A Tipping Point for America’s Aging School Buildings

Investments in aging school buildings can boost students’ safety, achievement, and mental health.

Children need safe places to learn, and research has shown that the right school setting can boost student achievement. A thoughtful design can also buoy students’ and teachers’ mental health.

But a lack of consistent, equitable investment in the nation’s school buildings is showing.

Buildings in most school districts require major system upgrades, federal data have shown. Many students can’t drink the tap water at their schools. And school districts are struggling to find the staff needed to maintain their existing facilities, much less secure the funding to make major improvements. Plus, the uncertainty of declining enrollments makes taking an expensive risk on a new building that much more complicated.

This special report addresses the state of the nation’s school buildings and their shortcomings. But it also points to a way forward as educational needs evolve, the nation ages, and the consequences of climate change come into focus.

This Article, A Tipping Point for America’s Aging School Buildings was written by Maryland Education on March 13, 2023 12:06 pm on EW - School Reform

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The MEN was founded by John Huber in the fall of 2020. It was founded to provide a platform for expert opinion and commentary on current issues that directly or indirectly affect education. All opinions are valued and accepted providing they are expressed in a professional manner. The Maryland Education Network consists of Blogs, Videos, and other interaction among the K-12 community.