Additional Considerations and Planning the Future

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Chapter 4: Additional Considerations and Planning for the Future

Other issues for consideration when developing a long-range facilities master plan (FMP) are those that affect the health and wellness of the school population and the community at large. Access to facilities by all people is also an important consideration. While much of the work of the FMP development is to ensure that the facilities support the educational needs of the students, there are many other considerations that must be included in this process. Sustainability and climate resiliency, while not specifically educational, will affect the operations of the school facilities, and the comfort of building inhabitants. Safety and security considerations enable the local educational agency (LEA) to keep all children and staff safe, for example.

Other issues that planners should consider are the ever-evolving building standards. The California Code of Regulations, Title 24 (24 CCR), known as the California Building Standards Codes, are adopted triennially. A requirement for a single issue, such as an electric vehicle charging station, might not have existed when the school was originally constructed. Over the years, as changes are made to the facilities, this construction could trigger new updated requirements. For example, if you make changes to the parking lot, then you must install the infrastructure to provide electric vehicle charging stations. Later editions of Title 24 may require that the actual electric vehicle charging station be installed, not simply the conduit or wiring for installing it in the future. LEAs should consider upcoming changes to Title 24 that may affect the school facilities.

Sustainability

Sustainability refers to design decisions and construction methodologies that promote conservation of resources, create a healthy environment for the building inhabitants, and encourage stewardship of natural ecosystems.  Conservation of resources such as energy efficiency, water conservation, and reduced waste outputs save money for local educational agencies (LEAs). The use of sustainable materials, such as recyclable materials and low emitting materials, affects the health of building inhabitants.  Ecological stewardship could include heat island reduction, rainwater catchment, and native plantings that minimize damage to the natural world by preserving it for future generations.

LEAs may consider inclusion of sustainable building standards, beyond the building code minimum, when constructing new or modernized projects. The choice to seek a green building rating system certification, such as the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) may require LEAs to pass a board resolution or other administrative efforts.

Climate Resiliency            

In a time of extreme weather conditions caused by climate change, decisions that might have been unnecessary in the past should be considered to protect the health and safety of the school population. Extreme weather mitigation and environmental goals can include:

• Wildfire Preparedness
  • Create defensible space around all buildings.
  • Utilize non-flammable building materials (siding/roofing).
  • Create a Wildfire Action Plan.
  • Install systems to alert the community of wildfire dangers and evacuation.
  • Have multiple site entrances for evacuation.
  • Practice evacuation preparedness.
  • Stay informed on how to address air quality issues.
• Flooding Preparedness
  • Plan for higher ground or rooftop evacuations.
  • Install systems to alert the community of flooding dangers and evacuations.
  • Practice evacuation preparedness.
  • Provide multiple site entrances for evacuation.
• Public Safety Power Shut-offs
  • Consider backup generators.
  • Install solar energy systems (photovoltaic panels) with battery backup.
  • Design buildings with plenty of natural light and natural ventilation.
  • Provide outdoor learning when air quality permits.
• Air Quality
  • Plan for adequate indoor physical education spaces for bad air quality days due to wildfire smoke, smog, or proximity to pollution sources such as freeways or major roads.
  • Start a program promoting “no idling in the queue” during student drop-off and pick-up times.
  • Update heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and filtration regularly and when required due to poor air quality.
  • Evaluate the air flow to ensure that there are adequate air changes within all spaces occupied by students and staff.
• Excess Heat Mitigation
  • Plant and use shade trees and/or shade structures.
  • Reduce heat island effects by choosing light surfaces for pavement and roofs.
  • Remove pavement to allow more natural surfaces, while maintaining surfaces that are needed for accessibility.
  • Design buildings to reduce west facing windows to limit interior heat gain.
  • Utilize sunshades or films on windows to reduce heat gain.
  • Take advantage of natural prevailing winds for natural cooling.
  • Provide air conditioning in at least some of the buildings to allow for escape from extreme heat.
  • Consider providing other systems such as evaporative cooling and fans to move air through spaces to make them feel cooler.
  • Provide adequate drinking water for all school inhabitants.

Safety, Security, and Emergency Preparedness 

Other safety considerations that can be included in the master planning of facilities include physical safety infrastructure, egress routes, use of technology in safety and security, and integration with emergency plans.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is part of physical safety infrastructure. This is a system for creating defensible spaces using the following strategies:

• Natural Surveillance
• Natural Access Control
• Territorial Reinforcement
• Maintenance

The CDE fact sheet Essentials in School Facilities Safety (PDF) provides a summary of the four basic principles of this multi-disciplinary approach to deterring criminal behavior through environmental design.

Creating egress routes, not only within the buildings (as required by the California Building Code) but also on the site, is necessary to allow for safe evacuation. Planning site purchases based on adequate egress from the site, such as at least two access points from different roads, helps ensure that the school can evacuate the site safely in the event of wildfire, flooding, active shooter, or another catastrophic event.

The use of technology can enhance the safety and security of the occupants of a school campus. Some examples of safety and security technology include fire, smoke, and earthquake alarms, surveillance cameras, and electronic locks. When developing a long-range FMP, careful consideration of the types of technologies important to the LEA should be given.

Planning for emergencies is an integral part of site design and long-range facility planning. While some emergency preparedness is operational in nature, many aspects of preparedness are designed into the physical facilities. As previously mentioned, CPTED strategies, providing adequate egress routes for evacuation, the use of technology, and climate mitigation measures can all be included in the emergency planning process.

Indoor Air Quality

It is important to ensure that the site can offer safe indoor air quality (IAQ) for students and staff, whether contaminants are inside, such as viruses, or outside, from woodsmoke or traffic. The CDE provides guidance and resources for Healthy School Facilities: Indoor Air Quality.

Consider adding more herbaceous borders and trees to improve campus air quality. If the school is in proximity to traffic pollutants, herbaceous borders that are tall and long enough along the exposed side of campus can be effective to protect play areas and HVAC intake vents in nearby buildings from exposure to traffic pollution. Please refer to the following resources for more information:

EPA Recommendations for Constructing Roadside Vegetation Barriers to Improve Near-Road Air Quality (PDF)

EPA Best Practices for Reducing Near-Road Pollution Exposures at Schools (EPA-420-R-21-022, October 2021) (PDF)

For Spaces Without Air-Conditioning

Evaluate the air flow to ensure that there are adequate air changes within all spaces occupied by students and staff. The EPA’s free Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit provides best practices to help schools plan and implement an IAQ management plan and resources to resolve IAQ issues.

All-Access Restrooms

Being able to access restrooms safely and without fear of shame or stigma affects student health, learning, attendance, and school climate for all students. Some school districts are responding to student needs by creating all-access restroom facilities that are designed to be inclusive of all genders. Providing guidance on this timely topic supports the CDE’s goals to provide safe, inclusive, and comfortable learning environments that positively affect student achievement and well-being. The following website provides guidance and best practices for creating these spaces to protect the health, privacy, and safety of all students:

All-Access Restrooms

California Education Code Section 35292.5 sets rules for school restrooms in public and private K-12 schools.

Accessibility

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that ensures that everyone, regardless of ability, can access and use public facilities. The ADA, which was enacted in 1990, prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities. Accessible building standards are provided in the California Building Code. Since many older buildings have not been upgraded to meet these standards, the issue of non-compliant facilities should be included in plans for any future projects. Careful evaluation of your existing facilities to ensure that they will be brought into compliance with current laws and regulations is an important step to take when planning for your facility’s needs.

Because the California Building Code requirements are only enforceable if a new project is being constructed, and only for the portion of the school site where the project takes place, schools often do not address accessibility upgrades for years. However, ADA is a civil rights law. This means that LEAs can be forced to make changes to existing facilities or even be subject to heavy fines or lawsuit settlement if portions of the school campus remain inaccessible to disabled persons. It is in the LEA’s best interests to make necessary accessibility upgrades to reduce their financial liability.

Laws and Regulations

The Americans with Disabilities Act

Chapter 11B Accessibility to Public Buildings, Public Accommodations, Commercial Buildings and Public Housing- 2025 California Building Code Volumes 1 and 2, Title 24, Part 2

Minimum Essential Facilities

As a school site changes over the years due to demographic changes, such as nearby school closures or additional students from new housing constructed in the attendance boundaries, the minimum essential facilities (MEF) should be adjusted to allow for additional students on the site. Issues that need to be considered when evaluating existing facilities for having adequate MEF include the following:

• Are the cafeteria or multi-purpose rooms adequately sized to serve all students?
• Are there enough restrooms to serve all students?
• Are the restrooms located so they are easily accessed by all students?
• Is there enough space on the site to provide adequate physical education opportunities for all students?
• If kindergarten or transitional kindergarten (TK) classrooms must be added, are there enough restrooms for these students that meet supervisory and size needs for these smaller children?
• Are shared facilities like libraries, computer labs, or music rooms large enough to accommodate all children on the school site?

Planning for the Future

The FMP plays a critical role far beyond regulatory compliance. It serves as a foundational guide that informs a wide spectrum of district functions—linking facilities decisions to broader strategic, financial, and community priorities. The following key areas illustrate how the FMP supports effective, forward-thinking district leadership.

Uses of the Facilities Master Plan

Beyond adoption and compliance, the FMP is a strategic tool with wide-ranging applications.

Strategic Planning

• Supports long-range capital and operational planning.
• Informs decisions on boundary adjustments, school reconfiguration, and facilities lifecycle.

Funding and Bond Campaigns

• Provides data-driven justification for local bond initiatives and state/federal funding requests.
• Builds public trust by clearly linking project priorities to educational goals and fiscal responsibility.

Community Engagement

• Serves as a communication tool that reflects community input and equity commitments.
• Demonstrates transparency and responsiveness in facilities decisions.

Operational Alignment

• Connects long-term vision to day-to-day facilities management.
• Guides preventive maintenance and resource allocation.

Planning Horizons

The FMP should include both near-term and long-range planning elements.

Five-Year Capital Plan

• Project Prioritization: Ranked projects based on urgency, safety, equity, and instructional needs.
• Project Scope Summaries: Concise descriptions of each project’s purpose and components.
• Cost Estimates and Budget Alignment: Preliminary budgeting to support funding decisions and bond planning.

10-Year Organizational Outlook

• Enrollment and Grade Configuration Changes: Anticipated shifts based on demographic trends and instructional strategy.
• Attendance Boundary Adjustments: Planned redistricting to balance enrollment and maximize facility use.
• School Closures or Consolidations: Data-informed strategies to manage underutilized facilities or respond to enrollment decline.
• Property Acquisition or Disposal: Identification of land needs or surplus sites.
• Facility Lifecycle Planning: Projects for modernization, expansion, demolition, or new construction aligned with the district’s vision.

Deferred Maintenance Planning

The FMP should include a comprehensive deferred maintenance strategy to preserve and extend the life of district assets.

Key Components:

• Site-Specific Needs Assessments: Detailed conditions analysis for each site.
• Prioritization Framework: Criteria to rank projects based on life/safety, preventive value, and aesthetics.
• Funding Sources: Integration of the Restricted Maintenance Account, State Deferred Maintenance Program, and other local sources.
• Alignment with Capital Projects: Ensures modernization and maintenance efforts are coordinated and cost-effective.

Conclusion

Planning for the future of school facilities requires more than addressing immediate space and programmatic needs—it demands foresight, adaptability, and a commitment to the well-being of all who learn and work within them. By integrating sustainability, safety, accessibility, and climate resiliency into every stage of facilities master planning, local educational agencies strengthen not only their buildings but their communities.

A truly comprehensive FMP recognizes that educational excellence and environmental stewardship are inseparable. The most successful plans evolve alongside changing conditions, advancing technologies, and emerging community priorities. In this way, the FMP becomes a dynamic instrument of leadership ensuring that the physical environments of learning remain safe, inclusive, and enduring reflections of each district’s vision for the future.