NATIONAL STATISTICS REGIONAL ANALYSIS TRENDS … · national statistics & trends • providing detailed analysis 16 school planning & management / february 2014 webspm.com trends

School Construction Report19th

Annual19thAnnual

School Construction ReportNational Statistics & Trends • Providing Detailed AnalysisNational Statistics & Trends • Providing Detailed Analysis

16 SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / FEBRUARY 2014 WEBSPM.COM

TRENDS SINCE 1995MEDIANS FOR SCHOOLSFROM THE PAST 19 YEARS.

REGIONAL ANALYSISWHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR PART OF THE COUNTRY?

NATIONAL STATISTICSWHAT HAPPENED IN 2013? HOW WERE THOSE DOLLARS USED?

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New School Buildings Led Increase in Spending

19 T H A N N UA L R E P O R T

by PAUL ABRAMSON

Total school construction in 2013 continued to climb to more than $13 billion.

REGIONS2013

Completed2014 Projected

to Be Completed2014 Projected

to Start

New School

Additions

Renovation

Total

$7,573,438

$3,059,338

$2,757,622

$13,390,396

$6,367,935

$1,940,150

$1,714,819

$10,022,904

$5,227,601

$2,532,031

$1,680,116

$9,439,748

1 SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION IN THE U.S. ($000’S)SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

1111

1212

1010

99 55

44

3388

7766 22

11

THE MORE THINGS remain the same, the more they seem to change. Contradictory, but in the realm of school construc-tion, apparently true.

Last year, in looking at data for school construction completed in 2012, I noted that for the fi rst time in fi ve years the total value of construction put in place in a calendar year had risen from the year before. The uptick was hardly huge (a $700 million in-crease after a fi ve-year fall of almost $8 bil-lion) but it represented a slight turnaround.

What was noticeable was that all of increase was attributable to spending on fi x-ing up and enlarging existing buildings. The amount of money spent on new schools had continued to fall. I speculated that this was due, in part, to the effects of the Recession, starting in 2008 that had put many projects on hold. As the economy began to improve even very slightly, the pent-up demand to fi x deteriorating buildings and to fi nd room for expanding populations seemed to be driving an increase in spending.

School construction in 2013 continued to climb very slightly (increasing about $400 million over 2012), but last year, it was the completion of new buildings that drove the increase. Spending for completed new school buildings rose $1.4 billion from 2012, when it was at a 16-year low, while spending for additions and retrofi t fell back.

Why new schools rather than improve-ment to existing ones? Without interview-ing leaders in districts across the nation, one can only speculate based on analysis of information collected. What seems to have happened is that two and three years ago, school districts began to see a change in the economy and a change in atmosphere. They began once again to look at their physical needs, put their plans forward, ob-tained necessary funds and went to work.

Upgrading existing buildings went fi rst and went relatively quickly. After all, in many cases these “infrastructure” projects had been planned when it appeared that federal money might fl ow during the depths of the Recession. Though Congress never provided the funds, the plans remained

necessary and viable, and when other sources of money were found, the projects got underway. They did not take long, and showed up as completed work in 2012.

New buildings take longer to plan and to construct. As funds began to fl ow, these proj-ects apparently also got underway — start dates given for new school projects indicate this — but completion came later, in 2013.

These are among the major fi ndings and conclusions to be drawn from School Planning & Management’s 19th Annual School Construction Report, covering ac-tivity completed in 2013 and expected to be completed or started in 2014 (see Table 1).

To prepare this report, School Planning & Management received information on school construction completed and underway dur-ing 2013 and planned to start in 2014 from Market Data Retrieval (MDR), a company of Dun and Bradstreet (D&B). MDR contacts school districts throughout the United States seeking information on their construction plans — new buildings, additions to existing buildings and major renovation, retrofi t or modernization projects. (The three terms

FEBRUARY 2014 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 17

are used interchangeably throughout this report.) We take that project information and use it to estimate construction on a na-tional and regional basis, and to report on how dollars are being spent on new schools.

All of the fi gures published are “annual in nature.” That is, they do not accumulate ongoing construction, but rather compile information on what was completed or expected to be completed or started in a given calendar year. School districts may be involved in more construction, but work started or completed outside the targeted years is not included. (Table 6, which details where money was or will be spent based on grade levels and purpose of buildings, summarizes all of the expected spending over a three-year period and pro-vides a useful estimate of the total impact of school construction on the economy.)

The national sceneSchool districts in the United

States spent just over $13 billion ($13,390,396,000) on construction projects completed during the 2013 calendar year. Almost $7.6 billion of that was spent on new schools, accounting for 56.6 percent of the construction dollars, a major turn-around from the year before. The balance was split between additions to existing buildings (accounting for $3.1 billion) and retrofi t and modernization of existing structures that accounted for almost $2.8 billion. (See Table 2).

The percentage of construction dollars spent on new buildings fell in 2012 as districts used what money they had to get their existing buildings in order. The shift back to new building construction and spending in 2013 was more in line with

recent history. Table 2 shows the national construction

picture in 2013. It also shows how much school districts in each of 12 regions of the nation spent on construction and how they spent it. (See map on page 17. A more detailed account of regional activity begins on page 26.)

In 2013, school districts in six of the 12 regions spent more than $1 billion on school construction. (In previous years, as many as ten regions had exceeded that threshold, but more recently it was reached by only three or four.)

Region 9, including Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas, was the highest spending region with almost $2.3 billion put in place. Schools in that region were re-sponsible for 17 percent of the nation’s total construction spending. Region 9 not only

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SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED ($000’S), 1995 THROUGH 2013

Total Construction$25

$20B

$15B

$10B

$5B

$0

New Buildings Additions/Retrofi ts Combined

1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Nat’l

Region New Schools New Addition Renovation% of

Nation% OF SPENDING FOR

$482,001

$533,600

$702,530

$592,104

$898,476

$359,382

$383,814

$500,200

$1,337,417

$562,112

$917,300

$304,500

$7,573,436

Additions

$339,091

$306,417

$176,276

$229,898

$191,406

$295,600

$127,418

$167,763

$510,595

$134,855

$446,451

$133,569

$3,059,338

Renovation

$209,071

$492,730

$184,076

$141,118

$112,557

$260,406

$139,798

$212,840

$432,058

$141,997

$311,471

$119,499

$2,757,622

Total

$1,030,163

$1,332,747

$1,062,882

$963,120

$1,202,439

$915,388

$651,030

$880,803

$2,280,070

$838,964

$1,675,222

$557,568

$13,390,396

46.8%

40.0%

66.1%

61.4%

74.7%

39.3%

59.0%

56.8%

58.7%

67.0%

54.8%

54.6%

56.6%

32.9%

23.0%

16.6%

23.9%

15.9%

32.3%

19.6%

19.0%

22.4%

16.1%

26.6%

24.0%

22.8%

20.3%

37.0%

17.3%

14.7%

9.4%

28.4%

21.4%

24.2%

18.9%

16.9%

18.6%

21.4%

20.6%

7.7%

10.0%

7.9%

7.2%

9.0%

6.8%

4.9%

6.6%

17.0%

6.3%

12.5%

4.2%

100.0%

To read this table: Public schools in Region 1 (New England) completed new buildings worth more than $482 million in 2013. They also put in place $339 million in additions to existing buildings and spent $209 million on renovations. School districts in Region 1 completed about $1 billion of school construction in 2013 with 46.8% of those dollars spent on new buildings, the balance on adding to and upgrading existing buildings. Region 1 accounted for 7.7% of all school construction dollars spent on projects completed in the United States in 2013.

2 SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED IN 2013 ($000’S)

put more construction in place than any other region, it also led the way in spending for new school buildings with $1.34 billion going for that purpose, in funding of addi-tions (almost $511 million) and was second to Region 2 in spending for renovations ($432 million).

Construction spending in Region 11 including Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada totaled almost $1.68 billion, mak-ing it the second highest spending region. Almost $1 billion went into new buildings.

School districts in Region 2, including New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, put $1.33 billion of school construction in place in 2013, a slight increase over the previous year. It was 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. Region 2 is located, in large part, in a high cost area of the nation where construction routinely is estimated around $300 per square foot, so while it spends a great deal, the amount of construction completed is not nearly so great as in some of the less expensive regions including, as an example, Region 9.

Region 5, including Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, completed

construction worth $1.2 billion last year. This is a region where the dollar tends to go farther, and it is also a region of continued population growth. About three-quarters of its dollars (almost $900 million) are spent on new schools.

Region 3 (Delaware, District of Colum-bia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia) continued to put more than $1 billion per year into school construction. The bulk of that goes into new school buildings, some needed to house rising populations spiraling out from Washington, D.C. into the suburbs of Maryland and Virginia, and some to replace old schools throughout the region that no longer serve their purpose.

Region 1(Connecticut, Maine, Mas-sachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) was the sixth highest spending region in 2013, breaking the $1 billion mark. It is another high-cost area, so while the expenditures are high, the amount of school construction actually undertaken is relatively small.

School districts in Region 4 (North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee) spent $963 million in 2013. That represents a bounce-back from the year before but is still below what districts in the region had spent during the early

years of this century. Districts in Region 6 (Indiana, Michigan

and Ohio) reported $915 million in com-pleted work, relatively evenly split among new buildings, additions and retrofi t. School districts in Ohio, in particular, indicate that they are ready, willing and able to spend con-struction dollars but have relatively little of their own and are waiting on state funding.

Region 8 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska) reported spending over $880 million on work completed in 2013. That’s a step-up from previous years. More than half the dollars are being used to bring new schools on line.

Region 10 (Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming) districts doubled their construction spending in 2013 from the previous year, putting more than $800 million in place. One has to wonder if so much more construction was completed in one year or whether reporting errors have muddied the statistical waters.

Region 7 (Illinois, Minnesota and Wis-consin) spent $651 million in 2013, about the same as the year before. This year the reports show almost six of ten construction dollars going to new school buildings.

Region 12 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and


Washington), which in 2010 was the nation’s lowest spending region, increased its spend-ing for a few years but has fallen to the bottom of the regional charts again in 2013, but at a relatively high level -- $558 million. (More detail on regional spending is shown in the regional tables on pages 26 through 28.)

What’s underway now?Table 3 examines construction that

school districts say they will complete in calendar year 2014. If these projections are accurate, total construction this year will fall signifi cantly below what was spent in 2013, but that is probably a false read-ing. 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 can-not be included in the compilations.

Looking aheadTable 4 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 fi gures show. As an example, in one small state, 14 districts indicated intent to start construction this year, but none provided any information on cost. It may be that state or local approval of spending is yet to come (the informa-tion 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 Tables 3 and 4 are projections, not facts, and they can change and be wrong. While during the “boom years” districts seemed anxious to proclaim that they were building, recent experience shows that now many school districts prefer to keep their construction plans under wrap until the


1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Nat’l


Nation

$503,700

$683,244

$561,069

$283,300

$497,600

$337,584

$313,150

$264,000

$1,329,829

$325,176

$1,038,700

$230,583

$6,367,935

Additions

$93,405

$121,363

$88,033

$123,297

$251,633

$94,571

$170,757

$123,999

$189,419

$99,596

$352,196

$231,882

$1,940,150

Renovation

$100,587

$121,871

$177,325

$132,837

$133,650

$144,517

$110,925

$132,899

$127,720

$146,209

$240,520

$145,759

$1,714,819

Total

$697,692

$926,478

$826,427

$539,434

$882,883

$576,672

$594,832

$520,898

$1,646,968

$570,981

$1,631,416

$608,224

$10,022,904

72.2%

73.7%

67.9%

52.5%

56.4%

58.5%

52.7%

50.7%

80.7%

57.0%

63.7%

37.9%

63.5%

13.4%

13.1%

10.6%

22.9%

28.5%

16.4%

28.7%

23.8%

11.5%

17.4%

21.6%

38.1%

19.4%

14.4%

13.2%

21.5%

24.6%

15.1%

25.1%

18.6%

25.5%

7.8%

25.6%

14.7%

24.0%

17.1%

7.0%

9.2%

8.2%

5.4%

8.8%

5.8%

5.9%

5.2%

16.4%

5.7%

16.3%

6.1%

100.0%

To read this table: In 2014, public schools in Region 1 (New England) are expecting to complete new buildings worth almost $504 million. They also expect to com-plete additions worth $93 million and renovations valued at $100 million. Total spending in Region 1 is projected at $697 million, with 72.2% of the dollars for new buildings, the balance for additions and renovations. New England is projected to account for 7.0% of all school construction dollars spent in the nation on schools to be completed in 2014.

3 SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 2014 ($000’S)

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1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Nat’l


Nation% OF SPENDING FOR

$426,500

$657,980

$546,330

$386,201

$494,990

$244,978

$263,310

$170,520

$849,582

$245,340

$699,300

$242,570

$5,227,601

Additions

$141,816

$217,073

$134,531

$135,601

$248,303

$310,374

$254,614

$206,109

$348,421

$103,165

$260,615

$171,409

$2,532,031

Renovation

$108,693

$251,486

$125,006

$114,408

$131,100

$118,680

$103,779

$106,409

$268,876

$145,177

$102,967

$103,534

$1,680,116

Total

$677,009

$1,126,539

$805,867

$636,210

$874,393

$674,032

$621,703

$483,038

$1,466,879

$493,682

$1,062,882

$517,513

$9,439,748

63.0%

58.4%

67.8%

60.7%

56.6%

36.3%

42.4%

35.3%

57.9%

49.7%

65.8%

46.9%

55.4%

20.9%

19.3%

16.7%

21.3%

28.4%

46.0%

41.0%

42.7%

23.8%

20.9%

24.5%

33.1%

26.8%

16.1%

22.3%

15.5%

18.0%

15.0%

17.7%

16.6%

22.0%

18.3%

29.4%

9.7%

20.0%

17.8%

7.2%

11.9%

8.5%

6.7%

9.3%

7.1%

6.6%

5.1%

15.5%

5.2%

11.3%

5.5%

100.0%

To read this table: In the year 2014, school districts in Region 1 (New England) expect to start construction on new buildings worth $426 million. They also project starting work on $141 million in additions to existing buildings and on renovations valued at $108 million. Altogether, school districts in Region 1 predict they will start $677 million worth of school construction in 2014, with 63% of the dollars devoted to new schools, the balance to additions and renovations. Region 1’s spending will be about 7.2% of school construction spending projected to start in 2014.

4 SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTED TO START IN 2014 ($000’S)

work is fully funded or completed. Many others protect their information by lump-ing all construction together. My own read-ing of the data on hand is that the projected fi gures 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 2013Table 5 provides a profi le, on a national

basis, of new schools in 2013. The fi gures shown in Table 5 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 infl uence of special schools that may be extremely expensive or inex-pensive, or cases where reporting is faulty.

Table 5 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 fi nding 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 520 students.

Looking at middle schools, the median cost is $221.82 per square foot. Median spending per pupil was $38,718 and the median middle school provides 173.3 square feet per student. The median num-ber of students in middle schools built in 2013 is 705 and the building size is 120,000 square feet. The cost is $29 million.

The median high school cost $45.2

million and provided 162,500 square feet. It was designed to accommodate almost 1,000 students. The median high school provides 174.2 square feet per student at $47,500 for each student. The cost per square foot was $249.47.

Median costs for schools in 2013 are gener-ally higher than those found a year ago. One weakness of these annual reports is that there is no control in terms of where projects occur, their size or their function. The fi gures shown refl ect that group of new schools that were reported as completed in a given year, in this case 2013.


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Finding your fi tThe median fi gures found in the fi rst

section of Table 5 may be signifi cant to your district. (Caution: Though they are shown as exact numbers, they are based on estimated costs, size and students, and should be used only as estimates.) But depending on your location, your district’s aspirations, the labor market and many other factors, the national median may not apply to you.

If your district is in a high-cost area or feels that it is a high-quality district in terms of how it spends its money and how it builds its buildings, you may want to look at the high quartile numbers, at least in terms of cost and space per student. They show that 25 percent of new elementary schools being built cost $270 per square foot or more. One-quarter of the elemen-tary schools last year provided almost 175 square feet or more per student. At the high school level, 25 percent of the districts will spend $65,597 per student or more and one-quarter of all the new high schools last year cost more than $70 million, housed more than 1,500 students and encom-passed at least 250,000 square feet.

The low quartile, also shown in Table 5, is

the point at which 75 percent of the reporting schools are higher and 25 percent are lower. Thus, 25 percent of elementary schools were completed for $165.38 per square foot or less. Twenty-fi ve percent of the new elementary schools provided fewer than 128 square feet per student and the low quarter of all report-ing school districts built their elementary school for less than $12 million.

Once again, it must be emphasized that these are not necessarily the same school building, but the point at which, in looking

at total cost or square feet per student or cost per student, one-quarter of the reporting districts are spending that amount or less.

Being in the low quartile does not sug-gest that the school is behind others. It may simply indicate that it is in an area with lower construction costs. Or, for example, in looking at the number of students in the school, the fact that one-quarter of all el-ementary schools are built for 372 or fewer students may be a factor of location (that’s all the students there could be) or a mark of


Elementary Schools

Middle School

High Schools

$/Sq. Ft. $/Per Student Sq. Ft./Per Student

No. of Students

Building Size (Sq. Ft.)

Building Cost

$201.79

$221.82

$249.47

$30,551

$38,718

$47,500

149.6

173.3

174.2

520

705

992

79,623

120,000

162,500

$15,850,000

$29,000,000

$45,233,500

Elementary Schools

Middle School

High Schools


No. of Students


Building Cost

$165.38

$187.50

$192.31

$22,707

$28,189

$33,333

128.0

144.4

150.9

372

531

565

59,680

89,000

118,500

$11,800,000

$19,600,000

$24,000,000

Elementary Schools

Middle School

High Schools


No. of Students


Building Cost

$269.90

$290.60

$359.16

$35,714

$53,361

$65,597

174.7

198.7

214.3

682

935

1,500

100,000

166,000

250,000

$22,830,000

$35,000,000

$75,000,000

To read this table: The national median cost per square foot for construction of an elementary school completed in 2013 was $201.79. Cost per student was $30,551 and the median school provides 149.6 square feet per student. One quarter of all school districts (the low 25%) spent $165.38 per square foot or less for its elementary school construction while one quarter of all districts spent $269.90 per square foot or more. The median high school completed in 2013 cost $45.2 million and the median middle school cost $29 million. (Based on data from 213 Elementary Schools; 94 Middle Schools; 139 High Schools.)

5 PROFILE OF NEW SCHOOLS COMPLETED IN 2013

National Medians

Low Quartile

High Quartile

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distinction (the school was kept small for educational purposes).

The fi gures shown in Table 5 are based on reports from 213 elementary schools, 94 middle schools and 139 high schools either completed in 2013 or substantially

fi nished and scheduled to open early in 2014. Keep in mind that the fi gures shown in Table 5 are meant as comparison points, not as arbiters of right and wrong, cheap or expensive.

Where to put the moneyMost school districts have multiple

construction needs. Whether caused by an expanding student population, need for tech-nology, questions of safety and accessibility or the need to upgrade schools built in another time, school boards are often faced with mul-tiple demands for construction dollars.

Table 6 takes a look, in terms of dollars, at how some of those questions are being answered. It shows the school level at which construction is taking place (money

is being spent) and the type of construction that was undertaken. For example, among school construction projects in 2013, 39.9 percent of the money was spent on el-ementary schools while 18 percent went to middle schools. High schools received 41.6 percent of the dollars spent. The balance was spent on “district projects,” gener-ally transportation and/or maintenance buildings, sometimes football stadiums or administrative headquarters.

Table 6 also shows the purpose for which construction dollars were spent at each level. For example, of the $5.338 bil-lion spent last year on elementary schools, almost $2.6 billion was for new buildings. More than $1.563 billion added space in existing buildings and $1.185 billion was

New

Additions

Renovations

Total

% of Year’s Dollars

Elementary Middle High District Total

$2,589,240

$1,563,911

$1,185,122

$5,338,273

39.9%

$1,341,936

$504,887

$566,407

$2,413,230

18.0%

$3,576,031

$990,540

$997,892

$5,564,464

41.6%

$66,229

$0

$8,200

$74,429

0.6%

$7,573,436

$3,059,338

$2,757,622

$13,390,396

100.0%

New

Additions

Renovations

Total



$2,620,632

$609,255

$489,731

$3,719,618

37.1%

$1,590,564

$255,240

$398,869

$2,244,672

22.4%

$2,136,939

$1,075,655

$820,219

$4,032,814

40.2%

$19,800

$0

$6,000

$25,800

0.3%

$6,367,935

$1,940,150

$1,714,819

$10,022,904

100.0%

New

Additions

Renovations

Total



$1,621,734

$867,635

$605,180

$3,094,549

32.8%

$1,393,859

$411,746

$354,748

$2,160,353

22.9%

$2,192,364

$1,247,650

$709,688

$4,149,702

44.0%

$19,645

$5,000

$10,500

$35,145

0.4%

$5,227,601

$2,532,031

$1,680,116

$9,439,748

100.0%

New

Additions

Renovations

Total



$6,831,606

$3,040,801

$2,280,034

$12,152,440

37.0%

$4,326,359

$1,171,873

$1,320,024

$6,818,255

20.8%

$7,905,334

$3,313,846

$2,527,800

$13,746,980

41.8%

$105,674

$5,000

$24,700

$135,374

0.4%

$19,168,972

$7,531,520

$6,152,557

$32,853,048

100.0%

To read this table: Of the $7.5 billion spent on new buildings in 2013, $2.5 billion was for new elementary schools, $1.3 billion was spent on middle schools and $3.5 billion on high schools. About $66 million was spent for such new buildings as maintenance sheds, bus garages and administrative centers completed in 2013 .

6 WHERE THE MONEY GOES, BY BUILDING TYPE ($000’S)

2013 Completions

2014 Expected Completions

2014 Projected Starts

Total

Another interesting detail — more than half the high schools

(51 percent) have elevators, meaning they have two or more fl oors, but almost half the high schools are spread out on one

fl oor, as are 80 percent of middle schools and 88 percent

of elementary schools.


for renovations to existing buildings.Table 6 also shows how districts are ex-

pecting to spend their dollars in projects be-ing completed or starting in 2014. In general, high schools get the lion’s share of the dollars.

The total dollars expended in 2013 totaled just about $13.4 billion. There are other reporting agencies that write about ongoing school construction spending that report considerably more activity than that.

Our numbers attempt to track actual work completed in a given calendar year. Those other agencies are reporting on the amount of activity that is taking place at a given time, no matter when it started or will be completed. The fi gures in the bottom section of Table 6 (Total Construction Underway) are a measure of ongoing activity — projects in various states of completion — and show that the im-pact of school construction on the economy at any one time is close to $33 billion.

Providing facilitiesNew school buildings have great

similarities. Table 7 records the percent-age of new schools completed in 2013 or expected to be completed this year that include specifi c facilities.

There are no surprises. All have class-rooms and offi ces. Some kind of a nurse’s station is a regular feature. Libraries are in all buildings though in some they may be listed as media centers.

In elementary schools this year, 95 per-cent included a gymnasium. Ten percent list a “multipurpose room” indicating that in 5 percent of the new schools, children will still have to share their gym space, usually with food service.

Another interesting detail — more than half the high schools (51 percent) have eleva-tors, meaning they have two or more fl oors, but almost half the high schools are spread out on one fl oor, as are 80 percent of middle schools and 88 percent of elementary schools.

Table 8 details information collected on additions to existing schools. It shows the facilities most often included by school type in 2013.

Classrooms and lavatories were the top two facilities added at every school level, not a surprise since the impetus for add-ing to a school is usually the need to ac-commodate more students. Gymnasiums also ranked high. Other than classrooms,

Elementary Middle/JHS High School

100.0%

100.0%

97.0%

100.0%

13.0%

100.0%

95.0%

92.0%

93.0%

99.0%

100.0%

99.0%

97.0%

96.0%

94.0%

100.0%

97.0%

89.0%

97.0%

15.1%

98.0%

100.0%

95.0%

10.0%

10.0%

7.0%

97.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

100.0%

94.0%

95.0%

99.0%

99.0%

96.0%

96.0%

95.0%

2.0%

23.0%

13.0%

99.0%

3.0%

5.0%

1.0%

0.0%

0.0%

5.2%

100.0%

96.0%

97.0%

98.0%

96.0%

96.0%

91.0%

93.0%

5.0%

77.0%

76.0%

94.0%

16.0%

56.0%

9.0%

24.0%

1.0%

3.0%

100.0%

100.0%

1.0%

1.0%

0.0%

100.0%

100.0%

4.0%

3.0%

100.0%

Classrooms

Library

Media Center

Computer Lab

Science Lab

Music

Arts/Crafts

Gymnasium

Multipurpose Room

Stage

Auditorium/Theater

Special Ed/Resource

Fine Arts

Home Arts

Industrial Tech.

Vocational Shops

Photo Lab

TV/Radio Studio

Offi ces

Infi rmary/Clinic

Cafeteria

Kitchen

Hall Lockers

LANs

Fiber Optics/Cable

Technology Lab (Digital)

Language Lab

WANs

100.0%

100.0%

26.0%

14.0%

100.0%

Core Facilities

Support Facilities

Technology Support

Locker Rooms

Bleachers

Track

Field House

Fitness Center

Tennis

Pool

Stadium

Athletic Fields

Playground

4.0%

14.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

8.0%

88.0%

85.0%

92.0%

4.0%

0.0%

4.0%

1.0%

1.0%

0.0%

67.0%

3.0%

90.0%

92.0%

13.0%

3.0%

26.0%

5.0%

2.0%

6.0%

74.0%

5.0%

Day Care/Nursery

Elevators

12.0%

12.0%

0.0%

20.0%

0.0%

51.0%

Athletic Support

Other Facilities

7 WHAT NEW SCHOOLS COMPLETED IN 2013 AND 2014 WILL PROVIDE(Percent of new schools that reported facility, by grade)


Percentage included

Classrooms

Lavatories

Gym

Parking

Offi ce

Cafeteria

Library

Kitchen

Media

Special Ed

66.8

24.7

11.1

8.9

8.1

7.7

6.8

6.8

6.4

5.5

Classrooms

Lavatories

Bleachers

Athletic Fields

Lockers

Science Labs

Locker Rooms

Gym

Stage

Offi ce

Parking

40.8

35.7

26.8

17.2

16.6

14.6

14.0

12.7

12.7

12.7

12.7

Classrooms

Lavatories

Gym

Bleachers

Cafeteria

Science Labs

Athletic Fields

Offi ces

Computer Lab

Kitchen

Lockers

52.7

25.7

16.2

16.2

12.2

10.8

9.5

9.5

9.5

9.5

9.5

Elementary

Middle/JHS

8 THE TOP TEN ADDITIONS BY SCHOOL TYPE

(Percent of school additions reported to contain facility)

9

(Percentage included in

retrofi t projects)

WHAT TASKS ARE MOST OFTEN UNDERTAKEN WHEN SCHOOLS ARE MODERNIZED

Electrical Overhaul

HVAC

Plumbing

Lighting

Roofi ng

Flooring/Carpet

Fiber Optics Upgrade

Computers

LANs Upgrade

WANS

ADA Upgrades

Fire Alarms

Security

Windows

Parking Lots

Tile

Lavatory Repairs

Code Violations

Controls

48%

45%

28%

28%

26%

24%

24%

23%

23%

23%

18%

16%

16%

15%

14%

13%

12%

11%

10%

High School

To read this table: 66.8% of additions to elementary schools contained classrooms. Classrooms were in almost 41% of high school additions; science labs in 14.6%.

DOWNLOAD THIS REPORT{ KEEPING YOU UP-TO-DATE }

The 19th Annual School Construction

Report is available for download on our

website at www.planning4education.com.

Click on the School Planning & Manage-

ment magazine link. To fi nd the report,

look for the Special Reports section

and click on the “19th Annual School

Construction Report” link.


academic space does not often appear high on the list of added facilities, but there is strong support for adding ath-letic facilities. One wonders if the added bleachers, athletic fi elds, lockers, locker rooms and gymnasiums in high schools are for increased physical education or mainly to support interscholastic sports and attract more spectators.

Table 9 records the tasks most often

undertaken when schools are modern-ized. Overhauling electrical systems is a key objective in 48 percent of the projects, followed by HVAC upgrades (45 percent) and then plumbing, lighting and roofi ng. Eighteen different categories of repair are involved in more than 10 percent of total projects, with a strong emphasis on upgrad-ing the ability to use technology through fi ber optic cables, LANs and WANs.

A Closer Look at RegionsWhat is happening in your part of the country.

Elementary Middle High$328.95 $63,054

187.7522

97,287$34,849

$364.47 $66,039

178824

153,493$54,650

$385.42 $74,712

1871,131

213,544$83,700

$/sq. ft.$/studentSq. ft./studentStudentsSize (sq. ft.)Total cost ($000)

REGION 1 MEDIANS NEW SCHOOLS (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)

The median elementary school in Region 1 spent $328.95 per square foot or $63,054 for each of 522 students accom-modated. Construction costs in Region 1 are higher than anywhere else ($/sq ft) but re-porting throughout the region is consistent.

Elementary Middle High$215.97$39,967

158.8500

85,000 $17,500

$278.18$42,500

152.8720

110,000 $30,600

$317.59$60,000

175450

79,500 $34,000


REGION 2 MEDIANS NEW SCHOOLS (NJ, NY, PA)

The median elementary school in Region 2 spent $215.97 per student or just under $40,000 for each of the 500 students accom-modated. The median middle school cost $30.56 million and housed 720 students. The median high school in the region cost $34 million and was unexpectedly small with just 450 students.

NATIONAL FIGURES ARE ALWAYS INSTRUCTIVE, but from the point of view of the local school administra-tor or school board, it may be more important to know what your neighbors are doing. School Planning & Man-

agement’s regional fi gures are designed to help you do that. On the following pages, fi gures are given for new school activity

in each of 12 regions of the United States. In each region, the me-dian is shown for each school type in terms of cost per square foot, cost per student and space per student. Also shown is the median school capacity reported, the building size and the building cost.

The purpose of this section is to provide data that can help you

understand not only what your own district needs, but also what others are doing and how much their projects cost.

The national tables allow comparison with districts with simi-lar aspirations. The regional tables allow you to measure yourself against your neighbors. With this information, you will have data necessary to make your own plans and, in many cases, to help the public understand what you are building, why you are doing it and what it is likely to cost.

Remember, there is no right or wrong. These are guidelines that can be applied to your own local needs and may help in explaining and understanding them.



173.3375

75,000 $15,700

$221.82$45,951

207.2531

110,000 $25,000

$200.00$45,226

206.7750

150,000 $29,900


REGION 7 MEDIANS NEW SCHOOLS (IL, MN, WI)

The median elementary school in Region 7 cost $190.00 per square foot or $31,196 for each of 375 students. The median high school cost under $30 million and houses 750 students, providing 207 square foot per student. Middle schools also provide 207 square foot per student.


148.1525

76,732 $17,500

$300.56$52,802

186.0598

107,500 $28,893

$270.00 $50,777

200.01308

237,343 $59,600


REGION 3 MEDIANS NEW SCHOOLS (DC, DE, MD, VA, WV)

The median elementary school in Region 3 cost $241.32 per square foot or $38,561 for each of the 525 students accommodated. The median high school with 1,308 students was 237,343 square foot and cost $59.6 million and provided 200 square foot per student.


140.6550

87,000 $13,900

$197.30$30,000

156.3773

130,000 $24,000

$207.25$38,981

181.81,594

258,000 $54,950


REGION 4 MEDIANS NEW SCHOOLS (KY, NC, SC, TN)

The median elementary school in Region 4 cost $172.24 per square foot or $26,222 for each of 550 stu-dents. The median middle school houses 773 students in 130,000 square foot. The region’s median new high school housed 1,594 students and cost $55 million.


142.9556

78,500 $12,000

$172.53$32,494

187.0693

121,257 $21,000

$174.96$28,245

153.71,200

231,000 $37,300


REGION 5 MEDIANS NEW SCHOOLS (AL, FL, GA, MS)

The median elementary school in Region 5 cost $166.67 per square foot or $24,641 for each of the 556 students. The median high school cost $37.3 million and encom-passed 231,000 square foot. Middle schools were half that size and housed half as many students.


136.3443

64,109 $10,250

$212.44$31,331

152.7564

76,500 $21,000

$247.33$39,053

155.2787

130,000 $37,100


REGION 6 MEDIANS NEW SCHOOLS (IN, OH, MI)

The median elementary school in Region 6 cost $172.09 per square foot or $22,446 for each of the 443 students. The median middle and high schools cost far more per square foot and per student and provided considerably more space per student.



141.8550

78,000 $14,000

$237.89$46,962

183.7517

99,000 $27,450

$216.67$42,570

187.5800

170,000 $40,000


REGION 8 MEDIANS NEW SCHOOLS (IA, KS, MO, NE)

The median elementary school in Region 8 cost $183.36 per square foot or $27,273 for each of the 550 students. The median high school costs almost $40 million and provides 170,000 square foot. Middle schools provide 184 square foot per student and cost $27.5 million.


144.4602

85,000 $16,150

$202.29$35,248

170.3831

100,000 $32,000

$233.33$39,254

175.01,500

170,000 $43,500


REGION 9 MEDIANS NEW SCHOOLS (AR, LA, OK, TX)

The median elementary school in Region 9 cost $177.12 per square foot or $25,943 each for 602 students. They provide 144 square foot per student and cost $16 million. The median high school cost almost $44 million for 1,500 students and middle schools $32 million for 831.


169.9364

56,000 $12,400

$231.69$39,287

166.1686

119,000 $29,946

$262.50$39,300

181.4910

176,250 $39,300

$/sq. ft.$/studentSq. ft./studentStudentsSize (sq. ft)Total cost ($000)

REGION 10 MEDIANS NEW SCHOOLS (CO, MT, ND, NM, SD, UT, WY)

The median elementary school in Region 10 cost $211.54 per square foot or $35,519 for each of 364 students. The high schools cost $40 million and provide a median 181 square foot per student for 910 students. The median middle school houses 686 students and cost $30 million at $231.69 per square foot.


106.1487

54,033 $16,950

$195.00$23,018

128.9714

100,000 $19,500

$320.74$42,646

150.51,250

155,000 $43,500


REGION 11 MEDIANS NEW SCHOOLS (AZ, CA, HI, NV)

The median elementary school in Region 11 cost $313.70 per square foot or $37,288 for each of 487 students. High schools cost $43.5 million and house 1,250 students. Schools in these warm states provide less space per student because they avoid corridors by providing outside passage.


135.6534

73,000 $13,000

$255.48$41,625

175.1765

140,000 $37,000

$264.44$50,995

170.0609

107,500 $28,850


REGION 12 MEDIANS NEW SCHOOLS (AK, ID, OR, WA)

The median elementary school in Region 12 cost $196.72 per square foot or $25,051 for each of the 534 students. The median high school cost $29 million at $264.44 per square foot. The median middle school cost $37 million, provided 175 sq ft per student at $255.48 per square foot.


Trends Since 1995T H E OV ER A L L PI C T U R E

This is the 19th year that School Planning & Management has col-

lected and published data on costs of new schools in the United

States. Reporting is done based on medians. The number shown is

more than what one-half of schools constructed cost and less than

the cost for the other half (see Table 5 for more on national medians and the

regional tables starting on page 26 for regional medians).

In 1995, as Graph A shows, the median school district was paying about $104 per

square foot to construct high schools; $99 for middle schools and $93 per square foot

for elementary. Costs remained reasonably close to those numbers for the next four

years rising slightly but still staying close to $100 a square foot — a little above that in

high cost parts of the nation, a little below in areas where all costs tended to be lower.

And then things changed. By 2003, high school construction costs had risen

to $132 per square foot, a 25-percent increase. Four years later, in 2007, the me-

dian high school was being constructed for $171 per square foot. In 2011, median

costs for constructing a high school reached $219. Last year, the cost of construct-

ing a new high school was estimated at $249 per square foot, a signifi cant jump.

The middle school picture was similar. From 1999 (when costs were $108 per

square foot), the price rose steadily to $130 in 2003 and $162 in 2007. In 2009, the

median cost for a new middle school was $187.50 per square foot, a 73-percent in-

crease over a decade. In 2010, reported costs surged to better than $215 per square

foot, but in 2011 and 2012 they fell back to $195. In 2013, based on reports from 94

middle school projects construction costs went way up to almost $222.

The cost of constructing an elementary school has more than doubled since

1995, going from $93 to $202 today, but that fi gure represents a slight decline

from one year earlier when the median elementary school cost was $204.79.

Graph B examines the history of construction cost per student over the

same period of time. Cost per square foot is essentially controlled by outside

forces. Cost per student, to some extent, can be controlled by the school district.

The simple act of increasing the announced number of students who will

be served by a new school, after all, will lower the cost per pupil. It is assumed

that school districts do not do this, but with the economy robbing schools of

operating funds, some districts are increasing the number of students allowed

per class, and that, in turn, can aff ect the cost per student if the new standards

are applied to a building under construction.

Cost in 2013 for the median high school was $47,500 per student. Middle

schools came in at $38,178 per student and elementary schools at $30,551. All

were higher than was reported among the relatively small number of schools

completed a year earlier.

In terms of cost per student, a reporting issue needs to be resolved or

at least considered. A new high school may be planned with 800 students

scheduled to enter it, so the cost is divided by 800. But in many districts, that

school may be sized for a larger student body some years ahead, perhaps as

many as 1,600. In that case the cost per student really ought to be divided by

1,600, cutting the apparent cost in half.

In another common situation, the support facilities (gyms, library, science

labs, etc.) are sized for a larger student body, but there are enough classrooms

only for the entering cohort. When the school population grows, classrooms will

be added. That provides a diff erent cost per student. Statistics can take one only

so far. Each individual must apply the numbers to their own situation.

Graph C shows the amount of space each school type is allocating per student.

This is an area where schools can control costs. Compared to 1995, elementary

schools reporting this year providing about 40 square feet more for each pupil. In

that same period high schools have provided about 25 additional square feet for

each student. Middle schools added an extra 45 square feet over the last 18 years.

Of course the same questions as raised concerning cost per student pertain. Was

the building planned for the number of students entering or for the ultimate num-

ber expected in later years? Either way, it is apparent that new schools constructed

today provided more space than schools constructed 19 years ago. SPM

A look at medians for elementary, middle and high schools from the past 19 years.


Elementary Middle High

80

120

160

100

140

180

200

GRAPH C: MEDIAN SQ. FT. PER STUDENT, 1995-2013

1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

2013 Median Sq. Ft. per Student

149.6 173.3 174.2Elementary Middle High

GRAPH A: MEDIAN COST PER SQ. FT., 1995-2013

Elementary Middle High1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

$80

$120

$160

$100

$140

$180$200

$240$220

$260

2013 Median Cost per Sq. Ft.

$201.79 $221.82 $249.47Elementary Middle High

Elementary Middle High

GRAPH B: MEDIAN COST PER STUDENT, 1995-2013

1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$45,000

$15,000

$25,000

$35,000

$50,000

$40,000

2013

2013 Median Cost per Student

$30,551 $38,718 $47,500Elementary Middle High

Documents

NATIONAL STATISTICS REGIONAL ANALYSIS TRENDS … · national statistics & trends • providing detailed analysis 16 school planning & management / february 2014 webspm.com trends