School districts held an exclusive franchise on public education services until 1991, when Minnesota passed the first law permitting public charter schools. Charter schools are publicly funded, authorized by various agencies designated in public law, but independently managed. They operate outside district control, and most can draw students from…

In the late 1990s, Fulton County Schools in Atlanta were looking at average enrollment growth of more than 2,500 students a year and a new source of significant revenue to drive its capital improvement program. With funding from Georgia's new special purpose local option sales tax, or SPLOST, for school capital needs, total revenue from the…

There is excitement in the air at Clarke Central High School in anticipation of a $28 million renovation planned on its 27-acre, urban campus located just minutes from the University of Georgia in Athens. This extensive construction aims to fulfill a board of education mandate to provide equity among the Clarke County school facilities and will…

This document presents the Georgia Department of Education's submittal requirements for documents addressing the planning and construction of educational facilities. Requirements cover such areas as project funding sources, copies and format, site plan, floor plans, elevations and sections, construction delivery method, and heating, air…

This paper discusses five key issues in the design phase of a construction project that can improve the quality, cost, or time of construction. These five ways are: education specifications, design standards, prototype designs, value engineering, and selecting a qualified architect. To facilitate discussion, the background section of this paper…

The Georgia Department of Education provides data on the status of its public schools in the following categories: student population trends from 1980 to 2002; estimated annual costs for new schools based on the current rate of student population; funding for Georgia's capital outlay program from fiscal years 1981 through 1998; regular entitlement…

This paper asserts that given the net growth in Georgia's student population and the need to house these students, a logical and systematic approach to disburse state funds based upon an assessment of needs is critical. It explains that a local facilities plan encourages the local school system to look into the future and assess their needs and…

The Georgia Department of Education has developed submittal requirements for planning and construction of educational facilities that cover such areas as project funding sources, copies required, and format; site plan; floor plans; elevations and sections; and heating, air conditioning, and ventilation requirements. Requirements also focus on…

This issue paper discusses principles of good management of construction and some options Georgia may use in the future to manage school construction and control costs. The paper begins by providing some background on common forms of construction management and delivery. Then the paper discusses principles of good contracts. The background section…

The media center is generally one of the larger units of the school plant in which all students and teachers spend some time each day; therefore, effort should be made to create a pleasant and visually attractive learning environment. The purpose of this guide is to furnish established, tested guidelines for the planning and construction of…

It is the purpose of this guide to provide established, well-tested guidelines for planning and constructing food service facilities. These guidelines attempt to get the most efficient and economical operation from a school's food service facilities by providing pertinent information for expanding and remodeling existing facilities, as well as…

Athens was the pioneer in bringing higher education to the youth of Georgia. Will it lead in reconstructing its public school plant so as to bring modern educational advantages to the children of the public schools? This question states the real significance of a school building program for Athens at the present time. This report describes what…