(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 Cont'd... |