FILE:  EBA

Cf:  HD

 

ASSIGNMENT OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS

 

 

The Orleans Parish School Board is charged with the responsibility of assigning school facilities to network and charter operated schools.  The provisions of the policy are intended to govern assignment of any Orleans Parish School Board facility for use as a public school.  Assignment of school facilities to a Charter Operator shall require execution of a lease in accordance with the requirements of state law.

 

The utilization of all school facilities under the jurisdiction of the School Board shall be reviewed annually by the Superintendent or his/her designee. The goals of facility utilization shall be as follows:

 

  1. Transparency in assignment of facilities to school programs.

  2. Clear and objective process for assignment.

  3. Ensure support for special needs students.

  4. Maximize facility capacity by matching facility capacity to school program enrollment.

  5. Assessment of transportation factors including number of children bused, time, distance and safety.

  6. Community involvement and support.

 

In determining the assignment of school programs to School Board owned facilities, the following criteria shall be considered:

 

Tier 1 Criteria:  The School Board shall grant operators meeting one or more of the following criteria with preference in assignment of facilities; in the event that multiple programs meet one or more of these priorities Tier 1 criteria, priority for assignment shall be determined by the number of criteria met.

 

  1. Academic Performance shall be required to meet applicable standards, as determined by results within the state accountability system and the OPSB School Performance Framework. For new school programs or schools otherwise not yet receiving results from the state assessment system, academic performance shall be considered as a neutral factor.

  2. Programs currently housed in temporary or modular facilities, and seeking reassignment to move students to a permanent building.

  3. Programs seeking facility reassignment to improve access for students with physical disabilities, or otherwise seeking reassignment in order to comply with laws and regulations pertaining to access for students with identified exceptionalities (e.g., ADA compliance).

  4. Programs seeking reassignment due to persistent capacity concerns in their currently-assigned facility, as determined by the Superintendent, with particular consideration being given to the following programs:

 

    1. high schools or combination schools whose enrollment for two consecutive  years is greater than 85% of their currently-assigned facility’s building capacity

    2. elementary schools whose enrollment for two consecutive years is greater than 100% of their currently-assigned facility’s building capacity.

 

For the purposes of this policy, facility capacity shall be defined pursuant to the OPSB Capacity and Condition Assessment, as required by School Board policy. Should this assessment not be available, capacity shall be determined based upon the most recently completed Master Plan for School Facilities that has been approved by the School Board. In the event that multiple schools meet this requirement, preference shall be determined by the facility utilization rate in the most recent school year.

 

Tier 2 Considerations:  If no school operator seeking assignment to a facility meets the Tier 1 Priority Criteria as set forth above, or when more than one school operator seeking assignment to a facility are determined to meet the Tier 1 Priority Criteria, the School Board shall then consider the following additional preference criteria:

 

  1. Operator Financial Capacity Assessment for charter school programs, as determined by the standards set forth in the OPSB Financial Performance Framework, and  including  an  assessment of  the  operator's  ability  to finance or debt-service necessary improvements to the facility to meet building code requirements and meet all health, safety, and welfare considerations.

  2. Programs seeking to occupy a facility to provide additional capacity for an underserved area, grade level, or special student population, informed by the most recent demographic assessment conducted by the School Board.

  3. Programs projected to experience capacity concerns in the next school year, based on School Board-approved growth plans and other applicable data (e.g., analysis of enrollment demand reports for schools participating in the common enrollment system, provisions of charter application for charter school programs in their initial growth phases).

  4. Programs able to demonstrate community support for their assignment to the proposed facility.

  5. Operator compliance with provisions of existing charter operating agreement or other contractual arrangements, as measured by results on the OPSB School Organizational Performance Framework.

 

The Superintendent and/or his/her designee shall be responsible for developing procedures for compliance with this policy. The Superintendent shall present the assignment of facilities to the School Board.

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of this policy, the Superintendent shall have authority to temporarily assign programs to non-surplus buildings if necessitated by an emergency in the school’s current facility that endangers the health, safety, or welfare of students.

 

 

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:81

 

Orleans Parish School Board