Study finds major solar energy system failure for Mount Diablo school district
-- East Bay Times California: 08/31/2026 [ abstract]
 With 60% of its $75 million solar energy system down, Mount Diablo Unified School District is left with questions about maintenance, repairs and financial losses. For years, the district has operated what it says is one of the nation’s largest solar energy systems for a kindergarten-12th grade school district. Installed in 2010 using bond money, the system has generated about 11 megawatts of energy annually and saved the district about $17 million in general fund dollars. A recent inspection by SunUp Solar Tech Service, a solar operation and maintenance company, found that 43 of the district’s 77 inverters are offline. Inverters are key elements of a solar energy system that take direct current electricity and turn it into alternating current electricity, which is the type of energy used by the power grid, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Without the 43 inverters, the district is losing out on about 7,860 kilowatts of electricity, or nearly eight of the 11 megawatts promised in the past.
-- Sierra Lopez
While Burlington opens its new high school, others still battle PCB contamination
-- WCAX3 Vermont: 08/31/2026 [ abstract]
A Vermont school has spent millions of dollars toward eliminating toxic PCB contamination, but the problem hasn’t gone away. The solution in Burlington was a new school building that opened this year and that may be an option for North Country Union High School, but the big question remains: Who would pay for it? School officials have worked to keep PCBs out of the air students are breathing, but the fixes can only go so far and they are turning to the state for help. North Country High School Principal Chris Young said the district added air purifiers in classrooms after PCB contamination was discovered at the school in 2024. “As we took more and more tests, we realized the scores and the results coming back were worse and worse, especially when we were testing in the summer months when the PCBs seemed to be at the highest levels,” Young said.
-- Cassie Lathrope
BVSD proposes consolidations and closures
-- The Mountain Ear Colorado: 08/29/2026 [ abstract]
The Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) Board of Education met on August 25 with one item on the agenda. That one topic of discussion was the Resilient Schools Proposal. With declining enrollment for some years and more projected in the future, BVSD is looking to make changes. The board made no decisions at this meeting. The meeting was planned to hear the proposal developed by staff and for the board to ask questions.  Superintendent Dr. Rob Anderson spoke first, saying that he is proud of the process they have developed. “We listened first to our community, and in the world of school closures and consolidations unfortunately that is unique.” Assistant Superintendent of Operational Services Rob Price led the presentation on the proposal. He said, “This is not about failing schools. It is about adjusting our systems to better serve our students.”
-- Sara Sandstrom
Lawmakers press GDOE over $427M school repair backlog
-- The Guam Daily Post Guam: 08/29/2026 [ abstract]
Guam's public schools are facing an estimated $427 million in repairs and improvements, a backlog that lawmakers say underscores problems that go far beyond getting classrooms ready for another school year. The figure emerged during a legislative oversight hearing on the Guam Department of Education, where lawmakers pressed department officials on aging facilities, sanitation inspections, maintenance staffing and whether schools are getting the long-term attention they need. GDOE's Facilities and Maintenance Division has about 72 employees and remains largely reactive, responding to problems as they arise rather than having enough personnel to perform preventive maintenance.
-- Jojo Santo Tomas
New Haven Board of Alders requests ‘urgent’ inspection of schools after site visits identify health and safety hazards
-- News8 Connecticut: 08/28/2026 [ abstract]
The New Haven Board of Alders is requesting citywide inspections of New Haven Public Schools after direct site visits and mounting reports of health and safety hazards, according to a letter sent out Friday. The board has submitted a formal request to the New Haven Health Department, Office of Emergency Management and New Haven Fire Department urging health, fire and emergency preparedness inspections of the school district’s facilities. Committee members observed non-functioning HVAC systems and extreme temperatures, active leaks and water damage, visible mold, rodents, damaged exit signage, missing stairwell railings, non-functioning doors, utility outlets and eyewash station problems, unsafe exterior sidewalks and curbs, and persistent bathroom and odor problems, according to the Board of Alders letter.
-- Lauren Drapeau, Mackenzie Maynard
New windows at a Boston high school were supposed to be ready last fall. They're still not done.
-- CBS News Massachusetts: 08/28/2026 [ abstract]
There's a high school in Boston that continues to struggle with renovations. A window project at English High School in Jamaica Plain was supposed to be finished in the fall of 2025. It dragged on into the school year. Now, as another school year is about to begin, the project still isn't done. Scaffolding and cranes continue to line the streets around the school, where natural light has been blocked from some classrooms. Window coverings have been added for safety.
-- Logan Hall
Within $313M SC debt sale, Rock Hill schools have a plan to save taxpayers money
-- The Herald South Carolina: 08/28/2026 [ abstract]

Within more than $313 million of statewide school debt that went up for sale Thursday, Rock Hill school officials have a plan they believe will save taxpayers money and improve aging facilities. The Rock Hill school board approved a plan Tuesday to borrow nearly $33 million as part of a South Carolina Association of Governmental Organizations bond package. That program allows school districts to borrow up to 8% of their total assessed property value without needing a bond referendum.
While that debt typically goes to capital and maintenance needs, the Rock Hill district intends to use it to pay off long-term debt. Coupled with a new maintenance reserve fund policy, district CFO Kevin Madden sees a more nimble and less costly way to fund school capital needs moving forward.
 
-- John Marks
Moscow to attempt novel approach to overhaul its aging schools
-- idahoEdNews.org Idaho: 08/27/2026 [ abstract]
Moscow patrons will have the long-awaited chance to overhaul their schools this fall after trustees put a seven-year, $9.37 million per year plant facility levy on the November ballot Wednesday night. The vote followed decades of complaints over the nearly 90-year-old high school, years of discussion over how to update facilities, months of planning by a facility committee, and weeks of presentations to the school board. If the levy, totaling $65.6 million, passes, it will kick off the first phase of a decade-long plan to convert the district’s middle school into a high school. The second phase, building a new middle school, would require a second ballot measure.
-- https://bit.ly/4ckNJBm
RPS’ return to school highlights growing pressure on aging buildings
-- VPM.org Virginia: 08/27/2026 [ abstract]
City leaders say passing a 1% sales tax could be “transformational.”
The first day of school brought the usual excitement for Richmond Public School students and families. But for school leadership, it underscored the long-standing challenges of maintaining an aging school division with a limited capital improvement budget. Across the city, children are learning in buildings that range in age from decades to centuries old.  In the city’s Northside, the RPS community is dealing with a delayed start due to mold found at Barack Obama Elementary, and suspected mold at both Frances McClenney and Bellevue elementaries. Meanwhile in the city’s Southside, on top of aging infrastructure, schools there are facing continued overcrowding. 
-- Keyris Manzanares
Schools Scramble To Keep Kids Cool Before Opening Day
-- New Haven Independent Connecticut: 08/27/2026 [ abstract]
Several schools will lack proper air conditioning by the start of the school year on Monday, meaning some students may have to be moved to temporary classrooms, as temperatures for the first week are projected to reach the mid-80s. Chief of School Operations Paul Whyte disclosed the information Wednesday at a Board of Alders Education Committee meeting at City Hall. The meeting centered around readiness for the upcoming school year. Fair Haven Alder Sarah Miller asked Whyte for a rundown of schools without air conditioning. Whyte reported that Truman School students will continue to learn without air conditioning, noting that the system “has been down for multiple years.”
-- Laura Glesby
Mayor Bowser Welcomes Pre-K Students at the Newly Modernized J.O. Wilson Elementary School
-- The District of Columbia District of Columbia: 08/27/2026 [ abstract]
Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser joined DC Public Schools (DCPS), the Department of General Services (DGS), District leaders, and community members to celebrate the first day of pre-K at DCPS and cut the ribbon on the newly modernized J.O. Wilson Elementary School in Ward 6. The $90.9 million modernization nearly doubles the size of J.O. Wilson, transforming the original 55,000-square-foot building into a nearly 100,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art learning campus. The project was completed on an accelerated 18-month construction schedule, beginning in January 2025 and finishing this summer.
-- Staff Writer
Durham Schools considers boiler replacements on three campuses
-- 11 ABC North Carolina: 08/27/2026 [ abstract]
Durham Public Schools is set to discuss replacing boilers at three schools as aging systems become increasingly difficult to maintain. Hillandale Elementary School, Oak Grove Elementary School and Riverside High School all need new boilers, according to district information. The existing systems have deteriorated with age, and routine maintenance is no longer enough to keep them operating reliably. "I think that it's a little old," DPS student Tania Patterson said. The proposed replacements come as the average Durham school building is 59 years old. Boilers heat water or generate steam to provide heat and hot water for school buildings.
-- Cindy Bae
More than 10,800 K-12 schools have gone solar across the United States
-- Solar Power World National: 08/27/2026 [ abstract]
More than 10,800 K-12 schools representing more than 7 million students across the United States now use solar energy, helping schools lower electricity costs, invest more resources in students and strengthen their communities, according to a new report from clean energy nonprofit Generation180.
The sixth edition of “Brighter Future: The State of Solar & Battery Storage in U.S. K-12 Schools“ finds that total solar capacity on K-12 schools has more than tripled since 2016. Together, these schools have more than 2.4 GW of solar, enough to power more than 450,000 homes.
 
-- Kelly Pickerel
Benson High Overruns Spark Lawsuits Seeking Tens of Millions From Andersen
-- hoodline Oregon: 08/26/2026 [ abstract]
Portland Public Schools is fighting a stack of lawsuits over Benson Polytechnic High School's construction, with subcontractors claiming they are owed millions of dollars and the district accusing its own general contractor of causing serious construction errors. The career and technical education magnet school in northeast Portland, which enrolls about 1,000 students, reopened in fall 2024 after a modernization that ballooned from an original $269 million budget to a final cost of $410 million, a $141 million overrun.
-- Lucas Wright
Dozens of HISD schools are under 50% full. Could more closures be on the way?
-- Houston Chronicle Texas: 08/26/2026 [ abstract]
More than 100 Houston ISD schools are still operating far below capacity — even after the district closed a dozen campuses last school year, according to district data released this summer. Last year, HISD closed or consolidated 12 campuses, citing larger-than-expected enrollment declines and aging facilities. But more than 100 schools that opened their doors this school year are operating under 60% capacity, according to 2025-26 district data.  State-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles has said HISD could lose $50 to $60 million in state funding every year due to enrollment declines “unless things drastically change.” He said in February the district also could have closed up to 40 campuses based on aging facility conditions alone, which often prove costly to repair and replace.
-- Claire Partain
Jacksonville Elementary School remains closed through Friday due to mold
-- Arkansas Democrat Gazette Arkansas: 08/26/2026 [ abstract]
Jacksonville Elementary School, closed since last week for professional mold cleaning, will remain closed through Friday. The school has been closed since Wednesday, Aug. 19, after tests revealed elevated mold levels in several parts of the building. The Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District has since received the results of air quality testing and has “been given the green light” regarding the air inside the building, according to a Wednesday afternoon statement from the district. The school remains closed, however, as it waits for replacement parts for its dedicated outdoor air systems, according to the statement. A dedicated outdoor air system is a type of HVAC unit that circulates fresh outdoor air into the building after filtering, dehumidifying and conditioning it.
-- Anne Li
SLPS looks to close 14 schools, scale back its original plan to shutter up to 20 buildings
-- STLPR.org Missouri: 08/26/2026 [ abstract]
St. Louis Public Schools presented a revised proposal Tuesday to close 14 schools by next year, down from an initial plan to shutter 20 buildings. The district is trying to stabilize its future in the face of declining enrollment and state funding as well as increased competition from charter schools. It's navigating a projected $41 million deficit for this school year and is expected to run out of savings by 2030 if a plan to significantly curtail spending isn’t put into place, according to the Missouri State Auditor’s office. The new proposal dubbed the “A+ portfolio model” expands traditional structure for schools, which include pre-kindergarten through fifth grade elementary schools, six through eighth grade middle schools and high schools that serve ninth through 12th graders. The district will also introduce some schools for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students. Eleven elementary schools are slated for closure, including Hamilton, Ashland, Ames, Hickey, Wallbridge, Carver, Columbia, Patrick Henry, Meramec, Monroe and Shenandoah.
-- Hiba Ahmad
Philadelphia superintendent addresses budget deficit, school closures: "We can't kick the can down the road"
-- CBS News Pennsylvania: 08/26/2026 [ abstract]
Students are back in classrooms across Philadelphia, but this school year also marks the beginning of major changes for the School District of Philadelphia — from a multibillion-dollar facilities plan and school closures to a nearly $300 million structural deficit and a continued push to improve student achievement. Superintendent Tony Watlington, now beginning his fifth school year leading the district, sat down one-on-one with CBS News Philadelphia to discuss where the district is headed and what families should expect in the years ahead. The school board has approved a $3 billion facilities plan that includes closing 17 schools in the coming years. The plan will affect communities across Philadelphia, including Kensington, and Watlington acknowledged how difficult the prospect of a school closure can be for families. "I would not want my own child's school to close. Period. The end," Watlington said.
-- Wakisha Bailey
In South Dakota, a School’s Design Enhances Learning for Younger Kids
-- The74 South Dakota: 08/25/2026 [ abstract]
Rural schools are asked to solve national problems with local resources. They are expected to close readiness gaps they did not create, respond to poverty they cannot control, and provide opportunities students may not receive anywhere else. Yet these expectations are often placed inside buildings designed for a different era of education. The physical school environment is usually treated as an operational concern: square footage, maintenance, compliance, safety and cost. Those matters are real. But they are incomplete. A school building is also an instructional system. In my rural Midwestern school district, we drew on research in learning environments and early literacy development to create a new 108,000-square-foot elementary school that serves 900 pupils across 932 square miles. We used the Opportunity-by-Design Framework, which connects physical design to instructional capacity, student experience, measurable outcomes, and equity impact.
-- Justin Zajic
Montgomery Co. schools begin review that could lead to closures, boundary changes
-- WTOP Maryland: 08/25/2026 [ abstract]
Montgomery County Public Schools has seen declining enrollment over the past year, and officials expect that trend to continue.
That’s prompted school officials to study possible closings and consolidations of elementary and middle schools.
According to an enrollment update included in a presentation at the MCPS Board of Education meeting on July 16, the student population for the 2026-27 school year is projected to reach 150,746 students.
-- Kate Ryan
Belvidere School District planning $70 million for urgent maintenance without tax hike
-- MyStateline.com Illinois: 08/24/2026 [ abstract]
Belvidere School District 100 is working through a $70 million renovation plan to address urgent maintenance needs across its school facilities. The proposed upgrades represent phase two of the district’s facilities master plan, which first launched in 2022. The funding would address projects with years of deferred maintenance, including replacing HVAC systems and remodeling bathrooms. A team of stakeholders consisting of community representatives, staff, students and school board members identified the immediate facility needs across the district. The proposed renovations focus primarily on some of the district’s oldest school facilities: Belvidere High School, South Middle School, Caledonia and Washington Elementary. District leadership discussed multiple options to fund the proposed projects without relying on additional funding from local property owners. Proposed funding sources include money previously set aside in the district’s capital fund, alongside revenues from bond sales and sales tax.
-- Marico Holland
Fourteen school districts announce plans to shutter 147 schools in 2026
-- Reason Foundation National: 08/18/2026 [ abstract]
Since 2019, public school enrollments have dropped by 2.8%, or 1.4 million students as of 2024, according to National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data. Several factors have driven the decline in public school students, including fewer births, shifting migration trends, and a more competitive education marketplace. The latest NCES forecasts project public schools losing an additional 1.3 million students by 2031.  The enrollment trend and forecast are grim news for school districts. Enrollments dropped in all but 10 states from 2019 to 2024. Going forward, school districts in every state will likely have to cut costs, and many will need to close schools to reduce budget deficits related to reduced enrollment and the need to right-size.
-- Jude Schwalbach
Best in class
-- Monocle International: 08/18/2026 [ abstract]
While some countries struggle with school design policy, innovative architects are demonstrating that a healthy learning environment with plenty of light and natural materials means happier children and long-term economic benefits. Depicting schools in films is easy. They feature strip lighting, mile-long corridors, hard surfaces and cavernous spaces that echo the noise of a thousand feet and voices. They are rectangular blocks, brick and mortar incarnations of “the institution” designed to oppress not impress, places of indoctrination more than education. And this popular depiction isn’t just a Hollywood fantasy; it’s what most people remember from childhood. Compared with other types of public building, schools have remained in this institutional design rut for a long time. Municipal governments deemed them unworthy of investment in good quality design, materials and furnishings – and so schools have been slow to capture the imagination of progressive architects.
-- Hugo Macdonald, et al.
Michigan gave schools $224M for infrastructure, but they need billions
-- Bridge Michigan Michigan: 08/14/2026 [ abstract]
Michigan lawmakers commissioned a study in 2023 that found the state’s public schools need about $22.8 billion in infrastructure money Michigan Department of Education recently awarded $224 million in grants, and there will be another $100 million in infrastructure grants that are part of the state’s 2027 fiscal year budget Many districts that missed out on grant money will ask voters to approve bonds during the November election
-- Matt Mecarini
DC Department of General Services prepares classrooms for a new school year
-- DC News Now District of Columbia: 08/14/2026 [ abstract]
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — DC Public Schools (DCPS) students head back to the classroom in just over a week, and crews are busy ensuring every school is ready to welcome those students back. "T-minus 10 days, in fact, the first day of school is Monday, August 24," said Delano Hunter, director of the DC Department of General Services (DGS). "We're busy and active across our portfolio, across 117 schools, and our work spans the gamut from small painting jobs to full modernizations and brand-new schools."
-- Mariel Carbone