ANN ARBOR—What is “state of the art” in school design construction? How should educators involve the community in school design? What are the critical issues school districts face in financingthe classroom buildings of tomorrow?

“Building for the Future,” a one-day conference at the University of Michigan, will bring together K-12 educators, school board members, school development teams, administrators, teachers, parents and students to examine the challenges communities confront—today—in designing and financing schools of tomorrow.

The Oct. 30 conference is sponsored by the U-M’s A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning (TCAUP), the School of Education and the Office of the Vice President for Government Relations, with assistance from the Michigan Association of School Boards.

Attendees will be able to choose among panel discussions ranging from “The Larger Community and the School,” “Technology within Schools,” “Security within Schools,” “Community within Schools,” “School Construction Finance.” Luncheon speaker is Thomas D. Watkins Jr., Michigan superintendent of public instruction.

U-M faculty members from education and architecture will present the opening session. Jeffrey Mirel, professor of education studies and history, is an award-winning author of books on the Detroit Public School system and on the American high school in the 20th century. Roy Strickland, associate professor of architecture, directs the New American School Design Project, a national initiative that correlates the design of school facilities with discussion of American school reform.

Other speakers include superintendents from East Lansing and Pontiac schools; the executive director and governmental affairs director of the Michigan Association of School Boards; the chief financial officer and the executive director of facilities, management and planning for the Grand Rapids schools; the Detroit Public Schools chief information officer; the associate director of the House Fiscal Agency; the directors of technology services and planning services from Barton Malow Co.; as well as faculty and researchers from the U-M School of Education and TCAUP.

U-M Profs. Brian Carter of TCAUP and Virginia Richardson of the School of Education were co-chairs of the conference planning committee.

A $50 registration fee includes lunch. For more information, including the complete speaker list, or to register, go to the conference Web site, www.umich.edu/~govrel/bftf.html, or call the U-M government relations office, (734) 763-5554. Space is limited.

A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban PlanningThomas D. Watkins Jr.Jeffrey MirelBrian Carterwww.umich.edu/~govrel/bftf.html