First, truly great building projects stand out for their rarity. The world needs a St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, a Versailles outside of Paris, the Great Pyramids, and a Taj Mahal. Although these are monuments to excess and vanity, they are also tourist attractions that are as valuable in their unique way as Disney World. Any builders and architects who would see a nation filled with quarter- to half-billion-dollar schools would trivialize their uniqueness.

Second, many states are already plagued by a taxation system that permits palatial schools in some cities and counties, but looks askance when poor cities and counties have trouble maintaining their facilities and purchasing books and supplies.

Third, the Taj Mahal projects join other fads that fret about “what can we do to encourage our students to learn?” Instead of worrying about upgrading teachers and facilities, let’s focus more on requiring students to become engaged in their education. William Faulkner once said that “intelligence is the ability to survive in one’s environment.” Our students could be engaged in learning, whether in a one-room, log cabin school house or a concrete-block structure without air conditioning.