Assembly-Line Schools Cater To Growth

"To make a Loudoun County elementary school, start with 1,700 cubic yards of concrete for the foundation. Combine 137,000 cinder blocks and 129,000 bricks to make the outside walls, and set aside about 3,500 square yards of asphalt for the parking lot."

"Sticking to a standardized design has helped encourage competitive bidding for contracts and speedy construction, a virtue proved this year when Sycolin Creek Elementary in Leesburg was raised in seven months."

"Most school systems, including Loudoun's, like to allow a year to 18 months to build from the foundation to the finishing touches. Fairfax County once accelerated that time frame to 10 months to replace an elementary school that had burned down. Prince William County's record is eight months, including site preparation. Even Clark County, Nev., which as the home of Las Vegas churns out 11 new schools a year to accommodate explosive growth, reports its tightest timeline for a new elementary was 8 1/2 months."

"Loudoun schools aren't known for progressive architecture or energy efficiency, but they are known for how fast they get built."

"School officials say that building at a breakneck pace is not cheap and that they would rather not sprint to the first day of school. The pressure to build fast is only going to intensify in coming years as land becomes scarcer and fewer sites can accommodate the one-size-fits-all design."