This study examines the Detroit Public Schools Department of Facilities Management and Capital Improvements Center (DFMCI) in the following five areas: 1) establishing the DFMCI's status in its organizational structure, functions, and operations; 2) determining the pertinent parameters/measures for the DFMCI's success; 3) evaluating the DFMCI…

Findings are presented from a 2-year experiment exploring ways to reduce energy costs and improve the learning environment in Florida's 25,000 portable classrooms. Improvements were made in two highly instrumented portable classrooms in the following areas: installation of a T8 lighting system with electronic ballasts; a high efficiency heat pump…

Reviews Center for Disease Control research findings on playground hazards at child care centers in Atlanta, Georgia. Discusses safety requirements for surfacing under climbing equipment. Describes resources for more information. (AC)

This publication is the report of findings of the educational plant survey for Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University conducted in April, 1991. Following a description of the survey team and a preface, Section I describes the statutory foundations, procedural policies, and cooperative processes for the educational plant survey. Section II…

A case study explores the importance of the educational setting and its affect on student learning, performance, attitude, and behavior. The study focuses on the facilities planner's perspective and raises important questions needing further study. Among the study's findings are the importance of timing in a school district's renovation projects,…

An informal survey of 20 major urban school districts found that 40% were currently operating in a "break down" maintenance mode. A majority, 57.9%, also indicated they saw considerable benefits in contracting for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) maintenance services with outside firms. Offers guidelines in selecting…

An annual school bond survey for New Jersey reveals that while the state's voters had approved 60 percent of the school bond issues in 1998, the communities clearly could not meet the state's multi- billion dollar construction needs on their own. Further, communities with high property taxes had fewer bond elections and approved less of them than…

A 1999 annual school construction survey for New Jersey reveals that the state's voters approved 71.3 percent of the school construction elections, more than the previous year's approval rate of 60 percent. Construction costs also influenced regional approval rates which varied from 59.5 percent in the north to 89.3 percent in the south. Despite…

This study examines the extent to which states fund local school district school construction and renovation projects and explores the governance of that funding. It determines the different types of funding assistance that state departments of education provide to local school districts for their educational facilities and what state-level…

Information that school facility personnel can use concerning the potential impacts of renovation projects on indoor air quality (IAQ), along with details of some effective control strategies, are presented. Various kinds of contaminants may be generated by renovations, including volatile and semivolatile organic compounds, dusts and fibers (e.g.,…

Educational construction in 1985 took a big jump over the 1984 figures with a total of just under $10 billion-worth of construction estimated for schools and colleges. Five tables provide a breakdown of completed and ongoing construction expenditures. (MLF)

Senator Carol Moseley-Braun, D-Ill., a recognized advocate for federal funding of educational facilities, describes the strategy of placing school infrastructure in the same category as commercial and transportation infrastructure. Three researchers in the facilities field present empirical evidence that facility conditions directly affect…

The purpose of this manual is to suggest strategies for identifying components that must be addressed to create and develop a successful food service and nutrition facility. It focuses on the process involved in creating such facilities, and it provides an overview of the planning phase, design and construction, and educational specifications.…

This document on the working conditions of urban teachers reports data from a survey of 31 elementary, middle, and secondary schools in five urban school districts. More than 400 interviews were conducted with teachers, school administrators, central office personnel, district officials, board members, and union officials. The observations,…