| (VII) If electricity, gas, and/or water are provided in student areas, emergency shut-off controls shall be provided for each in a location accessible to the instructor but not easily accessible to students. (vii) Special education classrooms shall have a minimum of 400 square feet per room. School districts with small class sizes may have rooms that provide a minimum of 40 square feet per student. (viii) Specialized classrooms not otherwise identified within these standards shall at a minimum comply with the requirements specified in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph. (ix) Compliance with the standards specified in clauses (iii) and (iv) of this subparagraph will be evaluated based on the average class size in those classrooms. (D) Major support areas. (i) Primary gymnasiums or physical education space, if required by the district's educational program, shall have a minimum of 3,000 square feet at the elementary school level; 4,800 square feet at the middle school level; and 7,500 square feet at the high school level. (ii) A school district shall consider the School Library Standards and Guidelines as adopted under Texas Education Code, §33.021, when developing, implementing, or expanding library services. Libraries for campuses with a planned student capacity of 100 or less shall be a minimum of 1,400 square feet. Libraries for campuses with a planned student capacity of 101 to 500 shall be a minimum of 1,400 square feet plus an additional 4.0 square feet for each student in excess of 100. Libraries for campuses with a planned student capacity of 501 to 2,000 shall be a minimum of 3,000 square feet plus an additional 3.0 square feet for each student in excess of 500. Libraries for campuses with a planned student capacity of 2,001 or more shall be a minimum of 7,500 square feet plus an additional 2.0 square feet for each student in excess of 2,000. A school district that plans to locate more than 12 student computers in the library shall add 25 square feet of space for each additional computer anticipated. The space allotments within the library shall be based on a formula of 30% for the reading/instructional area and reference/independent study area; 45% for the stack area, circulation desk/area, and computer/online reference areas; and 25% for the necessary ancillary areas. Windows shall be placed so that adequate wall and floor space remains to accommodate the shelving necessary for the library collection size established by the School Library Standards and Guidelines. (6) It is not the intent of these standards to limit the use of nontraditional, alternative, sustainable, and/or innovative school designs. A nontraditional design model is one that works to break down the scale of the school and to improve the connection of the student to the resources available within the school environment. If a school district chooses to use a nontraditional model, the following provisions shall apply. (A) The instructional spaces where teachers will instruct groups of students in specialized coursework shall meet the standard, as appropriate based on group size, for square feet per room or for the minimum square feet per student specified in paragraph (5)(C) of this subsection. (B) Large group lecture spaces that do not use tables or desks for the students shall have a minimum of 15 square feet per student. Large group lecture spaces that do use tables or desks for the students shall meet the standard, as appropriate based on group size, for square feet per room or for the minimum square feet per student specified in paragraph (5)(B) of this subsection. A minimum of 150 square feet shall be provided for each small group, conference, or office space area or room. (C) An individual student learning area that is assigned to a specific student shall have a minimum of 35 square feet. An individual student learning area that is not assigned to a specific student shall have a minimum of 25 square feet. (D) If necessary under the design model, up to half of the reading/reference area function of the library may be dispersed throughout the facility outside the normal library boundaries. The sum total square footage of all library-related areas shall meet the minimum square feet specified for libraries in paragraph (5)(D)(ii) of this subsection. (7) Other space requirements should be developed from school district design criteria as required to meet educational program needs. (e) Educational adequacy. A proposed new school facility or major space renovation of an existing school facility meets the conditions of educational adequacy if the design of the proposed project is based on the requirements of the school district's educational program, the educational specifications, and the student population that it serves. (f) Construction quality. (1) Districts with existing building codes. (A) A school district located in an area that has adopted local construction codes shall comply with those codes (including building, fire, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy conservation, and electrical codes). The school district is not required to seek additional plan review of school facilities projects other than what is required by the local building authority. If the local building authority does not require a plan review, then a qualified, independent third party, not employed by the design architect or engineer, shall review the plans and specifications for compliance with the requirements of the adopted building code. The plan review shall examine compliance conditions for emergency egress, fire protection, structural integrity, life safety, plumbing, energy conservation, and mechanical and electrical design. The review shall be conducted prior to the commencement of construction and must be conducted by a qualified building code consultant or a third party architect or engineer. A qualified building code consultant is a person who maintains, as a minimum, a current certification from the ICC. Associated fees shall be the responsibility of the school district. The reviewer shall prepare a summary list of any conditions not in conformance with the provisions of the adopted building code and is required to send a copy to the school district, design architect, or engineer. The design architect or engineer shall revise the plans and specifications as necessary and certify code compliance to the district. The reviewer, in his or her reasonable judgment and with the approval of the local building authority, may allow a limited number of variances from the codes if such variances do not negatively affect the quality or safety of the facility. Any disputes shall be a matter for contract resolution. (B) For school facilities projects subject to these standards, and where not otherwise required by local code, fire alarm systems shall be provided. Fire alarm systems shall be designed and installed in accordance with applicable portions of the latest edition of the International Building Code (IBC) and International Fire Code (IFC). (C) As part of their school facilities projects and where not otherwise required by local code, school districts should consider providing automatic sprinkler systems for fire protection, fire suppression, and life safety. In absence of a local code, each automatic sprinkler system shall be installed in accordance with the latest edition of the IBC and IFC. (D) If the local building authority does not conduct reviews and inspections during the course of construction of the facility, then a qualified, independent third party, not employed by the design architect or engineer or contractor, should perform a reasonable number of reviews and inspections during the course of construction for compliance with the requirements of the adopted building code. The reviews and inspections should examine compliance conditions for emergency egress, fire protection, structural integrity, life safety, plumbing, energy conservation, and mechanical and electrical design. A qualified code inspector is a person who maintains, as a minimum, a current certification from the ICC as a combination commercial inspector and commercial energy inspector. (2) Districts without existing building codes. (A) A school district located in an area that has not adopted local building codes shall adopt and use the building code and related fire, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, and energy conservation codes from the latest edition of the family of International Codes as published by the ICC; and the National Electric Code as published by the NFPA. As an alternative, a school district may adopt the building code and related fire, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, and energy conservation codes as adopted by a nearby municipality or county. A qualified, independent third party, not employed by the design architect or engineer, shall review the plans and specifications for compliance with the requirements of the adopted building code. The plan review shall examine compliance conditions for emergency egress, fire protection, structural integrity, life safety, plumbing, energy conservation, and mechanical and electrical design. The review shall be conducted prior to the commencement of construction and must be conducted by a qualified building code consultant or a third party architect or engineer. A qualified building code consultant is a person who maintains, as a minimum, a current certification from Cont'd... |
