SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION
more than $1 billion on school construction. Region 9,
including Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas, was
the highest spending region with almost $2.3 billion put
in place.
Construction spending in Region 11 including
Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada totaled almost
$1.68 billion, making it the second highest spending
region. School districts in Region 2, including New York,
New Jersey and Pennsylvania, put $1.33 billion of school
construction in place in 2013, the third highest region in
terms of overall spending but unlike Regions 9 and 11,
the bulk of its money went into improving, upgrading and
adding to existing buildings.
What’s Underway Now?
If the projections by school districts of what they will
complete are accurate, total construction this year will
fall significantly below what was spent in 2013 but that is
probably a false reading. An examination of projections
and reporting over the last 19 years shows that districts
are often reluctant to provide (or researchers fail to seek)
information on projects underway. Many districts report
that they have projects nearing completion, but with no
data on cost or type, they cannot be included in the compilations.
Looking ahead
Table 3 reports on construction that is projected to
start this year and it is subject to the same limitations. The
amount of construction mentioned as expected to start is
far greater than the figures show. As an example, in one
small state, 14 districts indicated intent to start construc-
tion this year, but none provided any information on cost.
It may be that state or local approval of spending is yet to
come (the information was collected a year and more ago)
or that districts may know what they hope to spend but
will not put it in writing.
The bottom line for the moment is that Table 3 figures
are projections, not facts, and they can change and be
wrong. My own reading of the data on hand is that the
projected figures are very low and that, when we count
what has been accomplished in the next few years, the
totals will be higher.
New Schools In 2013
Table 4 provides a profile, on a national basis, of New
Schools. The figures shown in Table 4 are medians. That
means, for example, that among elementary schools built
and reported during 2013, half of them cost $201.79 per
square foot or more and half, $201.79 per square foot or
less. By using medians rather than averages we are able
to minimize the influence of special schools that may
be extremely expensive or inexpensive, or cases where
reporting is faulty.
Table 4 shows that in 2013, the median elementary
school in the United States cost $201.79 per square foot
to build. Median spending was $30,551 per pupil and the
median elementary school provided 149.6 square feet for
each student. The median elementary school reported was
designed for 520 students and provides 79,623 square feet
at a total cost of $15,850,000. Note that in finding medians, each variable is looked at separately so that the school
that cost $201 per square foot is not necessarily the same
one that spends $30,551 per pupil or that was planned for
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10 essentials | summer 2014