National Center on School Infrastructure Launches Website

The National Center on School Infrastructure (NCSI), a national clearinghouse for information on public school infrastructure, invites you to explore their newly launched website (URL: https://school-infrastructure.org/). Over the next several months and into 2025, their website will grow and expand to be a searchable "clearinghouse" of research, policy resources, and best practices to help state and local leaders modernize school facility infrastructure. NCSI is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, and was established by a consortium of leading organizations, including the Institute of Urban and Regional Development at UC Berkeley (UCB IURD), the 21st Century School Fund (21CSF), the National Council on School Facilities (NCSF), and Child Trends.

Roundtable Discussion on School Security and the Connection with School Facilities

In early October, The National Council of School Security Directors (NCSSD) https://community.zeronow.org/c/membership-types/individual-ncssd in partnership with the National Council on School Facilities and the 21st Century School Fund, held a roundtable discussion on the intersection of school facilities and school security. Attendees included federal elected officials’, federal agencies, school facilities and safety advocacy groups, and professional organizations.

 The conversation centered on specific areas of intersection between security and facilities, potential areas of coordination and the effective use of available resources. The major takeaway and general consensus of the group was that currently silos exist limiting effective cooperation, coordination, and effective use of available resources. The planed next step is to identify missing players for inclusion and plan a second meeting in a half-day format to map the path forward.

 For questions regarding the NCSSD, reach out to Guy Bliesner, NCSF President at Gbliesner@edu.idaho.gov. 

Federal Clean Energy Tax Credits for Schools

Clean energy tax credits made possible from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act offers states and school districts non-competitive tax credits for eligible clean energy upgrades. These credits provide reimbursements for completed school-based projects, including solar energy, energy storage, ground-source heat pumps, electric school buses, and electric vehicle charging equipment. States and districts can increase the value of the credit based on community factors which are explained in the webinar. This is a complicated and new opportunity for public school districts and states, but important to learn about now, in order to plan for its use.  It is scheduled to sunset in 10 years--2032. To learn more about IRA tax credits, determine your tax credit eligibility for clean energy reimbursements, and help you decide whether to apply for these credits, there are a number of webinars and resources available. Use these resources: Schools and the IRA — UndauntedK12 and the Department of Energy's Renew America's Schools webinar on the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credit program.

Ohio School Design Manual Revamped

The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission has recently updated their School Design Manual so that it is now available in an intuitive and easily accessible website. The manual provides "guidelines that reflect the best practices in construction while serving the diverse needs of local school communities and their students." Access it here.

Green Ribbon Schools 2023-24 Honorees Announced and Plan for 2024-25

The Green Ribbon Schools awardees for 2023-24 cycle have been announced. You can see the full list of awardees, a blog, and a video from the Secretary.  Also, here is a great report with summaries of each of the honorees. Now is a great time to begin preparing for the 2024-25 Green Ribbon Schools application cycle. Only state education agencies can nominate schools, districts and postsecondary institutions for a Green Ribbon School award. You can find award criteria and other state implementation guidance including application information on ED's website.

State of Delaware Releases School Facilities Tools

"Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill SB-270 (SS1 for SB270) directed the Delaware Department of Education (DOE) to establish an evaluation and assessment system to determine whether a school facility is in good repair. The facility assessment tool will help school districts review and assess conditions in a standardized way. See tools here.

"The legislation also directed DPH to establish a routine indoor air quality monitoring program and temperature and humidity standards for schools. It further required DPH to create a contractor certification program for indoor air quality services and procedures for receiving and reporting indoor air quality complaints in schools." See guidance documents here.

Read the full press release here.

States Win Federal Grants to Increase State Level School Facilities Capacity

Seven states and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have been awarded Supporting America’s School Infrastructure (SASI) grants by the U.S. Department of Education. With these grants, state level agencies, primarily state education agencies will have funding to hire staff and pay consultants who will increase the states’ ability to help high-need and low-wealth districts with PK-12 facilities data, planning, and accountability. These states will get technical assistance from the newly created National Center on School Infrastructure. Some of the state priorities identified in their proposals include doing school facilities assessments, improving master planning, and providing school facilities training on preventive maintenance. The states that were awarded SASI grants include: AL, AZ, OR, CA, PA, RI, VA, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Congratulations to the SASI state grantees! 

NCSF Helps Win Federal Grant to Establish a National Center on School Infrastructure

The National Council on School Facilities is part of a consortium that has won a U.S. Department of Education grant to establish a National Center on School Infrastructure (NCSI). The consortium is led by the Institute of Urban & Regional Development at the University of California, Berkeley and includes the 21st Century School Fund, and Child Trends. This new National Center on School Infrastructure will provide technical assistance services to states and districts, and curate research, policy and practice associated with school facilities. It will also track federal funding, training and other technical assistance opportunities for elementary and secondary public school facilities. 

U.S. Department of Education State Facilities Capacity Grant Opportunity

The U.S. Department of Education pre-application technical assistance webinar for the Supporting America's School Infrastructure (SASI) grant program is now available. The materials include transcripts and PowerPoint slides.

The SASI grant program will disperse up to $40 million to state education agencies or state education facilities authorities for school facilities capacity building in order to support high-need local education agencies with their school facilities. Individual state grant sizes are estimated to be $3-5 million which can be spent over 5 years. 8-13 state awards are anticipated for FY2023. State applications are due by Aug. 7th, 2023.

It is important that you act quickly because of the tight deadline. Please reach out to the National Council on School Facilities and 21st Century School Fund with any questions, talk through the major sections of the application and/or help with the application.

Watch the U.S. Department of Education pre-application technical assistance webinar: https://oese.ed.gov/offices/school-infrastructure-programs-sip/supporting-americas-school-infrastructure-grant-program-sasi/eligibility-and-applicant-information/

View the grant opportunity at grant.gov: www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/06/02/2023-11789/applications-for-new-awards-supporting-americas-school-infrastructure-grant-program

Download the grant application package with required forms: www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=348449

NCSF/21CSF Resources and Tools for SASI Grant: www.facilitiescouncil.org/tools-guides

• Utilize a tool to assess your SEA or State Building Authority's capacity in school facilities and plan to increase school facilities capacity.

• Watch a NCSF/21CSF webinar and PowerPoint on the SASI grant program.

50-State Comparison: K-12 School Construction Funding

The Education Commission of the States has recently released an important resource, "50-State Comparison: K-12 School Construction Funding". “Explore the 50-state comparisons below to see how states provide funding through appropriations and financing support, while exercising authority through oversight and prioritization. View a specific state’s approach by going to the state profiles page.”