New Construction
The University of Texas at San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas, recently opened its new $40.4-million athletics center. A news release calls the Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence (RACE) “a milestone in the university’s strategic vision to create a central hub for UTSA Athletics and to further promote the academic success, health, wellness and performance of the university’s student-athletes.”
COVID-19 and Schools
As schools and universities prepare for the return of students and faculty after nearly a year of remote learning, many are faced with growing concerns around how to keep facilities safe in the post-pandemic world. This is doubly true when considering that crucial HVAC and building management systems (BMS) are often outdated and in need of replacement.
New Construction
On the campus of Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, officials recently broke ground on a new residence hall for students enrolled in the university’s Honors College.
Research Facilities
Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., announced this week that it will build a facility to test hypersonic technologies in the Purdue Aerospace District near the main campus. The Hypersonic Ground Test Center (HGTC) will be the first facility of its kind in the U.S.
New Construction
When school starts on Thursday, Aug. 12, students of East Hardin Middle School in Hardin County, Ky., will return to their old building instead of a brand-new facility as originally expected.
Campus Restructuring
Waco ISD in Waco, Texas, has announced that students from two of its middle schools will combine onto a single campus after a fire destroyed one of its facilities in July.
Campus Amenities
Quadient—a communication automation, parcel locker solutions, and mail-related solutions provider—announced this week that it has debuted the iX-9, the newest member of its iX-Series.
New Construction
The Tomball Independent School District—located in Tomball, Texas, as part of the Houston metropolitan area—recently celebrated the completion of a new junior high school and a new athletic stadium.
New Construction
Following nearly two years of construction, the Texas Tech University’s brand-new School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillo, Texas, is seeing staff and faculty move in.
New Construction
On the campus of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., officials broke ground this week on a new art gallery. The Davison Art Gallery will be the campus’ first new art building since the mid-1970s.
Partnerships
Kellermeyer Bergensons Services, LLC (KBS), which partners with facility managers at more than 75,000 locations around North America, has announced the acquisition of Olympus Building Services, a leading provider of facilities services in higher education.
New Construction
The Spring Hill School District in Spring Hill, Kan., is set to open its newest elementary school in time for the coming school year. Dayton Creek Elementary School is projected to welcome an inaugural group of 200 students.
Campus Security
When a disaster occurs, schools need every tool at their disposal working towards one goal: keeping everyone safe. Efficient disaster response requires an easy-to-use, streamlined system that can perform multiple functions simultaneously to get information out as quickly as possible so students and staff can stay out of harm’s way.
Campus Renovations
The Bloomfield Hills School District in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., has begun work on two new facilities in the district. Last year, voters approved a $200 million bond in a larger effort to scale back the number of district middle schools from three to two.
New Construction
Members of the Hoover school board in Hoover, Ala., met this week to discuss a series of upcoming capital projects totaling $98 million.
Q & A with the Editor
Campus operations of all kinds were severely impacted by the pandemic, as were many of the habits and expectations of students, parents, faculty and staff. Some of those changes, it appears, will outlast the pandemic — including advances in the way packages are delivered and tracked on campus.
Campus Technology
Over the past 18 months, professors have evolved curriculums, students have adapted to hybrid and online learning, and higher education institutions have implemented technology that supported and enhanced digital and hybrid classroom settings. As we approach a new school year, these methods have become an integral part of the new learning experience.
New Construction
The school board of the Lebanon School District in Lebanon, Pa., recently approved the construction of a new facility for seventh- and eighth-graders, as well as renovations to an existing middle school building. The renovated middle school will house fifth- and sixth-graders once the new facility is complete.
New Construction
A new high school under construction in the West Fargo School District in Horace, N.D., will not be able to open in time for the new school year due to construction delays, according to officials. The district cites a number of issues “mostly beyond the contractors’ control” that will cause Horace High to delay its opening beyond Aug. 26, the district’s scheduled first day of classes.
COVID-19 and Schools
In response to the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, the CDC once again updated its mask-wearing guidelines this week. It recommends "universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools."
New Construction
Santa Ana College, located in Santa Ana, Calif., debuted its new $60-million student center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the evening of Tuesday, July 27.
Campus Renovation
The California-based building company C.W. Driver Companies announced this week that construction is complete on the Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) Temecula Valley Campus in Temecula, Calif. The 350,000-square-foot campus is the first permanent institution of higher education in the city.
Higher Ed Survey
The results of a new survey from JLL have revealed that campus cleanliness and indoor air quality now rank among the top factors in college selection. JLL, a Fortune 200 commercial real estate and professional services firm, surveyed about 500 parents of tenth- through twelfth-grade students about their priorities while considering higher education destinations.
New Construction
Groundbreaking has taken place on a new elementary school in Amesbury, Mass. Construction of the Sgt. Jordan Shay Memorial Lower Elementary School was approved by city residents in 2019.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/23/21
Campus Expansion
A charter school in Florida is seeing the sun rise on a new middle school. The middle school at Ocean Studies Charter in Key Largo is expected to finished by Thanksgiving, allowing the free public charter to enable its existing K–5 students to continue their education at the same facility.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/23/21
Campus Renovations
A college in Huntsville, Ala., has just undergone a $6 million renovation. The first guests in the 100-room facility at Oakwood University will be high schoolers attending Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE), which draws students seeking advanced engineering and cyber technology studies.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 07/23/21
A new survey reveals that within the last 12 months, 93% of schools experienced an emergency incident due to an infrastructure malfunction.
New Construction
The University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., recently broke ground on a new Applied Research Building. The three-story, 89,000-square-foot facility will bring together eight departments from four colleges for a cost of $85 million. The building is expected to open to students by spring 2023.
Campus Renovations
Spalding University in Louisville, Ky., received a $2 million grant this week from Kosair Charities for its new School of Physical Therapy. The funds will be used for an ongoing renovation project converting a campus building into the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program’s new home.
New Construction
Construction has begun on a new academic building, Milgard Hall, on the campus of the University of Washington Tacoma in Tacoma, Washington.
Campus Renovations
West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, has announced a total of $18 million in renovations spread across four regions of the campus. All renovations are slated for completion by August 2021, in time for the beginning of the 2021–22 academic year.
Campus Facilities
Commercial washrooms solutions company Bradley Corp. recently announced the redesign of its Mills Phenolic No-Site Partitions to eliminate gaps between doors and pilasters, offering increased privacy in all types of educational facilities.
New Construction
Loyola Academy, a private Jesuit college preparatory school in Wilmette, Ill., recently broke ground on a brand-new, 29,000-square-foot performing arts center. The Loyola Academy Center for the Performing Arts comes with a $25.76-million price tag and will feature flexible indoor and outdoor performance spaces.
New Construction
Orange County Public Schools, headquartered in Orlando, Fla., has announced that it will open four new campuses this fall. The new facilities include two high schools, one new elementary school, and a K–12 school for students with behavioral disorders.
Podcast
As K–12 schools gear up to return to in-person learning for the coming school year, one district already has a success under its belt. The Muskego-Norway School District in Muskego, Wis., successfully went in-person, five days a week, for the entire 2020–21 academic year. Our guest today is Tony Spence, the Chief Information Officer for that district. He takes a deep dive into explaining the logistics behind pulling off such a unique feat. He explains what went into creating the district’s plan, committing to it and—most importantly—effectively communicating that plan to students, parents, staff and administrators.
New Construction
Officials gathered last week on the campus of Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho, to break ground on a new alumni center. The building will be the first addition to the campus in 20 years.
Partnerships
Flooring and sports surface solutions provider Tarkett announced this week that it has formed a distribution partnership with Summit Flooring Supply.
Campus Amenities
On the University of Kentucky Coldstream Research Campus in Lexington, Ky., officials recently broke ground on a new residential village for the campus’ researchers and workforce. The 260-unit, multi-family complex, to be named FIFTEEN51 Apartments, is scheduled to open its doors to residents in spring 2022.
New Construction
On the campus of the University of Florida in Gainsville, Fla., construction has already begun on the new University of Florida Public Safety Building. The new home of the UF Police Department is intended to enhance visibility on campus and promote accessibility to the public.
New Construction
The commission that oversees school construction in the State of Ohio recently approved more than $242 million in state funds for the construction of nine new K–12 schools around the state. This figure combines with $208 million in local funds to set up $450 million in Ohio public education construction work.
COVID-19 and Schools
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidelines for COVID-19 prevention in K–12 schools on Friday. The health organization announced that fully vaccinated teachers and students will not be required to wear masks inside school buildings.
Funding
With the global pandemic greatly impacting the K–12 learning environment, more schools and districts are pivoting to collaborative learning spaces filled with comfortable, tech-equipped furniture that supports the future-ready learner. For funding help with these projects, districts are turning to one or more of the recently-passed federal stimulus bills.
Campus Renovations
On the campus of Grove City College in Grove City, Pa., the Henry Buhl Library is in the middle of a $9-million renovation project. The library first opened in 1954 and has not seen any major improvements or construction work since then.
New Construction
Construction on a new language arts complex recently began at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Calif. The college is partnering with Sundt Construction, Inc., on the facility.
New Construction
At UC San Diego, construction is set to begin on a 7-story academic building that will house health and medical programs. The $70-million La Jolla Innovation Center (LJIC) will be located just across the street from the southwest edge of campus. The university cited space concerns within the existing boundaries of its campus, as well as the fact that many of its on-campus buildings require expensive seismic upgrades.
Campus Amenities
Furnishing solutions company Kimball International has announced a more customer-centric, go-to-market strategy. The strategy launched on July 1 and allows customers access to the company’s full complement of Workplace, Education, and Health brands.
Campus Technology
Artificial intelligence solutions company Brain Corp announced recently that Denver Public Schools has selected a series of BrainOS-powered robotics scrubbers to help keep its schools clean and sanitary. The self-driving floor cleaners were manufactured by the Tennant Company, and the school system said it hopes to make use of them to allow facility management employees more time to address other tasks.
New Construction
The new Wareham Elementary School in Wareham, Mass., is scheduled to open its doors to students in October, months ahead of its original projected opening in January 2022. Officials announced at a meeting in mid-June that construction was so ahead of schedule that the project was on track for completion by Sept. 15.
Campus Technology
Audio conferencing solutions company Nureva Inc. recently announced that it has added a Voice Amplification Mode to two of its audio conferencing systems. The addition to the HDL300 and Dual HDL300 systems will support both in-room amplification of the instructor’s voice as well as full-room pickup of other voices in the classroom for the sake of remote students.
New Construction
Officials from the Del Mar Union School District near San Diego, Calif., gathered at the end of June to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new elementary school. The June 24 event marked the first in-person event for district board and staff since the beginning of the COVID pandemic.