New Construction

Editor's Focus: Beginning of a Boom?

As the nation’s economy continues to struggle, education construction and facilities improvement needs continue to grow.
Feb. 1, 2016
2 min read

As the nation’s economy continues to struggle, education construction and facilities improvement needs continue to grow. 

As mentioned in last month’s column, voters across the country approved significant capital-expenditure bonds to provide funding for needed construction and renovation of schools and universities. Even in difficult times, the importance of education to the populace continues to rank high.

The new year shows no signs of slowing down on the education construction front as numerous schools, colleges and communities address their capital-expenditure needs. With this rebound of activity and ever-growing backlog of facilities projects, is this the beginning of another education construction boom?

Next month, North Carolina will propose a $2 billion bond issue for state infrastructure. About two-thirds of the amount—$1.33 billion—would be directed to colleges and universities throughout the state. However, officials say that even with the $2 billion being sought, the amount represents a small percentage of the state’s infrastructure needs.

On the heels of North Carolina’s $2 billion request for state infrastructure, Wake County, N.C., announced it will need more than $2 billion over the next seven years for construction and facilities improvement. This announcement comes a little more than two years after the approval of an $810 million bond issue. The district is adding approximately 3,000 students a year.

But North Carolina and other education institutions in the East are not the only ones spending on construction and facilities improvement. Schools and universities across the nation are in building-mode.  

Further west, the Albuquerque, N.M., school district just passed this month a $575 million bond and levy. The funds will allow the district to build new schools, renovate and expand campuses, plan for additional repairs and modernizations, and upgrade technology. 

This activity comes after an impressive success rate for education capital-expenditure bond issues in 2015, including a massive election in November that saw the Dallas ISD easily pass a $1.6 billion proposal.  

While it may be premature to call what has been happening over the past year or so an education construction boom, it is safe to say that schools and universities are ramping up their focus on constructing and improving their facilities.

About the Author

Joe Agron Blog

Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher

Joe Agron is the editor-in-chief/associate publisher of American School & University magazine. Joe has overseen AS&U's editorial direction for more than 30 years, and has helped influence and shape national school infrastructure issues. He has been sought out for comments by publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, ABC News and CNN, and assisted with the introduction of the Education Infrastructure Act of 1994.

Joe also authors a number of industry-exclusive reports. His "Facilities Impact on Learning" series of special reports won national acclaim and helped bring the poor condition of the nation's schools to the attention of many in the U.S. Congress, U.S. Department of Education and the White House.

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