K-12 Schools Report: High schools will lead the way in the K-12 schools market

Jim Haughey, Director, Research and Analytics, Reed Construction Data

Middle schools led the growth in K-12 construction spending in 2006, when peak enrollment was in the 8th grade. But the lead will shift to high schools, as the enrollment-bulge students will be 10th graders in the fall.

Construction spending for elementary schools, after project cost inflation, has been declining since 2001 and will continue to decline slowly. Overall K-12 school construction spending will increase 10% this year and 7% in 2008, barely faster than inflation. Tax revenue growth is still enough to support this growth rate.

The spending mix includes replacement and renovation projects, often very expensive per square foot, in cities in the Northeast and Midwest that are experiencing stable or declining enrollments, as well as low-cost classroom space expansions in southern and western cities with expanding student enrollments.

Nationally, space additions are not keeping up with enrollment growth so the unmet need for school space continues to build.

Top 20 K-12 schools design firms
(2006 billings in $ millions)

Firm	Billings
Source: 2007 Giants 300 survey Note: This ranking is based on firms that made the Giants 300 list.
1. Heery International	79.62
2. URS Corp.	45.60
3. NTDStichler Architecture	35.38
4. STV Group	35.20
5. DLR Group	34.00
6. Fanning/Howey Associates	31.12
7. HMC Architects	30.22
8. SchenkelShultz	26.13
9. The Thomas Group, A Tetra Tech Co.	20.48
10. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill	14.70
11. Moseley Architects	13.95
12. Harvard Jolly	13.56
13. DMJM H&N	12.65
14. BRPH Cos.	11.02
15. Parsons Brinckerhoff	10.74
16. Jacobs Engineering Group	10.12
17. LPA	9.69
18. Perkins+Will	9.18
19. OWP/P	8.39
20. TMAD Taylor & Gaines	7.74

Top 20 K-12 schools contractors
(2006 revenue in $ millions)

Firm	Revenue
Source: 2007 Giants 300 survey Note: This ranking is based on firms that made the Giants 300 list.
1. Gilbane Building Co.	547.32
2. The Turner Corp.	413.70
3. Skanska USA Building	342.00
4. Adolfson & Peterson Construction	320.28
5. Hunt Construction Group	258.70
6. JE Dunn Construction Group	256.20
7. CORE Construction Group	183.55
8. McCarthy Building Cos.	166.06
9. Kraus-Anderson Construction	156.86
10. PCL Construction Enterprises	154.86
11. Heery International	139.74
12. Sundt Construction	130.68
13. McShane Construction	129.19
14. Structure Tone	114.48
15. Hensel Phelps Construction	106.55
16. Balfour Beatty Construction	105.44
17. C.W. Driver	98.88
18. The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co.	95.97
19. Bovis Lend Lease	92.78
20. The Yates Cos.	89.40

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