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 Agencies
Offer Ways to Preserve Historic Schools
by Tom Wolf with Barbara Powers
and Martha Raymond
(Originally published in the Ohio School Boards Association Journal,
March 2002)
As long as preserving and updating a school doesn't cost more than building
a new one, Ohioans generally favor historic preservation. That, in essence,
is the finding of a recent Ohio Poll on school buildings and historic preservation
by the University of Cincinnati Institute for Policy.
In response to a rising number of questions about school buildings, and to help
school boards and districts make informed decisions about reusing existing buildings
or building new ones, the Ohio Historic Preservation Office has been working
with the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC).
Until recently, if rehabilitating an existing school would cost two-thirds or
more of the cost of a new one, the commission's guidelines favored new construction.
Now districts with historic school buildings (usually meaning schools listed
on the National Register of Historic Places or a local register of historic
properties) can request a waiver.
With a waiver, a district can obtain the same amount of money that OSFC would
put toward construction of a new school and use it to rehabilitate an existing
one instead. Many older school buildings are neighborhood or community landmarks;
the change allows boards who have such schools to refurbish and upgrade them
with 21st century systems and equipment when it's economical to do so, preferred
by the community, and approved by OSFC.
The history of a place is often embodied in its schools, and many older school
buildings reflect the value accorded to education by past generations. Still,
teachers and students need up-to-date facilities in which to teach and learn.
With care and forethought, though, many older schools can be rehabilitated,
preserving original features while bringing systems and equipment up to date.
Meeting the challenge requires planning, some awareness of preservation tools,
access to expertise, and, at times, creative design solutions.
 A
starting point in making decisions about the schools in your community is to
find out what you have; in addition to considering strengths and weaknesses
of each building in your district from an educational standpoint, consider the
significance of each school to your community, too.
A school may be historically significant, meaning that it is the site
of a key event in history, reflects broad trends in the history of education,
or is associated with the lives of individuals or groups important in our past.
A school needn't be nationally important to have significance. Many are places
that have meaning largely in the lives of people in the community where they
stand, making them locally significant.
Some are architecturally significant - designed by an architect or builder
of local, state or even national prominence, sometimes with important works of
art or exhibiting outstanding craftsmanship. Such schools are often among the
more prominent landmarks in a neighborhood or community; as such, they are important
anchors and touchstones.
Some schools have been officially honored for their significance
by being designated as historic. The designation you are most
likely to encounter is a listing on the National Register of Historic
Places, the nation's official roster of places that are significant
in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and
culture.
Despite its name, the National Register recognizes places of statewide
or local significance, too. One misconception is that listing
on the National Register prevents a building from being altered
or demolished. It doesn't. But it's a signal that this building
warrants thoughtful consideration. To find out whether schools
in your district are listed on the National Register, contact
the Ohio Historic Preservation Office.
Some cities and villages have their own registers of historic
properties, too. These are established by local laws, so specifics
vary from place to place; check with your municipal planning department
to find out whether any schools in your district have been designated
local landmarks and what that means.
Among the benefits of preserving and reusing older schools is the opportunity
to maintain a tie to your community's roots. Preserving the places your community
values also helps preserve that distinctive sense of place that many people seem
to be seeking in a world where one place seems to look pretty much like another.
Many communities have found that preserving community character has economic benefits,
as well, paying off in the form of increased tourism and higher property values.
 In
addition, while sometimes thought to be more expensive, preservation is essentially
a conservative approach. With careful planning and expert advice, it may prove
more economical than new construction. Buildings can be adapted to meet tomorrow's
needs more often than you may think; some of the nation's most esteemed colleges
and universities hold classes in buildings a century or more old, yet still produce
graduates who are among the most highly sought in their fields.
Of course some schools simply may not be adaptable to
modern educational needs. When a building is no longer viable as a school, consider
alternatives to demolition. Many old schools are substantial and well-built;
surplus public schools in Ohio have become private schools, office centers,
shops and stores, housing, nursing and health care facilities, arts centers
and senior citizen housing. A federal income tax credit available to owners
who invest in preservation and rehabilitation of income-producing properties
listed on the National Register of Historic Places helps make such projects
attractive to investors.
Here are some resources and tools for rehabilitating historic school buildings:
The National Trust for Historic Preservation's 32-page Community
Guide to Saving Older Schools addresses funding policies, design guidelines
and other issues. According to the trust, code compliance, technology upgrades,
changing educational practices, energy efficiency, maintenance issues, and needs
for other enhancements and improvements usually can be addressed. "Again
and again, preservation-savvy architects, building engineers, product suppliers
and others have demonstrated how many of these practical problems can be solved
through well-planned renovations, additions, or code variances," the guide
says. The booklet is available at www.nthpbooks.org
or (202) 588-6296.
Section 3410 of the Ohio Basic Building Code lets historic buildings
meet code with different rules than new construction. They're still evaluated
in three standard categories - fire safety, general safety and means of egress.
But under Section 3410, they can earn the rating points they need by counting
safety features inherent in their construction. This means that historic schools
may meet code without major alterations as long as they earn enough points to
show that they're safe. Section 3410 is especially useful in working with buildings
that have open stairwells, wide corridors or other features sometimes slated
for removal under conventional code. For a fact sheet, contact the Ohio Historic
Preservation Office, (614) 298-2000.
The Alternative Minimum Requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) allows flexibility in locations of ramps and entrances. For example, in
a school whose main entrance is up a flight of steps, a ramp in some other place
may be a way of meeting ADA requirements while preserving historic features.
Contact the Ohio Historic Preservation Office
for the brochure Preserving the Past and Making It Accessible for People
with Disabilities or for approval to use the alternative minimum requirements.
 The
Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit rewards owners who invest in preserving
and rehabilitating income-producing historic properties listed on the National
Register with a 20% federal income tax credit. Over 40 historic schools in Ohio
have been renovated and adapted to other uses with the tax credit. Work must
be certified by the National Park Service as meeting the Secretary of the Interior's
Standards for Rehabilitation, a set of guidelines for historic properties. Other
National Park Service and Internal Revenue Service requirements apply. Visit
www2.cr.nps.gov/tps/tax.
The National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities is a resource for
those who plan, design, build, operate and maintain K-12 schools. At http://www.edfacilities.org/rl/build
or renovate.cfm choose Build New or Renovate? for a bibliography
and related Web sites or (202) 289-7800.
Preservation Briefs from the National Park Service useful for
school rehab projects include those on wood window and steel window repair;
masonry repointing; heating, ventilating and air conditioning, and making historic
properties accessible. They're on-line at www2.cr.nps.gov/tps/briefs/presbhom.htm.
Local Schools: Exploring Their History, by Ronald E. Butchart,
is available from the American Association for State and Local History at www.aaslh.org/publicat.htm
or (800) 462-6420.
The U.S. Department of Education created Qualified Zone Academy Bonds
in 1997 to help schools raise funds to renovate and repair buildings, invest
in equipment and technology, and more.
Visit http://www.qzabs.com/.
In Ohio, contact the Center for School Finance and Accountability, (614) 466-6891.
Council of Educational Facility Planners, International, brings together
educators, planners, architects and construction professionals committed to
creative and responsible planning, design, construction and renovation of schools
and colleges. (480) 391-0840, www.cefpi.com.
Ohio School Facilities Commission provides funding, oversight and technical
assistance for construction and renovation of school facilities. Local school
districts should work closely with the commission in the earliest project planning
stages for full consideration of preservation options. (614) 466-6290, www.osfc.state.oh.us.
Knowledge Works Foundation is committed to furthering universal access
to education. One of their key interests is school planning and design. Toll
free: (877) 852-3863
Heritage Ohio Inc. works to promote preservation, redevelopment, improvement,
and renovation of historic sites and structures in Ohio. (614) 258-6200, www.heritageohio.org.
The Ohio Historic Preservation Office is available to work with districts
in making informed decisions about older schools. Contact the office to: learn
about nominating a school to the National Register of Historic Places; for printed
copies of titles in the Preservation Briefs series; for more on the Rehabilitation
Investment Tax Credit, Section 3410 of the Ohio Basic Building Code, or ADA
Alternate Minimum
Requirements; or for advice on maintaining or rehabilitating historic school
buildings. The office also has an online list of professionals experienced in
working with historic buildings. (614) 298-2000, www.ohiohistory.org/resource/histpres/
Finally, one key to preservation of almost any school, old or new, is regular
maintenance. Age has little to do with it - even the newest building will not
last without maintenance, but a well-maintained one can last for generations
with proper care and periodic well-planned updates to accommodate new systems
and technology.
Tom Wolf is public education manager for the Ohio Historic Preservation Office,
Barbara Powers heads the office's Planning, Inventory and Registration Department,
and Martha Raymond heads the Technical Preservation Services Department.
Click
here for more on preserving historic schools
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