[panzagl]

More money for education doesn't necessarily mean more money for buildings- they often have to be floated by bonds separate from the main budget.

Schools have more features than 75 years ago- better hvac, higher power requirements, better comms.

Government construction has to follow all the regulations, including a bunch specific to the government to fight corruption or waste.

[cogman10]

> higher power requirements

Arguably, the power requirements have been trending downwards since the 90s. Switching teachers and students to laptops instead of chonky desktops almost certainly has made a dent in power consumption. Further better insulation and hvac systems has almost certainly cut down on power costs.

[panzagl]

I was thinking more construction costs- now every room needs many outlets instead of the one that the overhead projector cart plugs into. Power efficient lights, insulation etc. require higher construction costs but reduce operating costs. My middle school was a neat piece of 1920's architecture, but lacked a lot of amenities that would be considered necessary now.