A Tipping Point for America鈥檚 Aging School Buildings
March 13, 2023
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鈥� and teachers鈥� mental health.
But a lack of consistent, equitable investment in the nation鈥檚 school buildings is showing.
Buildings in most school districts require major system upgrades, federal data have shown. Many students can鈥檛 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鈥檚 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.
But a lack of consistent, equitable investment in the nation鈥檚 school buildings is showing.
Buildings in most school districts require major system upgrades, federal data have shown. Many students can鈥檛 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鈥檚 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.
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