The 2004 edition of the Guide is available for ordering from the Council of Educational Facility Planners website (price ranges from $99 to $150). Widely used by school districts as they plan for construction and renovation, the 2004 edition features updated quidelines for acreage requirements, and includes recommendations for creating vital connections between schools and the communities they serve during the planning process.

As noted by Tim Torma, in his Planning Commissioners Journal article, Back to School for Planners, "The 2004 revision of CEFPI's influential Guide for Planning Educational Facilities no longer contains minimum acreage recommendations for school sites. Recognizing that a 'one size fits all' approach is dated and can work counter to a variety of goals, the new Guide encourages communities to analyze their needs in order to make appropriate siting decisions."