The Jefferson Parish school board surprised many families in 2023 when it announced a restructuring plan due to declining enrollment and aging buildings. Several schools would be shut down, students would be sent to new campuses and a few new schools would be built.

Three years later, many of the plans have come to pass. Thousands of students were impacted when the district shuttered six of its schools, mostly on the parish’s West Bank. Most kids were sent to 12 other area schools, while two schools were moved into new buildings. A seventh school is set to shut down at the end of this school year.

As broad as the district’s downsizing has been, it could be just the start. In recent weeks, board members have warned that more closures will be necessary as the district continues to lose students, with enrollment dropping from 50,500 in 2018 to around 45,000 last year. 

Ten years ago, a big crowd of Detroit teachers and their supporters marched down Jefferson Avenue toward Cobo Hall, where the annual auto show was being held, to draw national attention to the substandard conditions inside city schools.

The Detroit Federation of Teachers timed another rally later that afternoon outside Cobo (now Huntington Place) to coincide with the arrival of President Barack Obama at the auto show, whose appearance drew journalists from across the country.

The protests on Jan. 20, 2016, which closed most schools that Friday, produced stunning headlines that explained why teachers in Detroit Public Schools had called in sick en masse multiple times in that month.

“Rats, roaches, mold – poor conditions lead to teacher sick-out, closure of most Detroit schools,” a Washington Post headline said. “These Photos Will Make You Understand Detroit’s Education Crisis,” a HuffPost headline read. “How Detroit’s teacher ‘sickout’ cast a spotlight on unsafe school conditions,” was a Guardian headline.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — Cumberland County Schools is considering possibly closing eight schools as part of a long-term effort to address aging buildings and rising repair costs across the district.

The discussion follows an independent school consolidation and redistricting study completed last year by MGT of America Consulting, a third-party firm hired to evaluate building conditions, enrollment trends, capacity, and long-term maintenance needs.

According to the study, closing the eight schools could save the district an estimated $31 million in repair costs tied to the aging facilities.

The schools identified in the study include:

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Could crumbling schools across Virginia soon be getting the help they need? 

“We have schools that are over 100 years old, even, and what we’re worried about, the health of the student, not only mold and crumbling situations, but just the impact that it has, sitting in that classroom all day. We need to be able to do more to help localities that want to help themselves,” the bill’s author, Delegate Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke), told 8News. 

On Tuesday, Jan. 27, the Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill that would allow localities to impose an additional 1% sales tax if voters in the locality approve the increase via referendum, with the money going toward school construction and renovation. 

According to a 2021 state report, more than half of Virginia’s schools are more than 50 years old, and the cost to replace those schools is nearly $25 billion. 

During a Yelm Community Schools (YCS) Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, Jan. 22, Chris Woods, superintendent of YCS, told board members and those in attendance that the district will be looking to pay for some expenditures with money from its capital fund in order to stay on track, financially, in its general fund.

Woods, during the meeting, said that the district has continued to meet with the Educational Service District (ESD) and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) amidst financial troubles in YCS. He noted some of the meetings are formal check-ins on the district’s binding conditions, while others are informal meetings “in between.”

“A couple things we are going to do financially to help offset the deficit that we have this year, and also the deficit we have to account for next year — we have expenditures every year that could be expenditures paid for out of capital funds. Things typically around technology,” Woods said. “Now, the reason you wouldn’t do that on a regular basis is because capital funds don’t have revenue coming in on a regular basis. 

We asked, you answered, and the results are in! Last year, we put out a call for submissions to collect our readership’s opinion on trends and predictions for K–12 and higher education facilities in 2026. We received responses from professionals in both groups, ranging from educators to architects to construction management workers to providers of products and solutions; they provided opinions on the areas of focus that they think will rise to prominence this year.

From a sample size of 55 respondents, 21.82% were from architecture firms, 20% from products and solutions providers, 16.36% from four-year higher education institutions, 10.91% from PreK–12 schools, and 18% from “Other,” including nonprofit and federal workers. They were asked to select the top three “trends or areas of focus [that they] anticipate will impact education facilities the most in the coming year.” Their answers included:

PLATEAU VALLEY, Colo. (KJCT) — Plateau Valley School District opened its brand-new school building, which covers more than 250 students and serves students in Pre-K through 12th grade.

The new building holds the vast majority of students in the district, which is why the upgrade was important, officials said.

Superintendent Trevor Long said the district’s old school building served the district for 66 years, but it was no longer modern in terms of safety and technology.

Enhanced facilities and programs
“We did not have classrooms as we do now that are tailored to more of the career tech-ed side. We have a new STEM lab, a new STEM workshop that is in the building, rather than the old regular classroom that we had to makeshift and try to do those programs,” Long said. “We actually now have those facilities that service that, as well as a new ag shop that helps our kids develop some of the agriculture and the FFA interests that we really desire with our kids and our community.”

The state budget proposal released on Tuesday would allocate $4 million in fiscal year 2027 in state funding to replace the Brunswick High School building.
The Interagency Commission on School Construction said the project would receive that much because it will not begin construction next fiscal year. Frederick County Public Schools requested $4 million.
A second school construction project, which is a combined replacement building for Middletown Elementary and Middle schools, was allocated $24 million in the proposed budget.
On Jan. 8, Gov. Wes Moore announced $28 million in proposed school construction funding for Frederick County school projects at a news conference held at Frederick High School.
The Governor’s Office first told The Frederick News-Post on that day that the $28 million in funding would be split evenly: $14 million each to both the Brunswick and Middletown projects.
Alex Donahue, the executive director of the IAC, later clarified that since the Brunswick project will not begin construction in fiscal year 2027, and to accommodate Frederick County Public Schools’ specific project level requests, the project would only receive $4 million.
 

With the vast majority of K-12 students attending public schools, it’s crucial to continue expanding school choice in ways that benefit them. Since 2020, states have significantly expanded K-12 open enrollment laws, allowing students to attend public schools other than their assigned school. Eleven of the 17 states that strengthened their open enrollment programs in the past five years codified statewide programs so that all school districts must accept transfer applicants so long as seats are open in their grade level.

Strong open enrollment laws give students and their families agency in school selection, letting families choose other public schools when a student’s assigned school isn’t a good fit. Overall, these new open enrollment laws are a major victory for students, whose public school options are no longer limited by where they live.

However, a common weakness pervades these policies: States’ laws generally don’t include a standardized definition of “capacity.” This gives significant discretion to districts, letting them set inconsistent definitions of capacity that can unnecessarily limit options for families

(The Center Square) - William Penn School District led the charge of school districts, parents, and community organizations in a legal battle for education funding that lasted nearly a decade.

Thursday, House Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, met administrators and other elected officials at Penn Wood 9th Grade Academy to talk about the investments made in the district and education across the state.

“Notwithstanding all the walls we ran into in Harrisburg, called the Senate Republican Caucus, we have continued to fight every year since our chamber has flipped,” said McClinton. “Every year since we have been in leadership, you have seen more tax dollars finally returning to the William Penn School District.”

With extreme cold expected to overtake a large swath of the United States in the coming week, school districts are bracing for a fresh round of freezing temperatures, snow, and potential building closures.
Some areas of the Midwest, Great Lakes, and East Coast can expect up to a foot of snow, according to local forecasts.
Even for areas that aren’t blanketed with snow, cold could force students to stay home—an increasingly common phenomenon as aging national school infrastructure meets a changing climate increasingly dominated by extremes.
Meteorologists project some areas can expect “feels-like” temperatures to drop as low as minus 50 degrees in some areas of the eastern United States, and the National Weather Service warned on Wednesday that a “dangerously cold Arctic air front” will settle over most of the East Coast by Sunday.
The winter weather system could affect many schools well into next week.
It’s become commonplace for schools with inadequate or no cooling systems have to close when the weather gets too hot, which is happening both earlier in the spring and later in the fall—particularly interfering with the start and end of the school year.
But the other end of the temperature spectrum can also tax schools’ aging heating infrastructure.
 

Feedback period open for shaping high-quality and effective school facilities
The Ohio School Design Manual serves as the statewide guide for designing effective, efficient, and future-ready school facilities. Updated annually, it defines the spaces, systems, and standards required for state-funded classroom construction.

The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission is inviting feedback for the next edition from industry partners and stakeholders. Industry insight is essential to shaping a manual that supports high-quality learning environments across Ohio.

CHESTER – Chester ISD passed a bond election in May 2023 in the amount of $5,315.000. The district was subsequently awarded safety grants through the Texas Education Agency for $750K. The election bond narrowly passed by a vote of 159 for and 138 against.

Prior to the bond election, the district formed a long-range planning committee, made up of employees, parents, and taxpayers. The committee toured buildings and reviewed TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) and GLS facility assessments. The committee considered TASB’s finding that renovation would cost 160 percent more than demolition and new construction. The committee ultimately decided to move forward with the bond election. The board ordered the election in February 2023.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A school garden at Chollas Mead Elementary is transforming into something much bigger than flowers and vegetables — it's becoming a sanctuary for students and soon, an innovative outdoor classroom.
Tucked between the walls of the elementary school, the garden serves as more than just a learning space about plants and nature. For many students, it's become a place of comfort and peace.
"A really relaxing place because the garden is like my safe space," Amarie Angulo, a student gardener, said.
Arielle Angulo, another student, marveled at the unique setup, noting they had never seen a school "with a garden in the middle of it."
The garden's significance to students became clear in December when the school gave personalized rocks to student gardeners. The children placed their named rocks throughout the space, creating a sense of permanence and ownership in the garden.
 

Turner Construction, in partnership with Junior Achievement, opened the doors to give students a “behind-the-scenes” look at the project in December. As part of the capital improvements approved by Jamestown Public Schools voters in 2021, the JHS cafeteria has undergone a total metamorphosis since crews closed the space in the middle of the 2024-25 school year. As JHS students and staff have adapted to these temporary adjustments, the experience also provided students the opportunity to learn about the people behind the work: project managers, engineers, master tradespeople, and more.

Overflowing bathroom facilities and consistent mold problems are just a few of the issues making up Fairfax County Public Schools’ expansive maintenance backlog.

Maintenance and renovation needs were part of the Fairfax County School Board’s discussion of its latest draft Capital Improvement Program and a public hearing on Tuesday (Jan. 13).

The CIP, a six-year plan for capital projects, is approved on an annual basis, but funding is allocated only one year at a time. The plan covers fiscal year 2027, which starts July 1, through FY 2031.

A large portion of the program is driven by a renovation and maintenance backlog, which sits at $394.5 million. It’s expected to grow by $52.8 million next fiscal year and $237 million over the next five fiscal years.

Erik Gordon, chief of facilities services and capital programs for FCPS, said the school facilities are also being assessed by consulting firm AECOM for maintenance needs.

“I fully anticipate that that number will go up,” he said of the estimated maintenance needs.

About 60% of the current backlog is for updating heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, which also represent about 62% of the projected need over the next five years.

MURRAY, Ky. — In Murray, Kentucky, construction will soon begin on a new elementary school that educators say will accommodate more students while reflecting the history of the city’s school district.

Murray Independent Schools currently has 572 students, Principal Denise Whitaker said. Once construction is complete, she said the new building will have room for that many children, plus 150 more.

The additional space will come in handy, she said, as the school being built along Murray’s Wiswell Road and Doran Road will not only replace the current Murray Elementary School — which teaches students in kindergarten through third grade — but add fourth-grade classes as well.

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) presented the proposed 2027–31 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) during a School Board work session. The CIP outlines the division’s plans for future facility projects, including the construction of new schools, expansions and renovations to existing buildings, the installation of new features, and major maintenance and repair work.

One of the most significant considerations before the School Board is whether to move forward with construction of the previously planned 14th high school. Together, rising construction costs and declining enrollment provide important context as the School Board evaluates the 14th high school project within the division’s long-term planning and fiscal priorities.

Over the past year, the estimated cost of the project has increased from $223.8 million to approximately $352 million—an increase of $128.2 million. These cost changes, confirmed by three independent estimators, are the result of site conditions that require mitigation and increased labor costs.

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ - The Berkeley Heights Public School District is asking voters to approve funding for a district-wide facilities program through a referendum vote on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. This program includes capital renovations and classroom and core space upgrades across the district.

Planning for these improvements has been underway for several years. With current debt service payments from a prior referendum ending in March 2026, this is the right time for the community to vote on funding that would allow these long-needed projects to move forward and make them a reality. The proposed referendum will ensure vital facility upgrades and renovations that will create 21st-century facilities for our students.

Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Kim Feltre, shared, “When I joined the district last January, I was immediately met with needs that included emergency repairs for heating at Governor Livingston High School  and replacing a defunct alarm panel at Columbia Middle School. In touring the schools, holding community coffees, attending PTO meetings, and meeting with students and staff, the need to upgrade our academic facilities quickly became clear. These upgrades are critical to providing a safe, modern, and competitive education for our students.”

The Pacific Policy Research Center's audit of management and curriculum at the Guam Department of Education found infrastructure deficiencies, with many schools lacking in safety and security.

Though the audit of GDOE's curriculum and management has not been accepted or rejected by the Guam Education Board, the audit highlights that one of the systemic problems facing the department is a lack of ADA compliant facilities and "basic fire alarm suppression systems," tied to procurement challenges and inconsistent funding.

Independent auditors from the Pacific Policy Research Center emphasized that GDOE relies on "fire watch" staff as a "temporary" measure but called it "inadequate."

When asked, GDOE spokesperson Damen Michael Borja explained that fire suppression systems are only in "kitchens," while "fire alarms are placed everywhere else."

He contended that the fire suppression systems are in place but need an upgrade.

"Facilities and maintenance is currently working on a scope of work to upgrade the current system and will be putting together a bidding announcement soon," he said.