What would change if a neighborhood school were planned not only for learning, but also for continuity, care, and recovery when disruption arrives? 

Schools as Civic Capacity 

K-12 campuses already offer trusted relationships, gathering space, services, and neighborhood connections, yet their role in disaster response remains understudied. With an LS3P Foundation grant, Traci Rose Rider, PhD at NC State University, investigated how Southeastern schools can strengthen environmental performance and community support. The research sought evidence-based approaches that respond to local priorities while extending the public value of school facilities. 

“A resilient school can sustain more than instruction; it can help a community remain connected, supported, and ready.” 

From Evidence to a Practical Playbook 

The team drew from published scholarship, case studies, school-district guidance, practitioner interviews, and project records. A March 2025 workshop at the USGBC Green Schools Conference, held following Institutional Review Board approval, added perspectives from about 70 attendees. Together, these inputs linked spatial and operational decisions with emergency continuity, public services, housing and employment support, communication, access, and community-serving programs. 

The study advanced a broader definition of school performance, one that joins technical readiness with trust, partnerships, and place-specific needs. By combining future survey findings with workshop input, interviews, and case documentation, the research can sharpen guidance for environmentally resilient, community-supportive schools across the Southeast. The intended outcome is not a universal prototype, but practical direction that school systems and designers can adapt to the communities they serve.