Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Examining Our Priorities

  • By Jerry Enderle
  • 03/01/19

When I was young, it was obvious to me that my parents, teachers, and the policymakers at all levels were making decisions based on creating a better future for their kids. Today, I wonder if children have that same confidence. Several school-related topics have made headlines in the past few weeks that, if they are dealt with correctly, could help build that confidence. Here are just two.

School Infrastructure

The recently proposed Rebuild America’s Schools Act, H.R. 865 (116), would create a $70-billion grant program and $30-billion tax credit bond program targeted at improving the physical and digital infrastructure at high-poverty schools. More than one in four of the nearly 100,000 public K-12 schools in the United States are in poor or unsatisfactory condition. Recent polls indicate that a majority of Americans strongly support investing more in public infrastructure. Public schools are the second largest sector of America’s infrastructure, after roads and highways. If legislation is passed to invest in infrastructure, public K-12 schools need to be a large part of that package. All students deserve decent schools.

School Safety

The Education Commission of the States researched K-12 school safety policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to provide a resource, entitled K-12 School Safety: State Profiles. This resource gives an overview of relevant laws in each state. You can view a specific state’s approach by going to the individual state profiles page at www.ecs.org. The report does not make judgment calls, but by reading it, you may come up with some new or better ideas.

Some see these as political issues. In my opinion, school infrastructure and school safety are problems that we need to solve. While there are political factors to be resolved as we work to find solutions, we should be putting more emphasis on doing whatever it takes to better serve our kids—like our parents did.

A Reminder

You can follow me on Twitter, @SPM_editor, and you are always welcome to contact me with your thoughts and ideas at [email protected].

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management March 2019 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • Houston K–12 District Opens New Elementary School

    The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (Lamar CISD) recently announced the completion of a new elementary school in a western suburb of Houston, Texas, according to a news release. Haygood Elementary School measures in at 110,000 square feet, has the capacity for 854 students, and is the first of three new schools scheduled to be built in the Cross Creek West community.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.