Declining enrollment presents educational planners with a new challenge. The prospects of consolidation and reductions require the use of the most effective technical planning procedures available to facilitate effective decisionmaking. (Author)

Microcomputers and available software can be used to display spreadsheet information helpful to facility planners. This article discusses the nature of electronic spreadsheets, presents an applications procedure, and illustrates a practical facilities planning application by using software generally available. (MLF)

Projections for school districts in Maine used a modified cohort survival projection technique. The technique's major factors are past district enrollment and live birth statistics. Projected enrollments are compared with actual enrollments using Pearson product-moment correlations and percentages of error. This provides accurate projections and…

Discusses the advantages and limitations of three enrollment projection techniques: (1) preschool census, (2) regression line, and (3) entry-grade to live birth ratio. Four tables illustrate the methods. (MLF)

The expected rise in enrollment may be just a 10-year window of growth, followed by another period of decline. Changes will occur in the manner that technical and vocational courses are taught. The emphasis on light industry and electronics will require new instructional areas including "clean rooms." (MLF)

Workshop conferees looked at alternative organizations for planning, the place of planning in the decision making process, major social impacts that must be included in the planning process, the identity of planning agents, technical support needed by planners, and improved project planning. (Author/MLF)

Administrators of the fastest growing school district in Illinois have coped with enrollment planning. In addition to enrollment projection techniques, school staff attend city and county planning meetings and also count the number of housing units occupied and under construction. (MLF)

The mandatory-staggered-attendance plan can significantly increase existing facilities capacity, reduce new facilities capacity requirements, effect substantial capital program economies, offer potential for operating economies, effect fuel-energy savings, and offer both operational and capital busing economies. (Author)

Small school districts have little leeway in predicting school enrollment. The basic tool of cohort survival technique can be augmented with the district census study and strategically located volunteers to monitor move-ins and move-outs within an assigned geographic area of the school district. (MLF)

This article presents a computer program for aiding prediction of how to make maximum use of the physical plant to accommodate the instructional program at a secondary school. It uses Conrad's formula for determining capacity, room needs, and utilization of facilities. The formula, BASIC program, and a sample table are provided. (DCS)

The future financial picture of American education will by affected by: increased demand for schools, higher concentrations of children with special education needs, constrained revenue bases, and increased competition for relatively stable public sector resources. There will be wide variability both among states and among school districts within…

Declining enrollments and accelerating construction costs have had an impact on school construction. This is the time for involving people and planners in re-examining goals, deciding how to best use present facilities, and determining what will be needed in the future. (Author/MLF)

Proposes an accounting system that uses students' time in class as a basis for allocating space. A printout of information about an English department is used as an example. (MLF)

Describes the many sources of data available to school districts for enrollment planning and suggests a way to use them in planning new facilities. Among the sources cited are census data; building permits; migration; and surveys of districts, utilities, and residences. (MLF)