A growing number of states have policies that positively address resource equity in school construction, distributing capital resources based on district wealth (although as addressed in this brief, these policies are not always implemented with actual funding), but almost no states require any consideration of diversity or segregation in their…

Long before closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, many Pennsylvania schools faced a different health crisis: unsafe facilities. Crumbling buildings, asbestos, lead, and other school facility health and safety risks plague many schools across Pennsylvania, particularly in low-income districts and those that enroll a high percentage of Black and…

This dissertation captures the 10-year contemporary history of implementing the facilities element of New Jersey's historic "Abbott V" decision. New Jersey's Legislature and Governor took this Supreme Court decision and created legislation responding to multiple constituencies and lobbyists while shaping a school construction program to…

This dissertation captures the 10-year contemporary history of implementing the facilities element of New Jersey's historic Abbott v. Burke decision. New Jersey's Legislature and Governor took this Supreme Court decision and created legislation responding to multiple constituencies and lobbyists while shaping a school construction program to be…

The idea to do research in the area of school construction planning came from this writer's experience in a district that was still using a high school that was built in 1914 and the community was happy with that fact. During this writer's time the district had gone to referendum to ask the voters to approve a $67 million building project that…

For many schools and universities, constructing a new facility isn't always a viable option. The envisioned facility may be too costly for a school system struggling with budget deficits. Maybe administrators can't find enough land in the right area to accommodate the type of facility needed. In some cases, the residents and businesses surrounding…

The nation's major city public school districts have substantial construction, renovation, modernization, and deferred maintenance needs because of the age and size of their school buildings, shifting populations, and the need to devote substantial resources to instructional personnel to meet their core academic mission. For instance, the average…

A model is presented (part of a larger model for estimating the fiscal impacts associated with growth scenarios) for estimating the cost of new school buildings required by alternative land development plans. A description of the model is presented, along with its equations, and followed by a discussion of the extensions, enhancements, and…

Community education in New Jersey will benefit from legislation financing the construction of facilities that deliver community and social services. Five departments of state government are to cooperatively develop a minimum of ten local models of community education facilities. (Author/MLF)

An annual school bond survey for New Jersey reveals that while the state's voters had approved 60 percent of the school bond issues in 1998, the communities clearly could not meet the state's multi- billion dollar construction needs on their own. Further, communities with high property taxes had fewer bond elections and approved less of them than…

A 1999 annual school construction survey for New Jersey reveals that the state's voters approved 71.3 percent of the school construction elections, more than the previous year's approval rate of 60 percent. Construction costs also influenced regional approval rates which varied from 59.5 percent in the north to 89.3 percent in the south. Despite…

In 1995, a federal report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) estimated that $112 billion was needed to bring the nation's school facilities into good repair. Subsequent studies estimated it would take more than $320 billion to build new schools to handle swelling enrollments, renovate aging buildings, and equip all buildings with the…

This paper discusses New Jersey's unprecedented $12.3 billion school construction and reconstruction project, launched in 2000, as an opportunity to reconstruct the state's communities, enhancing quality of life and reducing sprawl. It aims to stimulate a statewide conversation about the opportunity to integrate the design of the next generation…

This report presents a brief history of the Abbott School Construction Program, describes the implementation to date, lays out some current challenges, and outlines lessons learned from the process so far--what is known now about how such an initiative should be planned and carried out. The report is intended to illuminate the complex process of…

A long-range facilities plan includes anticipated large expenditures and contingencies. The plan should include an overview of existing facilities, enrollment projections, program changes, and projected capital improvements. A school-planning checklist is provided. (MLF)