FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT                                               Policy 7110

Facilities Planning and Design

Educational Specifications

To ensure that all new and remodeled facilities are designed to best implement the educational program of the School District, the Superintendent will provide for the development of detailed educational specifications to apply to the design and construction of new or remodeled buildings. The preparation of educational specifications will serve the following purposes.

1. Clarify and consolidate the thinking of the staff, administration, Board and community on the needs, desires and objectives of educational programs to be conducted within the proposed new or remodeled building.

2. Organize important information in a manner that can be easily and clearly interpreted by an architect.

When educational specifications are prepared, an introductory section will be devoted to a brief description of the community, enrollment trends, and the educational philosophy of the District. Educational specifications are detailed descriptions of the following items:

1. Activities that will take place in the building.

2. Organization of instruction and curriculum to be housed in the building.

3. Specific architectural characteristics desired.

4. Facilities needed, equipment required and space relationship to other facility elements.

5. Pertinent budget and other governing factors.

The persons involved in developing educational specifications should include: the Board, which adopts policies, approves final specifications, employs the architect and provides the budget; the Superintendent, who provides administrative leadership, interpretation and evaluation; principals, staff members, students and patrons, who utilize the facilities; and the architect, who develops architectural plans for the facility.

Consultants may be used in the development of educational specifications when deemed necessary by the Superintendent and the Board.

FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT                                               Policy 7120

Facilities Planning and Design

Procurement of Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors

The School District may need to engage the services of an architect, engineer, or land surveyor when capital improvement or other District needs arise. The District recognizes that hiring architects, engineers, or land surveyors who have performed acceptable work for the District in the past promotes continuity, efficiency, and quality. The District also recognizes that a construction contractor retained by the District may wish to work with a particular architect, engineer, or land surveyor with whom it has a solid working relationship. The District will observe the procedures as outlined in Regulation 7120 when selecting architectural, engineering, or land surveying services.

Under this policy, the terms architect, land surveyor, and professional include, but are not limited to, any individual, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity providing architectural, engineering, or land surveying services.

FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT                                               Policy 7130

Facilities Planning and Design

Construction Manager Selection

The Board of Education may desire to engage the services of a construction manager when planning, designing, improving, altering, repairing, or constructing a building or structure. The District recognizes the need to enter into contracts with qualified construction managers at a price the District considers to be fair and reasonable. It shall be the formal policy of this District to observe the procedures set forth in its Administrative Regulations when the District determines that construction management services are needed.

FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT                                               Policy 7210

Facilities Construction

Construction Contracts, Bidding and Awards

All facilities construction projects which exceed an expenditure of $15,000 shall be advertised once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation located in the city or county in which the District is located. In addition to the city or county newspaper, the District may also advertise in business, trade or minority newspapers. Competitive bids shall be solicited according to state law only after the plans and specifications have been approved by the Board of Education. In order to protect the Board, each bidder may be required to submit, with his bid, a bidder's bond in an amount determined by the estimated cost of the project.

The construction contract shall be awarded to the best bidder whose bid is in accordance with the Board approved plans and specifications and has provided the required security. The Board reserves the right to waive any informalities in, or reject any or all bids or any part of any bid. No bid for the construction, alteration, or repair of any building shall be accepted if it does not conform to the Board approved plans and specifications.

Whenever two or more proposals or bids of equal amount are the lowest proposals submitted by reasonable bidders pursuant to the advertisement of bids, the Board of Education may award the contract to any one of the bidders as determined by exercise of discretion.

The contractor shall receive monthly payments for the work completed, less a percentage to be determined to ensure completion. The contractor may be required to submit a performance bond and a material and labor bond to the satisfaction of the Board. The final payment shall be made only after acceptance of the project by the Board of Education and completion of the items to be corrected. Lien waivers shall be provided by the contractor and his subcontractors and suppliers.

All pay requests by the contractor shall be approved by the architect prior to submission to the Board of Education for payment.

FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT                                               Policy 7215

Facilities Construction

Construction Cooperative Projects with Municipalities

The Board of Education may enter into an agreement with the County in which the District is located, or with a city, town, or village, wholly or partially, for specific construction projects. Such projects may include acquisition, construction, improvement, extension, repair, remodeling, renovation and financing of sites, buildings, facilities, furnishings and equipment for use of the school district for educational purposes.

Such agreements may provide for the present or future acquisition of an ownership interest in such facilities by the District by means of lease, lease purchase, option to purchase or similar arrangements. In addition, the agreement may provide for a joint venture with the municipal authority to share the costs of acquisition, construction, repair, maintenance and operation of such facilities.

The District may wholly own such facilities or may acquire a partial interest along with an eligible municipal entity with which the agreement was executed.

FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT                                               Policy 7220

Facilities Construction

Board Inspection and Acceptance

FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT                                               Policy 7300

Site/Facilities Retirement

Certain school buildings may no longer be adequate for instructional purposes and should be used to benefit the School District or public in other ways. In determining when a facility is to be retired from regular school purposes, the Board will be guided by a combination of factors, to include:

1. Review of the in-depth demographic studies and population groupings.

2. Age and current physical condition of the building, its operating systems and program facilities.

3. Adequacy of site, location, accessibility, surrounding development, traffic patterns, and other environmental conditions.

4. Reassignment of children, including alternative plans, according to Board policy.

5. Transportation factors including number of children bused, time, distance and safety.

6. Alternate uses of the building.

7. Costs/savings
   1. Personnel
   2. Plant operation
   3. Transportation
   4. Capital investment
   5. Alternate use

If the Board determines to close a school, it will first consider other uses that the School District might make of the building; then it will consider its sale. Sale or lease of any District facility will be conducted as set forth in Regulation 3380 - Sale/Lease of Real Property.

The historic value of any building will also be considered by the Board. It may take special action to provide for a building's preservation.