Complete Coverage

School Construction Defies Fiscal Doldrums

The sagging economy of recent years may have meant hard times for much of the nation's education sector, but one area has been flourishing: school construction.

To the surprise of many economists, construction and renovation of K-12 schools hit record highs beginning in 2002, according to industry analysts. And for the first time, they add, construction of new schools sharply outpaced renovations or additions to existing facilities, reversing a long-standing trend.

Last year, nearly $29.2 billion was spent on the construction and renovation of public K-12 educational facilities, a 4 percent increase from $28.1 billion in 2002, according to the National Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities, which used data...