| (4) Compliance with the standards specified in paragraph (5)(B) - (D) of this subsection will be evaluated based on the school district's intended full-time and/or part-time use of the areas, and not the name of the areas as identified in the construction documents. (5) Instructional area size and design requirements. (A) Design criteria. The school district shall provide the architect or engineer with all expected class sizes for the facilities, with the list of chemicals to be used in the science laboratories or science laboratory/classrooms, and with the number of computers anticipated in the library, so that the architect or engineer can adequately design the facilities to meet the criteria specified in subparagraphs (B) - (D) of this paragraph. (B) General classrooms. (i) Classrooms for prekindergarten-Grade 1 shall have a minimum of 800 square feet per room. School districts with small class sizes may have classrooms that provide a minimum of 36 square feet per student. (ii) Classrooms at the elementary school level for Grades 2 and up shall have a minimum of 700 square feet per room. School districts with small class sizes may have classrooms that provide a minimum of 32 square feet per student. (iii) Classrooms at the secondary school level shall have a minimum of 700 square feet per room. School districts with small class sizes may have classrooms that provide a minimum of 28 square feet per student. (C) Specialized classrooms. (i) A computer classroom used for the teaching of computer skills shall have a minimum of 900 square feet per room. The minimum room size is ideal for 25 students; 36 square feet per student should be added to the minimum square footage for each student in excess of 25. School districts with small class sizes may have computer classrooms that provide a minimum of 36 square feet per student. School districts should consider the heat output of computers when designing the ventilation system that serves a computer classroom. (ii) Computer laboratories that are not used regularly for scheduled instruction but that are intended to support other instructional areas shall have a minimum of 25 square feet per computer station. For computer laboratories where the use of portable computers, such as laptop computers, is anticipated, the size may be reduced to 20 square feet per computer station. (iii) The following provisions shall apply to combination science laboratories/classrooms, where each student has a lab station and where typically there is a clearly defined laboratory area and a clearly defined lecture area. (I) Combination science laboratories/classrooms shall have a minimum of 900 square feet per room at the elementary school level. The minimum room size is adequate for 22 students; 41 square feet per student shall be added to the minimum square footage for each student in excess of 22. (II) Combination science laboratories/classrooms shall have a minimum of 1,200 square feet per room at the middle school level. The minimum room size is adequate for 24 students; 50 square feet per student shall be added to the minimum square footage for each student in excess of 24. (III) Combination science laboratories/classrooms shall have a minimum of 1,400 square feet per room at the high school level. The minimum room size is adequate for 24 students; 58 square feet per student shall be added to the minimum square footage for each student in excess of 24. (IV) School districts with small class sizes may have combination science laboratories/classrooms that provide a minimum of 41 square feet per student but not less than 700 square feet total at the elementary school level, a minimum of 50 square feet per student but not less than 950 square feet total at the middle school level, and a minimum of 58 square feet per student but not less than 1,100 square feet total at the high school level. (iv) For districts that choose to use separate science classrooms and science laboratories, the following provisions shall apply. (I) A science classroom shall be a minimum of 700 square feet regardless of grade level served. (II) A science laboratory shall have a minimum of 800 square feet at the elementary school level. The minimum laboratory size is adequate for 22 students; 36 square feet per student shall be added to the minimum square footage for each student in excess of 22. (III) A science laboratory shall have a minimum of 900 square feet at the middle school level. The minimum laboratory size is adequate for 24 students; 38 square feet per student shall be added to the minimum square footage for each student in excess of 24. (IV) A science laboratory shall have a minimum of 1,000 square feet at the high school level. The minimum laboratory size is adequate for 24 students; 42 square feet per student shall be added to the minimum square footage for each student in excess of 24. (V) Science classrooms shall be provided at a ratio not to exceed 2:1 of science classrooms to science laboratories at the middle school and high school levels. The science laboratories shall be located convenient to the science classrooms they serve. (VI) School districts with small class sizes may have science classrooms that provide a minimum of 32 square feet per student, and they may have science laboratories that provide a minimum of 36 square feet per student but not less than 600 square feet total at the elementary school level, a minimum of 38 square feet per student but not less than 700 square feet total at the middle school level, and a minimum of 42 square feet per student but not less than 800 square feet total at the high school level. (v) If hazardous or vaporous chemicals are to be used in the science laboratories or science laboratories/classrooms, a separate chemical storage room shall be provided. The chemical storage room shall be separate from, and shall not be combined as part of, a preparation room or an equipment storage room; however, the chemical storage room may be located so that access is through a preparation room or equipment storage room. The chemical storage room shall be secure to prevent access to chemicals by students. One chemical storage room may be shared among multiple laboratories or laboratories/classrooms. (vi) Each school science laboratory, science classroom, science laboratory/classroom, science preparatory room, and chemical storage room shall include the following provisions. (I) A built-in fume hood shall be provided in each high school level chemistry or advanced placement chemistry laboratory or laboratory/classroom. A built-in fume hood should also be provided in each high school level integrated physics and chemistry laboratory or laboratory/classroom. The exhaust shall be vented to the outside above the roof and away from air vents. (II) A built-in eye/face wash that can wash both eyes simultaneously shall be provided in each room where hazardous chemicals are used by instructors and/or students. The eye/face wash shall comply with the ANSI Standards for Shower and Eyewash Equipment (Z358.1). The tepid water required by ANSI Z358.1 is not required to come from a heated source; however, school districts that commonly experience lengthy periods of extremely cold temperatures during the winter season should consider a tepid water system with a heated source. (III) A built-in safety shower shall be provided in each high school level chemistry or advanced placement chemistry laboratory or laboratory/classroom. A built-in safety shower should also be provided in each high school level integrated physics and chemistry laboratory or laboratory/classroom. The safety shower shall comply with the ANSI Standards for Shower and Eyewash Equipment (Z358.1). The tepid water required by ANSI Z358.1 is not required to come from a heated source; however, school districts that commonly experience lengthy periods of extremely cold temperatures during the winter season should consider a tepid water system with a heated source. (IV) Ventilation systems serving science rooms shall be designed and constructed so that under normal operation the return air from the science rooms is not recirculated into non-science areas. In the chemical storage rooms, a ventilation system shall exhaust the air to the outside, and shall not be recirculated back into the space. (V) An exhaust fan that is controlled by the instructor shall be provided in all rooms where hazardous or vaporous chemicals are to be used or stored. The exhaust fan shall be of sufficient size to exhaust the total volume of air in the room within 15 minutes. The exhaust shall be vented to the outside above the roof and away from air vents. (VI) A minimum of 6 linear feet of total horizontal workspace, such as lab stations, lab tables, countertops, desktops, or some combination of these, shall be provided for each student in each middle school and high school science laboratory and science laboratory/classroom. Cont'd... |
