New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 6A - EDUCATION › Chapter 26 - EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES › Subchapter 6 - PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS FOR SCHOOL FACILITIES › Section 6A:26-6.3 - Educational facility planning standards

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
(a) The
				educational facility planning standards delineated in (b) through (h) below, in
				conjunction with the UCC, shall form the requirements for the design and
				construction of public schools. Specific standards for school facilities
				housing preschool students are set forth at
				6A:26-6.4.
(b) General design and construction
				requirements shall be as follows:
1. School
				facilities shall afford space for general instruction, specialized instruction,
				administration, and student services, the adequacy of which shall be pursuant
				to the requirements of this section. In addition, school facilities shall
				afford accommodations for approved vocational and special education
				programs;
2. Instructional rooms
				with windows shall have no exterior obstructing wall within 20 feet of the
				major window wall;
3. Inner courts
				shall have a minimum width of 20 feet;
4. Concrete floors in all instructional
				areas, except shops, shall be covered with a resilient floor
				covering;
5. Power tools and
				machines in shops that generate dust shall be provided with dust-collecting
				equipment. The equipment shall be either single- or multi-use vacuum packs or a
				central dust-collection system. Installed systems shall comply with National
				Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 664 "Standards for the Prevention
				of Fire and Explosion in Wood Processing and Woodworking Facilities" (1998),
				incorporated herein by reference, as amended and supplemented, and N.J.A.C.
				7:27-8. Copies of the NFPA Standard 664 may be obtained by contacting NFPA, 1
				Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269-9101.
6. The ceiling height of an academic
				classroom or other instructional space containing more than 300 square feet in
				area shall average nine feet six inches, and no part of the ceiling or other
				obstruction shall be lower than eight feet. Instructional spaces of less than
				300 square feet and areas of larger spaces devoted to clothing alcoves, storage
				or work space shall have a minimum ceiling height of eight feet;
7. Height of the ceiling or other obstruction
				in other areas shall provide a minimum clearance as listed below:
Gymnasium
22 feet
Auxiliary gymnasium
14 feet
Weight room
12 feet
Music room (vocal or instrumental)
12 feet
The minimum height from overall highest
						  riser to ceiling shall be eight
feet.
Cafetorium
18 feet
Cafeteria
12 feet
Industrial arts and vocational shop
12
						  feet
Library/media center
91/2 feet
8.
				Public school corridors and all other administrative spaces shall have a
				minimum ceiling height of eight feet;
9. A health unit shall be provided and shall
				include a nurse's area, a waiting area, an examination area, a rest area with
				privacy, drinking water, and toilet facilities sized and arranged so physically
				disabled persons requiring assistance will be able to receive aid;
10. Instructional greenhouses shall meet the
				following standards in addition to the requirements of the UCC and the Fire
				Prevention Code:
i. All doors shall be a
				minimum of three feet wide;
ii.
				Drinking fountains shall not be located inside greenhouses; and
iii. Greenhouses may be either attached to a
				school building or located at least 20 feet from the school building.
11. Wherever chemicals are stored
				or used, an eyewash fountain or similar device capable of providing a 15-minute
				continuous water flow shall be provided. Eyewash devices shall also be provided
				per 6A:26-12.5;
12. The minimum dimension of an instructional
				space or specialized instructional space shall be 10 feet; and
13. The designs of new schools shall
				incorporate the guidelines developed by the United States Green Building
				Council known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), "LEED
				for Schools," which is incorporated by reference herein, to achieve maximum
				energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in the design of schools. A
				copy of the guidelines may be obtained from the Office of School Facilities, PO
				Box 500, Trenton, NJ 08625-0500.