This article reviews recommendations on policies for leasing surplus school space made during the Council of Educational Facility Planners/International conference. A case study presentation of a Seattle district's use of lease agreements is summarized. (MJL)

Two dozen schools in Cincinnati, Ohio, were closed over a period of 3 years. Property sales yielded over $1 million; one property, considered an architectural gem, is now a health facility with office spaces and four others are leased. The leases can be cancelled if the district needs school space. (MLF)

A four-year, $8,000,000 renovation program has expanded and upgraded facilities at Boston University. (MLF)

Suggests general guidelines for effective educational facility planning involving two components of educational specifications: (1) written statements which detail the instructional program, and (2) a description of the physical and environmental factors for the program identified. (TA)

There is a considerable amount of research documenting the effects of noise on children. The effects are largely negative. Chronic exposure to noise has been shown to be harmful to children of various ages. It can have especially detrimental effects on younger children when language and discrimination skills are forming. Sometimes major noise…

Today, there is clear and growing evidence of the need to fundamentally rethink the planning, design and use of school facilities in a way that reflects changing educational demands and needs; takes greater advantage of new technologies and new insights into the nature of teaching and learning; and, perhaps most important, forges stronger bonds…

In July 2001, the Tennessee Comptroller's Office of Education Accountability (OEA) began studying methods other states use to finance K-12 capital outlay. The final product of this research is the report "School Capital Funding: Tennessee in a National Context." As part of this research, OEA staff compiled information on state K-12…

In recent years, New York State has encouraged school districts to ensure that their facilities are adequate to educate students by offering financial incentives through building aid formulas. In 1997, legislation was enacted to increase state support for school capital projects by restructuring building aid. The laws of 2000 and 2001 further…

This publication is intended as a reference document for designers of public school facilities. Its purpose is to provide descriptions of school science programs and the facilities that can support them. It provides an initial understanding of the nature and purposes of instructional programs around which facility designs may evolve. Some aspects…

This paper asserts that given the net growth in Georgia's student population and the need to house these students, a logical and systematic approach to disburse state funds based upon an assessment of needs is critical. It explains that a local facilities plan encourages the local school system to look into the future and assess their needs and…

This student handbook contains information about participating in the construction trades program in the Manatee County (Florida) Public Schools. The first part of the handbook consists of general information about the program: program goals and objectives, intended outcomes, benefits to students, student responsibilities, contractor…

This report summarizes some of the recent reports on school building needs and describes the initiatives in New York State's budget designed to address them. It also describes the environment in which school building and maintenance decisions are made, with particular attention to factors discouraging or impeding successful strategies for school…

These guidelines are designated to help Maryland school system personnel and architects develop educational specifications and designs for new building construction or major renovation projects that include a library media center. The task force, which developed the standards, began this effort by gathering information on the State's school…

North Carolina's state capitol rises majestically on Union Square in downtown Raleigh, a city created in 1792 to serve as North Carolina's permanent capital. Built between 1833-40, the granite building is one of the finest and best preserved examples of civic Greek Revival architecture in the United States. This lesson is based on the National…

This report is the second in a series of studies on the serious threat toxic chemical use may pose to the health of Vermont's children, teachers, and school staff. The first report, "Toxic Chemical Exposure in Schools: Our Children at Risk," provided an overview of the problem of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools and discussed…