Navigating Challenges of Aging Infrastructure in International Schools

As schools are about to start their summer construction and capital improvement projects, Sage Consultancy’s Senior Consultant, Barry Freckmann, is championing the need for institutions to set aside dedicated funds to meet both current and future infrastructure demands. He stresses that strategic investment in school buildings is not only a response to wear and tear but a proactive commitment to educational excellence, sustainability, and long-term operational resilience. Addressing infrastructure needs today ensures that international schools remain competitive, compliant, and capable of delivering outstanding education in safe, future-ready environments.

The international education sector has experienced remarkable growth, with ISC Research recording 14,833 K–12 international schools globally as of January 2025, including 376 new schools added in just the past six months. Asia dominates this expansion, hosting 58% of the world’s international schools, with China and India leading with 1,124 and 972 schools respectively. However, as this sector expands, many schools are now grappling with a critical challenge: aging infrastructure that threatens to undermine educational quality. Modern school facilities are increasingly recognized as fundamental to shaping positive learning experiences and maximizing student potential, with research showing that well-designed environments can significantly enhance student performance and engagement.

Common Issues with Aging School Facilities

Structural Decay

Many international schools operate in buildings constructed decades ago, facing problems, e.g., of classrooms that feature outdated or inexistant heating/cooling (HVAC) systems and represent educational “time capsules.”  Structural issues commonly include deteriorating foundations, compromised load-bearing elements, and water intrusion through aging roofing systems. In extreme cases, floors cave in, HVAC units fail, and ceiling tiles become stained with leaks, all issues documented in aging school buildings across various educational institutions. This decay not only affects aesthetics, itself no small issue in international schools requiring high-tier annual tuitions but also creates genuine safety hazards for students and staff.

Safety Concerns

Aging school buildings often fall short of modern safety standards, raising significant concerns about student and staff wellbeing. Many older structures were built before contemporary fire codes, earthquake resistance requirements, and accessibility standards were established. International schools face additional complexity when navigating disparities between local building regulations and the international safety standards expected by their globally mobile clientele, creating challenging compliance scenarios.

Technological Obsolescence

The digital transformation of education demands physical infrastructure capable of supporting modern learning technologies. Many aging international school buildings lack the basic electrical capacity, conduit pathways, and spatial configurations necessary for implementing smart classrooms, reliable Wi-Fi networks, and deploying digital learning tools. The gap between pedagogical ambitions and facility capabilities creates frustration for educators attempting to prepare students for a technology-driven future while working within the constraints of older buildings designed for an analog era.

Additionally, aging buildings often do not offer the more sustainable (“greener”) functionality that many schools teach and would like to demonstrate in their institution.  Building designs and systems from previous eras are often expensive and inefficient to operate when compared to modern alternatives.

Financial Constraints and Funding Challenges

International schools primarily rely on tuition fees to fund operations, creating tension between maintaining competitive rates and generating sufficient capital for facility improvements. Schools worldwide regularly spend significantly less annually than required to maintain "healthy and safe" school facilities. This funding gap is particularly pronounced in less affluent educational institutions that may struggle to raise money through additional fees, bonds or capital campaigns. International schools often receive minimal government support compared to local public schools, placing the burden of facility funding entirely on their operational budgets or fund-raising efforts (assuming the latter are even considered possible).

The competition for limited resources creates difficult trade-offs between facility upgrades and other institutional priorities. School leaders must balance investing in teacher compensation, curriculum development, and technology acquisition against addressing deteriorating physical infrastructure. These competing demands frequently result in significant deferred maintenance that ultimately increases long-term costs and compounds physical problems.

Logistical and Regulatory Hurdles

School construction and renovation projects involve complex regulatory landscapes that vary dramatically by location. The permitting and approval processes required before construction can begin including zoning approvals, building permits, environmental assessments, and compliance verifications, all time-consuming procedures requiring careful coordination. International schools must navigate local construction laws while simultaneously meeting the expectations of international accreditation bodies and their multinational Board and parent community.

Supply chain disruptions, contractor reliability issues, and skilled labor shortages can further complicate renovation projects. Schools attempting renovations while maintaining academic operations face particularly challenging scenarios.  Noise, dust, displacement of classes, and safety concerns during construction all impact educational continuity.  Attempting to limit renovations to the longer academic breaks can lead to increased project risks and/or ill-advised project short cuts which may undermine the fundamental goals of the renovation effort.

Strategies for Sustainable Facility Management

Successful infrastructure management requires comprehensive planning beginning with thorough needs assessment and resulting in a facility master plan. The first step in any school construction or renovation project should be identifying existing deficiencies, evaluating space requirements, and determining project goals through stakeholder consultation. Breaking large renovation projects into manageable phases allows schools to spread costs over multiple budget cycles while minimizing operational disruption.

International schools increasingly explore innovative funding mechanisms beyond traditional tuition-based models. Public-private partnerships, dedicated development campaigns targeting alumni and corporate sponsors, and creative financing arrangements can supplement limited operating budgets. A smaller number of schools have successfully established facility endowments that provide ongoing funding streams for maintenance and renovation.

Forward-thinking institutions are implementing green retrofitting initiatives that reduce long-term operational costs while addressing infrastructure needs. Energy-efficient lighting, HVAC systems, and water conservation measures typically deliver return on investment through reduced utility expenses while simultaneously decreasing environmental impact.

Aging infrastructure presents significant challenges for international schools, requiring strategic responses to structural decay, safety concerns, and technological obsolescence. The financial constraints that limit facility investment cannot be overcome without innovative funding approaches, careful design, and thoughtful prioritization. Navigating complex regulatory environments while maintaining educational continuity demands sophisticated project management and stakeholder communication.

International schools that implement comprehensive facility master plans, explore diverse funding mechanisms, and embrace sustainable approaches to renovation position themselves for long-term success. Ultimately, investing in school facilities represents an investment not merely in buildings, but in the quality of education delivered, student wellbeing, and institutional sustainability in an increasingly competitive global market.