Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 200 - Board of Education › Chapter 20 - Council on Elementary and Secondary Education › Subchapter 05 - General and School Operations › Part 4 - Rhode Island School Construction Regulations › Section 200-RICR-20-05-4.3 - Definitions

Current through June 14, 2024
A. For the purposes of this Part, the
				  following terms shall have the meaning set forth, unless the context clearly
				  requires otherwise:
1. "Applicant" means the
				  school district and the superintendent or other chief administrative agent of
				  the district, regional district, or charter school.
2. "Application" means all documents, forms,
				  letters, statements, certifications, plans, studies, drawings, and other data
				  and information required to be submitted within the deadlines and in the format
				  prescribed by these regulations. The Application will include, but not
				  necessarily be limited to, a Design and Educational Program, Educational
				  Facility Master Plan, Facilities Assessment, Feasibility Study, and Design and
				  Construction Cost Projection; copies of the school committee and municipal
				  approval; and any other documents, forms, letters, statements, certifications,
				  plans, studies, drawings, data, or other information as deemed
				  necessary.
3. "Approved project"
				  means a project that has received the Council's approval pursuant to this
				  Part.
4. "Audit" means an
				  examination by the Council and/or its designee of Audit Materials as shall be
				  submitted in a form or manner prescribed by the Council to determine compliance
				  with any provision of this Part.
5.
				  "Audit materials" means all papers, invoices, votes, contracts, agreements,
				  change orders, progress reports, purchase orders, on-site observation of
				  construction materials and methods, financing information, bonding schedules
				  and other documents related to an Approved Project, and any other documents or
				  information that may be requested or required to determine compliance with
				  these regulations.
6. "Council on
				  Elementary and Secondary Education" or "Council" means the public corporation
				  established by R.I. Gen. Laws §
											16-60-1,
				  with all of the powers, authorities, and responsibilities accorded to it by the
				  General Laws of Rhode Island.
7.
				  "Capital improvement plan" means a long-range plan, typically five years, which
				  identifies capital needs in a school district and provides a funding schedule
				  and timeline for implementation. The capital improvement plan allows for
				  systematic evaluation of all projects at one time so that a school district can
				  anticipate future needs. The capital improvement plan should not include
				  routine maintenance expenses of the school district but should include required
				  upkeep of the facilities, including but not limited to, roof repairs, heating
				  and ventilation system repairs, or window and door replacement.
8. "Design and educational program" means a
				  comprehensive numerical and written description of a school district's specific
				  educational program for a specified number of students over a specified period
				  of time, in a format prescribed by the Council. It shall include: an
				  itemization of spaces needed to support the educational program, complete to
				  the degree that a designer may use it as the basic document from which to
				  create the design of a school facility; the instructional programs, grade
				  configuration, type of facility, and the spatial relationships for the
				  functions housed at the facility; the number of students and a list of any
				  specialized classrooms or major support areas, non-instructional support areas,
				  or external activity spaces; gross and net square footage of any affected
				  existing facility; the overall security and security measures taken to
				  safeguard the facility and its occupants; the school administrative
				  organization; and the hours of operation that include the instructional day,
				  extracurricular activities, and any public access. The Design and Educational
				  Program shall begin with a thorough, in-depth explanation of curriculum goals
				  and instructional activities that occur within the learning environment of the
				  facility affected by the proposed project. The Design and Educational Program
				  shall comply with all applicable laws and applicable regulations, including but
				  not limited to, those governing curriculum, basic education program, and length
				  of school day and year. The Design and Educational Program for the proposed
				  project shall include an itemization of each functional space and determination
				  of square footage allocations, a calculation of total building square footage,
				  and establish a realistic construction budget. The Council will provide school
				  districts with annual guidance on what constitutes a realistic construction
				  budget by annually determining a maximum per square foot cost in accordance
				  with state, regional, and national construction data.
9. "District", as used in this Part, means
				  school districts, regional school districts, charter schools, and any other
				  public school entity seeking approval of the necessity of school construction
				  and/or requesting to fund a portion of the cost of school construction,
				  modernization, or addition projects through reimbursement from the school
				  housing aid program.
10.
				  "Educational program space guidelines" means the itemized listing (set forth in
				  §
											4.6   of
				  this Part) of educational spaces and square footages that comprise a model
				  program for an elementary school, middle school, and high school, or other
				  grade configurations based upon varying levels of enrollment. The gross square
				  footages are inclusive of all spaces to be designed in an Approved
				  Project.
11. "Enrollment
				  projection" means a District's five-year (5) estimate of student population by
				  grade based on local demographics. It must show increases/decreases from year
				  to year shown in actual numbers or percents and demonstrate how this data
				  supports the need for the project. When possible, local enrollment projections
				  should be supported by those from an outside source, such as RIDE or the New
				  England School Development Council (NESDEC).
12. "Fiscal year" means the year beginning
				  July 1st and ending the following June 30th, unless otherwise determined by the
				  Council.
13. "Minority (MBE) and
				  Women (WBE) Business Enterprises" mean a small business concern, owned and
				  controlled by one or more minorities or women certified by the Rhode Island
				  Department of Administration to meet the definition established by R.I. Gen.
				  Laws Chapter 37-14.1.
14. "NE-CHPS"
				  means Version 3.1 of the Northeast Collaborative for High Performance Schools
				  Criteria.
15. "School housing aid"
				  means funds appropriated by the General Assembly in support of completed school
				  construction projects to guarantee adequate school housing for all public
				  school children in the state and prevent the cost of school housing from
				  interfering with the effective operation of the schools. Funds are distributed
				  as promulgated in R.I. Gen. Laws §§
											16-7-35 through
				   16-7-47.
16. "Proposed project" means any project
				  submitted by an Applicant, but not yet approved by the Council, including
				  construction of a new school facility, addition to an existing school facility,
				  renovation or refurbishment of an existing school facility, purchasing and
				  renovating a building as a school facility, and repair or replacement of any
				  eligible part of a school facility.