Use of Vacant Schools Could Provide Savings to Federal Construction Programs
HRD-81-28
Published: Jan 19, 1981. Publicly Released: Jan 19, 1981.
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Highlights
Use of public school facilities, which are closing due to declining enrollments, may be a source of savings for new construction projects financed by the Federal Government. At the start of the 1978-79 school year, there were nearly 2500 vacant schools in 19 States. Well over one-third of them were in good condition and located in areas that made them suitable for continued use. GAO interviewed officials of four Federal programs that provide grant-in-aid assistance for construction to obtain information on the potential that vacated schools hold for other purposes.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Office of Management and Budget | The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should require Federal agencies that provide grants for construction projects to make sure that adequate consideration is given to the use of vacant schools before funds for constructing new facilities are authorized. |
Closed – Not Implemented
Although OMB agrees that savings could be realized by encouraging the use of vacant schools when assessing the need for Federal aid for construction, it does not believe it would be useful to mandate a uniform requirement that existing vacant schools be considered in lieu of Federal construction.
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Topics
Cost controlEducationFacility constructionFederal aid to localitiesFederal aid to statesGrantsObsolete facilitiesSchoolsStudentsConstruction