(Let your cursor rest on each photo below to read a detailed caption.)
Schools are fundamental elements of the built environment. A well balanced school is vital to the future of its community as it forms and shapes generations. Schools are tangible relics of community pride because of their construction, design, and programs. They also reflect the evolution of educational policy as communities and the Commonwealth strived to provide children with the best possible learning opportunities.

A school's importance is usually portrayed by its prominent location within the community, whether at the intersection of two main streets in an urban neighborhood or on top of a ridge overlooking a small town. Young families favor established schools so that their children may experience quality educational opportunities in relative proximity to home. History demonstrates that when a neighborhood school closes and a newer and larger school is located to an outlying area, at least one important incentive to reside in the surrounding neighborhood is lost. More often than not, decline of traditional neighborhoods and "sprawl" set in.

It is believed that school districts that retain smaller, geographically-centered schools foster better performance among students. Smaller student-teacher ratios allow learners to be part of a community, perform better on tests scores, and participate more fully in extra-curricular activities.

Historic schools dating to the late nineteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries are unique examples of public architecture. In some communities, they are the most architecturally significant structures and include design elements that are hard to duplicate. Sometimes renovating existing schools provides better value to the community when compared to constructing a new school. Many of Pennsylvania's historic schools are constructed of the finest materials and adornment, demonstrating the importance of education within the community. In many cases, maintaining historic schools in lieu of new construction may result in substantial cost savings.

Learn more at:

Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schools , Joe Nathan and Karen Febey
www.edfacilities.org/pubs/saneschools.pdf

How Much Is a Neighborhood School Worth? (PDF)


Save our Land, Save our Towns, Thomas Hylton
www.saveourlandsaveourtowns.org/index.html

History Lessons: older and historic schools are increasingly being recognized for their value (PDF), Royce A. Yeater, AIA