Historic Neighborhood Schools
In 2000, the National Trust placed historic neighborhood schools on the list of America's 11 Most Endangered Places. The National Trust for Historic Preservation's breakthrough publication, Why Johnny Can't Walk to School: Historic Neighborhood Schools in the Age of Sprawl, highlighted the reasons why America's older and historic schools are being abandoned at an alarming rate. This abandonment of a crucial community anchor is often caused by policies that encourage consolidation and new construction over maintenance and renovation.
Our Position
The National Trust for Historic Preservation advocates for the continued use of older and historic neighborhood schools as an anchor for healthy communities. We seek not only to reaffirm the contribution made by historic neighborhood schools to their communities, but also to provide policy direction for state policy makers and for community preservation advocates who help shape state policies.
Learn More
But now there's a brighter future for historic neighborhood schools. The problematic policies cited in Why Johnny Can't Walk to School were often based on outdated guidelines first published by the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI), and which were adopted by many state departments of education. We are pleased to report that CEFPI has released several new publications that incorporate many community-friendly changes advocated by the National Trust and others, including significant changes to acreage standards and siting recommendations.
Recently the National Trust partnered with CEFPI, the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help promote the new guidelines to governors, state departments of education, state historic preservation officers, and statewide and local historic preservation organizations. CEFPI's new publications will help local citizens, city officials, school board members, school district personnel, and land-use planners make informed decisions about school renovation and construction. By adopting CEFPI's new recommendations, communities can invest responsibly in their schools while preserving their neighborhoods and conserving historic and natural resources.
Resources
- School renovation success stories
- Historic Neighborhood Schools Deliver 21st Century Educations (pdf)
- "Smart Growth Schools" PowerPoint presentation (pdf)
- State Policies and School Facilities (pdf)
- Restoration vs. Replacement—The Role of a Feasibility Study (pdf)
- A Roadmap for Saving Your School (pdf)
- Why Johnny Can't Walk to School in the Age of Sprawl (pdf)
- Model Public Policies and Historic Schools (pdf)
- Preservationists have long fought to retain older schools in the center of local neighborhoods. Read about facility policies that can help preserve these valuable community resources at the 21st Century School Fund website.
- State Policies for School Construction and Renovation (pdf) (state by state information).
