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17 <br /> School Construction Standards <br /> County/School Collaboration Work Group April 2007 Update <br /> Orange County's current elementary and middle school construction standards have <br /> been in place since 1996, and its high school standards since 1999. While these <br /> standards have served as a model for many schools constructed in both the Chapel Hill- <br /> Carrboro City and the Orange County Schools, it has become increasingly difficult to <br /> adhere to the standards due to economic factors such as rising construction costs as <br /> well as educational reforms such as changes in state mandated class sizes for grades <br /> kindergarten through third. In addition, land use regulations and environmental <br /> considerations that incorporate sustainable building components and smart growth <br /> elements are becoming more prevalent in the construction industry. Two separate <br /> School Facilities Task Forces, convened in 2000 and 2002, identified a number of <br /> standards that required clarification and/or updating (e.g. baseline estimates for per <br /> square foot cost, an appropriate inflation factor, percentage of project budget that <br /> should be set aside for contingency, etc.). To that end, the Boards of County <br /> Commissioners and Education recognized the need to update and refine Orange <br /> County's current School Construction Standards, and last year requested that the <br /> School/County Collaboration Work Group review existing School Construction <br /> Standards with the intent of bringing them more in line with today's practices, <br /> regulations, and construction market. <br /> At the time that Orange Commissioners adopted the County's existing School <br /> Construction Standards, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) <br /> had Facilities Standards in place that established minimum construction criteria for <br /> individual school districts to adhere to when they constructed new facilities or renovated <br /> older ones. Since that time, the State has moved away from the "standards concept" <br /> and now has "Facilities Guidelines" in place. <br /> While the intent of the Guidelines remains consistent with the previously enacted State <br /> Standards — to ensure that school systems provide adequate space for instructional <br /> classes and activities — the Guidelines now allow for flexibility and allow for more <br /> consideration of local situations such as availability of land or other limitations that <br /> school districts may face. <br /> The report that follows offers the Work Group's proposal. <br /> 4 <br />