December 8, 2003

School buildings play a crucial role in the education of children throughout the world and especially in cities. Research clearly demonstrates that students experience higher rates of achievement and teachers perform better in school buildings with adequate facilities for all learners. Schools are building blocks for the community and should be the centers of city communities, but often they are not.

The United States Conference of Mayors is partnering with the Council of Educational Facility Planners International and over forty national organizations, federal agencies and private architectural firms to sponsor School Building Week, April 19-23, 2004. The goal of the week is to recognize the significance of high performing, healthy, safe and sustainable school facilities, and their connection to learning. Schools are a critical element in the Conference's effort to chart a new economic agenda for keeping America's metro economies strong. Ensuring a viable, safe and functioning infrastructure is essential to strengthen metro economies. High performing schools and sustainable school facilities help prepare and train urban America's future workforce as well as serve as a center for lifelong learning and city services.

To further this end, School Building Week was created to emphasize the importance of school facilities in the process of teaching and learning. Each day during that week will be a focus of a different element including healthy schools, historic schools, senior citizens in schools, public-private partnerships and school building day.

Many of us have fond memories of our days in school. The Conference supports and encourages all mayors to issue a proclamation for the week and create an event. These could include hosting an event at a school you attended, visiting schools in your city and surveying the facilities, sponsoring a poster contest focused on schools or classrooms for the future, conducting a needs assessment of the city's schools, organizing an event at an historic school in the city's system, or coordinating local architects and preservation groups to mentor students in schools during that week. These and many other ideas, activities and resources are available on the School Building Week website — www.sbw.cefpi.org or you should contact Barbara Worth at 480-391-0840.

This is a week to celebrate our schools. Mayors should take the opportunity to recognize and revitalize these valuable city resources. It is a time to showcase our schools and raise the bar to ensure they serve as centers of community in our cities. School Building Week provides mayors with a unique occasion to address part of your city's infrastructure.