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-20-05-4.7 - Space Standards
Current through September 18, 2024
4.7.1 General Provisions
4.7.2 Space Allowance Guidelines
Table 1: Gross Square Feet (GSF) per Student - Elementary Schools |
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Projected Enrollment |
GSF per Student |
Projected Enrollment |
GSF per Student |
Less than 300 |
180 |
450-459 |
163 |
300-309 |
180 |
460-469 |
161 |
310-319 |
179 |
470-479 |
160 |
320-329 |
178 |
480-489 |
159 |
330-339 |
177 |
490-499 |
158 |
340-349 |
175 |
500-509 |
157 |
350-359 |
174 |
510-519 |
156 |
360-369 |
173 |
520-529 |
154 |
370-379 |
172 |
530-539 |
153 |
380-389 |
171 |
540-549 |
152 |
390-399 |
170 |
550-559 |
151 |
400-409 |
168 |
560-569 |
150 |
410-419 |
167 |
570-579 |
149 |
420-429 |
166 |
580-589 |
147 |
430-439 |
165 |
590-599 |
146 |
440-449 |
164 |
600 and greater |
145 |
Table 2: Gross Square Feet per Student - Middle and Junior High Schools |
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Projected Enrollment |
GSF per Student |
Projected Enrollment |
GSF per Student |
Less than 400 |
190 |
580-589 |
175 |
400-409 |
190 |
590-599 |
174 |
410-419 |
189 |
600-609 |
173 |
420-429 |
188 |
610-619 |
172 |
430-439 |
187 |
620-629 |
171 |
440-449 |
187 |
630-639 |
170 |
450-459 |
186 |
640-649 |
169 |
460-469 |
185 |
650-659 |
169 |
470-479 |
184 |
660-669 |
168 |
480-489 |
183 |
670-679 |
167 |
490-499 |
182 |
680-689 |
166 |
500-509 |
181 |
690-699 |
165 |
510-519 |
181 |
700-709 |
164 |
520-529 |
180 |
710-719 |
163 |
530-539 |
179 |
720-729 |
163 |
540-549 |
178 |
730-739 |
162 |
550-559 |
177 |
740-749 |
161 |
560-569 |
176 |
750 and greater |
160 |
570-579 |
175 |
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Table 3: Gross Square Feet per Student - Academic High Schools |
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Projected Enrollment |
GSF per Student |
Projected Enrollment |
GSF per Student |
Less than 600 |
205 |
800-809 |
195 |
600-609 |
205 |
810-819 |
195 |
610-619 |
205 |
820-829 |
194 |
620-629 |
204 |
830-839 |
194 |
630-639 |
204 |
840-849 |
193 |
640-649 |
203 |
850-859 |
193 |
650-659 |
203 |
860-869 |
192 |
660-669 |
202 |
870-879 |
192 |
670-679 |
202 |
880-889 |
191 |
680-689 |
201 |
890-899 |
191 |
690-699 |
201 |
900-909 |
190 |
700-709 |
200 |
910-919 |
190 |
710-719 |
200 |
920-929 |
189 |
720-729 |
199 |
930-939 |
189 |
730-739 |
199 |
940-949 |
188 |
740-749 |
198 |
950-959 |
188 |
750-759 |
198 |
960-969 |
187 |
760-769 |
197 |
970-979 |
187 |
770-779 |
197 |
980-989 |
186 |
790-799 |
196 |
1000 and greater |
185 |
4.7.3 Space Allowance by Program Activity
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS |
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Type of Space |
300 Students |
600 Students |
Pre-Kindergarten & Kindergarten (including toilet) |
1200 square feet each |
1200 square feet each |
Core Classrooms |
950 square feet each |
950 square feet each |
Art (including storage and workroom) |
1150 square feet |
2300 square feet |
Music (including practice and ensemble) |
1350 square feet |
2700 square feet |
Special Education: Self-contained classroom (including toilet) Small Group/Resource Room |
950 square feet 500 square feet |
950 square feet 500 square feet |
Media Center/Library |
2020 square feet |
3310 square feet |
Gymnasium (including storage and office) |
6300 square feet |
6300 square feet |
Food Prep/Kitchen |
1600 square feet |
1900 square feet |
Cafeteria |
15 square feet per student accommodating 1/2 planned enrollment |
15 square feet per student accommodating 1/2 planned enrollment |
Stage |
1000 square feet |
1000 square feet |
Chair/Table Equipment Storage |
200 square feet |
300 square feet |
Staff Lunch Room |
200 square feet |
300 square feet |
General Office |
1500 square feet |
1600 square feet |
Nurse/Health |
510 square feet |
510 square feet |
Guidance |
185 square feet |
185 square feet |
Teachers Workroom/Lounge (including toilet) |
300 square feet |
450 square feet |
Custodian/Maintenance |
1500 square feet |
1600 square feet |
General Storage (Books) |
400 square feet |
600 square feet |
JUNIOR HIGH/MIDDLE SCHOOLS |
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Type of Space |
400 Students |
750 Students |
Core Classrooms |
950 square feet each |
950 square feet each |
Science |
1200 square feet each |
1200 square feet each |
Art (including storage and workroom) |
1350 square feet |
2550 square feet |
Music (including practice and ensemble) |
1700 square feet |
1700 square feet |
Tech Classroom (e.g. drafting, business) |
1200 square feet |
2400 square feet |
Tech Shop (e.g. consumer, wood) |
2000 square feet |
4000 square feet |
Special Education: Self-contained classroom (including toilet) Small Group/Resource Room |
950 square feet 500 square feet |
950 square feet 500 square feet |
Media Center/Library |
2680 square feet |
4700 square feet |
Gymnasium (including storage and office) |
6150 square feet |
6150 square feet |
Food Prep/Kitchen |
1700 square feet |
2050 square feet |
Cafeteria |
15 square feet accommodating 2/3 planned enrollment |
15 square feet accommodating 2/3 planned enrollment |
Stage |
1600 square feet |
1600 square feet |
Chair/Table Equipment Storage |
200 square feet |
300 square feet |
Staff Lunch Room |
200 square feet |
300 square feet |
General Office |
1920 square feet |
2170 square feet |
Nurse's Office/Health |
510 square feet |
510 square feet |
Guidance |
450 square feet |
750 square feet |
Teachers Workroom/Lounge (including toilet) |
300 square feet |
450 square feet |
Custodian/Maintenance |
1375 square feet |
1400 square feet |
General Storage (Books) |
400 square feet |
600 square feet |
HIGH SCHOOLS |
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Type of Space |
600 Students |
1000 Students |
Core Classrooms |
950 square feet each |
950 square feet each |
Science |
1200 square feet each |
1200 square feet each |
Art (including storage and workroom) |
1350 square feet |
2700 square feet |
Music (including practice and ensemble) |
2125 square feet |
2275 square feet |
Tech Classroom (e.g. drafting, business) |
2400 square feet |
4800 square feet |
Tech Shop (e.g. consumer, wood) |
4000 square feet |
8000 square feet |
Special Education: Self-contained classroom (including toilet) Small Group/Resource Room |
950 square feet 500 square feet |
950 square feet 500 square feet |
Media Center/Library |
3650 square feet |
6150 square feet |
Gymnasium (including storage and office) |
10000 square feet |
10000 square feet |
Ancillary PE Space (including PE alternatives, storage, lockers, offices, and locker rooms) |
7000 square feet |
10300 square feet |
Food Prep/Kitchen |
1900 square feet |
2300 square feet |
Cafeteria |
15 square feet per student accommodating 1/3 planned enrollment |
15 square feet per student accommodating 1/3 planned enrollment |
Auditorium |
2/3 enrollment at 10 square feet per student (750 seats maximum) |
2/3 enrollment at 10 square feet per student (750 seats maximum) |
Stage Auditorium Storage, dressing rooms, controls |
2800 square feet |
2800 square feet |
Staff Lunch Room |
400 square feet |
500 square feet |
General Office |
2020 square feet |
2270 square feet |
Nurse's Office/Health |
710 square feet |
910 square feet |
Guidance |
1050 square feet |
1500 square feet |
Teachers Workroom/Lounge (including toilet) |
300 square feet |
450 square feet |
Custodian/Maintenance |
1475 square feet |
1575 square feet |
General Storage (Books) |
400 square feet |
600 square feet |
4.7.4 Special Education Spaces
4.7.5 Space Allowance Exception
The applicant may make reasonable departures from the guidelines shown above only with a prior written determination of the Council that special circumstances exist and that such departures are consistent with the intent of this Part to provide adequate, safe, cost-effective, and programmatically sound school facilities.