The Great Recession has left deep marks on the nation’s school system. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, elementary and high schools in at least 37 states are receiving less state funding this year compared to 2011. In at least 30 states, school funding now stands below 2008 levels — often far below. Limited federal fiscal aid and reduced state revenues are the main reasons for these drastic spending cuts.
By Tania Salgado, AIA, LEED AP, Design Principal, RNL.
CHICAGO — More than 150 delegates from educational facilities across Illinois attended the 8th Education Facilities Management Forum on April 25, at Chicago’s Soldier Field.
MERRIMAC, Mass. — Dr. Frederick N. Sweetsir Elementary School temporarily shut down after construction workers discovered potentially hazardous material inside.
Asbestos was found during a renovation of windows as part of the state’s green improvements plan.
“The school was built in the early 1950s and we expected we’d find some asbestos — we just didn’t expect to find it there,” said Bob Sinibaldi, the town’s building inspector.
WASHINGTON — Six teams of middle-school students from across North America and the United Kingdom will travel to the Washington, D.C., to compete in the final leg of the School of the Future Design Competition, the centerpiece of School Building Week from April 23-27.
LOS GATOS, Calif. — Plans for a new elementary school have hit a setback over its proposed location on the San Andreas fault, one of the largest and most active fault lines in the country.
LIDO BEACH, N.Y. — A ceiling that recently collapsed during construction at Long Beach High School in Lido Beach, N.Y., raised questions about the safety of the school under renovations.
The carport overhang ceiling fell to the ground on Good Friday, while construction crews were trying to locate pipes in the ceiling. No one was hurt when the building collapsed, largely because students were on vacation.
The core building was not damaged, but the entire suspended stucco ceiling was removed due to safety concerns.
BOSTON — Bullying has bothered students for generations, but a new device might help document and reduce it.
Boston-based education company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) recently launched a digital program that, on multiple platforms, will allow students to anonymously report concerns or incidents of bullying.
The reporting platform helps school districts and local government agencies manage each case consistently and fairly by using a sophisticated analytics and reporting engine, according to HMH.
DENTON, Texas — The Zero Energy Research Laboratory at the University of North Texas will give students and researchers the tools to study new and emerging sustainable and renewable energy technologies.
