Educational needs should determine the plan and design of the schools. Therefore, the chief school administrator shall develop comprehensive educational specifications for any projected facilities whether built or altered, owned or leased, temporary or permanent for consideration by the board.

In developing the specifications, the chief school administrator shall draw on recommendations of citizens, professionals and support staff, pupils, and other appropriate sources. The factors on which the specifications are based shall include but not be limited to:

A. The plan of school organization and estimated size and type of enrollment in the proposed facility;

B. Provisions for the disabled;

C. Space requirements for all functions, including an indication of relative locations of various spaces;

D. Desired layout of special areas and the equipment needed for such areas;

E. Mechanical features and special finishes desired;

F. Standard codes and regulations (school district, community, county, and state) affecting planning;

G. Other requirements under existing law and regulation;

H. Pertinent budget and related factors.

The board needs the specifications to:

A. Clarify and consolidate the thinking of the administration, the board, and the community on the needs, desires, and objectives of the educational program to be conducted within the proposed new facility;

B. Organize this important information in a manner that can be easily and clearly interpreted by the architect.

Adopted: September 1993
NJSBA Review/Update: January 2009, November 2017
Readopted: January 21, 2009
Reviewed:

Key Words

Educational Specifications, Planning

Legal References: N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-1 Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act
through -48 et al.
N.J.S.A. 18A:18A 16 Preparation and approval of plans and specifications for public schoolhouses
N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-16.1 Regulations; construction standards for school buildings
N.J.S.A. 18A:18A 17 Facilities for handicapped persons
N.J.S.A. 18A:33 1 District to furnish suitable facilities; adoption of courses of study
N.J.S.A. 18A:46 13 Types of facilities and programs
N.J.S.A. 18A:46 14 Enumeration of facilities and programs
N.J.S.A. 18A:46 15 Facilities and programs; approval by commissioner; special classes for handicapped children; review; improvement
N.J.A.C. 5:23 1 et seq. The uniform construction code
N.J.A.C. 6A:26-1.1 et seq. Educational Facilities
See particularly:
N.J.A.C. 6A:26-5.1 et seq.,
-6.1 et seq.

29 U.S.C.A. 794 et seq. – Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

42 U.S.C.A. 12101 et seq. – Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

International Building Code 2015, New Jersey Edition; Frist Printing: September 2015;
ISBN: 978-1-60983-156-1; Copyright 2015, International Code Council, Inc.

Possible
Cross References: *2240 Research, evaluation and planning
*7110 Long range facilities planning