap law, it’s estimated the district would lose almost $30 million in compounded revenue over a 25-year span because of the one-year property tax levy freeze.
-- Steve Stein Pasco School Board nixes capital fund sharing with charter schools-- Tampa Bay Times Florida: September 04, 2018 [ abstract] Citing concerns about promising money they can't assure, Pasco County School Board members on Tuesday killed an effort to craft a plan for sharing capital funds with local charter schools.
"Our budget changes every year," board member Steve Luikart observed. "We can't guarantee something that is not guaranteed to us."
District officials brought the idea of creating a sharing plan, based on criteria such as student demographics and performance standards, to the board in early August. They did so at the behest of charter operators, who worried that without some arrangement they might have no money in 2019-20 to cover maintenance and facilities expenses.
Related coverage: Pasco School Board to discuss whether to share capital funding with charter schools
Their concerns stemmed from legislation that exempts school districts with high debt ratios for construction projects from sharing their property tax revenue with the charters. Lawmakers fully covered a charter construction and maintenance budget of about $150 million this year, but have indicated if they don't repeat that level in the future, districts will be on the hook for the difference.
-- Jeffrey Solochek Roanoke City Council considers support for school construction funding plan-- WDBJ7 Virginia: September 04, 2018 [ abstract] ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ7) Highland Park Elementary is Roanoke's oldest school building, constructed in 1906. And there are several others from the same era.
The current estimate to maintain and modernize Roanoke city school facilities is substantial.
"And the total for all of the schools in the city of Roanoke right now is $37,950,000," Roanoke City Council member Bill Bestpitch said Tuesday morning.
Republican Senator Bill Stanley and Democratic strategist Paul Goldman have floated a plan that would take advantage of a recent Supreme Court ruling, and use a portion of the revenue from internet sales tax to finance a major bond issue.
They say the plan could generate more than $2 billion for school construction.
Bestpitch is listening.
"I think it's an area where the rural areas of the state and the inner cities can really come together, as well as a lot of bipartisan support," Bestpitch said. "I mean this is not something that seems to be dividing political parties. People are coming together and saying this is something that really makes sense for Virginia."
-- Joe Dashiell Soil condition leads to change orders at school construction site-- CentralJersey.com New Jersey: September 04, 2018 [ abstract] FREEHOLD – The Freehold Borough K-8 School District Board of Education has authorized an increase of $85,199 in a contract for work on a construction project that will address the issue of student overcrowding in the district.
Board members recently approved a change order in a contract with Newport construction for additions and alterations at the Freehold Learning Center elementary school, Dutch Lane Road. The change order is the second approved by the board.
The first change order, which totaled $266,467, increased the original $8.39 million contract to $8.65 million. The second change order will increase the contract to $8.74 million, according to the board.
A resolution passed by the board states that the change order is for materials and labor costs associated with remediating soft soils. According to the resolution, samples taken at the proposed site revealed soil in certain areas with saturation content unsuitable for the placement of a building pad and foundation.
When the issue was revealed to and assessed by district administrators in December, the construction manager, contractor, architect, structural engineer and geotechnical engineer determined it was necessary for a soil observer from geotechnical engineer’s firm to oversee the removal and replacement of saturated soil with stone, according to the resolution.
The first change order, which was also related to this issue, was for replacing the unforeseen and unsuitable soil with stone at the proposed site of the additions at the Freehold Learning Center.
-- Matthew Sockol Possible fund cuts worry school districts in state-- Democrat Gazette Arkansas: September 03, 2018 [ abstract] A proposal to change how the state distributes money for public school facility projects would benefit most Arkansas school districts, but some stand to lose funding and that has them worried.
Bentonville, for example, qualifies to receive state aid for 34.5 percent of a building's construction cost under the state's current wealth index, which is used to determine what share of the cost of an approved building project the state will pay. The proposed change would shrink that percentage to the minimum of 0.5 percent.
The state has contributed to school construction and replacement costs since 2004 when the state Public School Academic Facilities Program was established after the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that the public school system, including school buildings, was inadequate and inequitable, and thus unconstitutional.
But Gov. Asa Hutchinson has said the state cannot sustain its average annual investment of $100 million in the program. Act 801 of the 2017 legislative session mandated a comprehensive review of the state's role in school facility funding "to ensure that the most efficient and effective programs are in place."
That review fell to the Advisory Committee on Public School Academic Facilities, which spent the past year compiling recommendations, and released its 73-page report in July.
-- Dave Perozek Groundbreaking at Olpe school signifies positive change-- The Emporia Gazette Kansas: September 01, 2018 [ abstract] Several southern Lyon County schools will be getting a facelift as USD 252 prepares to put its bond money to use in several schools within the district.
Olpe's combined high school and elementary school is one of the structures that will be benefitting from the funds.
Friday afternoon, the district held a groundbreaking at the small school which the entire population of the school was able to attend, from the early childhood students to the high school students.
Students wielding shovels and dressed in hard hats and vests symbolically moved dirt at the site of a new addition to their school building, signifying the start of construction.
USD 252 Superintendent Mike Argabright said the bond that's funding this project was passed a year ago in May, after several years of effort on the parts of the district's facility group, board of education, and staff members prior to that.
"It's a community improvement and that is our approach," he said. "It's what our communities want and what they think our needs are for kids moving forward."
According to Argabright, space has always been an issue at the school site in Olpe, something that the addition of larger classrooms should be able to help alleviate.
-- Lydia Kautz What Wilson County school building projects may be next and when?-- Tennessean Tennessee: August 30, 2018 [ abstract] Lakeview Elementary, Watertown Middle and a new elementary school are building needs Wilson County Schools would like to address next with construction of a new high school now underway.
But when those projects may be formally requested and when they will be considered for funding is uncertain with Wilson County now building three new schools in the last four years along with a number of renovation projects.
Wilson County owes approximately $305.2 million on school construction, Finance Director Aaron Maynard said.
The district has its largest kindergarten class on record for the second straight year, which Director of Schools Donna Wright said is a “pretty good indicator,” that growth will continue. Wright also pointed to the number of future housing units approved in Wilson County.
“We have to start thinking ... proactively , because we don’t want to get back to where we have portables at our schools,” Wright said.
The new high school will open in 2020 as Wilson County's third new school in four years. Springdale Elementary opened in 2017 and the future Gladeville Middle is on track to open next school year.
-- Andy Humbles As Ohio schools close due to heat, Brown calls for the School Building Improvement Act-- ABC6 Ohio: August 29, 2018 [ abstract] WASHINGTON, D.C. (WSYX/WTTE) — Senator Sherrod Brown called for Senate consideration of his School Building Improvement Act with Ohio schools closing or shorting days due to excessive heat and lack of air conditioning.
Brown’s bill would give $100 billion in direct grants and school construction bonds over a decade to update schools and create an estimated 1.9 million jobs nationally. School repair, renovation, and construction would be done with American-made products.
“Ohio teachers and students shouldn’t have to miss out on valuable time in the classroom because our school districts don’t have the resources they need to upgrade aging schools,” Brown said. “It’s time to invest in our students, create jobs, and invest in 21st century classrooms.”
The legislation would also require a comprehensive study of the state of public schools’ physical condition to be done at least once every five years.
-- Joseph Cooke Fairfax Co. welcomes back students in 13 school construction zones-- WUSA9 Virginia: August 29, 2018 [ abstract] FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- In the Washington D.C.'s largest school system, more than 10,000 of students are walking through construction zones.
Fairfax County Public Schools has 13 schools under construction, four of them are high schools.
Oakton and Herndon High Schools just started their projects over the summer. Now that the students are back, they're not too happy about the mess.
group of teenage girls leaving school after the first day made the following comments:
- "It's a diaster."
- "It makes getting to class really hard because it's really crowded in the hallways you can barely move."
- "It just sucks that it's our time to be here when they're doing it."
- "It's really bad."
- "In the hallway you have to avoid trashcans because there's dripping pipes, you have to like swerve around the trashcans."
When Oakton High School put a picture of their demolished library on Facebook, parents started making calls.
They were asking if it was safe. The person with answers is Jeffrey Platenberg, director of facilities.
"Even though it looks like we just went in and knocked it down, it was a very carefully orchestrated procedure. We take safety very seriously," said Platenberg.
Some parents wonder why the students and staff can't be moved to another site.
"Because we don't have any other space. We don't have another building that just sitting there waiting to be occupied," said Platenberg.
-- Peggy Fox Framingham School Building Committee Approves $98.3 Million Budget for the New Fuller Middle School-- Source Framingham Massachusetts: August 29, 2018 [ abstract] FRAMINGHAM – The Framingham School Building Committee (SBC) reached a major milestone by unanimously approving the project budget for the new Fuller Middle School. The budget is $98.3 million, Monday night.
Voters will still need to approve the project in a debt exclusion override in December 2017.
For the past year, the School Building Committee and Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) have been working on a feasibility study to address the conditions of the Fuller Middle School, which was formerly the South High School.
The study has concluded that the most cost-effective, sustainable and educationally appropriate solution is to construct a new Fuller Middle School which features a learning commons/cafeteria surrounded by collaboration spaces fronting a perimeter of classrooms, an 8,300-square-foot gymnasium, 420-seat auditorium, and full building air conditioning.
-- Susan Petroni Which Austin ISD schools are starting construction to fix problems-- KXAN Texas: August 29, 2018 [ abstract] AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin ISD is taking the first public steps Wednesday to rebuild a school that abruptly closed two years ago due to structural concerns.
Engineers found serious problems in the concrete sub-floors and crawl space at T.A. Brown Elementary, prompting the mid-week closure of the school in November 2016. Students were bused to other campuses for the remainder of the school year and never returned to Brown. The school was torn down in October 2017.
Wednesday, AISD planned a site dedication, a step before groundbreaking, for the new school that will be built in its place. The money to rebuild T.A. Brown comes from the $1 billion bond voters approved last year.
On Thursday the district will break ground on construction of the new Menchaca Elementary, which will be a modernized campus on the same site as the current school.
-- Chris Davis Heat is prompting school closings throughout Ohio, not so much in Cincinnati-- The Enquirer Ohio: August 28, 2018 [ abstract] Schools from Columbus to Cleveland are canceling classes due to the oppressive heat that’s suffocating Ohio.
In the Cincinnati area, many students who returned to school ahead of the Labor Day weekend seem to be surviving the heat in comfort thanks to air-conditioned buildings.
In the landscape of excessive heat-related school closings, Sen. Sherrod Brown is calling for Senate consideration of his School Building Improvement Act. The bill would provide $100 billion in direct grants and school construction bonds over 10 years. With this money, schools could make needed repairs, renovations, and construction.
In past years, 90 degree days at schools like John Paull II in Sprinfield Township, Ohio, or Fort Thomas Schools in Kentucky, often resulted in a cancelation of classes. Not so these days. Both have air conditioning.
In West Clermont School District in Clermont County, not all buildings have air conditioning. There are no plans to cancel school at this time, according to school spokesman Scott Spicher.
-- Sheila Vilvens Study: School construction costs down-- The Journal West Virginia: August 28, 2018 [ abstract] MARTINSBURG — The repeal of West Viriginia’s prevailing wage mandate has produced a decline in school construction costs, according to a study by the University of Kentucky’s Center for Business and Economic Research released Monday.
Since the repeal of West Virginia’s prevailing wage law in 2016, total costs of public school construction in West Virginia has declined by over 7 percent, the study said. Additionally, the report indicted there was no evidence that repealing the state’s prevailing wage mandate affected the building or quality of construction of state school buildings constructed since the repeal.
Adopted in 1933, and largely unchanged since 1961, the prevailing wage mandate required any contractors performing public construction work to pay a certain hourly minimum wage rate and provided a certain level of “fringe benefits,” or payment in lieu of the fringe benefits.
According to the CBER study, public school construction costs in West Virginia rose steadily between 2008 and 2016. After the state’s prevailing wage was repealed, construction costs stopped rising and then started to decline.
-- JIM MCCONVILLE Developers to pay school impact fees for new homes built in urban Honolulu-- Hawaii News Now Hawaii: August 27, 2018 [ abstract] KALIHI, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) -
Those looking to build a home in the areas between Kalihi and Ala Moana should know that starting Oct. 1 — construction is going to come with an added cost.
That's because home builders and residential developers in the Kalihi-Ala Moana urban corridor will now have to pay a $3,864 school impact fee when applying for new residential building permits.
The fee was approved last summer by the state Board of Education and will affect future home builders in areas in the Farrington and McKinley complexes, which include 10 elementary schools.
The fee comes amid expectations of a boom in construction in areas along the rail line, that could trigger the need for as many as nine new schools. The fee serves as a way for developers to pitch in on the costs associated with the newly expected campuses.
The Hawaii Legislature established school impact fees in 2007, and back in 2016, Corey Rosenlee, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, said the Kalihi-Ala Moana area was long overdue for a school impact fee.
-- Olivia Peterkin $73 million school in Roxbury is the first newly constructed BPS school building in 15 years-- The Boston Globe Massachusetts: August 23, 2018 [ abstract] Natural light filters through the four-story glass and steel building. There are state-of-the-art science labs, a computer center, and a rooftop garden for botany lessons. Even the boiler room can double as a real-world teaching lab for physics.
The $73 million Dearborn 6-12 STEM/Early College Academy — the first newly constructed school for the Boston system in 15 years — is a far cry from the century-old building it replaced in the heart of Roxbury, where young Irish immigrants once learned how to sew, iron clothes, make beds, and clean bathtubs as future maids for the wealthy in the Back Bay and Beacon Hill.
Mayor Martin J. Walsh, who will hold a ribbon-cutting Thursday afternoon, hopes the school will serve as an inspiring symbol of his pledge to spend $1 billion over 10 years to overhaul the city’s school buildings, roughly half of which were erected before World War II.
-- James Vaznis District 205 voters to decide on $168.5 million school construction plan-- Daily Herald Illinois: August 21, 2018 [ abstract] Elmhurst Unit District 205 will ask voters this fall for a property tax increase to pay for $168.5 million in construction projects throughout the district, including the replacement of two aging elementary schools.
School board members voted unanimously Monday night to put a referendum question on the Nov. 6 ballot. It was their final opportunity to consider the resolution.
According to the ballot question, voters will be asked if District 205 should replace Lincoln and Field elementary schools and upgrade other buildings to improve security, provide STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) spaces and add classrooms for all-day kindergarten, among other things.
The question is the result of a three-year community engagement process, development of a master facilities plan and a recent phone survey that showed 55 percent support for consideration of a referendum.
The district will seek permission from voters to borrow $168.5 million for the construction projects. If the ballot measure is approved, it would cost an additional $149 a year in property taxes for the owner of a $500,000 home.
-- Marie Wilson and Robert Sanchez Rhode Island conduit issuer targets school facilities-- The Bond Buyer Rhode Island: August 21, 2018 [ abstract] Improving public school facilities will be a priority of the Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corp. under its new executive director, Kimberly Mooers.
"This is a particularly exciting time to be joining RIHEBC as Rhode Island ramps up its financing for the repair and construction of school facilities across the state," she said.
Mooers, who began Aug. 8, succeeds Robert Donovan, who held the position for 25 years. Donovan will remain as a senior advisor during the transition, then retire at the end of the year.
Mooers brings more than 25 years of government and nonprofit finance to the position. Most recently, she was senior vice president, manager and principal at UniBank Fiscal Advisory Services Inc. Previously she held senior positions at the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency and the Massachusetts Health and Educational Facilities Authority.
She also has extensive experience in the region as a senior investment banker at various national banks and broker-dealers.
"My heart is in 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations, so that part of RIHEBC has me excited," she said in an interview from the organization's headquarters in downtown Providence. "I also want to leverage my previous position."
-- Paul Burton Spring ISD to begin maintenance projects at four campuses-- Houston Chronicle Texas: August 21, 2018 [ abstract] Spring ISD will begin work soon to beautify and maintain mechanical systems at four campuses at Link Elementary and Wells, Dueitt and Twin Creeks middle schools.
Earlier this month, Spring ISD trustees approved a $6.39 million package for maintenance projects at Link Elementary School and Wells Middle School.
A second package of $10.5 million will go to maintaining Dueitt Middle School and Twin Creeks Middle School.
Both packages are part of the $330 million bond passed in 2016 that pledged $40 million toward maintaining campuses.
“These are some of the older campuses we have and it’s just age. This is the maintenance just like you would do on a car to keep it running in top condition,” said Gary Hutton, executive director of planning and construction.
Originally opened in 1982, Link Elementary School will have new flooring and new paint job as well as beautification on the exterior of the building that will cost about $2.6 million.
-- Mayra Cruz Some Yonkers schools not ready for opening day-- lohud.com New York: August 20, 2018 [ abstract] YONKERS - Some of the public schools under construction this summer won't be ready for the first day of school.
A $6 million job at Roosevelt High School is behind schedule because the district got started late and some of the materials had long delivery lead times, director of school facilities John Carr told the Board of Education on Wednesday.
construction delays mean that Roosevelt's auditorium seating won't be ready until early November. The new field at Roosevelt High School will also not be ready until early November.
The gym ceiling at Roosevelt remains unfinished and the gym will be partially fenced off so students can use it. Work will continue in the evening.
At Gorton High School, exterior doors and windows for the basement won't arrive until September and work will be done in the evenings. Gorton's gym floor is supposed to arrive Aug. 20 and it will take three to four weeks to install, plus time to cure it, so it may not be ready until mid- to late September.
-- Ernie Garcia Editorial: Stanley's bold bid on school modernization channels Francis Pickens Miller-- The Roanoke Times Virginia: August 19, 2018 [ abstract]
Bill Stanley wants to turn the clock back to 1949. Normally, that would not be considered a good thing. Here’s one time it might be. Let’s explain.
The year 1949 saw the first major challenge to the Byrd Machine, the political organization of U.S. Sen. Harry F. Byrd Sr. that until then had run Virginia government with an iron grip. Francis Pickens Miller, a liberal Democrat who had grown up in Rockbridge County and came back from World War II with a crusader’s zeal, challenged Byrd’s candidate for governor. Miller’s rallying cry: The state’s schools were in bad shape, many of them dating from the previous century. Yet the state was sitting on a huge surplus. Miller vowed to create “the best public school system in America” by using some of that surplus to build new schools that could deliver modern instruction.
Miller’s pitch was surprisingly effective, so much so that he almost won the Democratic nomination —which was all that mattered then in what amounted to a one-party state. Miller made his point, though. The Byrd-controlled General Assembly suddenly decided that, yes, maybe it could use some of that surplus to help build new schools, after all.
That set off a wave of school construction across Virginia in the 1950s and the creation of many of the high schools we still have today, consolidated out of smaller ones. In the space of about a decade, Virginia’s schools — well, at least the ones serving white students in those segregated days — made a great leap forward from the agricultural age into the space age. Now here we are nearly 70 years after Miller’s campaign set that school-building program in motion and where do we stand? In his inaugural address in January, Gov. Ralph Northam talked about “crumbling schools.” Some of those “crumbling schools” are ones that were still fairly new in Miller’s day. Others are ones that were built as a result of that Miller-inspired spending. Time flies.
-- Editorial Board Federal Way school district moves forward on construction project-- Federal Way Mirror Washington: August 16, 2018 [ abstract] The Federal Way school district is moving forward with construction projects this summer to expand and renovate six aging schools.
Approved by voters in Nov. 2017, a school construction bond of $450 million was allocated to Federal Way Public Schools to improve eight total schools, including Thomas Jefferson High School, Totem and Illahee middle schools, and Olympic View, Lake Grove, Mirror Lake, Star Lake and Wildwood elementary schools, as well as improvements for Memorial Stadium.
All of the schools, except for Illahee Middle School and Olympic View Elementary School, are now in phase two of construction, which is the design and planning process.
Two construction groups have been selected by FWPS for these projects. FORMA construction will take on Mirror Lake, Lake Grove and Wildwood elementary schools. Cornerstone General Contractors Inc. has been selected for Thomas Jefferson High School.
The four remaining school projects will follow the same process in selecting contractors, said school district spokesperson Whitney Chiang.
The community can expect to see construction groundbreaking in spring 2019 for the elementary and middle schools, followed by shovels in the dirt for Thomas Jefferson High School in spring 2020.
-- Olivia Sullivan SOMERS MIDDLE SCHOOL PROJECT CHANGES COURSE AFTER SOIL REPORT-- Daily Inter Lake Montana: August 16, 2018 [ abstract] The Somers Middle School construction project is headed in a different direction months after a soil report showed the structure could be compromised in the event of a major earthquake.
Architect Max Grebe of L’Heureux Page Werner presented the new, two-story plan to administrators and a design oversight committee on Aug. 9.
The new layout incorporates elements of the original plan, but in a tighter, two-story configuration.
“We took all the square footage, pushed it in together and then stacked it into a two-level facility, which gives us a lot of efficiency, and that efficiency is allowing us to stay in the confines of the budget,” Grebe said.
The construction project is funded by a $15.8 million bond issue approved by voters in October 2017 for “... designing, constructing, furnishing, and equipping additions and renovations to Somers Middle School, to include classrooms, a gymnasium, a kitchen and lunchroom, a shop, a science lab, upgrades to the main school office area, building-wide security enhancements, related amenities and improvements at the existing Somers Middle School campus.”
While the square footage of the new design will be reduced, Grebe said there will be just as much “usable space” as there was in the original design.
-- HILARY MATHESON While students prep for first day, Iowa City schools gear up for more construction than ever before-- Iowa City Press Citizen Iowa: August 16, 2018 [ abstract] A 100-year-old time capsule at Longfellow Elementary containing faded documents and newspaper clippings was dug up this month. Some of the pages outlined a bond election process and school opening ceremony not unlike the ones held in the last two years.
But those who put together the capsule likely would not recognize the Longfellow building that stands in Iowa City today.
The district just completed an $11.7 million renovation on the campus in time for the first day of school on Aug. 23. Heading into the school year, Iowa City Community School District is projected to enter a period of the most construction growth in the district's history.
With the newly accelerated Facilities Master Plan, ICCSD will pay an average of $4.7 million each month on construction between 2018-2021, according to district estimates.
-- Aimee Breaux School construction costs over budget by 13 percent-- Teton Valley News Idaho: August 15, 2018 [ abstract] Increased labor and steel costs hit home
The Teton School Board is looking to shave amenities from new construction costs after Garett Chadwick with GPC Architects reported construction costs trending at 13 percent higher than the original budget set two years ago.
Half is attributable to the increase in square footage to the two new elementary schools. The school board increased the square footage of the Victor Elementary School and decreased the square footage of the Driggs Elementary School. However, adjusting the square footage accounted for a 7,500 square foot increase overall for the two new buildings. The square footage was reconfigured through work done by the building steering committees for both projects and adjusted according to enrollment projections.
Chadwick also reported that increased costs also accounted for subcontractors who are busy and are bidding the market versus for the project; and there is an increase in construction materials since the bond election specifically with the costs of steel and labor.
“The big picture, is this has happened at every school project,” said Superintendent Monte Woolstenhulme at Monday’s board meeting. “We had to go through this process with every major project since we have built schools starting in 1970s.”
He pointed out that the current Driggs Elementary School is built half in brick and half in metal because costs fluctuated throughout the construction process. He remembered that the middle school that was built with a $12 million bond and required $1 million to be cut from construction costs.
-- Jeannette Boner Delay in releasing APS construction-cost audit raises eyebrows-- Inside Nova Virginia: August 14, 2018 [ abstract] Arlington residents will have to wait a little longer for an analysis of the reasons behind the high costs of school construction in the county.
The audit committees of the County Board and School Board had been slated to meet Aug. 7 in a joint session to discuss a report by school-system auditor John Mickevice on school-construction costs. That meeting, however, was called off.
Chris Horton, the county government’s auditor, said the confab had been nixed due to a request from the school system. Through a spokesman, School Board Chairman Reid Goldstein said summer schedules had not yet permitted all School Board members to be briefed on contents of the report in time for the meeting.
No revised meeting date has been set. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the county government’s audit committee is Sept. 27.
Cancellation of the public meeting engendered a number of conspiracy theories, and while he wasn’t one of the theorists, the delay served as a red flag to Tim Wise, president of the Arlington County Taxpayers Association.
“A delay in releasing any audit report should always raise the suspicion of taxpayers,” said Wise, currently undergoing health-rehabilitation treatment in Fredericksburg.
Until the onset of the 2008-09 recession, Arlington Public Schools often paid some of the highest costs nationally for school construction, and both School Board members and the then-superintendent in that era seemed to revel in, rather than shrink from, the high spending, pointing to it as a commitment to the needs of students.
-- SCOTT McCAFFREY Report: Virginia spending on school infrastructure down 33 percent-- Virginia Mercury Virginia: August 13, 2018 [ abstract] Between state and local governments, in 2016 Virginia spent 33 percent less than in 2008 on school capital projects, like building new schools or renovating existing ones, according to a new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington, D.C., research and policy nonprofit.
Virginia is among 36 states in which capital spending fell in that time period, the report states.
Several localities across Virginia are struggling with school maintenance.
Norfolk faces complaints from parents about mold and insect infestations in its schools, and students in Lee County rearranged seats to avoid leaking ceilings. Richmond schools have grappled with everything from ceiling tiles falling on students to broken stall doors in the bathrooms. However, the school system and the city had to recently make a joint admission that the school system had nearly $7 million in leftover money from past projects that was previously unaccounted for.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities used data from the Census Bureau to generate its report, along with state budget documents. It shows that, in 2008, state and local governments spent $1.72 billion on school construction, renovations and upgrades. But in 2016, adjusted for inflation, that number dropped to $1.16 billion.
-- Katie O'Connor School board requests facility assessment-- Ottumwa Courier Iowa: August 13, 2018 [ abstract] OTTUMWA — Estes construction of Davenport will provide a facilities assessment to Ottumwa Community School District at a cost of nearly $14,000, but using the assessment could save the district money in the long run.
Pete Perez, project executive for Estes construction, explained to the school board Monday night what the company does for school districts throughout the state.
“The program, in short, is called ICAT,” Estes said. The Iowa construction Advocate Team is a partnership between the Iowa Association of School Boards and Estes construction.
When Secure an Advanced Vision for Education funding began after July 1, 2008, replacing local sales and services taxes for school infrastructure purposes, IASB realized it couldn’t provide construction guidance, Perez said.
IASB endorsed Estes construction in 2009 to provide school districts with assessments for projects that use the new funding stream, according to the Estes construction website.
A comprehensive assessment looks at such things as how many buildings the district has, what the condition of the buildings are and how the district will prioritize its needs.
“The needs are going to outweigh the funding available,” Perez said. “That is not an anomaly.”
-- Winona Whitaker Sioux Falls School District to Vote on $190 Million School Bond-- SchoolConstructionNews.com South Dakota: August 13, 2018 [ abstract] SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Voters in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties will decide in September whether or not to approve a $190 million bond to build new schools in the Sioux Falls School District.
According to The Sioux Falls Argus Leader, the school district will have a new high school, middle school, and elementary school by 2024 if voters do approve the bond.
construction of the new schools is said to address an already increased 20 percent enrollment over the last decade, in addition to a projected 10 percent increase in enrollment for the next decade, according to The Argus Leader.
According to the District’s website, over 23,000 students are currently served among 23 elementary schools, five middle schools, and three traditional high schools. Although the district has already built three schools since 2014 to address increasing enrollment, The Argus Leader reports that a new high school has not been built in 26 years, and that this would be the first bond issue since 1997.
The Argus Leader reported on Monday evening, July 23 that the school board voted unanimously to set the election date for Tuesday, Sept. 18; the district would need more than 60 percent of voters to approve the bond for it to pass.
“This is the right thing for our district,” said board member Kate Parker, to The Argus Leader. “We are a growing city, and we need to make sure the children of our city have every opportunity. That’s going to mean more facilities, so those kids have a place to be educated.”
-- Aziza Jackson Carlsbad schools seeking $265 million for upgrades, repairs-- sandiego Union Tribune California: August 10, 2018 [ abstract] Carlsbad Unified School District will float a $265 bond measure in November to fund science and math labs, technology, school site safety, and repairs to aging campus infrastructure.
The school board voted last month to place the measure on the November ballot, after approving a facilities master plan in January. That document describes improvement and maintenance projects needed in the next 15 to 20 years.
In 2006, district voters passed Proposition P, a $198 school bond measure that funded the modernization of Carlsbad High School and construction of the Sage Creek High School. The new high school christened its $14 million performing arts center on June 4, according to the high school website. With the completion of that project, the district closed the book on Proposition P.
This year, officials turned their sights to the next series of improvements that they hope to accomplish through subsequent school bonds.
The district aims to prepare students for “in demand careers,” including health care, biomedical science, computer science, robotics and skilled trades, by upgrading science and engineering labs, and career technical education facilities.
-- Deborah Sullivan Brennan Goodman Elementary approved for FEMA shelter-- The Joplin Globe Missouri: August 09, 2018 [ abstract] NEOSHO, Mo. — The Neosho School District has been approved for a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to build a storm shelter that will be attached to the new Goodman Elementary School building. The new shelter will be available for use by the community as well as those in the school.
Goodman Elementary was destroyed in a tornado on April 4, 2017, and a ceremonial groundbreaking on the new school was held this April. construction on the new Goodman school is scheduled to start next week, and the new FEMA shelter is expected to begin construction by around the time the school is finished.
"We're certainly excited," said Jim Cummins, superintendent of the Neosho School District.
With the grant that the district received, FEMA will pay 90 percent of the construction costs up to $1.25 million, Cummins said, leaving the district to pay about $150,000 toward the cost of the 5,000-square-foot shelter.
"Then we will furnish it inside, so our cost is going to be more than just the match," he said. "We'll have to determine how much that will be as we move forward on the project."
-- Rayna Karst Severe storms at new school site; raise concerns for homeowner-- South Carolina: August 09, 2018 [ abstract]
INDIAN LAND, S.C. - A huge new high school is planned for Indian Land on Highway 521.
The school is still two years from opening, but the ongoing construction has already had an upsetting impact on a family that owns the land behind it.
Milton Hood reached out to Channel 9 after contacting state health officials.
He's owned 22 acres of land off Highway 521 at Witherspoon Trail for more than 20 years.
"I used to love my pond, but not now," Hood said.
The roughly 2-acre fishing pond was clear and looked clean.
-- Greg Suskin Morton board votes to put Tazewell County school facilities sales tax on ballot-- Journal Star Illinois: August 07, 2018 [ abstract] MORTON — School Board members approved a resolution Tuesday night that supports placing a 1 percent Tazewell County school facilities sales tax question on the Nov. 6 ballot.
They also reiterated their desire to give Morton School District residents relief on their property taxes if county voters approve the school facilities sales tax. It is expected to generate $2.1 million annually for Morton, based on its portion of the county’s public-school population.
A proposal to freeze Morton’s property tax levy for 2019 instead of increasing it by the consumer price index as allowed by tax caps received the most support from school board members. The scenario also proposes using school facilities sales tax revenue for four years starting in 2020 to pay off bonds for a recent district construction project.
Because of the nuances of the tax cap law, it’s estimated Morton would lose almost $30 million in compounded revenue over a 25-year span because of the one-year property tax levy freeze.
-- Steve Stein Pasco School Board considers sharing construction funds with charter schools-- Tampa Bay Times Florida: August 07, 2018 [ abstract] LAND O’ LAKES — Despite facing a shortfall for its own construction and maintenance projects, the Pasco County School Board will consider sharing its capital funds tax revenue with some local charter schools.
The issue arose Tuesday as an offshoot of the board’s ongoing contract negotiations with Dayspring Academy, the county’s oldest charter school. Dayspring’s contract expired in June and was extended through Aug. 15. Founder John Legg, a former state senator, said his trustees did not want to further stretch out the deal without an understanding on capital money.
"We’ve got students that need a better facility," Legg told the School Board, saying Dayspring might seek mediation instead. "We just can’t wait another year."
State lawmakers recently required school districts to share their property tax income for buildings and repairs. Pasco was exempted, however, because of its high debt ratio for new schools and renovations.
The law has caveats, though, that could require Pasco to contribute a portion of its revenue in future years, if the Legislature does not fully fund charter school capital needs. For fiscal 2019, the Legislature covered the budget amount.
-- Jeffrey Solochek Portland's $100 million question - why are its new schools so expensive?-- Portland Tribune Oregon: August 07, 2018 [ abstract] Before Portland Public Schools asked voters' permission to sell $790 million in bonds to rebuild four schools and patch up a few others, construction consultants told administrators that it would not be nearly enough money.
It is unclear what resulted from those warnings. What is clear is that their predictions are slowly coming true. The district's Office of School Modernization is predicting cost overruns of about $100 million on the 2017 bond projects.
Months before the May 2017 vote added about $300 per year to the average household's tax burden, Ken Fisher, a construction management consultant from CBRE Heery, voluntarily composed an email. Fisher was working on the 2012 bond, but was worried enough about the 2017 figures being too tight that he flagged several concerns to Dan Jung, who still leads the PPS bond office, and his boss, former Chief Operating Officer Jerry Vincent.
"I understand what was done and why, but I am concerned that the four options on the one-pager are too lean ..." Fisher wrote Jan. 24, 2017. He recommended the district go back to the professional cost estimator they used — the firm of Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) — to get their input.
As far as the district can tell, Vincent didn't do that and neither did he share the estimates that RLB had already put together.
"What I know from (Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero) thus far is that there's no clear explanation," said school board member Amy Kohnstamm. "Those estimates were not publicly transmitted to anybody."
-- Shasta Kearns Moore Proposed Bond Issue Could Mean Massive School Improvements for Wake County-- SchoolConstructionNews.com North Carolina: August 06, 2018 [ abstract] WAKE COUNTY, N.C.— Wake County residents will vote in November on whether to borrow a total of over $1 billion for a number of community improvements that would include ample school construction and expansion projects.
The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., reports that of the $1 billion, about $548 million would go towards a school construction bond that would fund two years of a proposed seven-year building program for the Wake County Public School System.
According to the Observer, about $140 million of the school construction bond revenue would fund the construction of seven new schools that include: South Lakes Elementary School in Fuquay-Varina, a middle school in Fuquay-Varina, an elementary school in Apex, two elementary schools in southwest Wake County, a new high school in southwest Wake County and an unidentified elementary school.
The school bond also includes another $283 million for the renovation of 11 other Wake County schools during fiscal years 2020 and 2021.
-- Aziza Jackson Maintenance motivation: Schools work to have facilities ready by Aug. 15 start-- Orange County Review Virginia: August 05, 2018 [ abstract] With classes starting on August 15, two weeks earlier than in recent years, summer break has been anything but for Doug Arnold and his staff in facilities and maintenance at the Orange County Public Schools.
In addition to overseeing a long list of projects done every summer, Arnold has been the point person for two major enterprises: the installation of modular restrooms at Porterfield Park and the complete renovation of the track and field at Orange County High School.
The new restrooms are a much-needed upgrade over the portable toilets that inspired the derisive nickname “Port-a-Potty Park.” One of the two units was installed on Monday behind the football bleachers. The other one will be set up near the baseball field once the ground dries out after weeks of frequent and often heavy rain.
The modular units have sinks and plumbing and will be connected to existing sewer lines. Arnold said they will be open in time for the first home football game on Friday, Aug. 31, against Culpeper. The cost of the lease-purchased units was presented to the school board earlier in the year as $230,000.
The rain has caused a hassle over at Orange County High School (OCHS), where the old track has given way to a dramatic construction site full of heavy equipment and huge piles of soil. The football team will have to wait a year before holding practices there, but Arnold said the track will be ready to use well before track season in the spring.
-- Hilary Holladay Improvements in Pearl River Central School District will include growing pains-- Picayune Item Mississippi: August 04, 2018 [ abstract] construction of new classrooms and facilities within the Pearl River County School District in early 2019, will bring potential challenges to students, parents and faculty as they take place during the school year.
Superintendent Alan Lumpkin said construction will include the addition of 24 new classrooms at the McNeill campus, 18 classrooms at the Carriere campus, expansion of the elementary school cafeteria and kitchen, construction of a new library at the middle school, renovation of a library at the high school and elementary schools and construction of a multipurpose 1,000 ft. auditorium with three performing arts classrooms at the Carriere campus.
Lumpkin said plans are being finalized and will be presented for review next month. He said the plans will hopefully go up for bid in October or November with a bid being accepted in December. If everything goes as planned, Lumpkin said construction should begin at the beginning of 2019. According to architectural plans, construction should be complete in two to three years once it starts.
-- Leah McEwen Summertime is construction time in schools-- New York: August 04, 2018 [ abstract] Galway seniors celebrated graduation at the high school auditorium on Saturday, June 23. That Monday construction crews came in and started to rip up carpet, floors and seats.
“The auditorium is gutted,” said Brita Donovan, superintendent of Galway Central School District. “We will have new seating, new lighting, new sound. We are very excited about that work.”
As soon as students leave schools across the region, sometimes in the weeks leading up to the final school days, districts turn many school sites into construction zones. Planning to minimize disruptions to students, district officials look to squeeze as much construction work into the fleeting summer months.
In Galway, a $26.7 million project approved by voters in 2016 is well underway.
Donovan, who started as superintendent last month after serving as the district’s head of curriculum and instruction, said she joked with someone who asked how the new job was going that she had already broken the school.
But aspects of building sites get broken down to be rebuilt. Galway is repaving it parking lot, improving outside lighting, reconfiguring the car drop-off loop for elementary students, repairing the roof, replacing interior floors and renovating classrooms with new cabinetry and ceilings across the school.
-- Zachary Matson Aiken County school district currently managing 11 construction projects-- Aiken Standard South Carolina: August 03, 2018 [ abstract] construction and renovations are progressing or beginning simultaneously at 11 Aiken County Public Schools.
School Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford updated the status of those facilities Friday morning at the Aiken Chamber of Commerce First Friday breakfast at Newberry Hall. He also shared several “points of celebration.”
Five schools are funded in part by the 1 percent sales tax voters approved in November 2014: Aiken High, North Augusta High, Leavelle McCampbell Middle School, Ridge Spring-Monetta High and Elementary schools and the Aiken County Career and Technology Center.
Aiken High's sign is up on the new administration building, which along with classrooms, the cafeteria and media center, opened in December.
Work is about 30 percent complete on the next phase of construction at Aiken High, which includes an auxiliary gym and classrooms for JROTC, band and the arts.
Work is about 60 percent complete on the next phase of construction at North Augusta High. The roof is up, and windows are being installed on one of two new wings at the school, Alford said.
construction on the new Ridge Spring-Monetta High should start in August, Alford said. The groundbreaking will be at noon Aug. 17.
“We project to be about $1 million under our comprehensive budget on that project,” Alford said.
-- Larry Woof California districts can renovate, build kindergarten classrooms with help from new funding-- Edsource.org California: August 01, 2018 [ abstract] Acting on the notion that full-day early education programs are more effective than half-day ones, in recent years the California Legislature has been nudging school districts to offer full-day kindergarten to all its students. But some districts have run into an obstacle: They don’t have the classroom space they would need to expand the length of time children are in the classroom.
So this year the Legislature has included $100 million in the budget to help districts convert their part-day kindergarten programs into full-day programs. The funds will help school districts that are struggling financially and are located in low-income communities. The money will also help districts that need to add classrooms to accommodate increasing kindergarten enrollment. Schools can use the funding to pay design and construction costs, including landscaping and electric upgrades.
Behind that effort is research that indicates full-day kindergarten programs can help students improve their reading and math skills, if programs are of high quality, according to a 2017 EdSource report.
-- ASHLEY HOPKINSON Enrollment-tied funding change pitched for Arkansas schools-- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Arkansas: August 01, 2018 [ abstract] An Arkansas advisory committee Tuesday proposed changes to the state's system of distributing millions of dollars to school districts for building-related costs to favor the ones that have had sharp declines in student enrollment.
The Advisory Committee on Public School Academic Facilities also called for the state to budget $90 million a year for its share of the cost of school construction -- encompassing new academic space, as well as replacement of roofs, heating and air conditioning systems, and other "warm, safe and dry" systems.
The committee, made up of educators, engineers, architects and others, developed the 73-page report and recommendations over the past year. The report was done in accordance with Act 801 of 2017 that called for a comprehensive review of the state's academic facilities programs to ensure that they are as effective and efficient as they can be.
The state has been contributing to school construction and replacement costs since 2004 when the state Public School Academic Facilities Program was established in the wake of an Arkansas Supreme Court ruling that the state's public school system -- including school buildings -- were inadequate and inequitable and, as a result, unconstitutional.
-- Cynthia Howell Hogsett renovation cost goes up by $1.5M, Part of a trend: Construction prices skyrocketing around the state-- The Advocate-Messenger Kentucky: August 01, 2018 [ abstract] It may cost Danville Schools almost $1.5 million more than previously expected to renovate the Hogsett school.
“It’s an incredible increase,” school board member Steve Becker said. “… For a small district like ours, whether you have the bonding capacity or not, that’s a huge increase.”
Board members approved the low bid for the school renovation project Monday night. Marrilla Design and construction offered to complete the overhaul of the former elementary school for an estimated price tag of $7.57 million. After adding in the architect/engineer fee, which was also higher than initially predicted by more than $100,000, and other bond and construction costs, the total project cost is now projected at $8.88 million.
-- Ben Kleppinger Board adds $1.75M to Helena school construction costs due to tariffs, saturated subcontractor market-- Independent Record Montana: July 31, 2018 [ abstract]
Because of new tariffs on steel and a saturated subcontractor market, Helena's school board approved an additional $1.75 million in contingency funds Tuesday to finish constructing three new elementary schools.
In 2017 voters approved a $63 million bond, most of which is being used to demolish and rebuild Central, Bryant and Jim Darcy schools. The district has sold $55 million worth of bonds so far and has set aside the remainder for safety and security updates at all elementary schools in the district.
The additional $1.75 million contingency is still within the bond amount voters approved, but is more than the district originally planned to spend on construction for the three projects.
Facilities Director Kalli Kind told board members Tuesday that tariffs on steel are part of the reason for the increase. Three months ago, the district paid $1,100 for one ton of rebar. Now rebar costs are up 32 percent and cost $1,450 per ton.
In addition, subcontractors around the state now have an excess of work and can risk bidding high on projects.
-- Erin Loranger Can taxpayers afford billions for school construction?-- The Laurinburg Exchange North Carolina: July 31, 2018 [ abstract] RALEIGH — Stough Elementary school has seen a handful of repairs and renovations since it was built in 1968. The aging facility soon will be torn down, and a new building will take its place to accommodate more students without the need for mobile trailers.
The project will cost more than $37 million.
“We are fortunate to be in Wake County, where that local funding is appropriated for these measures,” Stough Elementary Principal Chris Cox said. “Funding is different from county to county, and ultimately our local funding does provide that capacity to move into new spaces and also to come back to brand-new spaces.”
The school is just one of many in need of a revamp. In 2016, the Department of Public Instruction reported North Carolina public schools needed $8.1 billion for new school facilities or renovations.
The N.C. School Bond would have provided $1.9 billion in public school facility grants for all 100 counties, if voters had approved it.
But voters won’t get the chance. The General Assembly didn’t pass House Bill 866 and place the bond on the November ballot. Instead of adding state debt, lawmakers increased capital spending from current revenues. Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown, R-Onslow, reflected the attitudes of legislative leaders by saying it was better to spend money in hand and complete construction quickly than to owe money after the buildings were finished.
-- Lindsay Marchello Discussion focuses on $63M in projects-- Quad-City Times Iowa: July 31, 2018 [ abstract]
At a work session Tuesday night, the Bettendorf School Board discussed a six-year facilities plan and how to pay for it using three funding sources.
The only discussion item to be considered on the agenda was how to pay for about $63 million in projects from:
• Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL), a revenue source for school infrastructure and equipment repair, purchases and improvements.
• Sales tax.
• A general obligation bond.
On March 5, the board approved a six-year facilities plan that incorporates a report from Legat Architects Inc. The plan includes construction of a school on the Mark Twain Elementary property, a pool upgrade at the high school and a gym heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, along with flooring and door replacement, at the middle school.
Also on the list Tuesday night were items that were not in the March 5 plan, including a $1 million future-ready center at the high school and an athletic track and grass field at the middle school at a cost of $500,000.
“I need the public to know … I don’t want to wait four or five years to do these things. If we get the money, we do them,” board member Mike Pyevich said after considering a project timeline.
-- Linda Cook El Monte schoolchildren will be safe next to new warehouse, city says-- San Gabriel Valley Tribune California: July 31, 2018 [ abstract] construction of two new shipping warehouses in El Monte is moving ahead despite concerns from some residents that children next-door at the Gidley School would be harmed by exhaust from the estimated 539 trucks that will arrive at the warehouse daily.
But officials and the warehouse company say the fumes won’t pose a major risk.
The City Council last week unanimously rejected a resident’s appeal of the permitting of the Goodman Logistics Center. The two-warehouse, 1.24 million-square-foot complex on Lower Azusa Road will include 215 trailer parking stalls and 187 docks meant to serve the needs of a future tenant, likely in the e-commerce industry. A Vons warehouse currently sits on that side and will be demolished.
Arguments in the appeal filed by resident Joe Blackburn’s lawyer include everything from asking for requirements that nearby water be monitored for pollution during demolition to a guarantee that workers are paid well. But Blackburn, who lives a half-mile from the property, says the well-being of children was at the heart of his failed appeal.
-- CHRIS LINDAHL Morton School Board favors property tax reduction if sales tax passes-- Journal Star Illinois: July 31, 2018 [ abstract] MORTON — If Tazewell County voters approve a 1 percent school facilities sales tax in November, the Morton School District will have to determine how to best use an estimated $2 million in new annual revenue.
Superintendent Jeff Hill gave the School Board preliminary options on Tuesday, based on assumptions including a $70 million building project or major renovations in 15 years that would be paid off over the following decade — and no changes in operations or personnel over the entire 25-year period.
First, the sales tax must get on the Nov. 6 ballot. That would happen if school boards representing at least 51 percent of Tazewell County’s public school students pass resolutions by Aug. 20. The Morton board is expected to vote on a resolution Aug. 7.
Facilities sales tax revenue can pay for new buildings or be saved for future projects, or pay off bonds that already have been issued for construction — or any combination of the three qualified uses. The third option, however, could reduce property taxes of residents in the district.
-- Steve Stein New Baird Elementary School taking shape; additional construction projects on schedule-- Green Bay Press Gazette Wisconsin: July 27, 2018 [ abstract] GREEN BAY - Work is underway this summer on Green Bay's first new public school building in 20 years.
The work site for the new Baird Elementary School is marked by clouds of dust, beeping machinery and construction workers preparing the site for the steel beams that are expected to go up next week. The foundation, underground pipes and electrical connections are already in place for the 98,000-square-foot, two-story building.
The school district's last new school was Red Smith, a kindergarten through eighth-grade school, built in 1998.
The new Baird Elementary School is one of several major construction projects being worked on over the summer break. The new school is estimated to cost $25.8 million. It is being funded through the $68.25 million construction referendum approved by taxpayers in April 2017. The school will be able to hold up to 600 students in 5-year-old kindergarten through fifth grade.
"It will have a community space. It will have space for some of our community partners, like oral health and mental health," said executive director of facilities Mike Stangel. "There will be opportunities for different community agencies to use the building."
The new school is being built on property that was previously Henry Baird Park on Humboldt Road. The district agreed to a land swap with the city in September.
-- Samantha Hernandez Proposal would shift half of school districts' bond payments to state-- Idaho Press Idaho: July 27, 2018 [ abstract] Idaho’s population boom has pushed school districts across the state to seek solutions for funding construction.
“This isn’t a Canyon or Ada County problem, this is a problem occurring around the state,” said Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise.
Idaho is one of a handful of states that uses bonds and levies — voter-approved property tax increases — as the only way to fund new school buildings.
West Ada School District officials have tried for years to work with lawmakers, including Winder, to create another funding mechanism, such as impact fees. The district is cooking up a proposal for the next legislative session: have the state fund half the cost of a bond, leaving only the other half on property owners in school districts.
West Ada officials plan to first run the idea by other school district leaders at the Idaho School Board Association annual convention in November.
Since 1998, Idaho districts have passed 127 bond measures totaling roughly $2 billion, West Ada School District spokesman Eric Exline said.
West Ada is paying off three bonds dating back to 2002. The district’s bond debt this month sat at almost $297 million, Exline said.
With bond debt comes compounding interest of about 4 percent, Exline said, depending on the bond market.
-- Patty Bowen Five more school projects underway in Baltimore's $1B 21st Century Schools plan-- Baltimore Business Journal Maryland: July 26, 2018 [ abstract] With Thursday's groundbreaking for five more school construction projects, half of the schools set to be renovated or replaced as part of the massive $1.1 billion 21st Century Schools programare now open or under construction.
In total, 28 schools will be renovated or replaced as part of the project, which kicked off in 2014 and is being overseen by the Maryland Stadium Authority. The project remains on time and on budget, with the first two schools in the program, Fort Worthington Elementary and Middle Schooland Frederick Elementary School, opening to students in August 2017. Two more opened in April and another five will open before the current school year begins in September.
-- Jessica Iannetta School district has more capital needs than its budget can handle-- Ocala StarBanner Florida: July 26, 2018 [ abstract] 'When you have 7 million square feet of space to take care of, it takes an enormous amount of money just to maintain them.’
It looks like prospectors are digging for gold inside the Belleview Middle School courtyard. Mounds of dirt dot the landscape as crews repair buckling sidewalks and a sinking foundation.
Robert Knight, the school district’s supervisor of facilities, said the district knew the sidewalks had started buckling in recent years. Conditions grew worse last year, and walking on some areas of campus became increasingly unsafe.
A portion of the school was built on a thick layer of clay. Knight said that when clay gets cold, it shrinks. It then expands when the weather warms. The shrinking and expansion has put stress on the sidewalks, as well as a portion of the foundation, over time.
The repair cost is $597,000. And because that project was not on the five-year work plan, the district had to re-prioritize to make room.
“In order to get by, we have to piecemeal many projects,” Knight said. “There is not enough money for everything.”
Kevin Christian, the school district spokesman, said Belleview Middle School was constructed in 1993.
“It is now 25 years old,” he noted. “Of course we will have to begin to put money into repairs.”
-- Joe Callahan West Springfield considering 4 options ranging from $52M to $71M for Coburn School-- MASS Live Massachusetts: July 25, 2018 [ abstract] WEST SPRINGFIELD - Options for new construction and renovation designs for Phillip G. Coburn Elementary School were presented to the public Tuesday night.
The town is collaborating with the Massachusetts School Building Authority on a feasibility study for possible construction of a new Coburn School at 115 Southworth St. The School Building Authority is a quasi-independent government authority that funds construction and renovation projects for public schools across the commonwealth.
West Springfield Building & Other Facilities Planning & construction Committee Chairman David J. Partridge; William Cunniff, project director for NV5, the owner's project manager for the Coburn project; and Ryszard Szczypek, of TSKP Studio architects, outlined eight options, which were narrowed to three by the building committee.
The three options, described as Alternative A, E and F, all meet the educational requirement of serving 705 students.
But the School Building Authority directed the group to include a fourth option, Alternative D, which serves 515 students. That option would not include preschool or alternative program students who now attend the Cowing School. Options A, E and F do include those students.
Both the A and F options cost $71.4 million, Alternative E costs $71 million and Alternative D would cost $52.2 million. However, Szczypek said Alternative D would mean Cowing School would also need renovations at an estimated cost of $17.6 million.
Once a preferred option is selected, it will be sent to the School Building Authority for approval and consideration of including the preschool costs in the scope of work. Typically, the state funds projects for kindergarten and up.
-- Hope Tremblay Why the new Lincoln High School is $58M over budget-- KGW8 Oregon: July 25, 2018 [ abstract] PORTLAND, Ore. – Last spring, the Lincoln High School lawn was covered in campaign signs urging voters to pay more than three-quarters of a billion dollars to rebuild the overcrowded, unsafe school as well as several other schools in the district.
Exasperated Lincoln students invited reporters to tour their school, pointing out exposed asbestos, water-damaged ceilings, and packed classrooms in a basement never intended for that use.
“As students it is difficult to learn in a facility where your health is constantly being harmed and where your classrooms are ridiculously overcrowded,” said Lincoln High School senior Michael Ioffe.
Voters responded, passing the historic $790 million school bond in May 2017. About a quarter of that pot -- $187 million – was allocated for a brand-new Lincoln High School.
construction is slated to begin in 2020 and the school will be finished in 2023.
-- Sara Roth Providence council fast tracks $160M school bond question-- WPRI.com Rhode Island: July 24, 2018 [ abstract] PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – First they voted on it. Now they’ll vet it.
Facing a tight deadline to have a $160-million school infrastructure bond question placed on the November ballot, the Providence City Council voted 12-0 Monday evening to approve the proposal before the body ever discussed it in public.
The council took the unusual approach of approving the proposal for the first time and then sending it to the Finance Committee, which is scheduled to discuss the matter at a meeting Thursday. Ordinances are required to be approved twice by the council.
The council has until Aug. 8 to submit a bond question to the Board of Canvassers in order to get it on the ballot, but the 15-member body typically takes the month of August off. That would give the council until next Tuesday to approve the plan for a second time.
If the council does approve the question, it would mean Providence voters will have two massive school-related bond questions to consider in November: one is a statewide question to borrow $250 million for school repairs and the other would be the city-only $160-million question.
The state reimburses Providence for 83% of all school construction costs, but municipalities are typically required to borrow the money up front. The Elorza administration has said the borrowing would occur over three years.
-- Dan McGowan School Board eyeing reallocating $10M for school repairs-- Richmond Free Press Virginia: July 23, 2018 [ abstract] Richmond Public Schools officials want to reallocate $10.1 million to make acute emergency repairs to school buildings across the city.
At Monday night’s meeting of the Richmond School Board, Darin Simmons Jr., RPS’ chief operating officer, recommended redirecting toward repairs a little more than $13 million from the school system’s architectural and engineering account that was set up several years ago for the construction of new schools.
Under the plan, $10 million would be used to replace roofs, heating and air conditioning systems, windows and broken facades at 17 city schools, the Richmond Technical Center, the Richmond Alternative School and the Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center, with $3 million set aside for emergencies.
Excluded from the list are George Mason and E.S.H. Greene elementary schools, Elkhardt-Thompson Middle School and George Wythe High School, which school officials said was deliberate because they are slated for replacement.
However, as critical as school officials noted the repairs to be, nothing can happen until the School Board votes to move the money and Richmond City Council endorses the plan to reallocate the funds for school maintenance.
-- Ronald E. Carrington
South Kingstown talks school facility improvements-- The Narragansett Times Rhode Island: July 22, 2018 [ abstract] SOUTH KINGSTOWN — As the school committee moves closer to submitting to the Rhode Island Department of Education its applications for its planned school construction, a series of full-day workshops earlier this week invited students, parents, teachers and school administrators to share more of their thoughts on the future of the town’s school facilities.
Robert Hendriks, managing principal of Educational Legacy Planning Group, explained Wednesday the goal of the workshops was to gather insight for the development of a set of ed spec (education specification) documents for the high school, middle school and elementary schools.
“When this document is created, it will become kind of like the bible for the design,” said Hendriks, who will continue to work with the school district until the school committee adopts its stage two application to RIDE. “It’ll become the touchstone for the whole plan.”
The purpose, he continued, was to identify ideas for designing the schools in ways that will both meet student needs and which will “be sustainable for decades to come.”
The workshops were held Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Hendriks estimated between 25 and 40 community members of all ages came out each day to lend their ideas.
-- KENDRA GRAVELLE South Kitsap School District to ask voters again to build second high school-- Kitsap Sun Washington: July 19, 2018 [ abstract] SOUTH KITSAP — Voters in South Kitsap School District will see not one but two revenue measures for school construction and renovation on the Nov. 6 ballot.
The school board on Wednesday approved a 25-year, $185 million bond measure for a second high school plus a four-year $22 million capital levy for major renovations at existing schools, new technology and improved security throughout the district.
The last time the district passed a bond was 30 years ago to build three new elementary schools. There have been seven failed measures since then, including a $163.2 million bond in 2007 that would have covered a second high school, a new South Colby Elementary school and districtwide school improvements.
The district ran two proposals in 2016 and one in 2017 for a second high school. The 2017 bond measure for $172.6 million included more than $40 million for renovations at all existing schools.
-- Chris Henry Winona school board agrees to sell Madison, Rollingstone and Central schools-- Wiona Daily News Minnesota: July 19, 2018 [ abstract]
Winona school board members have agreed to sell three recently shuttered elementary schools.
The board awarded the Madison, Rollingstone and Central buildings to the highest bidder on Thursday, cementing the district’s plans to consolidate its elementary schools and all but dashing some community members’ hopes that the schools might one day be reopened.
“There seems to be an avalanche of reasons to accept these bids,” said board member Karen Coleman, noting the district’s tenuous financial situation. “Leaving the buildings empty reduces their value. The best time to sell schools is right away … and I think that’s what any thinking person would do.”
If the sales go through, Winona Area Public Schools will receive $131,000 for Madison and $171,000 for Central, both of which have been awarded to Building Value Partners.
Ben Schwab, president of the Winona-based construction company, said last month that he hopes to convert the buildings into multi-family apartments to help ease Winona’s shortage of workforce housing.
-- Kyle Farris Charleston school construction costs skyrocket amid booming market-- The Post and Courier South Carolina: July 17, 2018 [ abstract] Charleston County School District officials blame a hot construction market for $29 million in cost overruns on four of their construction projects, including Mount Pleasant's much-anticipated new high school.
"Mechanical, electrical, plumbing trades — they're stretched thin right now," said Reginald McNeil, executive director of capital programs for the school district. "You have hotels, apartments, condo complexes going up all over Charleston, and we're competing (for) those same subcontractors to build our schools. As we've seen in the past few projects as they came in, the construction bids have been a little higher than what we've estimated."
-- Paul Bowers Seaside school seeks to use new garden as teaching opportunity-- Monterey Herald California: July 16, 2018 [ abstract] Seaside >> The Martin Luther King, Jr., School of the Arts just became the “greenest” school site in Monterey County now that its latest project is up and flowing.
David Chandler, coordinator of renewable energy and conservation at Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, unveiled a brand new student garden at the school. But, this is no ordinary garden.
Chandler teamed up with DROPS Grant, the Drought Response Outreach Program for Schools, to help build a project designed to increase student awareness of environmental benefits and water resource sustainability.
Planning on the garden began in 2014 and construction was finished in June. So far, MLK has reduced water use by 53 percent and the school has saved a little more than $40,000. Chandler said MPUSD’s water budget would’ve been about $1.4 million instead of $800,000 without the new water conservation program.
“This isn’t just a baby step, it’s a giant step,” Chandler said.
-- Juan Reyes Prince George Supervisors suggest Schools submit secondary proposal for school site-- The Progress-Index Virginia: July 15, 2018 [ abstract] PRINCE GEORGE — The Yancey Tract is just not ready for construction of a new school or any long-term facility. At least not now.
That is what the Board of Supervisors determined as they discussed the school division’s proposal to place a new Walton Elementary School on the property.
During a work session, Dewberry Consultants presented a plan July 10th, explaining that getting the necessary infrastructure to the Yancey property could cost $4 million.
In the Dewberry report, Dan Villhauer presented the initial water and sewer assumptions for such a proposal which include a 750-student elementary school. He suggested that would add up to 7,500 gallons per day of average daily water demand and 21 gallons per minute at peak hour of sewer flow rate.
He explained that current estimated system capacity is 300,000 gallons per day for water and 125,000 per day for sewer.
County Administrator Percy Ashcraft explained the School Board was recommending the Yancey site for the new school.
Several sewer improvements would be necessary to accommodate the school, alone costing about $2 million without being able to serve any other construction project.
-- Adrienne Wallace Lake George school officials plan for district-- The Post Star New York: July 13, 2018 [ abstract]
LAKE GEORGE — The possibilities are on the table for the next possible Lake George school capital project.
The district has, at most, $5.3 million to spend, and officials expect to schedule a public vote in December, they said at a public meeting on Thursday.
Garrett Hamlin of Tetra Tech in Albany led the public meeting and explained the beginnings of the capital project.
The district aims to have construction begin in the fall of 2020, but more likely most of it will be in the summer of 2021.
The four “cornerstones,” Hamlin stated, for the project are: safety/security improvements, innovative learning/education enhancements, athletic facilities improvements and capital improvement needs.
Kate DuBois, Lake George’s business manager, said a capital reserve was started about three years ago. To fill the reserve, the district was allowed to use appropriations, surplus fund balances or transfers from other reserves. For the future project, Lake George’s capital project reserve has $1.75 million.
-- Andrew Kuczkowski New snags in planning for a new, or remodeled, Columbia elementary school-- Baltimore Sun Maryland: July 13, 2018 [ abstract] State school planners are asking fresh questions about Howard County’s proposal for a 620-seat Talbott Springs Elementary School, a move that could delay construction of a new school or renovation of the existing building by at least a year.
The state has said it won’t earmark funds for a new school, forcing the county to consider remodeling the Columbia building or paying all of the costs for a new one.
At a meeting this week with the Howard County Council, Renee Kamen, the county school system’s manager of school planning, said “the state couldn’t wrap their heads around a 620 capacity school.”
The school system wants the school to have space for 620 students from kindergarten to fifth-grade, according to Kamen.
The school system’s plans have been challenged by the Interagency Commission on School construction, a group that allocates school construction dollars.
The commission, formerly known as the Interagency Committee on School construction, has said it favors a plan to remodel the 45-year-old building rather than construct a new $42 million school.
In May, the commission rejected the school system’s appeal for a share of state funds to build a new school after it earlier determined a renovation was the “most cost-effective solution.”
The school’s capacity is 377 students. However, that does not include 10 portable classrooms, which brought the student population of pre-kindergarten to fifth grade to 491 students for the 2017-2018 school year, according to the school’s profile. The first two portable classrooms were placed on the site in 2004, according to school spokesman Brian Bassett.
-- Jess Nocera BOE, Commission to form subgroup to plan school renovations-- Citizen Tribune Tennessee: July 11, 2018 [ abstract]
In addition to celebrating the achievement of West High student Kristoff Lotivio, the Hamblen County Board of Education and the Hamblen County Commission will soon have a meeting to form a subgroup to discuss future building plans as the school system faces millions of dollars in renovation to several schools.
Dr. Jeff Perry, school superintendent, announced to the school board Tuesday night that he had been in talks with County Mayor Bill Brittain and other county commissioners about forming the group.
He said he thought it would be important to have county input.
“I think sometimes we go and demand, ‘This is what we need,’ without their input,” he said.
School board members favored the move and Dr. Joe Gibson, chairman of the board, and school board member Roger Greene agreed to serve on the committee. Perry said he would arrange a meeting soon, but the time and location were not announced.
The commission and school system faces more than $40 million in estimated construction costs to get Hamblen County schools up to acceptable standards. The projects are part of a long-term improvement plan.
First priority for the school system is to complete renovations at Morristown-Hamblen High School West and then also renovate four other schools that currently have “open classrooms.”
-- Staff Author Cleveland residents could protest school funding Thursday, but district didn't tell anyone-- The Plain Dealer Ohio: July 11, 2018 [ abstract] CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland residents upset about how the state is helping pay for new schools in the city could voice their complaints at a meeting in Columbus Thursday, instead of waiting weeks or months.
But few will be going. The school district didn't tell anyone about this week's meeting, saying protests now do not fit its strategy to win more money from the state.
The Ohio Facilities construction Committee, the state panel that oversees state-funded construction, has its quarterly meeting Thursday - its first since the district started criticizing its decisions and construction_money.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border-width: 0px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: black; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(21, 101, 192); text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;">recruiting people last month to protest them.
The district instead tried to drum up protests for an August conference the OFCC has in Independence and the panel's fall quarterly meeting in Columbus on October 25. Presentations to the public last month about its funding dispute listed just the August and October events, not the one this week.
"We have a number of advocacy efforts underway," said district spokesperson Roseann Canfora. "Interrupting their regular meeting is not one of them."
Elise Hara Auvil, of the Bond Accountability Commission, the city's school construction watchdog panel, questioned the omission and speculated that the district did not want to raise a protest at an OFCC meeting where the panel could add money to the district.
The OFCC will consider Thursday adding $3.7 million in state aid for the new John F. Kennedy and West Side high schools about to start construction.
-- Patrick O'Donnell Gov. Cooper still pushing for school construction bond referendum-- WLOS North Carolina: July 11, 2018 [ abstract] ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) —
Gov. Roy Cooper came to the mountains Tuesday, pushing what the state legislature just turned down. That's a $2 billion school construction bond referendum that voters would've had a chance to decide.
Cooper took a step back in time ... 92 years to be exact. Donning a hardhat, Cooper walked through Swannanoa High school, built in 1926 but now being renovated. The school is Buncombe County's "golden child."
"This is a great example," Buncombe County Schools superintendent Dr. Tony Baldwin said. "Behind us is a 90-year-old building, it's a historical building."
Baldwin said the work on the school was possible because of a combination of lottery funds and Article 39, which is something unique to Buncombe County and Asheville City schools.
Article 39, enacted in the 1980s, is a two-cent sales tax for schools. Something surrounding districts do not have.
"A lot of these smaller counties and more rural counties just simply don't have the tax base to do this all by themselves," Cooper said.
And the state's education lottery is not enough. Buncombe County's total take in 2017 was nearly $11 million, almost $2 million of that going for construction. Henderson County received $5.2 million, with less than a million for building. And Haywood County brought up the rear with $2.8 million total and less than a half amillion to cover construction.
Now for the big picture look.
-- Frank Kracher School district considers expense of old classrooms-- Half Moon Bay Review California: July 11, 2018 [ abstract]
construction for new La Honda Elementary School classrooms is complete, but the community is split on what should become of the old.
The La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District board punted on a decision over the future of 58-year-old classrooms at La Honda Elementary at its June 21 board meeting. People worry about the cost of either tearing them down or maintaining them.
“Parents said it needs to go. Others said we should keep it at least a year. It wasn’t completely clear,” board member Andy Wilson said.
Without modernization or repair, the district estimates that annual upkeep would cost $36,000, and $2,000 per month for utilities.
Essential maintenance would require additional expenditures for roofing, heaters and upgrades to make them fully accessible. Those would total up to $647,000, and could necessitate greater electrical capacity, which might result in an additional $100,000 to $150,0000 to support.
A complete overhaul of the classrooms to bring them up to contemporary standards could cost $4.1 million to $4.2 million.
Those who suggested keeping the old facilities have floated several ideas.
District documents note the possibility for a new community meeting space, science lab or museum of local history. It could become a workshop for bikes, drones, woodworking, computers and coding, or possibly an art school. Some have even suggested that it could be used as homes to alleviate a housing shortage for local teachers who don’t make enough money to buy property in the area.
-- Sara Hayden Somers Middle School construction project delayed due to bad soil-- NBC Montana Montana: July 11, 2018 [ abstract] SOMERS, Mont. — Somers taxpayers approved a $15.8 million bond last October to improve Somers Middle School. The plan was to break ground in the summer, but there's been a delay.
The original design planned for the addition and renovation to expand the building south and down a hill, but issues with soil caused them to go in a different direction.
A design committee worked for months on a plan to fit the district and the community’s wants and needs for the renovations.
Soil testing found the ground unstable where they planned to build. The study said the new two-story building would sink up to 18 inches in a seismic event.
Lakeside/Somers School District Superintendent Joe Price said he was told the best soil is on the east side of the school, so now they are looking to expand that direction.
He told NBC Montana the change will likely delay the start of construction to next spring, but they plan to still have the project completed by fall of 2019.
Price said project workers will push back their start dates and redo the design at no extra cost.
-- Mackenzie Dougherty Building committees formed to oversee work on SK school facilities-- The Independent Rhode Island: July 07, 2018 [ abstract] SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — Two committees have been formed to oversee planned construction work at the town’s schools and the variables that may affect the projects.
The School Building Committee, which features members appointed by both the Town Council and the School Committee, will oversee and plan for the work on the school buildings. The committee is required by the Rhode Island Department of Education, and it will specifically be focusing on the restoration of South Kingstown High School and any construction that will be needed at Broad Rock Middle School and any of the elementary schools.
“There is the master facilities plan that the School Committee voted on, which is Plan B, if you will,” Town Manager Rob Zarnetske said. “But now that has to be fleshed out. Now it has to be converted into an actual, actionable plan, and that’s how this committee will help.”
-- Colin Howarth Money tight for maintenance, capital projects in Pasco County schools-- Tampa Bay Times Florida: July 03, 2018 [ abstract] Pasco County schools expect to receive $1.14 billion over the next decade for construction and maintenance projects.
It might sound like a lot, but district officials anticipate having $1.25 billion in expenses over the same time period.
And that amount doesn't include some priorities, such as an east-side technical high school to pair with the west-side one opening in the fall.
The 2018-19 fiscal year, which began Sunday, is proving daunting on its own, chief finance officer Olga Swinson told the School Board on Tuesday.
"We could probably use another $20 million just to do everything we want to do," Swinson said.
There is positive news, she said, in that the district will see a 7.1 percent increase in the tax roll, generating about $42.1 million in capital revenue, and the Penny for Pasco collections continue to generate their highest returns since voters approved the sales tax more than a decade ago.
But state support for capital needs continue to lag, Swinson continued, and much the the revenue is tied up in debt service and construction to ease population growth. The district currently has about $508 million in construction debt.
-- Jeffrey Solochek Big Hole, Big Crane at Hyde-Addison-- Georgetowner.com District of Columbia: July 02, 2018 [ abstract] It’s a big hole now — the construction site of Georgetown’s only public primary school, Hyde-Addison Elementary. In the hole is a large truck and a tower crane.
This is the second summer of a two-year, three-summer construction schedule. The Hyde-Addison School Modernization Project, with an overall budget of $33.6 million, will connect the two existing buildings and provide additional academic spaces and specialized areas. When completed, the school will hold 400 students, up about 25 percent from its former size.
While the project was slightly behind schedule in May due to a record rainy spring, it is now catching up, thanks to some weekend work. Water has been drained from the site and “resistance piers” — used to support the existing buildings’ foundations — have been installed.
-- Peggy Sands Lots of school construction means lots of requests for levies, bond issues-- The Columbus Dispatch Ohio: July 02, 2018 [ abstract] A school construction boom underway in and near Franklin County could expand significantly after the Nov. 6 election.
Five districts — Grandview Heights, Dublin, South-Western, Whitehall and Worthington — plan to approach voters this fall for the go-ahead to build.
Others are farther along in the process. Groveport Madison schools will open a new high school in the fall. Canal Winchester schools recently hired a construction company to add 48,000 square feet to its high school. And Hilliard schools will be opening a new Memorial Middle School this fall to replace the old one, which will become the Hilliard Station sixth-grade building.
A confluence of factors is driving this flurry of construction: aging buildings that officials say need to be reconfigured for modern ways of teaching; population growth in central Ohio leading to cramped schools; and the need for better security.
The Grandview Heights Board of Education voted last week to move forward with its facilities plan, with a ballot issue in November and construction starting in June 2019 if it passes.
-- Shannon Gilchrist Environmental hurdle cleared for new classroom building at Kealakehe Elementary School-- West Hawaii Today Hawaii: July 01, 2018 [ abstract] KAILUA-KONA — A project that will increase teaching space at Kealakehe Elementary School is moving closer to fruition.
However, the $12 million needed to start work on the new classroom building as projected in December 2020 has yet to be appropriated, said Sherie Char, a communications specialist with the state Department of Education.
“HIDOE will work with legislators to secure funds,” Char said via email. “The EA is on track to be completed, however, the design will pause at the preliminary stage until construction funding is secured.”
For crews to be on the ground working in late 2020, the funding needs to be secured by the end of the next legislative session in May 2019 to allow completion of the bidding process during 2020, according to a final environmental assessment released earlier this week. The document received finding of no significant impact, allowing the project to move forward.
-- Chelsea Jensen School Facilities: What Do They Really Cost?-- School Planning & Management National: July 01, 2018 [ abstract] Because tight budgets are a fact of life for facility managers, low-priced systems and products may appear extremely attractive. However, those systems and products might have excessive lifetime operational costs, or they might have short usable lives, causing them to be replaced long before necessary. Enter Brett A. Mitchell, EdD. (ABD), director of Facilities construction and Modernization at San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD), California, and a member of Design Build Institute of America. He manages a $2.4-billion capital improvement effort with current bond authorization of $1.2 billion in this district of 88 school sites spread across nearly 80 square miles serving nearly 50,000 K-12 students. SPM recently spoke with him about lifecycle costs and how to get the most bang for your facilities buck.
SPM: Why must lifecycle costs be taken into account on a school construction or retrofit project?
Mitchell: As facility managers, we have a fiduciary responsibility to our districts, with the resources we’ve been given, and it’s incumbent upon us to make sure we’re modernizing and/or building schools in the most efficient manner possible. That doesn’t mean building cheap schools. It means building as inexpensively as possible while considering the ongoing expense of what you’re building. For example, I can purchase inexpensive carpeting and save money on the initial installation, but it’ll end up being replaced soon—too soon. Paint is another example. I can use inexpensive paint, but I’ll have to repaint every year. We have to consider not only the material cost, but also the labor cost. In these examples, I’m not being fiscally prudent or responsible to the community that has entrusted me to spend its investment wisely.
-- Ellen Kollie Del Mar board approves revised facilities master plan-- Del Mar Times California: June 28, 2018 [ abstract] The Del Mar Union School District board approved a revised facilities master plan on June 27, a meeting that included over 60 public comments and lasted until midnight. The revised plan set the stage for the board to vote on pursuing a November 2018 bond and included Superintendent Holly McClurg and staff’s recommended priorities: purchase the land in Pacific Highlands Ranch and construct the new school; retain the two Del Mar school properties as district assets; establish a district-wide committee to continue analysis of optimal uses of the Del Mar properties; and implement renovations at all district schools.
The vote was not unanimous with board member Doug Rafner voting against the plan.
“This facilities master plan does not work unless the bond measure is passed,” said Rafner, adding that it didn’t make sense to approve a plan and forge ahead without knowing what the committee would decide regarding Del Mar. “What we’re looking at is a green banana, it’s just not ready…We’re waiting for a committee to tell us what we should do on the west and I don’t know if that’s a proper way to move forward.”
-- Karen Billing How we decided to clean up the hazards in our school | Commentary-- The Inquirer Maryland: June 27, 2018 [ abstract] In January, Philadelphia School District officials informed us that our school, George W. Nebinger Elementary, had an issue with construction-students-teachers-philadelphia-schools-toxic-city.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 97, 162); box-shadow: rgb(213, 238, 255) -2px -5px 0px -2px inset; transition: box-shadow 0.3s cubic-bezier(0.86, 0, 0.07, 1);" target="_blank">flaking lead paint in our hallways, classrooms, and offices. At an elementary school, that posed great concern to us, and as you can imagine, it led to a very vocal and public outcry by our parents and community.
From there, we had two choices. We could complain, or we could be part of the solution.
As an environmental consultant and a principal, we asked the district to work with us on a plan for action to protect the health and safety of our students. What resulted was the creation of a working group made up of district officials, school-based staff, dedicated volunteers, and members of the Philadelphia Healthy Schools Coalition. In a series of collaborative meetings, we quickly realized that the lead stabilization plan, while clear on paper, would face challenges when implemented due to the unique needs of schools. We also figured that going through this process at Nebinger and Jackson Elementary Schools could give us ideas to formulate a plan that could be implemented district-wide.
-- Natalie Catin-St. Louis & Gretchen Dahlkemper Wake leaders: $40M more needed for school updates, construction-- WRAL.com North Carolina: June 27, 2018 [ abstract] School construction will be the focus of a conversation on Wednesday among Wake school leaders as a committee meets to discuss a funding shortfall.
The difference between what the school board is requesting and how much the county is offering totals more than $40 million for the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years.
The funds are part of a seven-year Capital Improvement Plan with a goal to fund 15 new schools, make 10 renovations and partially pay for two new schools and four renovations. District leaders say the changes are necessary to keep up with growing enrollment and replace old technology, furniture and equipment.
School and county leaders have been working on ways to fund the plan, which could include a construction bond referendum on this November's ballot. Members of the school facilities committee will meet at school board headquarters at 3 p.m.
-- Claudia Rupcich Renovations Underway at Kalispell-- Flathead Beacon Montana: June 25, 2018 [ abstract] Work is underway at all five Kalispell elementary schools, while the city’s newest elementary, Rankin, is on budget and on schedule for completion in late July before welcoming students in August.
construction at the agricultural education center on F.F.A. Drive is also breaking ground, while the major demolition is complete at Flathead High School as crews move forward on that school’s expansive reconstruction, which is slated for completion in August of next year.
Meanwhile, Linderman Education Center’s construction documents are expected to be finalized by the end of summer, after which Swank Enterprises will bid out the facility’s renovation work in the fall, according to Erick Enz, the Kalispell public school district owner’s representative on the projects and president of Axiom Builders Group.
-- Myers Reece School construction opens doors for local businesses-- Fremont News Messenger Ohio: June 21, 2018 [ abstract] FREMONT - A coming influx of workers to build five new schools in Fremont will bring with them an array of opportunities for local businesses.
Fremont City Schools' officials and representatives from Gilbane and Mosser construction will discuss those opportunities at a community outreach and business participation meeting set for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Terra State Community College's Neeley Center
FCS Superintendent Jon Detwiler said the meeting is an effort to alert local businesses to contractors' needs for a variety of services while they work on the new buildings.
Those services could include food, lodging, massage therapy, and recreation.
Detwiler said he's heard estimates of 1,500 workers — including general laborers, plumbers. electricians, masons and others — coming to Fremont over the duration of construction.
Groundbreaking on the four elementary schools and one high school is scheduled for 2019, with the buildings tentatively scheduled to open in August 2021.
Detwiler said he's already heard feedback from some professionals who visited Fremont during the buildings' design phase about dining out in the city.
-- Daniel Carson Without funding for its plan, Cedar Rapids Schools reviewing when to begin sequence of construction, closures-- The Gazette Iowa: June 19, 2018 [ abstract] An absence of funding for the Cedar Rapids school district’s extensive facilities plan has delayed a meeting between school and city officials to discuss the plan’s impact.
School officials called off the joint meeting set for Monday morning, Cedar Rapids School Board President John Laverty said, and likely won’t reschedule it until next year.
The delay, Laverty said, is because of a looming sunset on a state penny sales tax, known as SAVE, that school districts can use to fund construction and infrastructure needs.
The school district’s facilities plan — which would close eight of the district’s elementary schools and fund new or renovated buildings for its other 13 — is contingent on the tax’s extension.
During this year’s legislative session, state lawmakers came close but construction-action-20180518" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(38, 114, 157); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: 600;">did not approve a 20-year extension of SAVE, which sunsets in 2029.
Without that revenue secured, Laverty said the school board is reviewing the facilities plan’s timeline.
“There will still be conversations with the city moving forward,” Laverty said. “But I think we’ll wait until January or so, when we start to hear more seriously in terms of the SAVE funds.”
-- Molly Duffy D.C. Mayor Kicks Off Renovations at Historic School-- The Washington Informer District of Columbia: June 18, 2018 [ abstract] D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser celebrated Monday the start of renovations to transform the historic Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School in Ward 2 into a D.C. Public Schools Early Childhood Education Center that will offer pre-K3 and -K4 classes and a child care center for infants and toddlers.
An adjacent parcel — the soon-to-be Stevens Place — will feature a new 190,000-square-foot commercial office building with underground parking.
“With this project, we’re delivering on our commitment to expand access to early child care,” said Bowser, who was joined at the groundbreaking by several local school, community and political officials. “Together, we are giving new life to an important historic landmark, moving forward a long-stalled project, and creating a much-needed resource for our community.”
As one of the District’s first public schools built for the education of African-American children, Stevens School, designated as a national historic landmark in 2001 — has played a significant role in the District’s past. constructed in 1868, the school was named after Thaddeus Stevens, a Pennsylvania Congressman and abolitionist. The building will reopen for the 2020-2021 school year.
-- Staff Author Bickel Elementary School offers 80-year-old charm and a family-like feel - but also a facility 'to do' list-- MagicValley.com Idaho: June 17, 2018 [ abstract]
Bickel Elementary School — Twin Falls’ first school — opened in 1906. It was named after Paul S. Bickel, the town’s first mayor.
The school initially housed 11 grade levels. High schoolers were later moved to the original Twin Falls High School, which opened in 1911.
Bickel’s original school building was torn down due to safety and overcrowding concerns. A fire broke out and damaged part of the old building, speeding up the demolition process.
A new facility — which opened in 1938 and is still used today — was constructed on the same site, but around the old building to avoid disrupting the school year, according to the school district.
The two-story building was built in the Colonial Revival style. The red brick school has a circular overhang, supported by white columns. Underneath, concrete steps lead to the original wood entryway doors.
The school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
In 2016, Bickel Elementary’s Parent Teacher Association threw a 110th birthday party for the school. They also donated a display case, which includes old items like a school nurse’s cap, an old arithmetic book and soap found downstairs in the school’s basement.
The building has a small capacity, so Bickel has the smallest enrollment of any Twin Falls elementary school.
-- Julie Wootton-Greener Mount Greylock Regional School thinking inside the box - for pending move-- The Berkshire Eagle Massachusetts: June 16, 2018 [ abstract] WILLIAMSTOWN — After years of debate, public ballots, planning, design and construction, the school community will begin moving into the new Mount Greylock Regional School on Friday.
According to Principal Mary MacDonald, teachers and staff have sorted through their files and equipment, packing only that which will be needed.
By noon Friday, all packing has to be complete and ready to move into the new space.
"We have to be all out by July 1 so abatement can begin," MacDonald said. "So we'll have about a week."
The structure doesn't officially open until late August, when the teachers will be able to go in and set up their classrooms for the start of school a few weeks later.
Tours for the public will come in late September or October.
After everything has been moved out of the old space, abatement will begin, followed in a few weeks by demolition of the unneeded spaces.
In preparation for construction, the first stage of abatement and demolition started in July 2016. construction of the classroom wing began in February 2017. A complete renovation of the gymnasium and locker rooms began in April 2017.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority is contributing $33.2 million in state money toward the cost of the $64.8 million building project. The local share of the cost is $31.5 million to $35.3 million.
-- Scott Stafford Regional school fund to allow fixes, not just builds-- The Arctic Sounder Alaska: June 16, 2018 [ abstract] Some schools that are getting older just need a little TLC and don't need to be made again from scratch. That's one of the issues touched on by House Bill 212, which passed through both the Alaska House and Senate this legislative session.
"This will add major maintenance to the Regional Education Attendance Area (REAA) fund in addition to new school construction," said the bill's primary sponsor, Rep. Neal Foster (D-Nome), speaking before the Senate Finance Committee on May 8. "I think it's a great way to keep our costs down overall in terms of preventative maintenance."
Co-sponsors included former House District 40 Rep. Dean Westlake (D-Kiana), Rep. Tammie Wilson (R-North Pole), Rep. Chris Tuck (D-Anchorage) and Rep. Louise Stutes (R-Kodiak).
"It doesn't do this by adding more money and increasing the size of the pie. What it does is re-allocates how the pie is cut," explained Foster's Finance Committee aide Jane Pierson on May 8. "The schools will benefit by helping reduce the deterioration of schools and in the long run, save millions because for example, it's better to be proactive and replace a roof than be reactive and replace an entire school."
Before the change went through, the REAA fund only allowed for new school construction. While the fund will still explicitly prioritize building new schools, it will allow rural districts to apply for help in doing preventative maintenance, as well.
-- Shady Grove Oliver Schools try to get traction on building-- The Robesonian North Carolina: June 16, 2018 [ abstract] LUMBERTON — The Public Schools of Robeson County whiffed on securing state money for the construction of a new school in Round 1, but school officials believe momentum is being achieved for better luck next time.
The system could have secured as much as $15 million earmarked for Tier 1 systems, but only for “shovel-ready” projects. The local system had not reached that point and did not apply.
Mike Smith, a 28-year member of the school board and a vocal advocate for school construction, said it was a “missed opportunity.” However, Smith said the “shovel ready” requirements in year one were too tight for the board to meet following Hurricane Matthew.
“There is a lot more to building a school than people think,” said Smith, chairman of the board’s Finance Committee. “Hopefully, we’ll be ready for the next round of funding.”
-- Scott Bigelow Colorado schools get largest ever contribution for construction-- The Denver Post Colorado: June 15, 2018 [ abstract] State officials this week approved $447 million for 35 school construction projects, the largest amount ever awarded under a Colorado school building program that is partially funded by proceeds from legal marijuana sales.
Some of the largest projects include the $61.2 million replacement of a junior-senior high school and renovation of an elementary school in Hayden and the $50.9 million renovation and replacement of the Buena Vista High and Middle School. The projects were approved Wednesday by the Colorado State Board of Education.
About $85 million of the 2018 Building Excellent Schools Today — or BEST — awards will be funded through cash grants from income earned from the Colorado State Land Board, marijuana excise taxes, spillover from the Colorado Lottery and interest on the assistance fund.
Applicants also contribute $74 million in matching funds, according to the state.
-- MONTE WHALEY Schools in Saco and Windham place high on priority list for state construction funding-- PressHerald.com Maine: June 14, 2018 [ abstract] Public schools in Saco and Windham placed among the top five in the Maine Department of Education’s latest priority list of school projects that could qualify for state construction funding.
In addition to the Young School in Saco and the Windham Middle School, which ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, Portland High School also made the list, placing 15th of 74 schools seeking funds. The school construction funding list was presented to the state Board of Education on Wednesday.
The board took no action at its Wednesday meeting. Districts that are unhappy with the way their projects were scored now have 30 days to appeal, according to the department.
“I am pleasantly surprised that Portland High School scored so well, but I certainly knew the school needed work,” Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling said.
The mayor said it is possible the state could fund repairs to the high school in the next round of school funding.
-- DENNIS HOEY Madaleno proposes $5 billion for school construction from lottery revenue-- The Washington Post Washington: June 13, 2018 [ abstract] State Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. on Tuesday unveiled a proposal to provide Maryland’s largest school districts with as much as $5 billion in construction funding, becoming the first gubernatorial candidate to address that issue in such detail.
The plan would use revenue from the state lottery to supplement money already earmarked for school renovation and construction.
“We are at a tipping point in the state of Maryland when it comes to education,” Madaleno (D-Montgomery) said in a statement. “Our facilities are aging, our programs no longer meet the needs of the 21st century.”
The plan, dubbed the BEACONS Act, addresses “large backlogs” of critical construction projects in Maryland’s most populous school districts. Madaleno’s proposal makes the funds available to jurisdictions with more than 75,000 students, which means Montgomery, Prince George’s, Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties and Baltimore City would now qualify.
Madaleno co-sponsored a 2013 bill that funded a similar construction plan for Baltimore City Public Schools. Now, Madaleno said, $1 billion is helping to rebuild 26 Baltimore schools, and the program “is a model for the other jurisdictions of the state.”
-- Reis Thebault Burlington School Board orders superintendent to halt construction projects-- Burlington Free Press Vermont: June 12, 2018 [ abstract] The Burlington School Board gave Superintendent Yaw Obeng the order on Tuesday to cease any action planned on district construction projects.
"The superintendent is directed to halt spending on and development of the North and South End Early Education and central office construction projects at this time," Mike Fisher said, reading the final points of a resolution passed by a majority of board members.
The exact direction Obeng will take was left to be decided in future meetings with School Board Chairwoman Clare Wool.
The district's plans to build two new pre-kindergartens at C.P. Smith and Champlain elementary schools were called into question over the last two months at community meetings and before the City Council.
"Whether it’s legal or not is a moot point, because the voters thought their money was going to be spent on school repairs and instead it’s going to be spent on something else," said Joanna Grossman, a Champlain parent leader and construction opponent, at a May 14 City Council meeting.
-- Nicole Higgins DeSmet Bartlett High Joins Wave of School Construction-- Daily News Tennessee: June 08, 2018 [ abstract] Though summer break has started, some of the school-year buzz remained on the campus of Bartlett High School this week as a group of adults gathered with ceremonial shovels for a groundbreaking.
Student-athletes came and went from other parts of the sprawling 26-acre campus that has been home to Bartlett’s only high school for more than a century.
“Now the fun starts,” said Bartlett Schools superintendent David Stephens, as he and other school system and civic leaders broke ground on a two-year, $60 million renovation of the campus.
-- Bill Dries Walla Walla School District appoints bond oversight committee-- Union-Bulletin.com Washington: June 08, 2018 [ abstract] If Walla Walla voters give a thumbs up to the $65.6 million bond option on November’s ballot, a group of 10 people is already in place to ensure Walla Walla Public Schools spends that money as promised.
This week, the Walla Walla school board approved membership of an independent bond oversight committee, a group that will monitor how, when and where bond money is spent.
It’s not something required by state law or policy, said Walla Walla Public Schools Superintendent Wade Smith.
“However, I believe a citizens’ oversight committee is crucial during school bond projects and have implemented them before with great success,” he said.
School districts must be completely transparent throughout an entire bond process, Smith said. And creating an independent committee fills that need by providing accountability and guidance, he explained.
Walla Walla’s committee consists of parents and business owners as well as financial and construction experts, said school district spokesman Mark Higgins.
-- Sheila Hagar Cleveland schools ask parents to lobby state for school construction money-- The Plain Dealer Ohio: June 06, 2018 [ abstract] CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland school district is asking parents and the public to lobby state officials to preserve some state funding of the city's school construction project.
District CEO Eric Gordon and Chief Operating Officer Pat Zohn used much of a community meeting Tuesday night at Gallagher Elementary School on the West Side to lay out details of the district's ongoing fight with the state over school construction costs.
See their presentation below.
They then urged the crowd of 50 parents, teachers and other residents to call their state legislators, the governor's office and the Ohio Facilities construction Commission (OFCC) - the state panel overseeing state-funded construction - to oppose a cap on state construction aid.
They even called on residents to attend an August 16 OFCC event in Independence and that board's regular quarterly meeting on October 25 in Columbus.
-- Patrick O'Donnell Anoka-Hennepin, Minnesota's largest school district, begins work on its biggest construction project ever-- Star Tribune Minnesota: June 02, 2018 [ abstract] The sound of construction crews hammering away will echo throughout the north metro for much of the summer as a historic school building project gets underway.
Voters approved the largest school referendum in Minnesota history for Anoka-Hennepin schools last fall. The record $249 million plan will make over or add on to every one of the district’s 38 buildings and construct two elementary schools in fast-growing Ramsey and Blaine.
“This is pretty unprecedented,” said Chuck Holden, the district’s chief operations officer. “There’s nothing fluff in this request. There’s a real need here.”
-- Kelly Smith Pa. lawmakers weigh tweaks to school project subsidy-- Philadelphia Tribune Pennsylvania: June 01, 2018 [ abstract] An advisory committee of state lawmakers is looking to subsidize public school building maintenance to maximize taxpayer investments.
That is one of the main recommendations in a report released by the Public School Building construction and Reconstruction Advisory Committee, state Rep. Joseph Markosek (D-25) said in a press release.
Markosek, a member of the board and the Democratic chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said the recommendations should yield a more efficient and cost-effective plan for the state’s subsidy, known as PlanCom, which is aimed at public school construction and renovation projects.
“The committee conducted extensive interviews around the state, gathering input from school officials, parents, board members, architects, contractors and energy specialists,” Markosek said.
-- Phillip Jackson Guv to sign bills for energy office, school construction-- The Daily Sentinel Colorado: May 28, 2018 [ abstract] Gov. John Hickenlooper plans to sign several measures this week approved by the Colorado Legislature during this year's session, including bills to boost funding for school construction and a measure reauthorizing the Colorado Energy Office.
-- Charles Ashby
Bedford's new middle school close to completion-- The Roanoke Times Virginia: May 27, 2018 [ abstract] Faculty and staff members donned hard hats and safety vests Thursday for a construction site tour of their new workplace, the new Liberty Middle School.
construction is nearing completion and the $38 million building will be ready for students when the 2018-19 school year begins in August, Bedford County Public Schools officials said.
-- Shannon Keith Breaking ground for new school-- Altoona Mirror Pennsylvania: May 24, 2018 [ abstract] Altoona Area School Board President Dutch Brennan put a gold-painted shovel into a pile of soil at the site of the planned new high school B building Wednesday, marking the start of construction and renovation of the A building.
-- Russ O'Reilly Lawmakers call for a restart to Pa.'s school-construction program-- The Philadelphia Inquirer Pennsylvania: May 23, 2018 [ abstract] Lawmakers want Pennsylvania to restart its reimbursement program for school construction projects, with money set aside not just for new buildings, but also for repairs to the state’s aging schools.
-- Maddie Hanna APS to spend $39M to renovate four schools-- Atlanta Journal Constitution Georgia: May 22, 2018 [ abstract] The Atlanta school board approved construction management contracts totaling more than $39 million to renovate four schools.
-- Vanessa McCray Fruitport celebrates start of $48.7 million high school renovation-- Michigan Live Michigan: May 22, 2018 [ abstract] While construction has already begun, the ground was officially broken for a three-year renovation project at Fruitport High School.
A groundbreaking ceremony took place Monday, May 21 at Fruitport High School, located at 357 N. 6th Ave., to celebrate the renovation that is set to be completed by 2021.
-- Emma Dale Timing of bat study results could push back construction of flood replacement school by one year-- Metro News West Virginia: May 22, 2018 [ abstract] It’s possible site preparation for the construction of a new Herbert Hoover High School in Kanawha County won’t begin until November 2019. A pending bat study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could push the timbering of the site back by one year, state lawmakers were told Tuesday.
The flooding committee, which was created by the legislature in the months following the June 2016 flood, got an update on school construction timelines from officials with the state School Building Authority.
-- Jeff Jenkins Construction begins on new Jasper elementary-- The DuBois Herald Indiana: May 21, 2018 [ abstract] The groundbreaking for the new Jasper Elementary School building was this morning, when about 75 people " contractors, Greater Jasper Schools leadership, elementary students and community members " gathered at the school’s future location on North Portersville Road near Jasper Middle School to ceremoniously celebrate the start of construction.
-- Allen Laman Fort Bend ISD police block entrance as trustees debate controversial plan expected to lead to November bond election-- Houston Chronicle Texas: May 21, 2018 [ abstract] In a marathon eight-hour school board meeting that lasted until after 2 a.m., Fort Bend ISD trustees listened to dozens of upset and anxious parents before voting to approve a list of recommendations for the district’s facilities master plan on Monday, May 14. The plan was based on a facility study put forward by PBK Architects that included more than $800 million in proposed repairs, renovations and new construction projects to be considered for a not-yet-approved school bond expected to go before voters in November.
-- Kristi Nix New Mexico’s Laguna Elementary School receives $26.2 million for new school construction-- Indian Country Today New Mexico: May 17, 2018 [ abstract] The U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced Wednesday that the Laguna Elementary School in New Laguna, New Mexico, will receive $26.2 million for the construction of a new school.
“As Secretary of the Interior, I am responsible for the education of 48,000 native children in the Bureau of Indian Education school system, and that is an honor and responsibility I take very seriously,” Zinke said in the news release. “I applaud the Laguna Department Of Education’s commitment to providing a first class education to its students and for developing a successful plan. An investment in our youth is an investment in our future. I am hopeful that the proposal President Trump and I put forward to rebuild Indian schools is passed by Congress.”
-- Vincent Schilling Local labor urged for Worcester school building projects-- Telegram.com Massachusetts: May 15, 2018 [ abstract] With as much as $500 million worth of school building projects on the horizon, the City Council wants to make sure that as much local labor is hired for those projects as possible.
The council Tuesday night supported Mayor Joseph M. Petty’s request for a report from the city administration on whether use of local labor can be negotiated in contracts for construction of the new South High Community School.
-- Nick Kotsopoulos Some promised new schools could be axed as Cleveland district, state fight over money-- Cleveland.com Ohio: May 15, 2018 [ abstract] A dispute between the Cleveland school district and the state over how much the state will pay for school construction has put part of the district's $200 million building plan on hold and threatens to slice some promised schools out of the project.
Schools that are already under construction or about to start work, like the new John F. Kennedy High School and new West Side high school near Ohio City, will still go ahead as planned.
-- Patrick O'Donnell Why Wake County voters won't see a $1 billion school construction bond referendum this fall-- News Observer North Carolina: May 15, 2018 [ abstract] Wake County leaders are hoping taxpayers will be more willing to support borrowing money for school construction projects if they don't ask them for more than $1 billion at a time.
The Wake County school board voted Tuesday to ask county commissioners to provide $2.4 billion over the next seven years to fully fund 15 new schools and 10 major renovations and to partially pay for other projects.
-- T. Keung Hui Arkansas Senate: State approves $42 million in school construction aid-- Magnolia Reporter Arkansas: May 13, 2018 [ abstract] The Arkansas Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation Commission has approved more than $42 million in state aid to local school districts for new construction and repairs to keep schools safe, warm and dry.
About $3.2 billion have been spent on 2,453 projects since 2006. The state has provided $1.34 billion of that amount and school districts match the funding, at a rate that depends on their locally generated wealth.
-- Bruce Maloch Schools adjust to construction-- Journal Gazette Indiana: May 13, 2018 [ abstract] This school year hasn't been the nightmare New Haven High School Principal Anna Murphy feared.
construction has forced some teachers to relocate, has taken over the gymnasium, created parking issues and made the building noisier – particularly in hallways temporarily without ceiling tiles.
-- Ashley Sloboda School board votes against renovations for Lansdowne High, sets eyes on replacement-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: May 09, 2018 [ abstract]
The Baltimore County Board of Education voted Tuesday night to re-designate funds for renovation of Lansdowne High School toward construction of a new school.
In its 8-3 vote, the board is asking that the renovation money " $60 million in two phases " be put toward a new Lansdowne High School, although the vote means the process of acting on a new building, which could cost more than $100 million, will have to begin anew.
-- Cody Boteler School construction in Fayette County progressing-- The Register-Herald West Virginia: May 07, 2018 [ abstract] construction is well under way on the new Collins Middle School campus in Fayette County. School officials met with The Register-Herald to discuss the progress on the new facilities and to address how students are faring in the modular classrooms in the interim.
construction crews were putting in footers and walls this week.
“It’s going to be a very active summer here,” said Fayette County Schools Superintendent Terry George. “There has been a tremendous amount of construction going on here that will all culminate probably by early May of next year. You’re going to see the new schools are going to be open. These will be coming out of here,” George said of the temporary modular buildings.
-- Jackie Ayres-Whetzel Williams: Richmond School Board, not mayor, should control school construction process-- Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia: May 07, 2018 [ abstract] The Pottery Barn rule " “You break it, you own it” " hasn’t exactly played out at Huguenot High School.
The school’s construction was overseen by then-Mayor Dwight C. Jones. But the 3-year-old building has been a headache borne primarily by Richmond Public Schools and its students.
A water-damaged floor has rendered the Huguenot gymnasium unfit for basketball. Malfunctioning hand dryers in the bathroom and water-stained ceiling tiles in the hallway have required replacement. The air conditioning in the football team locker rooms went on the fritz last summer.
-- Michael Paul Williams Aging buildings dot Ohio school districts that can’t afford new construction, leaving state money behind-- The Columbus Dispatch Ohio: May 06, 2018 [ abstract] As he walked from classroom to classroom examining a 104-year-old school building’s faded wooden floors and aging tiled walls, River View Schools Superintendent Dalton Summers talked about what it’s like to be left behind.
The River View district is about 80 miles east of Columbus, in rural Coshocton County, and decades behind when it comes to updating school buildings. It is among 40 Ohio school districts that, for one reason or another, did not take advantage of the state’s offer to pay for a share of the cost of new school buildings.
-- Bennett Leckrone New Hobart elementary school site plan approved-- Chicago Tribune Illinois: May 05, 2018 [ abstract]
The School City of Hobart received approvals Thursday for several zoning and planning requests in conjunction with the construction of a new elementary school at the Mundell Field site, putting it on course to break ground in August.
The still unnamed 70,000-square-foot, one-story school building will be built at 52 N. Wisconsin St., on 12.7 acres between Home and Cleveland avenues.
-- Karen Caffarini Paine says state board won’t micro-manage Nicholas County school plan-- Metro News West Virginia: May 01, 2018 [ abstract] State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steve Paine says the Nicholas County Board of Education will have a lot decisions to make in the months to come in connection with the construction of several new schools.
-- Jeff Jenkins Santa Maria ISD adding new high school building: $5.2 million assembly price tag-- Valley Star Texas: May 01, 2018 [ abstract] construction workers manning a backhoe digging up dirt and a truck to haul it out are hard at work behind Santa Maria High School.
They began last week to form the foundation of the new school building for high school students.
And everything’s going according to plan for Superintendent Dr. Maria Chavez and the school board’s project to expand the school.
-- Raul Garcia Bill gives pot money to schools-- The Daily Sentinel Colorado: April 25, 2018 [ abstract] A bill to nearly double the marijuana sales tax revenue that goes to school construction is on its way to the full Senate.
That happened after the measure, HB1070, cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, a bill that would dedicate at least $35 million more a year to the state program that provides grants for school construction projects.
That new money would be on top of the $40 million that already goes to the program, known as the Building Excellent Schools Today, or BEST, Act.
-- Charles Ashby Red Oak explores sale of middle school building-- KMA Land Iowa: April 24, 2018 [ abstract] As the planning process continues for a large construction project in the Red Oak School District, officials are weighing their options on a building that will be vacated after this school year.
The building project -- which was made possible by a $19.9 million bond issue approved by voters last summer -- is slated to reduce the number of campuses in the district from four to two. One of the buildings slated for closure with the project is the venerable middle school building, which was built in 1916. Plans originally called for the building to be demolished at a cost of $1 million, but Superintendent Tom Messinger tells KMA News the Red Oak School Board is opening up the possibility of selling the structure instead.
-- Ryan Matheny Push to renew school surtax heats up in Polk-- News Chief Florida: April 23, 2018 [ abstract] The portables are in place " all 30 of them " and ready to house Bartow High School students when they hit campus Aug. 13 to begin the 2018"19 school year.
The extra space will house students displaced by new construction. Beginning sometime in May, seven buildings are set to be razed to make room for a new, two-story classroom building with science labs, a new construction academy and improvements to the culinary arts building.
-- Erica Pera Taconic High School project on time and under budget-- The Berkshire Eagle Massachusetts: April 23, 2018 [ abstract] The new Taconic High School building is progressing on time and under budget, construction managers said Monday.
The building is scheduled for July 1 completion, and movers will begin transferring items from the current building to the new digs on Valentine Road soon thereafter.
John Benzinger, of construction firm Skanska USA, told members of the School Building Needs Commission the project is so far running below the budgeted $120 million. He said it was too early to say by how much.
-- Amanda Drane Elida schools seeking tax for new elementary school-- Lima Ohio Ohio: April 21, 2018 [ abstract] Voters in the Elida school district will be considering a new tax to pay for construction of a new elementary school. It’s a 2.8-mill bond issue, with an additional .50-mill permanent improvement property tax. The levy would all be contained as one vote when people go to the ballot May 8.
-- Sam Shriver Santa Rosa Schools unveil plan for new $37 million K-8 school-- Pensacola News Journal Florida: April 19, 2018 [ abstract] After receiving school board approval on a first-phase design for a kindergarten through eighth-grade school in Navarre, the next step for Santa Rosa County School District is for the state to review plans for the estimated $37.3 million building.
The two-story, 160,000-square foot school is slated for construction on 42 acres on Elkhart Drive, south of East Bay Boulevard and near the Holley by the Sea neighborhood.
-- Anne Delaney Lipscomb lands $23M to fund new business school building-- Nashville Post Tennessee: April 17, 2018 [ abstract] Lipscomb University President Randy Lowry has announced the largest donation in institution history, a $23 million gift that will partially fund construction of a new business school building.
The donors have asked to remain anonymous, according to a release.
Forum audience backs $250M for school repairs, construction-- Providence Journal Rhode Island: April 16, 2018 [ abstract] A Publick Occurrences forum Monday night persuaded a significant portion of audience members that they should vote for a proposed bond referendum that would provide $250 million for school repairs and construction, according to a survey of audience members.
Publick Occurrences, sponsored by The Providence Journal, Leadership Rhode Island and Rhode Island College, has been held several times a year for the last eight years and examines some of the leading issues of the day. Monday night’s forum, at RIC’s Sapinsley Hall, looked at the deteriorating state of Rhode Island’s public schools and a proposal for the state to borrow $250 million to address the deficiencies.
-- Paul Edward Parker $10M hangs in balance at Lake schools after state audit's warning over impact-fee spending-- Orlando Sentinel Florida: April 15, 2018 [ abstract]
The Lake County school district could be on the hook for $10.3 million if the state determines that impact fees collected to offset costs associated with growth were improperly used to pay off debt.
A 15-page report released last week by the Florida auditor general’s office questioned whether impact fees the district collected in 2016-17 that went toward past debt rather than new school construction and improvements was permissible through county ordinances.
-- Jason Ruiter Navarro County schools hold bond elections-- Corsicana Daily News Texas: April 15, 2018 [ abstract] ‘Tis the season for school bond elections in Navarro County, and there are currently several in the works in the towns outside the county seat.
Kerens Independent School District, who passed its bond package already and is set to begin construction within the month, joins with Rice ISD, whose groundbreaking will be May 2. Mildred ISD is also pursuing a bond for three different phases of construction, and Dawson ISD has one initiative it is pushing. Also add Frost ISD to that list, with a few upgrades they are requesting.
-- Deanna Kirk Editorial: Athol, Royalston ace their elementary school construction project-- Athol Daily News Massachusetts: April 14, 2018 [ abstract] While it’s been in use for more than a year now, the Athol Community Elementary School is still collecting accolades. You could say it just aced an architectural design review.
Athol-Royalston Regional School District’s newest school just received a top achievement award from the Collaborative for High Performance Schools.
Annapolis shakeup changes how school construction funds are awarded-- DelmarvaNow.com Maryland: April 13, 2018 [ abstract] A shakeup in Annapolis over a board that decides how millions of dollars of public school construction funds are spent has split Lower Shore legislators along party lines and created uncertainty among local school officials.
The 21st Century School Facilities Act strips the decision-making power from the Board of Public Works and gives it to a nine-member commission that would include the state superintendent of schools, two members of the governor's cabinet and two members each appointed by the governor, Senate president and speaker of the House.
-- Liz Holland Eagle County school construction projects on time, on budget; three more to finish this summer-- Vail Daily Colorado: April 13, 2018 [ abstract] When Eagle County voters approved school construction projects up and down the valley, completion seemed like a long way off.
It isn't.
School district officials and construction crews are expecting to move furniture in this summer.
-- Randy Wyrick School project consumes bulk of Norwalk’s $83.8M capital budget-- The Hour Connecticut: April 13, 2018 [ abstract] The Common Council has approved a nearly $83.8 million capital budget to repave roads, fix city parks and further major school reconstruction during the fiscal year beginning July 1.
“I want to thank the mayor, the council and the Planning Committee for all their hard work,” Council President John Kydes, a District C Democrat who chairs the committee, said before passage of the budget at City Hall on Tuesday evening. “I really think we have a solid capital budget.”
-- Robert Koch Schools want $50M bond referendum for construction needs-- The Robesonian North Carolina: April 11, 2018 [ abstract] Leaders of the Public Schools of Robeson County are wasting no time getting to the Robeson County Board of Commissioners a petition for a bond referendum they want before voters in November.
School board Attorney Grady Hunt said Wednesday he has been asked by the school board to prepare a petition asking county commissioners to approve the sale of general obligation bonds to finance school construction projects.
-- TC Hunter Voters OK $68.9 million school construction project-- Business North Minnesota: April 11, 2018 [ abstract] Voters in Independent School District 318 (Grand Rapids, Bigfork) on Tuesday narrowly approved a $68.9 million ballot question to construct two new elementary buildings and renovate another. The number of “yes” votes totaled 3,249, while 3,187 voted against the ballot question. A $5.1 million second ballot question addressing the district’s athletic facilities failed to garner enough public support
What are Wilson County's most important school building needs?-- Tennessean Tennessee: April 10, 2018 [ abstract] constructing a new high school by 2020 in Mt. Juliet to address growth is far from the only building need in Wilson County, according to an extensive capital plan recently presented.
The proposed high school is one of eight new schools proposed in the long-range plan, that also includes enhancements, repairs and maintenance to every existing school in the district except Springdale Elementary, which opened this school year.
-- Andy Humbles Facilities Master Plan up for review by Travis Unified School District-- The Reporter News California: April 09, 2018 [ abstract] Recommendations for the district’s Facilities Master Plan and clarification of the January cash payment of health and welfare benefits to unionized employees are on the agenda when Travis Unified leaders meet tonight in Fairfield.
Superintendent Pamela Conklin and Cathy Dominico, of Capitol PFG, a Sacramento financial advisory firm, will update the five-member governing board about the latest changes to the Facilities Master Plan, a 71-page document that will guide the district’s future capital construction and major remodeling projects.
-- Richard Bammer MT provides high school construction update to Altrusa-- Record Herald Ohio: April 09, 2018 [ abstract] The small but rapt group of retired educators present at the April 5 luncheon meeting of the Fayette County Retired Teachers Association attentively followed the presentation of Miami Trace Local School District’s superintendent and business manager on the construction progress of the district’s new high school.
School notes: FCPS recommends new building to address Waverley Elementary crowding-- The Frederick News-Post Maryland: April 09, 2018 [ abstract] A replacement building for Waverley Elementary School on the same site is being recommended, regardless of capacity, as the Board of Education considers its options.
Frederick County Public Schools staff looked at options for a school with a capacity of 725 students, which has been the standard in recent elementary school construction projects, and 1,019 students. While staff didn’t take a position on which size school to build, it recommended a new building after conducting a feasibility study.
-- Allen Etzler Chicago school construction could unearth human remains-- The State Journal-Register Illinois: April 05, 2018 [ abstract] construction workers building a school in a northwest Chicago neighborhood are working carefully to avoid disturbing human remains possibly lying underneath the site.
The $70 million Read Dunning School is being built at the site of the former Cook County Poor House, the Chicago Tribune reported. An estimated 38,000 people have been buried in the area in unmarked graves since the 1800s, including people too poor to afford a funeral, unclaimed bodies and mentally ill patients from the county’s asylum.
General Assembly overrides Hogan veto on school construction bill-- The Frederick News-Post Maryland: April 05, 2018 [ abstract] General Assembly Democrats voted to override Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of a bill that removes the Board of Public Works from the school construction funding process.
Hogan vetoed House Bill 1783 at a Board of Public Works meeting on Wednesday with dramatic flair, drawing a big red “X” through the paper and holding it up to the crowd.
-- Kelsi Loos Coos Bay schools move forward with construction of new school, building maintenance-- KCBY Oregon: April 04, 2018 [ abstract] Progress is being made in Coos Bay toward the construction of a brand-new school and maintenance work on other school district buildings.
Last November, voters approved a bond measure for schools in the district.
The nearly $60 million measure will fund the improvement of buildings and new construction, including a new elementary school in Eastside to replace Blossom Gulch.
Heated Debate In Annapolis On School Construction Decisions-- WCBC Radio Maryland: April 03, 2018 [ abstract] With less than a week remaining in the 2018 session of the Maryland General Assembly- a heated debated has begun on school construction decisions. The Maryland Senate last week approved a measure to change how school-construction funding decisions are made. The Senate voted 29-14 or the bill, which Governor Larry Hogan has pledged to veto.
Martin County school security improvements estimated to cost $12 million-- TC Palm Florida: April 03, 2018 [ abstract] Fortifying campuses here is expected to cost the school district at least $12 million, school officials said Tuesday.
Although nearly $99 million was set aside by lawmakers to help pay for school security enhancements statewide in 2018-19, school officials are confident there won't be enough money to pay for everything the district needs.
Despite this estimate shared at a workshop meeting Tuesday, as well as pleas from a parent and principal to replace their school, the majority of School Board members remain adamant about seeking a tax increase to generate money for district operations, not construction.
-- Andrew Atterbury Money left over from Meriden high school renovations to fund track study-- My Record Journal Connecticut: April 03, 2018 [ abstract] Left over money from the Maloney and Platt High School renovations will be used to fund studies on replacing the athletic tracks at both schools.
The City Council approved funding for the studies Monday.
construction on the $107.5 million renovation of Maloney High School was completed in 2016 and the $111.8 million renovation of Platt wrapped up last fall. A total of $1.9 million is left in the Platt budget and $394,000 remains unspent for Maloney, according to Finance Director Michael Lupkas.
-- Leigh Tauss Dorchester 2 officials feel confident new arts magnet school will be ready for opening day in August-- The Post and Courier Massachusetts: April 02, 2018 [ abstract] construction on Dorchester District 2’s magnet arts school will be complete before the start of next school year, school board members said Monday.
A 90-minute closed-door session with district and construction officials was "extremely favorable," said board Chairwoman Tanya Robinson. "We feel very positive after our executive session that the school will be ready for students on Aug. 20."
The magnet school, which draws students from across the district based on auditions, is the last project from the district’s $179.9 million building campaign that was approved by voters in 2012.
-- Brenda Rindge Sugar Land's historic Lakeview Elementary among handful of Fort Bend ISD elementary schools facing uncertain future-- Houston Chronicle Texas: April 02, 2018 [ abstract] Fort Bend ISD trustees recently had sharp words for administrators after construction plans were shelved for Lakeview Elementary School's security upgrades promised as part of the 2014 voter-approved bond package.
"By the end of the summer, Lakeview will be the only campus without a security vestibule and an emergency generator. To me, that's a lot of vulnerability," trustee Grayle James said during the Feb. 26 school board meeting. "These families in the Lakeview community have been patient for a long time and it's quite disappointing for them to realize they have to wait again."
-- Kristi Nix Goodman still rebuilding one year after devastating tornado-- The Joplin Globe Missouri: April 01, 2018 [ abstract] It has been almost a year since an early spring tornado destroyed the home of Gary and Connie Willman in Goodman.
The EF2 tornado that hit this community of 1,200 on April 4 ripped up much of their house. When it tore their roof off, exposing the attic, much of the family’s memorabilia was lost. The only souvenirs they said they were able to salvage were family photos. Even the foundation was damaged.
The old home, which had stood for 80 years, had to be completely rebuilt.
construction workers were recently installing drywall and making measurements for new kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. The exterior of the house is nearly complete, although workers still need to put in the front steps leading to their porch.
-- Ines Kagubare School construction funding fight is part of ongoing drive to strip power from the governor-- Maryland Reporter.com Maryland: April 01, 2018 [ abstract] Maryland’s governor has long been considered one of the most powerful in the country, mainly because of his control over spending and appointments.
The Maryland General Assembly has for decades sought to chip away at any governor’s power, mainly through spending mandates and other legal restraints.
Last week’s action in the Senate and House to pass a new mandate on school construction and take the governor out of the decisions on what schools should be funded is just another chapter in that ongoing drive to shift the balance of power.
-- Len Lazarick SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ARGUES FOR CONSTRUCTION BOND AT COMMUNITY MEETING-- Key Peninsula News Washington: March 30, 2018 [ abstract] With a 20-year $220 million school bond measure going to voters April 24, Peninsula School District Superintendent Rob Manahan is on a mission: to inform the public how this capital bond measure came to be and why he believes it is vital to act now in order to meet the opportunities and challenges facing the growing district.
-- Lisa Bryan Botetourt supervisors OK funding for new Colonial Elementary School building-- The Roanoke Times Virginia: March 29, 2018 [ abstract] The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors authorized the issuance of $22.5 million in general obligation bonds to fund the construction of a new building for Colonial Elementary School.
The Board of Supervisors, along with the school board and the Economic Development Authority, held a public hearing Thursday on the bond issuance before unanimous approval. About 30 residents were in attendance to watch the three government bodies move forward on a long-awaited project.
The bonds will come through the Virginia Public School Authority, which school officials said they determined as the best route to finance the project.
-- Alison Graham Maryland Senate passes school construction proposal that Gov. Hogan has promised to veto-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: March 29, 2018 [ abstract] The Maryland Senate voted Thursday to overhaul the way the state approves hundreds of millions of dollars for school construction projects, ending a three-day legislative whirlwind that provoked Gov. Larry Hogan and Comptroller Peter Franchot to direct accusations of cronyism at the legislature.
After fending off a Republican filibuster, the Democratic-controlled chamber approved the bill by a 29-14 vote, enough to override Hogan’s promised veto. The House of Delegates, which crafted the proposal and attached it to legislation that contains popular school construction reforms, passed the bill Tuesday.
-- Scott Dance Progressive Voice: Arlington’s Space Squeeze Demands New Solutions-- ARL Now Virginia: March 29, 2018 [ abstract] Arlingtonians used to say that rising enrollment in our public schools was “a good problem to have.”
The catchphrase emphasizes the drawing power of the high quality instruction and student achievement at APS.
But these days, unprecedented enrollment growth, a shortage of seats and limited land for new school construction pose major challenges.
Fresh thinking and problem solving are needed as we face a space squeeze for schools " and for play space and other recreational needs. Building up " not out " is one solution. And building usable green space on rooftops has emerged as another promising option.
-- Laura Saul Edwards Board OKs revised renovation plan for JFK Middle School-- Journal Inquirer Connecticut: March 28, 2018 [ abstract] The Board of Education on Tuesday unanimously approved a revised, preliminary renovation plan for John F. Kennedy Middle School that reduces its proposed space by about 9,000 square feet.
The renovated middle school would still be larger than the existing structure at 155 Raffia Road, but about 9,000 square feet less than proposed at a failed referendum last November, according to vice president of West Hartford-based construction Solutions Group LLC Christopher Cykley.
The middle school is currently 172,767 square feet and the new renovation plan calls for it to increase to 206,403 square feet.
-- Megan Krementowski Maryland Senate set to revamp school construction funding process, angering Gov. Larry Hogan-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: March 28, 2018 [ abstract] The Maryland Senate gave preliminary approval Wednesday night to a plan to strip the state’s spending panel of its traditional oversight of hundreds of millions of dollars in school construction projects " a legislative action that Gov. Larry Hogan called a “personal vendetta” and promised to veto.
The Republican governor " who sits on the three-member spending board with Comptroller Peter Franchot and Treasurer Nancy Kopp, both Democrats " said the General Assembly’s expedited actions on a measure to strip the board of one of its “most important functions” were “simply outrageous.”
-- Michael Dresser and Scott Dance Queensbury High School undergoing $40M renovation-- The Post Star New York: March 27, 2018 [ abstract] Some Queensbury High School students are taking classes in a converted gymnasium " a minor inconvenience as work is progressing on a nearly $40 million renovation of the building.
The foreign language classes were displaced from the rooms in late December as construction started on the renovation, which would reorganize the building into three distinct areas in the building for the arts, humanities and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
-- Michael Goot Richmond Heights Schools to offer bonds to residents for new school facilities-- The News-Herald Ohio: March 27, 2018 [ abstract] The Richmond Heights School District is set to sell about $9.9 million in bonds April 4 as a portion of the $17.5 million bond and tax levy issue approved by voters Nov. 7.
The bonds will pay for construction of the district’s grades 7-12 high school and Community Learning Center building.
School officials last week met with Standard & Poor’s Rating Service in New York to secure a bond rating on the planned bond issues, a district news release stated. Officials anticipate receiving a favorable rating on the bonds in light of their recent notification by the Ohio Department of Education that the school district has been released from Fiscal Caution, a result of improved financial condition and sound management.
-- Chad Felton Amherst Schools also eyes costs of its construction project-- The Chronicle Ohio: March 24, 2018 [ abstract] Elyria is not the only Lorain County school district eyeing the construction market with caution.
Amherst is building a new prekindergarten-to-third-grade elementary school building, and school officials there are watching bids and budgets carefully. Like Elyria, Amherst passed a bond issue in November 2016 to fund a school project, albeit with a much smaller budget. The Amherst project will cost $27.97 million, 49 percent paid with local dollars and 51 percent with state funding, compared with Elyria’s $127 million budget.
-- Lisa Roberson New renovations come to Flathead High School-- ABC Fox Montana Montana: March 23, 2018 [ abstract]
It's the end of an era for one of Kalispell's most historic buildings.
construction started this week on the Flathead High School Gymnasium to make room for a new gym and new buildings.
Built in 1929, Flathead High School's gym is one of the oldest buildings on one of Montana's oldest high schools.
However, it won't be around for much longer, as demolition is set to start this April.
-- Nicole Mojarro School Board Reviews Design, Construction Contract for Stratford School Project-- ARL Now Virginia: March 23, 2018 [ abstract] The Arlington School Board reviewed the design and proposed construction contract for the Stratford School building renovation at its meeting last night (March 22).
In a presentation, Arlington Public Schools staff said that the guaranteed maximum price of the renovation and three-story addition " which will prepare the building to host a new neighborhood middle school as the H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program moves to Rosslyn " “exceeded previous estimates by several million dollars.” A vote to approve the revised price ceiling is slated for next month.
-- Bridget Reed Morawski As more than $1 billion in school construction projects begin, districts attempt to lure local contractors to work-- Bakersfield.com California: March 22, 2018 [ abstract] When Fairfax Elementary School District, a small district on Bakersfield's east side, requests bidders for construction projects, Superintendent Michael Coleman already knows what to expect — the same two or three contractors.
The minimal competition drives up the cost of the project, Coleman said.
-- Harold Pierce Athens City School District Board of Education approves facilities master plan-- The Post Athens Ohio: March 22, 2018 [ abstract] The Athens City School District Board of Education approved the filing of the district’s facilities master plan with the Ohio Facilities construction Commission during its regular board meeting Thursday night at Athens High School.
The facilities master plan, sometimes referred to as "option four," includes two new pre-K to third-grade buildings, one renovated fourth- to sixth-grade building, a renovation to Athens Middle School and a new Athens High School. The board also voted against segmenting the plan, which means that if the board agrees to put a tax levy for the project on the November ballot, residents would vote on funding the entire plan.
-- Maggie Campbell Most WCSD sixth grades will move to middle schools by 2019-20 school year; all shortly after-- Reno Gazette Journal Nevada: March 22, 2018 [ abstract] All of Washoe County’s sixth-graders will be in middle schools in the near future.
It’s a change that’s been in the works for over a decade, said district spokesperson Riley Sutton, but the construction of two new middle schools in Sun Valley and Spanish Springs will finally complete the process.
Most schools will make the change when the new Sky Ranch and Desert Skies middle schools open for the 2019-20 school year, but some schools south of Interstate 80 will have to wait for a new middle school to be built in the Arrowcreek area.
-- Sam Gross Tax increase could come with growth in Horry County Schools-- WMBF South Carolina: March 21, 2018 [ abstract] Horry County is growing and that means the Horry County School District must keep up with that growth.
Fueled by a bustling economy, the Horry County Schools Facilities Committee said the district has experienced a long period of sustained growth in grades K through 12.
Over the past 20 years, HCS has grown 2 percent per year on average, or 16,057 students.
The five-year capital improvement plan, while still a draft, aims at categorizing projects for consideration that address capacity and growth needs. Those include new school construction, additions or renovations, temporary classrooms, attendance zone changes, replacing facilities due to their condition, athletic facilities and more.
-- Audrey Biesk Whitehall school’s infrastructure ‘aging’ engineers say-- Manchester Newspapers Vermont: March 21, 2018 [ abstract] Some of the Whitehall Central School buildings dates to its original construction 50 years ago.
That concern among others was the focus of a presentation delivered by Tetra Tech, an engineering and architectural firm planning Whitehall’s prospective infrastructure upgrade project, at a Board of Education meeting on Monday.
“[The high school] was built in ’63, the elementary school was built in ’68, there have been a series of some additions over the years but predominately it is aging infrastructure,” said Garrett Hamlin, principal architect with Tetra Tech.
-- Matthew Saari Poyntz building keystone of school construction plans-- The Mercury Kansas: March 20, 2018 [ abstract] The latest development in the ongoing discussion about future school improvements here is a big one: Adding on to Manhattan High so as to move the ninth-graders back into the main building.
At first blush, we like the idea. But there’s one major issue that still needs to be figured out. We’ll get to that, but it’s worth praising the whole idea first.
Having the entire high school in one building makes a lot of sense, in terms of the quality of education, and in terms of costs.
Gering officials break ground on renovation, construction project-- Scottsbluff Star Herald Nebraska: March 19, 2018 [ abstract] Gering High School officials broke ground on the long planned renovation and construction project on Monday, March 19.
A $24 million bond issue passed in March 2017 followed by 12 months of design planning with RB+B Architects of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Students from Lincoln Elementary attended the groundbreaking ceremony as well as school board members and community members
-- Charissa Bryce Superintendent says he expects work to begin on new middle school early next month-- New Hampton Tribune Iowa: March 19, 2018 [ abstract] It’s about to get real when it comes to the construction of New Hampton’s new school.
As spring nears, Superintendent Jay Jurrens said this past week that he expects construction will commence shortly after the Easter holiday.
-- Bob Fenske Superintendent says he expects work to begin on new middle school early next month-- New Hampton Tribune Iowa: March 19, 2018 [ abstract] It’s about to get real when it comes to the construction of New Hampton’s new school.
As spring nears, Superintendent Jay Jurrens said this past week that he expects construction will commence shortly after the Easter holiday.
-- Bob Fenske Elyria Schools set to alter master plan, cut two schools-- The Chronicle Ohio: March 18, 2018 [ abstract] Faced with rising construction costs, Elyria Schools is looking to implement cost-savings changes to its master plan, which lays out how the district will rebuild itself with state and local money in the next few years.
A plan designed to shrink the district’s elementary and middle schools from 11 buildings to five new buildings could now change so the district would have an even smaller footprint across the city. Saturday morning, district officials met to discuss cutting the new elementary and middle schools to three campus-style buildings with one each on the west, east and north ends of town.
-- Lisa Roberson How Middletown’s newest school is progressing, and what it will offer students-- Journal-News Ohio: March 15, 2018 [ abstract] The new school rising from construction dust on Middletown’s high school campus is striking for both architectural and educational reasons.
The new Middletown Middle School, which is part of the massive $96 million transformation of the Middletown High School campus, is on schedule and budget, said school officials.
-- Michael D. Clark Md. Senate panel takes up school-construction funding-- Herald Mail Media Maryland: March 15, 2018 [ abstract] School construction and how to pay for it is the focus of various bills before the state Senate's budgeting committee this week as lawmakers try to plan for future needs.
A bill from Sen. Andrew Serafini, R-Washington, aims to streamline the process for school construction, as does a bill sponsored by Sen. James DeGrange, D-Anne Arundel. Both senators serve on the 21st Century School Facilities Commission, appointed in 2016 to study financing and construction of school projects.
-- Tamela Baker Flathead High School Demolition to Begin Around April 1-- Flathead Beacon Montana: March 13, 2018 [ abstract] Demolition is expected to begin around April 1 at Flathead High School for a renovation project that will remove 27,500 square feet of aging infrastructure and construct 46,200 new square feet.
The project, part of the $28.76 million high school bond approved by Kalispell voters in October 2016, will replace the original gym, dead-end “half-floors,” old lecture hall and boiler room with a new gym, classroom space and 21st century learning areas, while making a number of other upgrades.
-- Myers Reece Budget boosts school construction-- News 4 Jax Florida: March 12, 2018 [ abstract] Florida lawmakers approved a 45 percent increase in construction and maintenance money for universities, state colleges and public schools in the new state budget.
The annual Public Education Capital Outlay program for the 2018-19 academic year will total $487 million, including $33 million in funding contingent on reimbursements from the federal government related to emergency spending during Hurricane Irma.
-- Lloyd Dunkelberger Increasing school safety seen as crucial for Norwin facilities master plan-- Tribune Live Pennsylvania: March 12, 2018 [ abstract] Increasing safety and security of Norwin's school buildings — which could include modifying entrances, installing classroom doors and locks, creating places of refuge and security zones and constructing vestibules — should be a critical element of any updated master facilities plan, three architectural firms bidding to do the study told the Norwin School Board on Monday.
-- Joe Napsha Woodsville High to Get Renovations-- Valley News New Hampshire: March 11, 2018 [ abstract] This year’s school district meeting had its fair share of significant decisions: Voters approved a bond to renovate the high school, overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to consolidate an elementary school and middle school, and passed the budget.
After considerable debate, voters at the Haverhill Cooperative School District Meeting on Saturday morning approved a $3.7 million renovation and construction project that will address longstanding problems at Woodsville High School’s buildings.
-- EmmaJean Holley Things looking 'up' at new Tech High School site as steel, concrete rise from earth-- SC Times South Carolina: March 09, 2018 [ abstract] In the middle of a former farm field in south St. Cloud, steel and concrete is rising from the earth as Tech High School begins to take shape.
"We're getting out of the ground — literally," Andy Faulkner of ICS Consulting told St. Cloud school board members Wednesday during a construction update. "We've got a little more exciting things taking place than the last couple times I've been here."
-- Jenny Berg Zanesville Community High School receives grant for renovations, new programming-- WHIZ News Ohio: March 09, 2018 [ abstract] A local school will soon go through a renovation project thanks to a grant from the Ohio Facilities construction Commission.
More than four million dollars was awarded to four community schools in the state. Zanesville Community High School was one of the schools given the award and will receive nearly $300,000 to build a new school and renovate its current building.
-- Rodneya Ross County school construction forecast prioritizes expansion, crowding over modernization-- The Frederick News-Post Maryland: March 08, 2018 [ abstract] Frederick County school construction projects to address the increase in students and ease crowding remain on track, but plans to modernize older facilities might have to wait.
In a briefing Thursday, County Executive Jan Gardner offered a glimpse into the county’s long-term capital plan, which includes funding for new construction and renovations for Frederick County Public Schools. Awaiting exact dollar amounts, which will come when Gardner releases the proposed fiscal 2019 budget next month, she outlined the order for proposed school construction projects over the next six years.
-- Nancy Lavin School construction funds make up majority of Stoney’s $187 million capital budget-- Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia: March 07, 2018 [ abstract] Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney is proposing a $187.3 million general fund capital budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, with a majority of the funds proposed for city schools construction and renovation projects.
The lion’s share of the mayor’s proposed spending " $151.6 million " is earmarked for Richmond Public Schools. The sum is underwritten by the meals tax hike approved by the Richmond City Council in February. Stoney proposed the tax hike, projecting it would bring in $9.1 million in new revenue annually, allowing the city to borrow $150 million for RPS construction and renovation projects over the next five years.
-- Mark Robinson Hinsdale, District 181 officials work out finances for parking deck next to middle school-- Chicago Tribune Illinois: March 06, 2018 [ abstract] Hinsdale and District 181 appear to have worked out the finances of the parking garage that will be built near downtown Hinsdale as part of the construction of a new Hinsdale Middle School.
Reaching agreement has taken more than a year as Hinsdale- Clarendon Hills School District 181 and village officials negotiated the payment terms and the condition of the property when the site is turned over, Village President Thomas Cauley, Jr. said.
-- Kimberly Fornek Minot School Building Committee weighs construction options-- Wicked Local Wareham Massachusetts: March 06, 2018 [ abstract] The Minot School Building Committee is already halfway to meeting an early May deadline for deciding on a site and plan option to provide to the state School Building Authority for the proposed new K-5 elementary school " having decided on the area of the existing elementary school.
Now, the committee is weighing the cost savings of renovation/additions over demolishing and starting new, and whether to go with a two-story or three story building.
-- Mary McKenzie School closed after teachers, students fall ill from gas leak-- New York Post New York: March 06, 2018 [ abstract] Students and staff at a Queens high school were sickened by a noxious gas after nearby construction crews caused a main break on Tuesday morning, officials said.
At least nine people " seven staff members and two students " from Martin de Porres High School in Far Rockaway were evaluated by medical professionals after they were exposed to gas around 8:45 a.m., said school spokeswoman Colleen Roche.
Roche said people inside the school “heard a boom.”
-- Stephanie Pagones School construction puts pinch on classroom space-- Montana: March 06, 2018 [ abstract] Big changes at Missoula high schools mean students who want to attend a school out of their residential area will be put on a waitlist.
It’s mainly impacting the incoming freshman class, making a transfer more difficult when students used to be able to easily switch out of school boundaries.
“We’ve had an out-of-area enrollment process for our middle schools and our high schools for quite some time. And this year we’ve really had to adjust that process to really increase parents being placed on a waitlist,” said Missoula County Public Schools communications director Hatton Littman.
-- McKayla Haack High and middle school construction project on track for 2019-2020 school year opening-- Kitsap Daily News Washington: March 05, 2018 [ abstract] In February 2016, a construction bond measure was passed by Central Kitsap School District voters to officially move forward plans to rebuild Central Kitsap High School and Middle School.
The two share a campus; the high school was originally built in 1942 and the middle school was added in 1959. In the 2019-2020 school year, students of both are expected to attend class in new school buildings.
After months of designing and planning, the construction officially started Sept. 8, 2017. Since then, work has started, primarily on the building foundations and masonry for the gym. So far, the project seems on track for the middle school to open spring 2019. The high school is scheduled to open in the fall of 2019, in time for the 2019-2020 school year.
-- Michelle Beahm Supt. Drake: Recent, future Baton Rouge school improvements show focus on children, not St. George-- The Advocate Louisiana: March 05, 2018 [ abstract] Putting on his salesman hat, East Baton Rouge Parish School Superintendent Warren Drake on Monday launched an informational campaign Monday at the Press Club of Baton Rouge urging parish voters on April 28 to renew a 1-cent sales tax, much of which will fund school construction projects.
“Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours of work has gone into the making of this plan,” Drake told the luncheon audience gathered at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel. “I think it’s a very good plan and it’s very good for our community.”
-- Charles Lussier Permits issued for new Linwood Elementary School-- The Spokesman-Review Washington: March 03, 2018 [ abstract] The $24 million replacement of Linwood Elementary School just north of Spokane city limits was issued its first commercial building permits by the county.
The construction of the new 76,000-square-foot building at, 906 W. Weile Road is financed by a 2014 bond measure that was supported by nearly 70 percent of voters.
Linwood opened in 1957 and currently serves about 500 students in kindergarten through sixth grade. The new structure will increase capacity to 625 and will be built while the existing facility remains in operation. Work is expected to be completed by August 2019.
-- Nicholas Deshais Fieldcrest board moves forward toward new school construction-- Journal Star Illinois: March 01, 2018 [ abstract] The Fieldcrest School Board took a step Wednesday night toward “new school construction” to replace the existing middle school in Wenona and high school in Minonk.
But exactly what that construction would consist of, what it would cost and where it would take place was left undecided as the board at least tentatively settled a long debate over whether the district should build new or repair old buildings.
At the same time, it was emphasized that a decision that appears likely to involve a project exceeding $20 million would ultimately be placed in the hands of voters in a referendum.
-- Gary L. Smith What’s next: Following the Spokane-area school bonds victories-- Spokane Journal Washington: March 01, 2018 [ abstract] Following the Feb. 13 voter approval of separate construction bond measures totaling nearly $245 million, the Central Valley School District and the Mead School district are planning collectively to build four new schools, expand one school, and update a number of other schools.
Mead’s construction plans also include a new football stadium and transportation and maintenance facilities.
-- Samantha Peone Contractor picked to remodel elementary school-- The Northern Light Washington: February 28, 2018 [ abstract] At a February 26 meeting, the Blaine school board accepted Tiger construction’s $690,000 bid for work on Blaine Elementary School and district gyms.
Including sales tax, the school district awarded the Everson-based company a $750,030 contract, which includes remodeling five classrooms at the building’s north end, enclosing the playground’s covered area and making seismic upgrades to the middle school gym and Ken Waters gym.
The company will begin construction this summer and complete the project before school starts.
-- Oliver Lazenby New high school to cost more-- Independent Tribune North Carolina: February 28, 2018 [ abstract] County commissioners approved more than half a million dollars in additional funds for the construction of West Cabarrus High School due to unsuitable soil found on site.
At their Monday, Feb. 5, work session, Cabarrus County commissioners voted to suspend the rules and move a combination of money from the project’s capital reserve contingency as well as some leftover contingency from the Mt. Pleasant Middle School project. The funds will allow workers to move good soil from the back of the property to the construction zone and keep the building timeline on schedule.
“As we begin the construction on the high school site, obviously we thought rock might have been our issue,” Tim Lowder, executive director of operations for Cabarrus County Schools, said. “But, knock on wood, rock has not been our issue. Our issue has been poor soil quality.”
-- Erin Weeks New Lake City elementary, high school facilities about 60% complete-- Cadillac News Michigan: February 26, 2018 [ abstract] LAKE CITY " Despite some setbacks due to weather and material availability, crews have passed the midway point on constructing new elementary and high school facilities at Lake City Area Schools.
When construction is complete, the district will have a new cafeteria in the current middle school (future elementary) building, a new gymnasium at the high school and a number of additions and facility improvements.
Board of Education member Craig Ardis said work on the future elementary is ahead of schedule while work on the high school is slightly behind schedule.
-- Chris Lamphere Svigals + Partners’ KidsBuild! Program Brings Students into the Building Process-- School Construction News Connecticut: February 26, 2018 [ abstract] When does a verb phrase become a proper noun? When you’re branding a community outreach process that educates school children about the design, construction and maintenance of their own school buildings. Welcome to KidsBuild! (exclamation mark included!), the brainchild of Svigals + Partners, a full-service architecture, art and planning firm based in New Haven.
Launched in 1995 to support the rebuilding and expansion of the Edgewood Magnet School in the New Haven Public Schools district, KidsBuild! proved an immediate success. “The Edgewood School project experience created a process template that shaped a nearly $2 billion school construction program, and we saw an opportunity in this to expand the involvement of the students themselves,” said Julia McFadden, AIA, an architect and associate principal with Svigals + Partners, in a statement.
-- Daedalus Howell Bozrah voters to decide fate of $1.45M school roof project on Tuesday-- The Bulletin 225 Connecticut: February 25, 2018 [ abstract] Town voters are poised to decide at a town meeting Tuesday on whether or not to approve a $1.45 million total roof replacement at the pre-kindergarten through Grade 8 Fields Memorial School.
The 27-year-old roof has been plagued by leaks throughout the building, located on Bozrah Street Extension, first constructed in 1855.
Based on the state Department of Administrative Services reimbursement rate of 62.86 percent, the town will be responsible for covering about $535,000, or approximately 37 percent, of the total project cost, according to an estimate from the Hamden-based architectural and engineering firm Silver Petrucelli & Associates.
-- Kristina Tedeschi Wayne Building even a single school no easy task-- The Robesonian North Carolina: February 24, 2018 [ abstract] When talk began of the need to construct a new school following Hurricane Matthew’s destruction of West Lumberton Elementary, the assumption was that a site would be selected that would be convenient to the students who had attended that school.
And that is as it should be.
The West and South Lumberton communities suffered the most during and after Hurricane Matthew, and they are deserving of a nice, new shiny building that is safe and constructed to enhance learning " one that we guarantee will be the envy of everyone else.
Delays put planned school construction costs over Moses Lake School District's $135.3 million bond-- iFiber One Washington: February 23, 2018 [ abstract] MOSES LAKE " With construction delayed by at least a year, the Moses Lake School District is now faced with the reality that bond plans need to be changed due to increased costs.
Due to a variety of factors " the election lawsuit keeping the district from selling bonds, delays in the state capital budget, the school construction industry - $135.3 million in construction bonds isn’t enough to move forward with current designs for a second high school and a new elementary school, according to Superintendent Josh Meek.
-- Joe Utter Firm readies Sandusky Schools' construction plans-- Sandusky Register Ohio: February 23, 2018 [ abstract] construction plans for new Sandusky Schools buildings are complete.
Monthly updates about the construction plans are made available with help from Lesko Associates, a Cleveland architecture firm designing the district’s three new buildings. The buildings include the Intermediate school for grades 3-6; Ontario Primary for first and second-grade students; and Hancock Academy for preschool and kindergarten students.
The project’s construction manager, Gilbane-Ozanne, will review the documents and obtain bids from contractors interested in completing the jobs. Officials still plan to begin construction for Ontario Primary and the intermediate school in April. Before those schools are finished, construction for Hancock Academy will start in summer 2019.
-- Caitlin Nearhood Dover board approves $65 million high school building project-- York Dispatch Delaware: February 21, 2018 [ abstract] After years of discussions, studies and steering committee meetings, the Dover Area school board has decided to build a new high school.
Board members voted 7-2 at their regular board meeting Tuesday, Feb. 20, to “approve and support the construction” of a new Dover Area High School on the grounds of the current intermediate school and renovate the current high school building to house intermediate students.
-- Junior Gonzalez State invites city to start school building process-- Gloucester Times Massachusetts: February 21, 2018 [ abstract] The state agency that helps fund school construction projects has given the Gloucester School District a green light to go forward with a feasibility study focusing on building an elementary school in the eastern part of the city.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority's board last week voted to formally "invite" Gloucester to work with the MSBA on a feasibility study on what's needed to address "problems" with East Gloucester Elementary School, which was built in 1948. The city's oldest, it opened a year before the initial West Parish school building, which was razed in 2014 and replaced with the new $39 million facility that opened in 2016.
-- Ray Lamont Latrobe firm poised to buy old elementary school for $450K-- Trib Live Pennsylvania: February 20, 2018 [ abstract] A Latrobe-based firm whose specialties include reclaiming waste coal has agreed to find an alternate use for the current Latrobe Elementary School — once it is replaced by a new building under construction nearby at Latrobe's Old Athletic Field.
The Greater Latrobe School Board on Tuesday approved by resolution an agreement to sell the century-old building to Robindale Energy Services for $450,000. The new school is expected to be ready for students and staff to occupy for the fall 2018 academic semester.
In an email response to questions Thursday, Robindale Vice President and CFO Judson Kroh said the company wants to move its headquarters to the school, converting classrooms to office space.
-- Jeff Himler LOCAL NEWS Firelands soliciting opinions on school construction plans-- The Chronicle Ohio: February 20, 2018 [ abstract] The Firelands Schools Board of Education decided to gather more community feedback on a public survey before moving forward Monday evening.
The school board held a special meeting to discuss the results of a public survey of people in the community about its plan to move out of the South Amherst building on 152 W. Main St. Superintendent Mike Von Gunten said the board wanted more time to think things over.
-- Bruce Walton Planning board approves middle school site plan-- Village Soup Maine: February 20, 2018 [ abstract] Planning Board members approved the new Camden-Rockport Middle School site plan Feb. 15, signaling progress towards the planned construction of the new school.
The new 83,400-square-foot school building is slated to open in 2020, to students in grades 5 through 8. When it opens, it will complete a 20-year period of school construction in the SAD 28 school district. In 2000, the newly constructed Camden Hills Regional High School opened its doors to students. In 2009, the new Camden-Rockport Elementary School opened its doors to grades K-4, following construction that more than doubled the size of a building formerly owned by the Montessori School. The middle school is the only one of the three located in downtown Camden, with the elementary and high school located on Route 90 in Rockport.
-- Susan Mustapich Easthampton City Council should take a stand on $109 million new school, councilor says-- Mass Live Massachusetts: February 19, 2018 [ abstract] On May 22, voters will be asked to approve major borrowing for a new elementary and middle school, and now a city councilor is pushing his peers to take a public stand on the matter.
At-large councilor Owen Zaret has introduced a measure asking the City Council and Mayor Nicole LaChapelle to "wholeheartedly" declare their support for the $109 million school construction project. If approved, around $60 million would be financed by local taxpayers, with the rest reimbursed by the state.
-- Mary C. Serreze High school bathrooms, kitchen floor top list of future projects-- Pierce County Herald Wisconsin: February 19, 2018 [ abstract] Members of the Ellsworth School Board discussed upcoming maintenance projects at the Monday, Feb. 12 meeting, which includes the previously-discussed renovations to the high school's kitchen floors and old restrooms that were built in the 1960's.
Doug Peterson, the board's president and chair of the Buildings, Grounds and Transportation Committee, informed the board that he and Superintendent Barry Cain walked through the four original high school restrooms with representatives of Kraus-Anderson construction.
-- Katie Davidson New Enota school ‘going to be well worth the wait’-- Gainesville Times Florida: February 19, 2018 [ abstract] Emily Ingram was at first left speechless during a tour inside the new Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy last Friday.
But the second-grade teacher soon caught the words to describe how she felt seeing the construction enter its final phase.
“To see the progress … it’s amazing how fast it’s come,” she said.
-- Joshua Silavent Small districts, big challenges in budget crunch-- Daily Independent Kentucky: February 19, 2018 [ abstract] Fairview Middle School still has its new-school shine a year and a half after opening.
Raceland-Worthington Middle School right now is mostly a field of mud and heavy construction equipment; walls have yet to go up.
Both districts proudly embarked on ambitious building projects to bring their students the latest in 21st century educational facilities.
-- Mike James Mayor seeks Attleboro High School construction cash-- The Sun Chronicle Massachusetts: February 18, 2018 [ abstract] Mayor Paul Heroux has asked the city council to approve a bond authorization that would cover the $260 million cost of a new high school.
The request, which equals an amount twice the size of the annual city budget and is believed to be the most ever sought, came Thursday, one day after the state’s school building authority approved spending for the project.
It was submitted at a special meeting of the council in order to keep to a tight schedule that will end on April 3, when voters will be asked to approve a tax increase to pay for the new school.
-- George W. Rhodes Improvements coming for 8 school buildings-- Farmington Independent Minnesota: February 16, 2018 [ abstract] The School Board approved construction to redesign learning spaces inside five elementary buildings, two middle schools and Farmington High School.
Dan Miller, director of operations, presented a bid proposal and the board approved the total contract of $1,470,000 from JT Egner construction in Lakeville during the regular Feb. 12 board meeting.
-- Kara Hildreth School building where Fla. shooting took place likely to be razed-- Abc 7 Florida: February 16, 2018 [ abstract] Local officials in Florida are working on a plan to demolish the building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 students and faculty members were fatally shot Feb. 14.
The carnage was confined to building 12, which students have referred to as the freshman building in interviews with various media outlets. Lawmakers said they hope to erect a memorial honoring the victims of the shooting on the current site of that building and construct additional instructional space elsewhere.
Coal bust has Wyoming looking locally to fund new schools-- Gillette News Record Wyoming: February 15, 2018 [ abstract] Now that a more than $1 billion school construction boom funded by coal mining has ended, Wyoming voters could soon be asked if they want to go back to using local tax revenue to pay for building schools.
The Wyoming Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to begin considering a proposed state constitutional amendment for school construction. The amendment would allow Wyoming districts to pay for new schools with property taxes, something not done after a 2001 court ruling.
-- Mead Gruver Company selected to oversee school construction-- Williston Herald North Dakota: February 15, 2018 [ abstract] A company has been chosen to oversee construction for two proposed new elementary schools and the proposed addition to the high school.
The board for Williston Public School District No. 1 met Wednesday morning and selected JE Dunn construction. The company has several offices throughout the United States, including Williston.
The very brief meeting " less than five minutes " focused mainly on looking at three construction companies as candidates to oversee construction, followed by a vote to select one of them.
-- Lee Zion District seeks $91 million high school renovation bonds in June election-- Sonoma West California: February 14, 2018 [ abstract] Voters in the west county will be asked whether to approve a sizeable $91 million high school construction and renovation bond issue on the June 5 ballot.
It would primarily fund future reconstruction and maintenance needs at El Molino, Analy and Laguna highs. Finishing the El Molino performing arts center and remodeling the Analy theater will be the only two specific projects that voters will see listed when casting ballots.
-- Bleys Rose Md. governor’s proposal would ensure casino money funds school construction, instruction-- WTOP Maryland: February 14, 2018 [ abstract] ANNAPOLIS " Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced a new education spending plan that he says would deliver on a promise made when Maryland passed legislation allowing gaming in the state a decade ago.
At a news conference at the State House in Annapolis, Hogan described his “Commitment to Education Act of 2018.” He said the bill would add $4.4 billion to public education spending over the next 10 years.
Hogan said his bill will create an education “lockbox” and make sure that revenues from casinos " money intended for education " could not be siphoned off for other purposes.
-- Kate Ryan New Berg Middle School construction focuses on interior-- Newton Daily News Iowa: February 14, 2018 [ abstract] What is now covered in snow outside of the new Berg Middle School will one day be a bustling courtyard with students and a spiral staircase connecting them to the top floor.
Taking up about 170,000 square feet, the new building will be able to fit up to 1,000 students organized into eight learning communities. Students grades 5-8 are expected to start filling the new facility directly north of the existing Berg building in 2019.
-- Kayla Singletary School construction halted after signs of asbestos found-- WLOX Mississippi: February 14, 2018 [ abstract] Scheduled renovations at Escatawpa Upper Elementary School over the Mardi Gras break were halted after crews found signs of asbestos.
No students or staff were in the building at the time. The construction was part of a renovation plan for the historic school.
Wyoming Senate considers local funding of school construction as state funds dry up-- Casper Star Tribune Wyoming: February 14, 2018 [ abstract] Now that a more than $1 billion school construction boom funded by coal mining has ended, Wyoming voters could soon be asked if they want to go back to using local tax revenue to pay for building schools.
The Wyoming Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to begin considering a proposed state constitutional amendment for school construction. The amendment would allow Wyoming districts to pay for new schools with property taxes, something not done after a 2001 court ruling.
If approved by two-thirds of the House and Senate, the proposed amendment would go to voters.
-- Mead Gruver District 30 approves new Maple School construction contracts-- Chicago Tribune Illinois: February 13, 2018 [ abstract] The Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 Board of Education Feb. 8 approved multiple contracts for construction on the new Maple School.
In 2016, District 30 reviewed its facilities and officials decided the district should build a new Maple School and complete health and life-safety work at the other elementary schools, according to a district news release. The total cost of all the projects is $41.5 million, of which $40.6 million will go toward the new Maple School, according to the release.
-- Alexandra Kukulka No Targeted Funding for School Construction in Trump's Infrastructure Proposal-- Education Week National: February 12, 2018 [ abstract] President Donald Trump unveiled his $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan Monday. And, probably unsurprisingly, there are no explicit resources for refurbishing, renovating, or constructing schools.
Instead, the package asks for $200 billion in federal funds to help spur state, local, and private investment in fixing up and building highways, roads, and bridges. Other parts of the proposal are aimed at environmental cleanup and revamping airports.
-- Alyson Klein Work at JC high school sites poised to explode-- News Tribune Missouri: February 11, 2018 [ abstract] Even though inclement weather delayed its groundbreaking, the pace of work at both construction sites for Jefferson City high schools is set to explode.
Jefferson City Public Schools postponed plans to break ground Saturday on its new second high school; the ceremony is now planned for Feb. 17. But an architect and construction managers shared an update on the timeline for both of the district's high school projects at Superintendent Larry Linthacum's most recent community outreach event.
-- Phillip Sitter Baton Rouge school construction plans still have these pieces missing as vote looms-- The Advocate Louisiana: February 10, 2018 [ abstract] As a Feb. 22 vote nears, East Baton Rouge Parish school leaders are busy preparing a final wish list of $417 million worth of construction projects that would be built over a decade. But it’s a list still filled with blanks and question marks.
The board is putting the project list together as it prepares to place a 1-cent-sales tax renewal before voters on April 29. Revenue from the tax would be used to pay for the work.
In the coming days, projects may be added, dropped or reworked considerably. Previously released cost figures could well change.
-- Charles Lussier Hampton Public Schools unveils recent additions and renovations-- The Grand Land Independent Nebraska: February 10, 2018 [ abstract] HAMPTON " Hampton Public Schools was busy around the holidays, but the district got a long-awaited Christmas gift: a functional and safe building. In certain places, the building isn’t just renovated " it’s brand-new.
Holly Herzberg, Hampton’s superintendent, said the renovation and addition are the result of a nearly $7 million bond issue that was passed in May 2016. Chief construction has been working on the project.
-- Kelli Rollin Central Arkansas district's school plan a 16-year endeavor, consultant testifies-- Arkansas Online Arkansas: February 08, 2018 [ abstract] The Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District needs 16 more years to fulfill its plan for replacing virtually all of its schools, Charles Stein, a planning consultant to the new district, acknowledged Wednesday in federal court.
Stein, a civil engineer and retired director of the state's Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation, told U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. that to finance bond debt, the new district has to pace the construction of new schools to the receipt of state building aid and to voter-approved tax-levy extensions.
-- Cynthia Howell Countywide sales tax for schools might have easier path-- The State Journal-Register Illinois: February 08, 2018 [ abstract] Springfield School Board President Adam Lopez has said “it’s a given” District 186 will pursue a countywide one-cent sales tax referendum to fund major facility improvements in November.
While it’s still too early to say if there will be enough support, a change in state law could provide an easier path forward than the last time a referendum was tried, and failed, in Sangamon County in 2010.
That’s because in 2011, then-Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation that eliminates the ability of county boards to block or reduce school construction sales tax levies.
-- Jason Nevel State bill would help growing school districts with capital funding-- Tennessean Tennessee: February 08, 2018 [ abstract] Sen. Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, has filed a bill that would grant capital funding for high-growth school districts.
With little accommodation for growth in the state's education funding formula, Johnson said extra money would help counties cover the cost of land and construction of new schools.
The bill defines high-growth school districts as districts with at least 250 new students annually since the 2013-14 school year.
-- Melanie Balakit State Education Officials Scold Broward District For Delaying Payments To Charter Schools-- WLRN Florida: February 08, 2018 [ abstract] It's been a week since Florida's public school districts were supposed to distribute about $91 million in local construction funding to privately-run charter schools in their counties under a controversial new law.
But Broward County Public Schools hasn't yet handed over its $11.5 million share to the 86 charter schools in that district — prompting an admonishment from the state Department of Education.
-- Jessica Bakeman Neighborhood sees relief from school construction hassles-- Fort Worth Star Telegram Texas: February 07, 2018 [ abstract] GRAPEVINE
While neighbors still oppose the placement for the rebuilding of Cannon Elementary School, they say the construction company has done a good job of limiting the hassles faced by those living closest to the school.
“It’s going from a ballfield to a 40-foot high wall across the street,” said Wendell Ponder. “It will be like living behind a Costco.”
Pam McCain, who also lives across the street from the school, said she’s still concerned that the building is sitting on a much higher grade than the surrounding homes and is too close to her house but Lee Lewis construction has kept her informed on what they’re doing.
-- Sandra Engelland The zombie school that Lackawanna can't destroy-- The Buffalo News New York: February 07, 2018 [ abstract] The New Lincoln Elementary School building in Lackawanna's 1st Ward stands three stories and spans 51,000 square feet, a hulking edifice constructed in 1925 to serve the growing population of immigrant families who flocked to the city for steel plant jobs and affordable living.
The building ceased being a school in 1988 and since then, much like the vacant and crumbling steel mills that line Route 5, it has stood as a reminder of Lackawanna's long-ago era of growth and prosperity.
But it also stands as a classic paradox. It has outlived its usefulness, but the city cannot afford the cost of demolition.
-- Jane Kwiatkowski Radlich McKinley High supporters push for new school as good as Lee and Baton Rouge high schools-- The Advocate Louisiana: February 06, 2018 [ abstract] As they have at previous community forums, East Baton Rouge Parish school officials finished their presentation Tuesday night on proposed long-term construction plans by urging the audience in the McKinley High auditorium to head to nearby classrooms for in-depth small group discussions.
Appellate Judge Michael Guidry, graduate of the McKinley High class of 1980, stood up from the audience of 350 people and made clear that wasn’t going to happen just yet.
-- Charles Lussier MVLA board approves $295 million bond measure for June 5 election-- Los Altos Online California: February 06, 2018 [ abstract] The Mountain View Los Altos High School District (MVLA) Board of Trustees Feb. 5 approved a $295-million bond measure to fund new construction and renovation costs outlined in the district's Facilities Master Plan. The approval means the bond measure will go on the June 5 ballot. It needs at least a 55 percent majority to pass.
School Officials Present Stark Outlook for Capacity Needs Over Next Six Years-- Bethesda Magazine Maryland: February 06, 2018 [ abstract] County Council members on Monday agreed that they’re in a bind when it comes to school construction: Even if they fully fund a $1.83 billion capital plan for Montgomery County Public Schools, they’ll barely be keeping up with anticipated enrollment growth.
“This couldn’t be more indicative of what our challenge is,” council member Craig Rice said Monday during the council’s education committee meeting. “By us fully funding and giving you everything you need, which would be near impossible for us to do … it still keeps us just even.”
-- Bethany Rodgers Williamson County voters approve sales tax hike to pay down school construction debt-- Tennessean Tennessee: February 06, 2018 [ abstract] Williamson County voters Tuesday night approved a 0.5 percent sales tax increase, a measure slated to pay down school construction debt.
About 8,155 voters, or 66.1 percent, supported the sales tax hike, while 4,183 voters opposed the increase.
Overall, 8.79 percent of Williamson County's registered voters cast their ballots. About 4.55 percent of registered voters cast an early ballot.
-- Melanie Balakit Bethel has ‘strong chance’ to earn school renovation grant-- News Times Connecticut: February 05, 2018 [ abstract] BETHEL " The town appears poised to receive state funding for part of its elementary school renovation projects, despite concerns over the last few months of the impact state budget cuts would have on school construction grants.
The Rockwell and Johnson elementary schools renovations earned spots on the state’s priority list of projects. The legislature will approve the final awards in the spring, but officials said being on the list is a good sign that the town will receive the grants for 45 percent of eligible costs on the $65.8 million projects.
-- Julia Perkins MVLA approves bond measure, addresses community concerns around facilities plan-- Oracle Online California: February 05, 2018 [ abstract] The district approved a $295 million bond measure that will serve as a primary source of funding for upcoming construction and renovation costs under the Facilities Master Plan at the Feb. 5 board meeting.
Responding to an expected looming increase of enrollment of over 500 students, in addition to undersized and aging classrooms, athletic facilities and equipment, the Facilities Master Plan was finalized at the Jan. 22 board meeting. It will expand and update the areas like the school’s library and cafeteria to accommodate student growth, as well as repair existing facilities.
-- Nathaniel Wolff Washington School Board looks deeper into potential construction-- Washington Times Herald Indiana: February 05, 2018 [ abstract] The Washington Community School Board looked at a number of possibilities for changing its facilities in the future. During a work session, board members met with architect Hal Kovert of Kovert and Hawkins to talk about options for improving the school facilities, and they heard from Brock Bowsher of Umbaugh and Associates about potential financial scenarios.
-- Mike Grant EDITORIAL: Connecting the dots on school construction-- The Post Star New York: February 04, 2018 [ abstract] In the past week, two local school districts have proposed new building projects.
If you are not a resident of either district " Salem or Cambridge " you probably didn’t even read the stories.
It’s none of your business, right?
Salem is proposing a $20 million infrastructure project on its 80-year-old school that is all meat and potatoes. It is work that needs to be done.
Feds subpoena SC school district in construction probe-- Winston-Salem Journal South Carolina: February 04, 2018 [ abstract] BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP) " Federal investigators want a South Carolina school district to turn over records related to construction bids and cost overruns at a pair of new buildings.
The Island Packet of Hilton Head reports federal prosecutors subpoenaed the records last month from the Beaufort County School District.
-- Associated Press Beaufort County School District subpoenaed in FBI investigation of school construction-- The Island Packet South Carolina: February 03, 2018 [ abstract] The Beaufort County School District has been subpoenaed in an FBI investigation related to the construction of two Bluffton schools built during superintendent Jeff Moss’ tenure and the architecture firm used in both projects, according to members of the Beaufort County Board of Education, which voted at a work session Saturday to inform the public about the investigation despite the district acknowledging it had not intended to do so.
-- Kelly Meyerhofer HCS details potential need for three new schools in 5-year plan-- Myrtle Beach Online South Carolina: February 03, 2018 [ abstract] Horry County school officials will begin talks regarding a five-year capital improvement plan on Monday, with the potential construction of three new schools at the heart of the matter due to a steady stream of new residents pouring into the area.
-- Joe L. Hughes II http://bit.ly/2E4fW0W-- Red Wing Republican Eagle Minnesota: February 03, 2018 [ abstract] The Goodhue School Facility Planning Committee will share plans for a possible construction project at the final of three public meetings 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, in the school media center.
A resolution for the project will go before the School Board at its Feb. 21 meeting. If approved, a bond levy vote will be held May 8. More presentations will be held Feb. 21-May 8 to discuss the project, the district says.
School construction 'on schedule' as realignment approaches-- WFXL Georgia: February 02, 2018 [ abstract] The 2018-2019 school year doesn't start for several more months, but Tift County schools are already in the middle of getting ready for it.
Tift County High School is still undergoing huge renovations and construction, including building a second gym, adding more classroom and office spaces, and expanding their cafeteria area.
-- Mary Green Budget woes table joint-use plan for new fields at Venice Middle School-- Herald-Tribune Florida: February 01, 2018 [ abstract] SARASOTA " Budget woes prompted Sarasota County to back-burner a joint project with the Sarasota County School Board that would have resulted in three multi-use sports fields at Venice Middle School.
The primary stumbling block wasn’t the $3.5 million construction cost " with the county picking up $2.5 million through south county park impact fees " but the $304,500 in general fund money needed for the 2020 fiscal year, plus a recurring impact of $231,500 to operate the facilities.
-- Earle Kimel Exactly what maintenance does Dayton levy fund?-- Union-Bulletin Washington: February 01, 2018 [ abstract] Isn’t it funny how, within the mass propaganda campaign to “Vote Yes for Our Kids,” so little is mentioned about how the taxes we are encouraged to levy upon ourselves are not exclusively spent on school maintenance and repairs?
Four years ago, the Dayton School District floated a 20-year, $19.9 million construction bond to fix a school it lamented was simply falling apart. In an April 5, 2014 Union-Bulletin article by Rachel Alexander, superintendent Doug Johnson brought out, reluctantly I imagine, some interesting points:
-- Carolyn Henderson Iowa GOP plan to add $32 million for schools advances-- Sioux City Journal Iowa: February 01, 2018 [ abstract] DES MOINES | Legislative Republicans formed a united front Thursday in pushing for a $32 million boost in state funding for K-12 schools, but also pledging to find other avenues to aid schools by easing transportation costs, extending construction options and providing more spending flexibility.
-- Rod Boshart School Board OKs $33.8 million bond for June ballot-- Patterson Irrigator California: February 01, 2018 [ abstract] In a unanimous vote during a special meeting on Monday, January 22, the School Board voted to place a proposition for a $33.8 million bond on the ballot in June.
In the accompanying report, school officials said the bond is necessary “in order to take care of our existing school facilities infrastructure. It is designed to increase safety for students and staff, construct new classrooms, modernize existing classrooms, career technical education and address critical maintenance issues such as leaking roofs and plumbing, gas, sewer and electrical systems.
-- Jennifer West Parma City Schools officials using new facilities assessment to plot district's future-- Cleveland.com Ohio: January 29, 2018 [ abstract] PARMA, Ohio - It's no secret age is a concern regarding the Parma City Schools' 18 buildings, the majority of which were built in the 1950s and 1960s.
That notion was confirmed last week in an assessment presented by Thomas Porter Architects to the Parma City Schools Board of Education as part of the Ohio Facilities construction Commission (OFCC) Classroom Facilities Assistance Program.
-- John Benson Pontiac Schools completes $12 million in renovations-- The Oakland Press Michigan: January 29, 2018 [ abstract] Pontiac School District has wrapped up the first phase of construction in an ongoing effort to renovate its aging school buildings.
The district saw a five-year sinking fund millage pass in 2016 which is expected to bring in $35 million by 2020. It’s spent about $12 million so far throughout the district, with a large portion of those funds going into renovations at Pontiac High School.
-- Natalie Broda Questions about Everett schools’ $330 million bond vote?-- Herald Net Washington: January 29, 2018 [ abstract] EVERETT " As voters consider bond requests from local districts totaling more than $700 million in school construction projects, officials are putting on events to answer questions.
The Everett School District has scheduled an open house for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Penny Creek Elementary, 4117 132nd St. SE. Deputy Superintendent Joyce Stewart, Executive Director of Facilities and Operations Mike Gunn and Executive Director of Finance and Operations Jeff Moore plan to be on hand to share information.
-- Kari Bray North Stonington residents to vote on halting schools project just before groundbreaking-- The Day Connecticut: January 28, 2018 [ abstract] North Stonington " Residents here will vote this week on something that may never have happened before in southeastern Connecticut: canceling a school building project after spending more than $1 million, signing one large contract and getting ready to break ground in just a few weeks.
On Thursday at 7 p.m., residents will vote at a town meeting in the gymatoruim on whether or not to proceed with a contentious school building project. Passed at a referendum nearly two years ago, the $38 million project " of which taxpayers will be responsible for about $21 million after state reimbursement " is intended to address serious maintenance concerns in the school district’s aging buildings, and constructing additions.
-- Charles Clark Schools transforming across metro-- Omaha World-Herald Nebraska: January 28, 2018 [ abstract] The building boom for Omaha-area schools isn’t showing any sign of stopping.
Thanks to bond referendums approved by voters, districts like Omaha, Westside, Bennington, Elkhorn, Bellevue and Gretna have been able to fund school construction projects.
Several new and newly rebuilt schools will open this year, and contractors will wrap up renovations to update older schools. Parents, students and staff will notice plenty of new features, including secured entryways, swipe-card door access to help keep intruders out, an emphasis on windows that let in natural light and outdoor spaces where classes can be held during nice weather. In some schools, old boilers, worn carpets and leaky roofs will be replaced.
-- Erin Duffy WVU has spent $800M on construction in last 5 years-- The Dominion Post West Virginia: January 28, 2018 [ abstract] MORGANTOWN " WVU completed nearly $800 million in construction projects during the last five years.
The figure is highlighted in an updated version of the 2012 Facilities Master Plan that WVU officials submitted to the Board of Governors. A facility master plan is required by state code every 10 years.
-- Alex Lang Bergan's burgeoning enrollment: School looks toward building middle school-- Fremont Tribune Nebraska: January 27, 2018 [ abstract] With a burgeoning enrollment of elementary students, Archbishop Bergan Catholic Schools is looking toward construction of a middle school in the future.
“We’re talking to the architects right now,” said Dan Koenig, principal.
Koenig isn’t certain of the time frame, but hopes to see a new facility attached to the current Bergan Elementary School in the next five to eight years.
-- Tammy Real-McKeighan Kettering schools seeks $1 million for facility upgrades-- My Dayton Daily News Ohio: January 27, 2018 [ abstract] Kettering City Schools has taken the first step toward qualifying for $1 million in state funding that could be used to upgrade school facilities.
The school board this month agreed to apply for an Ohio Facilities construction Commission program that provides $1 million in state money for approved projects if the school district contributes $1 million of its own.
-- Jeremy P. Kelley Hawthorn 73 to host town hall meeting on overcrowding, construction plans-- Chicago Tribune Illinois: January 26, 2018 [ abstract] Officials at Hawthorn School District 73 are organizing a Feb. 21 town hall meeting to give residents a look at future plans following last year’s failed $42 million referendum.
The time and location of the town hall will be determined at the school board’s regular Feb. 12 meeting. The concept was vetted during the board’s Jan. 22 meeting, as members agreed to seek public input on how to resolve overcrowding issues.
-- Rick Kambic Request for school construction dollars is a record low-- CT Mirror Connecticut: January 26, 2018 [ abstract] The administration of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is seeking a record low amount of state funding to help cities and towns build or renovate public schools.
The $281 million the administration has requested from the legislature for the upcoming fiscal year is the result of fewer applications from towns seeking aid, said a spokesman for the governor’s budget and policy office.
-- Jacqueline Rabe Thomas Gering High School construction project still on track for March groundbreaking-- Gering Courier Nebraska: January 25, 2018 [ abstract] Gering Public School’s goal to break ground in March for the high school construction project remains on schedule.
Superintendent Bob Hastings said Thursday that he’s pleased with how the design project has progressed up to this point.
-- Jeff Fielder Construction of new high school moves forward on time, on budget-- Anacortes American Washington: January 24, 2018 [ abstract] The first panes of glass went into the brand-new Anacortes High School building last week, a big landmark for the team as the project continues on schedule and on budget, project manager Marc Estvold said.
“This is a big deal,” he said.
Estvold led a tour of the site Jan. 18 for district staff and school board members.
-- Briana Alzola Eyes on the prize: East Baton Rouge parents pushing for schools in the $417 million construction program-- The Advocate Louisiana: January 23, 2018 [ abstract] About 100 people showed up Tuesday at Scotlandville High School for the first of four final community forums aimed at shaping school construction in East Baton Rouge Parish over the next decade.
Parents with Baton Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet School came out in force to six previous forums last fall on the same topic without anything to show for their advocacy. But those who turned out Tuesday heard some good news: They finally made the list.
-- Charles Lussier In State of the City speech, Stoney makes case for meals tax increase for schools-- Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia: January 23, 2018 [ abstract] Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney on Tuesday made the first public pitch of his newly released plan to fund new construction of city schools by way of a proposed increase to the city’s meals tax.
The pitch came as Stoney, now in his second year as mayor, delivered his State of the City speech to a crowd gathered in the auditorium of Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in the city’s East End.
-- Mark Robinson MADISON CITY SCHOOLS PLANS $113M IN SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION, EXPANSION-- WAAYTV.com Wisconsin: January 23, 2018 [ abstract] Madison superintendent Robby Parker is warning parents and taxpayers the city's growth isn't expected to stagnate in the near future, and the district will need to build and expand schools as a result.
-- Kody Fisher New school great for Hampton students and staff-- York News-Times Nebraska: January 23, 2018 [ abstract] Two bond issues passed in May 2016 by district patrons, at that time based only upon numbers and drawings on paper, plus a heaping helping of faith and trust, have grown into brick, mortar and countless other improvements to the pre-K to grade 12 public school in Hampton.
Separate ballot questions were offered to voters. The first included all renovation and new construction for the project absent a new gym at $5 million. The second bond issue asked Hampton Public Schools voters whether to add a $2.25 million gymnasium with seating for 1,100 and a gym complex featuring locker rooms built to also serve as heavy bunkers to keep the entire student body, faculty and administration safe from dangerous storms.
-- Steve Moseley Champion students get to learn school construction process-- Tribune Chronicle Ohio: January 22, 2018 [ abstract] Getting to jump on topsoil and compacted clay was just one way Champion Central Elementary School students recently learned of the process to build a new school.
-- Bob Coupland Westfield Washington Schools' $90 million construction project: scope, timeline, budget-- Indianapolis Star Indiana: January 22, 2018 [ abstract] Eight months after residents approved a tax increase, Westfield Washington Schools is preparing to begin the promised sweeping expansion and renovation of three schools.
The months after the referendum vote were spent finalizing design plans and running through the legal steps required to take out the approved $90 million in bonds.
construction will start as soon as April. Here's what you need to know:
-- Emma Kate Fittes Rep files bill to increase funding for school projects
-- Lowell Sun Massachusetts: January 21, 2018 [ abstract] State Rep. Stephen Hay wants to increase state funding for school construction projects and institute other improvements to the process now overseen by the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
Hay, a Fitchburg Democrat, plans to introduce legislation this week to increase the amount of the state sales tax that goes toward MSBA projects.
Currently, one penny of the 6.25 percent sales tax goes toward MSBA funding. The language of Hay's bill does not specify how much that should be increased, he said, so that legislators can decide what is a viable option for the state taxes.
-- Kori Tuitt State funds for high school approved-- Anacortes Now Washington: January 20, 2018 [ abstract] Anacortes will receive $3.1 million toward our high school update as part of the state's capital budget signed into law by Governor Inslee.
The state's long-delayed capital budget provides $4.3 billion for construction projects across the state, including $106 million for projects in San Juan, Skagit and Whatcom counties.
-- Art Shotwell Cost overruns prompt possible cuts for Hayward school projects-- East Bay Times California: January 19, 2018 [ abstract] Renovations at Lorin Eden Elementary School and a proposed performing arts center are in limbo as Hayward Unified School District works to close a $37.2 million deficit for 11 bond-funded projects.
The proposed work at Mt. Eden and Lorin Eden is included in the list of district-wide projects funded by Measure L, a $229 million bond measure approved by voters in 2014. However, the cost of those projects has risen to $266.2 million, or by more than 16.29 percent, the district estimates.
constructing new buildings for Cherryland and Harder elementary schools alone have risen from $45.1 million and $37.6 million, to $66.7 and $53.9 million, respectively.
-- Darin Moriki Budget plan seeks $250M bond to launch R.I. school infrastructure improvements-- Providence Journal Rhode Island: January 18, 2018 [ abstract] PROVIDENCE " Gov. Gina Raimondo’s 2019 budget calls for a massive infusion of spending to repair Rhode Island’s deteriorating school buildings.
An engineering study recently concluded that the state’s 306 public schools need $2.2 billion worth of repairs " $500 million alone to bring schools to minimum standards called “warm, safe and dry.” The report found more than 50,000 deficiencies, many of them severe.
Her budget asks voters to approve a $250-million bond to begin what Raimondo is calling “a once-in-a-generation” investment in the state’s aging school infrastructure. This would be in addition to the $80 million a year that the state has been spending on school construction, including repairs that address immediate health and safety hazards.
-- Linda Borg Communities, Schools Desperate For State Construction Funds Get Welcome News-- NW News Network Washington: January 18, 2018 [ abstract] Communities and schools across Washington state are getting some welcome news. After a months-long delay, lawmakers Thursday night passed a $4.3 billion, two year state construction budget.
"It is good news for Washingtonians that the Legislature passed the long-overdue construction budget," Governor Jay Inslee said in a statement. "This allows us to restart hundreds of stalled projects at schools and mental health facilities and build more affordable housing--as well as put thousands of Washingtonians to work."
Chehalis School Superintendent Ed Rothlin was among those celebrating the end to a stalemate in Olympia that put the capital construction budget on ice.
-- Austin Jenkins Danbury bond sales finance new school construction-- The Facts Texas: January 18, 2018 [ abstract] DANBURY " Despite the weather, the Danbury ISD school board met Tuesday night and approved the sale of $15 million of debt to the lowest bidder: Bank of America and Merrill Lynch.
The interest rate for the debt will be 3.65 percent, a satisfactory low rate the district was able to receive because of its AAA and A plus ratings from Standard & Poor’s, Superintendent Greg Anderson said. The rating is based on how the district handles its finances, along with the economic status of the community. Anderson said the superior ratings are a good sign for Brazoria County.
The approval helps the district move forward with building the new elementary school, which is projected to be ready for use by the 2019-20 school year.
-- Maddy McCarty Legislature passes capital budget for $4 billion in new school, other construction projects-- Q13 Fox Washington: January 18, 2018 [ abstract] SEATTLE (AP) " A deal reached by top state lawmakers on a rural water dispute paved the way for approval of more than $4 billion in new school and other construction projects Thursday, officials said.
Republican and Democratic leaders reached a negotiated agreement earlier this week on the water dispute and the two-year capital budget, said Rep. Larry Springer, a Kirkland Democrat.
-- Associated Press Gov. Mark Dayton wants $1.5B for Minnesota infrastructure projects-- Star Tribune Minnesota: January 17, 2018 [ abstract] Headed toward his final legislative session, Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday proposed a $1.5 billion public works bonding bill that prioritizes upkeep projects on college campuses but would also spread resources to improving other state buildings, constructing affordable housing and repairing clean water infrastructure.
“Now is the time to make substantial investments in our state’s future,” Dayton said in a statement, citing the state’s Triple-A bond rating and what he called an “enormous need for infrastructure improvements across Minnesota.”
-- Jessie Van Berkel Manatee School District prepares to move attendance lines-- Your Observer Ohio: January 17, 2018 [ abstract] As the School District of Manatee County addresses overcrowding at Palmetto, Lakewood Ranch and Braden River high schools, it is setting attendance zones for the future North River High School in Parrish, now under construction. The school is slated to open in August 2019.
-- Pam Eubanks More than 150 Democrats Ask Trump to Invest in Public School Infrastructure-- US House of Representatives National: January 17, 2018 [ abstract] Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and 153 House Democrats sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging the administration to invest in the critical infrastructure that affects every city and town in the nation " our public schools. Too many of the more than 50 million students and six million staff who learn and work in our public schools spend their days in facilities that fail to make the grade.
“To address this crisis, the federal government should partner with states and territories to ensure that public schools in every community are safe, healthy, and modern " particularly in low-income and rural school districts where the need is often most profound. This is the right thing to do for students, teachers, and communities. It is also a smart investment, since it will give a needed boost to our economy by creating local jobs in every community across the country,” the members wrote. “According to recent economic analysis, every $1 billion dollars invested in construction creates nearly 18,000 jobs. That means a federal investment in school infrastructure of $100 billion would yield an estimated 1.8 million jobs that are high-paying and immediately available.”
Democrats have already introduced legislation in the House that would create such a partnership, providing $100 billion for direct grants and low-cost financing to help states and local communities upgrade their school facilities.
Reed, Murkowski Lead Letter Urging Trump Administration to Bolster Public School Infrastructure-- US Senate National: January 17, 2018 [ abstract] In an effort to rebuild and modernize public schools, boost student achievement, and grow the nation’s economy, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who both serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee, are leading a bipartisan effort to urge President Trump to create a federal-state partnership to invest in the infrastructure of the nation’s public schools.
The Senators say public schools are essential to the fabric of our communities and investing in 21st Century schools should be a key piece of a bipartisan infrastructure proposal.
In a bipartisan letter sent to the White House today, Reed, Murkowski, and 23 of their Senate colleagues note: “safe, healthy, modern, well-equipped schools are essential for advancing student achievement and for ensuring that the next generation can achieve the American Dream and meet the economic, social, environmental, and global challenges our nation faces.”
Reed has introduced the School Building Improvement Act (S. 1674), which would help provide $100 billion in federal grants and school construction bonds over the next decade to help build and renovate schools. By providing states with grants and low-cost bonds to meet their school construction and modernization needs, the bill would help strengthen communities and create an estimated 1.8 million jobs, while also laying the foundation for better schools, smart growth, and a brighter future. Similar legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representative by Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
In their letter to President Trump, the lawmakers state: “the federal government should consider partnering with states on innovative financing mechanisms to help every community ensure their schools are safe, healthy, and modern, particularly in low-income and rural school districts where the need is often most profound. This is the right thing to do for students, educators, and communities. It is also a smart investment, since it will give a needed boost to our economy by creating local jobs in every community across the country. According to a recent economic analysis, every $1 billion dollars invested in construction creates nearly 18,000 jobs. That means, for example, that a federal investment in school infrastructure of $100 billion would yield an estimated 1.8 million jobs.”
Somerville High School renovation process made easier through modular construction-- The Somerville Times Massachusetts: January 17, 2018 [ abstract] If you have recently driven by Somerville High School on the Highland Ave. side you may have noticed a long, one story air force blue colored building facing the street. Considering it sits directly in front of the left side of the high school, it’s really hard to miss.
This building is actually a series of modular constructions, or factory produced pre-engineered building units, that were delivered to the high school on December 26. Fused together, these modular constructions will serve as a temporary space to house to all of the English Department, as well as parts of the Foreign Language and Social Studies Departments.
-- Genevieve Bien-Aime Foster City school construction proceeds, with hurdles ahead-- The Daily Journal California: January 16, 2018 [ abstract] San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District officials took a pivotal step toward development of a new Foster City campus despite serious concerns looming over the project budget.
The district Board of Trustees unanimously agreed Thursday, Jan. 11, to certify the environmental impact report for the proposed redevelopment of the Charter Square shopping center into Foster City’s fourth elementary school.
-- Austin Walsh Rockland celebrates end of school construction work in Libertyville-- Daily Herald Illinois: January 16, 2018 [ abstract] Confetti and dancing were part of the fun Tuesday in celebrating the completion of a $5.3 million construction project at Rockland School in Libertyville.
Students, Libertyville Elementary District 70 officials and others marked the end of more than seven months of work to add a new gym, art and music classrooms, office space, front entrance, parking and other amenities to the district's oldest school building.
-- Mike Zawislak School superintendent: Work on school buildings almost done-- The Moultrie Observer Georgia: January 16, 2018 [ abstract] MOULTRIE, Ga. " School construction projects that began in 2016 are nearly complete, with the last holdout an indoor sports facility at Colquitt County High School.
construction work at Doerun Elementary School wrapped up in August or September, Colquitt County School Superintendent Doug Howell said. The school received a new kitchen and cafeteria and a new front office complex, and each classroom got new tile and paint.
Work at Odom Elementary School was more extensive but is about 99 percent complete, Howell said last week. Some work was done over Christmas break.
-- Kevin C. Hall Marianna K-8 School construction date pushed back-- WJHG.com Florida: January 12, 2018 [ abstract] JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - construction on the new Marianna K-8 School was scheduled to start in the spring, but that has now changed.
The $57 million price tag for the school is being paid for primarily by the state, which has affected construction.
A groundbreaking took place for the new school in October, with plans to begin construction in April. Superintendent Larry Moore said that date has now been pushed back to June.
-- Shelly Campbell BUSD approves $27 million Oxford School reconstruction-- Berkeleyside California: January 11, 2018 [ abstract] The Berkeley School Board green-lit a $27 million reconstruction project at Oxford Elementary School on Friday, Jan. 12.
The project, slated to break ground sometime during 2019, will be funded with existing revenue from Berkeley Unified’s 2010 Measure I school facilities bond.
The district plans to modernize the whole elementary school, reconstructing the multipurpose room and cafeteria, adding new and larger classrooms as well as bathrooms in younger classrooms, improving accessibility and installing energy-efficiency features including solar paneling.
-- Natalie Orenstein School to be demolished unless viable use for building found "soon"-- Fort Morgan Times Colorado: January 11, 2018 [ abstract] An architecture firm is deep into the work of designing Brush's new secondary school complex. And as the eventual opening of the school draws closer, the need to decide what will be done with the current middle school building is becoming urgent.
In Nov. 2016, Brush voters approved a $38.5 million ballot initiative that provided the majority of the funding for the construction of the new complex. That measure stated that it was the intention of the district to tear down the old middle school building once the district's middle school students had moved into the new building.
-- Paul Albani-Burgio Williamson Schools: More elementary, middle schools dominate 10-year building forecast-- Tennessean Tennessee: January 11, 2018 [ abstract] New construction will not slow down any time soon for Williamson County Schools.
The district will need 17 new school facilities in the next decade, most of them elementary and middle schools, according to the district's latest 10-year building plan.
Additional classroom seats at existing high schools and land for most of the buildings are also included in the projections.
-- Melanie Balakit Cold-Weather Closures Expose Years of Underinvestment in Urban Schools-- Governing Magazine National: January 10, 2018 [ abstract] Thousands of schoolchildren in Baltimore missed classes last week as a cold snap forced officials to close schools. Frigid temperatures and ruptured water pipes made some school buildings uninhabitable for students and teachers.
Those kinds of closures could become more frequent in cities across the country, many education advocates say, thanks to a generation of underfunding construction and maintenance costs in urban districts.
-- J. Brian Charles EDITORIAL: State must re-examine school building process-- Lowell Sun Massachusetts: January 08, 2018 [ abstract] The Massachusetts School Building Authority touts on its website that it has doled out more than $14 billion on public school construction projects since its inception in 2004.
Certainly, the state Legislature had the right idea when it created the MSBA to "reform the process of funding capital improvement projects" in public schools. In its early days, the Legislature set aside tax dollars on an annual basis to help fund the MSBA, which promised state reimbursements of up to 80 percent and higher to local communities. Later, as the demand -- and costs -- for school projects increased, the state dedicated one penny of its 6.25 percent sales tax as an MSBA revenue stream.
Sarasota school district looks to build new elementary school-- Herald-Tribune Florida: January 07, 2018 [ abstract] The Sarasota County School District has construction for a new elementary school near Ashton Elementary School tentatively on the books in the next five years, according to their district facilities plan.
Plans for the new school come as enrollment at Ashton Elementary, located at 5110 Ashton Road near Proctor Road and Honore Avenue, is projected to reach 100 percent capacity by 2021. Ashton is the second-highest occupied school in the district, at 92 percent capacity in the 2017-2018 school year with 1,025 students, an increase in almost 100 students from last year. They are beat only by Phillippi Shores Elementary, which is at 110 percent capacity with 731 students, according to data provided by the district.
-- Elizabeth Djinis Washington state’s school construction budget still tied up over water dispute-- The Seattle Times Washington: January 05, 2018 [ abstract] About $4 billion in new school construction and other projects throughout the state remain on hold six months after a water-related dispute stalled passage of the state’s two-year construction budget.
Lawmakers have been working on a compromise. But top Republican and Democratic leaders still appeared to be divided on the issue this week.
-- Phuong Le Parents, students upset with renovations causing freezing cold in high school-- WPXI Pennsylvania: January 04, 2018 [ abstract] A renovation project has been underway at Chartiers Valley High School for a year and a half.
Parents say parts of the building have been extremely cold, and now they’re worried about their children’s safety.
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A single backhoe covered in a dusting of snow sits outside the high school, a sign of the ongoing construction project that has now extended into the winter months. Parents and kids say parts of the building are so cold students are walking around with blankets.
“They should be doing the construction in seasonal-type weather,” said Carnegie resident Shirley Hudson. “Right now, it’s freezing out here.”
An Inside Look At Ige’s Request For Millions More In Education Spending-- Honolulu Civil Beat Hawaii: January 02, 2018 [ abstract] Gov. David Ige’s supplemental budget request to the Hawaii Legislature for next fiscal year includes an additional $24 million in state Department of Education operating funds and an extra $150 million for public school improvement projects, including the construction of an elementary school on Oahu.
Tucked within the request is a modest $2 million increase to the weighted student formula, the method that determines per-pupil-funding. But it proposes funding for other areas previously overlooked, such as $4.1 million in workers’ compensation benefits for injured DOE employees, students and volunteers.
-- Suevon Lee Plenty of projects on tap for Killeen ISD schools-- Killeen Daily Herald Texas: January 01, 2018 [ abstract] While the biggest project for the Killeen Independent School District in 2018 may be ensuring the $426 million bond issue passes on the May 5 ballot, quite a few other projects are in the works for the district in the coming year.
Two school construction projects will be starting by summer, an elementary school on Morganite Lane in Killeen estimated to cost $37.1 million. It is scheduled to open for the 2019-2020 school year.
A middle school on Warriors Path in Harker Heights will cost about $54 million and open for the 2020-2021 school year.
-- Julie A. Ferraro $140 million of school construction projects: Looking ahead to 2018 and beyond-- Times News.net Tennessee: December 31, 2017 [ abstract] KINGSPORT " Thanks to a December 2016 vote by the Sullivan County Commission, the culmination of more than two years of facilities studies, planning, community input and debate, several capital projects among four local school systems are or soon will be underway.
-- Rick Wagner 2018 to be a busy year for Aurora, with elections and construction projects on horizon-- Chicago Tribune Illinois: December 31, 2017 [ abstract] or the Aurora area, 2018 is shaping up to be a busy year, with elections and construction projects leading the way
-- Dan Cassidy and Sarah Freishtat Camden looks ahead to new high school-- Daily Advance North Carolina: December 31, 2017 [ abstract] CAMDEN " Planning for the construction of a long-awaited new high school will top the agenda for the Camden County Schools in 2018.
Camden Board of Education Chairman Christian Overton said Friday that the school board should get a report from the architect, HBA Architecture and Interior Design Inc. of Virginia Beach, Va., early in the new year.
Once the board has the initial information from the architect, school officials plan to establish a committee of school staff and community members to begin working with the architect on the design for the new school, Overton said.
-- Reggie Ponder Monona Grove School District ponders construction, remodeling for growing enrollment-- Wisconsin State Journal Wisconsin: December 30, 2017 [ abstract] An advisory committee tasked with helping the Monona Grove School Board manage growing enrollment will soon start narrowing recommendations for possible school construction, remodeling and grade-level reconfiguration in the school district serving Monona and Cottage Grove.
The 20-member Facilities Advisory Committee, appointed in October, will meet Jan. 9 for the fifth of seven sessions at district headquarters in Monona, prior to a recommendation of one or more options in mid-February. The board could schedule a referendum as early as November after picking a plan by the end of August.
-- Karen Rivedal Several school construction projects on tap for 2018-- The Brunswick News Georgia: December 30, 2017 [ abstract] Glynn County Schools will begin 2018 with a long list of construction projects on the agenda.
The school system plans to continue modernization work at Glynn Academy, construction of a new Burroughs-Molette Elementary School and renovations to Glynn County Stadium.
The school system will wrap up a couple of projects soon, including renovations to the historic Prep Building and band room at Glynn Academy.
-- Lauren McDonald Alexandria referendum plan includes improvements and construction to support academics-- The Herald Bulletin Indiana: December 29, 2017 [ abstract] ALEXANDRIA " Celisa Rambo, library paraprofessional at Alexandria-Monroe Jr.-Sr. High School got tired of looking at the stuffing push its way through a slash in the yellow upholstery of a chair.
“These kids’ parents had this furniture,” she said.
So this school year, Rambo, who has worked at the school for nine years, decided to do something about it, reupholstering the chairs in burgundy between classes. She still has two more to do.
-- Rebecca R. Bibbs No winter break for school construction-- Hood River News Oregon: December 29, 2017 [ abstract] School may be out, but workers are in.
The winter break is a busy time for crews hired by Hood River County School District to accomplish myriad projects funded by construction bonds two years ago.
The historic Coe Building and neighboring District Office building are at the cusp of a significant transformation. So much so that within a few months the District Office building will no longer be called that: it will become the Alternative School (currently housed in a portable at Hood River Valley High School) and the superintendent’s office.
-- Kirby Neumann-Rea At year end, school district’s projects near completion-- The Garden City News New York: December 28, 2017 [ abstract] At the December Board of Education meeting held at Hemlock School, the district learned of the latest progress on school infrastructure investments from prior budget and referendum projects. The school board heard from Gary Gonzalez, senior project manager from Park East construction Corporation, the district’s construction management consultants as two long-anticipated upgrades were brought up. First he spoke about the 2016 referendum plan calling for a new Garden City Middle School breezeway set of windows and trimming.
-- Rikki N. Massand Spring will bring school construction in Oak Hill-- The Register-Herald West Virginia: December 28, 2017 [ abstract] As winter snow falls, Fayette County Schools have their eyes set toward spring and the beginning of a culmination of turmoil that beset the county the past few years.
Springtime will bring the first new construction on the county’s plan to revamp the school system, which has seen a heated debate about consolidation and school closures.
-- Matt Combs School construction among top 2018 priorities for Raimondo-- Houston Chronicle Rhode Island: December 27, 2017 [ abstract] PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) ¡ª Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has placed a school construction initiative among her top priorities for 2018, and said "no department will be spared" as she works to close a budget deficit.
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The Democratic governor, speaking to The Associated Press in her annual year-end interview, said she also supports the continued phaseout of the car tax.
-- MIchelle R. Smith and Jennifer McDermott Voters raised tax last year to help schools. What's done, what's next?-- Sun Sentinel Florida: December 27, 2017 [ abstract] year after Palm Beach County voters agreed to raise their sales tax by a penny, several small school projects have been completed, with some of the biggest construction set to begin over the next two years.
Many of the projects had been planned by the school district for years but were delayed due to lack of money. Schools will get half of the $2.7 billion the tax increase is expected to generate over the course of 10 years. The district plans to use $318 million from other accounts to complete the work.
Here are some of the projects that are in progress or have already been completed:
-- Lois K. Solomon MLSB HALTS CONSTRUCTION SPENDING-- Columbia Basin Herald Washington: December 26, 2017 [ abstract] MOSES LAKE " The Moses Lake School Board on Thursday voted unanimously to suspend all spending on any construction-related projects until the lawsuit over last February’s school bond is settled.
The board is also going to look into alternatives to the construction of a second high school for Moses Lake " something state law allows " should the $135.4 million bond measure survive the court challenge.
“We’re out of money,” said Board President Eric Stones during a packed meeting of the Moses Lake School Board. “We can’t move forward with planning on an elementary school and a second high school.”
-- Charles H. Featherstone New high school progressing; airier replacement for Mills on track to open in August-- Arkansas Online Arkansas: December 25, 2017 [ abstract] construction of the new Wilbur D. Mills High School in the Pulaski County Special School District is better than 65 percent complete -- but only the roofline is visible to sharp-eyed passers-by on East Dixon Road.
construction work on the new, 155,000-square-foot Mills High School is more than 65 percent finished.
-- Cynthia Howell Second high school in Moses Lake? Maybe not under new school board-- iFiberOne Washington: December 22, 2017 [ abstract] MOSES LAKE " With newly elected members, the Moses Lake school board may nix plans for a second high school included in the about $135.3 million construction bond approved by voters.
It was standing room only at the school board special meeting Thursday night.
Because of the holiday, the board wouldn’t have met a second time in December but they decided to hold a special session Thursday.
-- Joe Utter and Madison Meyer Top 2017 stories: City school construction advances-- Chillicothe Gazette Ohio: December 21, 2017 [ abstract] CHILLICOTHE - The 2017 story leading off the Gazette's list of the year's top local stories may find itself appearing on the 2018 list as well.
That's because the Chillicothe City Schools' journey to two new grade-banded elementary schools that began with conceptual drawings and groundbreaking in 2016 and the beginning of physical construction this year will finally become "lived in" during the latter half of 2018.
-- Chris Balusik East Baton Rouge leaders trim $132 million from school construction plans, but upgrade some projects-- The Advocate Louisiana: December 19, 2017 [ abstract] East Baton Rouge Parish school officials have trimmed their school construction wish list for the next decade by $132 million as they prepare to ask voters in April to renew a 1-cent sales tax that would be used to pay for the projects.
The competition to get a piece, or a bigger piece, of the tax pie, however, rages on with School Board members pushing to get projects funded for schools in their districts.
Superintendent Warren Drake said the wish list "is changing and it’s going to keep changing.”
-- Charles Lussier Wyoming Construction Department explains reorganization to legislators-- Wyoming News Wyoming: December 16, 2017 [ abstract] CHEYENNE " The State construction Department surprised the Joint Appropriations Committee on Thursday with a new department organization.
-- Kristine Galloway $46.8M plan to renovate Leahy school advances -- Eagle-Tribune Massachusetts: December 15, 2017 [ abstract] LAWRENCE — A plan to modernize the century-old Francis Leahy elementary school at a cost of $46.8 million advanced this week when the state put it on a list of 15 school construction projects it will consider funding in 2018, making Leahy the second city school this year to make the state's short list of school projects it may support.
The city is seeking $32.7 million from the School Building Authority to rebuild Leahy on Erving Avenue and would borrow the remaining $14.1 million.
-- Keith Eddings New music classrooms at Mukwonago High School will include more space, natural light-- Journal Sentinel Wisconsin: December 12, 2017 [ abstract] MUKWONAGO - When Mukwonago High School students get back from Christmas break, they'll return to newly completed band, orchestra and choir classrooms.
construction on Mukwonago High School has continued while school is in session, with work on the new gym and auditorium also still underway. Both of those facilities were enclosed in the beginning of December, so no matter the weather, CG Schmidt, the construction company for the project, will be able to continue working through the winter.
-- Tiffany Stoiber SBA approves nearly $60 million in school construction, renovation projects-- Charleston Gazette-Mail West Virginia: December 11, 2017 [ abstract] The West Virginia School Building Authority board Monday awarded about $59.1 million in construction and renovation money to 22 county school systems, including $7 million to fix the heating and cooling issues and replace part of the roof of Kanawha County’s Ben Franklin Career Center.
About a dozen Ben Franklin teachers filed a grievance against Kanawha’s school system in August 2016 over the school’s heating and cooling issues. The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system there is being overhauled using SBA and local funding.
-- Ryan Quinn School Building Authority approves funding for new Highlawn Elementary-- Herald Dispatch West Virginia: December 11, 2017 [ abstract] CHARLESTON " Cabell County Schools has been awarded state funding to construct a new Highlawn Elementary School as the West Virginia School Building Authority officially approved the bid Monday morning.
The more than $13.2 million project will be funded 50/50 between state and county dollars at $6,618,539 each, as was proposed by Cabell County Schools when officials pitched the bid in November.
-- Bishop Nash Development impact fees can now be used for school construction, South Carolina districts are learning-- The Post and Courier South Carolina: December 10, 2017 [ abstract] Which fast-growing South Carolina school district will be the first to take advantage of a change in state law allowing development impact fees to be used for building schools?
High-growth districts have struggled to keep up with rising populations, but new homes provide little property tax revenue to build schools. A 2016 law opened the door for any school district to pursue development impact fees, but some hurdles remain.
-- David Slade Groundbreaking ceremony kicks off New Lebanon School construction-- Greenwich Time Connecticut: December 09, 2017 [ abstract] GREENWICH " In the chilly December air, fifth-grader John Kilgallen stepped to the podium without hesitation. In front of him, he saw more than 200 white hardhats sitting on the heads of his New Lebanon School peers. Behind them rose the yellow bulldozers and dump trucks that will start the construction of his new school.
“I’ve been hearing about a new school for years and I am so excited,” he said. “It will be wonderful to have space to roam and places to quietly work. We will have rooms that don’t need to be shared and hallways where no one will have to learn to read. The staff will not have to work in closets and cramped quarters.”
-- Emilie Munson $14M RENOVATION, ADDITION UNVEILED-- Daily Inter Lake Montana: December 08, 2017 [ abstract] The Bigfork High School $14 million addition and renovation was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
construction started in May 2016 and was anticipated to be completed by January, but was finished a week before Thanksgiving with approximately $90,000 remaining in a contingency fund.
“It’s pretty remarkable to come in and be ahead of schedule and under budget " and capture what we wanted to accomplish,” said Bigfork Superintendent Matt Jensen.
-- Hilary Matheson Huntington’s historic Trade School building restored, reopened-- Newsday New York: December 05, 2017 [ abstract] The $1.5 million restoration and expansion of the Huntington Historical Society’s Trade School building on Main Street is complete, officials said.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration to say thank you to donors who made the project possible was held Nov. 21, two years after construction started.
Restoring the 1905 building was conceived almost 20 years ago when the society’s volunteers were asked by philanthropist Doris Buffett, the sister of financier Warren Buffett, what they needed most. The cited the need for additional archive space.
-- Deborah S. Morris New Easthampton school construction would eliminate newly-rebuilt football field; build new field in different location-- Mass Live.com Massachusetts: December 05, 2017 [ abstract] EASTHAMPTON -- The Easthampton Eagles football team may have to make some adjustments if a new, consolidated school is approved and constructed.
The School Building Committee Tuesday night approved a design concept that requires moving the newly-rebuilt football field at White Brook Middle School. Building a new field in a different location would enable a better building design to serve pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students, said architect Bert Gardner.
-- Mary C. Serreze Gov. Doug Ducey hails high school coding program as model, but state gave it no money-- Tucson.com Arizona: December 04, 2017 [ abstract] PHOENIX " A program to teach coding to high schoolers, praised Monday by Gov. Doug Ducey as key to Arizona’s economic future, had to be financed by local taxpayers and grants due to a lack of state dollars.
And unless there’s a sudden boost in state funding, schools in other districts that want to duplicate the program will also not get state dollars to construct a facility and buy the equipment. That, then, would leave them dependent on voters approving the kinds of bonds that financed the Phoenix Coding Academy and helped pay for the computers.
-- Howard Fischer All schools getting state construction funds should serve in emergencies, Florida lawmaker says-- TBO.com Florida: November 30, 2017 [ abstract] Why weren't charter schools used as evacuation shelters during Hurricane Irma?
It's a question that resonated in the storm's aftermath, as district schools across Florida remained closed to end shelter operations and clean up before welcoming students back to classes.
-- Jeffrey Solochek Natchez-Adams district works to fund school construction-- Houston Chronicle Mississippi: November 25, 2017 [ abstract] NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) " A Mississippi district is taking steps toward building a new high school and renovating some existing structures.
The Natchez Democrat reports that members of the Natchez-Adams School Board adopted two resolutions Tuesday.
Problems lead to long delays, higher costs in rebuilding Oakland school-- San Francisco Chronicle California: November 24, 2017 [ abstract] An Oakland school construction project is way over budget, more than a year behind schedule and being built in part by contractors under federal indictment in an unrelated bid-rigging scandal.
The rebuild of Glenview Elementary has been plagued by problems almost from the start, with delays and cost overruns angering neighbors, parents and city officials who question the competency of current and former Oakland Unified School District leaders.
-- Jill Tucker Many Poor Schools in New Jersey are Overcrowded-- WNYC New Jersey: November 23, 2017 [ abstract] Two-thirds of low-income school districts in New Jersey don't have adequate space to serve their students, according to a report by the NJ Department of Education (DOE).
The state is required to fix and build new schools in districts that serve a large number of poor children following the landmark New Jersey State Supreme Court case Abbott v. Burke in 1985. When Gov. Chris Christie took office in 2010 he froze spending by the School Development Authority, which funds and manages the construction and renovation projects.
-- Nancy Solomon Planners trim costs for Bozeman’s second high school-- Bozeman Daily Chronicle Montana: November 23, 2017 [ abstract] A pedestrian tunnel under Oak Street has been eliminated from the plans for Bozeman’s second high school, one of many changes made to cut construction costs by roughly $10 million.
The school’s entryway façade will have less brick. Some walkways will be asphalt instead of concrete sidewalks. Some interior roads will be eliminated. And classroom hallways where students are expected to collaborate on projects will be 20 feet wide instead of 24.
Those were some of the changes that architects, planners and school officials agreed to informally at Wednesday’s meeting of the school Building Committee.
-- Gail Schontzler SCASD elementary construction projects to include solar panels-- Centre Daily Times Pennsylvania: November 23, 2017 [ abstract] STATE COLLEGE
Three State College Area School District elementary school construction projects scheduled to begin in December will now include rooftop solar arrays.
Corl Street, Spring Creek and Radio Park elementary schools will be added to a list of about 4,000 K-12 schools nationwide that are outfitted with solar arrays, according to the Solar Foundation.
After weeks of internal, as well as public, discussion surrounding the economic feasibility of the solar option, the school board was presented at a meeting on Nov. 8 with an agenda item that would have rejected the solar plan, which adds about $500,000 to the total construction cost of the three projects.
-- Leon Valsechi Wessington Springs official stands beside proposed renovation, addition-- The Daily Republic South Dakota: November 22, 2017 [ abstract] WESSINGTON SPRINGS — As the future of two projects hang in the balance of a late November bond election, so does the Wessington Springs School District's capital outlay fund.
Two separate projects will be on the ballot Nov. 28 for Wessington Springs residents to vote on. First is $4.5 million in high school renovations, and the second is the construction of a $1.7 million auxiliary gym.
-- Caitlynn Peetz With space tight and demand high, education looks to build more vertical schools-- KHON2.com Hawaii: November 22, 2017 [ abstract] As Oahu’s population grows and more people move into Honolulu’s urban core, the Department of Education is looking at the possibility of building new schools.
One high rise school is already in the works for urban Honolulu that will have a vertical school located in Kakaako.
construction is expected to begin in 2019.
-- Alexander Zannes School notes: Cutting costs for school construction-- Frederick News-Post Maryland: November 20, 2017 [ abstract] In an effort to cut down school construction costs, the Frederick County Board of Education wants to develop minimal standards for developers to meet before the school system starts work on a school site.
At the board’s joint meeting with the County Council last week, the two bodies encouraged the board to develop site standards that would cut down construction costs, and then the council could adopt those regulations.
-- Allen Etzler Lincoln Middle School Green Space Construction Well Underway-- My Stateline.com Illinois: November 17, 2017 [ abstract] ROCKFORD - A drone picture shot near Lincoln Middle School shows a Rockford Public Schools project to add recreational space adjacent to the school is well underway.
RPS 205 purchased eleven properties just to the east of the middle school to give students more space for outdoor activities. "You have some of the kids actually practicing out in front of the building right off of Charles Street which is not ideal," Chief Operations Officer Todd Schmidt told 'Eyewitness News' in 2016, when the properties were in the process of being purchased by the school district. "We have to send them offsite somewhere for the football team to work. They really don't have anything out there that they need."
Purchasing and converting the properties for green space is part fo the District's $250 million capital plan. Schmidt says once complete, the area will be used for outdoor athletic activities and green space.
Olean school board reviews timeline of capital project-- Olean Times Herald New York: November 15, 2017 [ abstract] OLEAN " The Olean City School District Board of Education received a quick update Tuesday night on its looming $16.1 million capital project that will give several district buildings a facelift beginning this summer.
Carl Calarco of Campus construction Management Group Inc. presented the board during a regular meeting at Olean Intermediate Middle School with a timeline of the project, which includes roof repair or replacement, overall building upkeep and a major overhaul of East View Elementary School’s floor plan.
-- Tom Dinki Panel weighs new school-construction funding bill-- Washington Post Maryland: November 15, 2017 [ abstract] ANNAPOLIS, Md. " Building additional schools and pushing for more up-to-date, efficient and innovative design proposals is under review by a state panel charged with examining school construction.
Today, an estimated 65,297 students in Maryland public schools are in temporary classrooms such as trailers, and there is $23.3 billion in estimated statewide school construction needed through fiscal year 2023, according to the Maryland State Department of Education and local schools.
-- Georgia Slater Using school construction project to teach is brilliant-- Union-Bulletin Washington: November 15, 2017 [ abstract] The opportunity for a community to build a new elementary school is always exciting.
But the Milton-Freewater Unified School District has turned the project in its community to something special " an incredible learning opportunity.
Frankly, it’s a brilliant move. And one that other school districts would be wise to emulate.
-- Editorial Board Elementary school construction projects bids $800K under Kearney Public Schools' budget-- Kearney Hub Nebraska: November 14, 2017 [ abstract] KEARNEY " construction is on time and better than budget on $10.5 million in additions and remodeling at two Kearney Elementary schools, according to a report Monday to the Kearney Public Schools Board of Education.
Kent Cordes of BD construction told board members that work on a $3,048,252 addition at Buffalo Hills Elementary School in northwest Kearney is under way, as is an addition and extensive remodeling at Northeast Elementary School. That project is $7,490,000, which is about $400,000 less than what KPS budgeted.
-- Mike Konz '21st Century' school construction panel locked in the past, Serafini says-- Herald-Mail Media Maryland: November 13, 2017 [ abstract] ANNAPOLIS — When Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch created the 21st Century School Facilities Commission last year, the idea was to look at how education is changing and how school construction needed to change with it.
And if the commission could find ways to build school buildings better and cheaper, even better.
School construction is the biggest item in the state's taxpayer-funded capital budget, costing more than $1 billion if all school systems got what they need.
-- Tamela Baker Jones County gets $15 million for school construction-- Kinston.com North Carolina: November 13, 2017 [ abstract] After a year and a half of fundraising and planning, Jones County Schools is almost ready to break ground on a new K " 12 school facility.
Earlier this month the district was one of four school districts named as the recipient of grants from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund.
The fund, which creates a $100 million pool of lottery money over the next two years, is comprised of lottery money and is meant to provide counties with the money they need to pay for school construction projects.
The fund was created by Sen. Harry Brown, who is from Jones County, to help get projects like the new school get off the ground. For this year and next, the funds will only be available to Tier 1 counties, which are among the poorest in the state.
-- Dustin George Parkland School Board details new elementary school plans-- WFMZ-TV Pennsylvania: November 13, 2017 [ abstract] UPPER MACUNGIE TOWNSHIP, Pa. - A proposed new elementary school in Upper Macungie Township was the topic of discussion at the Parkland School Board Act 34 public hearing Monday.
The new school, slated to open for the 2020-2021 school year, will be built on 18 acres of land off Twin Ponds Road between Schantz Road and Long Lane.
The Jaindl family donated the property to the district.
construction costs for the project will be $31.7 million.
John Vignone, the director of business administration, said that projected salary costs for the new school’s teachers and administrators combined with the cost of employee benefits are a little over $2 million.
-- Jacob Kise SBA faces $105M in school construction requests, has $51M to distribute-- Charleston Gazette-Mail West Virginia: November 13, 2017 [ abstract] State School Building Authority Finance Director Garry Stewart expects the SBA to have about $51 million to distribute to public school construction and renovation projects in this year’s “needs” grant cycle.
But 28 county public school systems have asked for a total of $105 million in SBA funds in this year’s grant cycle, so the SBA board, per usual, will have to turn down some counties’ requests.
-- Ryan Quinn Chico Unified moves forward with elementary projects-- ChicoER Education California: November 12, 2017 [ abstract] Chico >> Chico Unified School District is moving closer to modernizing its elementary schools.
The Chico Unified board of trustees last week approved the next steps for construction projects at Shasta, Marigold and Loma Vista schools, authorizing the school district to enter into agreements with contractors for construction at the school sites.
-- Dani Anguiano School Building Authority to hear funding pitches for school projects in 28 counties-- Metro News West Virginia: November 12, 2017 [ abstract] CHARLESTON, W.Va. " School superintendents from nearly 30 West Virginia counties will be in the Capital City to start the week to pitch needed school construction, renovation and other improvement projects to the state School Building Authority.
In all, the requests for funding total $106 million and Frank “Bucky” Blackwell, SBA executive director, said the Authority has $50.5 million to allocate this year.
Three of the 28 county school systems are requesting SBA funding for the construction of new schools.
-- Shauna Johnson Report finds 'glaring inequities' between sports complexes at 2 central Arkansas schools-- Arkansas Online Arkansas: November 11, 2017 [ abstract] The newly constructed sports complexes at Mills High and Joe T. Robinson Middle schools in the Pulaski County Special School District "are not equal," and someone should have stepped in to correct the "glaring inequities."
-- Cynthia Howell State Denies School Construction Grant-- Rocky Mount Telegram North Carolina: November 10, 2017 [ abstract] A grant requested by Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools to aid in the potential consolidation of three elementary schools into one new facility was denied by the N.C. State Board of Education this week.
The grant request was for $15 million from the new Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund to go toward construction of the new school facility. The fund " more than $100 million over the next two years " was provided by the N.C. General Assembly to assist lower-wealth counties with critical public school building capital needs. The fund, which comes from state lottery proceeds, will be used to distribute $30 million this fiscal year and $75 million in fiscal year 2018-19.
-- Amelia Harper Construction begins on long-awaited Limoneira project in Santa Paula-- VC Star California: November 08, 2017 [ abstract] Public officials, business people and Limoneira executives celebrated the groundbreaking of the Harvest at Limoneira development during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Santa Paula on Wednesday morning.
The Harvest at Limoneira project in Santa Paula will include the construction of 1,500 housing units, several educational facilities that will include a K-5 elementary school, parks and retail and commercial spaces. Wednesday’s celebration was the culmination of approximately 14 years of planning and a $60 million investment by the Limoneira Co. The event was held on Hallock Drive where Harvest at Limoneira will be constructed.
-- Tyler Hersko Gates secures $2.5 million for school construction-- Roanoke-Chowan North Carolina: November 07, 2017 [ abstract] For one local school system it was the thrill of victory, but for another it was the agony of defeat.
On Monday, the North Carolina Department of Instruction officially announced the recipients of the initial round of funding from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund. Of the $30 million available statewide, Gates County Public Schools received $2.5 million that they will use to aid in an effort to perform long-overdue upgrades to Central Middle School. Those upgrades include $8 million that the Gates County Commissioners have agreed to borrow for the project.
-- Cal Bryant Hillsboro voters approve $400 million school construction bond-- The Oregonian Oregon: November 07, 2017 [ abstract] Voters in the Hillsboro school district approved a $408 million bond Tuesday to upgrade and expand existing schools and add two elementaries.
It was the first construction bond put before voters in 11 years and was more than three years in the planning.
In partial returns Tuesday, voters in the low-turnout election favored it by 65 percent to 35 percent.
Tax rates won't change. Instead, the new cost of $2.24 per $1,000 of assessed value will replace the same-size tax that expires this year.
-- Betsy Hammond Report calls for nearly $80 million in school construction for KCPS-- Kent County News Maryland: November 07, 2017 [ abstract] ROCK HALL — A draft report outlining the future of Kent County Public Schools' facilities includes a nearly $80 million proposal to relocate middle school students to the district's Worton campus and renovate several other buildings.
-- Daniel Divilio $20.7 million building plan outlines improvements at South Middle School, other schools-- Chicago Tribune Illinois: November 06, 2017 [ abstract] Officials with Arlington Heights School District 25 anticipate spending $20.7 million during the next five years on roofing projects and other infrastructure work throughout the district.
The top three projects that officials plan to do over the next five years include replacing and updating HVAC systems for $4.3 million, roofing work for $3.3 million and plumbing work for $2.8 million, said Ryan Schulz, director of facilities management for District 25.
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Many projects among the district's new five-year facilities master plan are building safety improvements mandated by the state, he said.
"The most critical things at most of our school buildings are roofing projects, which keep our schools dry," Schulz said, adding, "Every year, we look at our school buildings and try to determine what projects are really necessary, and what can be held off."
Schools that have not seen major construction projects in recent years will see a higher percentage of the work associated with the master plan, including Patton, Dryden and Westgate Elementary schools, as well as South Middle School, Schulz said.
Since 2016, Olive-Mary Stitt, Ivy Hill, Windsor Elementary schools and Thomas Middle School all have received a combined total of roughly $49.9 million in renovations and building additions. The ongoing $6.9 million construction project at Greenbrier Elementary School is expected to be completed by fall 2018, district officials said.
The recent projects were prompted by rising student enrollments, requiring building expansions and the reconfiguration of existing space, officials said.
District 25 Board president David Page said a long-term facilities plan helps officials budget for important projects and avoid any surprise expenses.
"Certainly knowing where we are going for five years is important in our budget process, so we know that something's not to going to be popping up," Page said.
-- Karen Ann Cullotta Check out Wiseburn’s new, $160 million ‘hyper-adaptable’ high school-- Daily Breeze California: November 06, 2017 [ abstract] After more than two years of construction, an ambition going back decades to create a high school within the boundaries of the Wiseburn Unified School District will become a reality in coming days with the opening of the state-of-the-art, $160 million Wiseburn High School.
Last week, administrative staff from Wiseburn Unified and Da Vinci charter schools moved into their new headquarters on the bottom floor the four-story, repurposed office building at 201. N. Douglas St. in east El Segundo.
Some 1,350 Da Vinci high school students will settle into modern classrooms Wednesday over three floors in the 210,000-square-foot, futuristic building, where Northrop Grumman once designed fighter jets.
-- Megan Barnes Jennings Creek Elementary, WCPS recognized for efficient energy use-- Bowling Green Daily News Kentucky: November 06, 2017 [ abstract] When students begin classes at the new Jennings Creek Elementary School next fall, they’ll walk into a facility that uses a fraction of the energy of a typical school.
On Friday, the school stood as an example for concrete industry representatives who toured the school’s construction site to get a better understanding of its use of insulated concrete forms.
“It seems like a perfect solution for our schools,” said Greg Mulder of the Iowa Ready Mixed Concrete Association.
-- Aaron Mudd Why do Hamilton County school buildings cost more than Georgia's?-- WRCBtv.com Tennessee: November 06, 2017 [ abstract] HAMILTON COUNTY, TN (WRCB) -
The Hamilton County School Board recently voted to build two new schools and to renovate several others. The total price tag is approximately $125 million dollars, and the projects are expected to be approved by the Hamilton County Commission this month. This, after much debate in recent years over why Hamilton County school construction costs more than new schools across the state line in Georgia.
-- David Carroll $25M soon to be ready for Tammany school construction plan-- The Times-Picayune Louisiana: November 03, 2017 [ abstract] The St. Tammany Parish public school district is finalizing plans to issue $25 million in bonds to cover additions to Mandeville High and Madisonville Elementary and hopes to have the money in hand by mid-December.
The School Board, acting as a committee of the whole, on Thursday (Nov. 2) approved the framework of a bond sale expected to generate the money. The bonds are expected to be issued soon, said Grant Schlueter, a consulting bond attorney.
-- Bob Warren Thaden School Construction is Now Underway-- NWA.com Arkansas: November 03, 2017 [ abstract] BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- - construction is officially underway for Bentonville's newest independent school.
With the support of the Walton Family Foundation, the school has selected a team of architects to design its 30-acre campus in Downtown Bentonville.
The campus will consist of several buildings, structures, and landscape features that create a varied and innovative learning environment.
-- Scott Brewster Warren County Schools boast cutting-edge construction-- WBKO.com Kentucky: November 03, 2017 [ abstract] Architects and engineers who are building schools in other parts of the country, toured these schools being built with reinforced Insulated Concrete Forms.
Builder say these forms provide more strength and energy efficiency, and made construction quicker and easier for these four schools.
-- Gene Birk Officials cut ribbon on solar project-- Rome Sentinel New York: November 02, 2017 [ abstract] Renewable Energy Company GroSolar Wednesday led officials in a ribbon-cutting that celebrates the completion of the Mohawk Valley Community College Solar project for the college’s Rome campus. On Wednesday, MVCC and groSolar officials welcomed project stakeholders and community members to celebrate the completion of construction.
-- Roger Seibert Seneca Falls schools propose $13.8 million capital project-- Finger Lakes Times New York: November 02, 2017 [ abstract] SENECA FALLS " Should this Seneca County school district demolish its existing bus garage and replace it with a two-story, 25,000-square-foot transportation center?
Should it construct a 33-vehicle parking lot on the north side of Elizabeth Cady Stanton School?
Should it make improvements to other school buildings?
-- David L. Shaw Pinelands Regional administrators receive verbal lashing from parents over high school construction-- Press of Atlantic City New Jersey: November 01, 2017 [ abstract] LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP " Pinelands Regional school officials, under fire for a decision that kept the high school open while it underwent repairs last month, acknowledged the mistake during a meeting earlier this week.
After several school closings in October due to asbestos found in the building from a roof replacement project, the district shut down the high school Oct. 13 when a roofing screw fell on a student’s head. Since then, students have been attending split sessions at the junior high school.
-- Claire Lowe City elementary school construction underway-- Cleveland Daily Banner Tennessee: October 31, 2017 [ abstract] construction is well underway at the site of the Cleveland City Schools system’s newest elementary school, located off Highway 60 between Paul Huff Parkway and Gregory Lane.
Workers have been laying the groundwork for the new Candy’s Creek Cherokee Elementary School for about two months now, said Hal Taylor, director of operations for the school district.
-- Christy Armstrong District leaders get tour, update of Baraboo High School renovations
-- Baraboo News Republic Wisconsin: October 31, 2017 [ abstract] construction crews hope to finish steel work for additions to Baraboo High School by mid-November.
Since school began in September, building crews have completed renovations to the high school’s student services area and locker rooms. CG Schmidt project manager Brian Horras said the building’s electrical system also has been upgraded, utilities have been installed and temporary facilities have been erected for the current school year.
-- Jake Prinsen Wyoming lawmakers recommend diverting money to pay for school maintenance-- Casper Star Tribune Wyoming: October 31, 2017 [ abstract] State lawmakers recommended diverting money to pay for the maintenance of Wyoming school facilities Monday, the first major move toward bridging one of the large funding gaps facing education here.
The members of the Select Committee on School Facilities voted to back a proposal that would use a percentage of state mineral royalties to pay for school maintenance and construction, while also diverting the 1 percent severance tax to that end. The money will go toward preserving the state’s more than 24 million square feet of education facilities, part of officials’ shift from building amid dwindling funds and after years of construction.
-- Seth Klamann Another kind of building boom: Private school construction is a $1B biz-- The Wall Street Journal National: October 30, 2017 [ abstract] Private K-12 school renovations have become fertile ground for construction companies as parents and administrators increasingly push for both needed upgrades and flashy amenities that will attract prospective students.
From January 2014 to September, construction and renovation starts for private K-12 schools in the city reached more than $948 million, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. Compare that to the four years that ended in 2007, when starts totaled $377 million (not accounting for inflation). The surge in construction can be partially attributed to low-interest rates and increasing school enrollment, the Wall Street Journal reported.
-- Leslie Brody Construction may begin in spring on new school in Mercer County-- Bluefield Daily Telegraph West Virginia: October 30, 2017 [ abstract] GREEN VALLEY " School officials in Mercer County are hoping to begin construction early next year on a new elementary school for the Green Valley community.
The school system was awarded $7.8 million in grant funding earlier this year from the West Virginia School Building Authority for the Pre-K to fifth grade facility.
The new school will be constructed on approximately 23 acres of land located along Blue Prince Road across from the Mercer County Health Department.
-- Charles Owens Escalating construction costs driving bond issue-- Killeen Daily Herald Texas: October 30, 2017 [ abstract] The price of construction materials continues to increase and Killeen Independent School District Superintendent John Craft wants to be sure everyone knows it may seriously impact future building projects in the district.
At Tuesday’s KISD board of trustees workshop, Craft opened the discussion on the proposed forthcoming bond issue by making note of how such increases affected past projects, and will do so in the future.
He compared the cost of building the new Fowler Elementary School, which opened in 2014, to that of Alice Douse Elementary School. The same basic design was used for each school, but the cost increase, or annual escalation figure, between the two amounted to 11 percent.
-- Julie A. Ferraro Heights files suit against Pataskala over school construction
-- Newark Advocate Ohio: September 25, 2017 [ abstract] A zoning use denial is causing the Licking Heights School District – with considerable reluctance, officials on both sides note – to take the City of Pataskala and its Board of Zoning Appeals to court.
Licking Heights filed an appeal with the county’s Court of Common Pleas following a Pataskala Board of Zoning Appeals’ decision that stalls construction of the district’s new, $59 million high school.
In a letter recently sent to district parents and others, Superintendent Dr. Philip Wagner wrote in part, “It seems inconceivable that one public agency needs to explore legal remedies against another and is not the way we prefer to do business. Our partnership with the City of Pataskala is longstanding and cooperative… Though we are concerned, this is not a crisis; we have decisions to make about how to move forward. I have temporarily halted our $59 million high school building project…”
On Sept. 11, the zoning appeals board voted 3-1 (one member also abstained for reasons not stated, according to officials) to reject a conditional use permit to shift zoning use from a piece of property purchased by the school district from agricultural-residential to school use.
-- Craig McDonald Local districts finally reap benefits of $9 billion construction bond-- Bakersfield.com California: September 07, 2017 [ abstract] Local school districts are beginning to see the results of a hard-fought campaign last year to pass Proposition 51, a $9 billion state construction bond.
The State of California sold its first round of bonds, totaling $433 million, and allocated funds this week. It gave priority funding to school projects that have long been completed, but never received promised matching dollars from the state.
-- Harold Pierce Kelso considers $87.5 million in school construction-- TDN.com Washington: September 05, 2017 [ abstract] The Kelso School Board was presented with an ambitious facilities improvement plan Tuesday, one that would cost local taxpayers an estimated $87.5 million over 20 years.
The plan must be approved by Dec. 15 to be included on the Feb. 13, 2018 ballot. Local residents will be able to comment on the plan during two online Thoughtexchange sessions in October.
-- Zack Hale County Weighs Larger Bond Referendum for More School Construction-- The Pilot.com North Carolina: September 01, 2017 [ abstract] After years of rejecting the idea of a bond referendum to fund school construction, the Moore County Board of Commissioners is not only embracing the notion, but expanding the reach beyond initial plans.
The bond referendum, which could go before voters next spring, would include money not just for elementary schools in Aberdeen and Southern Pines, but also major improvements to several other schools across the county and a new health education center for Sandhills Community College.
-- David Sinclair and Mary Kate Murphy Numerous school building upgrades under way in Norwalk-- The Hour.com Connecticut: July 10, 2017 [ abstract] NORWALK " Unexpecting eyes passing West Rocks Middle School on Monday afternoon might have been taken aback to see the entire face of the south wing stripped away, leaving a clear view into the building’s interior.
But district officials say not to worry as the deconstruction of the building’s two-story wall of windows is a part of the first phase of a windows and door replacement project slated to take place at the school over the course of this and the following summer.
The construction project is just one of more than a dozen happening this summer across Norwalk Public Schools before even larger projects take place in the coming years, including the construction of the Ponus Ridge Magnet School and South Norwalk School campuses.
-- Kevin Schultz Week Ahead: School Board to Review Potomac School Construction Plan-- Bethesda Magazine Maryland: July 10, 2017 [ abstract] The Montgomery County Board of Education will review Superintendent Jack Smith’s proposal to relocate students from Potomac Elementary School (PES) to a holding school while PES is renovated in 2018-2019. Smith noted in a memo to the board that the Radnor Holding Center in Bethesda, about 6.9 miles from Potomac Elementary, would be the best relocation spot. Some parents have opposed this plan, arguing that students should be able to remain at the Potomac school site while the renovation takes place.
School construction boosts local economy-- Daily Journal Mississippi: July 09, 2017 [ abstract] Since 2013, the Tupelo and Lee County school districts have made major additions and improvements to their school campuses. Besides the obvious benefits of those construction projects to the school districts, the improvements have pumped nearly $40 million total into the local economy and employed hundreds of local residents.
That’s because wherever possible, district officials say, they try to support local businesses through those projects.
Andy Cantrell, Tupelo Public School District assistant superintendent, said it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact economic impact of the district’s $44 million bond issue on the local economy.
-- Emma Crawford Upgrades underway at Templeton Unified School District-- Paso Robles Press California: July 08, 2017 [ abstract] PASO ROBLES " Templeton Unified School District is putting Measure H12 Bond money and other funding to use this summer installing solar canopies, new outbuildings at Templeton Elementary School, constructing the new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) building/administration building at Templeton High School, and upgrading all existing lighting at district facilities.
Superintendent Joe Koski and MOTF&G Safety Coordinator Chris Bonin shared the vision, implementation and funding structures for all of these projects in a Question & Answer session with the Paso Robles Press:
-- Allyson Woolley Demolition Well Underway at Wilson School Site in Rosslyn-- ARLnow.com Virginia: July 07, 2017 [ abstract] construction crews have moved in and are well on the way to demolishing the former Wilson School in Rosslyn to make way for the future H-B Woodlawn and Stratford programs.
As of Thursday, very few walls from the school at 1601 Wilson Blvd were remaining, with piles of rubble, metal and bricks piling up as workers continue to clear the site. construction on the new $100 million building is set to start later this year.
-- Chris Teale Huffman ISD schools undergo renovation, construction projects-- Houston Chronicle Texas: July 06, 2017 [ abstract] Several new construction and renovation projects are underway in Huffman ISD this summer.
From pre-kindergarten to high school, some noteworthy transformations can be expected as Huffman ISD continues paving the way for the future of its students and staff.
-- Melanie Feuk MEASURE S Shortfall forecasted for school construction-- Easy Reader News California: July 06, 2017 [ abstract] Projected increases in construction costs have created a forecasted shortfall of about two percent in the budget for school district overhauls made possible by the passage of last year’s Measure S, building officials told the district last week.
-- Ryan McDonald Summer maintenance under way at local schools-- West Side Connect.com California: July 06, 2017 [ abstract] NEWMAN " The Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District’s maintenance team and contractors are currently working on a variety of projects at each school site in preparation for the 2017-18 school year.
This year’s biggest project is located in the center of Hurd Barrington Elementary, where a wing housing a library, resource facilities and classrooms is being constructed by CT Brayton and Sons Incorporated.
-- Dennis Bloyed Report: No new school needed in North Smithfield-- The Valley Breeze Rhode Island: July 05, 2017 [ abstract] NORTH SMITHFIELD " Schools in North Smithfield are under capacity and the Rhode Island Department of Education would not fund a project to build a new school in place of Halliwell Elementary School, according to a report delivered to the School Committee last week by educational planners from SMMA Architecture.
The firm is in the process of developing an educational and facilities plan for the town, a document the district is expected to use in future construction and rehabilitation projects. Experts presented a first draft of their findings to the committee, noting that enrollment at town schools is trending flat or downward.
-- Sandy Seoane Spring Hill Asked to Give Tax Money to New School Construction-- Williamson Source Tennessee: July 04, 2017 [ abstract] The Board of Mayor and Alderman of Spring Hill will be asked to vote in two weeks on something that all the other municipalities are also being asked to vote on.
The county, in lookng for funding anywhere it can to build new schools, is proposing that the cities raise sales taxes by a half-percent and split the revenues with county schools.
-- Zach Harmuth School board won’t bid school projects, will rely on construction managers to control costs-- Lawrence Journal-World Kansas: July 03, 2017 [ abstract] Nearly $70 million in construction projects to improve Lawrence schools won’t go through the longtime process of the school board seeking and approving the lowest bids from area contractors.
Instead, school board members on Monday moved ahead with a process that will allow school district officials to negotiate contracts with a pair of construction firms that will oversee nearly all of the work associated with the recently-approved $87 million school bond.
-- Joanna Hlavacek Education was one of the first priorities for the fledgling town of Wasilla-- Daily News-Miner Alaska: July 01, 2017 [ abstract] FAIRBANKS " Before the federal government began construction of the Alaska Railroad in 1914, there were only scattered homesteads in the Matanuska and Susitna valleys. However, even before the Alaska Engineering Commission (AEC), the federal agency tasked with building the railroad, had cleared a right-of-way through the area, settlers began staking homesteads along the proposed route.
Evangeline Atwood, in her book, “We Shall be Remembered,” relates that 400 people had filed for homesteads in the Susitna and Matanuska valleys by 1916. Less than half that number proved up on their homesteads, but that still left a good number of residents to help support the nascent communities that would develop.
-- Ray Bonnell New high school will be ‘a dream come true’ for southern Wake County-- The News and Observer North Carolina: June 30, 2017 [ abstract] FUQUAY-VARINA
Classrooms are crowded at Fuquay-Varina High School, an aging building that serves about 2,100 students in southern Wake County.
Jane Chambers, president of the school’s PTSA, said she and other parents got “chill bumps” while passing by the construction site of the new Willow Spring High School on Old Honeycutt Road. Relief is on the way.
-- Henry Gargan Bonita Springs High School construction on track, officials say-- Naples Daily news Florida: June 29, 2017 [ abstract] construction of Bonita Springs High School remains on track, with front entrance walls set into place by a crane this week.
“It’s all been on paper; we’ve done a lot of hiring. … We’ve had all this preparation,” said high school Principal Jeff Estes at a news conference near the construction at 8 a.m. Thursday.
“And now, getting to see the facilities start to go up, it’s very exciting, and it makes it that much more real for me, the students and families.”
-- Sam Ogozalek Construction underway on $14 million school in Lake Andes-- Aberdeen News.com South Dakota: June 29, 2017 [ abstract] LAKE ANDES, S.D. (AP) — construction is underway on a multimillion-dollar school in Lake Andes.
The Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan and The Daily Republic report that ground was broken Wednesday for the project. It includes a new junior high-senior high school and remodeling of the existing elementary school.
The final cost of the project isn't known, but the construction company's preliminary estimate is $14.2 million.
Summerset school construction on schedule-- Black Hills Fox.com South Dakota: June 29, 2017 [ abstract] SUMMERSET, S.D. (KEVN TV) - The construction of the new Summerset school is continuing to move on schedule.
So far, all of the utilities are in place, including plumbing and electric and walls are going up.
The 100,000-square-foot building will have two wings, one for fifth through sixth grades and one for seventh and eighth grades. They expect to have 450 kids for the first year, but the school can hold up to 600 students.
The construction is moving rapidly and they expect an August of 2018 opening.
"On schedule, maybe even a little bit ahead of schedule. The walls will go up, pre–cast is going to come in toward the middle or end of August, the roofing. We hope to have it all enclosed by fall,†said Superintendent of the Meade County School District, Don Kirkegaard. â€"It's a puzzle but all the pieces are falling together just like they are supposed to."
Construction To Begin On $100M Weaver High School Renovation In Hartford-- Hartford Courant Connecticut: June 28, 2017 [ abstract] construction is set to begin next month on the $100 million renovation of Weaver High School, a long-awaited project in north Hartford that alumni and neighborhood leaders have pushed as a resurgence of the school's deep traditions.
About $16 million has already been spent on design, demolition and other work in the first phase of an overhaul that will eventually feature three school academies in a four-story, 900-student Weaver campus, said Sal Salafia of ARCADIS/O&G, which administers Hartford's school construction program.
-- Vanessa de la Torre Roslyn school construction debate at board meeting-- The Island Now.com New York: June 28, 2017 [ abstract] The Roslyn school district’s second year of summer construction is off to a rocky start with more discussion and more permits needed to finish the projects.
This summer, the district is working on Roslyn High School parking lots and Harbor Hill School recreational fields with funds from a $40 million capital plan, but both projects showed signs of struggle Tuesday at the district’s Board of Education meeting.
Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson Architects representative Travis Schnell presented plans for three baseball diamonds, two 60-feet Little League fields and one 90-foot field, next to four potential U8 soccer fields.
-- Amelia Camurati School facilities committee issues report-- Piatt County Journal Republican Illinois: June 28, 2017 [ abstract] A 20-member community committee agrees the next Monticello school facilities plan should focus on a high school remodel but still address some elementary school building issues. It should also have less of an emphasis on overall cost and instead show taxpayers that each dollar spent will have value, according to recommendations by the ad hoc group.
A report from the Community Facility Advisory Committee was delivered to the school board on June 21, and also recommended the district not purchase any new land for a building project and keep the high school where it currently stands.
After two failed referendums that proposed construction of a new high school, the district is now looking toward a remodel of the current school building " the original portion which was constructed in 1923. The issue could go before voters next March.
-- Steve Hoffman Delayed middle school construction won’t affect start of classes-- Independent Tribune North Carolina: June 27, 2017 [ abstract] Rain delays and road improvements have pushed back the completion date on the new Kannapolis Middle School, but classrooms will be done in time to open in the fall.
The Kannapolis Board of Education approved a set of change orders at a Monday, June 26, meeting that would add about $71,000 to the budget and 34 days to the project. The new building will house sixth grade on the current middle school campus.
“That’s going well; as well as can be expected right now,” Will Crabtree, director of business operations, said of construction progress. “We’re going to have to see in the end.”
-- Erin Weeks Rootstown to build at its current site-- Record-Courier Ohio: June 27, 2017 [ abstract] The Rootstown Board of Education decided Monday to stay on its existing campus.
The board unanimously approved a "resolution of necessity," the first step toward seeking a combination 3.95-mill bond issue and 0.5 percent income tax for the K-12 school on the Nov. 7 ballot that would fund construction of a new school building. The action is expected to be finalized on July 24.
The resolution states that the entire cost of the project is a little more than $41 million. Of that amount, the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission would pay nearly $17 million, or 41 percent, with the district paying about $24.4 million for its share. The district's share includes "locally funded initiatives" such as upgrades to athletic facilities.
-- Diane Smith School Board Approves 60 Percent Design Plans for Elementary School Projects-- State College.com Pennsylvania: June 27, 2017 [ abstract] The State College Area School Board on Monday approved the 60 percent design plans for renovations and new construction at three of the district's elementary schools.
The vote comes four months after the board approved the 30 percent plans for major renovations and additions at Corl Street and Houserville elementary schools, and the construction of a new school for Houserville Elementary, which will merge with Lemont Elementary to form a single K-5 school. The board voted in November to move forward with updates for each of the schools, which have not had major renovations since the 1960s.
-- Geoff Rushton Altoona Area building project budget outlined-- Altoona Mirror Pennsylvania: June 26, 2017 [ abstract] The Altoona Area High School project is to cost $88 million or less by the time it’s all done, construction managers hired by the school board stressed in June.
But what’s in and not in that figure?
That $88 million estimate includes $13 million in soft costs and $75 million for construction. A June presentation from KCBA Architects laid out the costs.
-- Russ O'Reilly Construction begins on new Cold Springs Elementary building-- Missoulian Montana: June 26, 2017 [ abstract] For the first time in about 20 years, Missoula County Public Schools broke ground on a new school site Monday.
The new elementary school is expected to open in August 2018 as a replacement for Cold Springs Elementary. The purchase of the eight-acre site for the new school was approved in 2016 by the school district for $500,000. The site is on the corner of Bigfork Road and Lower Miller Creek Road, about two miles southwest from where the school currently is located.
-- Ashley Nerbovig County Education Committee approves additional $6 million for school construction-- Franklin Home Page Tennessee: June 26, 2017 [ abstract] On Monday evening, the Williamson County Education Committee approved a fund of $6,090,000 to finish construction on an upcoming elementary school on Split Log Road.
A combination of high construction prices and lack of bidders caused the need for additional funding.
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“We had already approved money for the land and construction,” Judy Herbert, second district county commissioner, said. “We only got two bids and it’s six million over the projected budget.”
-- A.J. Dugger III East Helena launches elementary school project with groundbreaking-- KTVH.com Montana: June 26, 2017 [ abstract] (EAST HELENA) The East Helena School District officially kicked off construction on its next elementary school today with a ceremonial groundbreaking.
School trustees picked up gold shovels and turned over some soil at the new school site, just off Valley Drive between Radley Elementary and the East Valley fire station.
The new school will house first- and second-graders. District leaders hope it will ease overcrowding at Radley and Eastgate Elementary. They plan to open the new building in time for the 2018 school year " which leaves just 14 months to get the project done.
-- Jonathon Ambarian Renovation at Pella High School Continues With Students Away for Break-- KNIAKRLS.com Iowa: June 26, 2017 [ abstract] construction at Pella High School is at full steam ahead as students are out for summer break.
Superintendent Greg Ebeling says despite overall progress remaining on target for an end-of-August completion, two areas of concern remain in the building.
-- Andrew Schneider Big summer makeover at Northwest Elementary-- New Tribune Illinois: June 24, 2017 [ abstract] If you drive by Northwest Elementary School in La Salle, it’s clear that something significant is going on there.
This week, a pallet of concrete sat near the south entrance. On the east side, a small skid loader was parked in the principal’s spot.
A major makeover is underway this summer inside the 60-year-old grade school at Malcolm and O’Conor avenues. Completion is slated for August before kids return from summer break. Vissering construction of Streator was awarded the main contract for $832,750. Asbestos-containing pipe insulation and floor tile was removed earlier this summer.
-- Jeff Dankert Logan requests end of school construction management contract-- Charleston Gazette-Mail West Virginia: June 24, 2017 [ abstract] Logan County’s school board voted last week to ask the state School Building Authority’s board and executive director for cancellation of the contract between Logan’s public school system and the construction management company the SBA had assigned to Logan through a relatively new setup.
Board President Paul Hardesty also said he couldn’t find evidence that the contract with PCS, for work regarding a planned new elementary school in Chapmanville, was ever taken to the Logan board for approval, and he asked to have one or more lawyers look into whether it’s valid.
-- Ryan Quinn Gray Stone Day School starts work on new middle school building-- Salisbury Post North Carolina: June 22, 2017 [ abstract] MISENHEIMER " A new building for middle grades at Gray Stone Day School should be completed by October, said Helen Nance, the school’s chief administrative officer.
The building, which is being constructed behind the high school, will be about 18,000 square feet and have 15 classrooms, a common area and office space.
Grades six through eight will be housed in the new building. The contractor is Omega construction of Pilot Mountain, the company that built the high school.
As money runs dry, lawmakers grapple with future of preserving school facilities-- Casper Star Tribune Wyoming: June 21, 2017 [ abstract] Lawmakers began to signal a shift in philosophy Monday when it comes to school facilities: After years of constructing, the piggy bank is near empty, and it’s time to focus on preserving buildings.
“You can see, overall, where [the budget’s] at,” state construction Department Director Del McOmie told lawmakers at Monday’s Select Committee on School Facilities meeting at Casper College. “It’s trying to address the current buildings we have and keep them up and running until the economy in the state is where we have something for capital construction.”
-- Seth Klamann Mancos’ $24.7 million school renovation gets final OK-- The Durango Herald Colorado: June 21, 2017 [ abstract] DENVER " Mancos School District’s $24.7 million campus renovation plan has cleared its last bureaucratic hurdle.
The Legislature’s Capital Development Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to ratify the allocation of grant dollars to a list of lease-purchase projects approved by the State Board of Education last week. The committee’s approval is required for any new capital construction projects that use state dollars.
Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, said Wednesday’s vote was a final formality for the projects to ensure state funds are being used wisely.
-- Luke Perkins School Facilities Funding Unknown-- Wyoming Public Media Wyoming: June 21, 2017 [ abstract] A funding crisis brought on by a downturn in the coal industry has left policy makers struggling to figure out how to fund education. This year school districts took a hit of $34 million to their operating budgets.
That’s primarily money for teachers and staff, as well as materials and supplies. But the funding for school construction and maintenance is also running out.
-- Tennessee Watson State holds up $200 million school funds-- The Foothills Sun Gazette California: June 21, 2017 [ abstract] tulare county " The State’s decision to delay the sale of statewide school bonds approved by voters is holding up just under $200 million for Tulare County school districts to repair and update aging schools as well as build new schools to alleviate overcrowding.
Last month, the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) sent a letter to legislators notifying them of the Department of Finance’s decision to push back the sale of bonds from Proposition 51, the 2016 state school bond approved by 55.2% of the voters last November. CASH, a co-sponsor of the statewide measure, said the delay is holding up $134 million in new construction funds and $61 million in modernization funding for Tulare County schools.
-- Reggie Ellis County school district and Franklin partner on upcoming middle school construction-- Spring Hill Home Page Tennessee: June 20, 2017 [ abstract] The Williamson County School Board approved the Interlocal Agreement with the City of Franklin at the Monday night school board meeting.
The Interlocal Agreement states that WCS will fund 50% toward the construction of a new middle school on Henpeck Lane using a portion of their Adequate School Facilities tax revenue. The city will fund the other half. The City of Franklin is initiating the project by extending a sanitary sewer to the Henpeck Lane property, which is currently underdeveloped.
The estimated total cost for this project is $2.36 million.
-- A.J. Dugger III Farmington school construction projects underway-- Farmington Independent Minnesota: June 20, 2017 [ abstract] Managing summer construction projects across Farmington school district can be a balancing act.
Farmington District Finance Director Jane Houska used a Jenga game analogy when she shared a referendum and summer projects update recently with the Farmington School Board.
-- Kara Hildreth Richland’s Jefferson school construction to start this summer-- Tri-City Herald Washington: June 20, 2017 [ abstract] A new Jefferson Elementary School is on its way.
The Richland school board approved a $16.6 million bid from Richland-based Fowler construction for the project. That was the lowest of five bids.
The 65,000-square-foot building will house about 590 students when it’s finished in the fall of 2018.
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“Fowler has an excellent track record with the Richland School District,” Superintendent Rick Schulte said. “Our staff, students and taxpayers have been impressed with the company’s work over the past four years.”
Jefferson is the final building included in the district’s $98 million 2013 bond. As part of the bond, the district replaced Lewis and Clark, Marcus Whitman and Sacajawea elementary schools, built Orchard Elementary and is building Leona Libby Middle School.
-- Cameron Probert School board approves construction manager-- Scottsbluff Star Herald Nebraska: June 20, 2017 [ abstract] GERING " Members of the Gering School Board have approved an agreement for a construction manager for the high school renovation project.
Gering Schools will enter into agreement with Hausmann construction of Lincoln, who will serve as construction manager at risk.
Hausmann, which is also the construction manager for the expansion at Scottsbluff High School, has opened a home office in Scottsbluff to handle both projects locally.
-- Jerry Purvis Yonkers hopes for speedy school-construction aid-- LoHud.com New York: June 19, 2017 [ abstract] ALBANY " A bill moving through the state Legislature this week would help Yonkers schools with their $2 billion reconstruction project.
The measure would give the district upfront state aid to build three new schools, rather than have to wait 10 years for reimbursement.
"This would really get a jumpstart on the rebuilding process," said Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer, D-Yonkers, who sponsors the bill.
-- Joseph Spector East Whittier City School District breaks ground on Measure R and Z bond projects-- Whittier Daily News California: June 17, 2017 [ abstract] WHITTIER >> Mayor Joe Vinatieri joined along East Whittier City School District board members, officials, students and representatives from Congresswoman Linda Sanchez’s office, Assemblymember Ian Calderon’s office and Sen. Tony Mendoza’s office at La Colima Elementary School on Friday to kick off the construction of a handful of improvement projects in the district.
-- Hayley Munguia Under construction: Morgan Middle School gets ready to move out for summer-- Daily Record News Washington: June 17, 2017 [ abstract] Outside of the Samuelson building at Central Washington University, one of the biggest construction projects taking place in the city of Ellensburg this summer is the Morgan Middle School renovation.
-- Daily Record Staff Mount Greylock Regional School building construction on schedule, under budget-- The Berkshire Eagle Massachusetts: June 15, 2017 [ abstract] WILLIAMSTOWN — construction of the new Mount Greylock Regional School building is on schedule and under budget, according to Interim Superintendent Kim Grady.
"We're plugging along," Grady said. "And surprisingly, nothing unexpected has come up to slow us down."
She noted that some of the construction bids came in lower than expected, leaving additional funding to enhance the project, which is under discussion. One items being mulled is repaving at least some of the parking lot.
Abatement and demolition started in July 2016. construction of the classroom wing began in February.
-- Scott Stafford Pittsburg High School construction making progress-- Fourstates Homepage Kansas: June 15, 2017 [ abstract] PITTSBURG, Kan. - Another major improvement project for a local high school is underway.
The company Trane showcased the progress of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning installation in Pittsburg High School.
-- Erin Sullivan Rim Construction at a Standstill-- Mountain News California: June 15, 2017 [ abstract] construction within Rim of the World Unified School District is virtually going nowhere.
At the May 10 board meeting, school board trustees were given important updates about construction on school facilities.
Presenting the update on projects that the district has been attempting to complete was Chris Jennison, Rim schools director of administrative services, who said that the updates were all on Measure W.
-- Ananda Foerch School Board Addresses Budget, Construction Issues-- The Pilot.com North Carolina: June 15, 2017 [ abstract] Whether or not the county commissioners decide to fill the $2 million gap in the Moore County Schools budget, the Moore County Board of Education is pursuing another avenue of budgetary relief.
On Monday, the board passed a resolution to request that the Board of Commissioners earmark at least $2 million within the county’s fund balance each year for the schools. That fund would be tapped only if new state mandates push the schools over budget after the county and school budgets are approved.
-- Mary Kate Murphy School Board Addresses Budget, Construction Issues-- The Pilot.com North Carolina: June 15, 2017 [ abstract] Whether or not the county commissioners decide to fill the $2 million gap in the Moore County Schools budget, the Moore County Board of Education is pursuing another avenue of budgetary relief.
On Monday, the board passed a resolution to request that the Board of Commissioners earmark at least $2 million within the county’s fund balance each year for the schools. That fund would be tapped only if new state mandates push the schools over budget after the county and school budgets are approved.
-- Mary Kate Murphy School construction projects near completion-- Savannah Morning News Georgia: June 15, 2017 [ abstract] Savannah-Chatham Public Schools officials are finishing up several ESPLOST II school construction projects and moving forward with ESPLOST III.
Several construction projects from the second education sales tax, ESPLOST II, will open in the coming months. The $6.3 million auto lab addition at Woodville Tompkins, the new $30.2 million Juliette Low Elementary, the new $25.2 million May Howard Elementary, and the new $21.2 million Haven Elementary will be completed this summer. The $8.4 million Garrison Performing Arts Center will open in September and the new $24.3 million Spencer Elementary will be completed by the end of 2017. ESPLOST II funded campuses for Brock, Hesse, Hodge, Isle of Hope and Rice Creek Schools have already opened and building addition projects at Coastal, Heard Hubert and Islands is complete. The final ESPLOST II project -a kitchen, cafeteria and media center remodel at Isle of Hope School " is in the design phase.
-- Jenel Few State grant to promote equal opportunity in construction at Diman-- The Herald News Massachusetts: June 14, 2017 [ abstract] FALL RIVER " Attorney General Maura Healey announced recently that Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School will be one of the seven organizations across Massachusetts that will be awarded grant funding in order to promote equal opportunity for women and minority workers, and small business owners in the construction industry.
-- Anthony Rinaldi LPSS provides status update on five school construction projects-- KLFY News Louisiana: June 13, 2017 [ abstract] LAFAYETTE, LA (KLFY) " The Lafayette Parish School Board Facilities Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to receive a status updated on the district’s school facility projects.
Of the five schools on the agenda, Milton Elementary would be considered a major project with $15.2 million worth of improvements. LPSS Chief Administrative Officer Joe Craig says L. Leo Judice was built for a small number of students.
-- Renee Allen Manatee County School district plans construction to accommodate growth-- Your Observer Florida: June 12, 2017 [ abstract] In response to the population boom in East County, the Manatee County School District is adding a new middle school adjacent to B.D. Gullett Elementary and building new wings at Lakewood Ranch High School and Gullett, Robert Willis and Gene Witt elementary schools.
-- Berkley Mason Hamilton school announced timelines on new construction-- Ravalli Republic Montana: June 11, 2017 [ abstract] Hamilton School students are out for the summer but administrators are beginning the work of completing the voter directives on the nearly $10 million dollar bond and $400,000 operating levy that was approved May 25.
On Thursday, Superintendent Tom Korst estimated project timelines and said the main priority is to make sure there is no tax overlap.
-- Michelle McConnaha High school and middle school additions ‘coming along very good’-- Harrison Daily Arkansas: June 11, 2017 [ abstract] High school and middle school additions ‘coming along very good’
The Harrison School Board received another positive progress report on its $25 million dollar upgrade to facilities at the high school and middle school from Nabholz construction.
-- Bennett Horne Lottery money helps fund local school construction projects-- Blue Ridge Now North Carolina: June 11, 2017 [ abstract] When you buy a lottery ticket, where does the money go in Henderson County?
Last year, Henderson County received $4,634,223 in funds from the North Carolina Education Lottery, according to the N.C. General Assembly’s Fiscal Research Division.
Those earnings went to fund education programs in the county including scholarships, pre-kindergarten programs, payment towards elementary schools and more.
-- Andrew Mundhenk New Haven school construction offers inspiration, caution to Boston-- Boston Globe Massachusetts: June 11, 2017 [ abstract] NEW HAVEN " Two decades ago, this city grappling with drugs, murders, and middle-class flight confronted another glaring sign of urban decay: dozens of deteriorating school buildings with leaky roofs, malfunctioning boilers, Sputnik-era science labs, and classes relegated to hallways and closets.
City leaders could have resorted to quick fixes used by other cities, such as Boston, which gives bottled water to students instead of replacing lead piping and drinking fountains.
But New Haven officials decided one of the best paths to revitalizing their city rested in shiny new school buildings, which would provide students with the best learning environments for success.
-- James Vaznis Blueprint for business: South Carolina architects on front line of building boom-- The Post and Courier South Carolina: June 10, 2017 [ abstract] Drive down any major street in South Carolina's largest cities, and it's not hard to miss the mass of workers in hardhats or the construction cranes towering over once-vacant lots.
From apartments to hospitals and hotels to homes, the building boom is at full throttle.
But before any of those structures get off the ground, they need a blueprint. That's where architects come in.
-- Warren L. Wise Herndon High School Will Have ‘More Outdoor Classrooms Than Indoor’ During Construction-- Reston Now Virginia: June 07, 2017 [ abstract] Students who attend Herndon High School will be seeing some big changes in the fall " including more outdoor classrooms and fewer parking spaces.
construction to expand the school is scheduled to begin during the late fall or early winter. The first phase " which will add an additional wing to the rear of the building and an addition to the front of the building where the new library, main office, and administrative and counseling offices will be situated " is expected to take about two years.
-- Dave Emke Statewide school construction shortfall may reach $205 million by 2022, report says-- Casper Star Tribune Wyoming: June 07, 2017 [ abstract] A state school construction funding shortfall, created as coal lease bonus money has dried up, could grow to more than $205 million by 2022, according to a legislative report.
More than $2 billion worth of construction and maintenance in Wyoming has been funded over the years through those bonuses, paid to Wyoming from the federal government. Roughly 100 schools were renovated or built during that time, and the state is now home to more than 22 million square feet of school facilities. Maintenance on those buildings costs at least $65 million annually, officials have said.
-- Seth Klamann Horry County Schools staff ‘nervous’ after another school construction dela-- WBTW.com South Carolina: June 06, 2017 [ abstract] CONWAY, SC (WBTW) " Staffers for Horry County Schools already had concerns about the construction schedule of three new schools before Monday. Any more delays would impact the start of school, the district’s executive director of facilities said in April. The builder, First Floor Energy Positive, announced new delays at Monday night’s school board meeting.
-- Ryan Webb In wake of the flood, Baker School Board adopts significant changes to budget and approves new start times for schools-- The Advocate Louisiana: June 06, 2017 [ abstract] The Baker School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve an amended budget for 2016-17 necessitated by significant changes due to the August flood that damaged Baker High School.
The budget does not reflect hard construction costs, Superintendent Herman Brister said, noting that those will be addressed in the 2017-18 budget.
-- Emily Beck Cogburn More Cape school construction at no cost? -- Cape Gazette Delaware: June 06, 2017 [ abstract] Cape Henlopen officials say two new building projects could be done with no new tax increase, however, taxpayers would still need to agree to it. This means another referendum could be around the corner.
-- Melissa Steele Pulaski County middle school construction plans to be unveiled Wednesday-- MLive.com Virginia: June 06, 2017 [ abstract] Pulaski County is one step closer to a new middle school. This comes after months of controversy over whether to spend the money on new construction or renovate existing schools.
-- Jenna Zibton Local schools prepare for busy construction season-- MLive.com Michigan: June 05, 2017 [ abstract] As students are looking forward to a relaxing summer vacation, local school officials are gearing up for a hectic summer of construction and renovation.
The nice weather and empty buildings make this three-month period the ideal time for major projects.
-- Sherryl Kuyt School Construction Plans Gaining Ground-- The Pilot.com North Carolina: June 05, 2017 [ abstract] Keeping the possibility of opening a new elementary school to serve the Whispering Pines and Vass areas in 2019 alive, the Moore County Board of Education is considering an agreement to acquire property on Camp Easter Road.
-- Mary Kate Murphy More school construction funds sought in Baltimore County-- WBALTV.com Maryland: May 25, 2017 [ abstract] Baltimore County parents converged on the school board Wednesday demanding more money for school construction.
The county has drastically increased school construction funding the last few years, but many at the school board meeting said it is not enough, because of previous neglect.
Among those upset are parents of students at Towson High School, who showed photos of mold and standing water inside the school.
Parents came to the school board asking for money to start planning for a new building or massive renovation by the year 2022.
â€"We've got to make an investment and we have to do it now,†Towson high parent Gretchen Maneval said.
But Towson High is not part of the county's 10-year $1.3 billion Schools for the Future plan, which is currently funding construction of 16 new schools, 12 additions and seven major renovations.
â€"It doesn't make sense,†Maneval said. â€"When you look at the county's own assessment, Towson has the third worst building condition of all 23 high schools, and there's not even planning dollars allocated to it.â€
School board members are considering requesting changes to Schools for the Future in the 2019 budget.
â€"I think we need to revise the plan,†school board member Julie Henn said.†I think serious needs have been overlooked for a long time, both with facilities maintenance and overcrowding.â€
The plan does call for renovations at Dulaney High School, but parents said it is not enough and they want a new building, instead.
â€"The school is approaching 60 years,†Dulaney High parent Jennifer Tarr said. â€"It has not been updated. You cannot fix something that has not been touched for many, many years. It's wasted money. (It's) a patch.â€
The proposed county budget for next year spends 60 percent on education. A vote on that budget is set for Thursday.
-- Adam May Washington Parish School district asks voters to support new school construction-- WWLTV Louisiana: April 27, 2017 [ abstract] The original Franklinton High School building looks good for its almost 80 years.
Leaders of Franklinton Junior High, which operates in the building now, will tell you it's taken continuous and costly work to keep it that way.
-- Ashley Rodrigue Lawmakers right to increase school-construction dollars-- The Seattle Times Washington: April 16, 2017 [ abstract] SCHOOL officials have been telling the Legislature they need more than teachers to fulfill the state’s commitment to smaller classes and all-day kindergarten for all kids.
They also need more classroom space to fulfill the requirements of the Washington Supreme Court’s 2012 McCleary decision.
The Legislature seems to be listening to schools on this issue. A bipartisan plan for the state capital budget sets aside $1 billion to build new schools, plus money for preschools, colleges and universities. This positive development shows that lawmakers in both parties and both houses understand the importance of helping more children graduate from high school prepared for college or career.
The House and the Senate have passed similar capital budgets but still need to compromise on the details.
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The capital budget proposals also include money for community mental health facilities, supportive housing for the chronically mentally ill and renovations at state mental-health facilities.
With these capital-budget proposals, the Legislature demonstrates it can budget with the state’s values in mind. More of the same approach in the operations budget for the next two years would be most welcome.
The capital budget also shows some fiscal restraint. Although the proposal approved almost unanimously by the House on Wednesday would authorize spending $3.99 billion, about $2.7 billion is reappropriated from previous capital projects.
One section of the House version of the capital budget that deserves another look involves money set aside for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program. The House budget offers about $12 million less than the Senate’s $80 million for acquiring or improving recreation and conservation land.
While schools are the state’s No. 1 priority, the Legislature should not forget how much Washington’s citizens value their public land. The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program has put more than $1.3 billion in public dollars toward 1,200 projects since 1989. The program buys, develops and restores land for animal habitat as well as hiking, hunting, fishing and other recreation.
Although the House and Senate versions of the capital budget disagree by millions of dollars in some areas, both houses seem motivated to reach a compromise on this part of the state budget. Lawmakers should be commended for this effort. Now they should apply the same enthusiasm toward reaching a compromise on the operations side of the state biennial budget.
-- Seattle Times Editorial Board School board approves Berg construction documents-- Newton Daily News Iowa: April 12, 2017 [ abstract] construction documents for the new Berg Middle School were approved Monday at the Newton Community School District Board meeting.
-- Justin Jagler Construction Begins on New Jenison School Building-- WHTC Michigan: April 11, 2017 [ abstract] construction began Monday, April 10, on a new school in the Jenison Public School District.
-- Mary Ellen Murphy House, Senate far apart on school construction-- News Service of Florida Florida: April 11, 2017 [ abstract] As Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet approved the sale Tuesday of up to $233 million in education construction bonds, the question remains whether lawmakers will follow through on a second year of borrowing to fund building projects in the public-school, state-college and university systems.
-- Lloyd Dunkelberger School construction funding bill passes IN House, Senate-- Wave 3 News Indiana: April 11, 2017 [ abstract] A bill that would give Indiana schools more flexibility when it comes to funding construction projects is one step closer to becoming law.
-- Katie Bauer Alum Rock schools probe: Did district pay $329,000 for non-existent construction?-- The Mercury News California: April 09, 2017 [ abstract] California’s education auditor is investigating allegations that the Alum Rock Union School District and its trustees paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to a construction contractor for work that was never performed.
-- Sharon Noguchi School construction plots course for generations-- The News Enterprise Kentucky: April 09, 2017 [ abstract] Seeking input on new districtwide construction priorities, Hardin County Schools scheduled a public hearing for Thursday. The building list, known in Kentucky school circles as a facilities plan, has a variety of priorities but the headline item involves replacements for aging middle schools in Glendale and Stephensburg.
-- Ben Sheroan New approach to state construction funding could generate billions, NC House GOP says
-- The News & Obsever North Carolina: April 06, 2017 [ abstract]
N.C. House Republicans announced a new plan for allocating state construction funding Thursday, saying their proposal could make $3 billion in additional money available over the next decade.
-- Colin Campbell Fort Lee progressing with school construction-- USA Today New Jersey: April 05, 2017 [ abstract] The scores of pre-kindergarten and special education students attending class in a dozen trailers outside of School 2 are expected to have permanent classrooms by the start of the next school year.
-- Donna M. Rolando Southeast DC residents upset with construction of new charter school-- FOX5 District of Columbia: April 05, 2017 [ abstract] Residents in a Southeast D.C. community are upset over new school construction being done nearby their homes.
-- Anjali Hemphill Construction phase to begin for Ledyard school renovation projects-- The Day Connecticut: April 04, 2017 [ abstract] The committee tasked with managing the town's $65 million school renovation projects has begun verifying the bid packages for Ledyard Middle School and Gallup Hill School after receiving them in March.
-- Nate Lynch Big plans: District 212 set for renovation project at East and West Leyden-- Chicago Tribune Illinois: April 03, 2017 [ abstract] Leyden School District 212 officials have begun taking the first steps in what has been termed the largest construction and renovation project in the history of the district, with major additions planned for both East and West Leyden high schools.
-- Pioneer Press Staff Writer Assembly OKs capital budget that would diminish Hogan's role in school construction-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: March 29, 2017 [ abstract] The General Assembly adopted a capital budget Wednesday that would cut Gov. Larry Hogan out of the process of approving the state's school construction plans.
-- Micheal Dresser Kankakee school district gets peek at possible new projects-- Daily Journal Illinois: March 29, 2017 [ abstract] In the next few months, Kankakee School District 111 plans to have a complete plan to modernize Kankakee High School and revamp its other buildings using a $29.8 million federal school construction loan program.
-- John Dykstra New Bill Bypasses Help for Moore Schools-- The Pilot North Carolina: March 28, 2017 [ abstract] The General Assembly is considering legislation that would direct more lottery funds for school construction, but Moore County is among 20 counties that would not see any assistance.
Under the bill filed earlier this month in the state Senate, $75 million would be set aside for 80 counties to pay for building new schools and repairing existing facilities.
-- David Sinclair Middletown Building Committees At Odds Over School Location Choices-- Hartford Courant Connecticut: March 27, 2017 [ abstract] The building committee overseeing construction of a new middle school is asking the city to alter its approach to rebuilding Pat Kidney Field in case that site would be suitable for a new school.
-- Shawn R Beals Nutley Board of Education Votes to Proceed with School Facilities Construction Project-- The Nutley New Jersey: March 27, 2017 [ abstract] The Nutley Board of Education voted to proceed with the schools facilities project. The project encompasses construction at John H. Walker Middle School, Yantacaw School, Washington School, and Nutley High School.
-- John Lee Swampscott to seek funding for school projects-- The Salem News Massachusetts: March 27, 2017 [ abstract] The School Committee voted 5-0 last week to approve two statements of interest seeking state reimbursements for two school construction projects.
-- Ethan Forman Bismarck schools plans construction projects-- The Bismarck Tribune North Dakota: March 26, 2017 [ abstract] Bismarck Public Schools is targeting classroom needs with a $57.5 million bond approved on March 7.
-- Blair Emerson Milpitas school district looks to join line for state funding-- The Mercury News California: March 24, 2017 [ abstract] Following passage of state Proposition 51 in November, which authorized $9 billion in general obligation bonds meant for new construction and modernization of schools statewide, school districts across California are lining up to get a piece of the pie.
-- Aliyah Mohammad Ascension Parish School Board awards school construction project to a different bidder after protest-- The Advocate Louisiana: March 22, 2017 [ abstract] What a difference two words can make.
The lack of the words "sealed bid" on the envelopes of two of the bids for a major Ascension Parish School System project had led district officials to decide against opening those bids and the School Board to award the project to a firm that had those two words on its envelope.
-- Ellyn Coullvion W-JCC construction projects progressing-- The Virginia Gazette Virginia: March 22, 2017 [ abstract] Williamsburg-James City County Schools two biggest projects are on time, according to the firms in charge of construction.
-- Amanda Williams Crowds gather in Sherman to back the bond-- Herald Democrat Texas: March 21, 2017 [ abstract] Residents from Sherman gathered at the steps of Grayson County Courthouse Tuesday to voice their support for a $308 million bond election to finance new schools and other system improvements for the Sherman Independent School District. The highlight of these improvements would be the construction of a new $133 million Sherman High School.
-- Michael Hutchins State board OKs funding for replacement of Portland’s Hall School-- The Forecaster Maine: March 21, 2017 [ abstract] The State Board of Education has given final design and funding approval for the construction of a new building to replace Hall Elementary School on Orono Road.
-- Kate Irish Collins Florida short $36 million for school construction unless it borrows-- Palm Beach Post Florida: March 20, 2017 [ abstract] If Florida lawmakers don’t agree to borrow money to pay for school construction and maintenance projects, they will come up about $36 million short of what state education officials have requested for a key program next year.
-- Lloyd Dunkelberger School board appoints firms to oversee construction project-- Helena Arkanas Arkansas: March 20, 2017 [ abstract] At its first meeting since voters passed a millage for construction of new facilities at Central High School, the Helena-West Helena School Board formally appointed Lewis-Elliott Architects out of Little Rock as the architects for the project and the Baldwin and Shell Co. as the construction managers.
-- Special to The Helena World Steamboat Springs School District seeking professional to cost out facilities options-- SteamBoat Today Colorado: March 20, 2017 [ abstract] The Steamboat Springs School District is seeking proposals from architects, owner's representatives or construction managers interested in reviewing the options for future district facilities upgrades.
-- Marissa Ristao BIRMINGHAM CITY SCHOOLS TO GET $4.1M ANNUALLY FOLLOWING STATE SUPREME COURT RULING-- On Friday, March 17, the Alabama Supreme Court rul Alabama: March 18, 2017 [ abstract] On Friday, March 17, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that Jefferson County can refinance nearly $600 million in school construction bonds and use $60 million in annual savings for a number of area projects.
Some of the savings " $18 million " will go annually to county school systems. Each system will get a share of the money based on enrollment. For example, Jefferson County school, with the largest enrollment, will receive an estimated $6.3 million annually and Birmingham City Schools, with the second largest enrollment, will receive an estimated $4.1 million annually.
-- Barnett Wright EDITORIAL: Nevada Democrats want taxpayers to pay more for public-works projects-- LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL Nevada: March 18, 2017 [ abstract] During the 2015 Legislature, with Republican majorities in both the state Senate and Assembly, long-overdue legislation was proposed to address state-mandated prevailing wages on public projects. Senate Bill 119 would have exempted school and university system construction from such requirements.
Allowing contractors to provide market wages, as they do on private construction projects, stretches capital dollars and creates more jobs. Plus, if the Clark County School District did not have to pay prevailing wages on desperately needed new school construction, it could build five schools for the cost of four.
SB 119 passed and was signed into law by Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval in early March 2015, about a month into the session. But under pressure from Democrats and their Big Labor benefactors, Republicans got weak-kneed. In the waning days of the session, the Senate amended Assembly Bill 172, undoing the exemption in SB 119. The Assembly later concurred, and Gov. Sandoval got a new bill. The wage for school and university system construction would now have to be 90 percent of the prevailing wage, and the project cost threshold on when prevailing wages must be paid for public works was $250,000.
-- Editorial Staff Funds for Kihei High School construction-- KITV-TV Hawaii: March 18, 2017 [ abstract] More money could be coming for Kihei High School on Maui to move on to the next phase of construction.
construction for the new High School began in 2015.
This week the State House passed a proposed budget that included $63 million dollars for the next phase.
If given final approval, this would be the single largest Department of Education appropriation on Maui.
It would also bring total appropriations for the project so far to $157 million dollars.
-- Staff Writer Plans underway for State College Area elementary school projects-- Centre Daily Times Pennsylvania: March 18, 2017 [ abstract] STATE COLLEGE
About a year from now, construction could start on a new elementary school, Houserville, while two others in the State College Area School District could see renovations and additions: Corl Street and Radio Park.
-- BRITNEY MILAZZO Northwestern Lehigh OKs high school renovation-- The Morning Call Pennsylvania: March 17, 2017 [ abstract] Northwestern Lehigh School District expects to break ground next month on a $12.6 million renovation of the high school, with costs coming in about $2 million less than projected.
The school board Wednesday approved the construction and the bond to pay for it by votes of 5-3, with Darryl S. Schafer absent. Voting against the project and the bond were Paul C. Fisher Jr., Phil Toll and Charlene D. Rauscher.
The $12.6 million price tag " which includes all the professional fees for engineers, architects, insurance and other "soft" costs " will pay for an upgrade that is expected to be finished in time for the start of the 2018-2019 school year.
-- Margie Peterson Parents frustrated with delayed school building: San Carlos officials reconsider contingency following pushback-- San Mateo Daily Journal Texas: March 17, 2017 [ abstract] Pressure applied by San Carlos parents frustrated over an unorthodox contingency plan proposed to accommodate a delayed school construction project is forcing officials to chart a new course.
San Carlos Elementary School District officials announced last week the reconstruction of the joint Charter Learning Center, Tierra Linda Middle and coming Mariposa school campus is taking longer than anticipated due to permitting issues.
To accommodate the moving target for completion, officials had suggested temporarily spreading six classes of fourth-graders across makeshift classrooms in the library for a few months while they wait for the new Mariposa School to be completed.
Parents, however, have expressed their dissatisfaction with the proposed temporary quarters due to concerns the nontraditional environment would stunt student learning.
Following a slew of calls and emails, officials announced Monday, March 13, the district intended to back off the initial proposal and take more time to evaluate other options.
“We started getting feedback from some elementary school parents and thought ‘hey, wait a second, let’s rethink this,’” said district Chief Operating Officer Robert Porter.
-- Austin Walsh Wrenshall to vote on $12.5 million school facilities plan-- Duluth News Tribune Minnesota: March 17, 2017 [ abstract] When consolidation talks with the neighboring Carlton school district ended last year, the Wrenshall School Board kept on making plans for their school — just without Carlton.
The plans they came up with include remodeling and expanding the school's current educational space, as well as constructing a wellness and fitness center that could also be used by community members. Now it's up to Wrenshall school district voters to give the $12.5 million proposal a yes or no vote on April 18.
-- Jana Peterson District to Discuss Plans for new Malibu Middle School Building-- Malibu Times California: March 16, 2017 [ abstract] A new Malibu Middle School building (known as Building E) is in the works, with a study session scheduled for the Thursday, March 16 Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education meeting in Malibu. The item is agendized to begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Rather than an earlier plan to modernize Building E, district staff announced plans to replace the building in order to facilitate window and door replacement to remove PCB contaminants " aspects not taken into consideration in the original 2012 plan.
The new proposed building would be made of shipping containers, which sources from the district claim will allow for speedier permitting and assembling than a traditionally constructed building.
-- Emily Sawicki Frederick County Executive Gardner previews capital budget-- Frederick News Post Maryland: March 16, 2017 [ abstract] Despite officials bemoaning the rising costs of building public schools, Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner on Thursday touted a fairly optimistic picture of the county’s ability to fund school construction and other projects over the next several years.
Gardner introduced the broad strokes of the county’s long-term capital plan. Exact dollar figures weren’t released on Thursday, just the tentative order of projects.
The public will need to wait until mid-April, when Gardner will introduce her preliminary budgets for eventual vetting and approval by the Frederick County Council, to see the county’s exact spending plan.
Last year, the county was struggling to keep on schedule and pay for new schools that officials were prioritizing " the redone Frederick High School building, as well as two new elementary schools, Sugarloaf Elementary School in Urbana and Butterfly Ridge Elementary School.
Through a partnership with two developers, the county fund the two new elementary schools so they would open simultaneously in 2018. Gardner said the schools couldn’t have proceeded without the developers " Elm Street Development and Natelli Communities.
-- Jeremy Bauer-Wolf Mayor’s budget calls for building 2 new schools, repairing others-- The Hour Connecticut: March 16, 2017 [ abstract] NORWALK — The fight to fix Norwalk's deteriorating public school buildings could be nearing its end.
In his five-year capital budget recommendation for the city, Mayor Harry Rilling included plans to construct a new South Norwalk school and expand another — a priority of the Board of Education — as well as make renovations to most of the district's current schools, known colloquially as the â€"Fix It First†plan.
Rilling recommended spending a total of $172.8 million over five years on school facilities, with an anticipated $42.3 million reimbursement from the state.
â€"This is the largest appropriation of city funds to the Norwalk schools in over 20 years, and a major commitment to our school system and our children,†Mike Lyons, Board of Education chairman, wrote in an email announcing the news to his fellow board members. â€"We will still need approvals from the BET and the Common Council, of course, but given the Mayor's support we are confident we will get them.â€
The recommendation represents full funding for an adjusted version of the five-year capital plan for Norwalk Public Schools, which was proposed by Superintendent of Schools Steven Adamowski after extensive discussions with Rilling, the school district's Chief Financial Officer Tom Hamilton and other city and school officials, Lyons said.
-- Kevin Schultz Construction nears for School 16 update-- Rochester City News New York: March 15, 2017 [ abstract] School 16 will transform from a small, wood-frame building to one of the most impressive in the Rochester City School District if all goes according to plans. The architectural planning phase for the school's remodel is mostly complete, says district Chief of Operations Michael Schmidt.
Parents, teachers, and neighbors can now better imagine what the school will look like when the work is finished sometime in 2018. The plans can be viewed on the SW Common Council's website: http://bit.ly/2lxXU9z.
School 16, which is in the southwest quadrant of the city at 321 Post Avenue, is part of the second phase of the $1.2 billion Rochester schools modernization program. Plans for the three-story building show a major addition that will house a new gymnasium and performance stage.
The school's old gymnasium will become a library and the old library space will be converted to classroom space. The building's second floor and balcony area will be redesigned to house additional classroom space.
-- Tim Louis Macaluso Ruidoso holds state's feet to fire in school construction contract-- Ruidoso (N.M.) News New Mexico: March 15, 2017 [ abstract] Ruidoso’s newly reorganized school board Tuesday approved a $14.9 million construction agreement to replace Nob Hill, including some unusual contract language aimed at preventing the state from trying to weasel out of paying its $1.1 million share.
Nobody present actually used the word “weasel,” but the intention behind the contract text highlighted for board members by Supt. George Bickert couldn’t have been clearer.
-- Dave Tomlin Voters in Hampton and Newmarket Approve Major School Building Projects-- NH Public Radio New Hampshire: March 15, 2017 [ abstract] Voters in several towns weighed in on school construction projects yesterday
In Hampton, voters approved a $26 million renovation of the town’s middle school after rejecting the idea last year.
Kathleen Murphy is Hampton School District Superintendent.
“This is pretty good, this is pretty exciting. It’s a project that is long overdue but one that I think will be a testament to the Hampton community.”
Newmarket residents said yes to a $39 million renovation of the town’s elementary and high schools. It was the fourth such proposal in 11 years " the previous three had all failed to pass.
Meanwhile in Raymond, a proposal for a $9 million school addition did not meet the two-thirds threshold it needed to pass.
-- Jason Moon Warren County’s largest school system plans $42.2M building project-- Journal-News (Ohio) Ohio: March 15, 2017 [ abstract] SON
Officials from Warren County’s largest school system held two public town hall meetings Wednesday to get input on an upcoming $42.2 million school building project.
The Mason school system, which borders Butler County’s Lakota Local Schools, is the latest, large district in the area to launch major construction projects. Fairfield and Middletown schools are both in historically large new school construction and renovation projects. Fairfield will open three new schools in August, and Middletown will open a new middle school and expanded high school prior to the start of the 2018-2019 school year.
Among the financial news shared with one of crowds of Mason residents was the projection that a new operating tax levy would likely be on the local ballot in two to three years.
Mason school officials said they were surprised in December when the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission informed them they were eligible for $33.7 million in state building funding.
-- MIchael D. Clark Hinsdale Central School planning $6.8 million capital project-- Olean Times Herald New York: March 14, 2017 [ abstract] HINSDALE " The Hinsdale Central School District is aiming to be a premier rural school district by 2020 and is asking the community to build that reality with a $6.8 million capital project.
The pre-K through 12th grade school of about 450 students is planning a host of renovations and improvements to the existing school building and bus garage, but its most prominent and expensive plan is purchasing nearly 14 acres of land adjacent to the school for the construction of an athletic complex and nature pavilion. Voters will get the final say April 4 during the district’s capital project vote.
District officials, who’ve been hosting public hearings on the project, say it will not only improve programming aligned with its strategic plan, but could stabilize, if not improve, Hinsdale Central School’s shrinking enrollment.
-- TOM DINKI New Panama City Beach Elementary School on hold-- Panama City News Herald Florida: March 14, 2017 [ abstract] PANAMA CITY " Plans for a new Beach Elementary School have been placed on hold because of a law scheduled to go into effect this year that will cap the amount districts can spend per student on new construction.
The law, part of an education overhaul bill signed by Gov. Rick Scott a year ago, restricts school districts to spending a maximum of $17,952 per student to build a new elementary school; $19,386 for a middle school; and $25,181 for a high school, according to documents provided by the school district. For its proposed 130,000-square-foot, $26 million proposed elementary school on the Beach, the district was looking at spending $32,500 per student.
"This new law will effectively stop new school construction across the state," Facilities Director John Bozarth wrote in a memo to district officials earlier this month.
-- Eryn Dion Voters OK Boise, Kuna school construction bonds, levy for West Ada maintenance-- Idaho Statesman Idaho: March 14, 2017 [ abstract] With Boise School District’s easy passage of a $172.5 million bond Tuesday night, officials say they will take up four school construction projects as early as June.
In West Ada, voters gave the school district just over the 60 percent it needed to pass a $160 million facilities levy.
Kuna School District voters approved a $5 million supplemental levy and narrowly OK’d a $40 million construction bond " with what preliminarily looked like a 67.0 percent vote for a bond measure that required 66.7 percent.
-- Bill Roberts School funding initiatives stack Williamson commission agenda-- Brentwood (Tenn.) Home Page Tennessee: March 12, 2017 [ abstract] Here is what’s before the commission:
A new elementary school
Funding for a new elementary school in Brentwood is crucial, but it’s worth a $30.8 million vote.
The funding will be used for the design, development and construction for a new north elementary and middle school. Without the school construction funding, the district will have redo its entire rezoning plans.
This leaves the Brentwood area in a bind because it would not only mean scrapping rezoning plans for the entire county, it would also mean having to find room to place students. Elementary schools in Brentwood already sit at over 100 percent capacity.
Master plans
It’s a fairly hefty cost, but two Williamson schools have emphasized how these funds will fix the problem of overcrowding.
For Franklin High School "" which is at 110 percent of its capacity "" the cost comes in at around $9 million. Part of the plan calls for the acquisition of the former Columbia State Community College campus just north of Franklin High.
Plans for the Brentwood campus involve both the middle and high school campuses. Starting at $19 million, plans for Brentwood include everything from a new STEM center to more fan capacity inside the football stadium. Each school currently exceeds its capacity.
Other business
" $6.3 million for the design and new construction at College Grove Elementary and Scales Elementary Schools. This will help the overcrowding at both schools with the addition of new classrooms.
" $379,190 for 40 new special education assistants. This answers the need the district has had throughout the school year so far.
" $1.45 million for 13 buses " both regular and replacement, as well as four special education buses.
" $4.9 million for design and initial site work for a central high school, middle school and elementary school.
-- Emily R. West School waits for building updates 2 years after state cut purse strings-- KTOO Alaska: March 11, 2017 [ abstract] Juneau School District is on a tight budget but still needs to keep up with everyday building needs at its individual schools.
The district has to hold off on expensive updates because two years ago, the state stopped helping with school construction costs.
Mendenhall River Community School is only one of the schools asking to get a remodel.
The district replaced the roof almost 20 years ago, but officials said the building’s interior " with its turquoise walls and bright red carpets, original to the 33-year-old building " was never renovated.
-- Quinton Chandler Lawrence seeks state aid to rebuild Leahy School -- Eagle Tribune Massachusetts: March 10, 2017 [ abstract] LAWRENCE -- A month after the state put the $45 million reconstruction of the Oliver school on a list of 17 school building projects it may help to fund next year, the city is preparing to ask the state to also contribute to the $8.8 million reconstruction of the Leahy school.
If approved, the reconstruction of the Leahy school would begin in 2021, the school's 100th anniversary.
The Leahy and Oliver buildings are overcrowded elementary schools with growing enrollments, crumbling infrastructure and outdated facilities, school officials say. Several grades in both schools are at capacity and so officials will send some students to the nearest school that has space. Next year, 40 of Leahy's kindergarten students will be moved to the Lawlor school. The Leahy school is on Erving Avenue; Lawlor school is on Lexington Street.Â
-- Keith Eddings Lottery funds sought for school construction, principal pay -- Statesville Record & Landmark North Carolina: March 10, 2017 [ abstract] RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) " Senate Republicans want to use more North Carolina Education Lottery proceeds generated from expanded advertising to build more schools in poor counties and increase compensation for principals and assistant principals.
Three senators filed legislation Thursday that would spend at least $100 million in lottery profits during the next fiscal year. Most of the funds would go to a grant program matching local money for school construction in the neediest counties. This is on top of lottery funds already distributed statewide for school construction.
Other lottery funds also would give principal and assistant principals big pay bumps next year and create performance-based bonuses to principals.
The measure doubles the cap on annual lottery advertising " to an amount equal to 2 percent of ticket sales " to pay for the initiatives.
-- a Could public schools state capital funding disappear if reform plan succeeds?-- Tampa Bay Times Florida: March 09, 2017 [ abstract] A complicated and controversial measure to change how Florida’s 4,300 public schools get taxpayer money for construction and maintenance projects is limping through the Florida Senate, advancing even as lawmakers agree it needs a lot more work before it might become law.
A complicated and controversial measure to change how Florida’s 4,300 public schools get taxpayer money for construction and maintenance projects is limping through the Florida Senate, advancing even as lawmakers agree it needs a lot more work before it might become law.
-- Kristen Clark Upcoming renovation gives Syracuse school walls for 1st time in 42 years-- Syracuse Post-Standard New York: March 09, 2017 [ abstract] Bellevue will be renovated as part of the Joint School construction Board's second phase, which allocated almost $300 million for the renovation of 15 district schools.
The renovation at Bellevue will cost a little more than $21.5 million, and is expected to start in late 2017 or early 2018.Â
-- Katie Shafsky 'How do we create 400 classrooms?' NC schools say class size cap will cause scramble for space-- WRAL (N.C.) North Carolina: March 07, 2017 [ abstract] School systems across North Carolina say they will have to scramble to create hundreds of extra classrooms if a state requirement to reduce class sizes in grades K-3 takes effect next school year.
Where space is limited, some classes could be forced to meet in cafeterias or gyms, on school stages with the curtains pulled or in teachers’ lounges. Schools could also add on to their buildings or truck in mobile classrooms, but with a tight timeframe and limited state funds to help with school construction costs, school leaders say those may not be viable options before next school year.
-- Kelly Hinchcliffe and Alex Granados County considering “wheel tax” increase to fund new school construction-- ClarksvilleNow.com Tennessee: March 07, 2017 [ abstract] CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. " (CLARKSVILLENOW) Meeting Monday, Montgomery County Commissioners took up the issue of finding a way to pay for new schools which are needed in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System due to growth and increased student enrollment.
One thing commissioners are considering is a proposed $50 increase in the Motor Vehicle Tax, commonly known as the “wheel tax” for Montgomery County. That would raise the tax from its current $30 to $80 which is paid when you apply or renew your vehicle tags/registration each year.
School system officials presented the commission with details and figures on what they predict will be needed over the next few years. Part of the proposal could add a new school complex on Arkadelphia Road which would be known as Kirkwood.
-- Lee Erwin High-tech wood: The new hope for school infrastructure? -- King5.com Washington: March 07, 2017 [ abstract] To do this, the state is trying out a building technology that's new to the Pacific Northwest, made up of a familiar material – wood.
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is made up of 2x6 planks of wood – in this case Douglas fir milled in Oregon – layered and glued together.
â€"It's incredibly strong,†said Joe Mayo, architect at Mahlum Architects in Seattle. â€"Some people think wood and fire, it's not safe, but because CLT is solid wood. They've done fire tests with CLT that it's lasted three hours or longer in a simulated fire test, so it's actually quite fire resistive.â€
The prefabricated panels reduce building time and make CLT structures less expensive, because it requires fewer construction workers and less concrete and steel materials, according to Mayo.
Builders on site said CLT walls can go up in one day versus two or three, such as in traditional framed construction projects.
Mayo says the cost of one CLT classroom is about the same price as a portable classroom.
-- LiLi Tan Lawmakers discuss extending school infrastructure funding -- Des Moines Register Iowa: March 06, 2017 [ abstract] Iowa lawmakers will consider extending a statewide sales tax that generates more than $400 million annually for construction and technology projects in school districts across the state.
The tax is schedule to expire in 2029, but a three-person subcommittee agreed Monday to advance legislation extending the sunset for another 20 years " a move the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency estimates could generate an additional $18.1 billion for schools.
-- Brianne Pfannenstiel AFB is out; Stamford board hires new facilities contractor-- Stamford Advocate Connecticut: March 03, 2017 [ abstract] STAMFORD " The Board of Education voted Thursday to hire a new company to run the city’s public school facilities, ending a nearly two-decade relationship with an embattled contractor.
The job was long held by AFB construction Management, a Trumbull-based firm run by CEO Al Barbarotta, who is under local and FBI investigation since last spring. Authorities are looking into whether he used his company’s position as facilities director to extort money from another city contractor.
-- Nelson Oliveira Education impact fee for new homes goes into effect at half rate-- Spring Hill Home Page (Tenn.) Tennessee: March 03, 2017 [ abstract] The first in a two-step process to begin levying an impact fee for schools on new residential construction took effect this week.
In November 2016, the Williamson County Board of Commissioners voted 22-2 to approve the Education Impact Fee, a one-time fee levied strictly on new residential building permits. Adopted as an alternative to raising property taxes, the fee will fund new school facilities in Williamson County. It is projected to generate more than $180 million for new schools over the next six years.
-- Christian Marnon Frederick County officials say School Construction Work Group will help save time & money-- Your4State.com Maryland: March 02, 2017 [ abstract] FREDERICK, Md. - In efforts to reduce school construction costs in Frederick County, Md. while preserving excellence in education, Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner released the final report of the School construction Work Group that she appointed a year ago.
Officials said the School construction Work Group will help evaluate the costs of school construction in Frederick County, Md. by reducing costs by 8 to 10 percent without sacrificing the quality, performance or the life of the projects.
The goal, officials said, is to avoid unnecessary costs down the road, including construction change orders.
"The more savings you have, the more schools you can build or the better schools you can build, so that's why this is such an important issue, not just here in Frederick County, but statewide,†said the Frederick County Executive's Special Projects Manager Mike Marschner.
The report also identified approximately $2.5 million in savings and outlined additional cost reductions that will result from legislation.
-- Staff Writer Half of Boston’s school buildings in ‘fair’ condition-- Boston Globe Massachusetts: March 01, 2017 [ abstract] Most of Boston’s public schools need significant repairs or renovations, according to a city report being released Wednesday that should kick off the most comprehensive building overhaul in nearly four decades.
The much-anticipated report, more than a year in the making under an initiative known as BuildBPS, sizes up that challenge by examining the condition of every school from the roof to the boiler room to even the water bubblers and the wiring.
It determined that almost half of the city’s 125 schools were in fair condition, the middle of a five-step rating scale, indicating that they will confront some level of construction challenge in making the repairs and could require significant time to fix the problem.
Many other schools received good, or in a few cases, excellent ratings for the quality of their buildings, while three were deemed to be in poor condition, the second-lowest rating.
-- James Vaznis Here’s how the state plans to get more schools to consolidate-- Bangor Daily News Maine: February 28, 2017 [ abstract] BANGOR, Maine " What do you get when you combine three high schools and a vocational training facility all together?
You might have what the state is looking for as it plans to fund new high school construction.
Maine Department of Education is promoting a pilot project that would spur consolidation among neighboring high schools and is counting on struggling school districts to be among the first places to try it out.
-- Nick McCrea Advocates urge RI leaders to increase funding for school repairs-- WPRI 12 Rhode Island: February 27, 2017 [ abstract] PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) " With Rhode Island schools needing nearly $2 billion in repairs, a group of policymakers and labor leaders are calling on state lawmakers to find ways to increase funding for construction-related projects in the coming years.
During a two-hour forum in the auditorium at the Providence Career and Technical Academy (PCTA), the Fix Our Schools Now Coalition unveiled a policy platform that includes asking the General Assembly to approve legislation that would raise taxes on the wealthy in order to fund school infrastructure projects.
The group, led by the Rhode Island AFL"CIO, is also asking lawmakers to allocate 1% of all state sales tax revenue for school repairs, similar to a policy Massachusetts already has in place. Other parts of the platform include increasing overall state funding for school construction as well as approving a statewide bond question for school infrastructure projects in 2018.
-- Dan McGowan, WPRI.com Reporter CPS could end school year on June 1 if state money doesn’t come-- Chicago Sun Times Illinois: February 27, 2017 [ abstract] District officials are asking Judge Franklin Valderrama to issue a ruling before the end of April.
“There’s no question that ending school early is our worst-case scenario,” Claypool told reporters at CPS headquarters on Monday afternoon. “I want to be crystal clear: We believe it is possible to avoid ending the school year early, but only if Springfield acts or Judge Valderrama enjoins the state from distributing funding in a racially discriminatory manner.”
He wouldn’t say when officials will announce their decision.
But shortening the school year on top of four previously imposed furlough days may not even fully close the budget gap. In court documents, CPS estimated saving $91 million, and an additional $5 million from canceling summer school for elementary and middle-school general education students. Claypool called those estimates “conservative.”
Chopping off 13 days will push CPS’ school year below the state’s legal threshold, meaning that some state aid will be jeopardized, too. ISBE requires 180 class days for full funding and counts CPS as having four more days than required.
Claypool said CPS attorneys believe they have even more wiggle room.
The district still has to find or cut $129 million, the bulk of a $215 million gap left in December after Rauner vetoed a bill containing that money for teacher pensions. Rauner said the conditions to enact statewide pension reform that legislators had agreed to hadn’t been met.
In a prepared statement, Rauner’s education secretary, Beth Purvis, said, “As children statewide continue to be impacted by the state’s broken school funding formula, now is the time for CEO Claypool to engage in a constructive process to pass a balanced budget with changes that would help schools across the state, including those in Chicago.”
She was referring to ongoing state budget negotiations in the Legislature that may include the $215 million for CPS pensions.
Since the veto, school officials have scrambled to cut spending and have cut about $88 million so far in centrally provided training and school-based “freezes” CPS opted for instead of layoffs. So far they have not generated any new revenue.
They “froze” $46 million by taking half of what schools had left in discretionary spending accounts for recess monitors and after-school programs and classroom supplies, but were pressured into giving $15 million back to low-income schools after the Chicago Sun-Times revealed that they lost twice as much money as wealthier schools.
The furloughs that officials have already imposed coincide with staff training or planning days so children wouldn’t lose any school days. That measure, aimed at saving $35 million, provoked the Chicago Teachers Union, which accused CPS of targeting its mostly female membership with a pay cut.
CTU vice president Jesse Sharkey called the potential loss of three weeks of school “pretty devastating” for students and for his members who now face a 9 to 10 percent pay cut.
Sharkey renewed calls for the city to go after more revenue from a commuter tax or a tax on Chicago’s wealthiest citizens.
“We have the combination of a governor who doesn’t care about public education, and local leadership who have been unwilling to really fight for the kids on solutions that would tax the people who could afford it,” he said.
Emanuel had fought tooth and nail to extend the school year in 2012 from 170 days to 180. The extra time was a key reason teachers then walked out on strike.
Ald. Howard Brookins (21st), chairman of the City Council’s Education Committee, said closing CPS on June 1 would be untenable " and not simply because it would make a mockery of Emanuel’s vaunted longer school year.
“I would hate that it would come to this. Not that my kids won’t be jumping for joy that school is ending earlier. But parents won’t have been able to plan for this at the beginning of the school year, and it would be so disruptive for learning,” Brookins said.
“I admit that the last day or two of school are probably throwaway days for learning. They don’t do much instruction and the kids are not really focused. But to cut out nearly 20 days of school is untenable,” he said. “There’s got to be a way around it. I don’t believe the mayor will go along with it. If you were doing this on a straight business decision, it may make logical sense. But it doesn’t make good political sense. And it’s not in best interest of the children of Chicago.”
Chicago homeowners have already been hit with $837 million in property tax increases for police, fire and teacher pensions and school construction.
Brookins said he does not believe the City Council would be willing to go beyond that to stave off a shorter school year.
“I don’t know that the money would come fast enough,” even if there was the political will among aldermen to do more to help CPS, he said.
More information about CPS’s legal case can be found at http://cps.edu/pages/equality.aspx
-- Lauren FitzPatrick and Fran Spielman A new survey finds education construction activity going strong this year-- Building Design & Construction National: February 26, 2017 [ abstract] More than half of the school districts and colleges responding to a recent survey expect to initiate construction projects in 2017, the majority of which will be major renovations or modernizations.
College Planning & Management, which conducted the survey for its annual “2017 Facilities and construction Brief,” also found that few school districts or institutions are banking on more funds being made available for future construction projects.
The magazine bases its mostly optimistic projections partly on demographic data that project enrollment of 18 to 24 year olds by degree-granting postsecondary institutions to increase by 13% between 2013 and 2024. Enrollment of 25 to 34 year olds during that period is expected to grow by 17%, and by 10% for enrollees 35 or older.
-- John Caulfield Editorial: Florida Legislature acts like Big Brother-- Daily Commercial (Fla.) Florida: February 24, 2017 [ abstract] This group of lawmakers wants to require Florida school districts to fund building projects for charter schools. It isn't bad enough that the Florida Department of Education already gives the vast majority of its school construction money to charter schools, but now your public school district is expected to share its school construction funds with charter schools. A companion bill that would allow school districts to raise taxes for this purpose has stalled, however. Currently, the state limits how much high school districts can raise the tax rate, and many districts are already at their cap.
-- Editorial Board $100M for (S.C.) school construction included in committee's budget-- San Antonio Express-News South Carolina: February 23, 2017 [ abstract] Money to upgrade deteriorating K-12 schools would come three years after the state Supreme Court ordered legislators to improve opportunities for students in poor, rural districts.
Districts eligible to apply for some of $100 million include those that initially sued the state in 1993. So would any other district where at least 80 percent of students live in poverty. The Department of Education would rank projects of greatest need, and the State Board would approve funding.
-- Seanna Adcox Justice unveils education bill-- Charleston Gazette-Mail West Virginia: February 23, 2017 [ abstract] West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice wants to erase the requirement that the School Building Authority consider “economies of scale” among the “objective criteria” for choosing which public school construction and renovation projects to fund.
-- Ryan Quinn Cajon Valley Union School District selects SunPower for 24 sites-- PV Magazine California: February 21, 2017 [ abstract] This spring, Cajon Valley Union School District (CVUSD) and SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ:SPWR) will begin construction of SunPower® Helix™ solar systems at 24 school sites in the El Cajon region of San Diego County. The solar installations totaling 4.6 megawatts (MW) will primarily include carports, as well as a few rooftop systems, and should be operational by the end of this year.
-- Staff writer Board approves hiring of Maryland school construction chief-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: February 08, 2017 [ abstract] The Board of Public Works unanimously approved Robert Gorrell on Wednesday to head Maryland's school construction program.
Gorrell, who has led New Mexico's school construction efforts, was recruited to head the Interagency Committee on School construction after a nationwide search. State schools Superintendent Karen B. Salmon, who chairs the five-member committee, said Gorrell was the panel's unanimous choice.
The committee oversees the state's distribution of school construction money — which amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars each year — to Maryland's 23 counties and Baltimore City.
-- Michael Dresser Santa Fe voters approve $100 million bond sale for school facilities-- Albuquerque Journal New Mexico: February 07, 2017 [ abstract] SANTA FE, N.M. " Voters in Santa Fe on Tuesday approved a $100 million general obligation bond for Santa Fe Public Schools to pay for facility improvements and construction of a new middle school, affirmed two school board members, and picked a new member to the Governing Board at Santa Fe Community College.
With 5,611 voters supporting the question, the G.O. bond was approved by 68 percent of those casting votes, according to unofficial results from the Santa Fe County clerk’s office.
Turn out for the election was better than past schools elections. The 8,274 total votes cast represented nearly 10 percent of the 83,598 eligible voters. That’s higher than 2015 when 5 percent of voters turned out for the school board election, and 2013 when 7 percent of eligible voters cast votes.
Approval of the G.O. bond means homeowners will see an increase in property taxes. Owners of property with a market value of $300,000 will pay $6.67 per month more, or $80 per year.
About two-thirds of the $100 million is earmarked for school-specific projects. The largest chuck, about $27.8 million, will be spent on a new middle school. The school board decided last year to consolidate Capshaw and De Vargas middle schools, due to declining enrollments, and open a new school on the De Vargas campus on Llano Street.
-- T.S. Last Baton Rouge school flood damage tops $60 million, but not all schools likely to be repaired-- The Advocate Louisiana: February 04, 2017 [ abstract] The cost of repairing flooded schools in Baton Rouge is estimated at more than $62.5 million, some repairs will take years to complete and some of the flood-damaged schools may never reopen.
That was the picture school officials painted Saturday for the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board during an all-day retreat at the Louisiana Technology Center.
The retreat was a first step in a post-flooding re-envisioning of the school system following August's historic flooding.
The board plans more retreats in the coming months as it seeks to reach greater consensus about rebuilding plans, redrawing attendance zones and determining school construction for the next decade.
August's flood forced 10 schools to relocate temporarily and forced the closure of four administrative centers.
The dislocation appears to have exacerbated a long-term decline in enrollment that is partially the result of increasing competition from charter schools. Charter schools are public schools run by private groups via charters, or contracts.
School officials say the loss in enrollment, more than 900 students below projections, is likely to reduce state per-pupil funding for the system by $5.1 million.
-- Charles Lussier Funding for schools pits farmers against city dwellers in rural Minnesota-- StarTribune Minnesota: February 04, 2017 [ abstract] School officials in this southern Minnesota town of 715 people will be asking voters on Monday for $18 million, a hefty sum for a rural school district with only one school.
They hope their request " to add a gym and classroom space " goes better than the last time around.
Not quite a year ago, 70 percent of the Cleveland district voters who went to the polls rejected a much larger construction bond issue of $34 million. And they weren’t alone.
Across rural Minnesota last year, voters in more than 20 school districts rejected requests for more taxpayer money to build, many by overwhelming margins. In all, voters in outstate Minnesota said “no” to nearly $600 million worth of school construction and renovation projects.
-- John Reinan and J. Patrick Coolican Continued state construction aid for schools vexes districts, construction companies-- NH Business Review New Hampshire: February 02, 2017 [ abstract] At Hinsdale Elementary School, first-grade students can’t go to the library or visit the school nurse because of fire code and structural issues at the building.
In Concord, the high school, the middle school and two elementary schools won’t be getting heat next school year, unless they can switch their entire system over to natural gas by next winter.
And in Newmarket, school officials are hoping that their fourth try at convincing voters to approve a bond to upgrade their school facilities " some of which date back to 1924 " will succeed this time at the annual school meeting.
All of those projects, along with many others around the state, are hoping for state building aid, but for the last eight years none has been forthcoming because of a moratorium that has crippled schools and hurt the state’s construction industry.
There is now a backlog of some 70 projects totaling roughly $650 million, of which the state’s share would be about $250 million.
-- BOB SANDERS Study suggests changes to reduce school construction-- Las Vegas Sun Nevada: February 02, 2017 [ abstract] CARSON CITY " To avoid the cost of building new schools, districts should consider 12-month school years or double sessions, an efficiency study proposes.
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development also should consider the impact on schools before granting tax breaks to new businesses, according to the Spending and Government Efficiency Commission, which studied the public school system.
The commission, created by the 2015 Legislature, released its final report Wednesday and presented 30 recommendations to Gov. Brian Sandoval and legislative leaders.
The report suggests the Legislature hire a consultant to examine the Clark and Washoe county school systems to see if some services, such as food and transportation, could be provided cheaper by private companies. Any savings by the district could be applied toward instructional programs. T
-- Cy Ryan With Metro in Sight, Loudoun Rethinks School Construction-- LoudounNow Virginia: February 02, 2017 [ abstract] If there’s one thing Loudoun County knows how to do well, it’s school construction.
The school system has built and opened 21 school buildings in the past decade. In 2010, the construction team adopted ready-made prototypes for elementary, middle and high school designs to bring down costs and speed up construction, as it worked to keep pace with unprecedented enrollment growth.
But now, the coming Metro stations brings a push toward urban community designs and school system leaders might have to rethink what a typical Loudoun County school looks like.
As county supervisors plan for what type of homes, retail, office space, and, yes, schools will surround the future Metro stations, they are asking members of the Loudoun County School Board and the schools’ construction department to get ready to think creatively.
“For many reasons modern, town center-style school sites are definitely something we have to consider,” said Supervisor Ron A. Meyer Jr. (R-Broad Run), who represents the part of the county that will include the Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn stations and land near Innovation Center station.
School leaders have described the potential new model as “Metro schools.” The county staff has called them “urban-style schools.” Whatever the term, the idea is for elementary, middle or high school to have several stories and less open space, plus modified designs to allow for some parking and fields.
-- Danielle Nadler Area schools reap $7.5 million in state construction money-- Times Leader Pennsylvania: February 01, 2017 [ abstract] It sounds like quite a financial boon: In the span of two months Wyoming Valley West School District received $1.9 million from the state. Business Manager Joe Rodriguez admits it’s a big help for a tight budget, but notes it is really just a promise kept after about five years.
“I wouldn’t call it a windfall,” Rodriguez said of money paid to the district in November and December through the state construction reimbursement system known as PlanCon. “It’s reimbursement for the State Street (Elementary School) expansion. It’s money we applied for in 2011 or 2012.”
Several area districts have complained about a lack of money coming through the PlanCon System in recent years. Districts go through an extensive process to get a percentage of the cost of construction projects reimbursed.
-- Mark Guydish Cumberland applying for more state aid for school upgrades-- The Valley Breeze Rhode Island: February 01, 2017 [ abstract] CUMBERLAND " A new building committee was appointed last week as Cumberland school leaders prepared a new package of proposed school upgrades that will cost in the range of $4 million to $5 million.
As they did in 2015, administrators, hoping to win the go-ahead for 42 percent reimbursement in school aid funding, are targeting health and safety concerns identified in a 586-page report by Torrado Architects. The application for reimbursement was due to the state Department of Education this week.
In October, Supt. Bob Mitchell advised Joseph Paul da Silva, RIDE’s school construction coordinator and architectural design reviewer, of the department’s intent to request $4 million in school housing aid reimbursement.
“Deficiencies and improvements needed include inefficient heating and ventilation systems, communications systems, parking lot and sidewalk repairs, lighting, brick repointing of significant cracks and ADA compliance issues,” he said in a letter signed also by Mayor Bill Murray and Town Council member Lisa Beaulieu, who was still chairwoman of the School Committee at the time.
-- MARCIA GREEN Yonkers' Spano urges more state aid-- lohud New York: January 30, 2017 [ abstract] ALBANY -- Mayors of the state's largest cities on Monday urged the state Legislature to increase aid to their communities.
The annual tradition of mayors testifying before a legislative budget hearing, colloquially known as the Tin Cup Brigade, ran throughout the day.
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano stressed to state lawmakers that the city needs additional aid for its massive school reconstruction project.
"Our kids suffer from perennial budgets that show shortfalls that don't allow for us to have a full music program, or a full arts program or a full intramural and sports program," Spano said.
The state Legislature last year passed a bill to create a new authority to oversee a $2 billion reconstruction of Yonkers schools.
But the measure didn't provide any additional aid, including a higher state reimbursement for school construction that had been sought.
While other large upstate cities got more state support, Yonkers did not, Spano said.
"They had desperate needs and the state rightfully supported those needs," he said of the other cities. "I know I may sound redundant, but it's Yonkers' turn."
Spano's testimony will part of a two-day push at the Capitol by the city for more state support. A rally is scheduled Tuesday by state lawmakers and advocates for the city schools.
-- Joseph Spector Alvin ISD plans 6 schools, stadium to accommodate growth-- mySA Texas: January 28, 2017 [ abstract] With students continuing to pour into the Alvin Independent School District at a rate of approximately 1,000 per school year, the district is working to construct six new schools in addition to a new district stadium/transportation complex.
Daniel Combs, a district assistant superintendent, said Alvin ISD has been growing steadily, particularly in recent years. This current school year he said approximately 1,500 children joined the district.
"We're one of the fastest-growing districts in the state," he said. "Today we have 23,699 students and for the last five years we've been adding over 1,000 students every year."
Combs said the growth can be attributed to several factors, including new residential construction along the Texas 288 corridor and the geographic size of Alvin ISD.
"We're a 252-square mile district and our area covers Alvin, Manvel and all of Pearland west of 288," he said.
He said the district opened the new Meridiana Elementary in the burgeoning Meridiana subdivision now under construction. It is to include 5,470 homes when built out.
-- Carissa D. Lamkahouan Bill aims to amend Constitution on how to pay for Wyoming schools-- Wyoming Tribune Eagle Wyoming: January 26, 2017 [ abstract] CHEYENNE " To help solve a looming school construction funding crisis, lawmakers introduced a bill Tuesday to amend the Wyoming Constitution to make school districts levy property taxes to pay for new facilities.
The bill would require districts to levy a “special tax” as a condition to receive state money to construct school buildings. The Legislature could also withhold funds barring approval of the school district’s construction proposal.
“There’s no funding mechanism whatsoever for school capital construction, so this is a way for the local district to have some skin in the game,” said Senate President Eli Bebout, one of the bill’s co-sponsors.
Any excess taxes collected for a construction project would go back to the state, according to the bill.
For around 15 years, Wyoming has funded school construction and major maintenance on coal lease bonuses, which is the money mineral companies pay to the federal government to mine land. Since the turn of the 21st century, Wyoming has spent more than $2 billion worth of coal lease bonus payments.
But as the energy sector continues its two-year downturn and the Obama administration effectively instituted a moratorium on coal leases, the payments have dried up: Gov. Matt Mead and lawmakers say the final $120 million coal lease bonus payments will be used during this two-year budget cycle.
-- Seth Klamann, Casper Star-Tribune State board votes to withhold money from Howard schools-- The Baltimore Sun Maryland: January 26, 2017 [ abstract] Dissatisfied with answers from Howard County public school officials about their handling of mold remediation in school buildings, Maryland's Board of Public Works voted Wednesday to temporarily withhold $9.6 million in school construction funding.
The money was slated for HVAC and roof-top air conditioning unit upgrades at several Howard County schools in fiscal 2018, which begins July 1.
The decision came at the end of the board's annual "Beg-a-thon," a day-long hearing in which school leaders from around the state make their case for greater financial support for capital projects as the governor and General Assembly craft a budget.
Gov. Larry Hogan, who proposed holding the money back, said he wanted to read a forthcoming state report on the issue before deciding to fund the projects. The board's other members, Comptroller Peter Franchot and Treasurer Nancy Kopp, agreed.
"There was a discussion today, which I wasn't pleased with the answers on," Hogan said. "I'm going to recommend that we pull (the request) until we have a chance to review the report... and we can really assess what's going on with the mold issue."
HCPSS spokesman John White said school system officials would work to "make sure we answer all the governor's questions well."
"Whatever information he has requested, we're committed to providing the information that's needed," he said.
-- Amanda Yeager BPW releases funding for school air-conditioning projects-- WBALTV11 Maryland: January 25, 2017 [ abstract] BALTIMORE —
In a surprise move, the Maryland Board of Public Works loosened its purse strings, returning millions of school construction dollars to Baltimore City and Baltimore County.
It was an unexpected turn of events at the yearly beg-a-thon, where school districts made their annual pitch for construction dollars.
The BPW voted to release $5 million to Baltimore City for the school system's bank account. The funds, which were held back last year, will help Baltimore City install air conditioning in more than 300 classrooms.
Asked if she was surprised, Baltimore City schools CEO Sonja Santelises said: "Pleasantly, pleasantly, and a lot of that I think really is because this was a citywide effort."
Moments later, the BPW agreed to give back half of the $10 million that it withheld from Baltimore County last year over the lack of school air conditioning. It did so with the understanding that the other $5 million would be released only when the county comes up with another school air-conditioning plan.
-- Tim Tooten De Blasio urges Building Congress to pressure Albany to expand design-build to NYC-- The Real Deal New York: January 23, 2017 [ abstract] Mayor Bill de Blasio urged the New York Building Congress on Monday to put pressure on Albany to expand design-build authority to New York City.
“It’s something we all know will help us get a lot more done more quickly, but we’re going to need your help in Albany,” the mayor said to members at a luncheon at the Pierre on Monday. “There’s a lot of reach in this room. There’s a lot of firepower in this room. We need your voices to be heard in Albany.”
In his latest budget proposal, Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed expanding the project delivery system to more state agencies "but not to those in New York City. Design-build typically involves a single contract between a government agency and a design-development team that pledges to complete a project " often a major infrastructure project" on a specific schedule and budget. Cuomo’s long been a big proponent of design-build, which is being used for the redevelopment of the James A. Farley Building, the Jacob K. Javits Center and LaGuardia Airport. New York currently only allows certain state agencies to use design-build, despite its wide use throughout the country. Influential construction firms and legislators from upstate have repeatedly prevented design-build from becoming a reality in New York City.
-- Kathryn Brenzel New city codes for storm shelters won’t affect school district’s 2017 bond issue-- LJWorld.com Kansas: January 18, 2017 [ abstract] New building and construction codes regarding storm shelter safety requirements will have no effect on the Lawrence school district’s upcoming bond issue.
The code amendments, approved Tuesday by the Lawrence City Commission, require storm shelters for any new K-12 educational facilities as well as any existing schools where an addition would increase current square footage by more than 25 percent. This rules out any ongoing projects, including the final renovations being carried out now as part of the district’s 2013 bond issue for elementary schools, as well as the proposed $87 million bond issue slated for a May election that would renovate Lawrence’s secondary schools.
“We’re going to meet the code as it stands, but the code is not requiring us to build any ICC-500 shelters,” said Tony Barron, the district’s director of facilities and operations.
District leaders voiced concern over the new requirements first proposed in early 2016, which incorporated the 2015 editions of the International Code Council (ICC) model construction codes, among other standards. At issue then was the requirement that storm shelters be designed and constructed to withstand winds of up to 250 mph, a mandate in line with standards developed by the ICC in consultation with the National Storm Shelter Association and FEMA.
Although renovations at all 20 Lawrence schools as part of the 2013 bond issue included "hardened space” shelters with steel reinforcements and concrete ceilings, those spaces do not meet international or national FEMA-approved codes for storm shelters, district spokeswoman Julie Boyle told the Journal-World last February.
-- Joanna Hlavacek Building Boom: Towns, school districts spending millions on new or improved facilities-- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pennsylvania: January 13, 2017 [ abstract] Around the suburbs, numerous municipalities and school districts are planning, building or have recently completed large-scale construction and renovation projects, issuing bonds or tapping reserve funds to address pressing needs.
In general, the activity is being driven largely by aging infrastructure, not growth, said Orlie Prince, vice president and senior credit officer at Moody’s Investors Service. Its credit rating agency rates the financial condition of a number of municipalities and school districts throughout Allegheny County.
Over the past couple of years, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has reported on a flurry of capital projects big and small that have been completed or are underway, being planned or under consideration.
Some municipalities and school districts are paying for the projects out of their own pockets, tapping cash reserves.
Others are borrowing money amid lower interest rates, which have proved “favorable” for issuing bonds or refinancing debt, said Charlie Goodwin, managing director and head of public finance for the Bank of New York Mellon. The global corporation serves as the county’s financial adviser.
In Brentwood, officials are considering replacing the nearly century-old borough building with a two-story structure that would contain about 14,000 square feet. It would cost about $5 million, which would come from a general obligation bond, borough manager George Zboyovsky said.
While the existing borough building is much larger, containing more than 35,000 square feet, it once housed a library as well as a number of other services but now is home only to the police department and the borough’s emergency medical services and administrative offices.
More pressing, however, is the condition of the building.
-- Jake Flannick School leaders decry any delay in spending state bond money-- Bakersfield.com California: January 13, 2017 [ abstract] The governor's call this week to delay spending of Proposition 51 state school bond funding until rules for spending it are more equitable to small districts is irking local school leaders in growing districts that desperately need the money.
Gov. Jerry Brown has been critical of Proposition 51, the $9 billion school construction bond voters approved in November, calling it â€"the developers bond†and something legislators should have drafted instead of special interests.
He's now proposing halting the sale of those bonds in his proposed budget until the Legislature rolls out better auditing systems and ensures the program doesn't perpetuate a â€"first-come, first-served†approach that benefits resource-rich districts.
The reform process could take as long as 18 months.
â€"We continue to have a commitment to the taxpayers to make sure that every dollar that goes out through that program is accounted for appropriately,†said Michael Cohen, director of the state Department of Finance, during a Tuesday news conference.
Brown's reform proposal comes just four months after a Department of Finance audit revealed a lack of financial oversight in bond spending and that almost $200 million had been used statewide for ineligible purchases including trucks, golf carts, iPads and cleaning supplies rather than construction.
-- HAROLD PIERCE Proposal to combine Wyoming school districts lacks support-- Casper Star Tribune Wyoming: January 12, 2017 [ abstract] CHEYENNE — A proposal to slash the number of school districts in Wyoming by more than half to save money doesn't appear to be making the grade in the state Legislature.
Opponents say the idea is politically toxic in the state that values local control of schools.
"We talked about it 15 years ago, and it's an ugly political deal," said state Sen. Hank Coe, chairman of the Senate Education Committee. "I mean it's the focal point of a lot of our small, rural communities — the schools are."
Consolidating the state's 48 school districts into 23 — one for each county — is one of the ideas suggested to ease the state's K-12 funding crisis.
The state faces a shortfall of more than $360 million in its annual K-12 budget amid a sharp downturn in fossil fuel production. In addition, billions of dollars in school construction and maintenance funding is drying up amid a halt in federal coal leasing.
Consolidating school districts would save an estimated $7.5 million, mainly by eliminating many high-level district administrators, including superintendents — many of whom earn well over $100,000 a year.
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"We have districts in the state that have barely over a 100 students, but they have a superintendent for that district, a business manager for that district and that top level administration has similar costs to the larger districts," said state Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie.
-- BOB MOEN Associated Press Voters approved a $9 billion school bond, but Gov. Jerry Brown is not ready to spend it-- The Sacramento Bee California: January 11, 2017 [ abstract] Gov. Jerry Brown, who last year registered deep skepticism about the $9 billion statewide school construction bond, is withholding the proceeds until the Legislature approves more rigorous independent auditing procedures.
The Democratic governor exercised his power over the purse by issuing a proposed budget this week that dangles nearly $300 million from bond sales but requires front-end grant agreements spelling out the basic terms, conditions and accountability measures for all K-12 applicants.
Voters in November passed Proposition 51, which was supported by real estate and development companies and top school officials, despite repeated criticism from the governor.
He had disparaged the bond as a “blunderbuss effort that promotes sprawl and squanders money that would be far better spent in low-income communities.”
The measure gives the upper hand to wealthy campuses, he said, because “It says, ‘Hey, if you’ve got your application ready, you’ll be first in line,’ and that will favor the more affluent and the more resourced districts.”
-- CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO Dayton's tax proposal could help schools seeking construction bonds-- Le Center Leader Minnesota: January 08, 2017 [ abstract] ST. PAUL -- A tweaked 2016 tax proposal that never made it into law is back.
One feature of the bill, popular when it was considered last year, would reduce farmland property taxes that pay for new school buildings by 40 percent. That could help school districts such as Tri-City United and Cleveland, which saw construction bond referendums fail in 2016.
It would also help ag land owners in the St. Peter School District where a $58.6 million referendum passed in 2015.
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said on Thursday, Jan. 5, that his plan calls for $230 million in a variety of tax cuts and $70 million in new spending for things such as increased state aid to local governments. It is based on a bill most legislators backed last year, but Dayton opted not to sign after a $101 million mistake was discovered in it.
The Democratic governor claims nearly a half million people would receive tax relief from his plan, announced on the third day of the 2017 legislative session. Republicans, on the other hand, say they will counter with plans to give every Minnesotan a tax break and increase how much is returned to taxpayers.
Dayton and Republicans agree their focus will be on the middle class. Dayton said, for instance, that his plan reinforces the existing working family tax credit and provides tax relief for parents paying for child care.
"This is a tax bill that really is going to benefit Minnesota families," Lt. Gov. Tina Smith said Friday.
The $34 million in tax credit would be included to existing levies, not just new ones, Revenue Commissioner Cynthia Bauerly said.
"It is a way to reduce their property tax burden while prices remain as terribly low as they are," Smith said, as well as helping get voters to approve new school facilities.
-- Don Davis & Alex Kerkman Gov. Hogan and State Treasurer clash over school construction review process-- FOX 45 Maryland: January 04, 2017 [ abstract] ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) -- Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and State Treasurer Nancy Kopp clashed Wednesday over the complex process of reviewing and awarding state construction funds to local school systems.
The testy exchange came during the Board of Public Works which includes the governor, treasurer and State Comptroller Peter Franchot.
Kopp, a Democrat who represents the General Assembly on the board, criticized both the governor and comptroller for harshly criticizing school superintendents who appeared before the board last year.
"I would say the tone of the meeting was very different, it was much more threatening," said Kopp.
She told her colleagues, "What had been a set of very useful and informative hearings have turned into a political barrage of bullying."
-- John Rydell Lawmakers struggle to find a solution to school construction shortfall-- Star Tribune Wyoming: January 04, 2017 [ abstract] The money that pays for Wyoming school construction and maintenance is running out, and legislators say they still have no firm plan to address the pending shortfall.
For more than a decade, capital construction on schools has been funded through coal lease bonuses, money paid to the state for the rights to mine land. More than $2.3 billion has been spent on school facilities during that time, lawmakers and Gov. Matt Mead have said, and around 100 buildings were built or renovated.
But a downturn in the energy economy has dried up that revenue stream, with the final $121 million coming in the current two-year budget cycle.
“I don’t know where that funding stream is going to come from (now),” Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper, said. “That’s the $10,000 question right there.”
Twenty years ago, the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled in Campbell County v. the State of Wyoming that the state had to deliver an equitable education to all students in Wyoming, from Jackson to Cheyenne. That decision changed how the entire education system was funded, including school capital construction.
Before the ruling, when a district wanted to build a new school, it would have to raise money locally.
Districts “would bond for it, and then they would assess somewhere in the order of six mills of property taxes,” said Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie.
-- Seth Klamann Wheel tax hike proposed to cover $138M school building plan in Montgomery County-- The Leaf Chronicle Maryland: January 04, 2017 [ abstract] The escalating cost of student population growth in Clarksville hit another sobering plateau Wednesday afternoon.
The currently proposed cost in new schools and school buildings additions over six years for Montgomery County: about $138 million.
The options to pay for it, county officials say, include raising the wheel tax by up to $50 from the current $30.50. It's a revenue stream that has remained steady and untouched for 28 years. Previous attempts to raise it have failed in referendum.
The county says the alternative might be more than doubling the current property tax rate of $3.07 per $100 assessed value. County Mayor Jim Durrett's administration says that is simply not feasible.
"In 28 years, we've had $384 million in new schools and school improvements using the property tax as the chief source of paying for it," Durrett said.
Based on the value of a penny on the current property tax rate, his administration calculates that the tax rate would have to be increased another $3.83 from its current level to fund the schools building plan — and he's not willing to consider that.
-- Jimmy Settle and Mark Hicks Wilde Lake Middle School Opens as First Net-Zero School in Maryland-- Columbia Patch Maryland: January 02, 2017 [ abstract] COLUMBIA, MD — Maryland's first net-zero energy school opens this week. Students at Wilde Lake Middle School on Monday returned from winter break to start the new year in their new building, which officials say will generate as much energy as it takes in over the course of a year. A ribbon cutting and community open house at the new middle school will be held Sunday.
The new Wilde Lake Middle School — built behind the old one — is double the size of the old structure, which will be demolished to make way for the bus loop and parking lot in the coming months. Despite its larger size, the new building will use half the energy as the older one, according to Howard County public school officials, who said that solar power, geothermal HVAC and responsive lighting systems have been built into it.
The previous building was constructed in 1969 and underwent one addition and one renovation. After exploring various alternatives, officials determined in 2013 that the best option was to replace the building to meet the anticipated enrollment increase in Columbia. The old school building could accommodate 500 students, while the new school has a capacity of 760, according to the Howard County Public School System.
-- Elizabeth Janney Social Infrastructure-- Architectural Record National: January 01, 2017 [ abstract] In late November, the AIA held its first Build America Summit in New York, a conference that had special resonance in the wake of the presidential election. We are facing policy shifts in Washington that could well have a profound impact on the built environment. The topic of rebuilding America’s deteriorating infrastructure"and creating jobs"was a hot campaign issue, though neither President-elect Trump nor Hillary Clinton came close to proposing the amount that the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates is really needed, a sum north of $3.5 trillion by 2020. And the President-elect’s notion to finance infrastructure largely though mega tax breaks to private developers probably wouldn’t help parts of the public realm that require serious funding and really matter to people.
The reason? Infrastructure doesn’t just mean big-muscle projects like highways and airports. According to a public-opinion survey conducted by the Harris Poll and released at the AIA conference, 83 percent of the respondents said they considered schools, libraries, and parks part of their community infrastructure"and that those needed investment as much as roads or bridges. Such social infrastructure, and the basic role of local governments in building those projects, emerged as a key theme of the conference.
In addition, almost three-quarters of those polled in the survey believe that schools in good condition are essential to their communities. Yet new school construction has suffered from funding cuts in many parts of the country. K"12 schools account for about one-quarter of infrastructure expenditures on the state and local levels, but capital spending by states overall dropped 37 percent between 2008 and 2013, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. A recent report, from the 21st Century School Fund, the National Council on School Facilities, and the Center for Green Schools, estimates that, across the nation, there is a shortfall of $10 billion a year for funding new facilities.
-- Cathleen McGuigan Bozeman schools weigh green building vs. greenbacks-- Bozeman Daily Chronicle Montana: December 30, 2016 [ abstract] As the proposal to build Bozeman’s second high school gets closer to a public vote, school officials recommend following Montana’s state standards for green construction, but some parents are concerned that may not go far enough.
The Bozeman School Board is expected to vote in January on revising its policy for energy conservation in new buildings, which hasn’t been updated since 1991.
The school district’s long-range building committee has recommended using the state of Montana’s High Performance Building Standards, adopted in 2013, but with three changes.
With those changes, the state standards would only apply to Bozeman’s new school buildings. The school district would keep using the federal Energy Star system to rate its buildings for energy efficiency. And the School Board would decide case-by-case whether to seek a stamp of approval for new buildings from an outside agency.
The last point is contentious. Superintendent Rob Watson told the School Board at its December meeting that the second high school would be built to LEED “silver” standards, “but we may not seek the plaque on the wall.”
-- Gail Schontzler Amid enrollment woes, CPS considers new $75 million South Side high school-- Chicago Tribune Illinois: December 28, 2016 [ abstract] Almost four years after a massive round of school closings ignited a political firestorm, Chicago Public Schools has proposed a new $75 million high school for the South Side even as it deals with many existing high schools that struggle with anemic enrollment.
The new building could be slated for Englewood, a neighborhood where several traditionally run schools have been unable to attract a full student body. The school that once bore the community's name, Englewood High School, was shut down over several years beginning in 2005, and its building is now occupied by two separate schools.
Community feedback will be sought before a final decision on the potential construction of a new school, the district says. But community officials say there's also need for public discussion about the district's plans for all its buildings, as time winds down on a five-year school closing moratorium enacted after about 50 schools were shuttered in 2013.
-- Juan Perez Jr. Sussex Tech to revisit construction approval process-- Cape Gazette Delaware: December 27, 2016 [ abstract] An annual audit of school construction projects shows that in 2015, Sussex Tech School District changed its policy for approving construction change orders and purchases, eliminating board oversight.
Santora CPA Group, a Newark company hired by the state to independently review school construction projects, noted that Sussex Tech's school board approved the change in district policy in September 2015, giving the superintendent and supervisor of transportation the authority to approve purchase and change orders without board approval.
The audit, released Dec. 14, stated there were 23 change orders in fiscal year 2016 totaling more than $180,000 that were not approved by the school board. The audit states Tech's policy is in violation of Delaware Department of Education School construction Technical Assistance Manual policies, which say a school board must approve and document changes to construction projects and then submit written approval to the Department of Education.
The audit states the board never approved about $68,000 to Common Sense Solutions to renovate a shop and make improvements to storm drains.
In a written response to the audit, Sussex Tech defended the change in policy, stating as long as the change order relates to a project that is within the board's approved budget for the project, the board properly delegated authority to the superintendent, who also serves as executive secretary of the board.
â€"This authority to delegate duties includes the duty to approve a change within specified parameters,†the district wrote in response.
-- Melissa Steele School building bonanza " but new dollars might not reach poor districts-- Los Angeles Daily News California: December 26, 2016 [ abstract] It’s tough for California voters to say no to more money for school construction. They almost always approve state bond requests, and in November, they passed a $9 billion package that backers promised would help pay for repairs and upgrades needed to preserve students’ access to safe, modern classrooms.
Unlike previous bonds, however, Prop. 51 was placed on the ballot not by elected lawmakers, but by developers looking out for their own interests. Its approval locks in an outdated system that was designed for a time when the student population was growing, and its application process may limit poor districts’ chances of claiming their fair share of the money.
Instead of prioritizing projects for needy communities, the state will dole out these bond proceeds the way it always has: on a first-come, first-served basis. Scores of well-off districts are already in line, and small, impoverished ones have no one in their corner helping them navigate the complicated application process. That means some worthy repair projects may never see a dime.
“Children all across the state are sitting in subpar buildings with leaky roofs and classrooms that can’t support their curriculum,” said Jeff Vincent, who directs UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities and Schools. “Some of those problems may not get fixed anytime soon.”
It’s widely agreed that California needs more money for school facilities, and that the bond will help pay for projects that have languished. But the problem starts with how the funds are divided among projects.
-- Beau Yarbrough |
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