A survey of approximately 80 closed schools revealed the cause of closing the school, the new users' form of ownership, and the type of reuse. School districts should recognize the steps required to define a market in an attractive and financially feasible form. (Author/MLF)

By the time today's surplus schools are needed for students, the buildings will be 40 or 50 years old. The surplus school should be disposed of now and new facilities built when the need arises. (MLF)

Some solutions to surplus space usage in school buildings. (MLF)

The Samuel F. B. Morse School, built in 1874 and closed in 1980, is a historic landmark in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Now the building serves as low-income housing for 70 elderly tenants and is praised as being an imaginative and creative use of an old school structure. (MLF)

Rental of surplus school district property, arranged by a property management company, reduced the deficit of the properties for the Madison Metropolitan School District, Wisconsin. (MLF)

With community cooperation, imagination, and marketing skills, school buildings can be converted to other community uses. Tables summarize recent sales in Delaware. (MLF)

The growing interest in historic preservation has sparked interest in recycling existing school buildings. (Author/MLF)

Beginning on the front cover, this article recommends planning ahead and involving the community in surplus school use decisions. It suggests turning surplus schools into projects restoring historic buildings and benefitting neighborhoods. (JM)

Brief notes on design processes in general, and the way they may be applied to the problem of under-used school buildings. (Author/MLF)

At the same time that schools are closing in many communities because of declining enrollments, the arts are expanding at the community level. The problem of surplus school space can be the solution to the needs of many artists and arts groups. Mutual to the arts groups and the communities are the benefits of flexible arrangements and the presence…

Guidelines are offered for profitably disposing of surplus school property. Included are instructions for conducting building and site analyses and market studies. (MLF)

The suggestions contained in this guide are intended for local Illinois school boards faced with surplus school property. School boards should have open meetings to advise the community of the decision to sell or lease the property. Liaison committees should be established for communication between the school board and the city council, planning…