America's colleges and universities have expanded campus facilities by renovating and increasing square footage. This is in contrast to general construction activity during the same time period. This quantitative study investigates the relationship between university and college campus facility square footage per FTE and university…

Good architecture responds to contemporary challenges, irrespective of fashionable trends, and is characterised by rigorous building processes. Office buildings, housing, stadiums and theatres offer outstanding examples of this principle. But do school buildings figure among them? Happily, in Germany they do, although they are still too rare. This…

This study investigates parameters affecting the likelihood of passing school facility construction bonds by local district election. Using statewide data from Michigan, this study analyzes school bond data for urban (n = 30), suburban (n = 164), small town (n = 70), and rural (n = 241) school districts that held capital improvement bond elections…

When education providers confront obstacles such as shrinking budgets and swelling enrollments, a multi-million-dollar new facility or major additions probably are not feasible. Converting vacant and underused buildings into school facilities enables administrators to acquire additional space quickly and cheaply. In this article, the authors…

Provides national data on the condition of public school facilities and the costs to bring them into good condition; school plans for repairs, renovations, and replacements; the age of public schools; and overcrowding and practices used to address overcrowding. Data are from the Public School Facilities Survey of the National Center for Education…

Bowling alleys, synagogues and skating rinks have provided new-found space for CUNY in meeting changing physical plant needs. (Editor)

Using the example of Clark County school district in Las Vegas, discusses the challenges faced by administrators of rapidly growing areas. Districts confronting rapid growth must find enough money to build needed facilities, secure appropriate sites for new schools, juggle multiple construction projects, and not let the focus on new facilities…

The growth in California's student population currently exceeds the peak years of the baby boom generation by more than one million students. This increase, combined with deferred maintenance, has created a strain on the state's educational facilities. An analysis of this predicament is presented in this bulletin. It describes why California needs…

Describes a hypothetical situation (a year-long planning process involving a superintendent, school board, and community) intended to remind administrators of the key elements in facilities planning that are inherent in their roles as educational leaders. (SR)

Trends in postcompulsory education are examined and strategies are suggested for effective provision of buildings and equipment in this summary of a symposium organized by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Programme on Educational Building and the Ministry of Education, Finland. Although participating countries'…

This report explores the current role of portable classrooms in California schools and the options available for their use. It examines how widespread portables are, and estimates that more than 86,500 were in use in 1997-1998, a significant increase over previous years, which is partly attributable to the state's classroom reduction plan in…

This report provides an overview of the difficulties that California faces in determining how much money to invest in school facilities. The text describes the dimensions of the school facility crisis as a whole and looks at the ways in which facilities can affect the quality of education and student performance. It also explores the various…

Discusses the search by school systems and construction professionals for new efficiencies in the face of economic pressures. Some are shrinking or stretching out construction programs and demanding better economies. Others are seeking new financial partners and non-traditional funding methods, or deciding that creating new school space does not…

Discusses the growing range of alternative solutions to provide school space in the most economical fashion as being explored by many school systems. (Author/JM)