When the air conditioning broke in a Terrebonne Parish school, it sometimes got so hot that kids fainted or had asthma attacks, and the school had to call an ambulance.

More often, the school sent kids home early. In the best-case scenario, students packed into classrooms with working AC or relocated to the gym or cafeteria to escape the southeast Louisiana heat.

So when the school district got its final federal COVID relief package in 2021, school officials made fixing the AC a top priority. Nearly $23 million — more than 40% of the district’s aid allotment — went to replace the most dire HVAC systems in seven schools.

“It gives us the confidence that we’re not going to have to cancel school, the kids are not going to get sick,” Superintendent Bubba Orgeron said. “When it’s either too hot or too cold … kids are focused on that instead of learning.”

The Legislature announced today a $10 billion bond to pay for repairs and upgrades at thousands of K-12 school and community college buildings across California, some of which have languished for years with dry rot, mold, leaks and other hazards due to lack of funds. K-12 schools would get $8.5 billion and $1.5 billion would go to community colleges.

“This money is badly needed,” said Rebeca Andrade, superintendent of Salinas City Elementary District in Monterey County. “We don’t have the money to make the basic, structural repairs that are needed at every one of our schools. Students need safe spaces to learn if they’re going to reach their full potential.”

The agreement comes after months of wrangling by lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who had to choose between two competing school facilities bills – one that included public universities and one that didn’t. Assembly Bill 247, sponsored by Al Muratsuchi, a Democrat from Torrance, had the edge because it asked for less money and because public universities have their own means of raising funds. The bond needs a â…” approval majority in both houses and Newsom’s signature.

As California looks to improve its ability to capture and store stormwater throughout the state, there is at least one sizable public landowner that is exempt from such efforts: The Los Angeles Unified School District.

One of the largest real estate holders in the Greater L.A. area, the school district owns more than 3,200 parcels of land that occupy more than 10 square miles combined — an area almost twice the size of Beverly Hills.

Now, environmental groups are urging state water regulators to include the district’s K-12 campuses in updated stormwater regulations, saying that LAUSD could make a considerable contribution to reducing pollution and enhancing water supplies in the region.

“Schools have been unregulated for runoff pollution for far too long,” a coalition of local groups wrote in a recent letter to the State Water Resources Control Board. The groups include the Los Angeles Waterkeeper, Heal the Bay, the Nature Conservancy, the Natural Resources Defense Council and others.

When 14-year-old Catherine Paton arrived at Thursday Island from Canberra, she knew starting school afresh would be an adjustment. New peers, new teachers, new surroundings.

What she didn’t expect was classrooms with sagging roofs and holes in the walls, bathrooms filled with black mould, broken air conditioners and rusty desks.

“Most students at Tagai state college have only ever gone to schools in the Torres Strait, and have nothing to compare school facility standards to,” the year 8 student representative says. “But I do, and I know these facilities are disgraceful.”

New research from the Australian Education Union, provided exclusively to Guardian Australia, shows there has been a significant decline in the adequacy of public school facilities in the four years to 2024, with principals citing degrading bathrooms, school halls and science spaces as their biggest concerns.

Portland Public Schools has a $2.9 billion wish list for a proposed construction and maintenance bond it plans to put before voters in May.

That massive tranche of money would pay for new high schools in three quadrants of the city, plus deferred maintenance, new athletics facilities, updated curriculum materials and more.

Were the district to settle on that figure, it would be far and away the largest bond ask in Oregon history, nearly 2 ½ times the $1.2 billion that the district sought and won approval for in 2020.

By comparison, the San Francisco United School District, which enrolls about 6,000 more students than Portland, is seeking approval for a $790 million bond this November, while voters in Austin, Texas — a district nearly twice the size of Portland — passed a $2.4 billion bond in 2022.

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors today approved funding support for two government projects designed to help ensure safe and resilient schools as well strengthen economic recovery in the Philippines.

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved EUR 466.07 million (US$500 million) in funding for the Infrastructure for Safer and Resilient Schools Project, designed to support the resilient recovery of disaster-affected schools in selected regions of the country. Resilient recovery means improving schools’ abilities to continue its functions after being hit by natural disasters.

HARTFORD, CT – While the House added language banning school construction managers from bidding on subcontracts back into statute Thursday, leadership in the chamber thinks a solution to funding those projects still needs to be found.

Senate Bill 501 is full of different provisions, one of which revisited the decision by the General Assembly to remove language from the current statute preventing school construction project managers from bidding on subcontracts within the same project. That language had been removed as part of an omnibus bonding bill that was passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Ned Lamont.

That change would have gone into effect in October, but the two chambers decided to re-address the issue and add the language back during their special session this week.

House Majority Leader Jason Rojas said Thursday that there are two competing issues within the provision: policy and timing.

“Part of it is a timing issue,” Rojas said during a news conference before Thursday’s House session. “I think the policy issue can be revisited – probably will be in the next legislative session – to try to figure out, is there a way to save money here on a really significant cost to the state?”

More than 27,000 students are on their way to Southwest Florida’s largest school district.
District leaders came to that number in their ten-year student growth forecast, which has helped them decide how they will use your money for improvements and building new schools.
The east zone, Lehigh Acres, is seeing the most growth in the area, according to the school district, which is why they are looking to build 10 new schools, across all school levels, in this area under the proposal.
While kids are enjoying their summer break, the Lee County School District is hard at work. A new presentation, new numbers, and a new plan is being proposed.
Dr. Adam Molloy, the Director of Planning, Growth, and Capacity at the school district gave the presentation on Wednesday.
“The school district of Lee County is projected to have now 115,619 traditional K-12 students,” Molloy said.
“The accompanying graph shows student totals at 10-year intervals starting in 2003. Highlighting the significant population increase over the past decade, the school district of Lee County has experienced a compound annual growth rate of 1.61%. That translates to an average annual increase of 1328 students. If enrollment reaches 115,619 students as it’s projected by Davis Demographics, it will exceed our current students station capacity by 22,082 seats,” Molloy said.
The school district knows they have to do something soon. They said they are already at 94.3% of occupied seats and will not be able to keep up with the need.
 

WATERTOWN — Several north country school districts will benefit from low-cost tax-exempt bonds issued this month through the state Dormitory Authority.

The funding, announced Tuesday by Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul, supports projects that include such things as classroom additions and renovations, athletic field improvements, energy efficiency upgrades, safety enhancements, and technology updates to promote innovation and collaboration.

In each instance, voters in the school districts receiving the financing benefit have already approved spending the money to fund capital projects. The low-cost, tax-exempt bonds provide permanent, long-term, fixed-rate financing for the districts to refinance short-term debt associated with the capital projects.

PHOENIX — A Maricopa County Judge will soon determine whether the state makes it too difficult for school districts to obtain money for equipment, repairs and construction. That’s the allegation from plaintiffs in a major lawsuit that began seven years ago.  The judge’s decision could significantly change the way the state funds schools in the future.
An alliance of school administrators, teachers and school boards sued the state in 2017, accusing leaders of not providing a “general and uniform public school system” as required by the state constitution. The trial finally began earlier this month and is expected to wrap up this week.
"The state needs to provide enough funding so that all districts can do things for their kids that the wealthy districts can do now," said Danny Adelman, attorney for the plaintiffs.
 

The state will invest $160 million for school projects in six districts and $100 million in deferred maintenance and capital improvements in state buildings, according to the $1.1 billion capital budget introduced Monday.
The $160 million for school construction projects is the largest amount of money designated and will go to Smyrna, Red Clay, Colonial, New Castle County Vo-Tech, Polytech and Christina school districts. It represents the state’s share of construction after all six districts applied for the construction money, were approved and then had to get residents to vote for tax increases to pay the district share.
The capital budget includes investments in roadway enhancements, school construction, state building renovations, economic development initiatives, and various projects to protect Delaware’s natural resources.
House Bill 475, known as the Fiscal Year 2025 Bond Bill, is created by the Joint Capital Improvement Committee, a 12-member panel of legislators who draft the state’s capital spending plan.

Budget shortfalls and declining enrollment have driven a spate of recent school closures in Idaho — a trend that’s disproportionately impacting vulnerable student populations.

It seems to be an unintended consequence, as trustees are not closing schools based on a student body’s demographics, academic performance, income levels, or other such factors. Instead, they are taking into account a building’s location, condition, and enrollment numbers.

Even so, struggling students are most likely to be displaced. It’s unclear how closures will impact their education, as national and local experts have differing opinions. 

As more school leaders grapple with difficult financial decisions, they may be looking to this first wave for answers. 

In the past six months, at least seven school districts have announced or considered school closures. That’s just 6% of all traditional school districts statewide, but it’s an about-face from overcrowding issues that have plagued school districts like Idaho Falls and Middleton.

These communities are on the frontlines of budgetary woes that are increasingly impacting schools in Idaho — and nationwide — as leaders confront a fiscal cliff driven in part by expiring COVID dollars. 

Impassioned discussion surrounded a split Arlington School Board vote on Thursday to approve a $570 million Capital Improvement Plan for the next decade.

At issue in the 3-2 vote on the 2025-2034 CIP were disagreements over Arlington Public Schools debt service as well as a plan to relocate the Montessori Public School of Arlington (MPSA) to the current Career Center building.

Board members Miranda Turner and Mary Kadera cast dissenting votes. Other critics of the CIP include the Arlington County Council of PTAs, the current chair of the Joint Facilities Advisory Commission (JFAC), several former chairs of JFAC and four former chairs of the Facility Advisory Committee to the School Board.

School Board Chair Cristina Diaz-Torres defended the plan, which includes $302 million for long-range renovations, $120 million for major infrastructure projects, $73 million for construction of the Grace Hopper Center and $45 million for relocating MPSA. However, she reiterated concerns that APS lacks sufficient funding to meet community needs.

As state leaders prepare for an intense final week of trying to pass an on-time state budget, the status of Pennsylvania’s many aging and deteriorating school buildings remains a driver in the big-dollar negotiations.

The infrastructure question is linked to the outcome of a Democrat-driven proposal for a massive, $1 billion-plus increase in K-12 education spending, which was triggered by a court finding that the current basic education funding system is unconstitutional. That proposal has already been approved by the House. 

Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery and chairman of the House Basic Education Subcommittee, said final approval would have a ripple effect on infrastructure.

“It frees up other monies in the school districts that they can put into the buildings,” Mr. Ciresi said.

At the same time, Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, has proposed a separate $300 million for school environmental repairs. Top lawmakers from both parties agree it is worth considering some repair money this year — following a total allocation of $175 million last year — to help with things such as asbestos abatement and furnace replacement.

The Guam Department of Education is making progress in reducing the heat in classrooms across the district, GDOE Superintendent Kenneth Erik Swanson said, but there continues to be an issue with funding for lease maintenance support.

The superintendent reported to the Guam Education Board last week that 1,111 air-conditioning units have been installed.

“(The) contractor has begun the second round of installations for classrooms that require two split units. Some new units have begun failing, and the contractor is repairing or replacing (them) under the terms of the contract. The installation contract should be complete across the system by the beginning of the next school year, with two years of warranty service to follow installation of new units. Each school has identified units that are failing and were not considered in the initial contract for replacement. (Capital improvement projects) estimates an added 300 units will require a new procurement process to replace,” Swanson reported.

Behind the joint campus of Western Greenbrier Middle School and Rupert Elementary School, engineers with CMTA have transformed once-empty fields into renewable energy sources. A solar array nearly the size of a football field sits directly beside 81 geothermal wells which are all around 500 feet deep. And that’s just the beginning. 

“This project touches every school in Greenbrier County,” says Jason Tyler, Construction Manager for CMTA. “We’re really proud to be part of it.” 

In total, Greenbrier County Schools (GCS) is spending $14 million on the comprehensive energy savings project. They will receive a $2 million credit as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and will save $500,000 annually on their utility bills. 

In the coming days, Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to confirm his commitment to place a state school construction bond on the November ballot.

What he hasn’t committed to yet — but must decide in the next 10 days — is whether to reform a method of sharing state matching money that has long favored property-rich districts over their property-poor neighbors.

Along with a June 27 deadline to write ballot language, Newsom and legislative leaders face the threat of a lawsuit challenging the legality of the present system that ignores vast inequalities in districts’ ability to upgrade and repair schools. The public interest law firm Public Advocates filed its warning, a 21-page demand letter, with state officials in February. Public Advocates is calling for a new method that shares more state bond proceeds with districts that need more help. Their proposal focuses only on repairing and renovating facilities, not new construction. 

The possibility of litigation drawing attention to funding inequalities would endanger the chances that a bond would pass — just when the state will run out of distributing the last matching money from the last bond, eight years ago. That would leave the state with no funding to help districts meet the rising cost of school construction.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — State officials are blasting Providence Mayor Brett Smiley’s administration for allegedly mismanaging major school construction projects and potentially jeopardizing millions of dollars in funding.
In a scathing letter obtained by Target 12, R.I. Department of Education chief operating officer Mario Carreño told Smiley: “RIDE is deeply concerned by the city’s inability to properly track and manage facilities funds, anticipate cash flow, and pay vendors in a timely manner for several of the school constructions projects underway.”
Carreño put the blame squarely on Providence’s Public Property Office, which he said has had 10 different directors over the last six years, a period that stretches back into Jorge Elorza’s administration.
The office “seems unqualified to manage these critical projects,” he wrote.
The letter ticks off a variety of accounting issues that RIDE has seen in Providence, from rapid shifts in project budgets to questionable requests for reimbursement. Carreño warned that the city is now at risk of losing over $8 million in state funds that expire at the end of this month, despite being urged repeatedly to claim the money.
Additionally, Carreño said due to the failure to complete projects at Classical High School and Pleasant View Elementary School by June 30, the city stands to lose $7 million in housing aid reimbursements included in the mayor’s most recent budget proposal.
 

Connecticut lawmakers will attempt to rescind a recently-enacted change to contracting rules surrounding school construction following pushback from Gov. Ned Lamont, legislative leaders said Monday. 
The governor and lawmakers are currently negotiating the agenda for a two-day session beginning June 26, which they mostly agree will focus on technical fixes to banking regulations and the assessment of local car taxes.
Among the items being pushed by Lamont is the repeal of a new law allowing construction managers on state-funded school construction projects to bid and perform work on smaller subcontracts that they are supposed to be overseeing. 
 

WASHINGTON — One D.C. leader wants answers about a construction project that could mean no outdoor green space for students for years. 
D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) has plans to establish a "swing space" for Drew Elementary School during planned renovations. A swing space is a series of trailers meant to house the entire school while construction takes place.
That swing space is planned to be in the field outside JC Nalle Elementary School.
After WUSA9's reporting on parents whose children attend Nalle Elementary, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson is calling for more clarity surrounding the DCPS plan.
He sent a letter DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee demanding answers and strongly encouraging a pause on the project and construction.
"This loss is unacceptable and the lack of notice to the community is worse," Mendelson said in the letter.