In 1986, the Indianapolis and Gwinnett County (Georgia) school districts sat side by side on the list of the 100 largest school districts, each with slightly less than 51,000 students. But the districts were headed in opposite directions. By 2005, enrollment in Indianapolis declined by about 25 percent to 38,142, falling from the 63rd-largest to…

In 2007, schools and universities allocated billions of dollars to build education facilities. Responsible administrators strive to spend those funds wisely, but over the years, educators and community members have not always agreed on what constitutes wise spending. In the Baby Boom years, the accelerating demand for space led many schools and…