The Board recognizes the importance of planning for learning environments for each and every student of the district and is responsible for anticipating needs to provide facilities in a timely manner.  

Facilities Planning Principles 

In order to provide the best possible environment for learning and teaching, the following principles will be considered in the planning of the district’s capital program: 

• Planning shall be consistent with the commitments identified under  Board Policy No. 0030, Ensuring Educational and Racial Equity, and ensure progress toward achieving the goals and commitments outlined under the policy; 
• Facilities shall accommodate the educational needs of students and be consistent with the educational philosophy and instructional goals of the district; 
• Facilities shall meet or exceed all health and safety and accessible design regulations;  
• Facilities design shall maximize accessibility regardless of disability or gender; 

• Consistent with its overall objectives, the district shall seek public and private moneys to the maximum extent available to supplement its own financial resources; 
• Environmental impacts shall be minimized, in alignment with Board Policy Nos. 6810, Natural Resources Conservation, and 6890, State Environmental Policy Act Compliance; and 
• Changing demographic factors shall be monitored to ensure the needs of future students are met over time. 

Educational Specifications 

Districtwide and site-specific educational specifications are developed for planning the construction or renovation of school facilities, including facility design and the connection between the district’s educational philosophy and the built environment (site and building). Both the district-wide and site-specific educational specifications are divided into separate components: a description of the vision and goals and a performance-based specification. Both components are applicable to any major school construction project whether the project is a school renovation, replacement, or an entirely new facility. The Board recognizes it is the responsibility of the contributors in a collaborative development process to shape the vision and goals described in the document and the responsibility of the construction and design professionals to shape the vision and goals described into performance-based specifications.     

The development of educational specifications will be guided by the planning principles identified above as well as additional principles that may be identified through a collaborative development process. The collaborative process will include input from a variety of contributors, including board directors, teachers, principals, and other district staff. Efforts will be made to seek input from communities the school facility or facilities will serve including, but not limited to, school-support organizations and community-based organizations (e.g. organizations serving special populations in the school community such as persons with disabilities, students of color, LGBTQIA+ support, etc.). Educational specifications will also be informed by a review of educational specifications developed for prior phases of the district’s capital program and research on current educational trends. 

Facilities Master Plan  

In order to efficiently manage the district’s present and future facilities’ needs, the district shall prepare a Facilities Master Plan to be approved by the School Board. The Plan shall project future capital building/facility needs over at least a ten-year period and be developed in conjunction with the local comprehensive land-use plan and other growth management policies. An advanced planning process will be implemented by the Superintendent and include community engagement. Collaboration with other governmental and planning agencies is encouraged.  

The development and Board approval of the Facilities Master Plan should align with levy/bond planning processes. The Plan shall be reviewed and updated at least every three years and will include at least the following: 

• Enrollment Projections: Existing and projected enrollment figures by school and for the district as a whole. Enrollment shall be projected for a five-year period using methods acceptable to the State Board of Education for determining the district’s eligibility for state construction grants. This projection shall be reviewed and revised annually and supplemented by an analysis of additional factors that may affect the student population, such as potential zoning and development changes within the district, housing projections, and the development of new businesses and public projects. 
• Inventory and Building Condition: An inventory and building condition assessment of all of the district’s schools, property and facilities, including undeveloped sites not currently used for school programs, and properties leased to the district.  
• Educational Specifications: Current districtwide educational specifications   
• Capacity Analysis: Analysis of each facility’s student capacity (including whether a facility is overcrowded or under-utilized) and of the demographics of the student population to evaluate for racial imbalance. 

• Recommendations of Facility Needs: Based on an analysis of the physical condition and educational adequacy of buildings, the Enrollment projections, Capacity Analysis as well as the appropriateness of the facilities to meet the needs of all students and members of the public, the Plan will provide recommendations as to the acquisition, construction, or modification of sites or facilities, and/or as to the sale or other disposition of district property not anticipated to be needed in the future.  
• Cost Analysis: Analysis of the cost to implement its facilities program, including estimated capital construction costs and property values. 

The plan should address the process by which any necessary changes would be made to the plan following Board approval.  

The Superintendent is directed to develop procedures for the implementation of this policy.