MARYLAND: Dozens of Baltimore schools are slated to receive new heating, lighting and other energy-efficient upgrades under a deal that school officials say will pay for itself. The system will use the money it saves in energy costs to pay for the upgrades - estimated at $25 million for an initial batch of 76 schools plus administrative headquarters. The savings will also cover interest on a loan and $727,874 in fees paid to energy savings companies implementing the project. System officials are promoting the project as a creative way to make desperately needed repairs despite limited funding for school construction. The system estimates its schools have $1 billion in maintenance needs. This school year, it received $18.8 million from the state for construction and renovation, plus $17 million from the city. Mayor Martin O'Malley has pledged to create a $75 million city fund for future assistance.

RUSSIA: The head of the Russian parliamentary commission investigating last year's Beslan school siege that left 331 dead said local law enforcement officials were negligent and ignored instructions to strengthen school security. Alexander Torshin told the upper house of parliament that Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev and his deputy had sent telegrams less than two weeks before the militants' raid instructing the regional police department in North Ossetia, where Beslan is located, to beef up security on the first day of school. But only a single policewoman was posted outside the Beslan school the day of the siege in September 2004, and she was taken hostage, he said. Torshin also criticized authorities for sharply underreporting the number of hostages involved during the early stages of the crisis. Survivors have said that the misinformation infuriated the militants. The release of the parliamentary investigation came a day after prosecutors exonerated security forces in the bloody police raid that ended the three-day school siege.

Islamic militants seized Beslan's School No. 1 on the first day of school, taking more than 1,100 children, parents and staff hostage and herding them into the gymnasium, which they rigged with explosives. The hostages suffered in hot, unsanitary conditions and were denied water by their captors during the ordeal, which ended in explosions and gunfire on the third day of the standoff. The dead hostages included 186 children. The rebels, who were demanding that Russian troops withdraw from the nearby Chechnya region after a decade of separatist warfare there, had crossed heavily policed territory to reach Beslan, and victims' relatives are convinced they got help from corrupt officials. Families of the hostages have strongly criticized the rescue operation, saying hostages died needlessly because special forces soldiers used flame-throwers, grenade launchers and tanks against the militants.

KENTUCKY: The Kentucky Department of Education has determined that Northern Kentucky's 14 public school districts need $90.2 million to build, repair and rehabilitate schools. But the region's school districts say the state's estimate is not even close to meeting the local construction needs of almost $300 million. Even with the state's own assessment reaching almost $100 million in just Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties, only about $15 million will be spent statewide this year on school construction. The disparity between what will be spent, what the state determines as a school district's construction needs and what local education officials say is reality has left lawmakers and educators frustrated as they grapple with the dual challenge of repairing and replacing aging schools while trying to build new ones in Northern Kentucky's booming suburbs.

NORTH CAROLINA: Starting next fall, schools in Orange County will have high-tech digital cameras that will allow police, district administrators and security officers to see the schools -- even from remote locations. The county school district, along with the Orange County Sheriff's Department, has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to improve security on school grounds. The district plans to put cameras at as many schools as it can with the money -- which totals about $284,000. High schools will be first, followed by middle and elementary schools.

This winter, COPS gave $14.7 million in grants to local law enforcement agencies to enhance school safety in 43 states. Part of the Secure Our Schools program, the grants seek to improve security on school grounds through cameras, locks, lighting, metal detectors and training for employees. "Creating the safest schools possible is a priority shared by the law enforcement community, educators and the public," said Carl Peed, director of COPS. "We are pleased to assist with local school safety initiatives."

FLORIDA: Florida's public schools will have millions more dollars to spend on construction and renovation projects next year if legislators give the nod to a revised budget request approved by the State Board of Education. The board revamped its construction budget request after getting word from state forecasters that more money than expected will be available next year. The board also pumped up its recommended construction budget for Florida's 28 community colleges. The total amount the state board now wants spent for public-school construction projects is more than double what it budgeted in September. The revised request earmarks more than $514 million compared with less than $211 million previously. Only about $41 million was to be spent on new construction in that earlier budget, compared with more than $242 million in the new one.

WYOMING: Construction of three schools here is expected to be delayed while the state School Facilities Commission slashes by more than half the school district's construction funding for the next two years. The commission has proposed cutting the district's construction budget for 2007 and 2008 from $76 million to $36 million. Statewide, the School Facilities Commission, which oversees a court-ordered project to build and renovate dozens of schools statewide, has proposed cutting the $637 million in building requests from school districts to $221 million.

NEW JERSEY: The agency in charge of building schools in New Jersey's neediest districts suffers from management problems and confusion over some of its employees' roles, according to a report issued by the state inspector general. The Schools Construction Corporation is in charge of a fund to repair, build and expand schools in 31 so-called Abbott districts. Costs have been higher and progress slower than expected when the agency was established in 2002.

This year, Inspector General Mary Jane Cooper issued a blistering report on waste and the potential for malfeasance and conflicts of interest in the agency. That report led to sweeping changes in policies and personnel. The new leaders asked Cooper to delve deeply into the agency's Design and Construction Division and suggest changes, prompting the new report. "Our review revealed the absence of an overall coordinated plan to enable Design and Construction to efficiently build schools," Cooper said in a statement. The report said relationships between the state-employed project officers and the private firms managing construction were murky. In some cases, the state workers had a hard time getting the firms to follow direction; in others, the report said, the state workers provided little oversight.

LOUISIANA: The two campuses that will be operated as New Orleans public schools this school year have nearly reached capacity, but district officials say it's doubtful they'll open more before next fall. Parents still looking for school placement should consider enrolling their children in one of the 15 charter schools already operating in the city or opening in January, officials said.

IDAHO: The state Supreme Court ruled Idaho has failed to effectively provide its children a public education in a safe environment, concluding a lawsuit filed by a group of school districts 15 years ago. The justices say the way Idaho funds the major repairs or replacement of school facilities is unconstitutional. In a 21-page ruling, the court said the Legislature must make sure there are adequate funds to pay for new school facilities, especially in the state's poorest districts. They say overwhelming evidence shows the state has allowed classroom conditions to worsen, and the current system of depending on voter bonds to pay for construction of new schools is unconstitutional. Traditionally, the state does not pay to replace school facilities. Local property tax payers have, which is why it can be difficult to get voters to pass the bonds necessary to get even the most run-down schools replaced. Lawmakers should appropriate $32 to $38 million toward school facilities during the next legislative session.

NEW JERSEY: In a ruling education advocates hope will return a sense of urgency to the stalled school construction program, the state Supreme Court ordered the state to provide cost estimates for hundreds of approved projects that have gone unfunded. The ruling orders the Department of Education to deliver its 2005 annual report by February 15. The report will include cost estimates for more than 300 approved school projects that have been in limbo since the Schools Construction Corporation tapped out its $6 billion fund for building in mostly poor, urban districts. David Sciarra, a lawyer who represents students in the 31 so-called Abbott school districts, said the report should give lawmakers information they need to provide more funding for school construction and renovation. "This should be a wake-up call to both the governor and the Legislature that they've got to take quick action on getting the school construction program in shape and restarted as quickly as possible," said Sciarra, executive director for the Newark-based Education Law Center.

NEW JERSEY: In a ruling education advocates hope will return a sense of urgency to the stalled school construction program, the state Supreme Court ordered the state to provide cost estimates for hundreds of approved projects that have gone unfunded. The ruling orders the Department of Education to deliver its 2005 annual report by February 15. The report will include cost estimates for more than 300 approved school projects that have been in limbo since the Schools Construction Corporation tapped out its $6 billion fund for building in mostly poor, urban districts. David Sciarra, a lawyer who represents students in the 31 so-called Abbott school districts, said the report should give lawmakers information they need to provide more funding for school construction and renovation. "This should be a wake-up call to both the governor and the Legislature that they've got to take quick action on getting the school construction program in shape and restarted as quickly as possible," said Sciarra, executive director for the Newark-based Education Law Center.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : A D.C. Council committee listened for seven hours as charter school proponents made their case for four former school properties that the city has said it doesn't need. At a time when many of the city's regular school buildings are underused, public charter schools are scrambling for any scrap of space they can get. The number of charter school students jumped from about 6,000 in 1999-2000 to more than 15,000 last school year, according to the District's State Education Office. Some public charter schools have had a tough time finding affordable and suitable space in the midst of the city's real estate boom.

CALIFORNIA: Cesar Chavez Elementary, the newest Long Beach school, has won seven awards from construction experts and regulatory agencies for design and energy efficiency. The downtown school recently received a 2005 "Savings by Design" award for "expert integration of energy efficiency" and earned certification by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools for an environmentally sound design. "The ability to integrate innovative environmental technologies into a well-sculpted building is a tough job and done extremely well in this project," said the jurors of the "Savings by Design" awards, co-sponsored by the American Institute of Architects and administered by Southern California Edison, the Southern California Gas Co. and other utilities. The judging panel noted the building's choice of color, use of limited urban space and efficient design.

The 470-student school, which opened in the fall of 2004, surpassed state energy efficiency requirements by more than 34 percent, resulting in annual utility savings of nearly $30,000 compared with minimally compliant buildings, according to the Long Beach Unified School District. The school incorporated recycled materials, including post-consumer recycled ceiling tiles and a rubberized playground. The lighting system has cut costs through dimming systems, daylight sensors and occupancy sensors. The LBUSD used materials that emitted fewer chemicals in ceiling tiles, wall insulation, flooring and other building components.Efficient irrigation and landscaping cut outdoor water consumption by 100,000 gallons annually compared with standard buildings, according to the district.

The school has an on-site health clinic and gymnasium. The school partnered with the city of Long Beach to allow the public to use the school's gymnasium on weekends and after school on weekdays. During school hours, a section of the adjacent Cesar Chavez Park is sectioned off as a playground for the elementary school's students. The school's other five awards were bestowed by the American Institute of Architects Orange County Chapter, the Coalition for Adequate School Housing/American Institute of Architects California Council and the American Institute of Architects Long Beach/South Bay Chapter.

NEW YORK: A project to spruce up dreary hallways at inner city schools is based on a simple idea: Bright walls make for brighter students. Publicolor, a program in which students are permitted to paint over the industrial shades of their schools' interiors, is credited by school officials with lowering dropout rates, decreasing discipline problems and increasing attendance. The program, now a decade old, has already redecorated 71 schools in blighted city neighborhoods.

Ruth Lande Shuman, an industrial designer who created the program, said Publicolor has far surpassed her expectations and won over once skeptical city school officials. "They didn't understand that schools are not meant to look like prisons," Shuman said. "I was, frankly, horrified by how hostile these schools looked and felt." Alarmed by accounts of the city's dropout rates at some schools in the early 1990s, Shuman said she wondered how to help engage disinterested students. "I thought color," said Shuman, who has researched the colors' psychological effects. "Color has enormous power. It can make you feel sad. It can make you feel happy. It can make you feel energetic or lethargic." Shuman began simply, by providing paint and brushes to students and letting them transform drab walls and doorways into colorful entrances and pathways that set them apart in blighted neighborhoods.

MASSACHUSETTS: Whether it's to ease overcrowding, provide temporary shelter during renovations, or keep class sizes small, many schools around Massachusetts are adding temporary classrooms. School officials in several suburban Boston districts -- including Stoughton, Avon, and Framingham -- say that modular classrooms are their only solution to stem overcrowding. They say they have been adding modular structures, particularly in recent years, because of a state moratorium on new construction that began in 2003 and lasts until July 2007. But the head of the new state school building authority, plus teachers' union and health officials, say they worry that the trend may do more harm than good. Kept too long, modular classrooms can grow mold and create unhealthy conditions for schoolchildren, they say. School officials said they began using modular classrooms because they are cheaper than new construction projects, take less time to build, and, in the case of newer models, resemble regular buildings.

MARYLAND: Pointing to the example of an elementary school that opened with 200 more pupils than it was built to hold, Baltimore County Council members are looking to strengthen a law that is designed to cut off residential development near crowded schools. The council is to vote on a bill that would prohibit homes from being built if they, along with other planned developments, would lead to a school exceeding its capacity by 15 percent. Under the current adequate facilities law, the county could approve two residential projects that, individually, would not cause a school to become crowded, even if the combined effect of the two plans would be to raise school enrollment to more than 115 percent of capacity. All seven council members have sponsored the proposed legislation.

SOUTH CAROLINA: A lot can be learned at the new North Charleston Elementary School without even stepping foot inside a class. That's because the architects, contractors and school district committed to making the school an environmental model. First, they tried to recycle the original 1922 building, but it was too susceptible to earthquakes and had to be taken down, says architect John Ciccarelli of McKellar Associates. When designing the new school, McKellar chose to replicate the original building's footprint, height and roof shape, a logical decision for a school that blended in well with the surrounding neighborhood off Park Circle. Much more was recycled than the old school's size and scale. About 87 percent of the original school's material was not tossed in a Dumpster, but reused. Inside, the heart of the school is given over to a chiller the size of two SUVs, which makes ice that chills piped water and cools the air in the classrooms. The icemaking is done mostly at night, when the power costs are lower. While that chunk of equipment is the most obvious difference, the school's design also saves energy by maximizing the amount of natural light in classrooms and using motion sensors to turn on lights in classrooms and water in sinks.

MASSACHUSETTS: There are mysterious stains on the ceiling at the Fiske Elementary School, spongy floors at Hardy Elementary, cracks in the walls at Hunnewell, a high likelihood of lead in the water at Upham, and there's no library at Schofield. These grade schools are all in Wellesley, but a collection of similarly afflicted schools could probably be found in many other districts in the nation. The elementary schools built in the 1950s and '60s for the baby boomers are, like their original students, showing their age.

The average age of a public school in the Northeast is 46, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Five of Wellesley's seven elementary schools have had major additions but never been renovated. They range from the 42-year-old Schofield to the 81-year-old Hardy. The five schools just got their report cards, which were prepared by an architectural planning firm. While noting that the buildings have been kept in good repair by custodial staff, the study recorded numerous instances of leaky roofs, worn carpets, poor ventilation, dim lighting, plumbing that could allow lead in drinking water, and little or no accessibility for students in wheelchairs.

ARKANSAS: The state has retreated from its obligation to adequately support public education and must reverse its course within a year, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled. Governor Mike Huckabee said it was too early for him to decide whether to call a special session to address the court's concerns. The governor said he would review the opinion and build legislative consensus before committing to a session. In a 5-2 decision, the high court ruled the Legislature failed to make education spending its top priority in this year's regular session and "grossly underfunded" school building repairs and construction. This year, the Legislature appropriated more than $110 million toward a 10-year, $1.9 billion overhaul of public school buildings and equipment.

The court set a December 1, 2006, deadline for lawmakers to remedy what Justice Robert Brown called "a constitutional infirmity which must be corrected immediately." Huckabee dismissed suggestions that the state dip into a $123 million budget surplus to address the high court decision. Budgets fluctuate, he said.

CALIFORNIA: Fanno Academy, one of 33 charter schools in San Diego, opened in September at an Emerald Hills church, holding some classes in rooms not much bigger than walk-in closets. KIPP Adelante Preparatory Academy opened two years ago in a downtown office building. As charter programs, both public schools operate independently of the San Diego Unified School District. Both serve mostly poor and minority children. But unlike other public schools, they spend thousands of dollars each month on rent, leaving less for teachers and instructional materials.

After the district repeatedly denied their requests to use its campuses, the schools filed a lawsuit to force San Diego Unified to make buildings available. Fanno and KIPP, along with the California Charter Schools Association, want the district to comply with voter-approved Proposition 39, a measure that entitles charter schools to the use of district-owned buildings. Passed in 2000, the law says districts must provide to charter schools facilities that are "reasonably equivalent" to those their students would be housed in if they were attending district schools. The law has been the subject of several lawsuits. In two cases, charter schools have won. If Fanno and KIPP prevail, the ruling could force districts statewide to do a better job of complying with Proposition 39.

Most San Diego charter schools are housed in non-district facilities. Ten use district-owned campuses under Proposition 39. Most of them are traditional public schools that converted to charters and remained at their locations. The school board has had several discussions on how to comply with Proposition 39 while also preserving the district's financial interests. Money is a key issue. This year, the district expects to make $2.5 million from renting out nine vacant campuses to mostly private schools and organizations. Under the law, the district is restricted in how much it can charge charter schools.

VIRGINIA: The Loudoun County School Board approved a plan that called for building 19 schools and renovating several others over the next six years at a cost of about $915 million. The schools would be built across the county and include 12 elementary schools, three middle schools, three high schools and a technology academy, all intended to house the thousands of students arriving in Loudoun each year. According to the plan, voters could be asked in November to decide on a bond referendum of as much as $260 million to fund construction of two elementary schools, a high school and the technology academy in Ashburn and to complete renovations at four middle schools. Last month, county voters approved school bonds totaling a record $180 million.

VIRGINIA: The Loudoun County School Board approved a plan that called for building 19 schools and renovating several others over the next six years at a cost of about $915 million. The schools would be built across the county and include 12 elementary schools, three middle schools, three high schools and a technology academy, all intended to house the thousands of students arriving in Loudoun each year. According to the plan, voters could be asked in November to decide on a bond referendum of as much as $260 million to fund construction of two elementary schools, a high school and the technology academy in Ashburn and to complete renovations at four middle schools. Last month, county voters approved school bonds totaling a record $180 million.

CALIFORNIA: Over the pleas of some South Los Angeles residents, the Los Angeles Board of Education unanimously approved a plan to build a $100-million school on a contaminated property that will require the demolition of dozens of homes and businesses, and cost millions of dollars to clean. The site is tainted with a type of carcinogen commonly called PCBs and other toxic substances, according to studies conducted by the state Department of Toxic Substances Control. It also contains potentially explosive methane deposits from runoff left by an old carwash, and is near railroad tracks.

NATIONAL : Schools in the Northern and Mountain states may be asking students to bundle up this winter. Lowering the thermostat is one way that districts are bracing for predicted higher heating costs. Some districts are also looking at alternative fuel sources and energy-efficient building materials for longer-term savings. According to the federal Energy Information Administration, natural-gas prices are projected to rise an average of 38 percent nationally this winter, compared with last winter. The average price of propane is projected to go up 14 percent this winter, while heating-oil prices are expected to jump 24 percent. Districts saw a rise in gasoline costs after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita disrupted oil production this fall. And while those prices have come down, they are still projected to average $2.43 per gallon at the pump in 2006, up from $2.29 in 2005, according to the EIA.

Some districts are making tentative plans to lower thermostats during school hours and to limit access to schools when classes are not in session. Some districts have banded together to buy electricity in bulk; others have banned small appliances such as coffeemakers in teachers’ classrooms. Districts in New York are trying various tactics to compensate for the expected shortfalls: creating or enforcing energy-conservation policies, looking to reserve funds, or cutting school programs. The districts may also ask state lawmakers for relief aid when they convene in January. Some school districts are making longer-range plans for cost control by looking to a variety of products that are not dependent on traditional energy sources. New sources include geothermal heat, hydrogen-cell technology, solar energy, and biomass products such as wood and animal refuse. Sustainable architecture—which promotes environmentally building friendly materials and energy-efficient products—has been a trend for several years and is growing in popularity.

CALIFORNIA: The Los Angeles school district's aggressive push to build schools is leading officials to consider campuses in dense, industrial and residential neighborhoods, often requiring extensive cleanup and relocation costs. The latest of these, which the district acknowledges is far from ideal, is a contaminated South Los Angeles site that would require officials to take dozens of homes and businesses — either by buying them or seizing them through eminent domain — and spend millions of dollars to clean.

The district already has built 46 new schools, and officials have said they are at the point now that they are looking at more "brownfield" properties — former industrial sites with potentially contaminated soil. With construction underway on many campuses, the board is expected to decide on about 20 more proposed sites in coming months. In all, the district plans to build about 150 schools by 2012 in an ambitious effort to end overcrowding, forced busing and year-round calendars.

MICHIGAN: On the University of Michigan campus, one venerable building is beginning its second century decked out in a trendy new color. Green. Sunflower seed hull cabinets, bamboo floors, solar panels and composting toilets are among the green -- meaning environmentally friendly and energy-efficient -- components of the recently renovated Dana Building, home to the School of Natural Resources and Environment.

A few blocks away in Ann Arbor, construction is to begin next year on another green building: U-M's new $145-million Ross Business School. When complete, it will have plants growing on part of its roof, a feature intended to reduce storm water runoff and keep classrooms and offices warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Across Michigan and the nation, many schools are opting for more energy-efficient structures to save money on energy and water use. In the process, they become highly visible models of green construction.

NEW YORK: Most people think all asbestos was removed from New York City public schools years ago. So participants in a New York State Assembly hearing on healthy schools earlier this year were shocked to learn that last year construction workers who were replacing a gym floor at P.S. 219 in Brownsville, Brooklyn inadvertently released the flaky white substance throughout the building. The school was shut down immediately for an emergency cleanup. Student and faculty health was jeopardized, and valuable learning time was lost. The legislators were even more shocked to learn that no one knows how many other New York City school buildings still contain asbestos; records at the Department of Education are incomplete.

There is some good news to report. Coal boilers, which remained in some New York City schools for more than 20 years after they were outlawed in other facilities, have now all been removed. In 1999, the state Education Department issued minimal standards and procedures for school indoor environmental quality and health and safety. State legislation has banned arsenic-infused pressure treated wood (commonly used in playground equipment), pesticide-laden cake toilet deodorizers and elemental mercury (a potent neurotoxin) in schools. Schools must now provide notification when they plan to apply toxic pesticides. In August, Governor George Pataki signed legislation requiring schools to use environmentally preferable (green) cleaning products. The state Office of General Services already does this for state facilities, so the healthy products are readily available. Reducing student and staff exposure to industrial strength chemicals will help reduce school absenteeism. The program will take effect with the start of the September 2006 school year.

NORTH CAROLINA: Faced with a high demand for new classrooms across the state, North Carolina lawmakers made sure that some of the proceeds from a state lottery would help pay for school construction. Forty percent of the net proceeds - the money leftover after prizes are paid out and overhead costs are figured in - would be earmarked for school construction needs. Estimates suggest that during its first five years, the lottery will provide somewhere between $160 million and $200 million a year to be used for school construction. The most recent estimates - which are about five years old - place North Carolina's school construction demands at $6.2 billion, a figure that is expected to rise when new estimates are released in spring.

Elaine Mejia, director of the N.C. Budget and Tax Center, which opposed the lottery, said that most counties would not receive enough money from the lottery in one year to build one school. Todd McGee, a spokesman for the N.C. Association of County Commissioners, acknowledged that lottery revenues wouldn't control all construction needs. "It's certainly going to be a help," he said. "But it's not going to come anywhere close to doing what counties need." "There never was a promise that it would generate enough funds to meet all our educational needs," said Cecil Banks, manager of government relations for the N.C Association of Educators, which supported the lottery. "And that's especially true with school construction."

NEW YORK: New York City will be forced to delay more than 23 major school construction projects scheduled to begin this fiscal year unless New York State begins to comply with a court order mandating billions more in aid for the city schools, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said. Among the projects in danger are proposed new school buildings that community groups fought to have included in the mayor's five-year, $13.1 billion capital plan for the schools, including a campus of small high schools in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx and a high school in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Mr. Bloomberg announced the $13.1 billion plan, the most ambitious school construction proposal in city history, in November 2003. And from the outset, he has insisted that Albany pick up more than half of the costs - $6.5 billion - on top of the state's normal contribution to school construction efforts. The mayor has said the $6.5 billion should be viewed as a down payment on more than $9 billion in additional capital funds that a state court has ordered Albany to pay in a long-running lawsuit over school financing. The Pataki administration has appealed the court decision, which also awarded the city schools $5.6 billion in additional operating aid each year. Last year, after the state refused to provide the added school construction money, Mr. Bloomberg accelerated the city's part of the plan, increasing the city's total outlay for the 2005 fiscal year to $2.6 billion. The mayor said the city could do no more to keep the plan going.

MARYLAND: Baltimore school system officials are asking the public to stand with them as they prepare to close several schools around the city in the next few years. In exchange, they are promising to build new schools and renovate old ones. Mayor Martin O'Malley unveiled a strategy to create a $75 million fund for school construction.

But the options for school construction and renovation presented by the school system this week would require a lot more than $75 million. The least expensive proposals on the table would cost $1.8 billion over the next decade, according to a Sun analysis. The most expensive would cost $2.1 billion. And that doesn't include the cost of upgrading the city's high schools, the proposals for which will be released next month. David Lever, executive director of the state's Public School Construction Program, called the figures "staggering." "They're going to have to prioritize," he said.

The bulk of school construction funding in Baltimore comes from the state, which allocated $250 million for all 24 school systems in Maryland this year. For next school year, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has indicated he will budget about $150 million for school construction. The Maryland Association of Counties is asking the state for $400 million.

MASSACHUSETTS: When it begins approving new projects in 2007, the state board responsible for funding and approving school improvement and construction projects plans to narrow the scope of reimbursable expenses and reduce how much money cities and towns receive in state payments. Under the recent state law that created the Massachusetts School Building Authority and dedicated a penny of the state’s sales tax to funding school improvements, the authority is set to issue draft regulations in January that will go into effect in July. The payment and reimbursement eligibility changes will be included in those regulations. The new law dictated that state reimbursements to cities and towns for school projects must be between 40 and 80 percent of the eligible costs. The average reimbursement will drop to 62 percent under the new system, as the state tries to bring expenses under control in a program that critics have claimed is marked by runaway spending.

NORTH CAROLINA: Wake County might need billions of dollars for school construction and renovations, but school board members were ambivalent about how much money to seek. School administrators presented five options for dealing with school growth that call for spending between $4.25 billion and $5.59 billion through 2015 -- all scenarios that probably would require major property tax increases. The dollar figures left school board members uncertain how much they could realistically ask county commissioners and voters to approve. The board wants to decide in January or February how much to ask for an initial bond issue that will be on the November 2006 ballot. [Related columns discuss the five options, how bond issues work, and graph school growth over the next ten years.]

NORTH CAROLINA: Wake County might need billions of dollars for school construction and renovations, but school board members were ambivalent about how much money to seek. School administrators presented five options for dealing with school growth that call for spending between $4.25 billion and $5.59 billion through 2015 -- all scenarios that probably would require major property tax increases. The dollar figures left school board members uncertain how much they could realistically ask county commissioners and voters to approve. The board wants to decide in January or February how much to ask for an initial bond issue that will be on the November 2006 ballot. [Related columns discuss the five options, how bond issues work, and graph school growth over the next ten years.]

FLORIDA: Hurricane Wilma's impact on the Broward County School District is estimated at $267 million, due in large part to the cost of fixing and replacing roofs. State code mandates that a roof must be entirely replaced -- and must meet current codes -- if more than 25 percent of it is damaged. Plus, a shortage of materials has driven prices way up, and the multiple hurricanes this season may make it difficult to find the supplies needed for new buildings.

OHIO: School districts already struggling with budget cuts and levy defeats are fighting another uphill battle -- increased heating costs. Thermostats aren't being turned down -- they are at or below 72 degrees at most schools. Students aren't being asked to wear long underwear or sweaters yet, as their predecessors did during fuel shortages in the '70s. But schools are doing whatever they can to reduce electricity and natural gas costs. Burkhart said the district has 1.16 million square feet over 17 buildings. During the 2004-05 school year, the gas bill was $621,000. The estimated cost this school year is $798,622, he said. Burkhart said the district recently joined the Metropolitan Educational Council, a consortium of schools that have banded together to purchase natural gas from Energy USA. He said the group purchase will save about $48,000. The district also recently joined a new electric cooperative purchasing program Burkhart said will reduce electricity costs.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : McKinley Technology High School sits on a hill in Northeast Washington, a $73 million campus of imposing brick and stone. But resurrecting the once crumbling and empty school cost taxpayers $21 million more than expected, making it one of the most expensive school construction projects in the city's history. The complicated story of why McKinley went so far over budget offers a lesson during the current debate on whether the city should raise an additional $1 billion to renovate its aging schools.

McKinley's case involves finger-pointing in every direction, including criticism that school officials paid too little attention to the project, that the design contained errors, that the project was poorly managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and that it was plagued by unrealistic cost estimates and timetables.

WYOMING: Governor Dave Freudenthal's recommended budget calls for substantial increases in funding for school construction. The governor announced that his recommendation will call for about $541 million for the School Facilities Commission to continue the construction of school buildings for the K-12 system for the 2007-08 biennium.

"With this appropriation, Wyoming will have spent more than $1 billion on new school construction since 1999 without raising taxes and without incurring debt," Freudenthal said. "I'm glad that the state has the opportunity to remove some of that pressure from the backs of local governments, who otherwise would have faced the challenge of raising that funding themselves." Michael McVay, administrator of the Budget Division of the state Department of Administration and Information, said state funding for school construction for the 2005-06 budget was $371.5 million. He said Freudenthal's recommendation for the coming budget cycle represents a substantial increase in school construction funding. McVay said the project opportunities money will help school districts manage several construction projects together so contractors can bid on them in a single bid. The program is intended to help school districts get the best deal possible, he said. Of the proposed $541 million, about $131 million is school foundation funding and about $419 million is from state and federal mineral royalties and coal lease bonus dollars.

NORTH CAROLINA: The frustrations many voters expressed about Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on Election Day in defeating a $427 million bond package have been building for a while. But most of those frustrations are not unique to Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Crowded schools, aging facilities in disrepair and strained budgets are an increasing and familiar refrain for public schools nationwide. Resolving these conflicts is challenging communities and school administrators everywhere. In CMS, public distrust of the school board and school officials, management problems and a tendency toward secrecy exacerbate the situation. But the fundamental problems remain the same all over. U.S. Census data track a big upsurge in school-age children starting in the early 1980s. That's exactly when CMS officials began projecting booming student populations here. By 2004, U.S. public enrollment in kindergarten through grade 12 was nearing a record 50 million. As enrollment grew, public school facilities were aging tremendously. Notes the National Center for Education Statistics, 28 percent of all public schools last year were built before 1950 and 45 percent were built between 1950 and 1969. In addition, school systems nationwide are wrestling with providing equitable facilities in inner-city communities as enrollment soared. Those realities have forced school systems to become inventive. As CMS and Mecklenburg County officials examine how to proceed following the November bond defeat, they might benefit from the experiences of other school systems facing similar dilemmas.

NEW JERSEY: New Jersey taxpayers today face a larger bill to rebuild schools in the state's poorest districts than they did five years and $6 billion ago. A Star-Ledger review of proposals for further school construction in 11 of the state's Abbott districts shows a projected price tag of $6.5 billion. That means the requests from these 11 districts alone, including Newark, Jersey City and Camden, would cost more than the $6 billion allocated in 2000 for the entire 31-district program. The Schools Construction Corporation exhausted those funds with most projects incomplete or never begun. The other Abbott communities, including Paterson and Elizabeth, have yet to file their proposals, so the new round is on track to approach $14 billion. The entire tab for the court-ordered program could come to $20 billion. The $6.537 billion in requests from those 11 districts comes on top of $2.55 billion already spent there, and it is likely to lead to more borrowing by the state. New Jersey borrowed all of the initial $6 billion, and taxpayers currently face $600 million annual payments through 2021. Officials say new projections are soaring because they incorporate realistic construction and land-acquisition costs. Five years ago, officials didn't include the land costs and were directed by the state to assume average construction costs of $125 per square foot. The new plans are running above $210 per square foot and include estimates to acquire properties.

FLORIDA: While Dunedin's old middle school has fallen to the wrecking ball, a new elementary school will rise in its place. The new and improved Dunedin Elementary will be larger, more secure, and beefed up to meet hurricane standards. Fleischman-Garcia Architects designed the new facility to fit in with the community aesthetically, said Jeff Pelszynski, a senior associate with the firm and project manager for the school. "It will be broken up into smaller units so it won't look like a huge box and will be less intimidating to the youngsters," he said. The proposed design incorporates five buildings, most of which are two stories high, connected by covered walkways.

In today's world, safety is front and center. "The overall design is in keeping with the latest advances in security and surveillance," said Pelszynski. The entire area will be fenced, with gates open at arrival and dismissal times. "No one will be able to gain access to the campus without going through the administration office," Pelszynski said. Thirty-two cameras for full-time surveillance are incorporated into the plan. The media center and multipurpose rooms on the west side of the 12-acre site may be accessed separately after hours for community programs, school functions and other meetings.

CALIFORNIA: In an effort to build a showcase performing and visual arts high school downtown, the Los Angeles Board of Education is considering an unusual fundraising agreement that includes a $5-million contribution from billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad. Board members are scheduled to vote on whether to partner with Discovering the Arts, a nonprofit organization formed to serve as the future school's fundraising arm. Broad has already committed the money to the group to help offset the high building and operating costs of the Grand Avenue campus. The district anticipates the school will cost about $120 million, significantly more than previous estimates. The agreement, which calls for the nonprofit group to pay the salary of an executive director and advise on the school's management, is uncharted territory for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Supporters of the plan have scrambled in recent weeks to assuage concerns of some board members and union leaders that the unusual relationship could threaten the district's control over the school.

PENNSYLVANIA: Pennsylvania school officials are constructing a legacy that's sure to stand for generations. It takes the form of massive debt -- an annual average of $10,450 for each of the state's 1.8 million students, federal statistics show. Pennsylvania ranks first in the nation in long-term debt, spending nearly $1,500 more per student each year than Michigan, the state carrying the second-largest debt load. In the Moon Area School District, taxpayers will be paying $6.5 million in debt each year for the next 25 years. The Highlands School District is spending 7 percent to 8 percent of its $33 million annual budget on debt. The Norwin School District estimates it will have to raise taxes by 2.17 mills to pay for building and operating a new $13.95 million elementary school.

More money for buildings can mean less money in the classroom. Pennsylvania districts spend an average of 54.2 percent of their budgets on instruction. But in a state where more than a fourth of schools were built before 1950, school officials say aging structures and keeping up with technology leave them with little choice but to stack up bricks, mortar and debt.

LOUISIANA: Nearly 50 New Orleans public schools devastated. Three hundred buses destroyed. Hundreds of millions of dollars in storm losses. And as officials begin filing insurance claims, 'grossly negligent' record-keeping has only made it worse.

Of the 117 schools the district was operating before the storm, Thompson said 47 were severely damaged, many beyond repair. Another 38 suffered moderate damage and the remaining 32 suffered light damage or none. The district carried about $200 million in property insurance -- about average for a system its size, since it's difficult to obtain blanket coverage -- and Thompson estimates total storm losses at about $800 million. The district also lost 300 school buses, which have been stored in an eastern New Orleans lot since Katrina and are now branded with pink or black X's indicating they're totaled. The transportation fleet was grossly underinsured, Thompson said, at $5 million. It will cost $15 million to replace the buses alone. Now school system officials are trying to decide which schools -- and how many -- to rebuild. In the city's hardest-hit areas, rebuilding would have to be from the ground up.

But despite the devastation and a severe lack of insurance, the district is still likely to come out ahead. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has agreed to reimburse the district for 90 percent of uninsured losses to fix damaged schools. With officials expecting less than half of the city's 460,000 residents to return, the school system is also likely to end up with less than half of the 60,000 students the district typically had enrolled before Katrina. Since it's likely many schools will no longer be needed and some areas of the city might never fully repopulate, Thompson said the district can use 75 percent of the FEMA money it receives from damaged schools to build entirely new schools in other areas. "In a long-term scenario, there will be the opportunity to build great schools, and the money and financing will be there to do it," he said. But the remaining challenge is filing those claims.

LOUISIANA: Nearly 50 New Orleans public schools devastated. Three hundred buses destroyed. Hundreds of millions of dollars in storm losses. And as officials begin filing insurance claims, 'grossly negligent' record-keeping has only made it worse.

Of the 117 schools the district was operating before the storm, Thompson said 47 were severely damaged, many beyond repair. Another 38 suffered moderate damage and the remaining 32 suffered light damage or none. The district carried about $200 million in property insurance -- about average for a system its size, since it's difficult to obtain blanket coverage -- and Thompson estimates total storm losses at about $800 million. The district also lost 300 school buses, which have been stored in an eastern New Orleans lot since Katrina and are now branded with pink or black X's indicating they're totaled. The transportation fleet was grossly underinsured, Thompson said, at $5 million. It will cost $15 million to replace the buses alone. Now school system officials are trying to decide which schools -- and how many -- to rebuild. In the city's hardest-hit areas, rebuilding would have to be from the ground up.

But despite the devastation and a severe lack of insurance, the district is still likely to come out ahead. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has agreed to reimburse the district for 90 percent of uninsured losses to fix damaged schools. With officials expecting less than half of the city's 460,000 residents to return, the school system is also likely to end up with less than half of the 60,000 students the district typically had enrolled before Katrina. Since it's likely many schools will no longer be needed and some areas of the city might never fully repopulate, Thompson said the district can use 75 percent of the FEMA money it receives from damaged schools to build entirely new schools in other areas. "In a long-term scenario, there will be the opportunity to build great schools, and the money and financing will be there to do it," he said. But the remaining challenge is filing those claims.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : Between 30 and 40 percent of New Orleans schools -- many of them crumbling, sadly beautiful art deco hulks even before the storm -- will probably have to be bulldozed, said Sajan George, a managing director of the private firm hired by the state to oversee the school system's finances this spring. The school system probably will have more than $1 billion in insurance claims, he said. The school system is in such disarray that to assess damage, workers have had to break into some schools, smashing windows or drilling through doors, because no one with keys -- not a principal or teacher or janitor -- can be found. Many of the schools will cease to exist because they are ruined or will be closed for years for repairs. The enrollment figures are low throughout the city, in dry neighborhoods and wet ones, but are worst in the most damaged parts of town.

CALIFORNIA: To control skyrocketing construction costs, the Vista school district will use a rent-to-own strategy to build two magnet high schools at a cost of $79 million. With the school board's unanimous vote, Vista Unified joined the growing ranks of districts pursuing creative ways of financing projects while bond money keeps coming up short. The method, also called "lease-lease back," has drawn protests from some low-bid contractors who say it goes against competitive bidding by allowing public agencies to favor local builders.

Here's how the method works. The district purchases land, selects a builder and leases the land to that company for at least $1 a year. The district makes payments to the developer as construction proceeds. By the time construction ends, the school has been paid for. In between is where a district can save money. The contractor must set a cap on the project's price upfront, precluding it from asking for change orders later in the process. Only the school board can bring changes forward. The company chosen for the work must look in advance at the district's building plans and decide which frills its budget allows – a process called "value engineering."

CALIFORNIA: Revisions to a campus security policy largely intended to make Encinitas schools safer has some residents arguing that the mandates will force students onto traffic-clogged streets and unfairly ban dog walkers from school grounds. The policy amendments that went before the school board would close campus play fields and playgrounds to the public after sunset unless people have an agreement with the Encinitas Union School District; secure the perimeter of each campus with locked gates during the school day so visitors must check in through the main office; and seal off school entrances and exits in the back of campuses so students would be unable to walk through private or unsafe property to reach school.

CALIFORNIA: First they found the explosive methane gas. Then it was the earthquake fault line under the half-built high school. Twice they have tried to finish Belmont Learning Complex. Twice it has been abandoned. Now, eight years and about $175 million after construction first started, the deeply troubled downtown campus is again on the verge of resurrection.

Los Angeles schools Superintendent Roy Romer will ask the Board of Education to approve a $132-million construction contract to complete a scaled-back version of the school. Using outdated estimates that did not fully account for the dramatic rise in the price of building materials, district officials had expected construction costs to be about $40 million less. All told, including new design, inspection and equipment costs, the final cost is expected to approach $350 million. It is believed to be the nation's most expensive public school. A divided school board, which agreed to finish the troubled campus in 2003, is expected to vote on the construction contract. The staggering figures, and an unusual plan to use money from developer fees to pay for the school, have rekindled long-running concerns over the wisdom of pursuing the project.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : After years of deferred maintenance, funding cuts, and mismanagement of capital programs, most of the D.C. school system's 147 schools are in desperate need of repair and renovation. The buildings average 73 years old, and many have leaky roofs, faulty plumbing, dimly lighted halls, and air-handling systems that leave classrooms too cold in winter and too warm in spring and summer. Everyone agrees that the needs are glaring. But a D.C. Council member's proposal to generate $1 billion in school renovation funds over the next decade through various tax increases has revived concerns about the scope and cost of a major renovation project.

Among the issues being debated by city officials, business leaders and education activists: How can the school system ensure that a bigger construction budget won't lead to cost overruns like those that plagued some of the earlier capital projects? What is the right balance between upgrading basic infrastructure and spending more to create state-of-the-art media centers and science labs? What is the appropriate scope of renovations in a system that is losing enrollment every year? And what claim do the city's fast-growing public charter schools have on the revamped buildings?

FLORIDA: Massive concrete walls toppled, temporary fences tipped and portions of roofs tore away. But school construction sites in Palm Beach County mostly withstood the worst of Hurricane Wilma. Officials say damage and work delays are not major setbacks for at least two-dozen building jobs in progress. Only one project, a $32.7 million replacement of John F. Kennedy Middle School in Riviera Beach, had major damage that likely will force the postponement of an August opening into 2007.

ILLINOIS: Superintendents for the O'Fallon High School, O'Fallon elementary, Shiloh and Central school districts proposed requiring developers and builders to pay a fee every time they plan or build houses. Edwardsville and Glen Carbon have taken that step, and the Highland and Triad school districts are discussing it. The fees, broadly referred to as school impact fees, would go directly to schools to pay for expansions needed to accommodate the student influx. It sounds simple, but the idea that "growth should pay its own way" is controversial, especially with those in the building industry. They say the fees unfairly punish newcomers, discourage development, and ultimately slow local economies. While developers and builders pay the fees, those fees get passed to home buyers - and that, critics say, unfairly penalizes those buyers. Some won't even have children in the local schools.

MASSACHUSETTS: In Boxford, a chemical often found in explosives recently turned up in the drinking water of the Spofford Pond elementary school, reigniting questions about potential contamination from a nearby capped landfill. In Lynn, the $40 million Classical High School, built on a landfill six years ago, is sinking into the ground. Repair estimates run as high as $10 million. In Salem, a $16 million renovation of the Witchcraft Heights Elementary School three years ago uncovered tons of arsenic buried underneath the site, forcing the city to scrounge for another $2 million for cleanup.

Now, state Treasurer Timothy Cahill, the head of a new authority charged with overhauling the state's school construction assistance program, said he is likely to require communities to test all sites for contamination long before the backhoes roll in. Under the old system, run by the state Department of Education, environmental assessments were mandated in 2003 but only for new schools built on new sites. Expansion and renovation projects were exempt. So, too, were 425 projects statewide on a list that the department had approved before the new authority took over in July 2004. Facing more than $5 billion in reimbursements to communities for already-approved school construction projects, the state in 2003 imposed a moratorium on new applications until July 2007. Cahill said he intends to release draft regulations that include environmental assessment requirements well before then. He also said the new system would probably help reimburse communities for the cost of any required environmental reviews.

MISSISSIPPI: To the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the modular classrooms lined up next to the soon-to-be demolished former Mississippi school show, as the billboard out front boasts, "Katrina Recovery in Progress." But to critics, the 450 portable classrooms being installed across Mississippi are prime examples in their case against FEMA and its federal partner, the Army Corps of Engineers, for wasteful spending and favoritism in the $62 billion hurricane relief effort.

Provided by a politically connected Alaskan-owned business under a $40 million no-bid contract, the classrooms cost FEMA nearly $90,000 each, including transportation, according to contracting documents. That is double the wholesale price and nearly 60 percent higher than the price offered by two small Mississippi businesses dropped from the deal. In addition, the portable buildings were not secured in a concrete foundation, as usually required by state regulations because of safety concerns in a region prone to hurricanes and tornados. The classroom contract has already prompted a lawsuit from one of the Mississippi companies and a government investigation.

FLORIDA: Computer textbooks. Handprint ID scanners. Super-sized high schools with "expandable" hallways and wireless Internet hot spots. School of the future? Not really. Public schools in South Florida already are testing these and other high-tech ideas, from energy-saving reflective windows to computerized gizmos that will alter the way teachers and students communicate. In Hollywood, for example, South Broward High is letting police peek into campus with a $5 million computer system that links school security cameras to police cruisers. At Boca Raton's Don Estridge High Tech Middle, students, as an experiment, will pay for lunch and check out library books using an ID scanner that measures the unique shape of their hands. And North Miami Senior High is replacing its sprawling, low-slung campus with a mammoth four-story building, a $78 million project complete with tree-lined "skypatios" on the third floor and a state-of-the-art theater.

"For many decades now we've shortchanged the public in the quality of school design," said Rose Diamond, the chief facilities officer for Miami-Dade County schools. "We've solved overcrowding so far with trailers, turning them into trailer parks. My mission is to change that." School designers are always mulling over new classroom shapes, "expandable" learning nooks in hallways and other ideas that promise to make life better for students. It's hard to say which will become standard issue and which will bust. But administrators say the next generation of schools will follow a few distinct trends.

FLORIDA: Computer textbooks. Handprint ID scanners. Super-sized high schools with "expandable" hallways and wireless Internet hot spots. School of the future? Not really. Public schools in South Florida already are testing these and other high-tech ideas, from energy-saving reflective windows to computerized gizmos that will alter the way teachers and students communicate. In Hollywood, for example, South Broward High is letting police peek into campus with a $5 million computer system that links school security cameras to police cruisers. At Boca Raton's Don Estridge High Tech Middle, students, as an experiment, will pay for lunch and check out library books using an ID scanner that measures the unique shape of their hands. And North Miami Senior High is replacing its sprawling, low-slung campus with a mammoth four-story building, a $78 million project complete with tree-lined "skypatios" on the third floor and a state-of-the-art theater.

"For many decades now we've shortchanged the public in the quality of school design," said Rose Diamond, the chief facilities officer for Miami-Dade County schools. "We've solved overcrowding so far with trailers, turning them into trailer parks. My mission is to change that." School designers are always mulling over new classroom shapes, "expandable" learning nooks in hallways and other ideas that promise to make life better for students. It's hard to say which will become standard issue and which will bust. But administrators say the next generation of schools will follow a few distinct trends.

CALIFORNIA: Supporters of the Los Angeles Unified School District's $4 billion facilities bond measure were buoyed by their election victory, saying the funds would put an end to year-round schooling in the nation's second-largest district. The election puts the district on schedule to open approximately 185 new campuses by 2012.

With Measure Y, the price tag for the districtwide school construction and renovation campaign grows to $19 billion, including state matching grants. About $9.5 billion has come from three previous bond measures passed by Los Angeles voters since 1997. So far, 47 schools, 17 early education centers and 35 campus additions have opened their doors, and another 42 schools are currently under construction. Measure Y earmarks $1.6 billion to build about 25 new elementary schools all over the district. For existing campuses, Measure Y promises nearly $1.5 billion in repairs and renovations. Many local campuses are in line for asbestos removal, fire alarm repairs, air conditioning and bungalow renovations. Measure Y also directs money toward the district's latest academic initiatives, including $90 million to help reconfigure secondary campuses into small learning communities. Ten million dollars is earmarked for improvements at the district's worst performing schools to help address the achievement gap. As with previous bonds, a citizens committee and the district's inspector general will share $10 million from Measure Y to provide oversight. For property owners, Measure Y would add a tax of an average of $26.71 per $100,000 of assessed valuation annually over the course of the 25-year bond. That's on top of the district's first three bond measures, which this year cost Los Angeles property owners $85.12 per $100,000 of assessed value.

NEVADA: An audit that assessed the Clark County School District's construction program concluded the school system keeps up with the area's rapid growth by opening campuses on time, but the school system also has some management problems when dealing with unanticipated costs. A report presented to School Board members had a favorable analysis of the district's ability to open schools on time, manage finances and obtain federal land to build schools on at substantially lower costs than market value. But the report concluded that district officials sometimes break the district's policy when dealing with unanticipated construction costs called "change orders" by proceeding with the project when officials need to go before the School Board for further approval.

The district's bond program began in 1998. Voters approved a $3.5 billion measure to build 88 new schools over a 10-year period. The program is expected to produce 90 new schools in addition to 10 older schools that will be rebuilt. The district, the fifth largest in the nation, routinely builds more than 10 new schools per year.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : D.C. Council member Kathy Patterson has postponed a vote on her measure to raise $1 billion for school renovations through various tax increases, saying she wants to give school officials more time to convince business leaders that the funding is needed and would be spent wisely. Delaying the vote will allow school officials to detail how they would use the revenue as well as get feedback from the business community on the construction program.

Last month, several business groups voiced opposition to Patterson's proposal, which would generate $1 billion over the next decade by increasing the city's hotel, parking and cigarette taxes and delaying a planned income tax reduction. The additional revenue would roughly double the school system's capital budget over that period. Patterson suggested that she was prepared to replace the proposed hotel tax increase, the most controversial part of the legislation, with an increase in the commercial real estate tax. But business leaders are unhappy with that idea, too.

The school system has a long-term capital improvement plan that is severely underfunded, partly because the D.C. Council has provided far less money than anticipated but also because several of the first projects on the list came in over budget. Barbara B. Lang, president and chief executive of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, said that in addition to concerns about raising taxes, business leaders want the school system to quantify its capital needs and show how it will avoid the large cost overruns experienced in several of its recent renovations.

MICHIGAN: A soaring natural gas market, expected to drive up heating bills as much as 70 percent for schools this winter, has districts across Metro Detroit bracing for an ugly winter before the first snowflakes even dust the ground. From South Lyon to Riverview, districts are revising budgets, turning down thermostats, installing energy-efficient lights and even encouraging kids to wear warmer clothes to school as they prepare to get hit with what some experts say is the most severe spike in natural gas prices they've ever seen.

The higher prices have forced school districts to not only revise budgets, but also rethink how they use energy. Lamphere Schools in Madison Heights, which is preparing for a 35 to 40 percent increase in natural gas rates, has upgraded its heating system, installed new windows, and sent a memo to staff asking them to turn off lights and computers when not in use. It's budgeted an extra $100,000 to cover its natural gas bills. Riverview Community Schools is nearing the end of a $1.1 million energy plan. They've installed lights that put out more light and are less costly to run; installed a new computerized energy management system; and replaced one massive boiler at the high school with four modular boilers that require significantly less energy to run and fire up based on demand.

TENNESSEE: A high school student opened fire on a principal and two assistant principals, killing one of the men before a teacher wrestled his weapon away, the sheriff said. The 15-year-old suspect was taken into custody, authorities said. No students were injured, and Campbell County Comprehensive High School in Jacksboro, Tennessee, was locked down immediately after the shootings, said Judy Blevens, director of county schools. About 1,400 students are enrolled in the school.

FLORIDA: The landscape on many Palm Beach County public school campuses has changed, but for the first time in two weeks, the kids are finally back. Since Wilma, district maintenance crews and construction contractors worked continuously clearing debris, patching roofs and drying out flooded classrooms, Chief Facilities Officer Joseph Sanches said. The storm caused an estimated $35 million in damage to Palm Beach County schools. After Wilma passed, just four schools had electricity. Many had roof damage, broken windows, and fallen trees. The district requires every school to be usable before any children are allowed back into its campuses schools. All schools have electricity or are using generators now.

FLORIDA: As students return to school, most will find patched-up roofs, radically altered landscapes, and lessons that seem like a distant memory. The rest of the school year could be defined by Hurricane Wilma: make-up days, delayed FCATs, damaged schools, postponed events. But the most pressing concern is getting kids back to learning after a storm called Wilma robbed them of two weeks, stole their electricity and, in some cases, demolished their homes.

NATIONAL : In schools, style is taking on substance. From the width of the corridors to the depth of classroom sinks, the smallest detail is viewed as a way to foster an academic advantage. Advocates of fresh school design, however, have work to do. They must show elected leaders and taxpayers that such attention to detail does not drive costs out of reach.

At Manassas Park High School in Virginia, scores in algebra, geometry and writing have jumped since 1999, when students moved into a building featuring light, versatility and open spaces. Principal Bruce McDade says he has no doubt the school's physical features have contributed to those scores. "That's exactly the message," McDade said. "The design of this building does in fact have a measurable effect on student achievement and student behavior." Studies support what educators consider to be common sense: Students do better in school when they hear well, see well and are not packed into tight spaces. Noise, light, air quality, cold and heat have all been found to influence behavior.

"Let's not build warehouses for students," said Ronald Bogle, president of the American Architectural Foundation and former president of the Oklahoma City Board of Education. "Let's create environments that are uplifting, that are exciting, that are interesting." That sounds great to policymakers, until the question turns to money. Leaders are under pressure to ease crowding and ensure safety, which means design is often seen as a luxury. Bogle, whose foundation leads a national drive to improve school design, said success stories need not be more expensive. The nation spends roughly $30 billion a year on school construction, he said, and "good design can be accomplished at the same price as bad design."

LOUISIANA: In what visibly pleased St. Bernard Parish public school system administrators called a good sign, more than 250 students signed up on the first day of registration as the Hurricane Katrina-devastated system prepares to reopen a school using temporary trailers set up in the parking lot of the high school. Work crews already are preparing the temporary site at Chalmette High and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cleared the site after another round of soil testing. The agency tested parts of the school grounds last month and said results "came back clear."

During a meeting of the school board, the board approved the hiring of C&B Services of Texas to clean and sanitize all of the system's buildings, in a contract estimated to cost $15 million to $20 million. The firm must finish the work by November 26, the deadline for emergency work to be paid in full by FEMA. The board also accepted a $551,000 bid from Roy J. Gross Contractors of Chalmette to gut and restore the flooded administration building. The contract's cost, which beat offers from three other companies, is expected to be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

VERMONT: Rockingham voters will have the opportunity to take advantage of the highest percentage of financial assistance ever offered by the state of Vermont toward a school renovation project, allowing urgently needed safety upgrades, repairs and improvements to be made at both the Saxtons River and Central Elementary Schools for half of what it would normally cost taxpayers. At what is an unprecedented level of funding, the Department of Education will contribute 50 percent of the estimated $6.6 million it will cost to bring the town's two elementary schools up to code in terms of fire, electrical, and structural safety and up to speed as regards fundamental teaching, special education, and administrative facilities. With no substantial renovations having been made to either school for nearly 50 years, both are in dire need of attention, to the point of being extremely hazardous and woefully out of date.

VERMONT: Rockingham voters will have the opportunity to take advantage of the highest percentage of financial assistance ever offered by the state of Vermont toward a school renovation project, allowing urgently needed safety upgrades, repairs and improvements to be made at both the Saxtons River and Central Elementary Schools for half of what it would normally cost taxpayers. At what is an unprecedented level of funding, the Department of Education will contribute 50 percent of the estimated $6.6 million it will cost to bring the town's two elementary schools up to code in terms of fire, electrical, and structural safety and up to speed as regards fundamental teaching, special education, and administrative facilities. With no substantial renovations having been made to either school for nearly 50 years, both are in dire need of attention, to the point of being extremely hazardous and woefully out of date.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : The question should not even have to be asked. The District's public school facilities, many of which are more than 65 years old, are in deplorable shape, and the tide of deterioration is swamping the system. But parents, community and business leaders, and all residents concerned about the city's schools should be worried about the priorities of the District's elected officials. While classroom ceilings are falling, boilers are breaking down, and school bathroom facilities become health hazards, the mayor and the D.C. Council are moving in lock step toward dipping into the city's limited treasury to join with Howard University in building a $400 million, 250-bed, state-of-the-art hospital that cannot be justified either by cost or purpose. If residents ever had a need to speak up on behalf of a neglected public school system, now is the time. The choice should not come down to spending on a sumptuous hospital or modernizing D.C. public schools. But if it does, the schools should win hands down.

MASSACHUSETTS: Students at a Boxford elementary school are drinking water only from bottles as state health officials investigate how traces of a chemical found largely in explosives slipped into the school's water supply. Officials from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection discovered elevated levels of perchlorate, a contaminant found in fireworks and rocket fuel, in the drinking water at Spofford Pond School, which serves 560 students in grades 3 through 6. When ingested in high doses, the chemical can pose significant health risks to children, pregnant women, and infants, officials said. The overall danger of the chemical, which has been found in nine other Massachusetts communities since 2002, has been in dispute among environmentalists, regulators, and the US Department of Defense. Still, state and school officials have decided to err on the side of caution.

LOUISIANA: The New Orleans public school system, which suffered from corruption, internal scandals and structural problems before Hurricane Katrina, took a damaging hit from the storm. School officials say they will rebuild the system starting from scratch and hope to open some repaired schools in November. This transcript includes a discussion of evaluating and replacing damaged school buildings.

WISCONSIN: Students always want to be part of the cool crowd. Now, because of higher energy costs, chances are they will be a little cooler, thermally if not socially. Districts across Wisconsin are turning down thermostats, eliminating unnecessary appliances and upgrading heating systems in a bid to keep energy bills affordable. Complicating the issue are state caps on tax increases that restrict schools from raising additional funds and a mandate that schools maintain minimum standards of comfort. So school administrators have been forced to design creative solutions to cut both energy costs and usage as bills continue to rise.

State law mandates a minimum classroom temperature of 68 degrees. Bishop said his district keeps temperatures between 68 and 72 degrees, and turns heating systems off as soon as the last bell rings. Kids who participate in indoor after-school activities are advised to wear warm clothes. Schools are also driving down electricity costs by eliminating perks from classrooms and offices such as coffee pots and microwave ovens, appliances that administrators say aren't there for the kids. One district has automated certain outlets so power can be cut off to energy-intensive machines -- vending machines, water coolers, computers -- after school hours. Some districts are negotiating with unions to shut down between Christmas and New Year's, instead of having some support staff on duty, to keep heating costs down. Other districts use their size to their advantage. Larger schools consume enough energy that the district saves money by buying natural gas in bulk on the open market. Even small changes make a difference. Turning off all 8,000 computers in the Kenosha district at the end of the school day instead of letting them run all night saves nearly $48,000 a month, according to estimates by state utility We Energies.

ILLINOIS: The Disney Magnet School reaps $175,000 per year renting overnight spaces to residents in the parking-deprived neighborhood of Buena Park--money used to buy books, software and other extras for the school's 1,550 Chicago elementary students. A handful of Chicago public schools have turned their lots into cash cows, particularly in gentrifying neighborhoods where parking is scarce for residents and visitors. The extra money has been a lifeline, especially in this tight budget year, when schools lost teachers and discretionary funds. Despite the potential in fast-growing neighborhoods, parking lot leases remain an isolated moneymaker, one that is not marketed by the district and is mostly spread through word-of-mouth by enterprising principals.

NEW YORK: Designing a school building for a Long Island district was once a humdrum assignment for many architects. But the process of choosing an architect and agreeing on a suitable design for a school building in recent years has undergone a sea change. Today, it's 100 percent more exciting because the users are more educated and they expect more out of the architects who they hire. Some school officials and communities now hash out the particulars of new school buildings and the bond issues needed to build them, sending out inquiries to dozens of architectural firms and conducting hours of interviews to select the right one. The result has been an inspiring collection of modern school buildings across the Island.

CALIFORNIA: Rising costs are jeopardizing many projects that were to be financed with Oceanside Unified's $125 million bond measure, including the renovation of eight elementary schools, Oceanside High School's performing arts center and construction of four schools. Since voters approved the measure in 2000, the price of the projects has doubled from an estimated $245 million – with little more than half paid from the bond – to about $490 million, partly because of rising costs for construction materials. In addition, the state reduced the amount of matching funds it doles to Oceanside and other districts for campus construction. New and stricter state regulations have contributed to the rising costs. Additionally, school officials say they've spent much more than planned to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Plummeting enrollment in the district also led to reduced state funding.

MINNESOTA: High heating costs this winter could mean cooler classrooms and tighter budgets for many Minnesota school districts. In a year when public schools got a big boost in state funding, rising natural gas prices might force school leaders to spend thousands of dollars they hadn't planned on. District officials in St. Paul are hoping to ease the financial impact some with energy conservation measures in every school building.

MARYLAND: Montgomery County school officials acknowledge that there's a mold problem at DuFief Elementary School and say they are doing their best to solve it. They say this is the first time in recent years that mold has been an issue at DuFief, but families suspect it has been around for far longer. No matter the timeline, it was clear when custodians opened classrooms in early August that the mold had gotten out of control. The powdery substance was found on desks, counters and ceiling tiles. A crew was brought in to clean surfaces; workers adjusted thermostats and installed dehumidifiers in a handful of rooms in hopes of retarding future growth. Richard Hawes, director of facilities management for Montgomery County schools, said the outbreak might have been caused by a combination of heat and humidity -- hallmarks of a Washington area summer. A broken air conditioner and thermostats set to improper temperatures also contributed by making rooms moist, creating an ideal climate for mold to thrive, Hawes said.

In September, an outside contractor found elevated mold levels in five rooms and ventilation units were cleaned. A new evaluation done last week found that mold concentrations in those five rooms had decreased to outdoor levels. But some parents are skeptical. They want the school system to do more because they fear that overexposure to mold can exacerbate respiratory problems and lead to other, more serious health effects. Research results are mixed. A report by the National Academy of Sciences in 2004 concluded that damp, moldy buildings can worsen asthma and cause coughing and wheezing. But there is no evidence linking mold to other illnesses. Spokesman Brian K. Edwards said officials have no way of knowing whether the reported symptoms are connected to the outbreak. No one has asked for a transfer because of it, he said.

FLORIDA: Hurricane Wilma looks to be more destructive and costly to Palm Beach County schools than last year's two hurricanes combined. Facilities chief Joseph Sanches said he expects damage to exceed $30 million, which is how much the district spent for hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. He said at least 95 percent of 110 schools assessed so far have some damage, ranging from broken windows to collapsed roofs. The district has 171 schools.

FLORIDA: Hurricane Wilma looks to be more destructive and costly to Palm Beach County schools than last year's two hurricanes combined. Facilities chief Joseph Sanches said he expects damage to exceed $30 million, which is how much the district spent for hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. He said at least 95 percent of 110 schools assessed so far have some damage, ranging from broken windows to collapsed roofs. The district has 171 schools.

CALIFORNIA: The long-touted plan to build a much-needed high school at the site of the trouble-plagued Anthony Office Building in Sun Valley has run into yet another problem, and it could cost taxpayers $20 million more in school construction costs. The expensive change of plans tops a list of problems associated with the mold-infested structure that many groups criticized Los Angeles Unified School District officials for purchasing from the city Department of Water and Power for $37 million in 2004, years after the environmental problems were identified. District officials insisted on acquiring the building - across the street from overcrowded Polytechnic High - to open what they called a desperately needed high school in northeast San Fernando Valley. The idea was to move as many as 1,000 students into the building by July 2002, but the discovery of mold forced the district to plan to demolish the structure and build a new high school at the site. But plans to raze the building later this year and build a $54 million high school on the 31-acre site have riled the community. Residents say building a brand new high school so close to a World War II-era campus would create a fierce, cross-street rivalry.

NATIONAL : Turner Construction Company, one of the U.S biggest building consortiums, have announced the findings of its survey of 665 building owners,developers, architects, engineers, corporate owner occupants, consultants and educational institutions on Green educational facilities. Educational institutions are recognizing that Green facilities provide a more effective learning environment. The interest in Green educational facilities is part of a broader recognition of the critical importance of the physical environment to the health and performance of students and teachers.

Improved student performance was cited as an important benefit of Green construction, especially for younger students. 71% of interviewees said that student performance was better than in typical facilities, including 24% saying that it was much better. These ratings are consistent with a number of studies that have found improved student test scores and other outcomes in facilities that incorporate Green features.

MASSACHUSETTS: Newburyport schools have taken the first steps to combat dramatic increases in energy prices expected this winter by shuttering Nock Middle School on weekends for the rest of the year. Athletic and other youth events scheduled there will be held at the recently renovated high school where the technology allows the building's temperature to be controlled better in specific areas than at the middle school. Nock is the city's only school heated entirely by electricity.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which disabled major Gulf Coast refineries, contributed to higher heating oil and natural gas prices. After several years of energy-saving measures — like installing more efficient lighting — Farrell has been leading a concerted effort recently to clamp down on energy costs. The middle school has put the word out to teachers about conservation. The school plans to form a group to promote energy saving. At the high school, the task of conserving is easier beause of modern technology like sensors that automatically shut off lights in rooms with no activity for a given period of time. But the culture at the high school has changed in light of increased energy costs. One example is the way the building's 450 computers are managed.

KANSAS: Students might want to keep an extra sweater in their lockers this winter. That's because public school administrators could set thermostats lower than usual if heating costs soar as expected. In the next few months, school district natural gas bills could reflect spikes of up to 84 percent over last winter. The state's energy regulatory office is warning school superintendents to expect significantly higher energy costs. Lawmakers said that rapidly rising energy costs could eat up new state aid sent to school districts this past summer. And rising heating costs aren't the only energy worry. Freight haulers will have to pass along today's fluctuating prices of diesel and gasoline to the school districts they supply with food, textbooks and other items.

FLORIDA: School will be in session today across much of Central Florida as districts reported little hurricane-related damage. Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia county schools will resume classes. "Everything is fine," Orange district spokesman Dylan Thomas said. "Nothing that can't be picked up and put in the garbage can." Osceola County reported minor damage, which included some water intrusion, mostly leaks, in portable classrooms and school buildings. Some canopies connecting school buildings were also damaged and may need replacement, officials said. Hardest hit was Brevard County, where heavy winds and two tornadoes caused power outages and blocked roads. Officials in Osceola and Volusia counties warned parents and students to be on the lookout for flooded bus stops.

FLORIDA: Public school will be canceled at least through the end of this week in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, district leaders said Tuesday, raising issues about the length of the school year and the schedule of Florida's high-stakes standardized tests. Principals were still gauging hurricane damage to school buildings, but massive power outages and difficult road conditions convinced both districts to scrap the entire week. Initial damage reports were surprisingly light for a region that sustained massive trauma to homes and businesses.

In Miami-Dade, a wall collapsed at Henry H. Filer Middle School in Hialeah. Maintenance offices in north Dade and Coral Reef sustained serious wind and water damage, which will slow repairs elsewhere. In Broward, Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach lost its gymnasium roof, Cypress Bay High School in Weston sustained major roof damage and eight new portables were severely damaged in Pembroke Pines.

VERMONT: With energy costs expected to increase as much as 48 percent this winter, school districts that spend millions of dollars on heat and lights every year are redoubling their efforts to conserve and cut costs. Schools around New England have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, by conserving energy, banding together to buy electricity and other measures. "It's money we are able to use for other things," said Bob Dooley, business manager for the Warwick Public Schools. "Every dollar that we don't spend on support services is a dollar that we can spend in the classroom." Warwick schools hired an energy manager five years ago when the district introduced a conservation program run by Energy Education, Inc., a company that helps schools reduce energy use without buying new equipment. In the first four years, the district saved $1.7 million, Dooley said. Now staff members are looking at additional ways to save, such as keeping boiler temperatures low on warmer days, making sure books aren't stacked on heating vents and ensuring heating systems are in good repair.

TEXAS: The Austin school district is in the midst of a five-year, $519.5 million bond project that will renovate or update every Austin school, as well as build eight schools and a performing arts center. But from August to September, rates for refined fuel and plywood have risen about 13 percent and about 14 percent, respectively. Although district officials emphasize that they can pay for everything they need now, the rising prices have prompted concerns about whether the district can remain within its budget if rates continue to soar. Economists, contractors and the district's construction managers list several reasons for the rising costs of materials: the Chinese manufacturing colossus, a U.S. real estate boom, rising fuel prices and, most recently, supply disruptions and rebuilding after the Gulf Coast hurricanes.

NEVADA: A $1.2 billion surplus is expected to help the Clark County School District build at least 14 elementary schools when its current bond measure expires in 2008, district officials said. The report to the district's Bond Oversight Committee comes as the district, the fifth-largest and one of the fastest growing in the nation with nearly 292,000 students, is nearing the end of a 10-year, $3.5 billion program that built 88 schools. It also is considering whether to bring a new bond measure before voters in 2006 or 2008 to build at least 138 schools over a 10-year-period. The committee approved the first expenditure of those funds, deciding to increase the district's budget to acquire land for the schools by $100 million, from $155 million to $255 million. Panel members said the schools need to be opened by 2010 to keep pace with student growth. The proposal will go before the School Board on Nov. 7 for final authorization. Southern Nevada's booming economy created the surplus through increases in tourism, property taxes and real estate sales, district officials said.

NORTH CAROLINA: Rashkis Elementary School is one of the most environmentally friendly schools in the state. Rashkis, which opened in 2003, is one of two Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools designed for high performance - meaning that virtually everything on the building is designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. A high school scheduled to open in 2007 will expand upon the features, possibly making it the most environmentally friendly school in the state. What is unique about Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Scroggs said, is the school board's policy - adopted in 2000 - requiring district officials to include every possible green feature in new schools. Among other things, they must reduce the use of water, conserve natural resources, limit excessive noise and provide high-efficiency lighting, heating and cooling.

Smith's sloped ceilings are lined with windows, housed in triangular-shaped roof monitors to provide daylight to classrooms and offices. Fabric "baffles" lining the windows can be closed if a room gets too bright. Solar panels on the roof provide some energy used to heat water and power lights and equipment. The school also has a rainwater collection tank out back, from which water is obtained to flush toilets and irrigate fields. With light-colored walls and ceilings to diffuse sun throughout the building, the school has made environmental awareness something of a theme. Students monitor energy use and embark on recycling projects. They've also done comparisons with other middle schools.

NORTH CAROLINA: Rashkis Elementary School is one of the most environmentally friendly schools in the state. Rashkis, which opened in 2003, is one of two Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools designed for high performance - meaning that virtually everything on the building is designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. A high school scheduled to open in 2007 will expand upon the features, possibly making it the most environmentally friendly school in the state. What is unique about Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Scroggs said, is the school board's policy - adopted in 2000 - requiring district officials to include every possible green feature in new schools. Among other things, they must reduce the use of water, conserve natural resources, limit excessive noise and provide high-efficiency lighting, heating and cooling.

Smith's sloped ceilings are lined with windows, housed in triangular-shaped roof monitors to provide daylight to classrooms and offices. Fabric "baffles" lining the windows can be closed if a room gets too bright. Solar panels on the roof provide some energy used to heat water and power lights and equipment. The school also has a rainwater collection tank out back, from which water is obtained to flush toilets and irrigate fields. With light-colored walls and ceilings to diffuse sun throughout the building, the school has made environmental awareness something of a theme. Students monitor energy use and embark on recycling projects. They've also done comparisons with other middle schools.

RHODE ISLAND: The Warwick School Committee has cut its budget for art supplies and textbooks by $200,000 to help cover a spike in energy costs. Another $200,000, in surplus funds from the last fiscal year, will also go for natural gas, heating oil, diesel fuel and gasoline. "We did not anticipate the very sharp increase," Robert W. Dooley, School Department director of business affairs, said yesterday. "There's no indication these prices are going to get better." The $400,000 jump in fuel spending represents a 15 percent increase in the schools' $2.7-million energy budget. The School Department's electricity rate is fixed and the school board did not increase its overall fuel budget for this fiscal year, which began July 1. But fuel costs have soared, in part because of damage to oil refineries caused by Hurricane Katrina. To cover the cost, the School Department will dip into its anticipated $2.65-million surplus from the last fiscal year.

LOUISIANA: A bitter split on the Orleans Parish School Board widened into a chasm, as warring factions battled over how to reopen the first schools on the West Bank and who will do it. Despite the board's October 7 approval of a plan to charter 13 West Bank schools and open several of them to students from across the city in November, School Board President Torin Sanders said a recent court order -- stemming from allegations that the board violated the state's open-meetings law -- voids that decision.

The chartering effort is designed to take advantage of a $20.9 million federal grant to expand, repair and create new charter schools. Officials with Alvarez & Marsal said the district's ability to reopen schools is contingent upon concessions from the federal government and preservation of its funding by the state. Although as many as eight undamaged schools in Algiers are able to open to 7,111 students from across the city, only about 3,000 have expressed an interest in returning so far, said Steve Alschuler, a spokesman for Alvarez & Marsal. Alschuler said company officials are working simultaneously on plans to open schools as charters and under the district's plan.

NEW JERSEY: Trenton school officials filed a lawsuit demanding that the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation tear down a partially built school that already has cost the state about $10 million, charging it was erected on ground contaminated with carcinogenic pollutants. The suit names as defendants the SCC and the project's two major contractors, Hill International and Turner Construction. It is the latest development in a costly and controversial effort to build an elementary school for 800 youngsters on Trenton's north side. Work on the $28 million Jefferson/Martin Luther King Elementary School project was suspended in May after state officials learned that fill dirt used to build a foundation for the new school was contaminated with potentially carcinogenic asphalt shavings. In August, after learning from another consultant that contaminated dust and water from the construction site might be endangering nearby residents, the Trenton Board of Education shut down an adjacent elementary school and moved the students into a vacant parochial school building in neighboring Hamilton. Last week, the school board emptied one wing of another nearby school building after a consultant detected evidence of contamination that had been washed into that school by recent heavy rains.

NATIONAL : The federal government will help rebuild parochial schools, nursing homes and similar religious institutions but will not pay for reconstruction of churches or other houses of worship destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, administration officials said. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, the Southern Baptist Convention and other religious groups are believed to have suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage from the hurricane. Many have been asking what help the government will provide, said H. James Towey, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Towey announced in a conference call to reporters that religious groups that run "essential, government-type facilities" can apply for reconstruction grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In addition to schools and nursing homes, he listed assisted-living facilities and community centers as the kind of institutions that FEMA would pay to rebuild. Churches, mosques and synagogues are not eligible, he said.

Until three years ago, FEMA would not have paid to repair religious schools. The Bush administration changed the policy beginning with a $550,000 grant in 2002 to the Seattle Hebrew Academy, a private school devastated by an earthquake. "The aftershocks of the Seattle Hebrew Academy policy will be felt now in the gulf states," Towey said. Before receiving federal funds, religious groups must exhaust private insurance coverage and apply for disaster loans from the Small Business Administration. After that, Towey said, there is no cap on how much FEMA can provide per grant; the only limit is the amount of money appropriated by Congress for disaster relief, about $62 billion so far.

NEW JERSEY: Most schools throughout New Jersey are taking steps to safeguard their buildings and campuses from terrorism or other acts of violence, according to a statewide review. Still, there is more work to be done, acting Gov. Richard J. Codey said when he released the findings of the monthslong security audit of 3,350 schools. The audit was undertaken in response to a 2004 terrorist attack at a Russian school. It also was intended to address incidents like the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado.

An analysis of the data shows that most schools have crafted or are developing written emergency management plans and developing measures to prevent unauthorized access to school grounds. Three-quarters of the schools have protocols to be followed when the federal Department of Homeland Security raises the national terrorism threat level, and nearly all have or are developing student conduct codes with specific attention being paid to bullying, firearms offenses and assaults with weapons.

Areas the acting governor now wants addressed include limiting visitor access to a single school entrance, maintaining sign-in logs of all visitors and requiring badges for those visitors. State police are to develop a list of procedures that will be part of schools' visitation policies. Codey, who made school safety a priority of his administration, also is calling for specialized security training for school staff, and for state police to develop procedures for schools' handling of bomb threats and suspicious packages.

TEXAS: An anonymous donor from Saudi Arabia has given portable classroom buildings and educational items valued at $1.25 million to the Fort Bend Independent School District to help educators cope with the large number of students relocated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. About 15,000 displaced students from Louisiana ended up in Houston-area school systems, including about 1,200 who are enrolled in the Fort Bend district. Another 140 students arrived in Fort Bend after Hurricane Rita struck, with enrollment eventually swelling to 2,100 before dropping. The gift comes at an opportune time for the district, which has been forced to hold classes in auditoriums and other makeshift spots to handle the extra children.

Smelley said the donor is buying the buildings and other items and giving them to the district. The portable buildings cost about $92,000 each. Six will be set up at elementary schools and the remainder at secondary schools. The buildings are coming fully equipped, Smelley said. "That includes everything that goes in the building — desks, the chalkboards, even the walkways and canopies leading up to the building. It's a totally contained portable building and details for installing the buildings are being ironed out.

President Bush has asked Congress to approve $2.6 billion in education aid to help school districts that have had to spend more money after taking in evacuated students. Houston ISD officials have spent an estimated $2.5 million dealing with Katrina evacuees. The number of displaced students for Fort Bend peaked at 2,100 and has seemed to level off in the 1,100 to 1,200 range. The number fluctuates daily and school officials don't know how long the visitors will be staying. FBISD, which has an enrollment of 66,000 and an annual budget of nearly $400 million, has been relatively fortunate in that the Katrina students have been spread out among the district's 49 schools.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : The chairman of the D.C. Council's education committee proposed raising an additional $1 billion for school modernization over the next 10 years by increasing hotel, parking and cigarette taxes and by delaying planned reductions in income taxes. The bill would provide the school system with twice as much capital funding as projected for that period. The chairman said she proposed increasing taxes in this case because the city does not have the capacity to increase debt to meet the overwhelming need for renovation and repair of schools. Hotel industry officials immediately criticized the measure, saying it would harm the city's economy by sending tourists elsewhere. Patterson's measure received high marks from school officials and education activists, who have long sought more money to upgrade crumbling facilities.

The council in recent years has provided the school system with much smaller annual appropriations for its capital improvement plan than school officials had anticipated. The funding gap prompted the school board to scale back the construction program this year, from major modernization of most of the schools to renovations at seven senior high schools and modest repair work at other facilities.

CONNECTICUT: They're not rocket scientists. But conservation consultants John Pierson and Parthiban Mathavan were able to save New Haven Public Schools $1.1 million in energy costs last fiscal year. How? By peeking out the window and deciding that a mild winter morning does not require full-blast heat at the 50 schools they monitor. "We are always dreaming up ways to be more efficient," says Pierson. Typically, heat or air-conditioning was on 24/7 — even if no one was in school. Stopping that saved $600,000 the first year. "A lot of it is common sense." Their aims are part of a larger effort that has given New Haven something experts say few other cities have today: a lower energy bill. Now that natural gas, oil, and electricity prices have jumped significantly, New Haven — with its efficient street-lights, bulk purchases of natural gas, and the building of newer, more efficient schools that operate at lower costs— could become a model for other municipalities across the country.

IOWA: Iowa schools are hoping wind power will make energy costs a breeze. About 30 high schools across the state have installed turbines to generate electricity and help fight rising power costs. The spinning action of the blades rotate a shaft, which triggers a generator that converts the energy into electricity. In 1996, just three school districts used turbines — Spirit Lake, Nevada and Clay Central-Everly. Other schools have caught the wind wave since. Excess energy from towers can be sold to utility companies.

WISCONSIN: Although rising energy costs strike all budgets, they hit some harder than others. Kids in the Kenosha Unified School District know this better than anyone. Last week, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Kenosha schools are deliberately turning down the temperatures in classrooms in order to pay their unexpectedly high energy bill. The district is also asking schools to rely more on natural light, remove space heaters and unplug coffee makers and refrigerators in faculty lounges. Officials believe this approach will save the district nearly $77,000 over the course of the school year. A similar fate awaits Milwaukee public schools. The district has enough for this year’s energy bill, but it’s only because it pre-purchased natural gas at a discounted rate. Next year, students and faculty won’t be so lucky. Small changes in classroom temperature and electricity consumption may not seem like unjust demands in this era of budget cuts. Right now the state is asking students and teachers to wear extra layers. But there will be a point when heating costs will go up further than classroom temperature can go down. Then the cuts will come from elsewhere.

WISCONSIN: Although rising energy costs strike all budgets, they hit some harder than others. Kids in the Kenosha Unified School District know this better than anyone. Last week, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Kenosha schools are deliberately turning down the temperatures in classrooms in order to pay their unexpectedly high energy bill. The district is also asking schools to rely more on natural light, remove space heaters and unplug coffee makers and refrigerators in faculty lounges. Officials believe this approach will save the district nearly $77,000 over the course of the school year. A similar fate awaits Milwaukee public schools. The district has enough for this year’s energy bill, but it’s only because it pre-purchased natural gas at a discounted rate. Next year, students and faculty won’t be so lucky. Small changes in classroom temperature and electricity consumption may not seem like unjust demands in this era of budget cuts. Right now the state is asking students and teachers to wear extra layers. But there will be a point when heating costs will go up further than classroom temperature can go down. Then the cuts will come from elsewhere.

CALIFORNIA: With little time and money, the Los Angeles school district is engaged in its toughest bond campaign yet as it seeks voter approval for a fourth multibillion-dollar school construction measure. Campaign strategists say they are unable to convene focus groups or conduct polls and have scaled back mailings to voters.Although the $3.9-billion bond has won support from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and scores of other local and state politicians, the campaign has not attracted some of the notable heavy-hitter endorsers of past bonds. Absent this time, for example, are billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad and former state Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg.

CALIFORNIA: Textbooks, overhead projectors and chalkboards are the traditional teaching tools, but Claudio Zavala Jr. doesn't rely on any of them in his fifth-grade class. He is among a new breed of instructors who have gone high-tech. Zavala wears a clip-on microphone and stands in front of a presentation station equipped with a document camera, a modern version of an overhead projector with a remote control and a mouse. Next to him are an iBook with high-speed Internet access and a wireless pad that allows him to control computer applications from anywhere in the classroom and highlight images projected onto an 84-by-84-inch screen. Everything is linked to a ceiling-mounted digital projector. Zavala's classroom at Herbert Ibarra Elementary School in City Heights is the face of modern education throughout the United States. As schools are upgraded and new ones are built, high-tech gadgets are becoming standard fare. It isn't cheap. Wiring and equipping a digital classroom costs about $20,000, according to the San Diego school district.

Studies suggest that when technology is effectively integrated into the curriculum, it improves performance. In the Escondido Union School District, research has shown that students who learned through digital filmmaking do substantially better on standardized tests than those who do not. The program is credited with motivating students to come to school. In Maine, where the state provided every seventh-and-eighth-grade student and teacher with laptop computers starting in 2002, more than 70 percent of instructors surveyed say the laptops help them meet curriculum goals. The same percentage of students said laptops helped them get their work done more efficiently. Studies on the use of microphones indicate they are effective in keeping students' attention. Teachers' voices are not hoarse at the end of the day. And during silent reading, they can play classical music from their laptop for their students. However, no single study captures the combined effects of multiple technologies. Digital classrooms of San Diego's caliber are so new that there is scant research on them.

OHIO: If people think the price spike at the gas pump has hurt their pocketbooks, try driving 6,044 miles a day ... every weekday. That's how many miles Milford School District buses travel. School budgets throughout Greater Cincinnati are being hammered as gas prices have jumped nearly $1 a gallon on average from last year. The price spikes force districts to scale back field trips, cut summer school transportation, consolidate bus routes and turn off idling engines whenever possible. Other energy costs have skyrocketed, too, leaving some schools planning to turn down the heat this winter. Other districts are removing some light bulbs from classrooms. Even microwaves, small refrigerators and mug warmers might be expelled from some rooms.

FLORIDA: The class-size amendment has created a capital budget shortfall of up to $315 million, prompting Palm Beach County School Board members to ask for help from the state. Board members agreed to send a letter to Palm Beach legislators saying they support the amendment, passed by voters in 2002, but don't have the money needed to fully implement it. The district has already hired nearly 1,600 new teachers so that class sizes can be smaller, and they anticipate the need for another 1,000 over the next four years. District officials say the state has given them adequate money to hire teachers but not nearly enough for classrooms. The district has spent $200 million of its own revenue for new classrooms to meet the amendment's requirements, while the state has given the district $56 million. Another $315 million is needed, officials said.

LOUISIANA: Vernon Parish Schools sustained an approximate $50,000 in damages as a result of Hurricane Rita. The largest amount of damage was sustained at East Leesville Elementary where part of their roof was ripped off. Fortunately the roof, which was new, was pitched over the existing flat roof which held through the storms torrential wind and rain. The insurance deductible for the VPSB is $500,000. An assessment team of the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be assessing the damage sustained by the VPSB at a meeting held later in October. "We are hoping that FEMA will help us pay for the repairs," Gillespie said. Unlike many school districts Vernon is financially solvent even considering that they have hosted more than 200 additional students that evacuated from South Louisiana and have sustained extensive damage during Hurricane Rita.

FLORIDA: The soaring price of real estate is forcing the Polk County School District to dig deeper to buy land for new schools. The board recently offered $12.2 million for 154 acres next to Wagner Elementary in Southwest Lakeland. The land -- 53 acres for a new middle school and 101 acres for a new high school -- costs more than $80,000 an acre. That's an increase of 470 percent from the price of $13,750 per acre paid five years ago for the Wagner site on Yates Road. The district purchased those 25 acres for $343,750. Bob Williams, district assistant superintendent of facilities and operations, said high land costs are built into the district's massive school construction budget. For example, the new southwest Lakeland high school has a budget of $50 million, which is $5 million more than the budget for a new high school to be built off of Saddle Creek Road. The difference in the budgets is the difference between the sites' prices.

Over the next five years, Polk schools will spend about $450 million of sales tax and impact fee revenue to build 12 new schools and more than 400 new classrooms and carry out 100 renovations at existing schools. So far this year, the district has spent $26 million to buy 442 acres, an average of $59,090 per acre, for seven pieces of property. Six of the seven are sites for schools slated to open in 2009 and 2010. In the last four years, the district paid an average of $22,727 per acre -- a total of $6.5 million -- for 242 acres for seven new schools and property at Haines City High. Because of the half-cent sales tax and increased school impact fees, the district, for the first time, has the means to buy land before a school is desperately needed in an area, Williams said. Fifty million dollars has been set aside for the purchase of land over the next five years, for future use.

LOUISIANA: The hygienist hired by the Vermilion Parish School Board to certify that schools are safe following flooding from Hurricane Rita asked for patience. "As far as the schools right now," said Steven Dufield of Altec Environmental Consultants, "the materials are going through the decontamination process. Then they will be released to teachers and students." "It takes time to process each item and sometimes it is better to just discard items," he said. Dufield explained that some items are not worth cleaning because of the cost of the item compared with the cost of processing. He also said that the process is not truly "decontamination" because mold is a part of the environment and there is no way to completely remove it from the environment. Part of the process involves a hepa-vacuum and cleaning with Environmental Protection Agency-approved disinfectants. Samples are being taken at the schools to determine whether they are safe to re-enter. "In Erath, the sample from one class resulted in 43,000 spores (of mold) per cubic meter. Outside, the results were 2,000 spores per cubic meter. In a clean room, it is 1,000 per cubic meter." Dufield also said a large percentage of the spores in the sample were one of two types of mold that are considered toxic.

Roy Dowling, Altec president, said it is best to err on the side of safety. "There are so many problems out there and you have to take it one step at a time," Dowling said. "I think you are taking prudent action." Because of the cost of testing -- $1,200 per sample -- samples were limited, he said, and results were not ready. The cleanup is only the first part of what needs to be done for students and faculty to return. Once the schools are cleaned, many still need repairs and replacement of the contents lost in the mud and water which invaded them. That process will likely take months, he said.

LOUISIANA: Restoration work is well underway in Calcasieu Parish schools. About half of Calcasieu's 58 schools received some damage. Ten to 20 schools still have no electricity. "Until we have electricity everywhere, we know we're not starting school. Once we get the electricity up we have to get a reading on air quality," said Schools Superintendent Jude Theriot. At Lake Charles Boston, the roof is being repaired, molded tiles are coming out, and moisture from a leaky building is being removed from the cafeteria to prevent the spread of mold. In order to get the moisture out of these schools restoration crews use a process that's similar to the process your clothes dryer uses at home. They pump in hot air, air that's about 115 to 125 degrees. They send that into the school. They suck that back out. They send in some more air, and they complete that cycle over and over. Mold is being removed from about 25 schools after water got in. "Any school that had water damage is going to take some work to reopen, then we have to have all our cafeterias certified safe. We had to throw away or give away close to $300,000 worth of food, so we have nothing in the ice box right now," said Theriot. Not only will the school system need to restock the freezers, it will have to make sure there is enough gas around to fuel its 300 school buses. A huge to do list before schools reopen. "A lot of schools have to be certified safe and we don't want to make a mistake and put children back in schools that could cause problems," said Theriot

TEXAS: Two weeks after Hurricane Rita smashed into East Texas, the schoolchildren in this devastated region are doing everything but what kids their age ought to be doing: going to school. The 10-day grace period the state gave some East Texas school districts to reopen in the wake of Rita came and went with no signs of students returning to classrooms in many parts of a region still lacking in water, power and sewage services. The Texas Education Agency gave districts devastated by Rita the grace period to suspend classes without having to make them up later. But officials in districts such as Jasper said they couldn't make the deadline with homes and schools still lacking power and electrical lines and fallen trees still blocking school bus routes.

LOUISIANA: State Superintendent of Education Cecil Picard and Mayor Ray Nagin said they would not be opposed to allowing some public schools on the east bank of New Orleans to open this academic year, contradicting remarks by the Orleans Parish School Board president. Although the school district is tentatively planning a November opening of as many as eight schools on the city's West Bank, where many city services have already been restored, anticipated delays in returning those services to the east bank could delay reopenings of undamaged schools there until January, officials said.

Picard said Tuesday he is open to the prospect of opening some east bank schools in January, or whenever officials determine the city is safe for children and it's possible to open schools. Nagin agreed. "I want to get the water certified (by health officials), which will hopefully be this weekend, then I will be much more comfortable bringing back children," he said at a news conference Tuesday. Watson, however, said Nagin recently told her "he would not be comfortable with our opening schools outside of the West Bank until he was assured that the waste management controls in place were sufficient," adding that water treatment facilities were still in need of much work. Nagin also said he doesn't want students to return to the "deplorable conditions" that existed in some schools before the storm and encouraged district officials and the board to take advantage of this opportunity to improve the system. "My only push back to the School Board would be, 'Take this opportunity to fix yourself,' " he said.

LOUISIANA: State Superintendent of Education Cecil Picard and Mayor Ray Nagin said they would not be opposed to allowing some public schools on the east bank of New Orleans to open this academic year, contradicting remarks by the Orleans Parish School Board president. Although the school district is tentatively planning a November opening of as many as eight schools on the city's West Bank, where many city services have already been restored, anticipated delays in returning those services to the east bank could delay reopenings of undamaged schools there until January, officials said.

Picard said Tuesday he is open to the prospect of opening some east bank schools in January, or whenever officials determine the city is safe for children and it's possible to open schools. Nagin agreed. "I want to get the water certified (by health officials), which will hopefully be this weekend, then I will be much more comfortable bringing back children," he said at a news conference Tuesday. Watson, however, said Nagin recently told her "he would not be comfortable with our opening schools outside of the West Bank until he was assured that the waste management controls in place were sufficient," adding that water treatment facilities were still in need of much work. Nagin also said he doesn't want students to return to the "deplorable conditions" that existed in some schools before the storm and encouraged district officials and the board to take advantage of this opportunity to improve the system. "My only push back to the School Board would be, 'Take this opportunity to fix yourself,' " he said.

NATIONAL: Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have displaced tens of thousands of students and severely damaged dozens of school facilities in the Gulf region. Before the storms, some $30 billion was expected to be spent this year on school construction in the United States. Much more will be needed now. The challenge is to spend it wisely. At this critical moment, we have a unique opportunity - obligation, even - to rethink the classic American schoolhouse and to design and build schools that serve the educational needs of the 21st century. The educational facilities we design today are expected to last 50 or more years. While the Gulf region has immediate needs for schools, it is important that we take the time to plan, design and construct these facilities to serve the unique needs of each community. A one-size-fits-all solution is a sure recipe for failure. A failure we cannot afford in New Orleans, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Washington or in any of the many cities needing significant investment in educational facilities.

TEXAS: More than 40 school districts in Southeast Texas, victims of Hurricane Rita, remained closed, and most had no idea when they would reopen. At least 85,000 students and possibly as many as 100,000 are affected, a Texas Education Agency spokeswoman said. "Most of Southeast Texas is still shut," Debbie Graves Ratcliffe said, mainly because of power outages and, in some cases, wind damage and disrupted water supplies. Most of the closed schools are in Education Service Center Region 5, including Jefferson, Tyler, Jasper, Newton, Hardin and Orange counties, which took a hard hit when Rita roared ashore. As of Monday, only two school districts in that region had set reopening dates. Kountze plans to resume classes Oct. 10 and Port Arthur, Oct. 13.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : In recent years, an increasing number of schools in the Washington area have begun "habitat gardens" on school grounds. These can range from simple vegetable patches, where children can plant tomatoes and oregano to "grow a pizza," to Asian-themed gardens landscaped by parent-designers. Said Arlington schools' science supervisor, Constance Skelton: "You can be a very environmentally challenged school with a lot of asphalt on it and still make use of nature. Every school has some trees." Many schools in Alexandria, the District and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Montgomery counties have versions of "Edible Schoolyards." Popular themes include "Beatrix Potter" gardens, with the vegetables from Mr. McGregor's garden; butterfly gardens, where children can witness caterpillars' metamorphosis; and pumpkin patches, where they can carve jack-o'-lanterns from the fruits of their labor.

But where garden activities used to be considered slightly looser than most academics, the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act have prompted teachers to find ways to tie the gardens to Virginia's Standards of Learning exams, said Wendy Sparrow, who oversees Alexandria school gardens. That way, she said, as schedules get tight and schools emphasize the core curriculum, teachers can still justify taking their students outside and devoting precious time to what can be learned in the garden.

CONNECTICUT: The adage that "time is money" is certainly true when it comes to school construction. In 2001, the state approved spending $22 million for a new elementary magnet school in East Hartford. The school has not been built, largely because of delays related to environmental and political issues, and now construction costs are projected to be $32 million. In Manchester, where residents have approved spending about $80 million for school renovations and additions, officials also are wary. Schools Superintendent Kathleen Ouellette said last week that starting renovation work at Bennet Middle School after the current academic year, rather than waiting until June 2007, could save the town more than $1 million. Construction costs typically increase about 3 percent each year, according to industry officials, who warn that recent hurricanes on the Gulf Coast could push prices higher. Damage to refineries and pipelines have affected fuel prices, and demand has been increasing for products such as steel and cement. As rebuilding efforts in the Gulf region expand, the labor market could get tight throughout the country, raising prices further.

LOUISIANA: Hurricane Rita's winds kicked up enough water and debris to keep Acadia Parish schools closed for a week. Crowley High School Principal Steve Duplechin says some of the problem was getting electricity back and no one knew how quickly that would be able to be done. Duplechin says the school never lost water, but contamination was a problem and on top of that, when the electricity was turned back on, there were air conditioning problems. Principal Steve Duplechin says leaks from hallway skylights and air conditioning vents, mixed with humidity triggered mold growth. Despite parents' concerns, Duplechin says the problem has been resolved. Duplechin says the small amount of mold in the school was taken care of by using 10% solution of Clorox and water.

MINNESOTA: Minnesota schools are bracing for major fuel-cost increases. Some school officials say you have to go back to the energy crisis of the 1970s to find the kinds of price hikes anticipated for this year. Gas prices were already rising before Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hammered the fuel-producing Gulf Coast last month. The effect of the hurricanes on Minnesota fuel prices remains unclear, but it is clear that the prices are likely to far outstrip what districts already budgeted for this year's heating and bus diesel fuel costs.

Many districts are putting an extra emphasis on energy conservation to try to ease the impact of rising prices. In St. Paul, for instance, that includes not just turning down the thermostats, but such measures as taking the light bulbs out of pop machines and telling employees to get rid of their microwaves and space heaters. A recent survey of school districts shows fuel cost estimates for this year are up between $5,000 and $1.3 million, depending on the size of the district.

LOUISIANA: The New Orleans public school system does not intend to open any campuses on the city's east bank this school year, the president of its governing board, the Rev. Torin Sanders, said. New Orleans public schools Uptown and elsewhere may be in good condition, but it's unlikely they could open soon, he said. If the east bank schools opened in January or later, students attending them would not receive enough instructional time, he said. Last month, State Superintendent of Education Cecil Picard said engineers and architects who visited New Orleans public schools concluded at least seven Uptown schools are in good condition.

Sanders said Mayor Ray Nagin "wants us to be cautious and not have too many people using the city at one time." Sanders said it's unclear whether city services would be ready in time for a Nov. 1 opening of Uptown schools. The mayor, he said, wants things done in stages. "We have the city and the School Board working with each other," Sanders said. At least two private schools have opened in New Orleans and eight public schools are scheduled to open in a few weeks. All of the schools are in Algiers.

CALIFORNIA: With 45 Los Angeles schools finished and another 115 in the pipeline, there is less optimism for promising designs for the construction program. As LAUSD seeks voter approval next month for a $4-billion bond measure — the building campaign's fourth in eight years, which would push the budget for the construction and renovation campaign to a staggering $17.2 billion — the architectural promise has largely faded. Certainly the district deserves praise for confronting, after years of official neglect, the twin problems of overcrowding and aging facilities. The building campaign's central goals — to move every student back to a traditional two-semester calendar and into a neighborhood school — are finally within sight. But as the district has become more aggressive about asking for money and tackling new lists of educational problems, on the design front it has shrunk into caution and insularity.

Architects who continue to work for the district say they have sensed a growing backlash from facilities officials in the last couple of years against high-profile firms and progressive design. The district's goal now appears to get the remaining campuses finished without incident or controversy — to keep the assembly line moving. Given how dramatically the building program is remaking neighborhoods from San Pedro to Canoga Park, you don't have to be a parent to find the shift troubling.

MISSISSIPPI: The senior Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee said that the government is vastly overpaying for hundreds of portable classrooms purchased for Mississippi schools in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and that auditors should investigate. Missississip Representative Bennie Thompson charged that the government is paying $88,000 per mobile classroom under a $39.5 million deal but that the classrooms should cost no more than $42,000 apiece. The contract is with Akima Site Operations LLC, a firm that does business as an Alaska Native Corporation. The designation allows the government more flexibility in giving it no-bid contracts. Thompson also suggested in his letter that Akima "does not have any particular expertise in constructing or installing portable classrooms or other temporary structures." Thompson said in an interview that he's concerned not enough local firms are being given federal work. "If we're going to rebuild Mississippi, we're going to have to use Mississippi companies and let some of that money return to the state," he said.

Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Michael H. Logue said that Akima is getting the job done and that the price is reasonable. Logue said the lower price cited by Thompson does not take into account the difficult conditions and the speed needed. "We've got 70 school districts where the schools have either been totally obliterated or seriously damaged. There is no school in south Mississippi to speak of," Logue said. "These things represent classrooms and libraries and cafeterias." Logue said Akima was chosen because it had a pre-existing Army contract for related work.

GEORGIA: The Gwinnett County school board is close to sealing a deal to sell the school system's new administrative headquarters to raise money to build two additional schools. Last July, the school board agreed to sell the property to investors and lease it for a specified period before buying it back. The property contains a pair of former manufacturing plants now being renovated for use as office buildings. School officials said the sale/lease-back plan will allow the system to open two schools by August 2007, at least three years earlier than planned. Wilson said similar deals are used by businesses and some other government agencies, although it was unusual for a school system. The investors will buy the headquarters and the surrounding land for $17 million — $4.5 million more than the board's purchase price, school officials have said. The buildings' makeover, estimated to cost between $26 million and $27 million, will also be paid for by the partnership of investors.

GEORGIA: The Gwinnett County school board is close to sealing a deal to sell the school system's new administrative headquarters to raise money to build two additional schools. Last July, the school board agreed to sell the property to investors and lease it for a specified period before buying it back. The property contains a pair of former manufacturing plants now being renovated for use as office buildings. School officials said the sale/lease-back plan will allow the system to open two schools by August 2007, at least three years earlier than planned. Wilson said similar deals are used by businesses and some other government agencies, although it was unusual for a school system. The investors will buy the headquarters and the surrounding land for $17 million — $4.5 million more than the board's purchase price, school officials have said. The buildings' makeover, estimated to cost between $26 million and $27 million, will also be paid for by the partnership of investors.

TEXAS: A majority of East Texas school districts will remain closed until power lines knocked down by Hurricane Rita are restored by power companies servicing the area. There have been no reports of major damage to school buildings in East Texas, but some power line damage is so drastic that some districts may be closed as long as a month. The majority of the districts are located in Chambers, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange and Tyler counties — all of which have been declared disaster areas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. DeEtta Culbertson, spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency, said TEA officials are still waiting to hear back from superintendents in East Texas to report on when districts will reopen. Superintendents are working with county officials and emergency management personnel to assess any damage made by the hurricane to determine whether the infrastructures of the schools are safe, Culbertson said.

LOUISIANA: With hundreds or even thousands of builders wiped out by Katrina _ their tools lost and workers scattered _ homeowners looking to rebuild quickly are in for a shock. The scope of home destruction is so sweeping that it will likely stretch rebuilding for years. It took more than a decade to reconstruct all the homes destroyed by Hurricane Andrew, after it hit Florida in 1992. Katrina destroyed 10 times as many homes as Andrew. The difficulty of rebuilding could be exacerbated because Gulf Coast contracting has long been the province of small, independent companies without the deep pockets to recover quickly. That has spurred out-of-state contractors to pour into the region, increasing competition for labor and driving up prices. When the region's contractors do get back on their feet, most of their time will be directed at repairing homes that are salvageable, not rebuilding ones that were destroyed, industry experts say.

The appetite for construction materials and labor in the Gulf Coast will be voracious over the next few years, which could raise prices of wallboard, cement, Southern yellow pine and other building materials, said Robert Murray, an analyst with McGraw-Hill Construction Research and Analytics. Katrina has already boosted the prices of lumber, plastic piping and scrap steel _ from which rebar is made _ said John Mothersole, senior economist at forecasting firm Global Insight. But he said the price spikes could be moderated by softening demand elsewhere in the U.S. housing market as interest rates go higher.

CALIFORNIA: Saratoga High is certainly a public school. But when its new $8.8 million performing arts center opens this fall, it will be largely due to private largess. Taxpayers provided only about 40 percent of the cost of the center. The remaining 60 percent -- $5.5 million -- came from individual donors. In Saratoga, Palo Alto and other affluent Silicon Valley communities, public school parents are financing facilities by mounting the sort of multi-million-dollar fundraising drives more traditionally associated with elite private schools. Increasingly, they are overcoming their school districts' limited means by tapping successful alumni, seeking gifts of huge blocks of stock, and naming buildings after big donors. But their success also raises an equity issue.

There appears to be no statewide data on private financing of public school projects. But according to one expert, it is on the rise due to the state's fiscal crisis and shrinking education budgets. "It's a growing trend," said Scott Plotkin, executive director of the California School Boards Association. Plotkin added, though, that it's difficult to say whether less affluent communities are hurt because they can't afford pools and theaters, as long as they can provide educational necessities.

LOUISIANA: At least 15 New Orleans public schools could be operating in November or December based on a recent review of school buildings by engineers and architects, state Superintendent of Education Cecil Picard said. Whether to do so will be a local decision made by the School Board, Mayor Ray Nagin and others, Picard said. New Orleans interim School Superintendent Ora Watson and officials with Alvarez & Marsal, the company working to right the school system's finances, plan to meet with Nagin to discuss both short- and long-term plans for the school district, including opening between eight and 16 schools in the next few months, said Bill Roberti of Alvarez & Marsal. Picard said the schools that could be opened - eight in Algiers and at least seven Uptown - could serve about 12,000 students.

In regard to the other schools in the city, assessments are under way. William Quade, who is overseeing Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance to school systems in Louisiana, said that it's already clear the cost of repairing some New Orleans public schools is greater than 50 percent of their value, so those schools will be replaced. "A lot" of city schools fall in this category, Quade said, adding "FEMA's going to give you a brand new school when it's damaged beyond economical repair." The new schools may be smaller or larger and configured in different ways, said Quade, who spoke at a Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting at which Picard provided an overview of 68 school systems in the state, at least 40 of which desperately need money. Picard said that based on the latest educational research, the city could improve its odds of having successful schools by configuring new schools as follows: pre-kindergarten centers, kindergarten through eighth-grade schools, and high schools that include only grades nine through 12.

FLORIDA: Broward County schools might delay low priority campus renovations or ditch them altogether because hurricanes Katrina and Rita jacked up construction costs across the country, Deputy Superintendent Mike Garretson said. Garretson, the district official who oversees school construction, told the School Board on Tuesday that in the past month, a $60 million plan to build four new elementary schools has increased by $8 million. Gas prices also are up. And lumber costs 12 percent more than it did in August. "A $20 sheet of plywood in some places costs $40 now," Garretson said. If Broward wants to hold onto its highest priorities, such as plans for new schools and classrooms, he said the board will have to cut out some projects that it can do without. Board members agreed that they're going to have to reopen the five-year, $2.9 billion construction plan they approved in August. Member Bob Parks said that he would fight to keep projects that promote student health and safety, and member Robin Bartleman said she would try to maintain renovation projects that make campuses more accessible to students with disabilities. Bartleman said she would also try to keep building playgrounds at schools that don't have them.

NATIONAL : As schools torn apart by Hurricane Katrina look to rebuild, and districts welcoming displaced students wonder how to pay for their education, federal officials were still mulling options for providing aid to schools. Congress is weighing several large education aid packages that would provide differing levels and methods of funding. But progress on passing relief for school districts could be snagged by a growing insistence from some Republicans for cuts elsewhere in the federal budget to offset massive spending for hurricane relief, and by controversy over President Bush’s proposal to provide private school vouchers for students displaced by the storm.

The competing ideas on the table in Washington include a bipartisan bill introduced by Senate education committee leaders on Sept. 15 and President Bush’s own hurricane-relief package for schools. On Sept. 22, Sen. Landrieu unveiled her own wide-ranging relief bill that included a school component. The Landrieu plan includes $2 billion to help areas rebuild or repair school buildings. The bill introduced by Sen. Michael B. Enzi and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, would authorize aid to hard-hit school districts seeking to rebuild. The measure, if funded, would award up to $900 million in immediate grants to districts directly harmed by Hurricane Katrina to reopen schools. That money would supplement money from FEMA. Districts could use the money under the Enzi-Kennedy bill to recover data, replace instructional materials and equipment, and establish temporary buildings and classrooms. But the money could not be used for construction or renovation of schools. Money for reconstruction costs will come from private insurance and FEMA, said Melissa Janssen, a spokeswoman for the federal agency. Federal construction money is being funneled to states through two hurricane-aid measures that have already been enacted, she said. FEMA money typically flows to states to repair infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and schools. For projects costing over $55,000, following estimates for rebuilding, FEMA sends the money to the state, which then doles it out to school districts, Ms. Janssen said.

WYOMING: The Wyoming School Facilities Commission asked a legislative committee to help redefine and, in some cases, increase its power in the state. The commission needs more explicit power to force school districts to opt for efficient building plans, said director James "Bubba" Shivler. It also needs the authority to work with districts' architects earlier in the building design process to keep costs down, he said. But in other issues arising from the statewide push to rebuild and remodel schools, the commission wants to take a hands-off role. For example, it doesn't want to get involved in any aid the state might provide school districts or municipalities for off-site infrastructure, such as roads. The commission also reported that the state's 48 school districts have requested about $600 million in facilities funding in the coming biennium, a figure the commission does not expect the Legislature to fully allocate.

One proposal brought to the committee would give the commission more power to compel school districts to accept value engineering suggestions. The value engineering process is one in which school plans are assessed at different stages for efficiency and educational suitability. While most districts comply with the findings, Shivler said some do not. Another potentially contentious proposal would give the commission the authority to contract with architects working on districts' building designs and to develop standardized school plans for the state. As it stands now, districts contract individually with architectural firms. Both proposals, Shivler said, are integral to keeping construction costs down in a rapidly fluctuating market. He said school building bids are consistently coming in over estimates, and that the cost to build a school in dollars per square foot is unpredictable throughout the region.

NORTH CAROLINA: School and county officials began reconsidering a 10-year-old set of construction standards they said were outdated. The cost of building schools has increased considerably, the officials said, since the elementary- and middle-school standards were adopted in 1996. The high school construction standards, approved in 1999, are also outdated, they said during a semiannual meeting of the Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City school boards and the Orange County Commissioners. "The cost guidelines really don't make sense at all in terms of what's happening when we're building schools," said Lisa Stuckey, chairwoman of the city school board. The standards call for a high school to cost between $25 million and $30 million, and hold 1,000 students, but be expandable to hold 1,500. However, when the city school board set out to build a high school several years ago, members found that that size school would cost some $34 million. The school, scheduled to open in 2007, was scaled back to hold 800 students -- and board members are still finding, with the rising cost of steel and construction materials -- the building will cost about $34 million. An Orange County middle school, meanwhile, could cost the county school board about $22 million. The standards call for a middle school to cost $18.5 million. "As we know, per-square-foot costs and other costs have gone up," County Manager John Link said during the meeting at the Southern Human Services Center. "They've all gone up."

TEXAS: About 84,000 students from the southeastern region of Texas will be out of school for the foreseeable future, as cities such as Beaumont and Port Arthur and smaller towns surrounding those areas assess the damage caused by Hurricane Rita. The storm also forced schools to remain closed in parts of southwest Louisiana. Debbie Graves Ratcliffe, the spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency, said she had heard from a state board of education member who lives in southeast Texas that he was told not to expect electricity for a month. Districts throughout the coastal region of Texas had closed and residents were asked to evacuate as the hurricane appeared to bear down on the Galveston area. However, before landfall, the hurricane shifted to the east, striking hardest along the Texas-Louisiana border on Sept. 23 and 24. Several districts that had closed, including the 210,000-student Houston district and the 9,100-student Galveston district, plan to reopen this week.

OHIO: Across Ohio, the shiny bricks and gleaming white concrete of new schools are everywhere. But the schools don't only look good. They feature larger classrooms with the latest audio technology and sound systems that make it easier for teachers and students to understand and communicate with each other. Security cameras allow principals to quickly spot trouble and new ventilation systems mean staff and students are breathing cleaner, healthier air. The construction boom is driven by population changes, a state effort to renew schools and in some cases, the simple cycle of time. But in place of the cracks and crumble of the buildings that have passed into memory, these new buildings are returning schools to a treasured place as community anchors with bold architecture, cutting-edge technology and creative, functional designs that teachers of the past could only dream about.

OHIO: Across Ohio, the shiny bricks and gleaming white concrete of new schools are everywhere. But the schools don't only look good. They feature larger classrooms with the latest audio technology and sound systems that make it easier for teachers and students to understand and communicate with each other. Security cameras allow principals to quickly spot trouble and new ventilation systems mean staff and students are breathing cleaner, healthier air. The construction boom is driven by population changes, a state effort to renew schools and in some cases, the simple cycle of time. But in place of the cracks and crumble of the buildings that have passed into memory, these new buildings are returning schools to a treasured place as community anchors with bold architecture, cutting-edge technology and creative, functional designs that teachers of the past could only dream about.

INDIANA: After Monday's knife attack at Central High School, security guards aren't enough for parents who want more security measures taken to protect students in an environment that should be educational and fun. Central does not have metal detectors, but school officials aren't ruling anything out as they re-evaluate security at the school. Central and Southside high schools each have three security officers working during the school day, and one security officer working before school and during afterschool activities, Muncie Schools director of facilities and operations Bill Reiter said. Once school begins, all doors at Central except those at the main entrance and by the planetarium are locked for those entering the school, though the locked doors can still be opened from the inside. Those doors are in plain view of desk where security guards or teachers on security duty sit. Visitors who enter the building must stop by the desk to sign in and out. Plans already are under way for 16 security cameras to be installed at Central. The cameras system will be similar to system already in place at the Anthony Administration Building and planned for at least some other schools. The cameras would be installed outside to monitor the student parking lot, as well as inside main corridors, the student center and cafeteria. The cameras would not be in classrooms. Most of the cameras would be fixed, but a couple will be able to scan an entire area. The cameras would operate 24/7, though the school doesn't have anyone to monitor the system that entire time.

LOUISIANA: Even after the latest hurricane crisis eases, and downtown businesses along with French Quarter bars reopen, life in New Orleans will be far from normal. Among the somber distinctions: For months to come this will be an almost childless city. Dozens of schools were irreparably damaged by Hurricane Katrina, and only a handful are expected to open before January. Few day-care centers will be available for preschoolers, and health experts warn that children are at extra risk of contamination if they come back before the city is thoroughly cleaned of the foul floodwater's residue.

School board president, Torin Sanders, said a broader reopening in the main part of the city probably wouldn't occur until January -- and even that would involve only a limited number of the 126 public schools. The plan, he indicated, would be to open certain schools that suffered little damage, accommodating returning students even if they lived in other neighborhoods. Sanders said the widely criticized school system, which served 60,000 students, could benefit in the long term. "We are poised to take advantage of this, to make our schools the best in the country," he said, "Most of our buildings were built before World War II. This is an opportunity to make them environmentally sound, with new technology and better security, with more specialized programs in the high schools."

FLORIDA: It seems like the perfect partnership: an elementary school and a library. And if Hillsborough County commissioners pass the proposed county budget as it's currently written, the county could see four of those marriages - near the University of South Florida, in Sulphur Springs, near downtown Tampa, and near Brandon. The upcoming budget includes proposals for four school and library partnerships. Elementary schools would team up with either new public libraries that will be built, or existing school libraries that would be expanded. The libraries would be open to the public during certain hours, which are yet to be determined, and would also offer expanded facilities for the schools they're connected to. The plans are modeled after a library at Egypt Lake Elementary School in north Tampa that serves both students and the public.

Near Brandon, a library would be built in a vacant school. In Turkey Creek, government would spend $3.9-million to acquire and renovate the historic Turkey Creek School for a library. Built around 1927, the two-story, red brick school sits empty today next door to Turkey Creek Middle School. In Sulphur Springs, which has no library, the school district would build a 3,300-square-foot expansion to the Sulphur Springs Elementary School's media center. The $1.1-million project would also purchase books, computers and equipment to furnish the library. Near downtown Tampa, there are plans to demolish the current Robert W. Saunders Library at 1505 N Nebraska Ave. and build a 25,000-square-foot one in its place by 2010. The $7.8-million library would also be used by students at nearby Booker T. Washington Elementary School.

NEW MEXICO: New school construction projects will be up for bid in 19 New Mexico school districts within the next two years thanks in part to a record $229 million in state funding that will be allocated for improvements to school buildings and the construction of new buildings. Governor Bill Richardson said the state funding, assigned to the schools determined to be in the most dire need based on the state's new process for paying for school building improvements, will be matched with local money from school districts. The largest amount of state money awarded was $25.7 million to the Albuquerque Public Schools for a new high school. Rio Rancho will receive $46.8 million, and seven schools in Las Cruces are slated to receive money for improvements, including $2.7 million for a new high school. Officials at the state Public School Facilities Authority said districts intending to make use of the projects must start construction within 24 months.

WASHINGTON: Ben Franklin Elementary in Kirkland opened this school year as one of the newest schools to be constructed under the state's "green school" standards. Other districts, including Seattle, Northshore and Arlington, also are using elements of the green standards in new construction. Ben Franklin, of the Lake Washington School District, was designed to be more environmentally friendly, using natural light and ventilation and natural materials such as rubber and wool. The school cost $9.8 million to build, about the same price as for a conventional school, said Kathryn Reith, spokeswoman for the district. The new building is at least 35 percent more energy efficient than the old one and will save 40,000 gallons of water yearly by using waterless urinals. The new school has carbon-dioxide monitors in each classroom that trigger louvers, which let in fresh air to keep students and teachers from feeling drowsy. Overhead lights dim when the natural light is bright enough, and motion sensors turn the lights off when the room isn't in use. Windows facing south are shaded to keep the light from causing glare in the room, and the light is diffused and bounced farther back into the rooms with the help of light shelves. The school is an example of a trend toward using sustainable resources in school construction. These new, environmentally friendly school designs will become standard for public schools seeking state matching funds for construction beginning in 2007.

TEXAS: First, Hurricane Katrina sent thousands of displaced children into North Texas schools. Now, the storm's aftermath is threatening to disrupt school construction, possibly for years. Shortages of cement, lumber, insulation and PVC pipe and rising steel prices could push construction costs up substantially, several contractors said. One predicted the jump could be as much as 20 percent. For school districts with large building projects in the works, that could be very bad news. Companies could see shortages of heavy equipment and even work crews as workers head off to rebuild the Gulf Coast, where jobs and overtime will be plentiful, industry analysts say. These factors and others could lead to construction delays, which drive up costs further. Petroleum-based products, like asphalt and roofing materials, will also almost certainly see sizable cost increases. The Associated General Contractors of America announced that it expected the cost of construction materials to rise 10 percent in the next year, instead of the 6 percent to 8 percent increase the group predicted before the storm. "Most of the increased costs in construction materials will result from a reduction in oil and natural gas production, and not from higher demand [from] devastated areas," said Ken Simonson, the group's chief economist. Katrina will cause "higher prices or supply disruptions for PVC pipe, construction plastics, tires, galvanized steel, gypsum products and cement." Dallas, in the midst of a $1.37 billion school construction and renovation program, says it is taking a "wait and see" approach. With 80 percent of the building program already under contract, the district is protected from future cost increases, said Phil Jimerson, who oversees the program.

GEORGIA: The old M.A. Jones Elementary in southwest Atlanta had its share of problems. The roof leaked, flooding the bottom floor during hard rains. Teachers talked above the roar of window-unit air conditioners. The plumbing had badly deteriorated, causing constant maintenance headaches. Teachers, administrators and parents cheered when Atlanta Public Schools tore down the 65-year-old building in 2003 and replaced it with a new $14 million facility. The new Jones Elementary, which serves a low-income neighborhood west of downtown, boasts wireless Internet access throughout the building, a television station for student broadcasts, and enough classroom space to offer a parent resource center and a tutoring room. "It's been uplifting for the community as a whole to have a brand-new facility that's state-of-the-art," said the school's principal, Eunice Robinson. "It says Atlanta cares about them." Similar transformations are taking place at dozens of sites across the city as APS nears the end of a 10-year, $750 million effort to upgrade or replace most of the district's 86 schools. The school-building program is one of the biggest construction projects in the city's history, equivalent to building three Georgia Domes. Most of Atlanta's schools were built in the first half of the 20th century, when the city experienced a prolonged population boom. Like many big-city school systems, Atlanta didn't properly maintain the buildings, and many fell into disrepair. That's all in the past. The district's new and renovated schools wouldn't look out of place in the most affluent suburbs. The buildings are bright, airy and stuffed with the latest features, including science labs, teacher workrooms, computer labs, art rooms and spacious media centers.

WYOMING: The Wyoming School Facilities Commission may be moving toward some form of standardizing new schools. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jim McBride suggested offering school districts a half dozen designs of schools that have been built and paid for and meet all requirements for Wyoming. The commission also could have a laundry list of "enhancements" the districts can choose from. The list of enhancements can be extensive, McBride said, but it should be made clear that the state won't pay for these extras.

Commission members have been dogged by the enhancement issue ever since they began the job of bringing schools in the state's 48 districts up to standard as required by the Wyoming Supreme Court in a 2001 decision. In that decision, the Supreme Court moved the responsibility for school construction and maintenance from the local school district level to the state. The commission does not pay for such amenities or enhancements as a swimming pool or extra space for a lab.

LOUISIANA: Like many Hurricane Katrina survivors, the St. Charles Parish public school district is playing the waiting game. Since being cleared for $4 million in relief money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the school system has been eagerly awaiting a check. District officials have been given several different dates for when the money will arrive. Most recently, they said, they were told the money would be in their hands at some point this week. Before schools could be opened, more than $2.8 million in damage had to be completed. District officials hope the FEMA funds will replenish the money used for the recovery effort.

The $2.8 million in damage is expected to increase as the district identifies other storm-related damage not found in initial observations. The $4 million initially requested was an early estimate of total damage, and any remaining money will be returned to FEMA. Much of the initial estimate was for cleanup and disposal. The maintenance cost alone was $735,000. Several schools also sustained roof damage. One of the hardest hit schools was the newly built Raymond K. Smith Middle School in Luling, which had $400,000 in damages. Larry Sesser, executive director of plant operations for the district, said heavy, sustained winds took a lot of the trim off of the building. The wind was so powerful it ripped off a gymnasium door. "It's going to be a lengthy task," Sesser said about the repair effort. "The roofs are intact. They had an extreme test." New Sarpy Elementary School in Destrehan received some of the most severe roof damage in the district. Sesser estimated that $80,000 will be needed to repair the school. "We've repaired the roof, but we haven't had rain since then," Sesser said. The district's Satellite Center, which will house vocational programs for high school students, racked up $1 million in damages and delay costs. The district will not be reimbursed for any of those damages because it technically does not own the site. The site still belongs to contractor Aegis Construction. The completion of the Satellite Center will be pushed back another 20 days, officials said.

LOUISIANA: Across Louisiana, in every district outside the storm-damaged area, school systems have gotten swarms of students displaced by the Aug. 29 hurricane. With the help of volunteers and a hope that the state and federal governments will eventually reimburse them, they are overspending their budgets and finding resources on their own, many expressing feelings of neglect by state authorities in a time of crisis. The federal Department of Education says about 372,000 students from Louisiana and Mississippi are unable to attend classes at their normal public or private schools because of Katrina. Louisiana's education department, which has assigned an agency liaison to each school district in the state, counted 39,518 student evacuees enrolled in Louisiana public schools. Thousands more evacuees have enrolled in private schools, not counted by the state education department.

"Try to be creative" is the message to school systems from state schools Superintendent Cecil Picard, who is looking for long-term compensation from the federal government while advising local authorities to solve their immediate problems as best they can without state money. Picard is banking on a federal Department of Education request to Congress for $1.9 billion in aid to compensate school districts, up to maximum of $7,500 per evacuee student. The agency has requested additional funds to compensate private schools and colleges. In Louisiana, politics may decide how much the districts get. If the federal money is approved, it will flow to the state, which will have the flexibility to divide the funding between the districts serving evacuee students and the districts severely damaged by the storm. The state Legislature will have to be involved in allocations that involve the state's school funding formula, likely setting off a regional tug-of- war. So far, communication between the state and the districts has been inadequate, officials in some parishes say.

LOUISIANA: Across Louisiana, in every district outside the storm-damaged area, school systems have gotten swarms of students displaced by the Aug. 29 hurricane. With the help of volunteers and a hope that the state and federal governments will eventually reimburse them, they are overspending their budgets and finding resources on their own, many expressing feelings of neglect by state authorities in a time of crisis. The federal Department of Education says about 372,000 students from Louisiana and Mississippi are unable to attend classes at their normal public or private schools because of Katrina. Louisiana's education department, which has assigned an agency liaison to each school district in the state, counted 39,518 student evacuees enrolled in Louisiana public schools. Thousands more evacuees have enrolled in private schools, not counted by the state education department.

"Try to be creative" is the message to school systems from state schools Superintendent Cecil Picard, who is looking for long-term compensation from the federal government while advising local authorities to solve their immediate problems as best they can without state money. Picard is banking on a federal Department of Education request to Congress for $1.9 billion in aid to compensate school districts, up to maximum of $7,500 per evacuee student. The agency has requested additional funds to compensate private schools and colleges. In Louisiana, politics may decide how much the districts get. If the federal money is approved, it will flow to the state, which will have the flexibility to divide the funding between the districts serving evacuee students and the districts severely damaged by the storm. The state Legislature will have to be involved in allocations that involve the state's school funding formula, likely setting off a regional tug-of- war. So far, communication between the state and the districts has been inadequate, officials in some parishes say.

NATIONAL : This is a Hurricane Update chart, organized according to districts in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, that includes the lastest damage report and reopening dates as of September 21st. For example, in New Orleans, all but eight of the 126 New Orleans district schools sustained major damage, but most of the damage has not been determined. In Jefferson Parish, nine of 84 schools must be rebuilt; 11 have little damage and will reopen soon. Two administrative buildings were destroyed and another suffered significant damage.

FLORIDA: Hurricane Katrina spared Central Florida its massive destruction. But early signs suggest K-12 students will feel its effects for years. Pasco County school officials said national construction supply shortages are threatening to delay the district's aggressive building program, one that calls for the opening of seven schools by the 2006-07 school year and 21 total by 2009.

Between tremendous population growth, a class-size reduction law that calls for districts to build more classrooms, escalating construction costs and a new law that requires school vendors to conduct pricey criminal background checks on their employees, school districts are struggling to figure out how they are going to catch up. "It's kind of like there are so many factors working against school construction at this point in time that it has to be viewed holistically," Valdes said. "It's not only Katrina. Before Katrina there was escalating construction costs." Prices for concrete, steel, insulation and any petroleum products all are on the rise. Cement prices rose by between 12 and 30 percent in some regions in the past year. And as the construction industry prepares for reconstruction efforts in the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast, demand and prices are only expected to go higher.

MARYLAND: Hoping to catch up with a $2 billion statewide construction and maintenance backlog, the leaders of Baltimore and the state's five biggest counties asked Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. to spend $400 million next year to build and renovate schools statewide. The request competes with calls for tax cuts, state worker raises and more funding for state programs as administration officials decide what to do with the state's $600 million budget surplus. But the executives said they believe school construction is the best use for a large part of the money because it would address a growing problem and would do nothing to worsen the projected state budget deficits in the years to come.

School construction emerged as a major issue in last year's legislative session when Ehrlich promised to add an extra $100 million a year in funding if the legislature agreed to legalize slot machine gambling. His budget proposal allocated $155 million to school construction, a $55 million increase from the year before but still well short of the $250 million a year that a study commission had determined would be necessary to catch up on the state's $2 billion backlog. The legislature couldn't agree on a slots bill, but it managed to boost construction funding to $250 million anyway.

NATIONAL : Fueled by aging and inadequate facilities, the "baby boom echo," immigration and relocation, the K-12 construction market is providing a steady stream of work for contractors and design firms. In the first half of this year, construction started on $15.6 billion worth of school facilities in the U.S., a 4% increase over same period last year. If the economy continues in its pre-Katrina trajectory, the growth should continue for the next few years, due to improving state and local government conditions and an increase in property values, which are closely tied to funds for school construction.

The need for new facilities should persist, however, especially in parts of the country with rapidly expanding populations, such as the South, Southwest and South Central regions. The Clark County School District, which includes Las Vegas, anticipates a 58% increase to its current enrollment of 295,650 students over the next decade. In Texas, K-12 enrollment is growing by 70,000 to 80,000 students each year. Even districts with declining enrollment have huge needs. Between the past two academic years, Los Angeles Unified School District enrollment dropped by almost 6,000 students. Even so, LAUSD estimates a deficit of nearly 200,000 seats. To address the problem, LAUSD is in the midst of a construction push that will add 165,000 seats by 2012. In November, voters will face a $3.8-billion local bond measure for school construction, on top of $9.5 billion approved since 1997. Statewide, California voters have signaled support for new schools by approving more than $15 billion in bond measures since 2002.

Florida is another hub of K-12 activity. Districts in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties together are spending about $1.5 billion. One huge driver for K-12 construction in Florida is an amendment passed by voters in 2002 that requires class sizes be reduced by 2010. Conservative estimates put the cost of compliance at $10 billion. Court decisions are increasingly shaping construction programs. Observers are watching New Jersey, where a 1990 state Supreme Court decision required that the state boost school construction in its poorest districts. Earlier this summer, the Schools Construction Corp. announced that its $8.6-billion construction fund was nearly tapped out, leaving more than 200 planned projects in limbo. In New York City, the School Construction Authority’s $13.1-billion five-year capital plan, to be completed by 2009, anticipates $6.5 billion from New York state in response to a 2003 state Court of Appeals decision. The court found New York City schools have the highest local costs but receive the lowest per-student funding. But the legislature has not yet complied with the decision.

NEW YORK: When the principal of Public School 43 in Far Rockaway, Queens, told a developer two years ago that he needed another building for the students that new housing was bringing to the area, he got a surprise answer: "O.K., I'll build it." "I'll never forget that conversation," said the principal, John M. Quattrocchi. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is to be held for the $2.5 million annex built by the developer, Ron Hershco, at his company's expense. It opened on September 8, the first day of school, and houses nearly 200 students. In the past, such students had to sit in a room where two classes were taught at once, or in one of the five red trailers parked across from the main building. More than 1,400 students are enrolled in P.S. 43, which opened in 1996 and was built to hold 1,200 pre-kindergarten to eighth grade students, Mr. Quattrocchi said. School overcrowding has been a problem in New York City for years, and rapid development on the Rockaways peninsula in Queens has aggravated the situation there. New housing has been springing up across the Rockaways in the past decade, filling schools beyond their capacity, said Councilman James Sanders Jr. of Queens. While the city sometimes demands that housing developers help pay for school construction, Mr. Hershco's offer to build an annex and pay for it himself was a first in recent memory, said a spokesman for the Department of Education, Margie Feinberg. The new building will not eliminate overcrowding at P.S. 43, but it helps, said Mr. Hershco, who does not plan to build any other school facilities because it is "very exhausting." Councilman Sanders said the new building set an example for other developers. "It's not that we solved the problem, it's that we've created a new model," he said. "If every developer who came in did the same, we would have solved the problem of overcrowding."

LOUISIANA: Conditions at several New Orleans campuses appeared grim. Floodwaters covered two-thirds of the Tulane University’s Uptown campus to depths of three or four feet in many places. The brackish water tossed debris about a baseball stadium that was under renovation, ruined virtually all of the university’s vehicle fleet and spilled into the basement of Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, where a world-famous jazz music archive is stored, officials said. Much of the campus was strewn with large tree limbs.

Floodwaters still covered most of the Southern University at New Orleans campus Wednesday. There were reports of water as deep as 14 feet around the campus after the storm, and by Wednesday the receding water was still an inch deep in the administration building. A state damage assessment team hadn’t yet begun its work. At the University of New Orleans, floodwaters at some point covered about a third of the Lakefront campus, mostly on its south and west sides, invading the first floor of a dorm and the city’s premier high school, Ben Franklin, at the edge of the college campus. But "most of the academic buildings didn’t have water," Chancellor Timothy Ryan said. Still, he estimated that building repair and equipment replacement needs will top $100 million.

Xavier and Dillard universities, both hit hard by what appeared to be at least a few feet of flooding on ground floors, were strewn with tree limbs and other debris last week. Damage at Xavier, near South Carrollton Avenue and the Pontchartrain Expressway, had yet to be formally assessed. In addition to flood damage, Dillard lost three buildings to fire, said Savoie, who did not know which buildings burned. A drive past the campus suggested that the stately buildings along Gentilly Boulevard had been spared. But dried muck and downed tree limbs across much of the campus gave it a look of devastation. Nunez Community College in Chalmette, part of a swath of destruction caused by storm surge in St. Bernard Parish, saw six to seven feet of water on the bottom floors of its four buildings, spokeswoman Teresa Smith said. Some of the buildings also sustained roof damage, and mud from the storm waters filled parking lots, one of which was littered with marooned boats. A damage assessment for Nunez was incomplete last week.

NEVADA: The Clark County School District will have to build at least 138 schools during a 10-year period to maintain pace with growth once its current bond measure expires in 2008, district officials said. No estimates have been made of how much revenue will be needed to build those schools. And no decision has been made on when to bring the next bond measure before the voters, although likely dates are 2006 or 2008. District officials looked at three different scenarios, one which calls for 138 new schools, another for 158 and the third for 212, based on the number of year-round schools. The plan for 138 new schools assumes all elementary schools are on a year-round calendar. Under the plan to build 158 schools, 43 percent of the elementary schools would operate under a year-round calendar. The plan for 211 schools operates under the assumption that all elementary schools are on a nine-month calendar.

The bond approved in 1998 called for 88 new schools to be built with $3.5 billion. Twenty-six schools remain to be built under that bond, with some of those under construction. The 1998 bond measure has been a success. The school district, the fifth-largest in the nation, gains about 15,000 students each year. The district's current bond is expected to produce more schools than initially projected: 90 new schools, with an additional 10 older schools being replaced.

ARKANSAS: The three-member commission overseeing the repair and upgrade of Arkansas schools approved the transfer of $34.7 million in state funds for 142 districts statewide to proceed with immediate facilities improvements. Two months ago, the commission hired longtime Arkansas Department of Education official David Floyd to head the newly created Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation. Floyd's charge was to review applications from 142 districts seeking money to address immediate facilities needs, such as roof and floor repairs. The districts were seeking a share of $20 million authorized by the Legislature for emergency facilities improvements. Under rules established by lawmakers, the state can transfer funds to pay for the additional $14.7 million needed to pay for the state's portion of the facilities improvements. Altogether, districts sought $73 million for projects. Districts must fund a portion of renovation costs. In other business, Floyd asked the commission to OK a phased master plan timeline for school districts to provide the state with a blueprint to improve facilities.

MARYLAND: Two problems - declining enrollment and old, decrepit buildings - affect scores of schools in Baltimore. Issues for years, they have at last reached the point where school system officials say they must act. The system has 87,000 students enrolled and space for 126,000. Baltimore has the oldest schools in Maryland, with its average building 45.6 years old, according to system figures. About 30 of 171 buildings are more than 75 years old. Fewer than half have air conditioning. And it would cost an estimated $1 billion to fix all the maintenance problems. In the past, proposals to close schools have run into opposition from parents and neighborhood activists who rally to save them. But over the next seven months, the financially strapped school system will take a hard look at its buildings. By April, officials say, they will have a plan to determine which schools to close, which schools to renovate and where to build new schools over the next decade. The system has hired a consulting firm for nearly $1 million. The firm will help community committees to determine the space needs of their neighborhood schools and how schools should be configured to meet modern academic needs. Most notably, the school system is asking the groups to consider converting conventional middle schools to K-8 schools.

FLORIDA: Forget Katrina. The checks are still in the mail for almost $4 million that the federal government and others owe the Broward School District for expenses connected to last year's hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. At least $2.3 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been bogged down in micromanaging, minutia-laden paperwork, rolls of red tape and confusion, school officials said. Even with storms that only grazed the county, the School District spent $3.39 million on Frances and $631,000 on Jeanne, including services rendered to the American Red Cross and nearby counties, district memos show. Some checks have been promised to arrive this month, but other payments are still being processed.

FLORIDA: Forget Katrina. The checks are still in the mail for almost $4 million that the federal government and others owe the Broward School District for expenses connected to last year's hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. At least $2.3 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been bogged down in micromanaging, minutia-laden paperwork, rolls of red tape and confusion, school officials said. Even with storms that only grazed the county, the School District spent $3.39 million on Frances and $631,000 on Jeanne, including services rendered to the American Red Cross and nearby counties, district memos show. Some checks have been promised to arrive this month, but other payments are still being processed.

MISSISSIPPI: Throughout South Mississippi, superintendents, teachers and other school employees are working to clean up, repair and in some cases move schools in order to get students back in the classroom. Schools in South Mississippi expect to open again at the end of September or early October, depending on how quickly repairs are made. Education officials in the southern part of the state met to get questions answered and give updates on the condition of their schools. They learned that schools will get extra money from the state and federal governments. They also learned that the state has ordered 400 portable classrooms that will be delivered in the next few weeks. State Supt. Hank Bounds said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will pay districts for all costs for textbooks, classroom furnishings, library books, building reconstruction, teaching supplies and bus repairs attributed to Katrina. Residents and public officials in hurricane-ravaged areas have criticized FEMA for its perceived slow response. Many also say FEMA is slow to pay governments and schools for purchases and repairs after a hurricane.

MASSACHUSETTS: East Bridgewater is among the communities that have turned to portable classrooms to ease school overcrowding. Stoughton, Avon, Silver Lake Regional and Bridgewater-Raynham have all used the so-called "modular" classrooms as a temporary and less expensive solution to growing student populations. In Stoughton, for example, a modular building was added to the Robert G. O'Donnell Middle School. More room was needed quickly and as inexpensively as possible, so the town went with a modular building, he said. The brick-faced building houses six classrooms, where students study world languages.The cost of the modular building was about $850,000 and that included everything from site work to furnishings. In East Bridgewater, using modular classrooms to ease a longtime overcrowding problem at the Central School is near. But, officials warn, it is just temporary. Up until two years ago, Silver Lake Regional High School leased two modular buildings, each with 20 classrooms. The first building was leased beginning in 1995 and the second in 2000. The classrooms were bright, clean and spacious, and were the preferred classrooms of both teachers and students, Principal Richard Kelley said. "They are not a long-term solution," Kelley said. "They deteriorate rather quickly with 1,800 students traipsing through every day." The Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District purchased a modular building with four classrooms about 10 years ago to alleviate an overcrowding problem at the McElwain Elementary School in Bridgewater.

The school district leased a modular building with four classrooms during the renovation of the Williams Middle School in Bridgewater and plan on removing the four classrooms at the Williams this winter when the new section of the building is completed. The school district also leased two modular buildings, each with four classrooms, for the high school. The modular classrooms at the at the high school cost about $20,000 each to lease annually and modular classrooms at the Williams School cost $16,000 to $20,000 each to lease annually.

LOUISIANA: New Orleans presents an educational challenge. Its public schools have struggled for decades and have shown few signs of getting better. Yet the needs of the Big Easy's children are so great. Fully 27 percent of New Orleans residents lived below the poverty line. That social challenge deserves our attention and compassion. And poor children deserve excellent schools. They weren't getting them in New Orleans pre-Katrina, which means getting back to the status quo ante does little to meet those kids' educational needs.

Break the mold on school buildings. The physical structures of schools should be a means to an end — housing excellent educational institutions — not an end in itself. With the whole city a rebuilding project, why not throw out our old notions of stand-alone buildings, behemoth high schools, and other vestiges of the industrial age? Instead, New Orleans could build schools that are more integrated into the community — as part of housing developments, or near offices, or strategically located near recreation opportunities. Most important, the educational design should come before the facility design.

LOUISIANA: Two weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, fallen tree branches, standing water, and layers of muck still block vehicles from getting to Carter G. Woodson Middle School, a building near the Magnolia public housing complex that has long held the state title "academically unacceptable." The damage to Woodson and many of the 126 public school buildings in Orleans Parish does not bother school board member Jimmy Fahrenholtz, who is happy the system's 65,000-plus students have been forced to find new schools in Louisiana, Texas and elsewhere. "A lot of them we never should have had open," Fahrenholtz said in an interview on a French Quarter street corner. "I wanted to tear this system apart two years ago. God answered my prayers." His words may seem callous, but they echo the thoughts of many in Louisiana who have spent years puzzling over how to fix the state's poorest-performing school system.

New Orleans wasn't the only district displaced by Katrina. With all 15 of its schools underwater, St. Bernard Parish has canceled its entire year of classes. Six of the nine schools in Plaquemines Parish were flooded, and the wind blew the roof off another. And countless private schools, including many in the eight-parish network run by the Archdiocese of New Orleans, must also find homes for their students. But it's the disintegration of the city's public school system that is causing the most discussion - both for its statewide impact and its uncertain future. Like many urban school districts, the New Orleans public school system faces countless social problems. Families are poor. Violence is prevalent. Many parents are uneducated and underemployed

LOUISIANA: In a T-shirt, jeans and sneakers, Paul Solis Elementary School Principal Ginny Dufrene spent most of Tuesday with co-workers cleaning up the Terrytown school, where electricity is spotty and the air conditioner is still on the fritz. The school suffered roof damage, with winds scattering insulation and shingles across the campus. Still, only one of the school's nearly 40 classrooms saw significant flooding. "It's nothing we can't handle," Dufrene said, applauding National Guard troops who helped clean debris outside. "It looks worse than what it is from the outside. I think we're going to be OK." In a T-shirt, jeans and sneakers, Paul Solis Elementary School Principal Ginny Dufrene spent most of Tuesday with co-workers cleaning up the Terrytown school, where electricity is spotty and the air conditioner is still on the fritz. The school suffered roof damage, with winds scattering insulation and shingles across the campus. Still, only one of the school's nearly 40 classrooms saw significant flooding. "It's nothing we can't handle," Dufrene said, applauding National Guard troops who helped clean debris outside. "It looks worse than what it is from the outside. I think we're going to be OK." Despite lingering uncertainty about the Jefferson Parish public school system's fiscal stability, Superintendent Diane Roussel told principals to return to their schools Tuesday for damage assessment and preparation for students' return. Since the storm, the school system has shifted its administrative operations to Baton Rouge. At a School Board meeting last week, its first since Hurricane Katrina struck on Aug. 29, the board approved a resolution setting Oct. 3 as the targeted reopening of schools, though officials admit some schools might open later that week. Including Solis, Jefferson has classified nine schools as the most severely damaged in the parish, and Nowakowski said the School Board must decide what do with those.The other schools are East Jefferson High School, Bonnabel High School, L.W. Ruppel Elementary School, Ames Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Shirley Johnson/Gretna Park Elementary, Woodmere Elementary School and the Thomas Jefferson High School, which was slated to open for the 2006-07 school year. An adult education building in Gretna was being converted into the magnet high school. Overall, about 42 of the system's schools, about half, are expected to be useable by the Oct. 3 reopening target date.

NATIONAL : State leaders have just begun counting the billions of dollars it will take for schools in the Gulf Coast region to recover from Hurricane Katrina. Schools around the country, meanwhile, continue to welcome the estimated 300,000-plus students displaced by the storm—some 50,000 of whom were learning last week that their home schools would likely be closed for the rest of the academic year. Louisiana schools will need $2.8 billion in federal aid so New Orleans and surrounding districts can pay their operating costs for 2005-06. And state officials hadn’t started estimating the expense of rebuilding more than 100 schools in the city alone. In Mississippi, state Superintendent Hank Bounds would not offer a specific price tag for schools in his beleaguered state, but he warned that it would be "very, very big."

As leaders in the storm-torn region started to map out the future of their schools, they made it clear that they don’t believe they’ll be able to rebuild or even reopen them without federal help. Late last week, Mississippi officials announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had committed to provide 400 portable school buildings to the state to help it open schools as soon as next month in that state’s hardest-hit region. Louisian schools chief Cecil J. Picard said school officials had not had the chance to thoroughly survey damaged buildings as of last week because floodwaters hadn’t fully subsided. Once that work is done, he said, the state will submit a separate request to federal officials. The $62.3 billion in federal aid approved last week would pay for the rescue efforts, shelters, and emergency aid and health care for displaced people. As early as this week, Congress may begin drafting a bill that would help finance schools’ needs in the wake of Katrina, said a congressional aide familiar with the appropriations process, who asked not to be named.

MISSISSIPPI: Hundreds of Mississippi schools remained closed last week in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as education leaders from this community and others began making plans to resume classes, rebuild schools, and restart their lives. More than 80,000 Mississippi students were believed to be scattered across the state and neighboring states following the storm, which ravaged the region in late August. Dozens of schools on Mississippi’s coast and farther inland were destroyed or badly damaged. Still, school leaders hope to have all districts open again in early October, using whatever facilities are available and serving whatever students remain or return.

Hundreds of Mississippi schools felt the impact of Hurricane Katrina. And after well over a week without power, officials in charge of those sites struggled last week to determine when classes would resume and how they would rebuild their school systems. In Pass Christian, an oak-shaded beach town about 75 miles northeast of New Orleans and just west of Gulfport, schools, houses, and businesses were leveled by huge tides and mighty winds. Locals said the storm was more devastating than the legendary Hurricane Camille of 1969. Katrina left Pass Christian Middle School, which had been destroyed by Camille when it was the local high school, as nothing more than piles of red brick and other debris stretching for a city block. Only the school’s concrete sign, which carries a plaque marking the 1969 storm, and a small portion of a new building at the rear of the campus, remained standing. It looked as if dozens of bulldozers had stormed the place.

In the Harrison County district, which mostly surrounds the cities of Gulfport and Biloxi, three schools may not reopen for months, or even for this entire school year. "I am anticipating having to double-shift some schools," said Henry Arledge, the superintendent of the 13,000-student Harrison County district. One of his district’s schools, D’Iberville Middle School in the town of that name, just across an inland bay from Biloxi, had eight feet of water invade its hallways and classrooms and the neighborhood surrounding it. The school’s cafeteria and library were filled with water and mud. Trophies floated down hallways, and classroom supplies ended up strewn about the community. A moldy stench could be detected in the school through smashed-out classroom windows.

LOUISIANA: Mold is growing on the carpet, chairs, tables, and walls of the Jefferson Parish school district’s main office here. But that’s only one of countless problems that David P. Taylor and Scott B. Adams were worrying about last week. Early on the morning of Sept. 8, the two district employees climbed into a dark-green van and headed southeast from Baton Rouge to the school system adjoining New Orleans to get a better fix on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Although most headlines and TV cameras have spotlighted New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, across the Mississippi River, has plenty of headaches, too. Not only did the storm damage many of the district’s 84 schools, but its central offices took a beating as well. Katrina had ripped off the roof of the district’s headquarters, and heavy rains had wrecked parts of the building. A crew was putting up a temporary roof fix to prevent further damage. “The personnel department is wiped out,” said Mr. Adams, the district’s construction manager, while touring the building with a flashlight. Mr. Adams told Mr. Taylor, the facilities director, that the building was “at least six months away” from being habitable. Besides visiting the district headquarters, the two dropped by the administrative annex, a massive structure offering a prime view of the New Orleans skyline from its roof that was also damaged in the storm.

NATIONAL : Hurricane Katrina has booted at least 372,000 students from classrooms in Louisiana and Mississippi, and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said there are no clear answers about who will pay to educate them. In Louisiana, more than 247,000 public and private school students have been displaced. The storm forced 489 schools to close. At least six parishes have destroyed or damaged buildings, she said. In Mississippi, more than 125,000 students have been forced elsewhere. About 226 schools in 30 districts are closed, and almost 30 schools have been destroyed. Spellings declined to estimate the cost for the states to rebuild schools or serve displaced students--or how much the federal government will cover. "I shouldn't be talking about the details that I'm in negotiations with the White House and the [Capitol] Hill on," she said. "As soon as I can talk about it, I want to talk about it."

LOUISIANA: Jefferson Parish public school principals are heading into their schools today to help the district assess storm damage and prepare for a target reopening for the week of October 3. "We have had a property preservation team checking on the schools, but we thought let’s augment that with the principals who know their schools best," Jeff Nowakowski, school system spokesman, said. "They’re going to report back to us, to report on what damage there is, and how extensive it is so we can complete the repairs before the next rain comes." Principals from West Bank and East Jefferson schools met with school system officials Monday to start making plans for a return of students, Nowakowski said. "We had about 66 out of 84 principals attend the meeting," he said.

LOUISIANA: Jefferson Parish public school principals are heading into their schools today to help the district assess storm damage and prepare for a target reopening for the week of October 3. "We have had a property preservation team checking on the schools, but we thought let’s augment that with the principals who know their schools best," Jeff Nowakowski, school system spokesman, said. "They’re going to report back to us, to report on what damage there is, and how extensive it is so we can complete the repairs before the next rain comes." Principals from West Bank and East Jefferson schools met with school system officials Monday to start making plans for a return of students, Nowakowski said. "We had about 66 out of 84 principals attend the meeting," he said.

DELAWARE: The cost of school construction in Delaware has increased by 20 percent in the last year due to increases in the price of steel, fuel, labor and petroleum-based materials, a state Department of Education official said. Nick Vacirca, education associate for school planning and maintenance at DOE, said the state is seeing an average bid price of $230 to $250 per square foot for new school construction. Construction prices promised to the public in referendums passed within the last year are based on a rate of $175 per square - a formula that remains the state's standard for funding. Mr. Vacirca said the state will only fund its contribution to school construction on the $175 per square foot rate, and if a local district wants to exceed that cost, it will have to make up the difference with local funds. To prevent that, Caesar Rodney Assistant Superintendent Dr. Victor P. Valeski said, districts often have to scale back plans and use cheaper materials in order to fund their projects for the prices promised to the public in a referendum

LOUISIANA: Click on the graphic "Neighborhoods That Were Hit Hard and Those That Weren't." This maps out the location of schools, and other selected infrastructure, in the flooded areas of New Orleans.

NATIONAL : It takes two to three days for mold to begin growing in a flooded building. It can take years to get rid of it. For most houses and buildings damaged by Hurricane Katrina, it already is too late to stop the mold invasion, say sources. And the longer there is no power in New Orleans to dry out buildings, the worse the situation will get. That means many buildings will have to be stripped to the bone to rid them of mold.

For mold to form, there has to be moisture, a food source, and certain temperature and humidity. Almost every single building in New Orleans has all three ingredients. Buildings fitted out with gypsum board offer the best mold breeding ground, say sources. But even plaster has a food source because of how it is applied. New buildings with light frames of steel, concrete or wood; cavity wall construction; and steel or wood studs will be "completely trashed." Older buildings, especially bearing wall structures built a century ago from nonporous brick, are expected to do much better. If the heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment has not been submerged, turning it back on is not likely to be a problem. Buildings fitted out with gypsum board offer the best mold breeding ground, say sources. But even plaster has a food source because of how it is applied. New buildings with light frames of steel, concrete or wood; cavity wall construction; and steel or wood studs will be "completely trashed. Older buildings, especially bearing wall structures built a century ago from nonporous brick, are expected to do much better. If the heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment has not been submerged, turning it back on is not likely to be a problem. But the enclosures will all be trashed by then anyway.

NATIONAL : The impact of Hurricane Katrina can be felt on the construction industry as far away as Hawaii. Prices for diesel fuel and other petroleum and natural-gas products, cement and tires for heavy equipment are already rising. Prices for lumber and labor are expected to soar. And delays in projects are likely coast-to-coast. The cost of lumber will also rise because of damaged mills in the deep south and as demand increases with the rebuilding of communities nearly leveled by Katrina. Already, some contractors are seeing hikes of 8 percent or more in the cost of lumber. For South Florida and other markets, though, the materials crunch may wind up as the least costly component of their business in the near future. As rebuilding gets under way on the Gulf Coast, they expect the labor market to tighten. That labor drain won't just be in people who work directly for construction companies. It will be in subcontractors who see both a duty and an opportunity in all the work to be had as rebuilding money pours into the now-stricken region.

ALABAMA: All but one of Mobile County's public schools are set to open September 12. Grand Bay Middle School, severely damaged due to Hurricane Katrina, won't be opening for another six months, officials said last week. Grand Bay Middle's students will begin attending Causey Middle School in west Mobile on Tuesday on a split-shift, with Causey's children in class in the mornings and Grand Bay's in the afternoons. Students returning to the other 100 schools can expect to encounter construction work and, some system officials are saying, up to 1,000 new students from Mississippi and Louisiana who have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Baldwin County students returned to class last Tuesday and have already received more than 500 hurricane refugees, officials there said last week.

Mobile County schools Superintendent Harold Dodge said contractors are working at 76 schools and that damage from the hurri cane, which should be covered by insurance, is expected to be around $35 million. Tommy Sheffield, executive director of facilities for the Mobile County Public School System, said contractors over the last two weeks have already patched holes in roofs, cleaned water out of buildings and performed other tasks to get the schools ready for students. But making permanent fixes on all of the schools could take months. Dodge, Sheffield and several school board members took Gov. Bob Riley on a tour of Grand Bay Middle and Williamson High School last week, pointing out the damage. Part of the roof at Grand Bay Middle blew off during the hurricane, causing it to rain inside the building. The floors and ceiling tiles were damaged. Visitors standing in the gymnasium can see the sky through large and small holes in the roof, which contractors began removing Friday. Workers in the sixth-grade hall on Friday peeled off layers of the wall, revealing what Sheffield said he had feared -- mold growing inside. He said it may be better to tear that whole building down and construct a new one, rather than having to replace all of the walls, floors, ceiling tiles and roof there. Dodge and several board members agreed. "I know there are a lot of memories in that old building, but that's about all that's left," said board member Bill Mere dith, who represents south Mobile County. Grand Bay Middle was built in 1929 and used to be Mobile County High School.

CONNECTICUT: Communities across southeastern Connecticut are confronting the necessity to rebuild their aging public school buildings, many of which have not received significant attention for decades. But New London especially needs to modernize and reconfigure its elementary schools, whose condition and number are a strain on the financially distressed city and drawback to improving the quality of public education. A committee for the school district has produced a plan that is impressive for its thoughtfulness, not to mention the price of the effort. The study was virtually free because all the work was done in-house. The outcome, which the Board of Education has approved, calls for reducing the number of elementary schools from five to three. This would mean closing two schools, most likely Harbor and either Winthrop or Edgerton School.

GEORGIA: Some of Macon's oldest schools are falling apart. At Southwest High School, a teacher complained that students drink warm water from water fountains, and an air conditioner blows hot air. A heater blows cold. "Some buildings are in such disrepair you could go into a science lab and look up at all the holes," said Southwest teacher Henry Ficklin, also a Macon city councilman. And cracks in the walls of the band room have allowed snakes to get inside. Bibb County voters will decide Sept. 20 whether to approve a $165.6 million special purpose local option sales tax for education that will pay for upgrades such as technology, buses and new schools.

At Central High School, which has student-used buildings that date back to 1917, there is a shortage of classroom space. Teachers often pack students into whatever rooms they can find, unlike contemporary schools that are logistically designed. For instance, a calculus class meets behind a weight-lifting room where barbells clang and near a choir room where students can be heard practicing their octaves. Once a building is 35 or 40 years old, it's a candidate for a major overhaul or total replacement, said Bob Nickels, a Bibb County school board member. School officials said one-third of Bibb's schools need to be rebuilt.

LOUISIANA: State schools Superintendent Cecil J. Picard posted the results of a parish-by-parish survey of hurricane damage on the state Department of Education's Web site. Orleans Parish: Only eight schools out of 126 have been inspected. They have been damaged but are usable. The eight are in the West Bank area. Plaquemines Parish: Six of the nine schools have been "completely flooded" and Katrina blew the roof off a wing at one school. St. Bernard Parish: Officials believe all 15 schools are under water and have suffered extensive damage. Authorities in St. Bernard and Plaquemines can't say when they will be able to open schools. Jefferson Parish: Nine schools were severely damaged and can't be used, 11 will need repairs and 37 have little or no damage. Of the 84 schools, 57 have been inspected. Officials hope to reopen some schools on October 3. St. Charles Parish: One school had minor roof damage over the cafeteria and auditorium but can be used safely. No date has been set to reopen the 19 schools. St. Tammany Parish: Five schools have been badly damaged and can't be used. The district said 2,600 students who attend those schools will be taken in by others in the district when it reopens on October 3. Washington Parish: All nine of schools were damaged and three need major repairs. Schools reopen on September 19. City of Bogalusa: The central office was destroyed and the 10 schools received "some damage." Officials hope to reopen school by October 3.

MARYLAND: The global economy - and, now, the aftershock of Hurricane Katrina - is conspiring against Allegany County's first new high school in 50 years, renovations for Baltimore's School for the Arts and similar school projects throughout Maryland. School construction costs have soared 20 percent or more over the past year as prices increase for steel, petroleum-based materials, labor and fuel. And that was before Katrina's impact began to be felt throughout the broader economy. As a result, officials all over Maryland have been forced to delay, trim and retrench as they begin their annual search for more state and local funding. "We've seen staggering construction costs. The cost of petroleum products affects almost every aspect of construction," said David Lever, executive director of the state's Public School Construction Program. Costs per square foot are rising to the $210-$225 range from about $176, Lever said. The increases come at a time when contractors in the Baltimore-Washington area are flush with work and when skilled workers are in short supply for such jobs, which often require night and weekend work to avoid classroom disruptions.

NEW JERSEY: Senator Jon S. Corzine said that if he is elected governor, he will ask voters to approve a statewide bond referendum to pay for the construction and renovation of schools in poor and urban districts, at a possible cost of billions of dollars. Mr. Corzine's plan would finish what New Jersey's troubled Schools Construction Corporation has said it will not complete after canceling more than 200 school projects around the state this summer. The agency concluded that its $8.6 billion construction budget would cover only half the projects it had expected to undertake. Mr. Corzine called the agency a "disgrace."

NEW JERSEY: Senator Jon S. Corzine said that if he is elected governor, he will ask voters to approve a statewide bond referendum to pay for the construction and renovation of schools in poor and urban districts, at a possible cost of billions of dollars. Mr. Corzine's plan would finish what New Jersey's troubled Schools Construction Corporation has said it will not complete after canceling more than 200 school projects around the state this summer. The agency concluded that its $8.6 billion construction budget would cover only half the projects it had expected to undertake. Mr. Corzine called the agency a "disgrace."

MISSISSIPPI: State Superintendent of Education Hank Bounds has asked the federal government for money and waivers to help local school systems handle the influx of children of evacuees from Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Department of Education officials said about 3,200 students from Louisiana and the Mississippi Coast have been enrolled since Katrina hit Aug. 29. Districts now are going to shelters to enroll students. Bounds said Mississippi needs "lots of money, lots of waivers and lots of assistance." "In the three coastal areas, about 75 percent of schools have significant damage," he said. Bounds said he sent federal education officials an eight-page letter detailing waivers that Mississippi seeks, as well as lists of items Mississippi needs money to pay for, including buildings and teachers.

LOUISIANA: Louisiana school districts decimated by Hurricane Katrina will need $2.8 billion in federal aid this school year to recover from the devastating storm, Louisiana’s top education official said, adding that as many as 100,000 of the public school students displaced in the New Orleans area may return to their home schools by January. That would leave about 55,000 students from New Orleans and one of its neighboring parishes without a home school to return to during the current school year.

The $2.8 billion would allow many schools in the New Orleans area to reopen soon, some even in the city itself. Eight or nine schools in the city’s West Bank suffered little damage and may be able to accept about 13,600 students by January. But at least 80 buildings in the 60,000-student Orleans Parish district were destroyed or suffered significant damage from the Aug. 29 winds and the floodwaters that followed. Students who attended those buildings are unlikely to attend school in the city in the current school year. Those estimates are based on an initial inspection conducted shortly after floodwaters spread across the city. School officials will know more about the long-term damage caused by the storm once they conduct a follow-up inspection of the city. Other New Orleans-area districts are working to reopen soon.

ARKANSAS: The constitutionality of Arkansas' funding of school building repairs was questioned after the state's school facilities director acknowledged districts may compete for a limited pool of money. A fight among schools for $20 million in immediate repair money contradicts a Supreme Court decision saying all public school students have access to substantially equal facilities. In testimony, the director of the Division of Academic Facilities and Transportation said guidelines for distributing the $20 million indeed create competition for the money. And, according to director David Floyd, it is possible some schools with the worst needs could be left without any money. The state claims more than $700 million in additional aid has been directed to schools since the Supreme Court's first Lake View decision in 2002. About $120 million is dedicated to facilities, including the $20 million in the immediate repair program. Schools statewide submitted 140 requests for the $20 million for needs such as new roofs and heating systems. If all were approved, the state share would be more than $39 million. To evaluate which districts are funded, Floyd said architects and engineers evaluated each project to determine actual cost and need. A scoring system takes into account a building's future use, school enrollment and a state academic facilities wealth index to prioritize funding.

MISSISSIPPI: Getting students back in classrooms will be a challenge for some districts. The Pass Christian system lost two of its four schools to Katrina and a third is out of service. "We have one school, Delisle Elementary, that had water damage, but we can get it up and going," Superintendent Sue Matheson said. Matheson said the district will set up portable classrooms on the eight-acre elementary campus and hold classes for all grades there. The target date for reopening the district is Oct. 15. Henry Arledge, superintendent of the 13,000-student Harrison County School District, has three schools in "serious trouble" and roof problems at the rest. The worst is D'Iberville Middle School, where Katrina pushed in eight feet of water. In addition, five schools are being used as hurricane shelters and four others are staging areas for relief workers. Even the front desk at the school district's main office has been commandeered as the communications outpost for the Gulfport Police Department. Arledge has people problems, too. He has no idea how many students or teachers will return when the school year resumes. "We don't even know how many employees (are in the county)," he said. Nevertheless, the Harrison County School Board Tuesday set a target of reopening schools sometime between Oct. 1 and Oct. 15, and under emergency procedures, hired contractors on no-bid contracts to fix roofs, heating and air-conditioning systems, and make other repairs. Securing funding is the next challenge.

NATIONAL : In the aftermath of one of the worst natural disaster in U.S. history, education officials from the three states are working hard to get children back in school and, in hard-hit Louisiana and Mississippi, establish plans to rebuild or repair destroyed and damaged school buildings. In addition to Texas, states throughout the country are also welcoming displaced students into their schools.

Louisiana officials are piecing together a picture of what their school system will look like in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. For now, it appears that both the New Orleans district, the state’s largest, and the nearby St. Bernard public schools could be out of commission for the entire school year, and that other districts could take weeks or even months to reopen, state schools Superintendent Cecil J. Picard said in a Sept. 6 statement to the press. In Mississippi, state and local education officials were considering setting up portable classrooms and establishing double-shift schedules at some schools to accommodate students whose schools were destroyed or are too damaged to use for months. And in Houston, a prime destination for hurricane evacuees, one of the largest school enrollment efforts in local history is starting Sept. 7 in the Houston Astrodome sports arena, the convention center, and other nearby facilities that have been turned into shelters that Houston residents are now calling “Dome City.”

MISSISSIPPI: Superintendents throughout South Mississippi don't know how many students or teachers they'll have, but they plan to resume classes at the beginning of October. Educators from Hattiesburg south met with officials from the state Department of Education to discuss issues such as school damage, pay for non-contract employees and displaced students and teachers. Many schools in South Mississippi received major damage after Hurricane Katrina ravaged this area, but officials are doing everything they can to return students back to the classroom. Many schools in Hancock County and Pass Christian were either destroyed or damaged almost beyond repair. Other districts just have one or two schools with major damage. Beyond that, the homes of many students, teachers, superintendents and other employees were destroyed, leaving officials unsure of how many students have enrolled in other districts and how many teachers and employees have found jobs in other cities or states.

NATIONAL : Federal officials are grappling with the next steps to help students displaced by Hurricane Katrina return to school and to help districts and educators also cope with the aftermath of the disaster. Secretary Spellings announced a new Web site aimed at helping schools that have enrolled student evacuees, called www.ed.gov/katrina">Hurricane Help for Schools. The Web site is aimed at getting additional supplies to schools that have enrolled students from New Orleans and other hard-hit areas. Schools can post messages about what resources and supplies they need, and companies and organizations can respond directly. Groups can also offer their own resources and provide ways for schools to contact them.

On Capitol Hill, federal lawmakers were also moving to aid schools handling an influx of evacuated students. Though Congress has already approved $10.5 billion in general emergency funds for the affected areas, some lawmakers were seeking to provide help specifically to schools and students.

LOUISIANA: Students likely will not be able to attend public school in Orleans or St. Bernard parishes for the rest of the school year, state schools Superintendent Cecil Picard said. Other school districts, such as those in Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Charles and St. Tammany parishes and the city of Bogalusa, can be up and running in either weeks or months, he said at a briefing at the state Office of Emergency Preparedness. About 135,000 public school students in four parishes - Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines - were displaced by Hurricane Katrina, along with 52,000 private and parochial school students, according to the state Department of Education. These students will be required to attend school, for at least part of the year, outside of their home districts. "We're going to have to really take a hard look at complete reconstruction of the Orleans Parish school system," Picard said. But Interim Superintendent Ora Watson said earlier in the day that she hopes that at least a few schools in Algiers could be opened this school year to accommodate families that might return to the area, which has not been flooded. Picard said that there are about eight schools in Algiers that were not substantially damaged by the storm, but added that he did not expect even those schools would be ready by year's end. If people return to the West Bank, a small school district of maybe 7,000 or 8,000 students could be set up to accommodate those children sometime after January, he said. Even getting to that point will depend on how quickly the area can be made habitable, Picard said. He noted that the state must deem the area safe - including ensuring that there is no environmental contamination from the floodwaters - and basic amenities like electricity and water must be available.

NATIONAL : The U.S. Department of Education announced Hurricane Help for Schools, a new Web page aimed at getting additional supplies to schools serving students displaced by the hurricane. The website can be accessed through the Department of Education's Web site—www.ed.gov/katrina—and will serve as a clearinghouse of resources for Americans who want to help the students displaced by the hurricane.

NEW JERSEY: For many New Jersey students, Tuesday was the first day of school, and it served as a reminder of the litany of problems, big and small, never addressed by a troubled statewide school construction program that abruptly canceled more than 200 school projects this summer after running out of money for them.

NEW JERSEY: For many New Jersey students, Tuesday was the first day of school, and it served as a reminder of the litany of problems, big and small, never addressed by a troubled statewide school construction program that abruptly canceled more than 200 school projects this summer after running out of money for them.

LOUISIANA: Sixteen Jefferson Parish public schools are usable, eight have isolated damage and six have major damage from Hurricane Katrina, according to the first assessment by school system officials. The assessments are cursory and won’t be verified until extensive inspections are made. The other 54 schools have yet to be examined.

NATIONAL : Education Secretary Margaret Spellings telephoned the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama state school superintendents and other top Gulf Coast educators, offering broad federal assistance to stricken schools and universities. The federal government will ignore deadlines facing school systems in gulf states on some federal financing programs, Ms. Spellings told the educators, and the government will cut through red tape and be flexible on other educational questions, she said in an interview.

LOUISIANA: Before Hurricane Katrina left New Orleans submerged in up to 20 feet of water, school facility planners and city officials were already looking at ways to renovate or replace many of the district’s famously rundown schools. Now, according to one architect there, the district has an opportunity for a new start. The New Orleans district has been nationally known for its decrepit facilities, many of which have had severe problems with mold, termite damage, and violations of health and safety codes over the years. Few had up-to-date wiring for technology, air conditioning, or accessibility for students with disabilities. "The schools in New Orleans were considered to be among the worst in the country in terms of state of repair," Stephen Bingler, the founder and chief executive officer of Concordia Community Planners and Architects, a New Orleans-based firm, said. It will likely be several months or more before schools are back in order in New Orleans and other areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Facility planners said that the water damage and other de-struction would require that many schools be rebuilt or completely refurbished.

When buildings are inundated with water for days, and possibly weeks, as could be the case in New Orleans, enormous problems with mold and mildew, in addition to structural damage, are likely, several facility planners added. New Orleans and other districts caught up in the storm’s wide swath are "going to face a lot of need for temporary housing, and they’re going to be challenged to be creative in how they look at redevel-opment of their school systems," said Lee Burch, a senior vice president and education practice leader with 3D International, a Houston-based construction firm.

NATIONAL : With school buildings torn apart, buses underwater, and offices washed away, school districts trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina will have to start by figuring out where they’ll get the money. As estimates of damages from Katrina mounted, it was unclear just what sort of insurance coverage districts in the hardest-hit regions of Louisiana and Mississippi actually had. Equally uncertain was whether the cost of their repairs would be picked up chiefly by insurance companies, the federal government, or state and local taxpayers. One concern, insurance experts said, was that the damage from flooding to schools in New Orleans may be covered by insurance only minimally, or not at all.

NATIONAL : Colleges and universities across the country, including many in Greater Boston, are opening doors to students whose schools have been left uninhabitable by Hurricane Katrina. Some are offering the opportunity to enroll in classes, while others are providing housing and laptops. Up to 100,000 students attend colleges in New Orleans, and a total of about 175,000 are enrolled in southern Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, the American Council on Education estimated. Many now find themselves without homes or schools and have returned to their hometowns and uncertain futures.

NATIONAL : School districts already struggling to meet the high costs of fuel are bracing for a rising tide of red ink in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the yet-untold damage it dealt to oil production along the Gulf of Mexico. Overnight, fears of $3-per-gallon fuel for school buses has given way to nightmares of having to pay closer to $6 per gallon—as some communities have already seen—if the nation’s fuel supply is severely damaged for a long period of time.

NATIONAL : Examples of the impact on schools from previous hurricanes and other natural disasters include Hurricane Charley in 2004, Hurricane Floyd in 1999, Northridge Earthquake in 1999, Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and Hurricane Camille in 1969.

NATIONAL : Thousands of children displaced by one of the most destructive natural disasters ever to strike the United States will be back in school soon, sometimes as far as 500 miles away from home. Whether their own schools are flooded in New Orleans or missing roofs in Biloxi, Mississippi, many students will find a spot in a classroom in the town where they’ve landed. Some 48 hours after Hurricane Katrina left the Gulf Coast, districts in the same or neighboring states started enrolling the storm’s refugees, as school officials across the South responded to the massive emergency migration caused by the devastating storm. The open-door policies were among many steps taken in an effort to bring some sense of normal life to students, parents, and educators after Katrina left hundreds of schools in Louisiana and Mississippi closed indefinitely.

While school officials are willing to accept evacuees as students, they face many logistical problems, such as finding temporary classroom space and hiring teachers to handle the influx of students. In Jackson, Miss., state officials were talking about the possibility of converting an abandoned K-Mart store into a temporary school. But they don’t know if they will need to do that until the survey of the damage is completed. Once they have helped displaced students find temporary schools, officials in Louisiana and Mississippi will set to work figuring how long schools will be closed. Initial reports from Mississippi suggest many schools, along with casinos, hotels, and other structures, were leveled. According to the Web site of television station WLOX in Biloxi, the walls of Harrison Central 9th Grade School in North Gulfport collapsed, the roof blew off St. Martin High School in Pascagoula, and, at the very least, the elementary schools in Harrison County saw significant damage to their roofs. In New Orleans and five districts near it, schools remained flooded along with other buildings. Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimated that it would take a month simply to pump floodwaters out of the city. Until then, school officials will not be able to provide an assessment of the structural damage done to their buildings.

LOUISIANA: Louisiana Superintendent of Education Cecil Picard urged school systems across the state and elsewhere to quickly find a place for roughly 150,000 public school students displaced by Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in the New Orleans area as officials said recovery efforts will consume months. Administrators of various private schools around New Orleans, meanwhile, began mapping plans for "alternate placements" for their students, making Web site appeals for information about where families are temporarily living. Archdiocese of New Orleans school officials are discussing options for displaced families but haven’t yet released details, a spokesman for the Diocese of Baton Rouge said. It was not immediately clear how many parochial and private school students will need to seek new school placements. Picard said 23 percent of the region’s public school students were severely affected by Katrina, noting that once flood waters recede it may be found that some schools no longer exist.

Federal education officials said they expect Congress, as part of an emergency supplemental spending bill covering hurricane relief costs, will tackle funding issues resulting from the disaster. For example, they must decide whether districts taking extra students will get extra per-capita financing that is generated based on enrollment, and whether districts losing students because of the hurricane should lose money. Louisiana and Mississippi education officials already have told the U.S. Education Department they face unprecedented costs in repairing or replacing damaged buildings, and Picard said he hopes that the federal government will provide a major infusion of money for building needs. The superintendent said federal emergency management money is available for 75 percent of the cost of adding portable buildings to serve displaced students, and that federal officials may be persuaded to waive the 25 percent local match.

LOUISIANA: Rebuilding New Orleans could cost "at least" $75 billion, a leading expert warned. That would make Katrina and her deadly aftermath by far the most expensive disaster in American history. U.S. Census data shows there were 215,000 housing units in New Orleans. To rebuild 150,000, or 70 percent, at $150,000 a home would cost $22.5 billion. But that figure may be low. Streets, sidewalks, new sewers, telephone and electrical lines and other basic infrastructure, add 33 percent on top, or $7.5 billion. Shops, dry cleaners, restaurants, gas stations and other small commercial buildings across the city: "at least another $10 billion." Renovating and refitting the downtown high-rise office blocks? That's $100 per square foot, for 25 million square feet: $2.5 billion. The hotels? At $50,000 a room for perhaps 50,000 rooms, that's another $2.5 billion. Schools, hospitals, fire and police stations across a city of 500,000 people: at least $5 billion more. That takes the total to $50 billion. But the expert warns: The bigger and more urgent the project, the faster the costs rise. Think Big Dig . . . times six. Labor and raw material costs would rise sharply, Dixon says. There's gouging and fraud. "And then there's all the things we haven't even thought of. If we've found $50 billion in costs, the actual total will come to $75 billion, easy," he says.

LOUISIANA: Rebuilding New Orleans could cost "at least" $75 billion, a leading expert warned. That would make Katrina and her deadly aftermath by far the most expensive disaster in American history. U.S. Census data shows there were 215,000 housing units in New Orleans. To rebuild 150,000, or 70 percent, at $150,000 a home would cost $22.5 billion. But that figure may be low. Streets, sidewalks, new sewers, telephone and electrical lines and other basic infrastructure, add 33 percent on top, or $7.5 billion. Shops, dry cleaners, restaurants, gas stations and other small commercial buildings across the city: "at least another $10 billion." Renovating and refitting the downtown high-rise office blocks? That's $100 per square foot, for 25 million square feet: $2.5 billion. The hotels? At $50,000 a room for perhaps 50,000 rooms, that's another $2.5 billion. Schools, hospitals, fire and police stations across a city of 500,000 people: at least $5 billion more. That takes the total to $50 billion. But the expert warns: The bigger and more urgent the project, the faster the costs rise. Think Big Dig . . . times six. Labor and raw material costs would rise sharply, Dixon says. There's gouging and fraud. "And then there's all the things we haven't even thought of. If we've found $50 billion in costs, the actual total will come to $75 billion, easy," he says.

NATIONAL : Public officials and educators reached out to offer classroom space to students whose public schools and colleges and universities were shut down by Hurricane Katrina. Gov. Rick Perry of Texas invited students from Louisiana and Mississippi left homeless by the hurricane to enroll in any of his state's 7,000 public schools. Some Texas school districts reported that they were already receiving inquiries from storm refugees, state officials said. Cecil J. Picard, the Louisiana state superintendent of education, urged school districts that were largely unaffected by the storm to enroll homeless students. Louisiana has 727,000 children in public schools, and Mr. Picard said the storm had displaced 135,000 of them. He urged teachers displaced by the storm to apply for work in the districts where they have taken shelter, and called on businesses and churches to provide temporary classrooms.

TEXAS: Educators statewide started scrambling to find classroom space, supplies and teachers for the roughly 10,000 evacuee students who are expected to enroll in Texas schools during the weeks and months that it takes to rebuild New Orleans and other communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Houston-area schools could see the largest influx of refugee students. About 5,000 school-age children are expected to move into the Astrodome, and thousands of other Louisiana youngsters are already settling in at Houston hotels, shelters and homes.

NATIONAL : Top federal education officials said that they would streamline the bureaucratic process for states and school districts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, pledging to issue waivers as needed from key requirements in the federal No Child Left Behind Act as they reached out to state leaders to determine their needs. Raymond J. Simon, the U.S. deputy secretary of education, and other federal education officials offered few details on other types of assistance, but made clear they stood ready to offer states various types of support in dealing with huge numbers of displaced students and destroyed or damaged schools. But they provided little information on how many schools or students have been affected by the hurricane, which is expected to be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

NATIONAL : The schools devastated by Hurricane Katrina, and those trying to help them, will be given leeway in complying with a federal law that aims to raise education standards. U.S. education leaders said that they will consider broad requests for relief from states in the overwhelmed Gulf Coast, meaning schools could get significantly more time to raise yearly test scores or to ensure that all their teachers meet federal qualifications. An estimated hundreds of thousands of displaced students will attend school in a different district, if not a different state, as the school year begins. Education officials also pledged to relax rules on college aid, including timelines for students to pay their loans.

As the storm's fallout became clearer, officials in schools and colleges in states such as Georgia, Kansas, Ohio, Virginia, and Tennessee pledged to enroll displaced students. In response, the Education Department told school chiefs in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas that they could expect fast relief. State leaders are still figuring out what kind of help they will seek, but they are expected to jump on the department's offer to consider waivers under the No Child Left Behind Act.

MISSISSIPPI: Most schools from central Mississippi on South are closed, with several — including some in the Jackson area — canceling. And it's uncertain when Gulf Coast schools could even begin to assess damage, never mind reopen for classes. Jackson, Rankin County and Clinton canceled classes the rest of the week, partly because power is off at many schools, but also because school officials are concerned about fuel for buses and getting through on roads still covered with debris. Madison County, Hinds County, Canton and Pearl schools are closed today, and officials say they are evaluating day by day, again depending on electrical power. State Superintendent of Education Hank Bounds said restarting classes is not a priority, especially when many schools are used as shelters in the aftermath of the hurricane. "Right now, opening of school is a very distant issue," Bounds said. Bounds said he spoke to the superintendent who replaced him in Pascagoula, Wayne Radolfich. "They have unbelievable damage. ... I can't imagine they (Coast schools) will have electricity within a month." Department of Education officials will "start doing preliminary things, like locating portables and getting in place to make certain we can do damage assessment," he said.

NATIONAL : Even as schools across eastern Louisiana are closed—some of them indefinitely—local and state officials are laying plans to assure that students have classrooms to go to as soon as possible. Districts throughout the state that remain open are telling families who have evacuated to their areas to register children in local schools while the regions hit hardest by the storm work to reopen their schools. Meanwhile, Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco has assigned members of her staff to marshal the state’s resources to help continue education for students in temporary shelters and in districts taking on a wave of long-term evacuees from the floods caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Elsewhere in the storm-ravaged region, schools were closed throughout southern Mississippi, which bore the brunt of the storm but hasn’t suffered flooding of the magnitude of eastern Louisiana. Gov. Haley Barbour said that emergency workers had cleared the roads to reach the Gulf Coast region to survey the damage and address the needs of people there. In Alabama, which was on the eastern edge of Katrina’s path, two of the biggest school districts were closed Tuesday. Both Baldwin County and Mobile County schools were shuttered and without power.

ALABAMA: County schools suffered more damage from Katrina than from mid-September's Hurricane Ivan, said Tommy Sheffield, executive director of facilities for the school system. At Chastang Middle School in Mobile's Trinity Garden community, the outer layer of the roof "peeled off like a can of sardines," Sheffield said, but the building appeared to have remained structurally sound. He said water damage is likely. Sheffield said contractors have already been assigned to work on schools damaged by Katrina, but he did not know when the schools would reopen.

FLORIDA: How expensive is it to build new schools today? Officials are speeding up a new Palm Beach Gardens High to keep the cost from exceeding $92.5 million. When it opens in August 2008, a year early, the 2,500-student school will be the priciest campus ever in the county. Then, early next decade, a new Lake Worth-area high school is expected to cost $102.7 million while the bill for a new Riviera Beach high school will hit $106.6 million. These projects are the chart-toppers in the school district's new $1.7 billion construction program for the next five years. The School Board last week reviewed the plan and the sources of money to pay for it. School construction costs are rising at least 5 percent a year, while prices for building designs are rising about 2 percent per year, Facilities Chief Joseph Sanches said. But between January 2004 and January 2005, the price of steel is up 46 percent and copper is up 22 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "We're seeing significant price increases throughout all construction services," Sanches told board members.

Since 1998, the school district has opened, replaced or renovated more than 60 schools. About the same number of major projects is scheduled between now and the end of the 2009-10 school year, along with several building additions, remodeling jobs, and technology updates. Four factors continue to fuel the building spree: an annual influx of about 5,000 new students; a schedule of modernizing campuses that are more than 35 years old; a policy of preventing overcrowded schools; and the state's class size reduction law that requires more classrooms in order to serve smaller groups of students. Funding for the plan comes from loans, property taxes, state sources and the sales tax, schools Treasurer Leanne Evans said. The half-percent sales tax runs through 2010, but administrators say they would consider seeking an extension if demand for new schools keeps up.

NEW JERSEY: With its gangs, police shootings and struggles to modernize, Newark seems to have enough problems. Now it has one more. Dewey Street used to be a proud middle-class neighborhood, a chamber of peace and quiet in Newark's gritty heart. But last year when the state cleared out tracts of land to build a school, most of the families were driven away. And now that the money for the school has evaporated, more than three dozen lots sit abandoned, one after another. "The state has created a monster," said Newark's mayor, Sharpe James. "We now have a concentrated, abandoned front in the heart of Newark. And I've been asking: If you don't have enough money to build a school, then why you do have enough money to bring down a neighborhood?" The state agency facing that question is the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation, an ambitious program built for speed. It was established three years ago to bring new schools to the state's poorest districts, but recent investigations have exposed millions of dollars wasted on excessive bonuses, exorbitant fees, and design errors.

NORTH CAROLINA: With the state lottery proposal in limbo and school needs booming across North Carolina, lawmakers are suddenly looking at a new way to pay for new classrooms: local sales taxes. After resisting the idea for years, the state House voted to give 46 counties the right to raise their local sales taxes one-half percentage point to build public schools and expand community colleges. The affected counties are those from which legislative representatives asked for the power. In each one, the commissioners would have to endorse the idea first. Then the voters would be asked to approve the increase in a local referendum. Where adopted, shoppers would help pay for schools every time they bought something other than food. The hike would boost the combined state and local sales tax to 7.5 cents per dollar in all those counties where it passed except Mecklenburg, where the rate would rise to 8 percent.

Across North Carolina, building public schools and community colleges is mainly a county responsibility. Counties usually rely on their property tax to pay for it. But local property taxes -- although fairly low when compared nationwide -- are unpopular with many voters. And smaller and poorer counties have less valuable property to tax. So fast-growing urban counties and rural counties alike sought the power to boost their sales tax, although it hits poorer residents harder than property taxes do.

NORTH CAROLINA: With the state lottery proposal in limbo and school needs booming across North Carolina, lawmakers are suddenly looking at a new way to pay for new classrooms: local sales taxes. After resisting the idea for years, the state House voted to give 46 counties the right to raise their local sales taxes one-half percentage point to build public schools and expand community colleges. The affected counties are those from which legislative representatives asked for the power. In each one, the commissioners would have to endorse the idea first. Then the voters would be asked to approve the increase in a local referendum. Where adopted, shoppers would help pay for schools every time they bought something other than food. The hike would boost the combined state and local sales tax to 7.5 cents per dollar in all those counties where it passed except Mecklenburg, where the rate would rise to 8 percent.

Across North Carolina, building public schools and community colleges is mainly a county responsibility. Counties usually rely on their property tax to pay for it. But local property taxes -- although fairly low when compared nationwide -- are unpopular with many voters. And smaller and poorer counties have less valuable property to tax. So fast-growing urban counties and rural counties alike sought the power to boost their sales tax, although it hits poorer residents harder than property taxes do.

ILLINOIS: South Elgin High School, a $53 million facility that was mothballed for a year as Unit School District 46 struggled with a financial crisis, opened its doors. The opening of the 380,000-square-foot campus was postponed because the district could not afford to run the building, said Kris Houser, a spokeswoman. As district officials struggled to reduce a $40 million deficit, budget cuts prevented them from hiring staff to run the school. To address its budget problems, the district cut $20 million in expenses, partly by laying off staff, including first-year teachers, Houser said. "Now that the district is back on its feet again, we're able to staff the building and operate the utilities for a building of that size," Houser said.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : When school opens in Washington, students at more than 100 public schools will be greeted by spruced-up classrooms, thanks in large part to an extra $6 million that the mayor and D.C. Council budgeted for long-neglected maintenance projects. Across the city, walls have been plastered, lights have been replaced, restrooms have been deep cleaned and leaks have been fixed -- in some cases for the first time in years. In a system long plagued by aging facilities and bureaucratic bungles on opening day, this summer's performance has been encouraging, said some parents and organizations that monitor the schools. Still, many of the city's 147 public schools need major renovations.

MASSACHUSETTS: More than 30 percent of students at five Boston schools suffer from asthma, far higher than the statewide average, according to a study by the state Department of Public Health that provides the most detailed portrait ever of the burden the respiratory ailment imposes on children in Massachusetts. Authors of the report predicted it will yield important clues to help solve the riddle of asthma, which so far has eluded easy explanation. The public health agency plans to use the findings to investigate whether environmental factors at schools and surrounding neighborhoods are responsible for high asthma levels. Researchers will examine the quality of air inside schools and their proximity to highways and industrial plants.

FLORIDA: Instead of individual desks, areas in the intensive reading class at Wharton High in New Tampa are tailored to tasks students perform. The format is becoming more common. Fewer teachers are opting to set up classrooms with long rows of individual desks. They say a less- rigid layout stimulates students and holds their attention. The traditional approach was to assign students to seats alphabetically. Students with vision or behavior problems were often placed near the front, and talkative friends were separated. Now teachers often place students in the most productive work situation. Students do written exercises and group work at large tables. A station of computers lets the class use software and online programs. Another table lets the teacher work one-on- one with students. The most unusual spot in the classroom may be the "living room." The space features couches, comfortable chairs, a coffee table, a rug and even a lava lamp.

Most educators agree that classroom layout contributes to student success. Configuring different classroom layouts is standard in teacher training. The guidebook given to new teachers in Hillsborough County features tips for classroom setup and offers sample layouts. Renalia DuBose, Hillsborough's director of training and staff development, said unusual layouts are more common because teachers aren't as afraid to take chances. "There was a time when it was believed that a quiet class was a class on task," DuBose said. "But the research shows you need that discussion and interaction between students. Teachers aren't afraid anymore to group their students." Although more teachers are veering from traditional classroom seating, don't expect to find recliners replacing desks anytime soon. Some subjects, such as math, are more easily taught in a traditional format. Also, some classrooms are too small for elaborate designs.

OHIO: When 45,000 people move into Butler and Warren counties in less than five years, who pays to build new schools for new children? Debate over whether the burden should be borne by all taxpayers, landowners, builders and developers or the newcomers themselves is likely to be lively this fall when hearings on impact fee legislation begin in Columbus. Ohio Rep. Jon Peterson introduced a bill in June that would allow school districts, townships and county governments to levy impact fees against new development areas — effectively putting some of that burden on the newcomers and those in the real estate industry. It's an approach to local funding dilemmas supported by the County Commissioners Association of Ohio, the Ohio Township Association and local school boards, but one that is strongly opposed by developers and the home building industry.

NEW YORK: Under a law that Governor George Pataki is expected to sign, New York state schools would be required to purchase, either on their own or through state contracts, environmentally sensitive cleaning products to maintain their facilities. Environmentally friendly cleaning products have been proved to perform just as well as their traditional, chemical-based counterparts and for about the same price, experts say. The so-called green cleaning products are more biodegradable, contain fewer toxins, are less volatile and usually require less packaging.

When he proposed the "green clean" law for schools, Pataki cited EPA statistics showing that, nationally, more than 32 million pounds of household cleaning products are poured down the drain each day and that indoor pollution costs more than $50 billion in the United States for health care, absenteeism, lost production and lost revenue. The new legislation would take effect Sept. 1, 2006, to allow schools to deplete their existing cleaning and maintenance supply stocks and implement the new requirements in the procurement cycle for the 2006-07 school year. Stephen Boese, the New York director of an organization called Healthy Schools Network, said that contrary to what many people believe, green cleaning is not expensive.

MARYLAND: As principal of one of two new schools in Prince William County, Lisa Gilkerson has spent the run-up to Glenkirk's opening day fixing numerous last-minute details related to the education of about 850 students. She has been hiring and training teachers, meeting parents and even unloading huge printers. But she also has spent time preparing the school for its wider audience: Gainesville and its Scout troops, homeowners associations and club groups that want to borrow the school on weekends or after school. A vast majority, if not all, of Prince William's 82 schools allow community groups to rent space, said Don Mercer, the school system's director of risk management. Dozens of schools, he said, allow churches to use their classrooms, gyms and cafeterias for a fee. The school system received about $500,000 last year from the arrangements, Mercer said, most of which was spent to pay custodians to open and monitor the buildings and to cover utility fees. Any profits financed playground improvements or equipment, he said.

CALIFORNIA: When San Diego voters approved a $1.51 billion bond measure in 1998, the school district promised to modernize 161 campuses, rebuild three and deliver 13 new ones. Seven years later, the district has completed most of the renovations but is mired in construction delays at a number of new school sites. At existing schools, the bond has paid for roof replacements, new paint and a long list of additions: 90 libraries, 153 playgrounds, 35 science buildings, 14 classroom buildings, 110 lunch court shelters and 68 offices. Now the district is shifting its focus to building new schools. Most of the new school projects are behind schedule and over budget because of winter's heavy rains, environmental cleanups and reviews and problems with prefab classroom manufacturers. Declining enrollment has eliminated the need for one of the new schools. Rising costs for land, labor and construction material have made the remaining 12 schools much more expensive than anticipated.

NEW JERSEY: John F. Spencer, chief executive officer of the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation, the troubled agency responsible for billions of dollars of school construction, said that he plans to resign in September to take a job in New York. Spencer has overseen the state program, criticized for mismanagement, for two years.

INDIANA: Heeding the recommendations of a recently completed security assessment, Valparaiso Community Schools is planning a deluge of changes to increase safety across the district. From visible additions, like increased police presence and security cameras, to more discreet changes, like staff training and the formation of a security policy review committee, several new measures are being put into place to help ensure the safety of the corporation's 6,000-plus students. The changes are the result of an assessment conducted by Ken Trump, the nationally-known president of Ohio-based National School Safety and Security Services. Before writing the final report, Trump and his colleague conducted 155 interviews, visited all of the district sites, facilitated a community meeting for input, and reviewed all security-related documents in place at VCS.

INDIANA: Heeding the recommendations of a recently completed security assessment, Valparaiso Community Schools is planning a deluge of changes to increase safety across the district. From visible additions, like increased police presence and security cameras, to more discreet changes, like staff training and the formation of a security policy review committee, several new measures are being put into place to help ensure the safety of the corporation's 6,000-plus students. The changes are the result of an assessment conducted by Ken Trump, the nationally-known president of Ohio-based National School Safety and Security Services. Before writing the final report, Trump and his colleague conducted 155 interviews, visited all of the district sites, facilitated a community meeting for input, and reviewed all security-related documents in place at VCS.

NATIONAL : The U.S. Department of Education announced five grantees for the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Grant program. Together, these grantees will serve approximately 48,000 students in 120 charter schools in California, Delaware, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Under this program, funds are provided on a competitive basis to public and nonprofit entities to leverage other funds and help charter schools obtain school facilities through such means as purchase, lease, and donation. Grantees may also use grants to leverage funds to help charter schools construct and renovate school facilities.

Despite the popularity of charter schools with parents, teachers and the public, these distinctive public schools face barriers. A high percentage of new charter schools point out that inadequate facilities have impeded the implementation of their charters. Unlike traditional local education agencies, charter schools generally lack the ability to issue general obligation bonds backed by property taxes, and they are often considered to be credit risks by lending institutions. "Charter schools must be able to grow and expand wherever the demand is greatest," said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. "We must not allow a lack of space to become a barrier to parents and children stuck on long waiting lists. These grants will help communities open up new spaces to charter schools so that charter schools can open their doors to new students

LOUISIANA: A state district judge has granted class-action status to a lawsuit filed by three parents of students who attended the now-closed Chalmette Christian Academy. The parents claimed the children were made ill, one seriously, by mold at the school. In a ruling, 34th Judicial District Judge Manuel Fernandez approved the request from the parents to certify their suit as a class action including all students who attended the school during the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 school years. Fernandez, however, refused to include school employees and others who occupied the school as part of the class. Fernandez said the evidence concerned only exposure to mold by students, not nonstudents, and pertained only to exposure during those two school years.

NEW JERSEY: The New Jersey agency responsible for building schools in the state's neediest districts has hired a chief financial officer and made most of the other changes the Governor's Office mandated after a blistering critique of the agency this year. An agency spokesman said all 10 parts of the overhaul, including expanding the agency's board and altering its audit schedule, should be completed by mid-September. Some changes await only the board's approval. Under orders from the state Supreme Court, New Jersey had dedicated $6 billion to refurbish or replace schools in the neediest districts and $2.6 billion to help out other districts. The Schools Construction Corporation was created three years ago to streamline the process, but a state probe found it mostly added bureaucracy and wasted money.

ILLINOIS: Hours away from Chicago, cornfields here stretch undisturbed as far as the eye can see -- almost. Near Bureau Valley High School, a wind turbine stands 30 stories high, its three 76-foot blades tracing lazy circles on the blue Midwestern sky. Running since January, the $1.1 million turbine is the first in the state to power a high school and is projected to save the school $100,000 in annual electricity costs. "That's two teachers' salaries a year," said Keith Bolin, the hog farmer and school board member who first proposed the turbine five years ago. Built almost 200 yards from the school on land the school owns for agricultural production, the turbine harnesses one of western Illinois' greatest natural resources: wind. Since January 22, the turbine's computerized records show that it has produced 646,397 kilowatt-hours of energy for the school and consumed only 2,715 for itself. Besides providing Bureau Valley with a clean, renewable source of energy, school officials hope the turbine will also help the district -- and other poor districts like it -- ease financial pressures. But for the humble hog farmer with a dream, the road from vision to reality was long.

FLORIDA: Broward schools are closer to offering all students the same educational facilities, equipment and classes than they've been since minority parents filed a lawsuit in 1995. Still, there's room for improvement, according to a new report. In two areas -- textbooks and disciplinary actions -- more information and analysis were needed to determine if goals were being met. While technology, school media centers and athletic facilities still need work, the district has solutions in sight. About 90 percent of schools meet the current technology standard. That means four computers and Internet access in every classroom; laptops for teachers; and printers for every other classroom. But a new standard is being developed that would distribute computers according to student population. Helping with that is a $68 million program to put 40,000 new laptops in classrooms. That will reduce the need for students to go to a computer lab or media center, the report says.

FLORIDA: Florida officials are broadly interpreting a new law that requires background checks for thousands of school district contractors who have access to campuses, according to new guidelines by the Florida Department of Education. District leaders in Miami-Dade and Broward counties said the new guidelines will require a massive mobilization to fingerprint construction workers building additions, and sports officials and vendors selling yearbooks and class rings at school -- all before the law goes into effect September 1. Some school district leaders fear that strict new security regulations will cost an exorbitant amount of time and money. Across the state, thousands of those workers will be required to submit fingerprints to the FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

CALIFORNIA: For a glimpse of its future, the Vista Unified School District just needs to take a drive down Interstate 5. Torrey Pines High School has examples on an architectural alternative that the Vista district will use at five campuses it plans to build in the area over the next several years: modular buildings. Torrey Pines High is one of a few schools south of Los Angeles that have been built with prefabricated modular buildings made to resemble traditional construction, but that are significantly cheaper, school district officials have said. Modular buildings became an issue for Vista Unified after the school district announced that large portions of its new schools will be built with modular construction. Critics of the district say the use of modular buildings to save on construction costs is proof that the district has mismanaged the money the district raised through a 2002 school facilities bond ---- an allegation those same critics have been leveling for months. But district officials say it's just smart use of the district's dwindling bond resources.

NATIONAL : While traditional schools have served their purpose for decades, new models of teaching and learning have come on the scene. To prepare students for an evolving information-based society, architects are designing innovative schools to support these changes. Designers are replacing traditional classrooms with "studios" that contain storage areas for long-term projects and spaces for individual, small-group and large-group work. There is a push to build smaller schools, with smaller class sizes. When redesigning large school buildings, architects reconfigure schools into "neighborhood groupings" and remove corridors to make more spaces for learning. Designers also consider factors such as energy-efficient spaces that maximize the use of sunlight and have good indoor air quality. Getting away from centers of technology like the audiovisual storage closet from decades past, results in improvements right at the teacher's fingertips, such as classrooms with ceiling-mounted LCD projectors. As portable electronics enable students carrying handheld PDAs and wireless laptops to learn anywhere, at anytime, the question arises as to whether the school building itself could become obsolete.

NEW JERSEY: Lawyers for the state's poorest children yesterday asked the New Jersey Supreme Court to order more funding for a $6 billion school construction fund that has nearly run out of cash. The action by the Education Law Center in Newark came just two weeks after the Schools Construction Corporation -- which is overseeing the program -- announced it was putting more than 200 school projects on hold because it didn't have the money to build them. The SCC has been beset by allegations of waste and mismanagement since it announced it was running low on funds and could build less than half the schools needed by the state's poorest 31 districts. Acting on a long-standing suit by the law center, the Supreme Court ordered the state in 1998 to replace "crumbling and obsolescent" schools in the poorest districts. The law center asked the court to order more money because it said state education officials were failing to respond to the huge shortfall. "We really felt compelled to go to the court," said David Sciarra, executive director of the law center. "Everyone knows we have a problem. At the end of the day, more resources are required, and yet we've had no action." The law center and some of its supporters in the Legislature argue that allowing the program to grind to a halt will cost the public even more money. In legal papers filed yesterday, the law center estimated that every year of delay could cost the state $40 million to $60 million in additional funds. It argues the 1998 court order means every pending school must eventually be built.

FLORIDA: The Broward County School Board approved a $2.9 billion construction plan that will renovate old buildings and add hundreds of classrooms in the next five years. But the plan still could change because it doesn't consider the full cost of reducing the number of students per classroom as required by Florida law. By 2010, Florida law says there cannot be more than 18 students per class in pre-K to grade three, 20 students per class in fourth to eighth grades, and 25 students per class in high school. If Broward cannot reduce class sizes by using co-teachers, it would have to spend another $50 million to $70 million to build 525 more classrooms.

FLORIDA: The Broward County School Board approved a $2.9 billion construction plan that will renovate old buildings and add hundreds of classrooms in the next five years. But the plan still could change because it doesn't consider the full cost of reducing the number of students per classroom as required by Florida law. By 2010, Florida law says there cannot be more than 18 students per class in pre-K to grade three, 20 students per class in fourth to eighth grades, and 25 students per class in high school. If Broward cannot reduce class sizes by using co-teachers, it would have to spend another $50 million to $70 million to build 525 more classrooms.

ILLINOIS: A study of comprehensive plans from five communities in the 68.6-square-mile district suggests Oswego Community Unit School District 308 may need as many as 58 new schools to handle residential growth and surging enrollments during the next 20 to 25 years.

NEW JERSEY: Concern that children are being overexposed to pesticides in an environment presumed to be safe — their schools — has prompted U.S. Rep. Rush Holt to introduce legislation to place federal restrictions on pesticide use at, and near, schools. Exposure to pesticides can leave children more susceptible to learning and behavioral disorders, asthma and certain childhood cancers, he warned. Rep. Holt's legislation, the School Environmental Protection Act (H.R. 11), would require local educational agencies and schools to implement integrated pest management systems to minimize the use of pesticides in schools, and provide for notification of the use of such chemicals.

CALIFORNIA: When public school students return to class August 29, many will find freshly painted hallways, better floors, new roofs, ceilings, wiring, windows, science labs, or even new buildings, thanks to a record amount of school construction this summer, officials said. The school district is spending about $90 million to refurbish campuses throughout the city and even build a few more schools. As school district facilities chief Tim White put it, "Ninety-million bucks at one time is a pretty big chunk to bite off." And it's by far the most the district has ever spent on renovation and construction during one summer, White said. This summer's construction boom is due in part to the fact that the district has tightened up its notoriously lax system for awarding contracts, approving work and paying invoices. Four or five years ago, contractors often started work without approval from the school board or a signed contract. On top of that, the district often failed to pay its bills once work was done.

ALABAMA: It's been a year since the Jefferson County Commission voted to raise sales taxes in the county to finance more than $1 billion in school construction. It's been eight months since the county issued bonds and banked the proceeds to pay for the construction. Yet, officials of the 12 school systems in Jefferson County still don't know if they will see a dime of that money. Many, in fact, have drawn up school construction plans, only to have to put those plans on hold. The reason: lawsuits challenging the legality of the 1-cent sales tax increase and the bonds issued by the county. Those suits, filed earlier this year, have been combined into a class action. They contend the commission didn't have authority to issue bonds and should have instead distributed the tax money directly to the school systems.

The sooner this matter is resolved, the better. School systems are in limbo. Those school systems have plans for the money ranging from Jefferson County's $350 million to Midfield's $11.5 million. Many of the building projects on the school systems' wish lists are more than wishes; they're necessities. Many schools are crowded and need expansions, while others are old and need to be replaced. Jefferson County school officials, for example, hope to build or renovate 15 schools, including some originally built in the 1920s and 1930s. Birmingham, meanwhile, has 12 new schools as well as renovations and additions on hold because of the cloud over the bond money.

CALIFORNIA: You can throw away a beanbag chair. You can hock your lava lamp on eBay. It's a little harder to shake off the design hangover when the fad is embedded in the 1970s architecture of your neighborhood public school. Loft, or open-space, schools went up everywhere in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Chula Vista Elementary School District built eight of them. The schools' few internal walls divide them into warehouselike pods shared by three or four teachers and perhaps more than 100 students. With the benefit of 30 years' hindsight, open-space schools look more like the public education analogue of bell-bottom pants and feathered-back hair – groovy styles at the time, campy relics. As school districts throughout the county renovate these decades-old campuses, open-space schools are going the way of the eight-track tape.

MICHIGAN: One of the fastest growing Jewish day high schools in the country is seeking site plan approvals from West Bloomfield Township to build a permanent facility through renovations and building an addition to the Jewish Community Center. The school has been operating out of temporary modular units attached to the community center. When the school opened six years ago, there were about 50 students, and officials project that more than 200 will fill classrooms this year, said Howard Dembs, who is overseeing the proposed $9 million project. "Having a high school in a building that already houses a gymnasium, locker rooms, swimming pools, running tracks, galleries, a museum, and a lot more will create a lot of synergy between the center and the academy. "We think it's going to be a win-win situation," he said. The plans call for renovating the second floor of the community center to create 26 classrooms. Space will also be carved out for a media center, lounge, administrative offices, and storage and utility areas. A new two-story addition will also be built, which will provide an entrance for the academy. Part of the new entrance addition will be a new loop drive that will provide an area for buses and other vehicles dropping off students. There also will be nine new angled parking spaces. Additional work will include creating a small courtyard, 6,476 square feet of new basement space for storage, 6,412 square feet of main floor conference space and a 6,300-square-foot chapel, according to township Planning Commission reports.

NEW JERSEY: Officials of New Jersey’s Schools Construction Corporation officially delivered the hard facts long feared by participants and customers–that the state’s mandated $8.6-billion public school construction fund is tapped out and would only finance completion of 59 more projects. That leaves 300 others in limbo. SCC released the news and the list of lucky projects July 27. The agency claims factors such as status of design and land acquisition, existing health and safety risks, overcrowding, and lack of past construction progress in a district affected project selection. Several non-SCC state officials also participated. "It required much more than construction judgement," says SCC Chairman Alfred C. Koeppe. The 59 listed projects represent a $1.4-billion investment of remaining agency funds. The announcement sent shockwaves through New Jersey public school districts as officials realized that projects–designed, conceived or promised–might never be built. SCC and its schoolbuilding mission began in 2000 in response to a 1990 state supreme court decision that required New Jersey to boost school construction spending in its 31 poorest school districts. The legislature earmarked $8.6 billion for the long-term project, which also included some state funding for work in wealthier districts.

NEW YORK: New York City's experience opening 53 small high schools as part of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's effort to remake public education in New York is being watched by districts nationwide that are following its lead in creating small schools as an antidote to alarming high school dropout rates. The hope is that schools with fewer than 500 students will create a more intimate learning environment, improving attendance and achievement by making it easier to identify students' needs.

More than a month after the school year ended, there are few hard statistics on the new small schools. But anecdotal evidence suggests better numbers than at the large, failing schools that small schools are replacing - admittedly not a high bar to clear, since the four-year graduation rate at those schools was 35 percent. Across the city, the small schools labored against innumerable obstacles. Chief among them were location and facilities problems, staff turnover, and students' extremely low academic skills, which hit some schools particularly hard. Nearly 70 percent of the students started the year performing below grade level, often far below, in math and reading.

New York City spent about $29 million to start the new schools in 2004-5, and will spend $31 million to open 52 more small schools this coming year. In addition, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated more than $100 million to create the schools. All the small schools must have a community or cultural organization as a partner, a requirement intended to bring in additional money and resources as well as to give the private sector a stake in the schools' success.

VIRGINIA: Amy Johnson is on a crusade against mold, and she is determined to keep pressing Stafford County officials about the organisms she believes have sickened her 7-year-old and other children and employees at Grafton Village Elementary School. Johnson is among a small group of Stafford parents who have been meeting since spring to discuss mold, which the parents believe is responsible for their children's nosebleeds, asthma and headaches -- symptoms that they said disappear during the summer, when school is not in session. County officials began conducting tests at Grafton Village in 2003 after teachers refused to work in the building because of mold growing on corkboards, a concrete ceiling, and textbooks. Officials hired professional testing and special cleaning services, but test results in June showed that mold levels are still slightly elevated. The tests also indicated the presence of low levels of pesticides banned decades ago. Although school and health officials said they believe the issue is under control at Grafton Village, the questions Johnson and other parents have raised are the subject of a national debate about mold's relationship to health problems ranging from asthma to infertility. Parents at two of Stafford's 16 elementary schools -- including one in which mold was found in the basement -- are demanding testing and more information.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : Two District public charter schools will participate this fall in a D.C. Board of Education experiment allowing such schools to lease space in underused regular public school buildings. But charter school advocates, who have been fighting for a year for the collocation plan to help relieve a space crunch, aren't celebrating. With dozens of regular schools underenrolled, the advocates had hoped to have a large selection of sites. But only 10 buildings were offered, and just five of those facilities were ultimately approved for collocation. Moreover, only two of the seven charter schools that sought the space succeeded in getting leases. In the other cases, the school board opted to give the space to a city agency or community group instead of a charter school, even though collocation rules give charter schools preference over other applicants.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA : Two District public charter schools will participate this fall in a D.C. Board of Education experiment allowing such schools to lease space in underused regular public school buildings. But charter school advocates, who have been fighting for a year for the collocation plan to help relieve a space crunch, aren't celebrating. With dozens of regular schools underenrolled, the advocates had hoped to have a large selection of sites. But only 10 buildings were offered, and just five of those facilities were ultimately approved for collocation. Moreover, only two of the seven charter schools that sought the space succeeded in getting leases. In the other cases, the school board opted to give the space to a city agency or community group instead of a charter school, even though collocation rules give charter schools preference over other applicants.

FLORIDA: Hoping to save $525 million in unexpected construction costs, Broward County Superintendent Frank Till asked Gov. Jeb Bush to overturn a new state policy that will penalize districts if they don't add thousands of classrooms by next year. Last month's decision by the Education Department tells school districts they can no longer add teachers to crowded classrooms -- a practice called co-teaching -- in order to lower the student-teacher ratio.

By 2010, Florida classrooms must be capped at 18 students from pre-kindergarten to the third grade, 22 students in grades 4 through 8, and 25 per class in high school. Hundreds of new schools have opened across the state as districts try to comply, but so far they haven't been able to build fast enough to accommodate the growing student population. At about $100,000 per classroom, the new state policy will force districts to spend several billion dollars more than expected. If the policy stands, districts will have one year to make space or suffer the consequences. In the past, districts that failed class size targets were forced to spend money on buildings instead of other expenses such as teacher salaries.