Scott Layne Named Chair of the Association For Learning Environments

San Diego — The Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) has named Scott Layne, ALEP, chair of its board of directors. Layne, who is the assistant superintendent for support services for the Irving Independent School District (ISD) in Texas, assumed the role at the LearningSCAPES Conference held Oct. 22-26.

At Irving ISD, Layne oversees facilities services, security, transportation, nutrition services, health services, technology, athletics, and construction.  After receiving his degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois, his career in public education began in the Katy Independent School District in 1982.  Six years later, he was named the director of school plant services for Midland ISD.  In 1991, he joined Irving ISD, where he has served as assistant director of maintenance and operations, director of maintenance and operations, and executive director of facilities before being named assistant superintendent in 2006.

An active member of A4LE since 1998, Layne has served as the 2003 president of the North Texas Chapter, and the 2007 president of the Southern Region.  He has served on the International Board of Directors since 2009.  In his new role as chair, he hopes to expand the association’s global reach.

“The Association for Learning Environments is as strong as our members,” he says. “I am confident that we will continue the great work that has brought us to this moment, and I know that we will forge new paths of excellence into the future.”

The Association for Learning Environments (A4LE), formerly the Council of Educational Facility Planners (CEFPI), is the only professional organization whose primary purpose is improving the places where children learn.  With approximately 4,400 members, A4LE encompasses six geographic regions across the United States, and supports regional representation in Canada, Australasia, and the UK.  A4LE embraces a collaborative network of professionals with one single goal – building healthy, safe, resilient and sustainable 21st Century learning places that inspire transformation in education, enhance student and teacher performance, and support culture and community vitality. To learn more, visit www.a4le.org.

Featured

  • Phoenix High School Completes First Phase of Campus Renovations

    Metro Tech High School, part of the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) in Phoenix, Ariz., recently announced the completion of the first stage of a campus renovation project, according to a news release. The school reopened a series of public-facing business operations spaces including credit union, daycare, floral, cosmetology, and culinary services. It also includes new CTE learning spaces for the school’s nursing assistant, pharmacy, and sports medicine programs.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Concordia College Completes Memorial Auditorium Renovations

    Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., recently completed a $2.5-million renovation project to Memorial Auditorium, a news release reports. The college partnered with Kraus-Anderson for the project’s construction and ICON Architectural Group for its design.