Improving Rural School Facilities.

Interim Chair, Department of Secondary Education and Educational Leadership, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas 

Acknowledging differences state to state and among school districts within a state, Improving Rural School Facilities: Design, Construction, Finance and Public Support provides a useful overview of facilities in rural school districts.

Edited by Sarah Dewees and Patricia Cahape Hammer, the book addresses construction, renovations and additions; how to build public support for funding a building project; working within local funding resources; and building designs that maximize instruction, energy efficiency and technology use.

Case studies present effective approaches used in a renovation and restoration project, a partnership for creating technology infrastructures and a successful bond campaign. These are especially helpful because they allow the reader to examine successful projects from beginning stages to conclusion.

A discussion of political realities seems particularly relevant. Capital outlay and debt service--traditionally local responsibilities because of little or no state and federal funding--have become more difficult for many rural communities as their populations have dwindled. At the same time, populations have grown in urban and suburban areas, which has contributed to a shift in political influence from rural areas to the fast-growing suburbs.

This book will be useful for administrators and board members in rural communities who face the challenges of providing adequate facilities.

(Improving Rural School Facilities: Design, Construction, Finance and Public Support, edited by Sarah Dewees and Patricia Cahape Hammer. The Rural Education Specialty, Appalachia Educational Laboratory, P.O. Box 1347, Charleston, WV 25325-1348, 2000, 120 pp., $18 softcover)