NEW TNMCorps Mapping Challenge for Schools in MO!

There is plenty of seed data for this challenge with many points needing to be edited (i.e., red) or reviewed (i.e., green).  In addition to confirming existing schools, volunteers should also check for missing schools.

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

Point Border Colors

Not sure what each point color represents? 

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

See the article titled Editor Roles and Point Colors in our November 2018 newsletter for an overview of our tiered editing process.

Tips and Tricks 

Existing Schools  

1. Volunteers can locate existing schools by using the dropdown filters on the web editor’s edit tab to filter by feature type and edit status.   
2. Remember we are not collecting preschools, kindergartens, or childcare facilities.  
   • If you come across an existing point for a childcare, preschool, or kindergarten, please document your findings in the ‘Comment’ field and delete the point. No need to click “Save” first.   
3. If you come across a school no longer in operation, document your findings in the ‘Comment’ field and delete the point.  
   • If a school has moved from one building to another, do not delete the point and recreate it on the new building.  Instead, click and drag to move the existing point to the new building. 
   • If a school has permanently closed (i.e., it has not relocated) but a new school opened in the same building, do not delete the point.  Instead, update the name, symbol, and attribute information of the existing point to match the new school.  

Missing Schools 

1. To search for missing schools, volunteers can search the web editor for each school listed on a district website to see if they have a point.    
   • Use the web editor’s search tab to search for the school’s name or address. 
2. If the school does not yet have a point, locate the correct building in aerial imagery and place a point for the school on the center of the building. 
3. If a point does already exist, review the point’s geographic location, symbol, and attribute information against the school’s website and make any adjustments necessary.  
4. Be sure and check nearby points for duplicates as well.

School Symbols 

1. Not sure which symbol a school should receive?  Check out our Structures List, our Tips and Tricks, or this decision tree for guidance.  
2. Our expanded Structures Definitions also provide further insight into what each school represents.

Possible Sources 

1. Remember to find an authoritative source (e.g., a school or district website) for each feature.  Do not rely solely on information in aggregate lists.  
2. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education contains a school directory that users can filter by county or school district. Results include how many schools are in each geographic area along with grade levels and school websites.

Proper Point Placement 

1. Our March 2019 newsletter includes an article on aerial interpretation for school structures. This article walks you through the process of using aerial imagery to find the correct building on which to place a point. 

If you have any questions during the mapping process, reach out to us at nationalmapcorps@usgs.gov and someone will be happy to assist!  Thank you for all that you do, and happy mapping!