Today, many kids are attending schools that are on average 40 years old, with deteriorating classrooms, poor temperature control, and harsh lighting, inspiring the American Society of Civil Engineers to assign them a grade of "F" in its 1998 infrastructure report. In a generous effort to transform these facilities, Ohio has pledged $10.2 billion to districts with the possibility of $23 billion total in local matching funds. However, success depends as much on funding as it does community engagement. Strong partnerships between school districts and their communities during the design process, and throughout the life of the school, can lead to greater financial support, shared resources, and long-term economic health.

KnowledgeWorks Foundation supports the policy analysis and recommendations that will transform Ohio's school facilities into more than modernized school facilities. We support policy that will enable and empower communities to design schools around a community's aspirations, creating schools that are lasting monuments to community values and contributors to economic growth.