Where the schools are
Bangor Daily News, September 23, 2006
(excerpt) Where schools are built can have a major impact on the character and growth of a community. With a push from state education officials, communities are consolidating small schools and building new ones near town centers. This is a welcome change.
For years, many believed the state's school construction policy contributed to sprawl by requiring large lots for new buildings. Such lots are typically found at the edges of town, not near their centers. In July, the State Board of Education removed the minimum acreage requirements from the site-selection criteria. The rules had required that an elementary school site have at least five usable acres, a middle school at least 10 acres and a high school 15 acres.
The acreage was needed not just for the building, but for parking, bus traffic and recreation areas and playing fields. The acreage could be noncontiguous and the board could waive the minimum acreage requirement if a district proved there was no alternative site and that a smaller one met the board's other criteria. Removing the minimum acreage requirement eliminates a problem, whether real or imagined.
If you want to read the whole thing, click on the post title!
Bangor Daily News, September 23, 2006
(excerpt) Where schools are built can have a major impact on the character and growth of a community. With a push from state education officials, communities are consolidating small schools and building new ones near town centers. This is a welcome change.
For years, many believed the state's school construction policy contributed to sprawl by requiring large lots for new buildings. Such lots are typically found at the edges of town, not near their centers. In July, the State Board of Education removed the minimum acreage requirements from the site-selection criteria. The rules had required that an elementary school site have at least five usable acres, a middle school at least 10 acres and a high school 15 acres.
The acreage was needed not just for the building, but for parking, bus traffic and recreation areas and playing fields. The acreage could be noncontiguous and the board could waive the minimum acreage requirement if a district proved there was no alternative site and that a smaller one met the board's other criteria. Removing the minimum acreage requirement eliminates a problem, whether real or imagined.
If you want to read the whole thing, click on the post title!
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