Why Schools Are Designing for Durability
-- School Construction News National: 08/10/2026 [ abstract]
When a new school opens or a major renovation is completed, success is often measured by whether the project was delivered on time, on budget, and ready for occupancy. Those milestones matter. But for facility leaders, another question quickly follows: How will this building perform five, 10, or 20 years from now?
-- Kirk Gruben
Virginia communities race to get 1% sales tax for school construction on the ballot
-- Cardinal News U.S. Virgin Islands: 08/10/2026 [ abstract]
For years, it rained inside Prince Edward Elementary School. Photographs show the large plastic buckets and trash bins teachers and school staff would set out on rainy days to catch the water seeping through the ceiling and dampening walls. By 2022, at least three rooms in the part of the school built in the 1980s had been rendered unusable due to water damage and mildew. 
-- Meghan Mangrum
$1.51B Dearborn bond proposal aims to replace or remodel every district school over 20 years
-- Michigan Public Michigan: 08/08/2026 [ abstract]
Dearborn Public Schools officially launched an informational campaign for a historic $1.51 billion bond proposal that will appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot. The proposal lays out a 20-year plan to replace or renovate every single school in the district all without raising the overall property tax rate for Dearborn homeowners. Homeowners in the small portion of Dearborn Heights served by Dearborn Public Schools will see a slight tax increase.
-- Zena Issa
Nearly 1,900 U.S. Public Schools Within a Mile of a Data Center
-- The 74 Georgia: 08/06/2026 [ abstract]
NEWNAN, Ga. — Arnco-Sargent Elementary sits in a wooded area on a two-lane road about 50 miles south of Atlanta. Across the street is a child care center. A Baptist church is less than a mile away. But if developers get their way, the school’s newest neighbor could be a sprawling data center campus housing the networking infrastructure needed to help power Americans’ reliance on the internet, and increasingly, artificial intelligence.
-- Linda Jacobson
School bonds for security: More Nebraska districts seek to harden building, classroom entrances
-- Nebraska Public Media Nebraska: 08/05/2026 [ abstract]
The Norris School District is a 270-acre campus about 12 miles south of Lincoln. Tucked in between some agricultural land are the district’s four buildings — an elementary, intermediate, middle and high school — along with a district office housed in the high school. When visitors walk up to any of the main entrances, they step through a first set of doors and then hit a button to buzz into the second set. An office worker will speak through the intercom to verify who is there and why. Then they meet another set of doors by the central office.
-- Jolie Peal
Before Technology: Why School Security Must Start with the Fundamentals
-- Security Info Watch National: 08/05/2026 [ abstract]
Key Highlights School violence has significantly altered perceptions and realities of safety, victimizing the entire education system.
Effective classroom door security, including proper hardware and locking mechanisms, is a proven foundational safety measure.
Many U.S. schools, especially older buildings, lack doors that meet current security standards, creating vulnerabilities.
Legislative mandates often focus on technology, like alarms and weapons detection, neglecting the importance of physical infrastructure.
A one-size-fits-all approach to school security is ineffective; strategies must be tailored to each school's unique conditions and risks.
-- Guy Bliesner
Birmingham City Council approves $45 million for career center, schools and student programs
-- Alabama Political Reporter Alabama: 08/05/2026 [ abstract]
The Birmingham City Council has approved more than $45 million for school facilities and student programs, including a new career training center, athletic facility upgrades, financial literacy education, and improvements to an early childhood campus.
-- Mary Claire Wooten
New Schools For Long Island City
-- Gazette New York: 08/05/2026 [ abstract]
The New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) announced recently that plans are underway for the development of three new schools in Long Island City, including one in Dutch Kills and one near Queensbridge Houses. The SCA said it has reached initial agreements to acquire sites for the new schools, the first major development in the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan. OneLIC was approved unanimously by the City Council in November.
-- Liz Goff
9 million U.S. students lost school time for weather in the 2024-2025 school year
-- UNDRR National: 08/05/2026 [ abstract]
Climate change is increasingly disrupting kids’ education. When extreme weather hits, schools often close for kids’ safety. Hurricanes, floods, storms, snow, freezing cold, and wildfire smoke can all prompt schools to shut their doors or send kids home early. And many schools, especially in northern areas, lack air conditioning and have had to close during extreme heat waves.
-- Yale Climate Connections
CMSD enrollment is expected to keep falling. More difficult choices could follow
-- Signal Cleveland Ohio: 08/04/2026 [ abstract]
Months after approving one of the largest round of school closures in Cleveland’s history, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District is confronting a painful reality: Enrollment is likely to keep falling.  A new report projects the district will lose another 4,300 students — more than 13% — over the next decade, suggesting district leaders will have more painful decisions about programs and staffing in the years ahead.  The pace of decline is roughly on par with what CMSD has seen since 2016 and largely attributed to falling birthrates, which are impacting school district enrollment across the country.
-- Franziska Wild
Back-to-School Infection Prevention: Evidence-Based Strategies to Keep K�"12 Students Healthy
-- Infection Control Today National: 08/04/2026 [ abstract]
As students return to school from summer break, educators, administrators, and support staff ensure the learning environment is safe from infectious disease outbreaks. From kindergarten classrooms filled with tactile exploration to the close social interaction in high schools, where students share devices and meals during and after school, each grade presents its own opportunities. The following evidence‑based practices offer a strong foundation for actionable prevention.
-- Ivan W. Gowe, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, CIC, FAPIC
Aging school buildings create classroom challenges as the new school year starts
-- Island News Hawaii: 08/04/2026 [ abstract]
HONOLULU (Island News) -- As students head back to class, many teachers said one of the biggest distractions isn't a phone… but the classroom itself. “I can definitely testify to that. At my school, we do have a rather old building that needs constant repairs,” said Reyna Kam, a school teacher. Across Hawaii, aging school buildings are creating daily challenges.
-- Angela Cifone
Tennessee State School Bond Authority Series 2026A-B Higher Educational Facilities Second Program Bonds Rated 'AA+'
-- S&P Global Tennessee: 08/04/2026 [ abstract]
S&P Global Ratings assigned its 'AA+' long-term rating to the Tennessee State School Bond Authority's (TSSBA) anticipated $156.1 million series 2026A (tax-exempt) and $115.8 million series 2026B (taxable) higher educational facilities second program bonds.
At the same time, S&P Global Ratings affirmed its 'AA+' long-term rating on TSSBA’s second program bonds outstanding.
The outlook is stable.
-- Kimberly Barrett and Mary Ellen E Wriedt
New schools set to open across Idaho
-- ID ED News Idaho: 08/03/2026 [ abstract]
Fourteen new schools are set to open this fall across Idaho, according to the Idaho Department of Education. At traditional districts, the new schools are all elementary or K-8. Two were built to address growth in the Bonneville and West Ada districts. Others are magnet schools or replacements of old buildings. Seven new charter schools set to open this fall have a variety of approaches, from Brabeion Academy, a sports-focused school, to two classical academies. There’s also an explosion of virtual schools, with three school districts adding online options for students and one charter school looking to attract kids statewide.
-- Emma Epperly
Virgin Islands Board of Education Charts Path Forward Following Territory-Wide School Readiness Visits
-- The St. Croix Source US Virgin Islands U.S. Virgin Islands: 08/03/2026 [ abstract]
The Virgin Islands Board of Education (VIBE), through its Curriculum, Instruction and Learning Environment committee, has successfully concluded its annual territory-wide school readiness visits across the St. Croix and St. Thomas–St. John Districts, in preparation for the 2026–2027 academic year beginning Monday, Aug. 10. Conducted pursuant to the Board’s constitutional and statutory responsibilities, the school readiness visits provided Board members and educational partners with a comprehensive opportunity to assess operational preparedness, evaluate campus conditions, engage directly with school leaders, and identify opportunities that will strengthen educational outcomes across the territory. 
-- Board of Education Press Release
ACLU of Iowa report raises concerns over school resource officers
-- Quad-City Times Iowa: 07/31/2026 [ abstract]
he American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa released a report Thursday encouraging the dismantling or reform of school resource officer programs across the state. The report, entitled “Rethinking School Safety in Iowa,” compiled open record requests from 87 school districts and 67 associated police departments, as well as data provided to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, to provide insight into SRO programs. The report found that there was a disparity in students who were referred to law enforcement or arrested, with disproportionate impacts for Black students and students with disabilities.
-- Hailey Peck
FEMA grant enhances Potosi school construction project
-- Telegraph Herald Wisconsin: 07/31/2026 [ abstract]
POTOSI, Wis. — A significant federal grant will allow a local school district to add another element to a multiphase construction project. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, through its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, has awarded more than $2.6 million to the Potosi School District to construct a tornado-safe room. The district will incorporate this into a long-planned construction project.
-- Konrad Strzalka
Schools are set to reopen with rotting food, fly swarms and rats still causing havoc in Boyle Heights
-- Los Angeles Times California: 07/30/2026 [ abstract]
With school set to reopen Aug. 12, Boyle Heights families express concerns about conditions at campuses near the Lineage warehouse fire.
District officials say classrooms are safe, touting intensive cleaning, air and dust testing, new high-grade filters and the possibility of indoor-only schedules.
Community advocates say the disaster underscores long-standing environmental injustices in Eastside neighborhoods, urging faster cleanup and permanent closure of the facility.
-- Howard Blume and Francesca Pinney
Markey, Jayapal Reintroduce Green New Deal for Public Schools to Invest in Students, Schools, and a Livable Future
-- Senator Markey's Office National: 07/30/2026 [ abstract]
Washington (July 30, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and the Environment and Public Works Committee, alongside Congresswoman Jayapal (WA-07) today reintroduced the Green New Deal for Public Schools Act, legislation that would infuse $1.6 trillion over the next decade to transform our public school system – investing in students, educators, and infrastructure – and respond to the climate crisis.
-- Press Release
DPS adding secure vestibules to some schools to improve safety
-- 9 News Colorado: 07/30/2026 [ abstract]
DENVER — In the next few weeks, children around Colorado will head back to class and that means new faces coming in and out of school buildings. Construction over the summer at some Denver Public Schools aims to make sure the only people getting into those school hallways are people who belong there. Even with kids home for the summer, buildings are bustling with construction around Denver.
-- Rachael Krause
New dollars for school construction could push forward delayed projects
-- News from the States Delaware: 07/30/2026 [ abstract]
For years, Delaware’s school districts have struggled with securing dollars from the state to pay for major renovations and expansions. Now, school leaders are hoping that a massive influx of new construction dollars, paired with potential reforms to the way the state evaluates school capital spending, can push forward long-delayed projects. 
-- Julia Merola
Dozens of N.C. schools have closed but a new change may help keep doors open
-- Spectrum News 1 North Carolina: 07/30/2026 [ abstract]
FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C. — Hilltop Needmore Road Elementary School is opening in Fuquay-Varina today, as a Track 4 calendar school. This push by Wake County Public School to change year-round, multi-track schools to just a one track school could help reallocate resources in underutilized schools. Back in the early 2000s, Wake County Public Schools, the state’s largest school district, began adopting year-round calendars as an option for families. These schools consist of four rotating schedules called tracks, with students attending for nine weeks at a time before one track, tracks out. Meaning students and staff get breaks periodically at different times throughout the school year instead of a long summer like traditional school.
-- Sydney McCoy
MVSD leaders appeal to state and regional candidates for construction aid
-- Mountain Times Montana: 07/29/2026 [ abstract]
Vermont gubernatorial candidate Aly Richards joined Vermont State Senate candidate Ben Brickner and a team of Mountain Views Supervisory District (MVSD) senior administrators last Wednesday, July 22, for a tour of the district’s 70-year-old Woodstock Union High School and Middle School (WUHSMS) building. The structure is considered to be among the worst cases of school-building deterioration in Vermont, according to a MVSD news release Monday, July 27. MVSU serves students from Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, Woodstock, and other neighboring school-choice communities. 
-- Staff Report
Ongoing Summer Construction Projects Will Expand and Upgrade Public Schools
-- Town Topics New Jersey: 07/29/2026 [ abstract]
Summer construction projects at area schools may necessitate changes in fall routines, such as pick up or drop off procedures, said Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Superintendent Michael LaSusa at the July 21 Board of Education (BOE) meeting. Parents will be informed later this summer, he said, before the first day of school, which is August 31 for students. The expansion and renovations at various schools is mostly funded by an $89 million bond referendum approved by voters. Some projects are being completed from an earlier referendum. Key projects include expansion at Princeton Middle School (PMS); new space and a new gymnasium at Community Park Elementary School; classrooms at Littlebrook Elementary School, and an HVAC upgrade and new spaces at Princeton High School.
-- Wendy Greenberg
Is it getting too hot for summer school?
-- Grist National: 07/29/2026 [ abstract]
Two days before the sweltering July Fourth weekend, Martina Meijer, a New York City elementary teacher who occasionally substitutes over the summer, covered a class. The city’s summer school program had just begun and that day temperatures reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  “Even though the AC was on, it wasn’t working very well,” said Meijer. “There was no programming, no schedule, no plans shared.”  
-- A. Felix, The Hechinger Report