Who Builds New School Buildings?

In the United States, it is the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF) who is primarily responsible for funding, assessing, maintaining, operating and designing new schools. It is an extensive source of the government to school facility planning and education leadership from kindergarten up to higher educational level schools. It is also one of the most relied to when it comes to data and information when it comes to research and other purposes when it comes to building new schools in the United States.

NCEF has a comprehensive data to educational facilities. It is funded by a non-profit organization known as the National Institute of Building Sciences duly authorized by U.S. legislature to act as an authoritative body when it comes to building science and technology. It provides very vital information for governmental agencies to decide whether the construction of a new school is necessary.

New schools are being built every year. In fact during the school year 2009-2010 1, 826 schools were opened and there were 396 "future" schools pending to be opened to learners in the next one or two years. This way, more schools will provide educational leadership in the furtherance of higher education as well.

Since the population continues to grow each year, there will always be a continuing demand for new schools. Around 55 million students attend public, private and secondary schools in 2010. To accommodate the student population there are around 4 million teachers employed nationwide. Other staff members such as principals, nurse, librarians, etc) were estimated to be around 950,000.

Let us face it, schools will eventually be closed or be subjected to the natural causes of wear and tear. In 2010 around 1,822 schools were closed public elementary and secondary schools were closed. About one-fourth of today's schools were built before 50's and only ten percent were established in the 80's. Most of today's schools or 45 percent of these were built in between the 50's to the 60's.

There are around 98,817 public elementary and secondary schools and 33,366 private schools that helps mold education leadership. All in all we have at least 132 thousand schools in the country, and the numbers are still growing. It is undeniable that as long as the population increases, new schools will be in demand paving way for more constructions, renovations and school expansions.

In building new schools there are site formulas that are recommended for constructions. It is ten acres for elementary level, 20 acres for middle schools and 30 acres for senior high schools. There are also what we call green schools, small schools, and urban schools. Percentage costs for the construction of new schools can be allocated based on the following recommendations: 67% for construction, 2% for site purchase, 9% for site development, 14% for equipment and furnishings and 8% for fees and other expenses.

In 2010 the McGraw Hill Construction reported that at least $19.5 million were spent for the construction and renovation of new schools. This amount is expected to increase as the figures for new schools go up.

This is also the primary agency that determines if a school needs to be demolished, renovated or the building of a new school is appropriate. There have been debates involving green schools and historical restorations involving schools by critics stating that these are impractical modes of keeping a school in a local district or in the country. Having a new school built, however, presents new opportunities for learning to become more conducive and to promote new ideas. It is important for any state to come up with a functional and sustainable learning environment for its citizens so a new school would be a very welcoming and attractive idea for this purpose.

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Who Builds New School Buildings?

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