But it's not just changing academic needs that schools have to be positioned to meet. They are no longer necessarily seen simply as places for kids, but are also being conceived as an extension of the community - to permit buildings a utility that could outstrip their lives as schools. Middle School reflects a move away from flat roofs to more-residential designs. Sometimes that means moving the community into the school, and sometimes it means sending school activities out to the community, says Gary Keep, senior vice president of the SHW Group in Dallas. Sometimes the city parks department and the school will come together to buy 10 acres of land.
Half is used for the school, half becomes a park also open to the public.
Some towns are also sharing pools and library facilities with their local schools as a cost-saving measure, he says. However, in some ways, the blending of community and school needs is more than just a practical consideration. Many parents are concerned that schools should feel more like extensions of home, and less like institutions with no relation to the world outside the classroom. There's more sensitivity to the kids and their feelings. We're using warmer colors, more carpet, a warmer interior.