Text Box: Assessments The Ohio school facilities commission and its consultants provide individual school districts with Objective assessments of the current condition of Existing school buildings along with information such as projected future student enrollment as part of the master planning process. Text Box: N E W S L E T T E R for the Design/Build Industry Text Box: Students, Teachers and Administrators have been saying the buildings do matter for generations. Studies and statistics from across the country confirm that physical environments can make a key difference in education, particularly in regard to improved test scores, reduced disciplinary problems and better attendance. As approaches to education have evolved, so must the facilities that house them. Can we expect a building initially designed and built in 1925, for example, to facilitate the vocational, classroom and lab settings that teachers are striving to improve upon and maintain? Adequate space for classrooms, training, tutoring and administrative support are essential elements in fostering education and the desire on the part of the students to stay in school; get a high school diploma and perhaps go onto higher education. Additionally, a school building, by design, can provide added security to students and faculty- a serious concern to any community. New and effective technologies such as voice, video and data communications cannot be achieved in buildings whose structures were not designed to accommodate them. The CounText Box: Published by Basic Blue and Digital Printing 1700 Stelzer Rd. Columbus, Ohio 43219 614-428-4448

Smoot Construction Co. of Ohio acted as a team leader of  consultants to the OSFC on the

 assessments for

Columbus

Public School District.

 

NEWS RELEASE

Office of Communications

Columbus Public Schools

Michael Fulwider Director-

Media Relations & Communications

June 18, 2002

The Columbus Board of Education today approved a Master Facilities Plan for renovating and rebuilding district schools.  The 15 year plan reflects $1.3 billion in facilities upgrades including 63 new schools, renovating 13 schools and renovating and adding to another 54 schools.  Superintendent Gene T. Harris, Ph.D., indicated she would return to the Board on July 9, 2002 with recommendations for locally funded initiatives.

“Our # 1 goal is increasing academic achievement” said Dr. Harris.  “Modernizing our school buildings will create 21st century learning environments that enhance teaching and learning, improve attitudes toward learning and improve neighborhoods and communities.”

Harris acknowledged that improving facilities will not increase academic achievement.  These improvements will allow Columbus children to conduct the types of science experiments needed to meet today’s learning standards, create schools that have the proper design and facilities required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, creates buildings that meet today’s safety standards and that are technologically appropriate for today’s and tomorrow’s technology needs.

The plan is based on a projected enrollment of 65,397 students, the highest projected enrollment over the next ten years.

In other business, the Board approved a $737 million budget for Fiscal Year 2003.  The district’s fiscal year begins July 1, 2002.  This budget is an increase of $30.4 million, or 5.4 percent over the current fiscal year.  The majority of the increase is focused on academic achievement.