 | WEAC Research Paper |  Wisconsin's Public School Buildings Over the past decade, there have been numerous studies which have
concluded that a significant proportion of the nation's school
buildings have problems related to inadequate maintenance,
obsolescence, environmental hazards, overcrowding, and unsound
structure. Buildings with these characteristics are most likely to be
found in urban and rural school districts. Because not much was known about Wisconsin's school buildings, the
Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (AWSA) and the
Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) jointly participated to
gather information in three areas: - Building Characteristics,
- Student Programs and Services, and
- Working Conditions.
Questionnaires were developed and sent to all building principals
during the spring and fall of 1994. The final data set included
questionnaires from at least one principal in 345 of the state's 427
districts (a "district return rate" of 81%). As for the
buildings themselves, information was collected for slightly fewer
than 60% (1,127) of the total number of buildings in the state. The Bottom Eight and One-Half Percent In general, principals report that most school buildings in
Wisconsin are in reasonably good shape. However, slightly more than
ten percent of the buildings (10.2%) were identified by the principals
as being in poor physical condition. Statewide, this represents about
206 buildings. Likewise, about one-fourth of all buildings (27.3% or
552 throughout the state) were judged as not meeting student and
program needs. There is some overlap of the two sets. In other words, there is a
group of school buildings, about 8.5%, or an estimated 172 buildings
statewide, which are judged to be both in poor physical condition and
inadequate for meeting program and student needs. In contrast, there
is a larger set of buildings, 52% or approximately 1,050 buildings
statewide, which have a positive rating both for physical condition
and for meeting program and student needs. The 172 lowest-rated buildings are somewhat more likely to be found
in rural or urban areas, whereas the 1,050 top-rated buildings are
more likely to be a feature of suburban or small city school
districts. Characteristics of the Lowest-Rated buildings They tend to be older: 67% were built prior to 1950,
compared with only 15% of the group of top-rated buildings. They tend to be more crowded: 19% of the lowest-rated
buildings make use of portable classrooms compared with fewer than 5%
of the buildings judged most positively. They have poorer library media facilities: Nearly 15% do not
have a separate library media center, compared with only 4% in the
group of 1,050 buildings receiving positive ratings. Furthermore, even
if it exists, the library media center tends to be quite small. In 29%
of these buildings the library media center is the same size or
smaller than a typical classroom. This compares with 8% for the
positively-rated set. Building Characteristics Number of Teachers and Students: The average school building
in Wisconsin has a staff of 29 teachers (the median number is 25) and
a student body which averages 461 students (median number of students
is 413). Senior high schools tend to have the most students and
teachers, while elementary schools tend to be the smallest. Age of Buildings: Three-fourths of Wisconsin's public school
buildings were built before 1970, nearly one-fourth before 1940. About
two percent were built in the 19th Century. Most of the existing
buildings were constructed during the 1950's and 1960's. These
buildings have been the target of considerable criticism because of
their relatively poor construction. A 1989 study of the nation's
school buildings by the Education Writers Association concluded that
buildings of this age are "wearing out quickly and have severe
repair needs. . . Many construction experts say the buildings were
intended to last only about 30 years. If so, their time is up"
(Lewis, et. al, p. 2). Major Renovations: Nearly one-fourth (23.3%) of the
principals report that their building has never been renovated. Among
buildings fifty years of age or older, only 10% have undergone a major
renovation. Safety and Security: From the perspective of politicians and
many in the general public, the nation's public schools are dangerous
places to be. For example, in 1994, 35% of U.S. adults viewed "lack
of discipline" and "fighting/violence/gangs" as the
most serious problems in our schools (Gallup, 1994). This level of concern about violence and safety has not resulted in
the widespread use of security measures in Wisconsin's schools. In
fact, more than one-half of all public school buildings in Wisconsin
(52%) have no security measures beyond night-time lighting and door
locks. In contrast, 1.2% of buildings have metal detectors, while 3.2%
have television surveillance equipment. In addition, nearly one-third
(30%) have motion detectors for night-time use. A few buildings employ
security police (2.4%), while slightly less than one-third (30.4%)
have a police liaison program. Portable Classrooms: One-eighth of all school buildings make
use of portable classrooms. These buildings average slightly more than
two portable classrooms each (2.27). However, there are more extreme
cases: twenty buildings use from three to ten portable classrooms.
Air Conditioning: Air conditioning is a rarity in the
majority of classrooms in Wisconsin; nearly two-thirds of the
buildings do not have a single classroom which is air conditioned. At
the other extreme, in nearly 15% of the buildings all of the
classrooms are air conditioned. Student Programs and Services Computers: On average there are about 40 computers in each
school building, or about one computer for every ten students.
Although the average is 40, 5.4% of buildings have 100 or more
computers for student use. In contrast, 5.2% of buildings have 10 or
fewer computers. These figures remind us of the inequities in student
access to the use of this important technology. It also is important to understand that irrespective of the number
of computers in a building, the majority tend to be old and incapable
of using the software packages and new hardware developed over the
past five to ten years. In short, there are few Wisconsin school buildings which are ready
for the "information super highway." Library Media Center: Six percent of Wisconsin's school
buildings do not have a separate space for a library/media center. Of
these, 75% serve elementary age students. Among those buildings which
have a separate room for a library media center, nearly eight percent
are not staffed by a licensed, professional librarian. Furthermore,
many library media centers are marginal, at best. Four percent of
principals report that their library media center is smaller than a
typical classroom, while an additional 11% indicate it is about the
same size. Emergency Nursing Services: One of the state's minimal
educational standards requires that all school districts provide
emergency nursing services during the school day and at
school-sponsored activities. However, this does not mean that a
student who becomes ill or gets injured will receive nursing care in a
timely manner. About one-fourth of school buildings do not provide the services of
a licensed, Registered Nurse. About the same proportion (31%) do not
even have a nurse's office or sick room. Even among the buildings
which provide nursing services, the nurse is in the building for only
about one hour each day. Specialty Rooms: All public schools in Wisconsin are
required to offer specialized courses in the arts and other enrichment
areas. However, schools are not required to have a speciality room for
instruction. Nonetheless, most schools have set aside speciality
rooms, in which these subjects are taught by certified, licensed
teachers. The greatest percent of buildings have speciality rooms for
art (87%), followed by a computer lab (79%), and rooms for
chorus/choir (67%) and band/orchestra (64%). A Parent Center: Research shows that parent and community
involvement and support are essential for a quality school system.
However, only a small percent of school buildings (6%) have added a
parent center to encourage parents and community members to visit the
schools. Working Conditions Use of a Private Telephone: At a time when approximately
two-thirds of Americans use computers in their work, the majority of
teachers do not have immediate access to a private telephone. In more
than one-half of the buildings (58%) there are four or fewer private
telephones available. In fact, 36% of principals report that they have
only one or two telephones, while 6.5% report that there is not a
single private telephone in the building for use by teachers. Professional Library: A professional library for teachers
and administrators can be found in two-thirds of Wisconsin's public
school buildings. As would be expected, these libraries vary
considerably in quality. Photocopy and Fax Machines: Fax machines are found in fewer
than one-half (42%) of Wisconsin's public school buildings. As for
photocopy machines, there is an average of nearly two per building.
Still, 46% of buildings have only a single photocopy machine which is
available for teacher use. Conclusion In any quantitative study similar to this one, there is a tendency
to focus on the average or "typical" condition, and to
disregard or minimize those cases at the extremes. It is important
that this not be done. Thus, it needs to be emphasized that even though the vast majority
of Wisconsin's school buildings are in good condition and meeting
program and student needs, there is a significant group of buildings
(in the range of eight to nine percent, or 172 buildings) which fall
near the bottom on most the indicators of quality included in this
study. Furthermore, in our focus on numbers and quantitative measures, we
must not forget the human dimension. Ultimately, we need to keep in
mind that the 172 buildings judged inadequate by the principals in
Wisconsin have an enrollment of nearly 75,000 students whose lives are
affected on a daily basis by substandard school facilities. References Anderson, David C. "America's Best Buildings." The
New York Times Magazine (February 20, 1994):38-41. Coley, Joe D. "A Practitioner's Perspective on School
Facilities Problems." School Business Affairs (August 1988):
20-24. Elam, Stanley M., Rose, Lowell C., and Gallup, Alec M. "The
26th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes
Toward the Public Schools." Phi Delta Kappan (September 1994). Honeyman, David S. "A Growing Concern for School
Buildings." Educational Facility Planner (March- April, 1989):
4-6. Penning, Nick. "Urban Schools Struggle to Survive: Are
More Resources the Answer?" School Administrator (March, 1989):
36-37. Earthman,Glen I. "Scrap It or Rehab It--A Process for
Deciding When to Renovate." School Business Affairs (January
1994): 3-7. Glass, Thomas E. "Lost in Space: Assessing the Adequacy
of School Facilities." School Business Affairs (January
1994):13-20. Hanson, Shirley J. "The School Facilities Children Are
Forced to Attend." Journal of School Business Management (October
1993): 30-36. Lewis, Anne, et. al. "Wolves at the Schoolhouse Door: An
Investigation of the Condition of Public School Buildings. A Report of
the Education Writers Association. Washington, D.C.: Education Writers
Association, 1989. Piccigallo, Philip R. "Renovating Urban Schools is
Fundamental to Improving Them." Phi Delta Kappan (January, 1989):
402-406. Reecer, Marcia. "When Students Say School Makes Them
Sick, Sometimes They're Right." American School Board Journal
(August 1988): 17-21. Wulf, Margaret. "Is Your School Suffering from Sick
Building Syndrome?" PTA Today (November- December, 1993): 12-13. This document was prepared by the WEAC Professional Development &
Training Division |