News on school facilities from around the nation, curated by NCSI consortium partner, the 21st Century School Fund. News stories come from a variety of media, including newspapers, periodicals, TV stations, and other local, state, and federal government sources.
California
Voice of San Diego – April 10, 2026
On a crisp spring morning, three boys sat on a cinderblock wall in front of the School of Creative and Performing Arts in Paradise Hills. Staff and students at the magnet school, often referred to as SCPA, have been grappling with recurring plumbing failures. Those failures required porta-potties and bottled water to be shipped to…
Missouri
Fox 4 Kansas City – April 10, 2026
When Kayla Frank got an alert from her daughter’s school district that their school would temporarily be closed, she took a victory lap, literally. Frank, the assistant coach of her daughter’s softball team, ran around the diamond during their first practice on Thursday evening. “I know that most people don’t scream and cheer that a…
Virginia
Virginia Mercury – April 7, 2026
Framing education as a cornerstone of her administration, Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday signed a sweeping package of legislation aimed at strengthening K-12 schools, expanding career pathways and reducing classroom distractions across Virginia. The measures, many of which passed the legislature with bipartisan or unanimous support, span much of the public education system — from…
Texas
San Antonio Report – April 6, 2026
Northside Independent School District is not making building improvements at nine of its more than 80 elementary schools. When voters in NISD passed a $992 million school bond in 2022, the district accessed funds for major facelifts, including HVAC replacements, classroom replacements and updated offices, gyms and cafeteria spaces. The district is halfway done with…
Massachusetts
Daily Hampshire Gazette – April 2, 2026
The City Council this week approved a new five-year Capital Improvement Plan for funding infrastructure projects across the city, with much of the debate at Tuesday’s meeting focused on specific, immediate projects such as repairs to City Hall’s roof and various school district initiatives. The Capital Improvement Plan, or CIP, includes plans for projects spanning…
Virginia
Fredericksburg Free Press – April 11, 2026
The scene at Lewis & Clark Elementary School is a familiar one for Caroline County Public Schools officials. With 1,024 students attending the school, occupational and physical therapy sessions for students were moved to a stage. The division was forced to double the amount of physical education and library instructors, and those staff members teach…
North Carolina
The Carolina Journal – April 10, 2026
Even as North Carolina’s state lottery sets sales records, the share of proceeds flowing to public education has fallen, and school districts competing for construction grants are feeling the effects, according to a recent presentation to the State Board of Education. The board reviewed the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, a lottery-funded grant program for…
Wyoming
Wyoming Tribune Eagle – April 8, 2026
Community members urged the Laramie County School District 1 Board of Trustees to scrap a draft facilities use policy during a public hearing Wednesday evening. The policy, which was written before the Wyoming Legislature’s recent budget session and released for public comment Feb. 10, now has to be adjusted to comply with Senate Enrolled Act…
California
The Oaklandside – April 8, 2026
Four in ten Oakland Unified School District schools are less than 50% occupied. More than 80% have no cooling system. And the vast majority of buildings are more than 50 years old. Oakland’s public schools need billions of dollars of upgrades and renovations, according to a new district report. On the list are everything from…
Hawaii
Hawaii Tribune Herald – April 7, 2026
A proposal to overhaul how Hawaii builds public schools is advancing at the state Capitol, as lawmakers seek faster, more cost-effective solutions to overcrowding and rapid growth in areas like Kapolei and Ewa on Oahu, with a key decision scheduled for this morning. Senate Bill 2024 would authorize the Hawaii School Facilities Authority to partner…
National
Morningstar – April 6, 2026
Attune today announced the launch of a new national initiative, the Future-Ready Facilities Grant, a cohort program selecting 25 school districts to implement indoor air quality (IAQ), energy, and water monitoring technologies and reporting practices that help districts measure building performance, prioritize maintenance and capital planning, and transparently communicate progress. The program provides $500,000 total…
Connecticut
The Middletown Press – April 5, 2026
Portland Public Schools and town officials are advancing a major plan that would renovate and expand multiple schools across the district, aiming to address aging facilities through significant upgrades. First Selectman Michael Pelton said the town held a referendum two years ago to close two elementary schools and consolidate into one, but voters rejected the…
Maine
Spectrum News – April 3, 2026
The Maine House on Thursday advanced a bill to help local cities and towns repurpose old schools into housing. Across the state, 24 former schools have been identified as potential sites for housing redevelopment, Rep. Traci Gere (D-Kennebunkport) said during debate in the House. “Converting vacant schools into housing is a commonsense approach to creating…