Centex Rooney Construction Co. and Bond Classroom Solutions Announce The Solution For Florida's K-12 Classroom Needs.

Business Editors/Education Writers

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 28, 2003

Florida's educational system is in desperate need of a solution to accommodate overcrowding in our classrooms. Almost every school utilizes unsightly portable buildings that are never moved with new portables arriving each year. Public confidence in every school district declines the more portables are used. What if there were a better, cost efficient alternative to portable or modular classrooms? Centex Rooney and Bond Classroom Solutions have developed a building system that not only adds additional classrooms, but also increases positive public perception in our schools: the Bond System.

The Bond System provides permanent classrooms that blend into the school at a price that is similar to current portable or modular systems. The walls are created by spraying concrete on both sides of a steel curtain suspended from a framework. This framework is removed and utilized again and again resulting in a cost efficient system that is quickly constructed in less time than it takes to manufacture and transport current portable systems. Due to the materials used, the new classrooms are termite, fire, and mold resistant and meet all Florida hurricane code requirements. Unlike portables that must be vacated during a storm, Bond Classrooms can serve as community storm shelters.

What sets the Bond System apart is the classroom shape and flexibility of configurations. As opposed to the long narrow rectangular shape of portables and modular systems, the Bond System allows for traditional square classrooms to be constructed. This eliminates the odd angles that current portable buildings force students and teachers to endure. Since the classrooms are constructed onsite, the configurations and number of classrooms are limitless. Schools can have stand-alone units, classroom buildings with internal hallways, classrooms with external hallways, or any combination desired.

Another positive is that this system blends into the existing school. The look and awkwardness of existing portables have created a "stigma" associated with current systems. The Bond System can be painted and custom-sized to fit each school at which it is situated. Thus, students feel that they are going to a class in a new addition to the school and parents perceive that the school is expanding to meet their children's educational needs.

Centex Rooney, Florida's largest general contractor and construction manager, is a subsidiary of Centex Construction Group, a division of Centex Corporation (NYSE:CTX). Dallas-based Centex, through other subsidiaries, ranks among the nation's leading home builders, non-bank-affiliated retail mortgage originators and commercial contractors and owns a majority interest in a publicly traded construction products company. Centex has been named one of Chief Executive magazine's Top 20 companies for developing leaders and consistently ranks among the most admired companies in its industry, according to FORTUNE magazine.

Bond Classroom Solutions, LLC and its parent, Bond Building Systems, Inc., are Florida companies headquartered in Hollywood. Bond Building Systems developed and patented the Bond System, which it also uses in hurricane and earthquake resistant housing projects in the U.S. and in the Developing Nations.