American School & University - January/February 2024

January/February 2024 asumag.com | schooldesigns.com

ALSO INSIDE: Nursing School Facilities

22

Outdoor Spaces

28

After

ESSER

Billions of dollars in federal Covid relief will run out later this year, and many schools will have to deal with looming budget shortfalls.

14

Image: Attic Fire Photography

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS V O LU M E 9 6 • I S S U E 3 • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4

14

22

COVER STORY

After ESSER

Billions of dollars in federal Covid relief will run out later this year, and many schools will have to deal with looming budget shortfalls.

28

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

18 Secure and Accessible

10 Inside

Multiple layers of security in a school create safer learning spaces for students and staff

22 Addressing the Nursing Shortage

Many colleges and universities are upgrading their nursing school facilities in response to a critical need for more nurses.

26 From the 2023 Architectural Portfolio: Rochester Prep High School 28 The Great Outdoors Transforming unused outdoor campus space into places of experiential learning.

Furniture

12 Construction Zone

Cafeterias and Food Service Facilities

13 Knowledge Center

Maintenance and Operations

34 Profiles

Uvalde Report

VIEWPOINTS 30 Facility Planning

Architecture and Academe

ALSO IN EVERY ISSUE ...

6 EDITOR’S FOCUS

8 ON THE WEB

32 PRODUCT SOLUTIONS

33 MARKET PLACE

33 AD INDEX

American School & University (USPS Permit 023-180, ISSN 0003-0945 print, ISSN 2161-7791 online) is published 7x a year (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, July, August, Sep/Oct, Nov/Dec) by Endeavor Business Media, LLC., 201 N. Main St., 5th Floor, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to American School & University, PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Publisher reserves the right to reject non-qualified subscriptions. Subscription prices: U.S. ($ 123.75); Canada/Mexico ($ 98.75); All other countries ($ 123.75). All subscriptions are payable in U.S. funds. Send subscription inquiries to American School & University, PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257. Customer service can be reached toll-free at 877-382-9187 or at americanschool@omeda.com for magazine subscription assistance or questions.

Printed in the USA. Copyright 2024 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopies, recordings, or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the publisher. Endeavor Business Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person or company for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever. The views and opinions in the articles herein are not to be taken as official expressions of the publishers, unless so stated. The publishers do not warrant either expressly or by implication, the factual accuracy of the articles herein, nor do they so warrant any views or opinions by the authors of said articles.

4 AMERICAN SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY • ASUMAG.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

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■ editor's focus

FYI

By Mike Kennedy

R EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Bruce Mather Executive Director of Facilities Management Elmhurst College, IL Martin Montaño Capital Projects Administrator Rio Rancho Public Schools Rio Rancho, NM James E. Rydeen FAIA, Armstrong Torseth Skold and Rydeen, Inc. Minneapolis, MN

ecently I arrived at a local café to retrieve my carryout dinner, and the clerk inquired, “Oh, do you have an RPU?” I have resigned myself to the no-time-to-spellit-out texting culture and the alphabet soup it has inflicted on those of us not cool enough to be in the know, but that was new one to me.

Seeing my confusion, she took pity on me and offered a translation: “Rapid Pick Up.” The exchange got me thinking about all the initialisms and acronyms that have proliferated in recent years. Good friends are now BFFs; people no longer laugh—they LOL or if something is really funny, ROTFL. One of the main proponents (or offenders) in this practice is the world of education, which has a long track record of creating these shortcuts.

For instance: On the California Department of Education website, a database of “common acronyms and initialisms” on the website boasts more than 340 items.

Initials often cause more confusion than enlightenment. Does ADA refer to the Americans with Disabilities Act, or Average Daily Attendance? In California, USC means one thing; in South Carolina, it refers to something else.

The Covid-19 pandemic has spawned plenty of opportunities for education acronym advocates. The first round of federal Covid relief for schools was the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Easy to remember, but a little bit cutesy. Congress autho-

rized a second round of aid with CRRSA—The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. Lots of financial help for schools, but not much work put into the initialism—too many letters, immediately forgettable.

The third allocation of Covid aid provided more than twice as much funding as the other rounds combined and arrived with the grandiose name American Rescue Plan. But the acronym it generated, ARP, didn’t reflect the ambitious nature of the legislation (and, besides, it was a name already claimed, as crossword puzzle fans know, by a famous sculptor.)

So a better acronym—ESSER—rose to prominence to cover all three rounds. It’s pronounceable and easier to say than the long version, The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund. And because it benefits nearly every school system in the United States, it’s sure to be remembered by those to whom it’s most meaningful—school district administrators.

ICYMI, there are other Covid relief initialisms—HEER (Higher Education Emergency Relief); GEER (Governor’s Emergency Education Relief); and EANS (Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools).

But don’t worry if you come upon a new assortment of letters you don’t recognize: IYKYK. 

Senior Editor Mike Kennedy has written for AS&U on a wide range of educational issues since 1999.

Enter Educational Interiors Showcase 2024 This spring, American School & University magazine will assemble a panel of education and architectural professionals to judge the 34th annual Educational Interiors Showcase, the industry’s premier awards program for excellence in education facilities interiors. Selected projects will be published in the August 2024 Educational Interiors Showcase issue. Visit schooldesigns.com/ educational-interiors-showcase to enter or for more information. Entry forms due March 15. Submission Materials are due by April 26.

6 AMERICAN SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY • ASUMAG.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

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■ on the web | asumag.com www.asumag.com www.schooldesigns.com CONTENT DIRECTOR/ ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Joe Agron • jagron@endeavorb2b.com SENIOR EDITOR Mike Kennedy • mkennedy@asumag.com ART DIRECTOR Julie Whitty • jwhitty@endeavorb2b.com AWARD PROGRAM MANAGER Heather Buzzard • hbuzzard@endeavorb2b.com EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Stephen Ashkin; Paul Erickson; American Institute of Architects Committee on Architecture for Education VICE PRESIDENT, BUILDINGS & CONSTRUCTION GROUP Mike Hellmann • mhellmann@endeavorb2b.com GROUP EDITORIAL DIRECTOR— BUILDINGS & CONSTRUCTION GROUP Mike Eby • meby@endeavorb2b.com SENIOR PRODUCTION OPERATIONS MANAGER Greg Araujo • garaujo@endeavorb2b.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Brenda Wiley • bwiley@endeavorb2b.com

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Boston facilities plan says dozens of schools may be closed

T

he Boston public school system could close dozens of its campuses in the coming years to address declining enrollment, deteriorating infrastructure and inequitable student experiences, according to a new plan from the city and school district.

The Long-Term Facilities Plan envisions a district with fewer schools, but larger and newer ones that operate more efficiently and equitably and can offer students broader academic programming.

The plan indicates that Boston could close as many as half of its public schools, but shortly after the school district released details of the plan, Superintendent

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https://asumag.com/21280271

Empty Los Angeles mall will become a research park for UCLA

T

he University of California, Los Angeles, has acquired the former Westside Pavilion shopping mall and will transform it into the UCLA Research Park.

The university says the 700,000-square-foot property, two miles south of UCLA’s Westwood campus, will initially host two multidisciplinary research centers: the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA and the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering.

“We will remake the empty former mall into a state-of-the-art hub of research and innovation that will bring scholars from different higher education institutions, corporate partners, government agencies and startups together to explore new areas of inquiry and achieve breakthroughs that will serve our global society,” said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block.

The Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy will draw on the expertise of UCLA faculty members, scholars from different higher education institutions,

UCLA

and other leading scientists and practitioners in clinical and biomedical scientific research, including human genetics, genomics, computer science, engineering and information science.

The UCLA Research Park also will be home to the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, which conducts research in the emerging field of quantum science and technology, including quantum computing, communication and sensing. https://asumag.com/21280174

Judge strikes down Kentucky law that would have established funding for charter schools

SUBSCRIPTION CUSTOMER SERVICE: (847) 559-7598 americanschool@omeda.com REPRINTS To purchase custom reprints or e-prints of articles appearing in this publication contact reprints@endeavorb2b.com.

Mary Skipper sent an email to principals assuring them that the district would not be shuttering half of its schools.

Boston Public Schools has 119 buildings, more than are needed to accommodate existing enrollment. Since 2006, enrollment has dropped 13% — from 56,000 students to fewer than 49,000.

The district now has 87 buildings serving students in pre-K-6. The plan says that number could eventually decrease to roughly 40 to 80 buildings. For grades 7–12, there could eventually be fewer than 20 buildings, down from the 31 now operating.

A

5246901 © Rafael Angel Irusta Machin | Dreamstime.com

Kentucky law that would have authorized funding for charter schools has been struck down as unconstitutional.

The Louisville Courier Journal reports that Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled that the law was an attempt to “establish a separate class of publicly funded but privately controlled schools” that would create a “separate and unequal” system.

“There is no way to stretch the definition of ‘common schools’ so broadly that it would include such privately owned and operated schools that are exempt from the statutes and administrative regulations gov-

erning public school education,” he said.

The law would have made it easier for charter schools to open in the state. Charter schools have been legal in Kentucky since 2017, but none have opened, largely because of a lack of funding.

The judge noted that the law being challenged has "no restriction that would prohibit the takeover of charter schools by private equity investors who could increase their profits by draining the charter school of tax-dollar-funded resources needed to educate children."

Shepherd also focused on the part of the law that says “every child residing in the district” can attend a common school. Charter schools would be able to limit their enrollment.

“Charter schools may turn away qualified children residing in the district,” court documents state. “The statute allows the charter school to define for itself ‘the targeted student population and community it hopes to serve.’”  https://asumag.com/21279250

8 AMERICAN SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY • ASUMAG.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

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■ inside | furniture

Columbia donates used residence hall furniture to charities

A

room furniture pieces and 185 lounge furfter renovating one of its residence halls, Columbia University in New niture pieces from Broadway Hall to New York City is donating some of the furniture York City charities to be used for migrant it has replaced to a local hospital system. housing.

The university says 134 pieces of furniThe donations are a part of Columbia’s ture—couches, chairs and tables—from efforts to greatly reduce the number of items Broadway Hall are being donated to NYC directed to landfills and find homes for genColumbia University/Kevin Dale Health + Hospitals. tly used items.

The furniture will be used at the hospital system’s shelter locaThe upgrades at Broadway Hall included new furniture for tions and medical centers that support vulnerable populations student lounges plus smart televisions that can be operated by a in need, including domestic abuse victims and asylum seekers. mobile app. Student rooms received new furniture, and a wireless Columbia Housing also donated a total of 1,944 student bedkey entry system was installed.

10-year project is replacing furniture at Princeton University residence halls

P

rinceton University is in the midst of a 10-year project to update and replace furniture in its residence halls.

The Daily Princetonian reports that last summer, over 1,000 furniture sets and in-suite living room furniture were installed in Rockefeller and Mathey colleges. University spokesperson Ahmad Rizvi says the project is expected to take 10 years, because residence halls must be taken offline for the whole summer, and manufacturers must fabricate and deliver the various furniture pieces.

According to Rizvi, the available space in each residence hall room is assessed by an interior design firm, which then produces furniture layouts for the room. The interior design firm is one of the many groups who are contributing to furniture replacement across campus.

According to Rizvi, the new furniture includes bedroom sets consisting of a desk, desk chair, pedestal, bed, underbed storage drawer, bookcase, and the wardrobe, and “soft seating” — ottomans and armchairs.

A typical quad must contain four beds, four desks, and four desk chairs. Many have other additional items of furniture such as wardrobes, underbed storage drawers, and bookcases.

Because of the diversity of room sizes and types within the undergraduate housing inventory, there may be variations in the quantity of furniture that each room receives, Rizvi said. One quad may receive one armchair and one ottoman; a bigger quad may receive two of each.

Whitman and Forbes Colleges will be the next to receive the new furniture—Forbes in summer 2024 and Whitman in 2025.

California district embraces flexible furniture he Manteca (California) Unified District has outfitted all its elementary schools with flexible furniture.

The furniture has more inclusive designs for all students, the district says, and many pieces incorporate cutting-edge innovations such as whiteboard desks, collaborative seating, and ergonomic chairs.

The district says that each grade level has been provided with furniture specifically designed for students’ needs. Younger children have a developmental need for body movement, so early learning classrooms have flexible seating that enable students to shift positions while continuing to learn. For older students, shared learning spaces will foster a sense of community and civic engagement as they work in teams and learn to solve problems.

“Flexible furniture can be moved and changed easily,” the district says on its website, “so teachers can arrange their rooms and seats in different ways. This helps students work together and learn from each other during class. Students who collaborate with their

Manteca Unified School District

T

peers can understand lessons better and think more creatively.”

Many classes allow students to choose where they want to sit each day, the district says. When deciding where to sit, students are encouraged to ask themselves: “Was the seat I chose today a good learning spot for me? Could I hear or see my teacher and complete my work? Is there something I didn’t like about where I sat today? Which seat would be best for my learning tomorrow?” 

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■ construction zone | cafeterias and food service facilities

Culinary arts facility under construction at California high school

Ruhnau Clarke Architects

T

he Colton (California) Joint Unified District has begun construction of a culinary arts facility at Colton High School.

The district is modernizing an existing 3,800-square-foot assem-

bly hall and constructing a 4,700-square-foot culinary arts building.

The goal is to provide a sophisticated, high-tech environment that will help prepare students for careers in the hospitality industry and the culinary arts while also creating a social destination hub, “the colony.”

The facility will have learning spaces, flexible assembly hall with built-in seating and demonstration kitchen. An indoor café will be run by students.

Outdoor seating areas with grilling area, herb garden and bar top seating will provide space for student gatherings, after-school functions, competitions, and front-of-house learning opportunities regarding serving and management.

IE Community News reports the project cost is about $12 million, including funds from a bond issue and a $2.89 million state grant.

The architect is Ruhnau Clarke Architects.

California community college builds performing arts/culinary facility

W

oodland Community College in Woodland, California, has completed construction of a 35,000-square-foot Performing Arts Center and Culinary Institute.

The Daily Democrat reports that the $42 million facility had a soft opening in January and will have a more formal opening in April. Construction started in March 2022.

The multistory structure has a 450-seat theater with classroom spaces to expand Theatre Arts, Music, 2D Arts, Agriculture and Culinary Services.

In anticipation of opening the facility, the college has hired a full-time culinary arts instructor, Chef Paschell Wilson, to lead the new program.

The facility will have two labs and four practice rooms for music instruction, an art instruction lab and a storage room, two shared lecture rooms seating 40 and 72, and a culinary arts instruction area.

Yuba Community College District

Funding to build the center came from Measure J and Measure Q bond proposals, approved by voters in 2006 and 2017.

Ogden (Utah) district opens Child Nutrition Center

T

he Ogden (Utah) school district has opened a Child Nutrition Center on the campus of the district’s administrative offices.

R & O Construction, contractor on the project, says the center is

a a state-of-the art training facility for the district’s kitchen staff and a learning center where special education students can acquire job skills. It also provides food security and storage for local students.

The Standard-Examiner reports that the district held a ribboncuttng ceremony in December to open the facility.

“It’s a state-of-the art training facility...for our kitchen staff,” Ogden Superintendent Luke Rasmussen said. “They’re going to be able to train new cooks and continue to train our staff in the best possible ways going forward.”

The facility also will house the MarketStar Resource Center, which offers short-term support—school supplies, food, clothing, and household and hygiene items—for all Ogden School District students and their families in need.

The Resource Center is a partnership between the district, the Ogden School Foundation, the MarketStar Foundation, Catholic Community Services and the United Way of Northern Utah. 

R & O Construction/Facebook

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■ knowledge center | maintenance and operations

KEEPING CLEAN The Covid-19 pandemic has ended, but the cleaning and maintenance efforts embraced during the crisis should continue.

by Mike Kennedy

I

t’s a given that schools and universities make it a priority to provide safe and healthful facilities for students and staff.

The sudden spread of Covid-19 four years ago catapulted cleaning and maintenance to the top of the priority list. Cleaning and disinfecting desks, tables and other school surfaces, considered routine tasks before the pandemic, took on life-and-death urgency as custodians and maintenance staffs intensified their efforts to combat the disease and decrease the chances of catching it in school.

Some of the maintenance practices that schools emphasized at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic were steps that should have been in place before the crisis prompted action. Recommendations from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for keeping school facilities clean and healthful were disseminated widely as the severity of the disease became evident. Now, with the pandemic in the rearview mirror, the urgency of those steps may have lessened, but their effectiveness in making facilities safer and more healthful for more common illnesses such as the flu remains.

Here is some of the CDC’s guidance for slowing the spread of the flu:

Know the difference between cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing.

Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces or objects. Cleaning works by using soap (or detergent) and water to physically remove germs from surfaces. This does not necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading

infection. Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects. It works by using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces or objects.

This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection. Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects to a safe level, as judged by public health standards or requirements. This process works by either cleaning or disinfecting surfaces or objects to lower the risk of spreading infection.

Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are touched often Schools should abide by their standard procedures for routine cleaning and disinfecting. Typically, this means daily sanitizing surfaces and objects that are touched often, such as desks, countertops, doorknobs, computer keyboards, hands-on learning items, faucet handles, phones, and toys. Standard procedures often call for disinfecting specific areas of the school, like bathrooms. clean Surfaces and objects that are visibly soiled should be cleaned immediately. If surfaces or objects are soiled with body fluids or blood, use gloves and other standard precautions to avoid coming into contact with the fluid.

Simply do routine cleaning and disinfecting Match cleaning and disinfecting to the types of germs you want to remove or kill.

Flu viruses are relatively fragile, so standard cleaning and disinfecting practices are sufficient to remove or kill them. Special cleaning and disinfecting processes,

including wiping down walls and ceilings, frequent use of room air deodorizers, and fumigating, are not necessary or recommended. These processes can irritate eyes, noses, throats, and skin; aggravate asthma; and cause other serious side effects.

Clean and disinfect correctly Follow label directions on cleaning products and disinfectants. Wash surfaces with a general household cleaner to remove germs. Rinse with water, and follow with an EPA-registered disinfectant to kill germs. If a surface is not visibly dirty, clean it with an EPA-registered product that both cleans (removes germs) and disinfects (kills germs) instead. Be sure to read the label directions carefully; there may be a separate procedure for using the product as a cleaner or as a disinfectant. Disinfection usually requires the product to remain on the surface for a certain period of time (e.g., letting it stand for 3 to 5 minutes).

Use disinfecting wipes on electronic items that are touched often, such as phones and computers. Make sure that the electronics can withstand the use of liquids for cleaning and disinfecting.

Use products safely Pay close attention to hazard warnings and directions on product labels. Cleaning products and disinfectants often call for the use of gloves or eye protection. For example, gloves should always be worn to protect the hands of people working with bleach solutions. Do not mix cleaners and disinfectants unless the labels indicate it is safe to do so.

Handle waste properly Workers should follow their school’s standard procedures for handling waste, which may include wearing gloves. Place no-touch waste baskets where they are easy to use. Throw disposable items used to clean surfaces and items in the trash immediately after use. Avoid touching used tissues and other waste when emptying waste baskets. Wash your hands with soap and water after emptying waste baskets and touching used tissues and similar waste. 

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■ cover story | covid funding

Billions of dollars in federal Covid relief will run out later this year, and many schools will have to deal with looming budget shortfalls.

by Mike Kennedy

14 AMERICAN SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY • ASUMAG.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

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boost to improve the learning environment for students? And without the financial assistance from Covid relief, will they be able to maintain and enhance those improvements?

Financial assistance

T

he outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020 brought about an unprecedented shutdown of nearly every school in the nation, and over the next year, Congress responded to the sudden upheaval of the education system with an unprecedented allocation of money—$190 billion for elementary and secondary schools, and billions more for higher education institutions, non-public schools, and education relief funneled through governors.

Now, four years into a post-pandemic world, the funding that has enabled many schools to survive and recover from Covid—and the tremendous disruptions it caused—is running out. Funding provided to elementary and secondary school districts must be spent or committed to projects

by Sept. 30, 2024.

As the Covid era enters a new chapter, education institutions are faced with two serious questions: Did the federal funding that gave them a badly needed lifeline achieve its purpose—providing a

Many schools use some of their ESSER funds to upgrade their HVAC systems.

Photo 281069652 © Altitudevs | Dreamstime.com

Overall federal Covid relief funding, under the umbrellas of the Education Stabilization Fund, has amounted to $263 billion. Aid earmarked for K-12 schools has come to be known by the acronym ESSER—Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief. Federal legislation provided school districts and states with about $190 billion in three batches: $13 billion in March 2020 (ESSER I), $54 billion in December 2020 (ESSER II), and $123 billion in March 2021 (ESSER III).

In addition to ESSER, Congress earmarked $75 billion in aid for colleges and universities through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEER); another $5.5 billion in Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS), and $4.3 billion awarded to governors for education relief (GEER).

The funding provided a financial boost for more than 16,000 school districts and other local educational agencies, and more than 4,500 higher education institutions.

Burbio, a company that tracks ESSER spending, categorizes the projects supported by Covid relief into five groups: Academic Intervention and Learning Loss (e.g., summer learning, early childhood education); Physical and Mental Health (Covid testing vaccinations, counseling and mentorship); Facilities and Operations (e.g., air filtration, HVAC, building repairs); Technology (e.g., mobile devices, infrastructure) and Staffing and Retention (e.g., teachers, counselors academic interventionists).

As could be expected with any massive spending program, some of the projects pursued by school districts with ESSER funds have been deemed inappropriate, even though allowed under the rules—improvements like new football fields or other athletic facilities.

As it became clear that the average student sustained academic setbacks during the pandemic, schools have used much of their Covid aid to focus greater attention on academic intervention and learning loss. For ESSER III funding, districts must spend at least 20% of the money they receive to address learning loss. To further efforts that address learning loss, the Biden administration is urging states and districts to adopt three strategies that can improve student learning.

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■ cover story | covid funding

• Increasing attendance: the rate of chronic absenteeism reached about 31% in 2021-2022 because of Covid-19, the White House says Low-cost informational interventions, like sending texts to parents about their children’s missed school, can reduce absenteeism by up to 17%. Research also shows that targeted parent and family engagement can significantly increase student attendance.

• Providing high-dosage tutoring.

Well-designed and well-implemented tutoring programs can significantly accelerate student learning. high-dosage tutoring can reduce burdens on teachers and complement other schoolbased activities.

• Increasing summer learning and extended or afterschool learning.

Close to half of school districts have invested ESSER funds in expanded summer learning, which has been shown to improve students’ math scores.

Many students fell behind academically when schools were closed or otherwise disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

78947624 © Monkey Business Images | Dreamstime.com

Clearing the air The early days of the Covid-19 outbreak brought intense attention to the inadequate ventilation and substandard air quality in many of the nation’s school facilities. The disease is disseminated through airborne pathways, and the poor air quality in many education facilities created environments in which the virus was more likely to spread among students and staff.

So when the federal government began allocating billions of dollars in aid to help schools survive and recover from the effects of Covid-19, many schools took the opportunity to upgrade their heating, ventilation and cooling systems.

A November 2022 report from the U.S. Green Building Council, School Facilities Funding in the Pandemic, analyzed data from 5,004 school districts and found that air filtration/HVAC was the second-highest category for planned spending, just behind staffing/teachers/academic interventionists/guidance counselors.

“Of the 5,004 districts, nearly half elected to put some degree of funding toward the air filtration/HVAC category, with 2,450 districts planning to spend ESSER III funds on this area for a total of at least $5,567,461,246,” the Green Building Council said.

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The U.S. Education Department informed education institutions that ESSER funds could be used in several ways to improve ventilation in their facilities: • Inspection, testing, and maintenance of ventilation systems and approaches • Purchasing portable air filtration units, such as HEPA air filters • Purchasing MERV-13 (or higher) filters for HVAC systems and air conditioners • Purchasing fans • Repairing windows or doors so that they can open to let fresh air in • Servicing or upgrading HVAC systems consistent with industry standards • Purchasing equipment to run outdoor classes • Purchasing carbon dioxide monitors, air flow capture hoods, and anemometers for custodians and building personnel to assess ventilation • Paying for increased heating/cooling costs to cover the increased use of heating/cooling systems • Other spending that supports inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, replacement, and upgrade projects to improve the indoor air quality in school facilities

Warning: Cliff ahead ESSER funding has provided school districts with critical financial assistance as they embarked on a path to assess their facilities and programs, seek ways to recover from Covid-related setbacks, and make the changes needed to improve the learning environments in their schools. But in just a few months, that assistance will end, and some school systems may be looking at a precipitous fall from financial stability.

The so-called “fiscal cliff” is set to arrive after Sept. 30, 2024— the deadline in the ESSER legislation for school districts to obligate funding for Covid-related improvements (though some schools have been granted extensions). Future Ed, a think tank at Georgetown University, said that as of November 2023, schools have spent about $122 billion of ESSER funding, leaving about $68 billion still to be obligated.

Without ESSER funds to fortify their budgets, schools may find the improvements they put into place to emerge from the pandemic are short-lived or may even be reversed.

A Brookings Institution paper from researchers at the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University depicts potentially calamitous scenarios for schools encountering the fiscal cliff.

“Many districts will need to right-size their budgets,” say the authors, Marguerite Roza and Katherine Silberstein. “This is likely to involve painful cuts...especially challenging in districts that used relief money to add staff or maintain excess capacity that they would not have been able to afford otherwise.”

For instance, in Philadelphia, ESSER funding enabled the school district to balance its budget in 2023, but without Covid aid, the district is projecting a $407 million deficit for fiscal 2025. The San Diego Unified District reported a projected $70

Schools and universities have benefited from billions of dollars in federal Covid relief, but the funding will end later this year.

Photo 28476139 © Pedro Campos | Dreamstime.com

million deficit because of the end of ESSER combined with a state budget shortfall. The Orange County (Florida) district wants to continue initiatives such as intervention teachers and mental health counselors, but the $28 million in ESSER funds that has paid for them will no longer be available.

Prioritizing equity The effects of the cliff will be worse for districts serving highpoverty communities, the Brookings report says. The researchers found that districts serving a high share of students in poverty appear to be spending their ESSER dollars at a slower pace than their more affluent counterparts. A slower spending pace means a district has had even more money in its 2023-24 budget, and that will lead to a larger year-to-year contraction as the cliff hits in fall 2024.

Cuts necessitated by the fiscal cliff, especially in districts that have used ESSER funds to hire more staff, also might lead to staff reductions that affect high-need students disproportionately.

“If history is any guide, with these types of staff reductions, the most vulnerable students experience the most disruption,” the Edunomics researchers say.

Some districts may hold out hope that states could increase education funding to offset the loss of ESSER money, but securing adequate funding for schools typically has been an uphill battle, even before Covid.

“Districts with high-need students depend more heavily on state funds, so any slowing in state revenue can worsen equity,” the report says.

The report urges states and school districts to make equity a priority as they address the end of ESSER funding.

“At the state level, we suggest leaders pencil out any proposed changes to revenue structures and find ways to ensure equity isn’t lost in transition,” the Edunomics researchers recommend.

“If states are considering new education spending, they might target it carefully to where needs are highest, e.g., to districts with the least capacity to raise local funds.”  Mike Kennedy, senior editor, can be reached at mkennedy@asumag.com.

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■ feature | doors/security

SECURE AND ACCESSIBLE Multiple layers of security in a school create safer learning spaces for students and staff.

By Tysen Gannon, Devin Bowman

I

mproving school security is no easy task. Each school is highly specific, so it is critical to identify and layer individual measures that support the overall effectiveness of a security plan. Adding to the complexity is the importance of preserving a school’s main function—to provide a welcoming learning space for students. This can limit avenues for increasing school safety and security.

With so many overlapping concerns, taking steps to improve security can be daunting.

However, thinking of safer school design from four perspectives—approach, code-compliance, proven systems, and conducive designs—can help administrators identify an effective security plan.

Multiple Layers Given that no one security tactic will prove 100% effective at stopping a violent intruder, layering security systems and protocols may reduce vulnerabilities and help delay an attack until first responders arrive. Having multiple obstacles between an attacker and the people inside buys valuable time for students and staff to safely evacuate or shelter in place until law enforcement arrives. This is the main reason behind the Partner Alliance for Safe Schools’ (PASS) recommendation to take a multilayered approach to school security.

This approach calls for school administrators to work with architectural and security professionals

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Opaque sliding doors support spaceefficient shelter-inplace locations.

Courtesy of AD Systems

to identify a multiphase process of enhancing security. Together, these campuses can use a tiered system, as recommended by PASS, to distinguish measures that establish a baseline of school security and ones that could be held for future improvements. This can help school administrators more effectively prioritize which security tactics to take in accordance with the needs of their schools.

Free egress and accessibility Identifying how building codes and fire codes may affect security upgrades is important. Often code considerations for security upgrades revolve around door operation, specifically accessibility and maintaining requirements along paths of egress. Because building codes can vary between locations, education administrators should clarify with a designer or Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) the exact requirements for a project.

That said, compliance with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) is required for most, if not all, doors within school buildings. Hardware on accessible doors must be operable with one hand and not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting. Interior, non-fire-rated doors must be able to be opened with five pounds of force or less. Most swinging and sliding door systems can be specified to meet these standards.

However, issues may arise with aftermarket security products. For instance, barricade devices

Code-compliant locking hardware will often meet best-practice recommendations for safer school design.

Courtesy of AD Systems

are often seen as an inexpensive security solution.

However, many of these products are unable to meet accessibility standards. They may require multiple actions to release a door and may be

difficult or impossible to reach by those with disabilities (or younger occupants).

When used along paths of egress, some of these products may not meet model code requirements from the International Building Code (IBC), the International Fire Code (IFC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). These model codes require hardware to operate for egress without a key, tool, special knowledge or effort and with no more than two releasing motions to unlatch the door.

Since 2018, the model codes have required that locked classroom doors must be equipped to allow an authorized person to enter using a key or other approved means. Using barricade devices that do not meet these requirements may put lives at risk during evacuation.

In addition, it is important to consider not only how to maintain free egress and accessibility but also how the different components within a system affect one another’s performance capabilities.

Multiple protections Considering measures that enhance security as complete systems can help bolster their overall effectiveness, especially in areas where fire- and life-safety code requirements overlap with school security goals. Depending on local code requirements, these areas can be found in several different areas of a school.

For example, a renovation project in Oregon that focused on improving safety and security incorporated a secure entry vestibule, a system recommended by both PASS and the International Code Council (ICC), to support access control and the visual assessment of campus visitors. With this particular project, the vestibule also needed firerated components to meet local code requirements.

Although not typical, this application highlights the need for multifunctional, fire-rated systems within some school environments.

The designers specified a secure entry vestibule that included multifunctional glazing. The transparent glass preserved sightlines between the main office, the intermediate space and the parking lot while also creating a forced-entry-rated barrier to delay incoming threats. Knowing security-rated products are often plastic-based and can burn quickly and intensely—potentially surpassing the parameters of the fire test—the designers used a glazing system built from compatible components (glass, frames and component parts). This approach ensured that the forced-entry protection did not compromise fire and life safety.

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doubled as shelter-in-place locations. The sliding doors to these rooms maximized the usable space within, included accessible hardware and codecompliant locks, and were designed to move occupants out of sight. As the architect behind the project stated: “Our research indicated that getting students out of sight is highly important. This design solved issues from past projects. It’s a big step forward for architects trying to balance education goals and a sense of safety and security for children.”

Multifunctional, fire-rated glazing supports adjacent security measures like visitor monitoring systems and access control.

Courtesy of Technical Glass Products

Shelter in place Enhancing security often means using security-rated products.

That said, adjacent, non-security-rated systems may also benefit schools looking to bolster the protection their buildings provide—if they are specified with an eye toward the multilayered approach to school security.

Intentional design and standard hardware can work with security-rated systems to improve the level of security within the built environment. For example, designing shelter-in-place locations that are outside a corridor’s line of sight can help occupants avoid a violent intruder who has gained access to a school building. These areas fulfill multiple tiers of the PASS guidelines—specifically when they use reinforced walls and doors with code-compliant locking hardware.

These areas are most effective when they incorporate forced entry resistant solutions, but schools can still achieve a base level of security by getting students and staff out of sight and behind a locked door. This builds on a recommendation from the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission’s final report, which supported a standard requiring classroom and other safe-haven areas to have doors that can be locked from the inside.

“The Commission cannot emphasize enough the importance of this recommendation,” the report said. “The testimony and other evidence presented to the Commission reveals that there has never been an event in which an active shooter breached a locked classroom door.”

This was central to the design of an elementary school in Kansas, which created inter-classroom collaboration spaces that

Multifunctional, fire-rated glass provides code-compliant defense against fire while helping schools design secure entry vestibules.

Courtesy of Technical Glass Products

Four perspectives, one goal Thinking about school security from these four perspectives may not instantaneously solve the challenges that come with safer school design, but they may help schools prioritize specific security upgrades. Likewise, they can guide decision-makers in planning security improvement goals around the needs of their specific campuses.

Designing safer schools is complex, but isolating constraints and considerations may be useful in creating an overarching and long-term plan for enhancing school safety and security.

Safer school design is possible—especially when administrators, designers, security professionals and manufacturers work together.  Tysen Gannon, LEED AP (www.specadsystems.com) has more than 15 years of experience in the architectural products industry, with a focus on glass and glazing, fenestration and façade systems.

Devin Bowman (Devin.Bowman@allegion.com) is general manager of Technical Glass Products (TGP) and AD Systems. With nearly 20 years of industry experience, Bowman is involved in advancing fire- and life-safety codes and sits on the Glazing Industry Code Committee.

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■ feature | nursing school facilities

ADDRESSING THE NURSING SHORTAGE

The Emory Nursing Learning Center occupies a 60-year-old former bank building in downtown Decatur, Georgia.

Many colleges and universities are upgrading their nursing school facilities in response to a critical need for more nurses.

By Graham Sinclair

Images courtesy of The Beck Group

The Emory Nursing Learning Center has simulation spaces that replicate examination and operating rooms, labor and delivery, home health, and telemedicine scenarios.

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A

building boom is underway in higher education to remedy a continuing nursing shortage.

Many colleges and universities are constructing new facilities, renovating existing nursing schools and other medical training space or are planning to do so.

According to Becker’s Healthcare, more than 130 new nursing school construction projects and programs started in 2022.

Expanding nursing school capacity has accelerated in recent years because of an exodus of nurses from the profession.

A massive wave of departures has been attributed to the pandemic. A National Council of State Boards of Nursing study said an estimated 100,000 nurses quit their jobs amid the global health crisis, and an additional 600,000 nurses plan to leave by 2027.

By creating additional space for nursing education, colleges and universities can expand their capacity to enroll qualified applicants. Adding space also addresses the need for nursing schools to modernize their facilities to meet the training requirements of an evolving and complex health care environment.

Patient Simulation Centers A sizeable number of these facility upgrades are patient simulation centers.

Accreditation requirements and competition among nursing schools to attract the best students spur increased demand for simulation spaces.

Examples include the University of South Florida Health College of Nursing

expansion in Tampa, which is adding space for a patient simulation program and clinical care training. Another is a 16,000-square-foot renovation at Georgia State University’s Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professionals in Atlanta. The improvements include simulation space, clinical skills labs, and offices.

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■ feature | nursing school facilities

improved interaction between Emory nursing students and Emory Healthcare nurses, which will help develop students’ skills and practice procedures.

Converting the mid-century office building into the simulation facility is also expected to revitalize the nursing school’s brand and increase diversity in student enrollment.

Another benefit is that the Decatur facility is within walking distance of restaurants, hotels, and shops and offers public transportation to shuttle students to and from the Emory campus.

The renovation redesigned the building’s first four floors and basement and added modern simulation spaces that replicate examination and operating rooms, labor and delivery, home health, and telemedicine scenarios. The facility also has classrooms, supporting educational spaces, a student commons area, a digital media studio, a lobby, and offices. Plans call for adding space where students can practice with a heart-lung machine.

Audio-visual systems designed for high-fidelity simulation spaces were installed at the Emory Nursing Learning Center to replicate medical procedures.

Also in Georgia, Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing has benefited from the new Emory Nursing Learning Center (ENLC), a 70,000-square-foot, $20 million patient simulation and professional development facility.

Since the ENLC’s completion in September 2022, the Emory School of Nursing has been ranked as the No. 1 program among graduate nursing schools. The new facility offers a transformative nursing student experience, blending a modern and aesthetically striking design with Emory’s celebrated past.

Health care simulation facilities have traditionally integrated with nursing schools situated on primary campuses. However, the ENLC and other nursing school simulation facilities operate at off-campus sites. Some schools have repurposed underused off-campus buildings to house simulation centers when oncampus space is hard to find.

Moving to a New Community For Emory, an adaptive reuse project was the best approach for its simulation center. The ENLC occupies a 60-year-old former bank building in downtown Decatur, where students learn to care for patients in hospital, clinic, and home apartment settings. The facility also provides continuing education to nurses.

Emory wanted to consolidate its simulation programs under one roof, and because of space constraints, the only way to accomplish this was going off campus. They chose Decatur because of its public transport connectivity and its proximity to Emory’s Atlanta campus and local healthcare providers. This location

The need for more nursing school facilities has accelerated in recent years because of an exodus of nurses from the profession.

The ENLC’s design uses best planning practices such as placing briefing rooms near the simulation areas, standardized patient prep rooms, and spaces built to ensure maximum privacy and superior acoustics.

Design Challenges Patient simulation spaces are more complex to design and build than college classrooms or labs.

Designing the ENLC required creating space for advanced medical technology to train students in the latest care delivery practices. For example, audio-visual systems designed for the facility’s high-fidelity simulation spaces were installed to replicate medical procedures in mock patient rooms.

The A/V technology requires a network isolated from the university’s system to capture and transfer patient data. The

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data goes to a central system, or “brain,” where faculty and students can review it. The project also required medical gases to be piped into patient headwalls.

For most situations, compressed air and vacuum are sufficient for simulation, but occasionally, actual medical gases are required. In the operating room, oxygen is piped into the headwalls for ventilators because compressed gas wouldn’t work correctly with these machines. Training headwalls with built-in compressors are an option when plumbed medical gas is costprohibitive, but the noise they create can be distracting when trying to simulate an authentic healthcare experience.

Nursing schools upgrading their facilities should seek professionals with medical design experience, specifically patient simulation facilities and higher-ed building projects. Medical equipment planners are also integral to the success of these projects. They are responsible for specifying, procuring, and coordinating the medical equipment involved in these projects and coordinating utilities such as power, technology, plumbing, and medical gases.

During the pandemic, supply-chain bottlenecks, virtual meetings instead of in-person discussions, and other Covidrelated challenges disrupted building projects across the country. Regular collaborating and communicating throughout the process will help keep a project on track.

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Finding Funding Creating simulation facilities can cost millions of dollars, a 2402ASU_Neoperl_REV_14sq.indd 1 steep financial barrier that many nursing schools can’t overcome without help.

Fortunately, governmental entities and philanthropic organizations have recognized the critical need for these facilities and have made sizeable contributions to cover some of the cost of nursing building projects and training programs. At the ENLC, a fundraising program was launched to help with the building’s construction and operational costs.

However, schools with limited financial resources can still find innovative ways to expand nursing education programs until more funding becomes available.

For instance, hospitals have provided space for nursing education. Before opening ENLC, one of the wings at Emory University Hospital, Wesley Woods, was used for the patient simulation program until the school’s enrollment outgrew that space. Baylor University also uses space at a Dallas hospital for the same purpose.

The continued strength of the nation’s health care system depends on a plentiful and reliable supply of nurses and other medical professionals to provide patient care—from the biggest cities to the smallest towns. New and planned nursing building Wireless modules projects and training programs are laying the groundwork to send continuous ensure the country continues to provide high-quality, safe health readings.

Datalog care delivery in the years ahead. 

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OUTSTANDING

DESIGN RENOVATION/MODERNIZATION ROCHESTER PREP HIGH SCHOOL

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

R

ochester Prep High School is a beacon of energy and determination, embodying its motto of “Change History.”

Founded in 2006 as a charter school, it is dedicated to empowering students from low-income communities to succeed in college. Despite the city’s graduation rate of only 71%, Rochester Prep achieves a remarkable feat: 100% of its students not only graduate but also receive college acceptances. To accommodate its expanding student body, the school sought a larger facility and found an opportunity for urban revitalization in an impoverished neighborhood filled with abandoned homes. They purchased a building, originally a Catholic

school constructed in 1928 with a 2016 addition.

The school envisioned a campus that honored the historical charm of the original brick building while enhancing functionality, accessibility, and internal circulation. This required addressing three crucial challenges: the entry, circulation, and organization of the space. The existing entry was elevated from street level, posing security and accessibility concerns. The solution was a modern glass entry featuring a vibrant three-story stairwell, beautifully connecting the old and the new. The transparent entry provides a welcoming and secure environment,

embodying the school’s commitment to inclusivity.

The rhythmic exterior massing of the addition with the existing building now echoes the internal organization of the school. The undesirable maze-like corri-

Edge Architecture Design team Allen Rossignol, Ted Butcher, Isaac Bracher, Bridget Carney, Joe Twomey, Christina Fluman Client Uncommon Schools/Rochester Prep Area 35,000 sq. ft. addition; 90,000 sq. ft. total Total cost Confidential Completion December 2021 Images Tim Wilkes Photography; Edge Architecture 108 AMERICAN SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY • SCHOOLDESIGNS.COM • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 26 AMERICAN SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY • ASUMAG.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

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dors have been replaced by a thoughtfully planned circulation system that ensures efficiency, sight lines, and security. A main circulation hallway creates a clear path throughout the campus and promotes seamless movement.

The program layout was simplified and reorganized into distinct zones, including classrooms, administrative spaces, and multipurpose areas like the gym and cafeteria. Centralizing the school offices at the entry enhances accessibility and convenience. Learning spaces were trans-

“The entry to the building creates a harmony between the character of the old and the contemporary concept of the new, enhancing the character of our school. We are unapologetic towards our ‘no excuses’ mission and this new building breathes that from the inside and outside.”

— JEFF ALLEN, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, ROCHESTER PREP HIGH SCHOOL

formed into modern, technologically advanced environments that foster creativity and productivity. Furthermore, a separate entry into the cafeteria and event spaces encourages community participation.

Since relocating to its new campus, Rochester Prep has witnessed positive changes in its surrounding community.

Local police have reported a significant decrease in police calls in the area. n

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■ feature | sustainablity/outdoor spaces

A new sloped walk introduces full accessibility to traverse the Quad with stepped plantings to temporarily hold storm water and slowly filter through the stepped gardens to control runoff.

Renderings by McMillan Pazdan Smith.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Transforming unused outdoor campus space into places of experiential learning.

By Jana Hartenstine

D

uring the Covid-19 pandemic, many colleges and universities experimented with outdoor teaching spaces to meet social distancing guidelines. Some discovered that these temporary creative solutions satisfied students’ and educators’ renewed need for post-pandemic experiences and reinvigorated their campus.

The additional financial and educational benefits of permanently transforming unused outdoor areas into performative landscapes have sparked a trend in higher education design.

for cross-disciplinary collaboration. The College of Arts + Architecture (COA+A) sought to repurpose two underused outdoor spaces — the Arts Quad and the Rowe Arts Courtyard.

“We have a beautiful campus landscape, but we learned during Covid that it’s not super-functional,” said Muller. “One particular pavilion was used every day during the pandemic. Students loved it. It was great to realize we could use these spaces to celebrate the creative activity of the College of Arts + Architecture.”

Environmental stimulation

The new vision for the UNCC Arts Quad increases arts engagement and visibility outside the walls of the David R. Ravin School of Architecture and the Departments of Dance, Music, Theatre, and Art & Art History — creating a vibrant campus community.

The arts are engines of civic imagination providing endless opportunities to design a creative space. The design activates the exterior space with a performance stage, a new location for a performance truss, exterior seating, and perimeter zones that encourage students, faculty and staff to maximize the use of these outdoor spaces.

“The role of the educator has evolved from the person-behindthe-lectern model to something more challenging and active,” said Brook Muller, dean of the College of Arts + Architecture at University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC).

Muller, who holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Oregon, says changing a classroom’s setting can profoundly affect pedagogy.

“There is some research that a lecture in a windowless room is less effective than an open space,” he says. “Oxygen meters show people in these enclosed spaces are getting less oxygen and retaining less information.”

After joining UNCC, Muller advocated for creating performative landscapes that fueled experiential learning and allowed

The UNCC Arts Quad

The Rowe Arts Courtyard Following the completion of the Arts Quad planning, UNCC sought a new vision for the internal courtyard of the Rowe Arts

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Building. This ancillary courtyard, connected to the Arts Quad, will offer the COA+A a semi-conditioned space with a greenhouse roof that can open and close to regulate the temperature.

It also can serve as an event venue and provide gallery opportunities and contemplative space.

Additional proposed interventions included a new entry platform, upgraded hardscape, living walls, and a tension wire grid. Balconies were added to the design to seamlessly integrate indoor and outdoor spaces.

One crucial component of the design is a fountain that supports evapotranspiration, the process that moves water from the Earth’s surface into the atmosphere and produces a significant cooling effect. Adding ramps with guardrails to the design will make the sunken courtyard accessible to wheelchairs.

In addition to improving the courtyard’s accessibility, a series of bioretention edges for stormwater management addresses the environmental challenges of outdoor teaching spaces.

“It’s a very thoughtfully sited scheme that took advantage of the existing resources on the site,” Muller said.

The greenhouse roof of this courtyard can open and close to regulate temperature. The hanging gardens, living walls, and fountain support evapotranspiration.

For some universities, one of the strongest motivating factors for investing in landscape architecture is the cost.

“In addition to creating a sense of community, these projects can also minimize the cost of expanding a campus,” says Muller.

“Buildings generally average $450 per square foot, while landscape architecture averages $35 per square foot. Given global supply chain issues and new construction’s effect on climate change, universities in relatively mild climates should consider alternatives because you can get a lot more bang for your buck if you can create a performative landscape.”

Boosting enrollment Landscape architecture can also serve as a powerful recruiting tool. By taking learning outdoors, schools can give those who tour campus a glimpse of the creative learning that takes place

The view to the Arts Quad pavilion for almost all student commuters, staff and visitors to experience a lively and activated space.

there. For instance, COA+A plans to use the sprung floor stage in the Arts Quad for open-air performances and the upside-down U-shaped truss structure for acrobatics classes.

“Prospective students will see acrobatic students hanging from this truss as they tour the campus,” Muller says.

“It’s bursting with latent potential.

Designing environments conducive to learning is nuanced. Landscape architecture is not necessarily a good fit for every discipline, but it is worth considering when seeking creative inspiration for the arts and humanities.

“Campus quads can be so much more than just outdoor places for students to spread out blankets in between classes.” says Robert Pratt, a landscape architect with Surface 678, which worked on the project. “With the right planning and design, they can become dynamic centers for experiential learning — as valuable to the student experience as a traditional classroom,” The design has brought to life COA+A’s mission to promote the arts through creative teaching and its vision to provoke thought, cultivate aesthetic sensibilities and make space for memory and reflection.

“When people seek to understand the world around them, we immediately look to the arts to make meaning,” Muller says.

“It’s an empowering way to think, act, and transform because creative thinking prepares you for just about anything. Some of our alumni are artists, some went into other fields — but they’re all affecting change.”

The Arts Quad project, which is divided into five construction phases, will cost about $4 million; the Rowe Arts Courtyard about $3 million. Once completed, they will transform underused areas of campus into purposeful exterior spaces to inspire UNCC’s next generation of artists and changemakers.  Jana Hartenstine, a principal at McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, leads the firm’s higher education practice area. She served as the 2022 Charlotte American Institute of Architects president, has juried several AIA design competitions, and held past roles with the AIA North Carolina Board of Directors.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 • ASUMAG.COM • AMERICAN SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY 29

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■ facility planning

Architecture and Academe “H

By James Rydeen

ow can we design a classroom that will be suitable for large groups, small groups, individual study, the use of teaching machines and total flexibility? Is the same kind of spatial relationship suitable for teaching all children, or will methods of teaching vary with the needs of each of those taught? How protected should children be from distraction?”

It sounds like architects and educators today, but these questions were published in Nation’s Schools in 1967!

More than half a century later, the pursuit of the ideal learning environment continues, as schools try to keep up with evolving educational trends and student generational traits.

Today we hear that teachers need to become facilitators and guides, creating student-centered learning environments that promote active participation and less teacher-centered instruction.

That echoes guidance from 1968 in Educational Change and Architectural Consequences: “Instead of being required to sit passively while knowledge is poured into them, students are increasingly being encouraged to learn by discovery and to become actively involved in learning.”

Ubiquitous access to technology in modern schools has led to innovative approaches and solutions in the design of spaces for student-centered learning. Also, furniture that is portable, adjustable, and movable can accommodate varying activities in multifunctional spaces.

Facility designs need to support enhanced critical-thinking skills, problem-solving, and active participatory learning in flexible spaces offering options for varying sized group instruction.

Breakout spaces should be placed near group instruction areas with interactive learning stations for team teaching, small groups or team activities.

Conference rooms are needed for individual instruction, research, study, and testing. K-12 facility designs should offer study opportunities where students can relax in a quiet area or be in a project lab setting for collaboration with others.

Makerspaces, “fab” labs, and STEM centers should be readily accessible for students to put to work the instruction just received.

The lack of skilled workers in the manufacturing/technical sector is pushing traditional industrial arts into new types of spaces to support changing career technical education curricula. Some school districts may transfer these courses to technical or vocational schools.

The future role of artificial intelligence in the workplace may lead STEM programs to emphasize stronger skills in communication, teamwork, entrepreneurship, creativity, problem-solving, leadership, and collaboration.

Today’s students can find instant answers on the internet, but students must learn to collaborate and communicate to succeed in today’s world. The methods for educating students must change to accommodate Generation Z, the first to grow up with modern technology.

Their traits seem to include being practical, independent, and progressive, but analysis suggests that they seem less focused, seek stability, are more risk-averse, and desire a non-traditional approach.

A variety of learning environments have been designed since the 1960s. Experience has shown that not all students succeed in the same environment.

Students respond with passion if interested and become bored if not interested. Today, many schools still exist with their traditional self-contained classrooms, while numerous schools designed in the last 60 years contain flexible open and semi-open learning areas.

Have they all successfully educated most students? How will learning areas in future K-12 schools be designed? Will the future resemble the past?

Architects can assist educators by continually searching for the most effective adaptable, malleable, aesthetically stimulating, and functional spatial designs with furnishings that provide versatility to serve many activities in academe. Architectural outcomes enhance educational outcomes!

James Rydeen, FAIA, is a past president of ATSR Planners/Architects/Engineers, a firm specializing in school planning and design. He has 60-plus years of experience in school planning, design and construction. Rydeen can be reached at jrydeen@cox.net.

30 AMERICAN SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY • ASUMAG.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

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■ profiles | uvalde report

Critical failures plagued police handling of Uvalde shooting

by Mike Kennedy

A

U.S. Justice Department

U.S. Justice Department report points to “cascading failures” in law enforcement’s handling of the May 2022 shooting attack that left 21 dead at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The Critical Incident Review (CIR) is more than 600 pages and identifies several critical failures before, during and after law enforcement’s response to the shooting. Investigators “analyzed the cascading failures of leadership, decision-making, tactics, policy, and training that contributed to those failures,” the report says.

The report says 77 minutes elapsed between arrival of the first police officers at Robb Elementary and when officers finally confronted and killed the gunman.

“The most significant failure was that responding officers should have immediately recognized the incident as an active shooter situation, using the resources and equipment that were sufficient to push forward immediately and continuously toward the threat until entry was made into classrooms 111/112 and the threat was eliminated,” the report’s executive summary says. “Since the tragic shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, a fundamental precept in active shooter response and the generally accepted practice is that the first priority must be to immediately neutralize the subject; everything else, including officer safety, is subordinate to that objective.”

Nineteen students and two teachers were shot to death on May 24, 2022, when an 18-year-old gunman entered Robb Elementary and opened fire with a high-powered rifle. Another 17 people sustained injuries.

The report says the CIR team collected and reviewed more than 14,100 pieces of data and documentation. It visited Uvalde nine times and spent a total of 54 days on site. The team conducted over 260 interviews of individuals from more than 30 organizations and agencies that played a role in or had information related to the review.

Among the findings: • Leadership was on site from several law enforcement agencies, but they “demonstrated no urgency for establishing a command and control structure, and no uniformly recognized incident commander was on the scene throughout the incident.

• Inaccurate information combined with inconsistent messaging

created confusion and added to the victims’ suffering, both on the day of the incident and in the days after the mass shooting.

• Family members encountered many obstacles to locating their loved ones, getting access to the hospital, and getting information from leadership, law enforcement, and hospital staff in a timely manner.

• The extent of misinformation, misguided and misleading narratives, leaks, and lack of communication about what happened on May 24 was unprecedented and has had an extensive, negative impact on the mental health and recovery of the family members and other victims, as well as the entire community of Uvalde.

• Children and adults rescued from their classrooms during the evacuation received limited instruction and direction on where to proceed. “Due to the chaotic nature of the evacuation, children and school personnel were not adequately evaluated medically prior to being transported to the Reunification Center,” the CIR says. “As such, injured victims had delayed medical care and were at risk of further injury.

• Responders were not provided timely, immediate access to trauma and support services, and many reported feeling abandoned and unsupported in the weeks and months following the critical incident.

• The Uvalde community continues to need support and guidance as it struggles with the negative impacts of the failed response, a lack of accountability for those implicated in this failure, and remaining gaps in the information about what happened to their loved ones.

• The Uvalde school district’s campus safety teams met infrequently, and annual safety plans were based largely on templated information that was, at times, inaccurate.

• The school district had a culture of complacency regarding locked-door policies. Both exterior and interior doors were routinely left unlocked, and there was no enforced system of accountability for these policies.

The CIR also includes numerous recommendations: • An active shooter with access to victims should never be considered and treated as a barricaded subject.

• In the event there are resources available and an opportunity to evacuate bystanders and victims from the hot zone, officers must balance the risk posed by evacuation versus the risk posed by remaining in lockdown and potentially in the crossfire.

Evacuations in such circumstances must be conducted in the most expeditious manner, limited to those immediately in harm’s way, and not at the expense of the priority to eliminate the threat.

• Agency leaders must immediately determine incident status and the appropriate command structure. An agreement needs to be developed among agencies within a county or region that provides clarity on who is in command during an incident. 

34 AMERICAN SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY • ASUMAG.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024

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