Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) play a prominent role in the nation's higher education system. For example, about one-third of African Americans receiving a doctorate in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics received undergraduate degrees from HBCUs. To help HBCUs facing challenges accessing funding for capital…

Public school facilities primarily serve an educational role, and they also serve a civic role as voting places and emergency shelters. School districts collectively spend tens of billions of dollars each year on facilities construction needs at the nearly 100,000 K-12 public schools nationwide. About half (an estimated 54 percent) of public…

This report assesses the pace and quality of the District of Columbia's $1.3 billion multiyear effort to renovate and modernize its public schools. Findings reveal that the District of Columbia school system had mismanaged an area-wide utility contract for gas and energy management services between the General Services Administration and the…

New York State Regents directed that new guidelines and "standards" be developed for technology infrastructures in educational facilities in order to assist administrators and educators in planning technology integration during retrofits, renovations, or new construction of educational facilities. This document provides the first draft…

This Congressional testimony focuses on the challenges faced by the District of Columbia in modernizing its public schools. Specifically, it addresses: (1) increases in the cost of modernizing the schools; (2) delays in completing the schools; (3) quality inspection problems; and (4) concerns about managing asbestos hazards. The testimony…

An analysis is presented of the environmental impacts of replacing the Winnett School District's existing oil-fired heating system with a new coal-fired heating system with funds provided from a grant under the Institutional Conservation Program. The report first covers the background and need for action, along with the alternative actions…

The New York State Department of Education provides the amendments to regulations of the Commissioner of Education concerning the Comprehensive Public School Building Safety Program effective May 7, 1999. Amended items include those involving the school district 5-year capital assets preservation facilities plan, building inspections, construction…

In an address to the House Ways and Means Committee on the Revenue Provision in the Year 2000 Budget, Rene Bouchard, CEO of Steuben-Allegany Board of Cooperative Educational Services, discusses the needs of rural schools and how the President's school modernization proposal would help them. Bouchard argues the need for federal assistance to school…

Changes in federal policy affecting rural development in economically distressed areas in 2001 include new markets initiatives, establishment of the (Mississippi River) Delta Regional Authority, and increased infrastructure funding. Infrastructure priorities include highway construction, airport improvements, public works grants, rural…

In an address to the House Ways and Means Committee on the Revenue Provision in the Year 2000 Budget, Gery Chico, President of the Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees, discusses four basic characteristics of a good school modernization funding plan and offers observations and recommendations on the two funding proposals currently before the…

A House of Representatives subcommittee convened to consider legislation (H.R. 3677) to reauthorize the Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act of 1984 (ASHAA) that provides financial assistance to needy school districts in the form of loans and grants for asbestos-related activities. The hearing record contains the text of H.R. 3677, testimony, and…

The Kentucky State Board for Elementary and Secondary Education has published this manual containing criteria school districts should use for planning new school construction and renovation projects. The criteria is used for determining the following activities: (1) the selection of the Local Planning Committee (LPC) responsible for the…

The Jefferson County School District (Denver, Colorado) has published this document as a model standard for the planning and designing of new middle schools and remodeling and modernizing existing schools. It describes the facility requirements to accommodate the instructional program, activities, and support functions to assist architects, school…

A Senate hearing was held regarding the current condition of Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools. The BIA selection process for building and repairing these schools was resumed; and discussed innovative measures for financing BIA schools was discussed. This document includes testimony from the Director of the National Indian Education…

The intent of this paper is to provide the information necessary to develop and implement an acceptable asbestos removal plan. The information is taken from current (September 1980) federal and state regulations and recommendations. The information describing asbestos removal operations is organized chronologically to simplify using this document…