HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-30-2007-a
School Construction Standards
-----
Deleted: February
~- ril 2007 U.pdate ---.._.._..._..._.-_.:...._..---~~----~----===-_- o~e~: ~
As Proposed by the School/county
collaboration ork Group
Table of Contents
Introduction
School and County Collaboration Work Group Proposal
Traditional and (don Traditional (Models
Class Size and School Capacity
Square Footage
School Site and Minimum Acreage
Interior Building Space Allocations
idon-Specialized Classrooms
Specialized Classrooms
Cost Per Square Foot
Other Facility and Site Considerations
Fom,attea --------~
.- Formatted
."~._~.,.._---"' .- Formatted -------~
~ Formatted -----
Formatted -----~
~~-------~ Formatted------ __J
Appendices -. Deleted: a ~
Appendix 1,._ Elementary__School_Space Prof le and Square Footage_______________~.•--"
Standards - oe~eted: ~ s
Appendix ?,_ Middle School Space Profile and Square_Foota~ge_Standards______.----- oe~etea: ~ c
Appendix ~__High School_Space_Profile and Square_Footage Standards_________.----
(1,000 Student Capacity] Deleted: ~o
Appendix ~_ High_School Space Profle_and_Square Footage_Standards________~ -='
(1,500 Student Capacity)
_Appendix 5 School Project Cost Calculation Template
Appendix 6 School Construction Proiect Components
2
School Construction Standards -----~
-.__.__....._---'-- Deleted: February
County/School Collaboration Work Group ril 2007 Update._-,._..
Orange County's current elementary and middle school construction standards have
been in place since 1996, and its high school standards since 1999. While these
standards have served as a model for many schools constructed in both the Chapel Hill-
Carrboro City and the Orange County Schools, it has become increasingly difficult to
adhere to the standards due to economic factors such as rising construction costs as
well as educational reforms. such as changes in state mandated class sizes for grades
kindergarten through third. In addition, land use regulations and environmental
considerations that incorporate sustainable building components and smart growth
elements are becoming more prevalent in the construction industry. Two separate
School Facilities Task Forces, convened in 2000 and 2002, identified a number of
standards that required clarification and/or updating (e.g. baseline estimates for per
square foot cost, an appropriate inflation factor, percentage of project budget that
should be set aside for contingency, etc.). To that end, the Boards of County
Commissioners and Education recognized the need to update and refine Orange
County's current School Construction Standards, and last year requested that the
School/County Collaboration Work Group review existing School Construction
Standards with the intent of bringing them more in line with today's practices,
regulations, and construction market.
At the time that Orange Commissioners adopted the County's existing School
Construction Standards, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI)
had Facilities Standards in place that established minimum construction criteria for
individual school districts to adhere to when they constructed new facilities or renovated
older ones. Since that time, the State has moved away from the "standards concept"
and now has "Facilities Guidelines" in place.
While the intent of the Guidelines remains consistent with the previously enacted State
Standards - to ensure that school systems provide adequate space for instructional
classes and activities -the .Guidelines now allow for flexibility and allow for more
consideration of local situations such as availability of land or other limitations that
school districts may face.
The report that follows offers the Work Group's proposal.
3
School/Gounty Collaboration Work Group Proposal
Traditional and Non-Traditional Models
The Collaboration Work Group recommends that the Standards make a distinction at all
levels -elementary, middle and high - between "traditional" school models and "non-
traditional" ones.
Traditional IlAodel -The planning model for a traditional school is set out
in these standards. Capacity of a traditional school would be 585 for
elementary schools, 700 for middle schools and would range from 1,000
to 1,500 for high schools. For the most part, a traditional model would
consist of a site that would have sufficient acreage to allow for future
building expansion, outdoor play areas, full complement of athletic
facilities and on-site parking for faculty, students and buses.
®. Non-Traditional Il~odel - Anon-traditional model would be one that.
deviates in someway from the'traditional model and would be defined on
a project-by-project basis. This model would offer flexibility and
accommodate various local conditions, including the availability, or lack
thereof, of land in addition to a school district's needs.
This report, outlines the Traditional Model at all levels and provides examples of Non-
Traditional Models. The Work Group foresees the need for Non-Traditional Models
becoming more prevalent in the future. Furthermore, the Work Group encourages
School Boards and County Commissioners to consider non-traditional models as they
plan new schools.
4
Space Considerations
1) Class Size and School Capacity
The Collaboration Work Group recommends that traditional school capacity be in
accordance with State class size/teaching station requirements as outlined in
North Carolina General Statute 115C-301.
Elementary School -For school year 2006-07, elementary class size/teachin
statio re uirements are------------------------------------------------- ---------------... t~e~a: -------~
_~,. g ----------------------------
• Average of 21 students per class in grades kindergarten through three
® Average of 26 students per class in grades four and five
10 students per class in special needs classrooms
Based on the average class sizes outlined abovq,_the: capacity_ of_a_ traditional _.__.--- ~~~~ .forschool year200s-o7,~
elementary school totals 585 students - a reduction of 15 students from the oeie~a. e~'ng
.. _.. -
revious Coun_ __ standards of 600 students.___ SECTION =MOVEt7 TO,..aVEXT _,_,:
._
(?A - ty - - --°-------- ~~~~nds th oshould tPhe Genera
------•- -------- ----- --- -----------------•--------------•--------- -------------- -- -- re me at
Middle School -Middle school includes grades six through eight. For school `~, Assembly amend Bass s¢es at any
level, the County's School
year 2006-07, middle school State class. size requirements are: Construction standards shomd be
amended within some reasonable
g ~ ''. timeframe that would allow for
• Average of 26 students per class in grades six throu h ei ht . ........ .... consideration of funding and
® 10 students per class in special needs classrooms ', adequate timing of new schools:
• •. `' Deleted: ¶
Based on the average class sizes outlined above, for school year 2006-07, the '~• Deie~a: s ---
capacity of a traditional middle school veraf. es 700 students________________________________-_-___ D~~; totals .
High School -High school includes grades nine through twelve. For school
year 2006-07, high school class sizes allow for:
Regular classrooms with a minimum capacity, 20 students per ---
class/teaching station __ Deleted: of
Vocational Education class rooms with a capacity ranging from 15 to 20 ~r;:: Deleted. s
students per class/teaching station ---~
All other classrooms range from 15_ to__25_ students _per_ class/teachin ___._.-- Deiet~ed: ~o
.station -
o .For example a theater arts, class_ room__may__ have__upper_ range_,_.---- Deierna:
capacity while exceptional education class rooms would be on the
lower end of the spectrum
For school year 2006-07, the capacity of a traditional high school ranges
between 1,000 and 1,500 students.
The Work Group further recommends that should the General Assembly amend
class sizes at an level the Coun 's School Construction Standards should be
amended within some reasonable timeframe that would allow for consideration of
funding and adequate timing of new schools. While the Collaboration Group
does not recomrriend going above the state mandated class size at any level,
there might be examples in the future where total school capacity may vary from
the Standards. For example, a smaller than traditional school site may create the
need to construct a smaller school or a multi-story one. Other examples include
a non-traditional school that may allow for smaller than mandated class sizes or
may include additional classroom space for pre-kindergarten students.
The chart below compares existing standards with those proposed by the
Collaboration Work Group:
C -Traditional Model
y
apac~
April 2007 Proposal from School
School Level Existing Standards Collaboration Work Group
Elementa 600 585
700
Middle 700
1 000 1 500 1 000 1 500
Hi h School Ran e t
2) Square Footage
----
In calculating total square footage of new schools, the Collaboration Work Group ---~
concluded that the r~ for standards for square_ footage_per_ student are_suff_icient.___..---- ~~~~ existing
Given the Work Group's proposed change in elementary class size and total
elementary capacity, as outlined earlier in this report, the proposed elementary ueleted. epsting
square footage is reduced from the re,~v~io,,,-us standards_of_95,235.square feet to __._-
92,840. Statutory class sizes for middle and high school levels remain ___--~
unchanged from the ,previous Standards;___ therefore, ___the___ Work __ Group _,..---~ ~elerea: epsting
recommends no changes in existing standards for total square footage of middle
and high schools. The chart below compares existing standards with those
proposed by the Collaboration Work Group:
~_.._..., e.,.,E~.,e _ T~~rli+innal Model
~afua~c ~ vv~..y.. - - - - ---
April 2007 Proposal from School
School Level F~cisting Standards
i Collaboration Work Group
Elementa 95,235 92,840
192
132
Middle
Hi h School Ran a 132,192
151 049 251 345 ,
151 049 251 345
6
Square footage of anon-traditional school may be higher or lower than those
outlined by the School Collaboration Work Group. Examples of factors
considered as non-traditional include community recreational facilities such as a
mnasium or smaller schools constructed on smaller than traditional sites.
3) Interior Building Space Allocations
1`
a) Non-Specialized Capacity Generatinu ClassroomslTeachina Stations
Elementary - A traditional elementary school contains 25 non-specialized
classrooms. As stated earlier in this report, the Work Group recommends that non-
specialized classroom sizes for a traditional elementary school be in accordance
with State class size requirements as outlined in North Carolina General Statute
115C-301 The Statute currently states that kindergarten through third grade
classrooms have capacity for 21 students per class with third through fifth grade ;
teaching stations having capacity for 26 students per class. Appendix 1 of this ;;;~
report outlines by grade level the capacity and square footage guidelmes fora ~;~
traditional elementary school. ote:from;Ddnna - Wlthahls referenceao'a endlx '
Middle A traditional middle school contains ,21,_,regular. c~assroo
individual class size of 26 students plus 6 science classrooms. A
pp~endix 2 _sguare:footage_for_regular_traditional_middle school_
plus storage total 1,014 square feet and sclerice classrooms i
-----
m_ s with a_ n
s outlined in '~,
classrooms ~1
ncludmg lab , `.,
Vlllth <fhiS
i) High A traditional 1,000-student high school contains ,~4 ,~cademic._ `,,
classrooms allowing for a minimum of 20 students per class in grades ,dine
through twelve. A traditional 1,500-student high school contains 40 regular ;!;
classrooms allowing for 26 students per class in grade nine and 29 students ;,,
per class in grades ten through twelve. ~;;
i;
Square footage for~raditional academic high school classrooms_allows for in-,
room student use computers and ranges from 850 to 950 square feet per i, ;+
classroom and square footage for science classrooms, including lab storage ~; ,r
space, range from 1,200 to 1,500 square feet.
Appendix 3 of this report outlines capacity and square footage guidelines fora `,
traditional 1 000 student high school and Appendlx 4 provides similar information for
a traditional 1 500 student high school Note from Donna ~ With this .reference to
alpt=ridc 3~and 4 suuaest~remouina.thechar ~___________________________________________________~_., ~~,
b) Specialized Classrooms
Specific functions of each specialized classroom determine the total square
footage needed for each. The narratives below provide overviews of the function
Formatted
Deleted:: ¶ -
Type of Nonspecialized
Classroom
Kindergarten (21 students
er class
Grades 1 through 3
(includes 4 per grade level
plus one "swing" room) (21
students er class
Grades 4 through 5 (26
students er class
Total Classrooms
Additional C
Smal l
Total Classroom
Deleted: z2 _
Deleted: the chart below
Deleted: ¶
Type of Nonspecialized
Classroom
Re ular Classrooms
Science Classrooms
Total Classrooms
Total Classroom
'';;,~lebed: 22
Deleted: regular
Deleted: nine through
Deleted: regular
Deleted: ¶ l ... Cl_1J~
7
of each specialized classroom while Appendices 1 throw h _provide_ detailed ___.---- neie~a: a. 1s and 1c
space profiles including square footage information for each specialized area,. -__ `" Coun~ e~~~9 c ~ ~~"
The Work Group recommends that the existing standards for specialized rooms Standards for5pecialized
Classrooms
remain unchanged for traditional model schools.
i) Pre-School Area (Elementary Level)
NC Public Schools Facilities Guidelines recommend 1,200 to 1,400 square
feet for pre-kindergarten classrooms. Orange County Standards allow for
one classroom for pre-kindergarten children ages three and four at 1,700
square feet.
ii) Special Needs Classrooms (All Levels) '
Programs for exceptional children vary greatly,. depending on age of children
and local factors. Additional support spaces may be necessary-fior
exceptional education purposes depending on the program. Specialized
spaces, such as cooking areas, toilets, bath/shower rooms,: laundries,
observation rooms, and special equipment to accommodate certain
disabilities may be required.
iii) Remediation and Resource Labs (All Levels) -School plans should
include one or more small group classrooms for remediation, conferences,
guidance and testing for groups. Smaller group activities may require
additional smaller rooms. .
iv) Instrumental and Vocal Classrooms (High School Level) -Student
participation for these programs is often high - it is not unusual for the
number of students in these classrooms to range between 40 and 80.
Orange County Standards provide for a range of 2,800 to 6,600 square feet
for these two classrooms (not including storage).
v) Dance Classroom (High School Level) -Dressing rooms and access to
showers for dance students are desirable in high schools. If located adjacent
to the gymnasium locker rooms, this space can be combined. Orange County
Standards for this function range from 1,800 to 2,000 square feet.
vi) Workforce Development (flfliddle and High School Levels) -Facilities for
high school workforce development programs are often large, extensively
equipped and more expensive than regular classrooms because of their
similarity to industry. Square footage included iri Appendices 1 B and 1 C
parallels the State Guidelines. In accordance with State statutes, a basic high
school vocational education program must offer at least three of the workforce
development programs. Many high schools offer all seven programs
including agricultural, health occupations, business, family and consumer
sciences, marketing, technology, and trade and industrial. The number and
types of laboratories depend on local factors. More than one laboratory for a
program such as family and consumer sciences education may be necessary
8
in larger schools. Another factor to consider is the co-use of the darkroom of
a school. Alarger-than-standard darkroom with additional storage could
serve art and science programs as well as workforce development programs.
Existing County high school standards allow for offering all seven programs
with allocated space for each program ranging from 10,750 to 16,100 square
feet.
c) Media Center Standards (All Levels) -The capacity for the media center of the
school should be ten percent of the average daily membership of the school.
State guidelines recommend that the media center be located on the ground
floor, be single story and convenient to all learning areas of the school. Minimum
support areas include offices, work/production rooms, conference rooms,
periodical storage, audiovisual equipment storage, and spaces for professional
collections.
State guidelines recommend that the media center's location should not preclude
future expansion of the facility.
When appropriate, school media centers allow for joint use and public access.
Additional technology and security .measures are required in order to allow for
public access. During facility planning, the respective School Board, along with
the Board of County Commissioners, would .invite local municipalities to
participate, financially and programmatically, in possible joint use opportunities.
d) Physical Education and Gymnasium Standards (All Levels) -The State
square footage guidelines for physical education facilities vary by school level.
Gymnasiums for traditional middle and high school levels should include dressing
and shower areas large enough to accommodate physical education and athletic
programs, offices and storage. Orange County Standards for a traditional middle
school includes locker rooms and weight rooms. Both elementary and middle
school levels allow additional space that would allow after school use including a
multipurpose room. In addition, Orange. County Standards for a traditional high
school provide for an auxiliary gym at the 1,000-student profile compared to the
current standards of allowing for an auxiliary gym at the 1,500-student profile:
During initial facility planning and programming states, the respective School
Board, along with the Board of County Commissioners, would invite local
municipalities to contribute to funding a community use gymnasium or other
athletic facilities such as soccer fields.
e) Administration Standards -The size of the Central Office will vary according to
school level and staffing at each school. Partition construction should allow for
flexibility of space.
9
f) Student Support Area Standards -This general area includes counseling
rooms, guidance rooms and health services, social workers, psychologists or
other health professionals.
g) Staff Support Areas Standards - In accordance with State Guidelines, Orange
County Standards allow for shared office and workspace areas for teachers. In
addition, the existing standards provide work areas for instructional, lab and
teacher assistants along with at least one centralized workroom for copy
machines and other specialized equipment and supplies that are not typically
located in teacher offices/workspaces.
h) Child Nutrition (Cafeteria/Food Service) Standards -Existing Orange County
Standards for all levels provides for a full service kitchen and seating to
accommodate the entire student body in no fewer than three shifts. _ _
i) Dining areas allow for 12 to 14 square feet per pupil dining. The formula for
calculating dining area size is capacity /number of seatings x square foot per
pupil
ii) State Guidelines calculate kitchen area square footage based on the number
of meals served per day. The chart below outlines the State's Guidelines for
kitchen areas:
Lunches
Served Square
Foota e
_,
,._
100 ,
.,
856
250• 1,261
500 1,518
750 1,938
1,000 2,208
1,250 2,566
1,500 2,880
A non-traditional model may provide a smaller dining area if the district allows for
open lunch (i.e. traveling away from school for the lunch period).
i) Commons/Circulation/Entries/Building Support Standards - This area
includes miscellaneous space such as corridors, stairs, additional storage, book
storage, entries, mechanical areas, and commons areas. In addition, this areas
includes additional restroom facilities, academic house centrums and activities
areas. •
10
Site Considerations
1) School Site and Minimum Acreage
Traditionally, minimum acreage .refers to usable, or developable, acreage.
"Usable" or "developable" acreage refers to those portions of the site where a
school district can construct something -examples include parking, playfields,
.buildings, retention ponds, and septic systems. Examples of areas that are not
"usable" or "developable" might include mandated buffers, setbacks, slopes too
steep to be effectively developed, rock outcroppings, wetlands or environmentally
sensitive areas.
School site sizes for non-traditional schools may be higher or lower than those
outlined in the State Guidelines -for example, ~creage_ma deviate from State _--: --- ~~~~ additional _ ~
-- Deleted: maybe necessary to
Guidelines in order to -------------- - ---- --------------------------------------------
- ------ ----------------------- -
• Accommodate community use of the facility and multiuse recreational
facilities such as soccer and softball fields.
Account for areas that cannot be built upon, such as steep slopes,
wetlands, rights-of-way, easements, setbacks, buffers or poor soils
• Meet requirement imposed by local ordinances - i.e. restrictions governing
the ratio of land that can be disturbed within a development and the
permitted amount of impervious service will affect the ultimate size of the
site
Allow for on-site or off-site parking for staff; students, buses and visitors
• Accommodate the expanding number of middle and high school athletic
teams either on-site or off-site - i.e. an additional ten acres or more of
land may be necessary to allow -for an athletic stadium and associated
• spectator parking.
However, other areas to consider in siting a new school include areas of
population density, public transportation availability and walkability; natural
geographic enhancements or barriers, road patterns, and existing or non-existing
infrastructure such as water, sewer and roadways. School systems should
actively pursue partnering agreements with the Towns and County Parks and
Recreation Departments, private developers, and businesses in an effort to Deietea. Otner see censiaeratigns
maximize joint use of facilities. Future projects should also.include____________________________ ~-
,.• Deleted: All school plans should
^ risca -in and_re ulato_ry_bu_ff_ers________________________________________________________ include
-------p -g-- - - -~-- -" Deleted: x
^ Use of synthetic turf for athletic fields or installation of irrigation
systems.
11
The chart below compares existing standards with those proposed by the
Collaboration Work Group:
_J. T-w.rih:nn~r MAftPI
$(: ttOOt SIIe HGr
School Level CdyC - ~n~a..~~~y ~•'-"^^'-'
Existing Standards -"--
September 2006 Proposal from
School Collaboration W ork
Group
Elementary (10 developable 0
16
acres plus one developable 16.0 .
acre for each f00 students
Middle (15 developable acres 22 0
plus 1 additional developable 22.0
acre for every 100 students)
High School (Range) (30 40 to 50 fora 45 to 60 fora 40 to 50 fora 45 to 60 for a
developable acres plus 1 000 student 1,500 student
1 1,000 student. _ 1,500 student
additional developable acre for ,
high school high school high school high school
eve 100 students
The. Work Group recommends that the acreage standard for a traditional school
model remain unchanged.
With all of the above-mentioned factors considered, the availability of suitable
land and adequate infrastructure may create the need to construct a non-
traditional school on a smaller site.
As the availability of land becomes less and less due to development and land-
use regulations, the Work Group also recommends that the County, both school
districts, Towns, and possibly the University of North Carolina, partner to identify
suitable, available future school sites throughout the County. The partners would
meet periodically to update the database and report the findings to elected
officials on an annual basis.
Sest 1~lanagement Practices and Development Standards
The Board of Coun Comm-ssloners ana Dorn ava~ua ~~ r_~u~q~,~„ ••~"• •-- -_ ___
fiscal stewards of taxpayer monies In order to meet this objective, the Work Group
recommends utilizing tools and best manaaement practlces that allow for Improved
contract negotiations thereby resulting In the best pricing and outcomes possible.
With this objective in mind the Collaboration Work Group recommends tha~he
following best management practices serve as guidelines during facility planning.
Deleted: Both the Chapel Hiil-
Canboro City Schools and the
Orange County Schools are
signficant real estate development
entities within the larger development
community of Orange County. As
such, both school districts benefit
from favorable conditions that, when
leveraged effectively, allow the
districts and the County to
successfully influence development
and construction markets. ¶
Deleted: T
12
a) Innovative Development Tools
In North Carolina, school districts have a variety of options for constructing
schools:
^ General Statute 143-128 (a1) includes (1) Separate Prime Bidding,
(2) Single Prime Bidding, and (3) Dual Bidding
^ General Statute 143-64.31 provides for Construction Management
at Risk
^ General Statute 143-135.26(9) provides for alternative contracting
methods
^ Senate Bill 2009 (Senate Law 2006-232) provides for capital leases
of school buildings and school facilities
Both the Construction Manager at Risk and the capital lease options allow
school districts flexibility in setting actual project cost. Examples of
potential benefits associated with these options include:
^ Contract. Negotiation -School Boards and staffs become integral
partners within the design build teams that includes the architect
and the contractor. This team develops a maximum project cost, in
a transparent manner, throughout all areas of the design and
development process thereby controlling these costs within the
design phase.
^ Flexibility -While school systems had the statutory authority to
lease facilities in the past, with the ratification of Senate Bill 2009 in
2006, through public-private partnerships between Boards of
Education and contractors, school districts now have opportunities
for to enter into "build-to-suit" contracts. School districts have
opportunities to identify where the district needs schools, and to
provide design, programming and construction specifications to the
developer.
^ Future Maintenance of Facility - In accordance with Senate Bill
2009, as part of contract negotiation, responsibility for future facility
maintenance/repairs and energy usage guarantees can be
assigned to the developer and not the school system.
^ Ownership -Per Senate Bill 2009, transfer of ownership of the
leased property may occur at the end of the lease term or
ownership may stay with the developer.
^ Time Savings -Contract negotiations offered through public-private
partnerships can potentially be conducted more quickly than more
traditional public methods. While entities may not realize major
cost savings in building costs, there may be savings attributed to
beating inflation.
13
Based on County staff discussions with Local Government Commission
(LGC) staff over the last few months, it is important to note, that the LGC
considers capital leases as outstanding debt for County governments.
b) "Large Developer" Status
For the most part, local communities view school systems and
governmental agencies as "large developers"~__While_this situation offers_....•
purchasing advantages on some fronts, it is also a situation that staffs
must manage effectively. Being.viewed as a "large developer" often sets
"higher than normal" pricing standards in the construction market. As an
example, past practice has been that local governments and school
districts make construction project budgets known before the bid process
beginning. An unintended consequence of this practice has been that
development and construction markets tend to "re-adjust" their standards
upwardly, and bids more than likely come in at the "pre approved" level or
higher rather than coming in at less than the "pre-approved" level.
c) Value Transference to Stakeholders
"Value Transference" is defined as the value that an external entity or
stakeholder receives when schools and governmental entities such as
counties or towns invest in particular communities. Individuals,
businesses, and other public as well private entities benefit from school
and other governmental capital investments into a community. The impact
of such investments should be recognized in development practices and
principles relative to the potential revenues. from the private sector that this
value transference creates. For example, schools and co-located
recreational facilities inure to the retail value of residential building lots and
existing homes. This value transference to the owner and/or developer of
this real estate may be recouped in the form of impact fees, transfer taxes
or other reasonable proffers.
d) Financial Strength
Strong financial conditions of Orange County and both the Chapel Hill
Carrboro and Orange County school districts should allow for negotiating
positions and purchasing power within land use design, development and
operations.
All of the practices outlined above offer guidelines to consider as each district
proposes new school construction projects.
Cost Considerations
Delet~!• within the construction
market •
14
As a starting point for this update, in setting the budget for future school construction
it is important that the building cost per square foot reflect historical costs of
constructing new schools (both locally and statewide) as well as consider the current
construction market. A School Capital Review Team consisting of County ,staff a_nd _.
representatives from each school district, would meet annually, in November, to
review construction and land related costs for actual school projects that have
occurred within the past year. Based on actual expenditures related to school
construction, the Review Team would recommend updated school construction
standard costs, which include all of the project components, for the respective
School Boards to review and for the Board of County Commissioners to approve. In
addition to school construction costs, the Review Team would also review the ten-
year Capital Investment. Plan CIP rocess and pay-as-you-go funding. allocations
for the upcoming long-range capital plan. The Review Team would take the
Construction Price Index CPI and benchmarks set by national education facilities
planners into consideration in recommending updated construction standards.
Deleted: Budget Director
Deleted: Moving away from past
practices of establishing and
advertising a total project budget
before actual construction bidding
occurs, the County took a new
approach with Ghapel Hill Carrboro
City Schools Elementary #10.
Detetied: Elementary#10 and
Deleted: school __
Deleted: school-
Deleted: Xx
With historical __practices, __construction___project__ bud~ets__ were: established__ and _•..---~~
~- -- --------- u n
broadcast at the onset of project planning thereby pre-setting the budget fort e
market to react to with the ultimate result of the construction community matching or
exceeding the budget. However, .with ~uture__proj_ects, _ the _approach _would_v_ary__,
somewhat by not °pre-setting" the budget ahead of the bidding process. Amore '~•.
conservative approach would be for the School Capital Review Team to create a tool
that analyzes historical costs of like projects (elementary ,j_o_ elementary, _middle_ to ____.-•
middle, etc.) across all project components. Appendix 5~offers an_example_of the ;"`---
template that would serve as an analytical. tool for developing construction project •'~•--
+....,,.~+~ r,u;+o :+~. ~oa~i~r~ - `Arioendix 5 is bending tinalizat`ton ~by`'Couhiy' and~~School
Commissioners on:Ma~ch 13; 2007. This tool allows for a comparable cost analysis
without establishing any advantages or expectations to the marketplace.
The___following__section__defnes_ individual__construction__project__components,__ and__...
Appendix 6provides _ the_ information__ m__a chart format _ Staff _ plans to develop __--_
construction project budgets and track actual expenditures in accordance with the
project components outlined in the chart. At the end of the project, staff will prepare
a final reconciliation and budget variance analysis for Commissioners and School
Boards to review.
a) Site Acquisition
Site acquisition costs include costs associated with acquiring a site. Examples of
these costs include the actual purchase price of the property along with costs of
-- Formatf:ed -----
•- pelet~ed: ZZ
15
property survey, appraisals and deed recordings, testing to include soils, cultural,
archeological, environmental, suitability, and legal fees associated with purchase
and recording the property.
for purposes of_this update,_it_i5_recommended_that the_per acre_price_be_
consistent with the fair market value of land at the time of purchase. The
School Capital Review Team would review market value of land each year
during the process outlined earlier in this report.
b) Site Development .
Site development should be broken out into two sub-categories:
i) Hard Construction -Site & Vertical Tasks
Costs included in this category cover the "usual" costs of all construction
activities associated with preparing a school site for construction (both
"horizontal" [dirt] and "vertical" [building] construction). Examples of items to
budget in this category include pre-grading and- final grading of the site to
include playing fields and playgrounds, installation of storm water run-off
drainage, testing for soil suitability (rock), extension and/or installation of
utilities, building structure and systems (includes General Contractor and all
Sub-Contractors; satisfying municipal requirements such as storm water run-
off drainage; and landscaping to include, when feasible, xeriscaping.
Deleted: The purchase price of
suitable, developable land vanes
within the boundaries of Orange
County. Current Standanis allow
$25,000 per acre for elementary and
middle school sites and $30,OOD for
high school sites.
Deleted: <#>Fees¶
Fees consist of non-consWdion
costs ("soft costs°) related to the
direct site and building. Archltectural,
engineering and construction
management services to indude
educational specifications and
programming, schematics and design
development, bidding, construction
documents, construction
administration, reimbursables,
fumlture selection would be induded
in the Fee component of a project
budget Other fee costs associated
with the Fee component of a projed
would include on-site engineedng
control inspections, materials testing
(such as concrete, sutable soils),
survey, topographic and boundary
studies, local government
applications and permit fees such as
zoning, spedal use, conditional use
and building, conned fees to utilities,
and. In addition, costs assodated
with special'¢ed consultants such as
traffic engineers, environmental
spedalists, and projed
schedulerslexpedltors along wish fees
charged by North Carolina
cable trays. In addition, space there
should be sufficient space for local
d vtnd ~
wiring and fiber optics, technology
computers, file servers, routers,
ii) Hard Construction -Off-Site pepartment of Environment and
This category includes construction activities for the surrounding area (costs Natural Resources (NCDENR), North
of "horizontal" construction). It does not include hard construction costs Transportation NCDOTwouldbe
associated directly with the building and direct site (see Section 2 a above). ~ induded in tha Fee portion of the
Historically, these costs have been high in cost and are unique to individual projedaudget.¶
projects. Examples of off-site development costs include water and sewer ? ~Tecnnology tnfrastnrcture¶
installations/extensions to the site, off-site road intersection improvements Thsa~s ~enD~a~ ~9"~~OS~,ooic
including, roundabouts, turn lanes and traffic signals or other traffic control systems to install up-to-date
devices, sidewalks, -off-site environmental mitigation, construction of trails ~ all student ,faculty and staff. When
q funds are not available for the
and/or greenway systems and other municipal or state re uirements. All
design work associated with these costs outlined in this section would be I stale r~eeomm otls tn~t~ n~ls, the
considered "Hard Construction -Off-Site" COStS. systems provide empty conduits and
- --- -- ----- ------------------°-----------------------' an a area netwo ,files rve
- - ------ - - - -
~----------------------------------------------- ~,, and other equipment. Fiber optic
cLMoveable Equipment Able may replace wiring dosets.
Examples of readily moveable equipment include office furniture (desks, chairs, '~,, This may be a more cost effident
files, bookcases), cafeteria equipment (tables, seating, ovens, stoves, '; ¶ anner to provde connedivity.y(
dishwashers), conference room furniture, gymnasium bleachers and athletic field In addition to infrasirudure such as
bleachers. consulting services along with
t• '~, scanners printers, telephones,(-'
dZOne-Time Start up Costs
Examples of one-time start up costs ma include media center collections, ••'
classroom textbooks and & supplies, musical instruments, science lab materials,
rmatted: Bullets and Numbering
Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
16
art materials, playground equipment, cafeteria utensils and trays, athletic
supplies and equipment (wrestling mats, basketball goals, scoreboards), athletic
and band uniforms, custodial cleaning equipment, lawn maintenance equipment,
recycling and trash containers, postage machines, specialized equipment such
as pianos, and signage.
2) Other Considerations
-.-- Deleted. ¶ _~
a) High Performance Buildings
During the planning process, school districts should give special attention to
incorporating fiscally sound energy efficiencies and sustainable green building
standards that use renewable/recyclable materials, improve the environment and
air quality, and reduce energy usage. Ways to achieve this include:
^ Choosing efficient lighting systems and energy management controls
^ Incorporating solar orientation, earth integration, and xeriscaping
(landscaping with slow-growing, drought tolerant plants to conserve water
and reduce trimmings)
^ Selecting energy efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems
^ Adopting energy alternatives and other conservation measures such as
day lighting, water reclamation and reuse systems, water free urinals,
photovoltaics, and xeriscaping
School systems should analyze life cycle costs of high performance systems to
determine their efficiency and sustainability.
b) Materials
Construction contractors and School district staff should select construction
materials based on low maintenance and high durability. The presumed life
cycle of new schools is fifty or more years.
c) Generator Ready Schools
-____-- Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
Constructian plans for all future schools should include the facility being.
"generator readLr" so that they can serve as emergency shelters as needed.
dLOther Considerations
..------- Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
Other site considerations might include:
i) Types of landscaping and buffers at all school sites
ii) Installing synthetic playing fields or equipping athletic fields with irrigation
systems
17
iii) Installing covered walkways at student drop-off areas, main entrances and
bus loading areas
iv) Reducing student drop-off lanes _-----
,__-- Deleted: <#>Constructing new
t ~s also _ im _ ortant to note that_ the_ cost _ of _the _ regulatory___process _ has _ scnoois as "generator ready° so that
- ---
~-------------- - -p ----------------- --- - - --- -
historically been high and require from 12 to 24 months before the they can serve as emergency shelters
as needed¶
construction project can begin. ~>tt
------------------------------------------___-- Formatted
I ~---------------------------------------------------------------------------: -----------------
18
~.
,.
..<.: , '. , dcoff!~y, ..: _ •%26/20Q7 8.36':00 PM ~;
.Page 7...I1~ peleted.'. _ :-..` .
Hiah School Classrooms (1,000 Student High School Model)
• Schools
Orange County Standard Facilities
Type of Non- Number of Square Foot Per Total Square Foot by Guidelines
Specialized Classroom Classrooms Classroom Range Grade Level Range Square Foc
Per
From To From To
•,,,,,Y,~ 22 850 ~ 950 ~ 18,700 I ~u,auu i 750 to 8
'SICaI a7GIC11l:C,
logy, Physics
4
1,200
1,200
4,800
400
1
4,800
400
1 1,2(
4(
1
Science 1 1,400 1,400 ,
500
1 ,
500
1 ,
51
1
~ist 1 1,500 1,500 , , ,
ry
Total Classrooms 28
Storage/Science
Prep Rooms 26,400
500 28,600
500
Total Classrooms and Story e S ware Foota a 26,900 29,100
Hiah School Classrooms (1,500 Student High School Model)
Type of Non- Number of
Specialized Classroom Classrooms
Regular Classrooms 40
Science Classrooms _
Physical Science;
Biology, Physics
8
Earth Science 1
Chemist 3
ry
Total Classrooms 52
Classrooms
Schools
Square Foot Per Orange County Standard Facilities
Total Square Foot by Guideline
Classroom Range Gmde Level Range Square Fa
Per
From To From o
~~n 950 34.000 38,000. 750 to
1,200 1,200 9,600 9,600 1,~
1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,'
1,500 1,500 4,500 4,500 1,;
49,500 53,500
;fence Preb Rooms 875 875
3J 26%2D0712.54, OO PM
.. Page_16_:'[2] Deleted ~ '`% ~ ;dcoffey ''
Fees
Fees consist of non-construction costs ("soft costs") related to the direct
site and building. Architectural, engineering and construction
management services to include educational specifications and
programming, schematics and design development, bidding, construction
documents, construction administration, reimbursables, furniture selection
would be included in the Fee component of a project budget. Other fee
costs associated with the Fee component of a project would include on-
site engineering control inspections, materials testing (such as concrete,
suitable soils), survey, topographic and boundary studies, local
government applications and permit fees such as zoning, special use,
conditional use and building, connect fees to utilities, and. In addition,
costs associated with specialized consultants such as traffic engineers,
environmental specialists, and project schedulers/expeditors along with
fees charged by North Carolina Caroana eDepartment nofeTransportation
Resources (NCDENR), North
(NCDOT would be included in the Fee portion of the project budget.
Technology Infrastructure
The State Department of Public Instruction encourages school systems to
install up-to-date technology infrastructure for use by all students, faculty,
and staff. When funds are not available for the installation of complete
systems, the State recommends that school .systems provide empty
conduits and cable trays. rea networks, fipe se ee and othebequipme t
space for local and wide a
Fiber optic cable may replace wiring closets. This may be a more cost
efficient manner to provide connectivity.
In addition to infrastructure such as wiring and fiber optics, technology
consulting services along with computers, file servers, routers, scanners,
printers, telephones, copiers, .facsimiles, video recorders, .televisions,
video recorders, cameras and satellite dishes should be included in the
technology section of the project budget. Telephone, fire and security
systems including surveillance cameras should also be~ included in the
Technology section.