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TITLE 's School Facilities Predicament. INSTITUTION EdSource, Inc., Palo Alto, CA. SPONS AGENCY S. H. Cowell Foundation, , CA. PUB DATE 1998-04-00 NOTE 18p. AVAILABLE FROM EdSource, 4151 Middlefield Rd., Suite 100, Palo Alto, CA 94303-4743; phone: 650-857-9604. PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Educational Demand; *Educational Facilities; *Educational Facilities Planning; Elementary Secondary Education; Facility Improvement; *Financial Needs; Financial Policy; Needs Assessment; *School Expansion IDENTIFIERS *California

ABSTRACT This report provides an overview of the difficulties that California faces in determining how much money to invest in school facilities. The text describes the dimensions of the school facility crisis as a whole and looks at the ways in which facilities can affect the quality of education and student performance. It also explores the various options open to both the state and local school districts as they address this challenge. It argues that making a realistic projection about the need is a first step toward a solution. After that, school officials, policymakers, and the public must agree on the minimum quality that they believe is acceptable for school buildings and the optimum quality needed for educational improvements. Decision makers are reminded that schools must meet federal mandates for safety and accessibility. Subsequently, some standards for school facilities are presented. Stakeholders also need to determine the appropriate mix of state and local funding, and one suggestion recommends that the state commit more funds to help schools with maintenance costs. Other possible strategies such as state bonds, local taxes, and developer fees are discussed. (RJM)

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April 1998

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office Educational Research and Improvement EDU IONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND CENTER (ERIC) DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL This document has been reproduced as HAS BEEN GRANTED BY received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to Ed S C improve reproduction quality.

Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) REPORT April 1998 California's School Facilities Predicament alifornians spent over $20 billion on school facilities from 1986 to 1996. As SCHOOL BUILDINGS IN CALIFORNIA Mon a result, some children go to school in COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES beautiful new buildings designed around a new Clarifying vision of education. But the majority of California's Complex public school students are not in such schools. Education Because as large as the investment might sound, Issues it has been flatly inadequate to the tremendous statewide need. In the spring of 1998, That need arises from two sources. One is California's state the growth in California's student population, leaders continue to which today exceeds by over one million the peak debate how to provide years of the "baby boom." The other problem is funding to address the the number of older school buildings in need of repair or renovation. state's school facility needs. Meanwhile, The majority of California's public schools And the Contrasts can be Extreme many California were built during the post-World War II boom In San Francisco, the 550 students at Jean Parker Elementary School go up to the roof of students go to school between 1950 and 1965, and many have been poorly maintained. Typically, these aging build- their new 3-story school for recess. The school in inadequate, sits on six-tenths of an acre in this densely- ings are costing more and more to keep up, no overcrowded, and populated city. longer meet educators' ideas of a good learning 9utmoded buildings In Los Angeles, 2,700 students attend Hoover environment, and usually lack the common- with no end in sight. Street Elementary School where recently-added place amenities found in newer structures, portables took the place of volleyball and bas- including modern wiring and lighting. ketball courts on the school's overcrowded playground. In some places the sit- uation is extreme. Educa- In County, a teacher at National City INSIDE THIS REPORT Middle School describes crumbling walls and tors struggle to do their visible termite damage in her classroom. jobs and students strug- I I I " : gle to concentrate in over- In Contra Costa County, the main building at El Cerrito High School was built in 1938 and still has California Needs More School Buildings 2crowded, deteriorating the original plumbing and heating systems. The Schools Urgently Need buildings with inade- district puts off some needed repairs because of Maintenance & Modernization 3quate heating, undepend- the cost of asbestos abatement. able plumbing, leaking Facilities' Part in Educational Quality In Clovis, near Fresno, the beautiful new Floyd B. Buchanan High School which cost $32 mil- & School Improvement 5 roofs, and peeling paint. lion and was paid for with state bond funds Both nationally and will house nearly 3,000 students on 47 acres. CONTINUING DEBATES ABOUT THE SOLUTIONS here in California, gov- What Will Adequate School Facilities Cost? 8ernment leaders and edu- cators agree that the prob- Among state leaders, the sometimes para- How Should School Facilities Be Paid For?9lem of school facilities has lyzing debate focuses on the extent of the school facilities need and the best ways to fund it. In Could The Money Be Better Spent? 12reached crisis proportions. Existing school buildings local communities, people tend to focus on the SomeConcluding Thoughts 15 do not adequately house problems closer to home. This report links the today's public school stu- local and state realities. It begins by describing dents and projected enrollment growth over the the dimensions of the school facility crisis in Ed Source thanks the next ten years will make a bad situation even California as a whole. It also looks at the ways S.H.Cowell Foundation in which facilities can affect the quality of edu- for underwriting the worse. Moreover, this circumstance constrains the ability of many schools to improve public cation and ultimately students' performance. research, development, and Finally, it explores the various options open to production of this report. education through such measures as class size reduction and greater use of technology. Yet in both the state and local school districts as they © Copyright 1998 the 1998 legislative session, California leaders address this fundamental problem in Califor- by Ed Source, Inc. nia's public schools. IIstruggled to craft a comprehensive solution. California's School Facilities PredicamentApril 1998 REPORT

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Trish Williams what felt like dizzying numbers during the baby Ed Source Executive THE MANY DIMENSIONS boomers' school years, from about 1951 to 1975, Director OF THE PROBLEM student populations fell precipitously, particu- 1997-98 EdSource larly in certain communities. In the 1960s and Board of Directors early 1970s, school districts were building new California Needs More schools, adopting year-round calendars, and Sherry Loofbourrow, President going on double sessions. In 1980, they were Former President, School Buildings California School Boards Association closing schools and selling surplus sites, often to Ron Hockwalt, Vice President Educators and political leaders from both par- raise money for facility improvements. But by Superintendent, Walnut Valley USD ties agree that California must have a steady 1988 the state's student population had again William Moore, Secretary supply of new school buildings to meet the cur- reached its 1970 peak of 4.5 million, and in Vice Chairman of the Board, rent and projected need. That need arises both California Casualty Group 1997-98 it is reaching an all-time high of 5.64 from the growth in student population and million students. Gerald C. Hayward, changes in educational programs, particularly Fiscal Officer Many California school districts are strug- Director, Policy Analysis California's class size reduction program. for California Education gling to catch up with the housing needs caused

William Chavez by this enrollment growth. In particular, high Chief of Staff, Continuing Growth in Student schools are feeling increasing pressure as the State Senator Richard Po lanco Population Is One Key Factor students who flooded elementary schools in the Deborah Daniels-Smith late 1980s enter the secondary system. This Director, SUCCESS California In October 1997, the California Department of Student Opportunity and Finance (CDF) estimated that the state would increase in the sheer number of students is just Access Program add over 300,000 new students in the five years part of the problem. George Datz Another dilemma is where these students Chairperson, Educational from 1997-98 to 2001-02, bringing the total number Congress of California of K-12 students to nearly six million. live. Much of the growth in student population Gail Dryden That is a far cry from a student population since 1980 has not been in the same areas where Director of Special Projects, League of the "baby boom" generation grew up. So while Women Voters of California of just over one million in California in 1945. Since then, the growth curve looks a bit like a a school district in Silicon Valley might have old Eugene Garcia school sites that are leased out, another district Dean, Graduate School of Education, roller coaster (see Figure 1). After climbing to UC Berkeley

Karyn Gill Figure 1 President, League of Women Voters of California STUDENT POPULATION GROWTH SINCE 1945 HAS BEEN ERRATIC Rosalind Gold Director of Policy and Research Operations, NALEO California history in the last 50 years Jere Jacobs shows thedynamicsofpopulation 1970-71 1988-89 California Business Roundtable increases and decreases.Predicting Maximum Baby Exceeds Baby Donnell Jordan future growthinstudent populationis Boom Enrollment Boom Maximum Teacher, Desert Sands guesswork at best. For facility planning Unified School District purposes, when it often takes four years to Karen Manelis President, California American get a school built, a longer-term projection Association of University Women would hold great value. However, itis MaryAnn Memmer risky business to make enrollment projec- Vice President for Education, tions about children who are not even California State PTA born yet, to say nothing of predicting John Mockler immigration patterns in a volatile political 3 President, Strategic Education Services and economic climate. Even shorter-term 2 projections are an inexact science. This is Ron Prescott Deputy Superintendent, particularly true for individual schools or 1 0 Los Angeles Unified School District schooldistricts *here a new housing Rosaline Turnbull development, a military base closing, or a 46-47 56-57 66-67 76-77 86-87 96-97 2006-07 President, California State PTA surge in real estate prices can dramati- Marie Wolbach cally affect school enrollments. Vice President Program, Data: California Department of Finance EdSource 4/98 California American Association of University Women 4 California's School Facilities Predicament ElApril 1998 EPORT

Mon in Riverside County has seen its student popu- Existing Schools Urgently lation grow from 17,000 to 31,000 since 1987. Need Maintenance and Smaller Class Sizes Have Modernization Reduced School Capacities California had a total of 7,872 public schools California's Class Size Reduction Program and 60,000 public school buildings in 1995-96. (CSR) provides funds to reduce K-3 class sizes The California Department of Education (CDE) from about 30 students to a maximum of 20. If a reports that 55% of those buildings are over 30 school district previously planned that a school years old. Others look at the year that the main had room for 600 K-3 students in 20 classrooms, under class size reduction it now has the capacity Figure 2 for only 400 students in the same space. In the short term, the district has to come up with ten BUILDINGFEATURES AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS additional classroom spaces for the remaining PROVIDE MEASURES OF FACILITY QUALITY 200 students. In the long term, it has to reassess all its assumptions and projections regarding In a national survey completed in 1995, California ranked among school capacities and facility funding needs. the worst states in most of the building features listed below. Seven In the first two years of CSR implementation out of ten school districts reported at least one inadequate building 1996-97 and 1997-98 California's elemen- feature and four out of ten reported at least one inadequate building. tary schools added about 28,000 new classroom The state's schools ranked a little better on some environmental fac- spaces through a variety of strategies, including tors, most notably ventilation and indoor air quality. a heavy reliance on portable classrooms. They Percent of California Schools Reporting "Inadequate" were thus able to reduce class sizes for an esti- Building Features in 1994-95(rated as fair, poor, or mated 85% of the state's kindergarten through need to replace) third grade students. If schools throughout the CA National state had reached full implementation in 1997-98, Features Respondents Survey it could have required from 2,000 to 4,000 more Roofs 41% 27% classroom spaces. Framing, floors, foundations 28 18 Exterior walls, finishes, windows, doors42 27 Even More Strain n California's Interior finishes 47 24 Plumbing 41 30 School Facilities Could be in Heating, ventilation, air conditioning 41 36 the Offing Electrical power 32 26 Causing concern for many school districts is the Electrical lighting 43 25 on-going dialogue among state leaders and Life safety codes 21 19 the public regarding the expansion of CSR (such as fire and earthquake) beyond the third grade. In addition, both Super- Percent of California Schools Reporting "Unsatisfactory" intendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin Environmental Factors and Governor presented legislative proposals in 1998 to expand pre-school services CA National esparadents Survey through the public school system. While these Factors proposals call for a mixture of existing private Lighting 31% 16% and new public programs, and would be Heating 25 19 phased in over several years, they would Ventilation 29 27 22 19 undoubtedly put a greater strain on school Indoor air quality Acoustics 34 28 districts' ability to provide facilities. Space flexibility 70 54 Energy efficiency 60 41 Physical security 41 24 Schools w/ air-conditionedclassrooms67 51

Data: US General Accounting Office, 1996 EdSource 4/98

12] California's School Facilities PredicamentApril 1998

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EoSolteo

school was built to arrive at a statistic that 60% Team (FCMAT). His office provides technical of California's schools are over 30 years old. assistance and oversight to districts which are California faces the prospect of investing confronting serious financial problems, and thus billions of dollars to repair, maintain, and mod- visits districts throughout the state. He stresses ernize these aging schools. Due simply to their the seriousness of the situation as it relates to age, many schools are in need of the same kind student and staff welfare. "We're seeing unsafe of basic repairs home owners face, such as roof and unhealthy conditions." replacements, updated plumbing, and new heat- Data from a survey by the U.S. General ing systems. This is in addition to such routine Accounting Office (GAO) backs up these obser- maintenance expenses as paint, flooring, and vations. In a nation where the condition of normal wear and tear. In addition, a major school facilities has been labeled a crisis, Califor- investment in modernization is essential to nia school districts report their schools to be in enable schools to use computers and other tech- some of the worst condition in the country. nology as part of their instructional program. Many School Districts Need to California's Schools are Invest in Modernization in Serious Disrepair The lion's share of modernization involves Unfortunately, the state is paying a price for improving school buildings, especially class- past decisions. Not only are school buildings rooms, to support technology. Many older class- aging, they have also often been poorly main- rooms have one or two electrical outlets, and no tained. Declines in general school funding over telephone connections. the last 20 years led many districts to defer In 1994-95 the U.S. GAO surveyed school preventive maintenance expenses in order to officials regarding, among other things, the extent maintain education programs. As a result, some to which America's school buildings can sup- school facilities are now in a state of serious port new technologies. They asked a sample of physical disrepair. school officials to evaluate whether their school "We're seeing, time and time again, that had sufficient infrastructure for data, voice, and facilities and sites are being neglected," says video systems. They included the conduits, fiber Tom Henry, chief administrative officer for the optic cables, wiring, and power that need to be state's Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance built into a facility to make technology operate effectively, and the modem lines, both to schools Figure 3 and classrooms, that make telecommunications PERCENT OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS REPORTING possible. In every category, California schools INSUFFICIENT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR TECHNOLOGY IN 1994-95 were more likely to be rated as "insufficient" than schools in the U.S. as a whole. In a national survey, California schools reported that facilities were ill-equipped In the three years since this GAO survey to make use of technology. Of particular note, about two-thirds reported not was completed, California schools have certain- having phone lines in instructional areas or for modems. ly made additional investments in technology CA National infrastructure. Some of this has been through Technology Respondents Survey private effort. For example, Californians have Phone lines for modems 68% 56% succeeded in providing Internet access to many Phone lines in instructional areas 65 61 more public schools through activities such as Cable TV 50 32 Net Day a school, community, and corporate Conduits 80 61 activity that used volunteers to perform much Fiber-optic cable 93 87 of the labor. Wiring 69 46 In addition, a new federal program called Power 56 35 E-Rate may provide substantive help with technology infrastructure to qualifying school Data: US General Accounting Office, 1995 Ed Source 4/98 districts. The program will put $2.2 billion California's School Facilities PredicamentApril 1998 REPORT

nolo annually into a national effort to support both the installation and on-going costs of bringing STATE MAY COMMIT MORE FUNDS TO HELP SCHOOLS WITH MAINTENANCE technology into U.S. schools. School districts apply directly to the program, which will begin In an effort to encourage schools to invest in regular maintenance, California allocating funds in 1998. for many years operated a voluntary deferred maintenance program. The state would match a local district's investment to catch up on facility maintenance that had been put off, up to one-half of 1% of its budget. From the mid-1980s Schools Must Meet Federal on, this program was increasingly under-funded. In his 1998-99 budget, Gov- Mandates for Safety and ernor Wilson proposed additional funding for the program of $135 million. Accessibility At the same time, state guidelines required districts receiving funds from School districts are required to comply with a the state building program to put aside 2% for general maintenance. In his variety of federal mandates. These include 1998-99 budget proposal, Governor Wilson recommended increasing this removing safety hazards such as asbestos and local obligation for on-going funding by 1%. His plan would require radon, and making sure school programs are participatingschooldistrictstoset aside 3% oftheir budget for accessible to people with disabilities. In general, building maintenance. these mandates become a consideration when schools undertake renovation, repair, or con- struction projects. The Condition of School Accessibility issues are expected to be the most Facilities Directly Affects costly of these federal mandates in coming years. Student Achievement Since 1973, federal law has required that school Recent studies throughout the U.S. were cited by facilities be accessible to people with disabilities. the Clinton Administration in 1996 in its initiative The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed to increase federal support for school facility con- in 1992, highlighted the need to improve accessibili- struction. "Good school facilities are an important ty and added some additional requirements. precondition for student learning," the initiative According to the GAO, about 78% of the California stated. "A growing body of research has linked stu- schools surveyed in 1995 reported that they expected dent achievement and behavior to the physical to need to spend additional funds on accessibility building conditions and overcrowding." from 1996 to 1999. Students learn less in noisy, overcrowded, unsafe school buildings. Research evidence and common Facilities Play a Part in sense both indicate that there is a minimum level Educational Quality and of quality for a school facility, below which stu- School Improvement dent and teacher effectiveness can be seriously compromised. A variety of studies conducted since While many aspects of school effectiveness have 1982 throughout the United States indicate that been studied extensively, researchers are just begin- students achieve less in school buildings which are ning to develop data regarding the relationship situated on noisy streets, have too many students between school facilities and students' academic for their capacity, or cannot be adequately and performance. Perhaps because leaders are recogniz- safely maintained. ing the need to invest more resources into the In general, older buildings are more likely to nation's aging and inadequate school buildings, have these basic problems, and many are in central research interest in the subject is growing. urban areas where space and land are at a premium. In particular, researchers are asking two impor- Smaller is better. A large body of research has con- tant questions. First, in what ways does a school vinced many educators and policymakers that facility either enhance or inhibit student perfor- smaller classes and smaller schools can lead to mance? And second, what implications do new improved student achievement. educational strategies related to education reform Certainly Californians appear to have decided have on how schools should be designed? that reducing class sizes (at least in the early grades) REPORT California's School Facilities PredicamentApril 1998

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CALIFORNIA'S SITUATION IS PART OF A NATIONAL PROBLEM

"We [need to] Certainly California is not alone in its need to invest more in the school infrastructure. In 1995 the U.S. visualize a school- General Accounting Office estimated that $112 billion should be spent over three years to upgrade and house that is not repair schools nationwide, to which $60 billion should be added to accommodate.growth. Yet in 1994, just a place to sit state legislatures appropriated a combined total of $3.5 billion for school construction. In its February 1998 school construction report, School Planning and Management magazine estimat- but a place capa- ed total 1997 school construction at $12.7 billion nationally, with about a quarter of that amount going ble of educating toward renovations of existing buildings. By their calculations, about three quarters of the investment was students to com- devoted to new schools and additions to existing schools growth in other words. pete in the twen- ty-first century's willimprove the quality of education, as evi- say, indicate that schools with "fewer students global society, a denced by the rapid adoption of the state's vol- provide a more personalized educational climate, place of pride for untary class size reduction program. A survey reduce misconduct and violence, enhance student conducted in 1997 by School Services of Califor- involvement, and encourage greater parent and the community, nia, Inc., indicated that the lack of school facilities, community participation in governance ... larger and a place in or funds to expand them, represented the single schools, even if they are more efficient to operate which our young biggest obstacle to reducing class sizes in Califor- up front, are in fact more costly in human terms." people know that nia. Their research also indicated that schools are While there is no universal agreement about so eager to have smaller classes that they have the optimum size for a school, one scholar's our society values taken space from other parts of the educational summary of the existing research indicates that education. Our program, including libraries, science labs, teacher an effective size for an elementary school is 300 schools should planning areas, and day care programs. to 400 students and for a secondary school it is not be a trip back Nationally, research is convincing many 400 to 800 students. experts of the educational advantages of smaller This research flies in the face of a continuing in a time machine schools. In the June 1996, edition of School Business state and national trend toward bigger schools. but rather a Affairs, Ken Stevenson and Leonard Pellicer cite At the high school level in particular, there is window to the several studies they find convincing. These, they strong opinion that a student population of future." STANDARDS FOR SCHOOL FACILITIES Delaine Eastin, State Superintendent of In its work overseeing the recovery of Compton Unified School District, California's Fiscal Crisis Man- agement and Assistance Team (FCMAT) has developed a list of 26 professional and 27 legal standards Public Instruction for facilities. Following are some of those standards. From the introduction to Sample Professional Standards The Form of The district has an updated, long-range facilities master plan, including a demographic study, a five- Reform, School year capital facilities plan, and cost estimates. Facility Design The district has developed and implemented an energy conservation program. Implications for Procedures are in place for evaluating the work quality of maintenance and operations staff. California Educational Sample Legal Standards Reform The governing board shall keep the school buildings in repair and supervised. Building examinations are performed and required actions are taken by the governing board upon report of unsafe conditions.

Sanitary, neat, and clean conditions of the school premises exist and the premises are free from conditions that would create a fire hazard.

6 California's School Facilities Predicament o April 1998

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1,400 or more is desirable Figure 4 in order to provide a rich academic program. PERCENT OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS REPORTING THEY Schools come in MEET THE FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF EDUCATION every imaginable size REFORM "NOT WELL AT ALL" and shape in California. Statewide average school California schools appear to have more facilities that are inadequate in sizes 595 for elemen- accommodating activities often considered necessary for education reform. tary, 880 for middle Activity CA schools, and 1,655 for National Respondents Survey high schools mask some dramatically small Small group instruction 15% 10% and large schools. Exam- Large group (50 or more) instruction 51 38 ples include Dunsmuir Store student assessment materials 48 31 High School with 160 stu- Display student assessment materials 40 28 dents and Independence Parent support 39 24 Social/health services 41 27 High in San Jose, which Teacher planning 21 13 has an enrollment of Private areas for counseling/testing 46 26 4,000. Nonetheless, the Laboratory science 58 42 averages indicate that Cal- Library/media center 19 13 ifornia schools are larger Day care 76 78 than those in most other Before/after school care 64 59 states. Some schools, try- ing to gain the advan- Data: U.S. General Accounting Office, 1995 EdSource 4/98 tages of a smaller school in their existing large-scale facilities, use existing school facilities as obstacles to educa- "school within a school" programs and also tional improvement. adapt their buildings to try to create "neigh- Ideally, school design needs to start with a borhoods" or clusters. careful look at education goals and practices. The move to smaller classes and smaller The objective, when a school has the chance schools presents both opportunities and chal- to create new or remodeled facilities, is to lenges for local school communities. On one accommodate desired education reforms. This hand, many experts are convinced that this is approach is strongly advocated by the California an important and effective lever for improving Department of Education, which outlined many student performance. On the other hand, design parameters in The Form of Reform, a 1997 "smaller" is more expensive and many school publication for school districts embarking on communities are already hard pressed to pro- building projects. vide adequate school facilities. When school GAO research identified several "functional districts or state leaders for that matter requirements" related to school reform which decide that small is essential, school communi- closely echo the California recommendations. ties have to take a fresh look at how they think The same basic principles are also found in a about school capacities and facility use. 1997 publication, Probe: Designing School Facilities for Learning, by the National Education Knowl- School Reform Calls for edge Industry Association. New Schoolesigns One important tenet of education reform is that students engage in active learning. This Many experts on school reform and school facil- includes conducting experiments themselves, ities see a fundamental mismatch between how doing research, and completing projects that schools need to operate and the buildings most demonstrate their knowledge and abilities. All schools occupy. In one publication after another, of this takes more and different space than both state and national experts characterize desks in a row. Schools need enough room to

9 California's School Facilities PredicamentApril 1998

Memo,

CAN PAINT COLORS BE USED TO HELP STUDENTS LEARN BETTER?

Color theory a growing area of expertise among architects provides recommendations for using "Most schools color to make school facilities more hospitable to learning. These include the following. are not inhos- Elementary schools should use warm, luminous colors such as light salmon, warm yellow, pale pitable places for yellow-orange, coral, and peach which direct students' attention out toward the environment and either children or are conducive to cheerfulness and activity. teachers. The In the upper grades, softer, cooler colors such as beige, pale or light green, and blue-green buildings are are appropriate because they foster an inward orientation and the ability to concentrate. clean, safe, and Libraries should be pale or light green. drug free. The Paint the front wall of a classroom a different color than the side and back walls to draw students' buildings are just attention to the front of the room. old. As such, they Excerpted from Probe: Designing School Facilities For Learning, National Education Knowledge Industries Association, 1997. have their limita- tions. There are allow students to move around; areas de- some things they signed for these activities, such as science I labs and library/media centers; and space in 1 just can't do. which to display and store student projects. Unfortunately, Such space is woefully missing in many Cali- one of those things fornia schools. What Will Adequate is nurturing In addition, schools appear to have few School Facilities in spaces available for various other activities reforms that reformers say are essential supports for quality California Cost? ensure all instruction. In very short supply are areas dedi- California's leaders from the Governor's students acquire cated to teacher planning and staff development; office to local school boards generally agree high-level knowl- small private rooms for counseling individual that the state needs to invest in school facilities. students; and areas open for parent/community edge and skills." The precise amount is a matter of lively discus- use. This is particularly true in California since sion. And that conversation tends to focus on the the implementation of class size reduction. minimum required, and the sources of the funds, Metro Educator, Neither do most of the state's public rather than on a vision of what type of school July 1993. South- schools have room for school-based community facilities California's students ought to have. west Regional programs such as health services and child care. Projections of the need for school facilities Laboratory Many communities support these programs as funding are based on assumptions about vari- an effective and efficient way to assure that (now WestEd) ous intangibles. These include future growth in families have adequate support systems. They student population, the condition of existing see this as important for helping make sure stu- buildings, and anticipated changes in school dents come to school ready to learn, particular- programs that affect facilities, to name a few. ly students in low-income families. This ambiguity makes vast differences in pro- When school districts build new facilities jections possible and plausible. designed around the needs of their current edu- For example, in early 1998, Governor Wil- cational programs, the buildings look dramati- son put the 10-year need for 1996-2006 at about cally different from the majority of schools in $17.6 billion, excluding class size reduction and California. One of the strongest guiding princi- deferred maintenance. He proposed a series of ples is flexibility, so that the use of space can be four state bond elections of $2 billion each over maximized and so facilities built today will be the next eight years, with an equal local match. adaptable as educational practices and commu- The Democrat-led Legislature, meanwhile, nity needs change. wanted to see a single bond measure of $9.2 California's School Facilities Predicament E April 1998 REPORT

Mon billion ($6 billion of which would be for K-12 to attend school in inadequate, overcrowded, schools) with half the funds available in 1998, outmoded buildings. and half in 2000. This reflected the CDE's The most significant sources for facilities December 1997 estimate that over $20 billion funding include: was needed over the next five years. Six months bond proceeds from the state; earlier, in July of 1997, the state's major educa- local school district general obligation bonds, tion organizations were quoting the CDE's ten- which require two-thirds voter approval; year estimate of $42.5 billion. and assessments on real estate developers and Even without agreeing on the exact price homeowners. tag, most observers acknowledge that the state's school facility needs are monumental and call The balance between these sources and for a serious funding effort. A comprehensive, the political tradeoffs involved in arriving at responsible, and broadly accepted estimate that that balance prevented state leaders from reflects the full need for many years to come agreeing on a school facilities recommendation might, however, facilitate constructive discus- to put before voters on the June 1998 ballot. sion on this complicated issue. Debate is expected to continue as California's leaders attempt to arrive at some consensus How Should School before the November 1998 election. Facilities Be Paid for? Proceeds From State Debate among state leaders has raged for sever- Bonds Have Been the al years over the question of where the money for school facilities should come from. Californi- Single Largest Source ans have allowed differences in perspective on State school bonds have covered about half of this issue to get in the way of taking any action school facility expenditures since 1986. Can and at all. And in the meantime, students continue should the state use its bonding capacity to

Figure 5

ESTIMATES FOR CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FACILITY NEEDS

FOR IIV Y RS1. °'97 -98 TO 2001-2002 Projected Growth Estimated Student Population Growth 315,000 new students New Classrooms to Accommodate Student Population Growth 12,611 (7 per day) (based on 25 pupils per class) New Schools Needed 378 (K-8) + 78 (9-12)= 456 new schools

Cosc. 7ct!nes Funding Needed to Accommodate Student Population Growth (based on $10,000 per new student, plus land costs of 25% of new construction costs) $ 3.94 billion Class Size Reduction $ 1.25 billion

Cost of Facility Improvements Deferred Maintenance $ 3.00 billion Modernization including technology upgrades & retrofits $11.66 billion Child Care $ 0.25 billion

Total Estimated Cost $20.10 billion

Data: California Department of Education EdSource 4/98 REPORT California's School Facilities PredicamentApril 1998 num Figure 6

STATE PROVIDED NEARLY HALF OF SCHOOL FACILITIES FUNDS Could Local Communities FROM 1986 TO 1996 Contribute More Through Bonds? From 1986 to 1996, Californians approved $9.8 billion in state bonds for From 1986 to 1996, proceeds from local general school construction. State funds were part of the estimated $21.2 billion obligation bonds paid for nearly $6 billion in spent on school facilities during those years. This pie shows where the funds came from. school facility improvements. This was under the current requirement for two-thirds voter $ In Billions approval, which makes these measures quite Local General difficult to pass. Proponents of the two-thirds Obligation Bonds threshold say that is as it should be. State Local general obligation bonds place an extra Bonds tax burden on property owners. So says Larry McCarthy, president of the California Taxpayers Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing economy and efficiency in govern- ment. In a December 1997 commentary McCarthy $0.8 Special Local Taxes said, "Because not all voters are property owners, a two-thirds vote gives more assurance that per- $2 5 haps a majority of property owners who pay the tax are represented in vote results." Developer Fees $1.2:a This argument apparently resonated with Republicans in the State Assembly who took a Deferred Multi-track hard stand in early 1998 against reducing the Maintenance Year-round vote requirement. Both the Governor and Demo- Calendar cratic legislators had proposed going to the voters with a constitutional amendment to reduce the Data: California Dept. of Education, School Facilities Planning Division Ed Source 4/98 66.7% approval requirement. A similar ballot item was overwhelmingly voted down by Cali- continue to provide that level of support over the fornians in 1993. next decade? "A major factor in The success of a growing proportion of local Those who answer yes say that public edu- bond measures in recent years even with the the declining cation is the state's responsibility. They also pointtwo-thirds requirement also provides an argu- condition of the out that state bond measures, which require only ment for the status quo. Indeed, of the bond elec- nation's schools a simple majority vote for approval, do not tions held in 1996 and 1997, 65% passed, includ- increase taxes and are relatively easy to pass. ing an historic $2.4 billion measure in Los Ange- has been decisions They say that the current school facilities crisis les Unified. This brought the total for approved by school districts must be addressed as quickly as possible and bonds from 1986 through 1997 to nearly $11 bil- to defer vital that state bond money is vital for doing so. lion, with many projects in the planning phase. maintenance from Others argue that the state has many infra- Most observers believe the recent successes reflect a combination of the school facilities situa- year to year due to structure needs besides public schools, but only a limited bonding capacity. In the October 1997 tion becoming so critical and the upturn in Cali- lack of funds." issue of Cal Tax Digest, the California Taxpayers fornia's economy. Some also credit the improving Association says local school districts have an passage rate to more sophisticated campaigns and to advance polling which causes some U.S. General untapped bonding capacity of nearly $41 billion. For that reason, they argue, a larger share of the school districts to decide against even attempting Accounting Office responsibility for school facilities must be borne a bond without a fairly good chance for success. by local taxpayers. Many say that is a reasonable The task of mounting these campaigns suc- expectation only if local general obligation bonds cessfully is monumental, placing a variety of can be passed by a simple majority of voters. extra pressures and expenses on school districts. -re2 10 California's School Facilities Predicament m April 1998 REPOR T nun

It often takes two or more attempts before 66.7% city, and the relative affluence of the community of the local voting public is convinced of the can all help with a bond measure's passage. need. While state law prohibits the expenditure The political and economic differences of public moneys for the campaign itself, school among communities can lead to serious "School buildings districts do have an obligation to analyze the inequities between school districts' ability to are a tool in the need for an election, provide information to voters meet their school facility needs. When Campbell enterprise called who have questions, and pay for the election itself. Union Elementary School District passed a $42 District officials, school board members, par-million bond to serve nearly 8,000 students, and learning, and, like ents, and community representatives all report two years later neighboring and more affluent any tool, they can that the stress and expense of these elections can Saratoga Elementary School District secured the help or hurt the negatively effect other facets of a district's opera-same amount of bond revenue to serve 2,200, the tion. In addition, districts often defer mainte- inequities were obvious. enterprise. We nance until they have bond proceeds, which can can't control all mean that the eventual cost of repairs becomes Developer Fees Raise the influences even larger. To add insult to injury, districts that affect a might ask for higher bond amounts to more ade- Funds and Controversy quately meet their needs if they were required to To what extent should those who create the need child's learning. secure only a majority vote. for additional schools be responsible for helping We must take Another concern about increased reliance on to provide them? It is not surprising that real each child as he or estate developers and educators often differ in local funding is possible inequities. School she comes to us. districts set the amount of bond they ask for their answer to this question. At the heart of it based on more than just their legal bonding are developer fees, which have provided a state But we can con- capacity and their identified facility needs. total of about $2.5 billion to fund new school trol the kinds of They also use their best judgment about what facilities since 1986. learning facilities level of increased taxation two-thirds of local These fees, charged both to developers of to which we send voters can and will tolerate. new properties and to property owners who our young." In some communities, the political climate remodel, are predicated on the concept that new may dictate that no additional levies for school construction will lead to additional students. facilities are possible. In conservative Orange Individual school districts decide whether or Dena G. Stoner, County, for example, no school district even not to levy the fees and at what rate up to the President, National attempted to hold a bond campaign from 1986 allowed maximum. Districts are required to sub- Education Knowledge stantiate the financial impact of the new develop- through 1997. Other communities are also more Industry Association willing or able to tax themselves or to do so at a ment and show that they have used the revenues higher rate. A large commercial tax base, a high to address that impact. In 1998, the maximum fee proportion of young families in a community, was $1.93 per square foot of new residential con- the school district's identification with a single struction and $.31 for commercial construction.

HOW SHOULD STATE FACILITY FUNDS BE ALLOCATED?

A first consideration for state funds is what mixture of new construction, class size reduction, and repairs/upgrades should the state money be spent on?

More political is the issue of which districts get what share of the funds. Many observers express con- cern about rigid state funding formulas that do not take into account the sometimes dramatic differences in land and construction costs in various regions of the state. Governor Wilson believes local communities should make some contribution of their own, rather than depending solely on the state, and so would like to require school districts to match the state funds they receive. Opponents of this idea cite concerns about "the rich getting richer" while some school districts could end up with no facility funding at all. I3 REPORT California's School Facilities PredicamentApril 1998

num

Some of the arguments about developer fees focus WILL THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT on the amount of the levy and various attempts have been made to either raise or lower it. TAKE A LARGER ROLE? A more contentious battle raged in the State In both 1997 and 1998, the Clinton adminis- Legislature in 1997-98 regarding a trio of state tration proposed making substantial federal court decisions known as Mira, Hart, and Murri- eta. These decisions allow cities and counties to funding available to help address a school turn down development proposals based on a facilitiescrisisitdescribed as nationalin lack of adequate school facilities. scope. Under these proposals, the federal role The building industry, among others, are would be focused on helping the most disad- supporting legislation to get these court cases vantaged communities and the hardest-pressed repealed. In a report to Governor Wilson, indus- school districts. The Republican Congress has Proposed try representatives claimed school districts have so far failed to support these proposals. solutions to used these laws to impose fees "as high as four California's times the statutory limit ... Ultimately, this school facility approach has caused an unnecessarily adversari- A variety of other issues quickly comes to al relationship between the building industry the fore as various groups consider the best way crisis begin and school districts while pricing thousand of to invest in school facilities. Some critics believe with the recom- families out of home ownership opportunities." the money can be spent more efficiently, while mendation to Supporters of the Mira line of court cases sayothers focus on the need to spend it more equi- tably. Another perspective is that school facilities, invest addition- such protection is vital and justified. In a Decem- ber 1997 edition of California Schools, the Califor- once built, should be used to better advantage by al money, with nia School Boards Association (CSBA) states schools and their communities. Others advocate the accompany- "cities and counties can consider the impact of a creative new ways to run schools that could development project on schools, roads, sewers, reduce the need for traditional classrooms and ing arguments school buildings. regarding where drainage, water supply, and much more when considering whether to approve or deny a pro- that money ject. The developer would allow them to proceed Could We Make Better, More should come with a housing project even when the fee paid Efficient Use of Capital Funds? by the developer is totally inadequate and has no from. But few School and state leaders continue to ponder the relationship whatsoever to addressing the school question of how to control facility costs and still observers say impacts." that more deliver the best possible school buildings for the The Mira situation has been one of the most dollars spent. By a variety of different measures, money can volatile and intransigent issues for state leaders the cost of school construction in California is or should be the and the education community. Many observers higher than elsewhere in the U.S. Explanations whole solution. believe that it will have to be settled in order for for that vary. Nearly everyone agrees that Cali- policymakers to craft a comprehensive solution fornia's high cost of living reflected in astro- to the school facilities situation. nomical property values and relatively expensive labor rates is a major cause. They probably do Could the Money not account, however, for all the differences. Be Better Spent? Criticism is often directed at California's sys- tem for approving and overseeing school con- Proposed solutions to California's school facility struction projects.Ina 1992 Little Hoover Com- crisis begin with the recommendation to invest mission report, the independent state watchdog additional money, with the accompanying argu- agency said, "The state has created a cumber- ments regarding where that money should come some program that micro-manages school con- from. But few observers say that more money struction projects, delaying the completion of can or should be the whole solution. and driving up the cost of school facilities."

1 4 California's School Facilities PredicamentApril 1998 REPORT

Etwo.

This critique, with which many observers teaching students in any permanent building not agree, applies especially but not exclusively to constructed specifically for school use. projects that receive funding through the State Earthquake safety remains the strongest justifi- Lease/Purchase program. The multitude of cation for the Field Act. In the words of Califor- agencies involved in the approval process (see nia's Auditor General, "School buildings ... box), the level of inspection required throughout should be designed to resist forces generated by the construction process, and the complex for- major earthquakes of the intensity and severity mulas for allowable costs all have been criti- of the strongest experienced in California with- cized. Some changes in the process have been out catastrophic collapse but only some repara- made since 1992, but the basic system remains in ble architectural or structural damage." place. The Governor and Legislature both had No one argues with this basic precept, and changes to the program on their agendas for 1998, the Field Act is close to sacred in many circles. but their proposals differed significantly. However, over the years the UBC for commer- At the heart of some of this complexity is cial buildings has become nearly identical to the California's Field Act. This law passed in 1933 Field Act in its construction standards, although after a strong earthquake destroyed school build-the plan checking, inspection, and reporting ings in Southern California gives the state the processes are still not as rigorous. It is also authority to determine structural safety stan- pointed out that buildings constructed under dards, review plans, and oversee the construc- new UBC regulations are often safer than those tion process for all public school buildings. Field built under old Field Act certification. A first Act standards, particularly those regarding con- "chink in the armor" of the Field Act occurred struction inspections, have always exceeded with the 1997 passage of AB 865, which allows those of the Uniform Building Code (UBC) school districts to lease certain types of non- which governs most other types of construction. Field Act buildings constructed after 1990. Effectively, the law prohibits public schools from

FACILITY APPROVAL PROCESS INVOLVES MULTIPLE AGENCIES

When school districts want to build a new facility, remodel, or add additional space they do not deal with local building departments or building codes. They are instead required to get approvals through state agencies, based on the special structural requirements for school buildings spelled out in Califor- nia's Field Act. They pay fees, sometimes substantial ones, for these services. Two agencies share responsibility for certifying the quality of school structures and district compliance with state regulations:

DSA, the Division of State Architect (formerly known as OSA, Office of State Architect), reviews plans and monitors the actual construction of a school. It has three separate review boards on Structural Safety, Access Compliance, and Fire and Life Safety, all of which must approve the school design. It is also responsible for overseeing the work of construction inspectors who must be present throughout the project, whether buildings are pre-fabricated in a factory or built on-site. CDE, the California Department of Education, sees that school designs and new school sites are in accordance with state standards, and helps districts complete the documents they need to participate in the State Lease/Purchase program. When school districts apply to participate in the program for state construction funds, they must be approved through other agencies.

OPSC, the Office of Public School Construction (formerly the OLA, Office of -Local Assistance), admin- istersthe application process for the State Lease/Purchase program and advises the State Allocation Board regarding the proposed projects. SAB, the State Allocation Board, approves funding for each project.

15 REPORT California's School Facilities PredicamentApril 1998

Eo3 o

Building costs are also a target for criticism. represents a "good investment" for school districts The construction industry is among many and creates a positive school environment. The groups that say state laws get in the way of cost consensus among most school facility experts is efficiency when schools are built. State policy- that they can, in the right circumstances, and thus makers have attempted to respond. In 1997, need to remain a major component in the school Governor Wilson revised state regulations facility mix. (See the April 1998 EdFact, Portable regarding "prevailing wage" laws, one of the School Buildings, for a more thorough discussion.) most commonly cited cost inflators. Industry Can schools make better use of facilities? Many representatives also recommended to the Governor people believe communities need to rethink the that "Money can be saved by greater use of stan- way school buildings are used. The classic model dardized construction methods and by giving is a public building used only for school purpos- local districts more control over school construc- es and programs. The children who live in the tion decisions." surrounding community attend their neighbor- Some types of relocatable or hood school. The building is portable classrooms provide open six to eight hours a day, space less expensively. The five days a week, from late least expensive portable units August until June. And all stu- cost around $33 per square foot dents are physically present at or $32,000 for a 960-square- the school. This paradigm has foot classroom exclusive of "Money can be alh-eady changed in many site costs and financing. School saved by greater schools in California and most district officials characterize use of standardized observers believe more of those this as a minimum standard construction changes are necessary. unit with few aesthetics and A common if sometimes con- low durability. A more typical methods and by troversial alternative is year- price would be $41,000 to giving local districts round education (YRE). As of $55,000 for a unit with upgrad- more control over July 1997, about 22% of Califor- ed siding, roofing, electrical, school construction nia's students attended schools and heating/ventilation sys- with year-round calendars. tems. Installation can run as decisions." Multi-track YRE can increase high as $20,000 per unit. Some school facility capacity by as relocatables are neither less much as 25%, although it does expensive nor lower in quality, add some operational costs. than permanent construction. The state has provided finan- Classroom units can be priced as high as cial incentives toschools that choose this option. $100,000. This is in contrast to permanent con- Many school staffs and communities oppose struction costs which can range anywhere from YRE, especially initially. School districts that $120 to $180 per square foot. have adopted it report that it takes careful plan- A major advantage of using relocatable ning and a high level of local dialogue and sup- structures is the speed with which they can port to be successful. be installed. Bidding processes and the state- Some school districts share facilities with required inspection procedures are well estab- other public entities. This is a way to maxi- lished with the manufacturers. This makes it mize the taxpayers' infrastructure investment. possible to have a new structure in place within A common arrangement for decades has been a few months if a district is using local funds. the use of school grounds as community parks, If a district is dependent on state funding, the with the city typically taking responsibility for approval process can make the wait considerably maintenance. This kind of agreement gives longer, depending on the availability of funds cities additional park land or playing fields, and the district's place on the state's priority list. and also helps school districts. Absent formal The question is whether relocatables can arrangements, communities with inadequate provide a durable, high quality facility that 16 California's School Facilities PredicamentApril 1998

Luba. open space routinely use school grounds like They can also, however, stretch their thinking to parks anyway. School districts often end up consider new alternatives for maximizing the use paying for the increased maintenance costs of their facilities. that result from heavy community use. An underlying and potentially explosive Many communities are beginning to explore question regards facility conditions that are similar arrangements in regard to buildings. Day already profoundly unequal. What inequities are care facilities, libraries, and community health Californians prepared to tolerate, and what level clinics are some of the most common examples. would the courts find tolerable? In Bakersfield, a unique partnership between the Bakersfield City School District and the County Office of Education resulted in the construction of a new downtown elementary school that TAKING STOCK OF EXISTING SCHOOL FACILITIES provides both a school and day care facility for area employees. When school districts are confronted with a facility prob- Long term, new educational approaches may lem, a careful analysis of existing school facilities, short- also relieve some of the pressure on facilities. and long-term educational goals, and their spending prior- Advances in telecommunications hold the possi- ities can help make rational decisions possible. Various bility that more students will participate in "dis- models exist to help with this process. tance learning." And the increasing focus on In mostly urban San Diego Unified School District, for exam- school-to-career linkages may create more oppor- ple, planners developed a matrix which allowed them to tunities for students to go to school at job sites evaluate and prioritize the facility needs of the district's 119 instead of in conventional classrooms. With rare elementary schools as it implemented class size reduction. exceptions, however, any significant impact of Their focus was overcrowding in terms of school site size. such programs on school facility needs seems a They developed the following optimum school numbers: long way off. Enrollment 700 students Local communities have a great deal of dis- Students per acre 100 cretion over these types of changes in how school facilities are used. Sometimes, they require a Percentage of portable classrooms 30% or less change in attitude or practice on the part of Amount of library/media space 3.45 square feet schools and other local agencies. Nonetheless, per student they represent valuable options for addressing some school as well as community facility needs.

School Facility Needs Some Concluding Thoughts Vary Dramatically The task of determining how much California It is beyond dispute that school facility condi- needs to invest in school facilities is complex and tions vary dramatically from one community to the answers are far from obvious. Making a real- another. Some of this is the result of simple istic projection about the need is a first step. demographics, where population growth has Beyond that, state policymakers, local school occurred over time. And much of it is the long- officials, and the general public need to agree on term impact of differential financial resources the minimum quality of school buildings they and facilities investment. believe is acceptable and the optimum quality Even within school districts, great inequities they believe is necessary and desirable for educa- tional improvement. They need to determine the exist in regard to school facilities. Some are the appropriate mix of state and local funding. And result of development patterns in local neighbor- they need to make sure every dollar is well spent. hoods. Some are legacies from facility decisions made decades or even a century ago. As school In the spring of 1998, local school commu- districts struggle to address their unique facility nities continue to wait. Time will tell if the issues, they have to work with what they have. Governor and Legislature give Californians California's School Facilities PredicamentApril 1998

California's School Facilities Predicament written by Mary Perry, an opportunity to vote in November of 1998profoundly local endeavors. Throughout Deputy Director on a new state school facilities bond and on California, school districts and communities research whether or not local bond elections should must decide how they are going to provide assistance by require a two-thirds approval. Until these schools for the children they have the respon- Barbara Miller, state level decisions are made, the options sibility to educate. Hopefully, they will find Research Director for local school districts remain constrained. the funding and resolve necessary to make Lisa Shusterman, Yet ultimately whatever state leaders those schools safe, well-maintained places Graduate Intern decide about funding, standards, equity, and which help both students and teachers do Bill Pieper, approval processes the actual construction their best work. School Finance Consultant and management of school facilities remain 1 EdSourceis an inde- pendent, impartial, TO LEARN MORE statewide not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in Califor- nia in 1977. See these EdSource publications Portable School Buildings: Scourge, Saving Grace, or Just Part of the Solution? for a more EdSource develops and distributes accurate, thorough look at this issue. balanced information Smaller Classes for the Youngest Students-to see how the first year of class size reduction has about California's edu- cationpolicyand impacted school facilities. schoolimprovement California's K-12 School Finance System for background information on school facilities funding. issues towide and diverse audiences. Our goal is to develop an Get copies of related reports informed California citizenry in order to Contact 'the Little Hoover Commission, 1303 J Street, Suite 270, Sacramento, CA 95814- encourage thoughtful 2935 (phone 916/445-2125, fax 916/322-7709) for their June 1992 report, No Room dialogue, increase par- for Johnny: A New Approach to the School Facilities Crisis, and for information about a ticipation, and enable report expected in mid-1998. informed decision mak- ing on behalf of Califor- Order The Form of Reform: School Facility Design Implications for California Educational nia's public schools. Reform from the Publications Division, Sales Office, California Department of Education, P.O. To learn more about Box 271, Sacramento, CA 95812-0271 (fax 916/323-0823). EdSource, please.request For a national perspective, see the. spring 1997 issue of PROBE, Designing School Facilities an annual report and to be placed on our for Learning. Copies are available through WestEd, Attn: Publications. Dept., 730 Harrison general mailing list. Street, San Francisco, CA 94107-1242 (phone 415/565-3044; fax 415/565-3012). 4151 Middlefield Rd., Read the report California K-12 School Facilities and the Implementation of Class-Size Reduc- Suite 100, Palo Alto, CA tion published by School Services of California, 1121 L Street, Suite 1060, Sacramento, CA 94303-47413 95814 (phone 916/446-7517; fax 916/446-2011). 650/857-9604 Fax 650/857-9618 E-mail Contact these organizations edsource.aol.com Contact the California Taxpayers Association, 921 11th Street, Suite 800, Sacramento, CA For more information, 95814 (phone 916/441-0490) for a copy of their article "Informing the Local Bonds see these web sites: www.edsource.org Debate" in the December 1997 issue of Cal-Tax Digest. www.ed-data.K12.ca.us For data about school construction, contact the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (C.A.S.H.), 1130 K Street, Suite 210, Sacramento, CA 95814; (phone 916/488-8577). For additional copies of this EdSource report, a catalog of our other publications, or details on how to subscribe to our annual Information Service, please contact EdSource at 650/857-9604. ['ISOBEL Clarifying Complex Education Issues n7 fi'-'0717 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and improvement (OERI) Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) ERIC

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