Defines the five major roofing systems. Summarizes a survey of flat roofing systems and their reported performance. (MLF)

The Southern Westchester, New York, Board of Educational Services reviewed its facilities and made major changes at Rye Lake Campus. Built in the 1970s, the facility now serves students who are profoundly handicapped. A few unique features include nursing tables with automatic controls and special toilet equipment. New lighting and a bright color…

Sprinklers can protect school buildings, save lives, and actually reduce construction costs. Sprinkler-system costs can be easily offset by insurance savings, as well as by specific alternatives or design options permitted by nationally recognized building codes in view of the superior protection that sprinklers provide. (MLF)

Rapid changes in technology, media, and student needs are changing the way designers look at libraries. Examples of recently built libraries reflect five current trends in library design: (1) clustered services; (2) individualized spaces; (3) centers for collaborative learning; (4) repositories of merged media; and (5) information literacy…

The School Building Authority (SBA) of West Virginia is responsible for evaluating the state's school buildings, selecting capital outlay projects, and helping fund renovation and new building projects. The SBA has strict guidelines and criteria to help the state's 55 counties evaluate the condition of their school buildings. (MLF)

A rural New York school district has a nine-member facilities advisory committee charged to assess all of the facilities for needs of renovation and/or repair and prioritize a five-year plan for facility improvements. (MLF)

The Lowell, Massachusetts, district technology administrator and team have assumed responsibility for determining the requirements for technology and establishing the specifications and selection of equipment. Joint discussions with the architect are held to develop appropriate infrastructure and educational spaces. (MLF)

Senator Carol Moseley-Braun, D-Ill., a recognized advocate for federal funding of educational facilities, describes the strategy of placing school infrastructure in the same category as commercial and transportation infrastructure. Three researchers in the facilities field present empirical evidence that facility conditions directly affect…

Ben Reyes, chief operating officer of the Chicago Public Schools, tells how the district managed, in eight months, a turnaround from no capital improvement funds. Three major investment houses upgraded the district's bond ratings, opening the doors for a 5-year, $806 million capital improvement plan for the city's schools. (MLF)