Lured by the recognition that comes with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, many schools and universities have become aware of that certification process. But for years, the involvement was limited to a few trendsetters; according to the Green Building Council's database, only about…

As Congress began debate last week over the size and scope of more than $120 billion in proposed emergency education aid, state leaders were anxiously awaiting the details so they could make specific plans to spend the economic-stimulus money. Governors, state legislators, and state schools chiefs have yet to learn what rules Congress will attach…

A school building project in Spokane, Washington, will replace 12 inner-city elementary schools, expand a thirteenth, and construct a new high school. Substantial cost savings in both materials and design are expected to result from adapting a prototype design to existing sites. (Author/MLF)

Financing school capital projects in New York State is a responsibility involving both local school districts and the state government. State building aid is provided through an aid ratio and approved expenditure formula. This formula has an equalizing effect among districts by explicitly providing an aid amount inversely proportional to property…

Provides an outline of items for consideration when planning construction projects for new educational facilities. Establishing checkpoints, calendaring events, delineating responsibilities, and developing a checklist and timeline to follow during planning and construction as well as a close-out audit help ensure success. Includes a copy of a…

Systems building worked well for Boston's ambitious program, but the project manager tells why he thinks it won't work elsewhere. (Author)

The purpose of this audit was to determine whether New York City's School Construction Authority (SCA) followed its required procedures for awarding and monitoring contracts for construction work in New York City schools. It evaluated the adequacy of these procedures and surveyed school officials to determine their views about SCA work. The report…

A construction management firm and the architects working with the firm provided San Diego with ten elementary schools that were delivered on schedule, within cost, and met or exceeded the basic design criteria. (Author/MLF)

This thesis examines what practices schools and school districts need to adopt if they want to apply sustainable design principles to their new schools and the benefits these design practices offer school communities. The paper argues that school districts will benefit from these design principles, and that these benefits will occur because…

In October 1992, Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer established a 21-member task force to conduct an in-depth study and review 8 specific areas of the state's public school construction program. This report summarizes the committee's activities, findings, and recommendations. The first recommendation, to review project requests from the 24…

A DeKalb, Illinois, school district involved students and community members in passing a bond tax rate and in school planning. An old hospital converted into an administrative center produces rental income. (MLF)

Drafting insurance requirements in educational construction bid documents is a momentous task. Basic areas that must be addressed include worker's compensation, employers' liability, property insurance, motor vehicle liability, and public liability. Other coverages may be indicated for specific projects or locations. (MLF)

The demand for school construction and the agency regulations and practices involved in the process are described in this report. A four-part theoretical framework explains the process of school facility construction. First, school districts follow a process that consists of nine fundamental steps: (1) needs assessment; (2) long-range planning;…

This descriptive study involving interviews with school district superintendents assesses the congruence to a School Facilities Construction Model by school districts participating in the 1983 to 1990 round of Ohio School Building Assistance Projects. Chapter 1 introduces a general background on the need for studying the amount of congruence to a…

In terms of dollar volume, more educational construction was completed in 1979 than in any previous year. The information provided by more than 2,500 school districts and more than 1,000 colleges is analyzed. (Author/MLF)