Chapter 11
SCHOOL FACILITY PLANNING
Effective school facility
planning produces an environment in which teachers can teach and students can learn
effectively and efficiently. As the largest tool of instruction, the school
facility may either enhance or detract from the educational program. The school
facility strongly impacts the educational program; it is not just housing. A
well-designed facility will enhance the program by supporting the instructional
design and providing a warm, dynamic setting in which to provide educational
experiences. The school facility includes school buildings, school sites, and
fixed and moveable equipment which support the learning activities of the
school. For a well-designed facility to provide optimal support for the
educational program, effective planning must be a joint endeavor by the school
officials and the project architect.
The operation of the
facility requires additional planning. A school facility does not open for the
first day of school and function automatically. The manner in which a school
facility is operated indicates the extent to which instructional leadership is
present within the school.
School Facility Planning:
The California Perspective
The California Department of
Education is deeply involved in the planning, design, and funding of public
school facilities. Currently, the state is supposed to provide 50 percent of
the funding for a public school facility with the local school districts
responsible for the remaining 50 percent. However, the ability of the state to
provide its share is dependent upon the financial condition of the state. A
local school district has the option of seeking a local school bond issue to
cover 100 percent of the cost of the new facility. Regardless of the split on
funding, the Office of State Architects reviews the plans for the school
facility to insure that they meet state guidelines and codes for school construction.
The cost of constructing a
school facility may be covered by different methods. A general obligation bond
issue may be proposed by a local school board. Though this currently requires a
two-thirds approval by those voting in the election, there are efforts underway
to reduce this to a simple majority. An additional source of funding is through
a Mello-Roos tax, where developers or homeowners vote to impose an additional
tax on themselves for the purpose of constructing new schools. A third source of
funding is the district special tax approved by the voters of a school district
to cover the costs of school construction. Bond and facilities issues are
complicated enough to require Sections 15000 through 17903 of the California
Education Code to explain them in general terms. Additionally, facilities are
addressed by Sections 39000 through 40000 for elementary and secondary
education.
The California Education
Codes are not the only codes and regulations which must be followed in planning
for a new facility or retrofitting an existing facility. Additional codes and
regulations affecting school facilities include the California Code of
Regulation (formerly the California Administrative Code), the Access Compliance
Standards, the Uniform Building Code, and the California State Fire Marshall
Construction Materials Listing.
To handle the many facets of
school facility planning, many school districts hire a school facility planner.
The planner's job responsibilities are to oversee the planning for new schools,
define possible new sites for the schools, help prepare the information needed
to seek funding, oversee the construction phase, conduct post-occupancy
evaluation, and supervise the overall maintenance of the school facilities.
School facility planning in
California is an intensive process involving local school districts and the
California Department of Education. While there are still imperfections in the
process, California is one of the few states that does make extensive use of
the school facility planner in the school facility planning process.
The extent to which the
school district facility improvement plan contributes to or detracts from the
educational programs depends upon the long-range planning that the school
district has taken. Proper planning ensures that the school building will serve
the unique educational programs of each school district in the best way
possible. All of the school district board members, administrators, teachers,
and non-certificated staff should be actively involved in the ongoing
development of a school facility improvement program. Local educators must play
a key role in identifying the specific educational programs to be housed in the
district and the community. It is important to involve parents, students, and
community leaders in the planning process in order to ensure that their needs
and their perceptions of what constitutes a school are being addressed.
The planning required in
determining the facility needs of a district involves several important actions
and steps. At a minimum, these steps include conducting a school survey and
developing and writing educational specifications.
The school survey is an important
tool in the development of a school facility planning program. The school
survey is in effect a needs assessment for the school district. It can be a
self-study directed internally by a designated school official or externally by
persons with expertise who may be brought into the school district to assist
with the study. How the needs assessment is conducted, who conducts the study,
and the nature of the community involvement in the study should be controlled
by school officials, including members of the school board. The study is
ultimately the board of education's responsibility. Some of the data collected
from a survey are outlined in Table 11.1.