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Albemarle County Public Schools

FACILITIES PLANNING

The Albemarle County School Board recognizes that only through effective long-range

planning for enrollment can the School Division be adequately prepared to meet the needs of its

current and future student population. In order to assure such planning, the Board has

established procedures which provide for ongoing review, preparation, planning, and

recommendations from staff regarding enrollment trends and their resulting impact on facilities.

In addition, the Board will assure adequate opportunity for community involvement in reaction

to staff recommendations prior to any final decisions made by the Board.

The School Board provides for erecting, furnishing, equipping, renovation, and

maintenance of all school facilities.

This program will be subject to systematic study, revision, and extension. The respective

projects will be acted upon individually when proposed for implementation.

The Capital Improvement Program will be designed to provide adequate facilities to

conduct full-time elementary and secondary education programs for all pupils residing in the

Division as well as adult, inter-division, and interagency programs, as approved by the Board.

The program will be planned and modified as needed to conform with changes in

projected enrollments, demographic shifts, courses of study, and availability of construction

funds.

The Board will rely on a broad-based committee to provide an ongoing study of facilities

use and development. The committee will advise staff on facilities utilization, development, and

closure.

Facilities Planning Advisors

The County of Albemarle, in accordance with state law, periodically approves a

Comprehensive Plan for the physical development of the County. Contained within this plan are

sections which pertain to the number, location, and use of school facilities.

The school staff shall participate with the Albemarle County planning staff in developing

those portions of the Plan which deal with school facilities.

Following adoption of the Comprehensive Plan by the Board of Supervisors, the Plan

becomes the official statement of policy regarding the location and use of public facilities in the

County.

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The Board further recognizes that all school facilities identified in the Comprehensive

Plan must remain substantially in accordance with the adopted Comprehensive Plan unless a

change is approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Enrollment Projections

Enrollment projections will be prepared on a 5-year basis under the direction of the

Superintendent and will be reviewed and brought up to date annually.

The projections will take into consideration the following:

A. School registration figures

B. Forthcoming changes in planning and zoning

C. Current and planned community land development and housing projects

D. Latest available birth data

E. Annual reassessment of school capacities

Whenever construction of new school facilities or the closing of any school buildings is

being contemplated, the Board may authorize outside studies made of population trends and

school enrollment.

Temporary Use of Supplemental Mobile Classrooms

Well-planned construction of learning spaces and school facilities to meet student needs

and avoid the use of supplemental classrooms is preferred. Mobile units are sometimes needed

to provide temporary learning spaces when enrollment exceeds program capacity or to meet

unique student needs at a school.

The Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee (LRPAC) begins to consider

construction or redistricting options at schools as growth in projected enrollment approaches or

exceeds 95% of program capacity. Supplemental classrooms may be required to meet student

needs before redistricting is implemented or the County’s Capital Improvements Program funds

a project to increase capacity.

Principals shall consider a number of factors in deciding which classes or small group

student learning activities will be located in supplemental classrooms each year. The factors

considered should include, but are not limited, to accessibility, student needs, program

considerations, and grade-level clustering.

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Costs associated with the supplemental classrooms, including the cost to purchase or rent

the portables, the expense of running electric, water, technology, and other services to the units,

should be reflected in the appropriate fiscal budget.

Regulations and specifications regarding portable classrooms can be found at the

Virginia Department of Education web site:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/facility_construction/school_construction/regs_guidelines/g

uidelines.pdf.

Adopted: July 1, 1993

Amended: October 11, 1993; September 26, 2002; March 9, 2006; January 27, 2011; May 9, 2013;

May 14, 2015; August 13, 2020

Reviewed: August 14, 2000; May 26, 2005; June 12, 2017

Legal Ref.: Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, §§22.1-78, 22.1-79(3)

Cross Refs: AF Comprehensive Plan

BCF Advisory Committees to the School Board

FEA Facility Design

FECBA Energy Efficient Construction

FEG Construction Planning

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Albemarle County Public Schools

FACILITIES PLANNING

SUPERINTENDENT

1. The Superintendent of Schools will assure that, within the organizational structure,

primary responsibility for the following functions have been assigned to administrative

staff:

a. Overall responsibility for coordinating enrollment data, facilities planning,

transportation impact and formation of recommendations for review by the

Superintendent/Board.

b. Establishment of updated 5-year enrollment projections for the Division.

c. Establishment of building capacity standards and the impact of current and

projected enrollment on facilities.

d. Development of Capital Improvement Program recommendations.

e. Development and implementation of redistricting recommendations.

2. By December 1 of each year, updated enrollment projections for the next five (5) years

will be prepared.

3. Capacity formulas have been developed for elementary, middle, and high schools as

follows:

Elementary school capacity is based on the number of classrooms available for

regular classroom instruction, excluding the gymnasium and one classroom each for

art and music. A regular classroom is defined as any room that can hold at least 25

students. The number of available classrooms should be further reduced by the

equivalent classroom space required by any deficit in smaller auxiliary spaces.

Smaller auxiliary spaces shall be inventoried and analyzed to ensure schools have

adequate space for the following staff and programs for the school’s population and

size: PE Office, EDEP Office, Psychologist, Speech, Guidance, Teacher Lounge,

Conference Room, Family Support Workers, SPED, Response to Intervention (RTI),

English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL), Region 10 Therapists, A-Base, B-

Base, Foreign Language in Elementary Schools (FLES), and Gifted.

The regular size classrooms not excluded are multiplied by the following figures:

 Self-contained Special Education classes are calculated at 8 students

per classroom.

 Preschool classrooms are calculated at 18 students per classroom.

 K-5 classrooms are calculated at a multiplier derived from budgeted

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staffing levels for each school. It should be noted that differentiated

staff are at the discretion of each principal. For the purpose of this

calculation it is assumed that ½ of these staff are used as classroom

teachers.

Middle & high school capacity is based on the number of classrooms available for

regular classroom instruction, including the gymnasium and excluding specialty

classrooms for areas such as gifted resource, SPED resource, a health classroom, A-

Base, B-Base and teacher planning areas. The number of exclusions is based on the

school’s specific programs & population.

The regular size classrooms not excluded are multiplied by the following figures:

 Self-contained Special Education classes are calculated at an 8 students per

classroom.

 The gym is calculated at 90 students.

 Academic classrooms are calculated at a multiplier derived from budgeted

staffing levels for each school. It should be noted that differentiated staff are

at the discretion of each principal. For the purpose of this calculation it is

assumed that ½ of these staff are used as classroom teachers.

A 12.5% reduction in the calculated capacity is then applied to account for complexity of

scheduling and class size variation. This represents that each room is used 7 out of 8

periods

4. Annually, the long-range plan for accommodating enrollments and capital improvements

will be presented to the School Board and announced to the school communities. An

executive summary of this information will be developed for distribution to parents with

the intent being to provide adequate notice to communities of pending matters that may

affect their school attendance areas. Staff will be available to speak to parent

organizations about these potential changes.

SCHOOL BOARD

1. The School Board will act upon recommendations from the Superintendent related to

facilities, enrollment, long range planning, and redistricting.

2. The Board of Supervisors will be kept apprised of the School Board’s progress in

developing Capital Improvements/Redistricting recommendations through Joint Board

meetings and through reports by the School Board chairman to the Board of Supervisors.

3. The School Board will identify and prioritize (using appropriate community engagement

processes) at the beginning of the redistricting process those factors which it believes are

of the highest priority for consideration in any deliberations concerning redistricting.

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(“Considered” is defined as being included in discussions and deliberations leading to

recommendations or decisions.) While all of the following factors will be considered and

discussed, it may be impractical to reconcile each and every factor with each and every

alternative plan that will be evaluated while making a final boundary line recommendation

or decision:

a. Enrollment projections.

b. The rated capacities of the various schools and the possible changes in these

capacities due to changes in program requirements or structural modifications of

the building.

c. The anticipated construction of new buildings or additions.

d. The ethnic, socioeconomic, and academic diversity of the student population in

the affected schools.

e. The need to develop long term solutions that support redistricting of individual

students to one time during their school career at any one level, elementary,

middle or high.

f. Assessment of the location of documented new subdivision construction.

g. The desire to plan for the placement of major new subdivisions into neighborhood

school attendance areas.

h. The desire to keep areas commonly known as subdivisions or neighborhoods

together.

i. The desire to reduce or eliminate the number of schools with divided feeder

patterns if at all possible.

j. The desirability of using natural dividing points (roads, creeks, etc.) as attendance

area boundary lines.

k. The desirability to reduce the amount of time students have to ride, and/or the

distance students have to travel.

l. The costs associated with the various options considered.

m. The impact of the alternatives upon present and future feeder patterns.

n. The impact of enrollment changes upon course offerings/subject offerings

equipment needs, building modifications, etc.

o. The desire to minimize the number of students who have to change schools.

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LONG-RANGE PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE

1. Purpose and Mission.

The Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee (LRPAC) is formed to inform and advise

the Superintendent and School Board in the development of comprehensive, long-term plans

for facilities needs in the most effective and efficient way and in support of the School

Division’s Strategic Plan. As an advisory committee, the LRPAC will make

recommendations to the Superintendent and School Board, based on input from the public

and staff, for consideration by the School Board and Superintendent.

Issues which may be considered by the advisory committee shall include, but not be limited

to:

 school program capacity;

 enrollment and projections;

 transportation and operating efficiencies related to facilities planning;

 CIP prioritization;

 creative financing and construction strategies;

 scope of renovations;

 school closures and new schools;

 student accommodation planning (building additions/modular relocations/ review of

school boundaries); and

 the future of “learning spaces” as influenced by technology and other dynamic fields.

Note: Division-wide instructional and programming policies such as, but not limited to,

Advanced Placement programs or grade level configurations for schools, are not within the

purview of the LRPAC.

2. Membership.

a. The Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee will be comprised of twelve

appointed members: one selected by each School Board member from his/her

constituency; four at-large representatives selected by the Superintendent; and one

at-large member based upon the recommendation(s) of the Equity and Diversity

Committee. Non-voting staff participants will also meet with the LRPAC, including

the Director of Building Services and any other staff representatives deemed

necessary by the Committee from departments such as Transportation, Building

Services, the School Board Office, Superintendent’s Office, County Community

Development, Fiscal Services, & DART. No committee members may be current

Division employees.

b. All members shall serve two (2)-year terms. Each member appointed by a School

Board shall serve a term coinciding, when possible, with the middle or end of the

term of the appointing Board member and each Superintendent-appointed member

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will serve for two years following appointment.

c. Superintendent-appointed members should possess specific expertise in one of the

following areas: technology, business, architecture/engineering, curriculum or

another field as deemed appropriate by the Superintendent.

d. All appointees shall:

 Possess experience with and/or expertise in a broad range of interests, e.g.,

Albemarle County planning and development; demographics and economics;

elementary, middle and high school programs and needs; public outreach and

communication; municipal design and construction;

 Demonstrate organizational leadership qualities and/or experience;

 Attend a minimum of 75% of meetings;

 Be self-motivated to increase familiarity with school facilities and capital

improvement program planning;

 Interact and communicate with School Board and the community public

venues, such as work sessions and community and focus group meetings; and

 Sign the Statement of Policy and Disclosure Statement forms enclosed at the

end of this Administrative Procedure.

3. Process and Function.

a. All meetings shall be open to the public. Meeting dates, locations and agendas will

be posted for public notice in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information

Act.

b. The committee will meet on a quarterly basis at a minimum, will provide quarterly

briefings at School Board work sessions, and will prepare and submit an annual

report to the School Board.

c. A chair and vice chair shall be elected annually by the LRPAC from within its

membership. Efforts should be made to elect new chairs each year.

d. Information and technical support shall be provided by the Building Services

Department and other ACPS departments, as requested and as resources permit.

Building Services staff shall serve as the recording secretary to prepare minutes.

e. The committee should receive information directly from the School Board, staff,

school communities, and individual citizens. This may occur both informally or at

more formal venues, such as community outreach meetings. The LRPAC would

only receive research findings, such as data or results of background information,

from the School Board, Superintendent and Building Services staff. Similarly,

information and findings from the LRPAC would be provided to the School Board,

Superintendent and Building Services Staff.

f. The committee shall:

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i. identify and prioritize facility-related concerns, recommend staff or ad hoc studies,

and convene community and public meetings, as determined appropriate to fulfill the

mission and purpose of the committee;

ii. establish a communication plan and process to encourage and facilitate outreach and

interaction with the public;

iii. establish a proposed work plan which identifies and prioritizes issues for review and

approval by the School Board; and

iv. conduct self-evaluations of its work and process.

AD HOC COMMITTEES

1. The Ad Hoc Committee process is established for specific topics when deemed appropriate

within an overall comprehensive planning process (e.g., spot redistricting in a certain area).

Ad Hoc Committees are created by the School Board or Superintendent, typically as the

result of a recommendation from the LRPAC.

2. In conformance with Ad Hoc committee guidelines, only the School Board or

Superintendent may provide directions to Ad Hoc committees. Ad Hoc committees shall

report findings directly back to the School Board, Superintendent and the LRPAC.

3. Ad Hoc committees are encouraged to share draft findings with citizens and communities

and to incorporate community comments and thoughts into their final reports to the School

Board & Superintendent.

REDISTRICTING ADVISORY COMMITTEE

1. A Redistricting Advisory Committee will be convened when a new school is anticipated

or as directed by the School Board. The Committee will be comprised of citizens selected

by the Superintendent from applications from school communities, a member of the

Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee selected by other members, and a member of

the Equity and Diversity Committee. The Superintendent supervises and monitors the

work of the Committee.

2. The Committee’s charge will be to work in cooperation with staff to analyze relevant

data and redistricting options to present to the Superintendent. The Superintendent will

then make a recommendation to the School Board. The Superintendent’s

recommendations will be provided to the School Board with supporting documents

including all options provided by the committee.

3. As part of its process, the Committee will schedule at least one public meeting to provide

an opportunity for citizens to be informed of proposed changes and react to the proposals.

The Redistricting Committee’s meetings will be open to the public and minutes of the

meetings will be available on the School Division’s website.

Through the above-outlined procedures, the School Board anticipates that effective

planning to meet future enrollment trends will occur and that the citizenry of Albemarle County

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will be involved in and informed about these plans.

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Statement of Policy

Long Range Planning Advisory Committee (LRPAC)

It shall be the policy that any LRPAC member or officer shall abstain from the vote and/or discussion on any

matter in which said member or officer may be considered to have a conflict of interest or the appearance of a

conflict of interest. An abstaining declaration shall be made for the record at the beginning of any such motion

or discussion and shall be recorded in the official minutes of the meeting. The same conflict of interest

procedures shall apply to any LRPAC member participating in any committee action or vote.

I concur with the above policy, and affirm my intention to abide by its intent.

___________________________________

Signature

___________________________________

Name of Committee Member

______________________________

Date

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Disclosure Statement

Long Range Planning Advisory Committee (LRPAC)

No member of the Long Range Planning Advisory Committee (LRPAC) shall derive any personal profit or gain,

directly or indirectly, by reason of his or her participation as a member of LRPAC. Each individual shall disclose

any personal interest which he or she may have in any matter pending before LRPAC and shall refrain from

participation in any decision on such matter.

Any LRPAC member who is an officer, board member, committee member or staff member of an ACPS vendor

shall identify his or her affiliation with such vendor. He or she shall not participate in any decision affecting that

vendor, and the decision must be made and/or ratified by the full Board of Directors.

At this time, I am a Board member, a committee member or an employee of the following organizations:

(list or attached)

Now this is to certify that I, except as described below, am not now nor at any time during the past year have

been:

1. A participant, directly or indirectly, in any arrangement, agreement, investment or other activity with any

vendor, supplier, or other party doing business with ACPS which has resulted or could result in

personal benefit to me.

2. A recipient, directly or indirectly, of any salary payments, fees, loans, or gifts of any kind or any free

service or discounts from, or on behalf of any organization engaged in any transaction with ACPS.

Any exceptions to (1) or (2) above are stated below with a full description of the transactions and of the interest,

whether direct or indirect, which I have (or have had in the past year) in the persons or organizations having

transactions with ACPS.

(list or attach list)

Signature: _____________________________________________________________

Name: _____________________________________________________________

Date: _______________________________

Adopted: July 1, 1993

Amended: October 11, 1993; July 24, 1995; August 14, 2000; September 26, 2002; March 25, 2004; March 9,

2006; June 26, 2008; May 10, 2012; May 14, 2015; June 12, 2017

Reviewed: May 26, 2005; May 9, 2013