News items come from the U.S. Department of Educations's National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF).

Board votes to close two elementary schools
-- Carlos Illescas, Denver Post

Colorado: November 14, 2008 -- Despite the impassioned pleas of parents, teachers and community members, the Littleton school board voted early today to close two elementary schools. Board members said that with a projected $4 million budget shortfall for next school year, they had no other choice. "As painful as it is," said board member Lucie Stanish, "I think if we put this off, the decision is going to be the same." About 150 people showed up at Thursday night's meeting to beg, cry and intimidate the school board into not shuttering Ames and Whitman elementary schools because of low enrollment. They asked the board for a 90-day stay while officials and parents at both schools decide how to increase their student populations. One by one, about 80 people spoke out against the closures. "My education is deeply rooted in this community and in this school," said Kyle Mosher, a pilot who attended Ames as a child. Last week, the school board sent letters to parents telling them of its plans to close the two schools. The district plans to put other programs in the closed schools, but what they would become has not been decided. Dana Quick called closing the schools a "poor decision." Debbie O'Hara, a first-grade teacher at Ames, said that teachers are taking the apparent closings extremely hard and that entire communities would suffer. Teachers at Ames and Whitman would be dispersed to other schools, but some worried that teachers without tenure would be laid off. Earlier in the week, school board president Bob Colwell told The Denver Post that the schools' enrollment didn't justify keeping them open. Ames, while one of the district's best- performing elementary schools, is at 49 percent capacity, while Whitman is at 64 percent.

Board assesses school facilities
-- David Harrison, Roanoke Times

Virginia: November 13, 2008 -- Roanoke school officials are taking a hard look at school buildings, aiming to reduce the amount of money they spend on facilities at a time when school enrollment is roughly 900 students lower than it was 10 years ago. Board members have talked for years about reorganizing the school district and, possibly, closing or consolidating schools, but have deferred the issue until now. The first step in this process will be a pair of public meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, at which school officials will present information on the state of the district's facilities. Wednesday's meeting will be at Patrick Henry High School; Thursday's will be at the Roanoke Academy for Mathematics and Science. "It's just meant to be a first step to help educate folks in what we face," said Roanoke School Board member Courtney Penn. Officials stressed they have not made any decisions about the future of the school system's buildings. School board Chairman David Carson said the board is looking to make decisions by the end of the school year. Officials will likely hold another series of community meetings on the issue in December. At stake are decisions that could radically redraw the shape of the system. With 28 regular schools and two alternative programs for 12,489 students, officials say it's time to decide how schools should look in the future. Board members have already suggested the possibility of setting a minimum number of students per school at 350. This year, 14 schools have fewer than 350 students, and eight schools have fewer than 250. A recent study said that number is likely to grow from eight to 12 by 2012.

3 School Projects OK'd in Annapolis, Maryland After Contentious Debate
-- Nicole Fuller, Baltimore Sun

Maryland: November 13, 2008 -- The county school board has approved projects for three Annapolis schools totaling about $62 million. Though the board considered less expensive alternatives because of expected county and state budget shortfalls, the board voted overwhelmingly for the recommendations made by Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell to renovate Annapolis Elementary and the current site of Germantown Elementary - which would become the new home of the Phoenix Center - and to construct a new building for Germantown. The vote came after a debate that touched on issues including the struggles of urban schools and the school system's funding of schools with high minority populations versus schools in wealthier and overwhelmingly white communities in the county. The president of the county teachers union chastised board members for what he said was favoritism toward schools with majority white populations. "If the kids happen to be brown or black, or if their last names end in a vowel, we seem to have a problem," Tim Mennutti, the teachers union president told the board. Board member Eugene Peterson, who voted against the renovation projects, rejected that contention. But he said that expectations among parents for renovation projects are too high, and that people need to realize that the board is constrained by budgetary realitie.

Newark School Gets Another Chance to Grow
-- Gregory C. Washington, Star-Ledger

New Jersey: November 13, 2008 -- In 2000, the State of New Jersey passed legislation for a school construction program designed to decrease the disparity between school buildings in wealthy and needy districts. Gladys Hillman-Jones School, a small middle school at 24 Crane St., in the shadow of a high-rise apartment near Route 280, was on that list of needy schools. The existing 91,836 square feet of space was no longer adequate to educate the students who used it. The plan to upgrade the school called for expansion, which first required demolition of the abandoned buildings behind the school that faced Seventh Avenue. When the project started, the school had already begun its transformation, going from a middle school to Barringer Ninth Grade Academy. All seemed well for the school on Crane Street, and then the School Construction Corp. disintegrated in 2005, freezing school construction throughout the state. That frost officially touched Barringer Nine in April of 2007, leaving the empty lot behind it untouched for over a year. On July 9, 2008, Gov. Jon Corzine signed a bill releasing $3.9 billion in state financing toward the construction of schools, putting Barringer Nine back on track. With money in the coffers, the school can begin to construct a new gymnasium, which will replace the current gym on the fourth floor. When finished, the basketball team will have a true home-court, complete with space for spectators to cheer for them. The team, and the students who take physical education, will also have locker rooms to change in, showers to freshen up in and enough space for larger phys-ed classes. Once that portion is completed, the old gym will become the new media center -- complete with computers, cameras, television screens, and recording devices to sharpen student's media savvy. "It allows us to deliver the curriculum in a better way, and the students will be more computer-literate," Donna Marable, principal, said.

New middle school project gets underway again
-- Sara Sedlacek, West Liberty Index

Iowa: November 12, 2008 -- After a bump in the road, or rather, a hole in the ground threw crews off schedule, the school renovation and building project is back on track. Two weeks ago, construction site manager Brian Mumby brought bad news to the West Liberty Community School District Board of Education. At a special meeting of the school board, Mumby explained, as crews began digging at the site of the new middle school, they uncovered the remains of the old high school. When the school was demolished in 2005, it was left in a hole at the site. The hole contained several tons of concrete, lockers, conduit and the gym floor still intact. Mumby told the board it would have to fork out yet another chunk of change to pay for the removal of the debris and it would have to do it quickly in order to keep the project moving. Mumby told the board he would get a cost estimate for the removal of the debris and bring it back to them as soon as possible. Last Monday, Nov. 3, the board heard back from Mumby and received figures for the removal of the debris. According to figures presented by Mumby, the cost to remove the debris will be $289,745. Since the board decided to cancel the geopiers and go back to a basement foundation, the old footings would have to be removed and new footings would have to be put in place. The new footings will cost of $4,940. The cancellation of the geopiers will give the board $125,270 back. The estimated cost to remove the debris, old footings, foundations and the gym floor will cost $285 per load. Mumby estimated it would take 570 loads, totalling $162,450. To remove the rest of the waste material, it will cost the board $385 per load and Mumby estimated it would take 125 loads, totalling $48,125. Filling the hole is going to cost $14 per yard and, with an estimated 5,000 yards, it will cost $70,000. The remaining rubble will be crushed into fill and placed somewhere on school grounds for future use. Mumby estimated the 6,800 tons of rubble will cost roughly $68,000 to crush. The rest of the $289,745 comes from landfill fees. The landfill charges $41 per ton and, with 1500 tons of trash, the landfill fee will come to a whopping total of $61,500.

Exeter School Board agrees to buy land for school
-- Carole Duran, Reading Eagle

Pennsylvania: November 12, 2008 -- The Exeter School District's more than two-year search for a new school site ended Tuesday night when the school board voted 6-3 to purchase 92 acres for $3,950,000. The tract in the 4000 block of Boyertown Pike, across from Saint Catharine of Siena Church, is owned by developer Walter T. Greth, who had proposed a 40-home subdivision called Amber Hill for the site. District officials said their plans call for two schools, starting with a long-delayed elementary. Board President Jack A. Linton and members Russell J. Diesinger and Dr. David S. Bender voted against the acquisition. Linton said, "I'm not happy with some of the contract terms." One of those terms requires the district to pay a $25,000 monthly penalty for up to five months if it doesn't buy the land by June 30. Linton said, "We'll settle before that, but I don't like the idea of possibly being fined $125,000." The decision to buy the property following a closed-door executive session to discuss the deal and plans for the site. Before the executive session, Lausch Elementary Principal Joseph J. Schlaffer reminded the board of the problems over-crowding is causing for the district, including having to teach some students at his school in modular classrooms.

Panel wants to save old school
-- BECKY SHAY, Billings Gazette

Montana: November 12, 2008 -- The Broadwater Elementary task force got a clear mandate this week: Save the old school. About 40 people attended the task force's first neighborhood meeting Monday, and the majority made it clear that they love their 100-year-old school. Tami O'Neill, whose two sons attend Broadwater, said the school is a neighborhood center that needs to be maintained. O'Neill admitted that she is sentimental and has raised her sons to be the same way. She said the last thing her son said to her as she left for the meeting was "Please don't let them tear it down." Staff from CTA Architects explained several options for adding buildings on the school site at 415 Broadwater Ave. "We're totally open to any options," said Keith Rupert from CTA. "We're here to do what is best for the community." The task force, in addition to groups for McKinley Elementary and a proposed new building, Cottonwood, were appointed by Billings School District 2 trustees to work with architects to develop plans and determine costs for the schools. Participants at the Broadwater meeting were asked to respond to five questions about the school, including what need to be preserved and what need to be changed. Each discussion came back to saving the old building. "The bottom line for me is, I love that old building, I want to preserve that old building," task force member Weldon Birdwell said. The school and its location have several drawbacks, the neighbors said, including limited parking and requiring children go between two buildings. School secretary Diann Kramer said the situation is unsafe for kids and time-consuming for adults who have to let them in locked doors. Jerry Hansen, who lives on the West End and is a vocal district watchdog, said he won't support a plan that doesn't include buying more land. Hansen suggested trying to buy commercial land to the west of the school. Parent Tom Hinthorne said a lot needs to be done inside the old school, which he called the "charm and character" of the neighborhood. But, he asked that outdoor space also be considered. Kids need room to play, and Hinthorne would like it to be away from busy Broadwater Avenue. "Either we acquire more property or we start burrowing underground" for educational space, he said.

Public school numbers still shrinking
-- Staff Writer, The Reporter

Wisconsin: November 12, 2008 -- For the fifth year in a row, student enrollment in public schools statewide has declined, adversely affecting already burdened school budgets that continue to climb. During the 2007-08 school year, statewide enrollment was 863,660, down 1.2 percent from its 2002-03 peak, according to SchoolFacts08, an annual publication of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance. School districts budgeted to spend about $9.94 billion that same year, or about $11,522 per student. Of that amount, about 58 percent went to instruction, according to the report. Oakfield School Superintendent Joe Heinzelman said because of his district's declining enrollment, a public referendum will be held in April asking voters to approve reducing school facilities. The consolidation plan calls for closing Belle Reynolds Elementary School and moving those students to classrooms within Oakfield Middle School. In a comparison of area school districts, Oakfield had the highest per pupil expenditure of $9,732. The comparison, done by WTA, subtracts transportation and long-term debt from the analysis to list only the amount school districts dedicate to educating a child. Key budget points But for a small district, those are key budget points that should figure into Oakfield's situation, Heinzelman said. "When you figure in total expenditures per student, we actually spend less (per student) than most of the other districts, except for Lomira. We've paid off all our debts early, and we are a small district so we don't have high transportation costs," he said. Since 1996, enrollment in the rural school district has dropped by 100 students, and predictions indicate those numbers will continue to decline. "Consolidating will save us $180,000 a year, and that's what we're trying to do. This year, we have 554 students, and we think it will level off to between 450 and 475 in the next five years," Heinzelman said.

Ohio Schools Take Security Seriously Including Cameras, Locked Doors, and Drills
-- Ginger Crish, Ashland Times-Gazette

Ohio: November 11, 2008 -- The days of wooden hall passes are obsolete, swapped for security cameras and locked doors, monitored building entrances and lockdown drills. School security has entered a new era as anxiety over safety has increased. Schools now are built with safety in mind and administrators have plans in place for emergency situations. Loudonville High School has even installed an access card system to quell security concerns. Each student and staff member uses an access card to enter buildings. District technology coordinator Leslie Kamenik said it was a challenge to figure out how to implement a security system at the four-building campus because there were so many points of entry. "It's been a good move," LHS Principal Ben Blubaugh said. "It's making the campus more secure." Montgomery Elementary Principal Julie Petruna said all Ashland City Schools are now locked throughout the school day and use a video camera buzzer system to allow entry. At Montgomery, visitors are required to sign in and wear visitor badges. And the school also fenced its playground to prevent pedestrian access. "I think the best part about it is everyone just feels a little safer, whether it's parents, students or staff," Montgomery Elementary Principal Julie Petruna said. "I believe that we're much safer now than we were just a few years ago," Lincoln Elementary Principal Steve McDonnell said. McDonnell said the district's safety drills and intruder drills, which are coordinated with the local police department, are "all in response to the Columbine era." McDonnell said Lincoln now has gates on its playground and has modified student pick-up procedures to enhance safety. Capt. Carl Richert of the Sheriff's Office said the office does a safety program at each school in the county.

Texas School District Remedies Soaring Energy Costs and Aging Infrastructure
-- Staff Writer, PR Newswire

Texas: November 11, 2008 -- Ferris Independent School District recently completed renovations aimed at increasing energy efficiency and indoor air quality while creating a high-performance learning environment at Ferris Junior High School, Ferris Intermediate School, the Ingram and McDonald Elementary Schools and the district maintenance facility. Additionally, the district built a new high performance high school to accommodate the district's growing student population. The renovations and new facility make the district one of the most energy efficient and healthy in Texas. Until renovations commenced in February 2007, the Texas school district faced rising energy and maintenance costs, inconsistent lighting conditions and dated mechanical equipment. Ferris Junior High School, built in 1985, and Ingram Elementary, built in 1972, represent the district's oldest facilities. Some classrooms were below IES (Illuminating Engineering Society) standards for light levels in classroom spaces. Ferris Junior High School was the district's high school until the renovations and new building were complete. Outdated and inefficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment (HVAC) resulted in high energy usage, excessive maintenance costs and unreliable operation. Further, the HVAC systems in these schools lacked programmability, allowing limited or uncontrolled building operations for temperatures and ventilation. Without programmable capability of these systems, the buildings were heated and cooled whether they were occupied or not. This was a huge waste of energy, not to mention taxpayer dollars. "These renovations and our new high school have reduced our costs and helped us be better stewards of the environment," said Bodine. "Just as important, we've provided our students and staff with an optimal learning environment. This award is confirmation that we're on the right path for everyone in the school district."

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