200 R.I. Code R. 200-RICR-20-05-4.7

Current through December 3, 2024

Section 200-RICR-20-05-4.7 - Space Standards

4.7.1General Provisions

A. School facilities shall afford space for general instruction, specialized instruction, administration and student services, the adequacy of which shall be pursuant to the requirements of this section. In addition, school facilities shall afford accommodations for approved vocational and special education programs. General design and construction space requirements are as follows:

1. Instructional rooms with windows shall have no exterior obstructing wall within twenty (20) feet of the major window wall;

2. The minimum dimension of any instructional space or specialized instructional space shall be ten (10) square feet of floor area;

3. Ceiling heights reported in the design and construction plans shall meet the following requirements:

a. The ceiling height of an academic classroom or other instructional space containing more than three hundred (300) square feet in area shall average nine feet six inches (9'-6"), and no part of the ceiling or other obstruction shall be lower than eight (8) feet;

b. Instructional spaces of less than three hundred (300) square feet and areas of larger spaces devoted to clothing alcoves, storage or work space shall have a minimum ceiling height of eight feet;

c. Large group spaces shall have minimum ceiling heights as follows:

(1) Gymnasium --22 feet

(2) Music Room (Vocal or Instrumental) -- 12 feet, The minimum height from overall highest riser to ceiling shall be eight feet

(3) Cafeteria --12 feet

(4) Industrial Arts and Vocational Shop --12 feet

(5) Library/Media Center - 91/2 feet;

d. Corridors and all other administrative spaces shall have a minimum ceiling height of eight (8) feet; and

4. A health unit shall be provided and shall include a nurse's area, a waiting area, an examination area, a rest area with privacy, drinking water and toilet facilities sized and arranged so that physically disabled persons requiring assistance will be able to receive such aid.

4.7.2Space Allowance Guidelines

A. All projects must meet Educational Program Space Guidelines that provide the basis for gross square foot per pupil allowances. The standards and any associated guidelines provide by RIDE shall define prototype school design and space recommendations for each specified program activity eligible for housing aid. Projects that exceed gross square foot per student allocations will be reimbursed only up to the limits provided herein. These standards are reflective of realistic, future-oriented, and contemporary educational program goals and are based on the summation of square foot allocations for each itemized educational space.

Table 1: Gross Square Feet (GSF) per Student - Elementary Schools
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
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
Table 3: Gross Square Feet per Student - Academic High Schools
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

B. Vocational Technical Schools and the Vocational Education space components of comprehensive high schools shall not exceed two hundred twenty-five (225) gross square feet per pupil and any additional programmatic requirements may be considered on a case by case basis.

4.7.3Space Allowance by Program Activity

A. The following space allowance guidelines shall be used to plan new educational facilities. Square footage designed above these criteria is ineligible for reimbursement funding.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
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
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
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

4.7.4Special Education Spaces

A. Spaces for special education classes/programs may receive special consideration for additional space at the discretion of RIDE, if the District documents and certifies a greater need in the Design and Educational Program. The gross square feet per student defined herein includes an assumption that eight percent (8%) of the total planned enrollment will be enrolled in self-contained special education programs.

B. The Council shall approve requests for additional space eligible for housing aid reimbursement if the District demonstrates that:

1. School facility needs related to the required programs cannot be addressed within the existing facilities and that all other spaces are consistent with the space allowance guidelines;

2. Such spaces are necessary to comply with federal or state laws concerning educating students with disabilities to the greatest extent possible in the same building or classes with their non-disabled peers and the additional or inconsistent spaces will:

a. Allow for the return of students with disabilities from out of District facilities;

b. Permit the retention of students with disabilities who would otherwise be placed in out of District facilities;

c. Provide space for regional programs in a host school building that houses both disabled and non-disabled students; or

d. Provide space for the coordination of regional programs by a county special services District, educational services commission, jointure commission or other agency authorized by law to provide regional special education services, in a school facility that houses both disabled and non- disabled students

4.7.5Space 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.

200 R.I. Code R. 200-RICR-20-05-4.7