21st Century School Fund and Center for Cities and Schools Release for Web Tool for Joint Use

School Facilities Cost Calculator: A Joint-Use Tool for Fair Fees

The joint use of public school facilities offers educational, economic, and environmental benefits for both schools and communities. But determining the real costs of owning and operating facilities and creating a fair fee structure that covers those costs can be a challenge for districts.

The School Facilities Cost Calculator: A Joint-Use Tool for Fair Fees provides step-by-step guidance in crafting effective, transparent joint-use fees based on district policy. The calculator is available as a web-based tool or as an excel spreadsheet format. This easy-to-use, adaptable calculator helps school system leaders:

1) Identify all facility-related expenditures in their district
2) Calculate the full cost of ownership on a per-square-foot and per-hour basis
3) Formulate a multi-tiered fee structure for different types of community users

The web-based version of the calculator is preloaded with rich data from 15,000 school districts around the country. And you can save your session.

For more information, and to use the calculator, visit, www.bestschoolfacilities.org/jointusecalc.

Featured

  • S4L Announces 2026 Education Design Showcase Winners

    Spaces4Learning is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Education Design Showcase! Now in its 27th year, the annual awards program honors innovative solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction across K–12 and higher education.

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.

  • Designing the Bridge Between Inclusivity and Independence in K–12 Schools

    Fostering independence is fundamental to learning and development for K–12 students. It offers many proven benefits, such as enhanced confidence, problem-solving, decision-making, and social skills. However, this foundational objective loses its impact if it’s not accessible and adaptable to all students. Inclusivity plays a critical role in cultivating independence and healthy autonomy for students, fostering positive student learning outcomes by uniting pedagogy with the physical learning environment.

  • Purdue Fort Wayne Opens New Student Housing Complex

    Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW) in Fort Wayne, Ind., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new, 600-bed student housing complex on campus, according to a news release.