Facilities Planning

In order to provide the best possible physical environment for learning and teaching, the following factors shall be considered in the planning of district facilities:

• 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, safety and welfare regulations.

• The district shall seek state and federal moneys to the maximum extent available to supplement its own financial resources.

• Undesirable environmental impact shall be minimized.

• Changing demographic factors shall be monitored in order that students' needs are met when the future becomes the present.

• Developments in the state cost stabilization program shall be followed when they are compatible with the district's educational goals and promise significant savings to the district.

Facilities Master Plan

In order to efficiently manage the district's present and future facilities needs, a facilities master plan shall be developed. Such plan shall cover a ten-year period, be developed in conjunction with the local comprehensive land-use plan and other growth management policies, be reviewed annually and include at least the following:

•   A cost analysis of financial ability of the district to implement its facilities program.

• Existing and projected enrollment figures, including an analysis of the racial composition of the student population.

• An inventory of the district's undeveloped property and developed facilities, including an analysis of the number of students in each facility and whether the facility is over- or under-crowded.

• An analysis of the appropriateness of the facilities to meet the needs of students and members of the public, including  acceptability to students of both sexes and those with disabilities, all district services, programs and activities, when viewed in their entirety, shall be accessible to individuals with disabilities.

• Recommendations as to the sale or other disposition of district property not needed in the future.

• Recommendations as to the acquisition, construction or modification of new sites or facilities and of how such shall better meet the needs of students and the educational program.

Enrollment Projections

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.