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

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.