School planning and design in the last century was greatly influenced by what is referred to as the consolidation movement. The driving force behind this campaign was the idea that bigger schools can teach our children more efficiently, while allowing for expanded curriculum offerings. This movement was widely successful in its ability to reduce both the number of schools and districts throughout the nation. In 1930 there were approximately 262,000 schools in the United States, compared to only 91,000 in 2001. This massive consolidation occurred over a period of time when enrollment increased 120% to nearly 53 million students.#CommitteeonArchitectureforEducation #CommitteeonDesign #Research #WhitePapers