The Florida Senate

235.15  Educational plant survey; PECO project funding.--

(1)  At least every 5 years, each board, including the Board of Regents, shall arrange for an educational plant survey, to aid in formulating plans for housing the educational program and student population, faculty, administrators, staff, and auxiliary and ancillary services of the district or campus, including consideration of the local comprehensive plan. The Division of Workforce Development shall document the need for additional career and adult education programs and the continuation of existing programs before facility construction or renovation related to career or adult education may be included in the education plant survey of a school district or community college that delivers career or adult education programs. Information used by the Division of Workforce Development to establish facility needs must include, but need not be limited to, labor market data, needs analysis, and information submitted by the school district or community college.

(a)  Each survey shall be conducted by the board or an agency employed by the board. Surveys shall be reviewed and approved by the board, and a file copy shall be submitted to the commissioner. The survey report shall include at least an inventory of existing educational and ancillary plants; recommendations for existing educational and ancillary plants; recommendations for new educational or ancillary plants, including the general location of each in coordination with the land use plan; campus master plan update and detail for community colleges; the utilization of school plants based on an extended school day or year-round operation; and such other information as may be required by the rules of the State Board of Education. This report may be amended, if conditions warrant, at the request of the board or commissioner.

(b)  Each educational plant survey completed after June 30, 1997, must use uniform data sources and criteria specified in this paragraph. Each educational plant survey completed after June 30, 1995, and before July 1, 1997, must be revised, if necessary, to comply with this paragraph. Each revised educational plant survey and each new educational plant survey supersedes previous surveys.

1.  Each school district's survey must reflect the capacity of existing facilities as reported in the Florida Inventory of School Houses. Projections of facility space needs may not exceed the minimum space and occupant design criteria established by rule of the State Board of Education. Existing and projected capital outlay full-time equivalent student enrollment must be consistent with data prepared by the department. Relocatables shall be included in the school district inventory of facilities and must be rated at 100 percent of actual student capacity for purposes of the inventory. For future needs determination, relocatables shall be counted at 75 percent of actual student capacity. However, an adjustment shall be made for deficiencies in core space because of the use of relocatables. For schools with permanent educational facilities, this adjustment shall be the product of 75 percent multiplied by a factor determined by the ratio of permanent classrooms to relocatable classrooms. Such product shall not exceed 100 percent.

2.  Each survey of a special facility, joint-use facility, or cooperative vocational education facility must be based on capital outlay full-time equivalent student enrollment data prepared by the department for school districts, by the Division of Community Colleges for community colleges, and by the Board of Regents for state universities. A survey of space needs of a joint-use facility shall be based upon the respective space needs of the school districts, community colleges, and universities, as appropriate. Projections of a school district's facility space needs may not exceed the minimum space and occupant design criteria established by rule of the State Board of Education.

3.  Each community college's survey must reflect the capacity of existing facilities as specified in the inventory maintained by the Division of Community Colleges. Projections of facility space needs must comply with standards for determining space needs as specified by rule of the State Board of Education. The 5-year projection of capital outlay student enrollment must be consistent with the annual report of capital outlay full-time student enrollment prepared by the Division of Community Colleges.

4.  Each state university's survey must reflect the capacity of existing facilities as specified in the inventory maintained and validated by the Board of Regents. Projections of facility space needs must be consistent with standards for determining space needs approved by the Board of Regents. The projected capital outlay full-time equivalent student enrollment must be consistent with the 5-year planned enrollment cycle for the State University System approved by the Board of Regents.

5.  The educational plant survey of a school district, community college, or state university may include space needs that deviate from approved standards for determining space needs if the deviation is justified, to the satisfaction of the department or the Board of Regents, as appropriate, as necessary for the delivery of an approved educational program.

(c)  The department shall review and validate the surveys and any amendments thereto for compliance with the requirements of this chapter and shall recommend those in compliance for approval by the State Board of Education.

(2)  Only the superintendent or the college president shall certify to the department a project's compliance with the requirements for expenditure of PECO funds prior to release of funds.

(a)  Upon request for release of PECO funds for planning purposes, certification must be made to the department that the need and location of the facility are in compliance with the board-approved survey recommendations and that the project meets the definition of a PECO project and the limiting criteria for expenditures of PECO funding.

(b)  Upon request for release of construction funds, certification must be made to the department that the need and location of the facility are in compliance with the board-approved survey recommendations, that the project meets the definition of a PECO project and the limiting criteria for expenditures of PECO funding, and that the construction documents meet the requirements of the State Uniform Building Code for Educational Facilities Construction or other applicable codes as authorized in this chapter.

History.--s. 915, ch. 19355, 1939; CGL 1940 Supp. 892(297); s. 111, ch. 65-239; ss. 15, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 69-300; s. 2, ch. 71-272; s. 8, ch. 77-458; s. 9, ch. 80-414; ss. 16, 50, 52, ch. 81-223; s. 1, ch. 84-349; ss. 9, 26, 27, ch. 85-116; ss. 1, 4, ch. 86-1; s. 8, ch. 90-241; s. 47, ch. 92-136; ss. 10, 35, ch. 95-269; s. 17, ch. 97-95; s. 5, ch. 97-265; s. 13, ch. 97-307.