Choices made during the concept, design, and construction phases of new K-12 school projects in California impact students, teachers, parents, and the community for various reasons. For children and teachers, their daily comfort and performance is affected by the classrooms, hallways, gymnasiums, and auditoriums where they interact from four to eight hours each day.

For school administrators, parents, and residential taxpayers, the decisions made by school boards and design teams create long-term financial obligations. Their decisions influence the construction dollars required, the operating and maintenance budget needed, and the learning environment provided for each new school. Consequently, student performance and attendance, teacher and administrator satisfaction and retention, the overall health of students and school personnel, the checkbooks of parents, and the taxes paid by school district residents are affected. The impact may be felt for many years, since the useful life of a school campus is typically 30 to 50 years.

More than ever figure, school districts, utilitieis, and the state of California are working with design teams to build quality learning environments that are energy-efficient and cost-effective. This case study describes the Isla Vista Elementary School, which is innovative in design while keeping energy costs low for the Goleta (Calif.) Union School District.