Campus Sustainability
The Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) in Long Beach, Calif., has announced that it will add solar canopies in 21 schools in an effort to meet sustainability goals. The solar canopy systems will be owned and operated by Standard Solar, Inc., a nationally recognized community solar assets solutions company.
Campus Renovation
The Board of School Directors for the Avon Grove School District in West Grove, Pa., recently approved contracts for a renovation project to convert a high school building into a middle school.
Campus Technology
Facility management application solutions provider MasterLibrary recently added a new product to its collection of K–12 solutions. ML Drawings, an interactive floor plan tool, lets users add building assets represented by digital icon stamps to digital floor plans of educational facilities.
Indoor Air Quality
The Indiana State School Bus Committee has approved the installation of ultraviolet light air purification systems on school buses statewide. The decision became final after the success of a trial program run in partnership with indoor air quality solutions provider Lumin-Air.
Campus Amenities
Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, Ky., has partnered with JCA Media to select LynTec, an electrical power control solutions manufacturer for professional audio, video and lighting (AVL) systems, to supply products for the university’s broadcast studios. Integration firm JCA Media has already installed LynTec’s lighting control panels in other buildings around campus.
Campus Amenities
Global technology company Pitney Bowes Inc. recently expanded its lockers portfolio with the debut of ParcelPoint Smart Lockers. The smart lockers offer a secure, contactless package delivery system ideal for high-volume environments like offices, government agencies and college campuses.
Campus Renovations
Last week, the University of Nebraska sold $345 million in municipal bonds to begin renovating and replacing aging campus facilities throughout the system. The university gained $400 million to begin addressing a backlog of projects at its Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney campuses, as well as the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, Neb.
Campus Amenities
Floor, furniture and surface protection solutions provider Expanded Technologies recently launched a line of antimicrobial felt for floor protectors. The felt—available as a premium upgrade across its Floor Savers, Floor Protectors, Formed Felt, replacement chair tips, and heavy duty felt pad products—was designed to prevent the spread of germs on surfaces like vinyl, LVT, tile, wood and marble.
Campus Amenities
Through the month of June, BenQ is offering schools an amazing deal. The visual display producer is selling the $4,999 Google Jamboard for $999, and it comes with a free license for Google Classroom, which the company valued at $600.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 05/28/21
Campus Sustainability
The Ecology School, a nonprofit education center in Maine, has received full "living building" certification from the International Living Future Institute, the first such location in the state to earn the credential. The certification is a continually evolving challenge with three tenets for buildings.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 05/28/21
Healthy Schools
When I decided to build a new facility from the ground up, I knew right away that I wanted students to have fun, comfortable, modular spaces to collaborate in. I had the chance to start from scratch and design the new facility exactly how we wanted it—from the foundation to the structure to the wall colors and furniture design.
New Construction
The Northside Independent School District (NISD) in San Antonio, Texas, announced this week that it has awarded a second project to Adolfson & Peterson Construction (AP) to replace Coke R. Stevenson Middle School’s current athletics facility.
New Construction
A new $48-million building on the campus of Ontario Tech University's north Oshawa campus will "respond" to sunlight and solar orientation. The project will deliver 80,000 square feet of new, technology-enhanced academic, administrative and student support spaces along with amenities and social spaces to the UOIT Academic Building.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 05/27/21
Adaptive Reuse
The University of Colorado announced that it is partnering with commercial real estate firm JLL for the sale of the CU South Denver facility in Lone Tree, Colorado.
Podcast
K–12 schools and colleges issue ID cards to students, faculty, staff, and sometimes even visitors to campus. The logistics of creating and printing these cards—especially Smart Cards with technical capabilities—are more complicated than you might think. Sponsored by HID Global.
New Construction
Georgia Southern University announced this week that JE Dunn Construction has completed construction on the university’s new Engineering and Research Building. The $60 million project was funded by the state of Georgia and serves as the new home for the College of Engineering and Computing.
Campus Sustainability
This week, lighting solutions company MaxLite announced the launch of its FlatMax LED Flat Panels featuring field-installable controls as well as field-selectable CCT (color-correlated temperatures) and wattages. The panels serve as a flexible, future-ready product for schools, offices, healthcare facilities, and more.
New Construction
SchenkelShultz Architecture announced this week that construction of the Middle-High School at the P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School in Gainesville, Fla., is complete. The public, K–12 school was designed to meet the LEED Gold Certification standard as set by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Campus Amenities
Low voltage power solutions company Voltek Systems Inc. was featured in a recent episode of the popular home remodeling YouTube series "The Build Show." Host Matt Risinger discussed the installation of low-voltage wired and powered USB outlets that can power devices like smartphones and laptops without the use of a bulky charging brick.
Indoor Air Quality
One of the most impactful and comprehensive ways these schools are earning trust as they reopen is by implementing HVAC solutions and clean air strategies. By integrating time-tested, scientifically-proven clean air strategies into existing infrastructure, school leaders can create highly connected facilities that deliver long-term resiliency, sustainability and productivity.
COVID-19 and Schools
On Tuesday, May 18, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order banning government entities in the state—including county, city, and public health authorities—from requiring face masks. The order takes effect on May 21 and carries a fine of up to $1,000. The order specified that, effective June 5, public schools are also prohibited from instituting mask mandates.