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

  • concentric silhouettes of a human head

    How Physical Space Shapes the Mind: Designing for Better Learning Outcomes

    Research in environmental psychology and neuroscience increasingly suggests that the way a room is designed can influence memory, focus, or even a student's sense of belonging.

  • El Paso District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The Canutillo Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, recently announced that construction has begun on a 119,000-square-foot elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Pfluger Architects, Carl Daniel Architects, and LDCM Solutions on the new Davenport Elementary School, which has an expected completion date of 2027.

  • University of Kentucky Receives $150M Gift Toward New Arts District

    The University of Kentucky’s Board of Trustees recently received a $150-million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation, according to a university news release, to build a new arts district on the campus in Lexington, Ky. The new district will feature a new College of Fine Arts building and a multi-hundred-seat theater, among other amenities.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part II

    As education leaders look toward 2026, the design of K–12 and higher education facilities is being reshaped by powerful, converging forces. Survey respondents point to the rapid growth of Career and Technical Education, deeper alignment with workforce and industry needs, and the accelerating influence of AI and emerging technologies.

Digital Edition