Construction of Palencia—which incorporates systems designed to keep energy, operating, and maintenance costs down—wrapped up this summer.

When students entered Palencia Elementary School in St. Augustine, Fla., for the first time in late August, they stepped into a high-tech, futuristic school focused on environmental sustainability.

About 500 kindergarten through fifth-grade students crossed the xeriscaped campus of St. Johns County’s newest school, which will emphasize a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum.

“We want to make the building a teaching tool,” Principal Don Campbell said.

Palencia incorporates systems designed to keep energy, operating, and maintenance costs down while protecting the environment. The school is also the district’s pilot site for implementing digital textbooks. It’s expected to serve as a model for schools statewide.

The school’s classrooms are crammed with cutting-edge technology. Students will use computers—both tablets and desktop models, as well as electronic readers—for their class work. About 20 percent of the school’s books will be electronic. Teachers have the latest interactive whiteboard system, as well as other digital instruction tools for their lessons.

“It’s a huge engagement factor for the kids. Keeping their attention, it allows them to practice skills and allows us to assess them individually,” Stephanie Bozard said of some of the digital programs she’ll use to teach her second-grade class. “They think it’s a game, because it’s usually put in game format with kid-friendly graphics and images.”

The school’s biggest innovation, however, is cool. Literally.

For more school construction news, see:

Anatomy of a school construction project

Schools moving away from hallway lockers

‘Building Excellence’ section of eSN Online

Palencia makes ice at night, when energy use and temperatures are lower. During the day, the ice is used to cool the building via a system in which water is pumped through a series of pipes surrounded by the ice. Because it isn’t running its chillers during the day, the school is saving “a huge amount of energy costs.”

Windows in one of the air handler rooms allow students to see how fans blow over the cold water pipes, sending cool air through the vents and into classrooms.

“Part of the project is making sure we are teaching the kids about the environment and how this school operates …,” Campbell said. “And that also plays into the STEM curriculum and also the Common Core standards. It’s real-world experiences.”

The school also will focus on healthy living, said Laurel Madson, a parent of three students at Palencia and the co-president of its Parent Teacher Organization.

Glen Allen High School, Henrico County’s newest school building, opened in September 2010.

(Editor’s note: This article marks the debut of a new section in eSchool News, called Building Excellence, that will provide news and information to help school and district leaders as they plan, design, construct, and equip leading-edge facilities.)

Before a ribbon is sliced by comically oversized scissors, before a brick is laid or an architect is chosen, before voters approve funding for a sparkling new school building, there is only a plan.

The doors to a new school are thrown open by students, parents, and teachers many years after economic and population growth call for more classrooms in a city, town, or county. Researchers and planners use a district’s public relations apparatus to start talks with residents, myriad public forums are held, committees are formed, reports are issued, school boundaries are rearranged, architectural firms are interviewed, and finally, sometimes after five years, construction begins.

Two or three years after the first piece of sod is laid, the school opens.

Even in the nation’s slumping economy, while local and state government budgets are cut to the bone, U.S. schools and colleges are expected to spend $74 billion on renovation and construction in 2012 and $85 billion in 2013, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau projections.

Spending on school construction and renovation has dipped since the economic downturn that began in 2008, and there is some concern among superintendents that school construction funds for projects over the next decade will come with—at the very least—nominal tax increases that must be approved by a majority of voters.

That’s why officials are determined to keep the public involved and to avoid the kind of top-down approach that could alienate neighbors, parents, school board members, and state legislators.

School division officials, local planners, and other decision makers from Henrico County Public Schools, a district of 48,000 students in 71 schools north of Richmond, Va., recently guided eSchool News editors through the construction of Glen Allen High School, the county’s newest school building, which opened in September 2010.

In the process, they shared the lessons they have learned from completing many such construction projects—and the secrets of their success.

“It was really an incredibly complex and participatory process on behalf of a lot of people before it ever even got to the school board,” Henrico County Superintendent Patrick Russo said of the long process to plan and fund Glen Allen High School, now home to 1,100 students and 80 staff members. “People would be surprised by what goes into it.”

That isn't an igloo complex you see as you drive through Grand Meadow, Minn. -- that's Grand Meadow Public Schools.

At first glance, it isn’t the cost savings people notice about the Grand Meadow Schools in Minnesota, it’s the unique and very different construction featuring its five domes.

No, that isn’t an igloo complex you see as you drive through Grand Meadow — that’s Grand Meadow Public Schools.

The 103,000-square-foot, 10-year-old school building is comprised of five monolithic domes that, according to Grand Meadow school officials, is much more efficient than the previous school building.

“It’s a little bit futuristic, even now,” said Marlin Fay, school board member.

The opportunity to build a domed school didn’t arise until the night more than a decade ago that the school board was scheduled to approve school building renovations. Fay said the renovation project was ready to go, but the domed school seemed worthy of further research.

“I thought, ‘Wow, that’s really cool,’” Fay said. “Especially the environmental efficiency of it.”

The board decided not to vote on the renovation project that night, and soon the monolithic, windowless dome design was on the ballot.

For more school construction news, see:

Schools moving away from hallway lockers

Class assignment: Reinvent the high school

New classroom furniture facilitates 21st-century instruction

New federal program promotes ‘green’ school policies

Solar power making a comeback among schools

Part of the appeal was the cost of constructing it. Price estimates indicated a domed school would cost $8 million to build, whereas the renovation alone would cost $6.5 million. On top of that, constructing a new conventional building would cost nearly twice as much as the domed school.

“The efficiency of the building, the lower cost of the building … we basically let (the community) make up their minds,” Fay said.

Slinky fields forever

While the domed school’s computerized heating and cooling system is easier to run for Head Custodian Karl Hoefs, he said the efficiency of the system is the most impressive benefit.

“It’s kind of like a refrigerator,” Hoefs said. “When the air is on, you’re cooling the inside. Then you reverse it so the warm air is blowing inside and the cool air is blowing out.”

Because the warm air is generated by energy stored underground in 27 miles of underground piping — called slinky fields — it takes much less energy to heat the domes than a regular building. That also means less air is flowing into the school.

Some schools are phasing out hallway lockers in favor of virtual storage space.

Walk down any hallway in the new Germantown High School in Madison, Miss., and one thing stands out: You won’t spot a single locker.

Lockers have served as a symbol of the American high school for decades, but with new technology–eBooks, interactive assignments, and web-based learning–they’re gradually becoming a thing of the past.

It’s unclear how many schools have gone lockerless, but New York architect Peter Lippman, who serves on the American Institute of Architects’ Committee on Architecture for Education, said the trend is growing.

“If you are talking about new technology–electronic textbooks, iPads, and things like that–maybe there is no need for a locker,” he said. “I’m not sure every school is there yet, but it does provide some opportunities.”

School officials that have made the jump to lockerless cite several benefits: less noise, fewer tardies, and an increased sense of safety.

“It’s all to create an environment that’s student friendly,” said Ronnie McGehee, interim superintendent of the Madison County, Miss., School District.

It also can cut hundreds of thousands in construction costs. Madison County saved $200,000 by not including lockers in the new high school, McGehee said.

In addition to new schools that are built without lockers, some districts are removing them from older buildings.

Soft, comfy chairs contain a built-in electrical outlet and USB port at their base, so students can plug in their laptops while they sit.

Those bland, standalone classroom desks arranged in neat rows could become a relic of the past, replaced by stylish tables and chairs with built-in power sources and wireless charging capabilities, if furniture maker Bretford Manufacturing has its way.

In a growing number of schools, classroom instruction is changing from a passive experience in which students sit and listen at their desks to a more social activity in which they learn in groups, often with an electronic device at hand.

Recognizing this shift, Bretford has introduced a new line of furniture that helps educators implement a more social and technology-rich learning environment in their schools.

Called EDU 2.0, this flexible line of chairs, desks, tables, and other pieces is designed to encourage collaboration, interaction, and small-group learning, Bretford says. The furniture also makes it easier for students and teachers to use laptops, tablets, smart phones, and other electronic devices.

For instance, soft, comfy chairs contain a built-in electrical outlet and USB port at their base, so students can plug in their laptops while they sit. And small, flat mats on the surfaces of tables and desks let students and teachers charge their cell phones and other mobile devices wirelessly while they work.

“The foundation of today’s learning environment involves the use of technology,” said Mikel Briggs, Bretford’s president. “Our objective with EDU 2.0 is to create an environment that enables technology to be used to its fullest capabilities, without any limitations caused by the furniture in the room.”

A new federal program will recognize schools that are creating healthy and sustainable learning environments.

As the “green” movement sweeps across the nation, prompting citizens to buy organic produce and reduce their energy consumption, schools are following suit with lesson plans that teach students how to value environmental resources and with practices that save energy—and money. Now, a new federal program will honor and encourage these efforts.

The U.S. Education Department (ED) created the Green Ribbon Schools program to recognize schools that are creating healthy and sustainable learning environments and teaching environmental literacy. The new awards program will receive support from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“Preparing our children to be good environmental citizens is some of the most important work any of us can do,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said at an event announcing the new program. “It’s work that will serve future generations and quite literally sustain our world.”

More stories on green policies in schools:

New program brings solar panels, and education, to schools

Schools get smarter about ed-tech energy use

Schools save money with refurbished computers

New AV systems offer sharp images, ‘green’ projection

The program will be finalized this fall, and applications will be made available at that time. ED currently is accepting comments and suggestions about the program. Those interested can eMail Green.Ribbon.Schools@ed.gov or can leave their comments online at the Green Ribbon Schools blog posting.  The first winners are expected to be announced in 2012.

One poster identified as “Fred” asked that the definition of the word “green” be as clear as possible, so that all schools can participate regardless of building age.

Johnson Controls will install solar photovoltaic panels at 73 different Utah schools.

With energy efficiency becoming a universal concern, it seems natural that the conversation should move to schools. Johnson Controls’ Solar for Schools program brings the focus to the scientific application of solar energy both inside and outside of the classroom.

Solar for Schools has been enacted throughout Utah to teach students “the value of renewable energy first hand.” Johnson Controls was selected by the Utah State Energy Program to install solar photovoltaic panels at 73 different schools throughout the state, with at least one set-up in each school district.

The program also includes an educational component, and now Johnson Controls is rolling out the initiative nationwide as well.

“The overall goal for Solar for Schools is to touch every student in the state as they go through the K-12 program, inform them about renewable technologies and how they work, and to try and increase interest in engineering, math, and sciences,” said Bruce Munson, a Johnson Controls representative.

For more on STEM education:

Solving the STEM Education Crisis

More news about solar power in education:

Solar power making a comeback among schools

The installation of the panels accompanies an energy education curriculum, in which students can track live data from the solar panels but also learn about solar, wind, and geothermal technologies.

Laura Wheeler, a teacher at Morgan Middle School, said that the labs are equally suitable for a variety of age groups.

With an eye-popping price tag of $578 million, the opening of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools will mark the inauguration of the nation’s most expensive public school ever. (AP)

A new public school building in Los Angeles that cost more than $500 million to build–at a time when the city has laid off more than 3,000 teachers and cut several academic programs–has raised eyebrows across the country, adding fuel to a national debate about how important one’s environment is to learning and how best to spend limited educational resources.

Next month’s opening of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools will be auspicious for a reason other than its both storied and infamous history as the former Ambassador Hotel, where the Democratic presidential contender was assassinated in 1968. With an eye-popping price tag of $578 million, it will mark the inauguration of the nation’s most expensive public school ever.

The K-12 complex to house 4,200 students has drawn national attention as the creme de la creme of “Taj Mahal” schools, $100 million-plus campuses boasting both architectural panache and deluxe amenities.

“There’s no more of the old, windowless cinderblock schools of the ’70s where kids felt, ‘Oh, back to jail,’” said Joe Agron, editor-in-chief of American School & University, a school construction journal. “Districts want a showpiece for the community, a really impressive environment for learning.”

Not everyone is similarly enthusiastic.

“New buildings are nice, but when they’re run by the same people who’ve given us a 50 percent dropout rate, they’re a big waste of taxpayer money,” said Ben Austin, executive director of Parent Revolution who sits on the California Board of Education. “Parents aren’t fooled.”

At RFK, the features include fine art murals and a marble memorial depicting the complex’s namesake, a manicured public park, a state-of-the-art swimming pool and preservation of pieces of the original hotel.

Partly by circumstance and partly by design, the Los Angeles Unified School District has emerged as the mogul of Taj Mahals.

The RFK complex follows on the heels of two other LA schools among the nation’s costliest — the $377 million Edward R. Roybal Learning Center, which opened in 2008, and the $232 million Visual and Performing Arts High School that debuted in 2009.

The pricey schools have come during a sensitive period for the nation’s second-largest school system: Nearly 3,000 teachers have been laid off over the past two years, the academic year and programs have been slashed. The district also faces a $640 million shortfall and some schools persistently rank among the nation’s lowest performing.

Los Angeles is not alone, however, in building big. Some of the most expensive schools are found in low-performing districts — New York City has a $235 million campus; New Brunswick, N.J., opened a $185 million high school in January.

Nationwide, dozens of schools have surpassed $100 million with amenities including atriums, orchestra-pit auditoriums, food courts, even bamboo nooks. The extravagance has led some to wonder where the line should be drawn and whether more money should be spent on teachers.

“Architects and builders love this stuff, but there’s a little bit of a lack of discipline here,” said Mary Filardo, executive director of 21st Century School Fund in Washington, D.C., which promotes urban school construction.

Some experts say it’s not all flourish and that children learn better in more pleasant surroundings.

Many schools incorporate large windows to let in natural light and install energy-saving equipment, spending more upfront for reduced bills later. Cafeterias are getting fancier, seeking to retain students who venture off campus. Wireless Internet and other high-tech installations have become standard.

Some pricey projects have had political fallout.

After a firestorm over the $197.5 million Newton North High School in Massachusetts, Mayor David Cohen chose not to seek re-election and state Treasurer Timothy Cahill reined in school construction spending.

Now to get state funds for a new school, districts must choose among three designs costing $49 million to $64 million. “We had to bring some sense to this process,” Cahill said.

In Los Angeles, officials say the new schools were planned long before the economic pinch and are funded by $20 billion in voter-approved bonds that do not affect the educational budget.

Still, even LA Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines derided some of the extravagance, noting that donations should have been sought to fund the RFK project’s talking benches commemorating the site’s history.

The Athenian School’s solar panels form the shape of an ‘A’ near the school’s baseball field.

Web surfers requesting a Google Earth view of the Athenian School in Danville, Calif., are greeted with an image of what school officials call the “solar A”—a mass of 1,300 solar panels on a hillside near the school, and a testament to the nation’s renewed interest in sustainable energy resources and solar power to cut school energy bills.

Solar energy proponents say an increased focus on “green” lifestyles and practices has helped place the technology once again near the forefront of school energy practices. While solar power is not a new idea, it gained momentum during the energy crisis of the 1970s, which led to tax incentives for solar power. Once fuel prices stabilized, however, tax incentives disappeared. But now, with an uncertain economy, rising fuel prices, and deep cuts to education, solar power once again holds attractive benefits for school districts.

The Athenian School’s system—1,300 panels sit above the school’s baseball field—supplies 50 percent of the school’s power needs, said Bob Oxenburgh, Athenian’s director of facilities.

The California Solar Initiative covered one-third of the installation cost, Oxenburgh said, and the school partnered with a solar installation company to construct the system. California-based Tioga Energy owns the installation, which sits on the Athenian School’s property, and Tioga Energy recoups its investment by selling power directly to the school in what is known as a power purchase agreement (PPA).

The Athenian School signed an agreement to initiate the solar energy program with Tioga Energy and REC Solar in August 2008, and on Dec. 10, 2008, the system generated its first power.

State incentives and tax credits help immensely in a solar power installation, Oxenburgh said, because the actual systems are very expensive. Oxenburgh said surrounding schools and districts with plans for solar installation have toured the school for more information about the installation process.

And while the Athenian School has no plans to build additional buildings for quite some time, Oxenburgh said solar power will be a part of any future construction.

“We would not construct anything without most of [the power] being supplied by renewable energy; that’s the only thing that makes sense,” he said. “We want to get off the grid as much as we can.”

Five New Jersey school districts in the state’s Morris County—Boonton, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hills, West Morris Regional, and Morris Hills Regional—have entered into a program with Tioga Energy and SunDurance Energy, a New Jersey solar development team.

Fourteen schools will have solar panels installed on their roofs, and Morris County official William Chegwidden said the participating districts will pay 35 percent less for power from the solar systems in the first year of the program than they would pay for utility-provided power.

Boonton School Superintendent Christine Johnson predicted a $16,000 savings and a 36-percent reduction in energy consumption in the first year of the program. Johnson said savings could reach $25,000 per year as the program progresses.

Tioga Energy and SunDurance Energy will oversee the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of the solar equipment, which will reside on the schools’ roofs. Morris County will purchase its solar-produced electricity at a fixed price through a 15-year PPA with Tioga Energy.

School systems nationwide are beginning to realize the benefits of “going green” when building new schools, according to experts who follow school construction trends. Though the initial building costs can run higher, schools are seeing a return on their up-front investment through a reduction in monthly energy costs. Another important (and often unexpected) side benefit has been a boost in student achievement resulting from more healthy, productive, and comfortable learning environments.

John Weekes, an architect who is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on Architecture for Education, says “green,” or environmentally friendly, school buildings aren’t just a West Coast concept anymore.

“Of course, places like California have been thinking green for a while, but it’s really all over now–the Pacific Northwest, the upper Midwest, and the Northeast,” he said. “Recently, it’s also been [occurring in] the Southeast. It’s certainly [a] mainstream [concept], but not entirely even across the board. Every region has its own rate.”

There are many levels of “green,” and each green building can vary in its degree of energy efficiency. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has its own set of measurements, called the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, which measures design, construction, and operation of green buildings. To date, the LEED certificate-available in bronze, silver, and gold-has been given to 55 schools around the country. However, another 370 reportedly were waiting for certification as of press time.

LEED also has a special certification for green schools, which takes into account joint-use agreements that allow other groups to use the facility and also has stricter requirements for features such as minimum acoustic standards.

According to Deane Evans, a research professor and executive director of the Center for Architecture and Building Science Research at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, a high-performance green school has “healthy, productive, and comfortable environments for students and teachers that provide high levels of acoustic, thermal, and visual comfort.”

Features of green schools include windows and skylights that admit generous amounts of daylight; buildings that are safe, secure, and cost-effective to own and operate, because they use durable products and systems; materials that are chosen using life-cycle cost analysis, rather than the cheapest first cost; and availability to non-students during hours when the school is not in operation. (Community participation during design also is encouraged.)

Already, many states and school systems are using LEED guidelines to structure future school design. For example, in September the Ohio School Facility Fund passed a requirement that all new schools and major renovations in the state be certified LEED Silver, using $4.1 billion in state money to help cover the costs. The plan will create at least 250 more green schools in Ohio in the next two years.

In California, 23 school districts, including San Francisco and San Diego, have pledged to meet criteria for the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), a system similar to LEED. Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, Washington, and New Hampshire also are using measurement processes based on CHPS building standards.

Pennsylvania even provides up to $500,000 in state funding to school districts for each new building that is LEED certified.

Green school examples

Dave Burns, design principal for Burns Wald-Hopkins Architects, says geographical differences “are the foundation” for effective green-school construction.