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New Schools, Old Schools, Safe Schools

  • By Jerry Enderle
  • 06/01/17

GROUNDBREAKING NEWS

As I was working on the News & Views section of this issue, I noticed that I had about nine press releases or articles about groundbreaking ceremonies for PK-12 facilities. (In fact, two more came in while I was finishing this column.) Unfortunately, we did not have enough space to publish every one of them. My point is this: If my memory serves me correctly, it has been nearly 10 years since I have had the problem of not enough space to publish news about project starts. Is this an indication of an increase in school construction projects or simply a coincidence that all of the groundbreaking news came in the same few weeks this year? Let’s hope it is the former and not the latter.

Taking Care of What We Have — The U.S. Department of Education estimates that the average school building in our country is 44 years old. Our cover story focuses on one of those schools, and how, through a modernization project, the facility has not only been brought up to 21stcentury standards, but it now has an extended lifespan of 30 to 50 years and the revitalization of the school has renewed the spirit of its community.

The Education Budget — In this month’s Washington Update column, Fritz Edelstein provides details and some clarification concerning education and related funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017. This column is a very abbreviated version of his Washington Update that ran in our Facilities & Design Newsletter a couple of weeks ago. You can access that version on our website, webSPM.com.

Safe & Secure — The special section in this issue focuses on keeping our schools safe and secure. Mike Dorn writes about how building design and the use of smart technology can help prevent instances of sexual abuse and molestation. The second article in the section, written by two architects from Bailey Edwards, give examples of how they used design elements, during a facility conversion, to create a more secure environment.

A Reminder — Our next issue is dated July/August, so you won’t receive another issue of School Planning & Management until August.

Enjoy your summer.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

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    The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Penn., recently finished construction on an 11,800-square-foot veterinary education building, according to a news release. The Gail P. Riepe Center for Advanced Veterinary Education is the first dedicated classroom facility at the New Bolton Center, a large-animal hospital and campus about 35 miles west of the campus proper.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • Montclair State University Debuts New VR Facility

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently announced the completion of a new virtual reality learning facility developed in partnership with Dreamscape Learn, according to a news release. The 2,450-square-foot lab space is inside the College of Communication and Media building and will serve students pursuing careers in digital media, virtual reality, and content creation.

  • Tomball ISD Opens New Tomball West High School

    Tomball Independent School District in Tomball, Texas, recently celebrated the official opening of Tomball West High School, the district's third comprehensive high school, with a community ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to a district news release.