On Sept. 18, 2008 the U.S. House of Representatives passed The No Child Left Inside Act of 2008, H.R. 3036, which was sponsored by John P. Sarbanes (D-MD) and co-sponsored by 64 others. The act is intended to support local and statewide efforts to expand
Schools across America are facing tight budgets, with escalating energy bills a substantial factor in these budgets. Boilers account for one-third of those energy bills. Older boilers typically have efficiency rates up to 77 percent, but with the retrofit
Floor covering in schools continues to generate discussion as to what may be best suited for students susceptible to respiratory challenges. Recognizing the trend toward dwindling budgets being allocated to school maintenance and operations, floor coverin
If you spend a few minutes observing the advertisements in any of today's media forums, you'll surely witness the touting of a product being new and better. But is new always better? When it comes to aging windows, new replacements don't al
Planning, designing, and constructing a new school are formidable tasks. Garnering the necessary support to fund these projects may be an even bigger task. What can districts do to improve their chances of success? Make sure that ALL stakeholders are invo
Fraud happens. Sometimes it's big and involves business relationships outside the organization; other times it's small and deeply hidden within the detailed processes of the daily operations. The areas of risk for fraud are diverse, and it most
A more recent hot topic in the school security is "integration." Just consult Google, and you will find that the term "security integration" brings approximately 19,700,000 results! Why such a popular topic? Integration seeks to bridge
The idea of using natural landscaping has been evolving in the corporate and even college campus development industries for the last five to 10 years as companies and institutions have discovered that a native landscape can be attractive while also reinfo
As technology becomes more important in K-12 education, you're not only planning for the needs of today, but also trying to predict the needs of tomorrow. The days are long gone when "technology in the schools" meant a few computers in the
There is no question that the current gas crisis of 2008 will also have an effect on the economy, school budgets, operations, and design. If I had one wish, it would be that we learned from our past. Hopefully, this time we will do more than come up with
Election season is in full swing, with party conventions around the corner and nightly news analysis of the candidates' talking points. While being an informed voter is easier than before with instant access to information through the Internet, often
Gone are the days of independent study with a stack of books and a librarian who glares if you sneeze and hushes if you read out loud to yourself. Those days have been replaced with both small- and large-group collaboration and research from both books an
Periodic incidents remind us how important school access control is. Are your schools ready for a visit by an individual who intends harm? Meaningful access control is within reach for any K-12 school, though it is more difficult for some schools than fo
Lighting renovations are usually part of an overhaul of a school district's overall energy profile. While the savings available from lighting retrofits is generally small, the payback is fast, usually six to 10 years. By comparison, new energy-effici
Students regularly come to school on Mondays following a weekend, or Tuesdays after a national holiday, or any day of the week when a winter, spring, or summer vacation ends. We concentrate on the first day of school with fervor, programs, and excitement.
The EPA's HealthySEAT software enables districts to track and manage information on environmental conditions in each school.
The lack of priority that many districts place on maintenance has far reaching effects. The obvious is the deterioration of our buildings and equipment, or the voiding of warranties. The less obvious is the negative effect of building conditions on studen
When reviewing your school district's emergency preparedness plans, how do you evaluate the component that ensures the survival of your information technology (IT) networks? What do you look for? What threats must you prepare today with? How do you s
When it comes to roofing purchases, school administrators typically have two things to protect: the building envelope and the taxpayer pocketbook. The good news is that, for schools throughout the country, new delivery options are streamlining the roof pr
Enrollment in Baldwin County Public Schools is increasing. Along with this growth is a demand to produce a more skilled workforce. While there was agreement about a commitment to student achievement and the need to more tightly integrate career technical