In 1983 the Oklahoma Legislature adopted facility guidelines for the purpose of defining, organizing, and encouraging the planning of adequate environments for education. The guidelines contained in this booklet have been designed to allow for the requirements of all Oklahoma school districts regardless of size or educational program. The…

Securing the right environment for a preschool program requires planning and research. Administrators or searching parties are advised to study zoning codes to become acquainted with state sanitation and safety regulations and laws, to involve teachers in cooperative planning, to design facilities which discourage vandalism, facilitate…

A school district's organization of facility needs assessment instruments and generic education facility specifications coupled with the computer capabilities of a South Carolina architectural firm shortened a school building project by over one year. (MLF)

Two aging structures were replaced by Central High School in an Indiana steel town. Planning, board and administrator support, and community involvement eased negative attitudes toward the high school closures and resulted in a $36 million school that has unified the city and will serve it for over 50 years. (MLF)

Describes how Prince George's County Public Schools developed one of the first voluntary desegregation programs in the country. The developmental stages of the program's beginning in 1985 were ahead of schedule; as a result, they have accelerated the program in 1986 and added new specialty schools. (MD)

Outlines procedures to be used in hiring a construction management firm. Four exhibits are shown including an interview rating form and a qualification questionnaire. (MLF)

A number of studies show that school building noise interferes with the efficiency of students and teachers, lessens attention, and makes concentration on tasks more difficult. Effective noise control measures should be taken at all phases of school building design and construction. (MLF)

Designing a school building on site at the school district, rather than in the architect's office, provides for input from administrators, students, and community members. Misunderstandings are prevented from escalating. (MLF)

As the cost of computing decreases, computer aids are becoming readily available for facility planning, construction, and operation; three important technologies are decision support systems, computer-aided design, and management information systems. This article discusses the applications and availability of these systems, hardware and software…

With a new round of school construction on the horizon, planners must consider such energy conservation measures as placing energy consumption limitations in design specifications, retaining experienced engineers, using staff expertise, considering boilers offering fuel options, seeking outside assistance, resisting use of existing plans, and…

Presents an approach for estimating school site space needs that (1) identifies the various functions to be accommodated and the space needed for each and (2) determines the total amount of site space required. Provides some useful estimates of the amounts of space required for a number of common functions. (MLF)

Explains how school planners can use microcomputers to create electronic spreadsheets that reduce the time required to calculate educational specifications. (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)

Planners of a new Arizona school used the district's existing computerized master scheduling program to identify instructional spaces needed. Total classroom needs by subject were translated into total square footage requirements. (MLF)

Presents a method for calculating the age of the space in a specific building inventory, and suggests some practical applications. A fourfold procedure is provided for finding the average age of total building space. (TE)