School Facilities: States’ Financial and Technical Support Varies

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the role of states in supporting school facilities improvements, focusing on: (1) state funding and technical assistance to local school districts; and (2) the extent to which states collect information on school building conditions.

This report finds that while the construction of school buildings has traditionally been a local responsibility, nearly all states now have some role in school facilities construction, renovation, and major maintenance (hereafter referred to collectively as construction), and 13 states have established comprehensive facilities programs. As a group, states reported providing about $3.5 billion for school facilities construction during fiscal year 1994. However, states’ involvement in facilities matters varied greatly. For example, state financial assistance for school facilities in the 40 states with ongoing assistance programs ranged from $6 per student to more than $2,000 per student. States’ technical assistance and compliance review activities also varied greatly; the number of staff devoted to providing facilities guidance and oversight varied from fewer than 1 full-time equivalent (FTE) to 72, with most states having fewer than 6 FTE staff.