Funding and Accountability

School Capital Funding

BACKGROUND

The School Capital Funding Programs are designed to enable school boards to provide new space to improve the physical quality and the functional adequacy of a school building, and to prolong the life of existing school buildings and sites. This includes:

  1. the New School Construction Program, which is designed to provide space to meet enrollment needs, educational program demands, or to replace obsolete facilities. New construction can result in new facilities or additions to existing facilities;
  2. the School Modernization Program, which is designed to upgrade schools to overcome health and safety concerns and educational program functional deficiencies, and to upgrade architectural finishes, structural components and mechanical / electrical services;
  3. the Building Quality Restoration Program (BQRP), which is designed to maintain the quality of the school environment and prolong the life of school facilities through replacement of individual building components which have failed through wear, tear or aging; and,
  4. other capital projects such as site acquisition and development, furniture and equipment associated with projects approved by the Minister.

It should be noted that approved projects with their respective budgets now receive full provincial funding through Alberta Infrastructure.

POLICY

For the purpose of accommodating educational programs and activities which meet the needs of Alberta students, Alberta Learning supports the equitable, effective and efficient provision of quality educational facilities to public and separate school boards.

STATUTE

School Act

Interpretation

1 (1) In this Act,
    (z) "school building" means a building used for the instruction or accommodation of students that is owned or occupied by
      (i) a school jurisdiction,
      (ii) a school jurisdiction and a municipality, or
      (iii) a school jurisdiction and another person;
    (aa) "school building project" means
      (i) the purchase, erection, relocation, renovation, furnishing or equipping of,
      (ii) the making of structural changes in, or
      (iii) the addition to or extension of, a school building;

Approval

203 (1) Where a school jurisdiction wishes to engage in a school building project that involves the construction of or the addition to a school building, the school jurisdiction shall, before construction begins on the school building or addition, submit a copy of the plans respecting the area and capacity or the building or addition to the Minister. Repealed 1994 c29 s61.
  (2) No structural alteration that has the effect of reducing the number of classrooms in the original design of the school building may be made to a school building unless a copy of the plan amended for area and capacity has been submitted to the Minister.

School Building Projects

204 Subject to section 205, a school jurisdiction may engage in a school building project.

Approval of Project

205 (1) When a school jurisdiction intends to carry out a school building project, that school jurisdiction must obtain the approvals required under the regulations from the Minister.
  (2) A school jurisdiction shall give to the Minister any information concerning a school building project that the Minister requires in order for the Minister to determine.
    (a) the necessity for the proposed school building project, having regard to existing and available facilities, and
    (b) the nature and suitability of the school building project.

Regulations

206  The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations respecting school buildings or school building projects.

REGULATIONS

The Disposition of Property Regulation A.R. 3/01 as amended, and the School Buildings and Tendering Regulation A.R. 383/88, must be referred to in conjunction with this policy. See Section 5, School Act Regulations, in the K-12 Learning System Policy, Regulations and Forms Manual.

PROCEDURES

Planning

  1. A school board should assess facility needs and develop a facility plan for their whole jurisdiction.
  2. A school board should consider all possible alternatives for delivering education programs and accommodating students. They include:
      (1) making more efficient use of existing space available in other schools or other facilities in the community, in other communities in the region, or in other school jurisdictions;
      (2) sharing facilities with the community, other school boards or agencies;
      (3) offering programs in business or industrial facilities in partnership with local businesses;
      (4) operating schools for longer periods each day;
      (5) multi-track year-round schooling; and
      (6) equipping schools with technology in lieu of building more traditional school buildings.
  3. A school board should identify and incorporate cost efficiency initiatives in their capital applications to reduce school capital spending.
  4. New construction and modernization should be considered only when absolutely necessary.

Application - All Projects Other Than BQRP

  1. A school board shall submit a ten year and a three year capital plan, in accordance with the Capital Funding Manual, to Alberta Infrastructure in order to be considered for school capital funding. The three year plan should be updated each year to reflect local changing needs. Projects shall be ranked by school boards to reflect local priorities.
  2. The Minister may require a school board to provide additional information relative to a proposed school building project.
  3. The Minister shall determine the priority projects that will be approved considering the capital funding available. School boards will receive written notification of the Minister's decisions. Projects not approved may be resubmitted for consideration in subsequent years.
  4. When a project proposal is submitted that meets more closely the parameters of another program, the Minister may transfer the application to the appropriate program. A school board shall be notified of these changes.
  5. A school board motion is required for capital submissions, amendments, and requests for reconsideration.

Priorities

  1. The provincial priorities for capital funding allocations are:
      (1) Projects vital to the health and safety of students and staff. These projects include replacement or major modernization of a building or a large portion of a building to correct unsafe conditions or to prevent a major building failure.
      (2) Projects designed to provide space to meet increases in enrollment where other alternatives are not available. School boards are required to review needs for new space and substantiate their applications indicating that:
        (a) additional space is needed based on space utilization data and enrollment projections for the next five years;
        (b) no other space is available in another school in the jurisdictions, or in schools belonging to another jurisdiction in the community, or in the region, to which transportation may be feasible; and
        (c) other facilities that could be used for instruction are not available in the community or region.
      (3) Projects designed to overcome facility needs arising from obsolescence. Projects in this category will include:
        (a) completion modernization of a deteriorated building or a large portion of a building; or
        (b) replacement of a deteriorated building where modernization / restoration is not feasible.
      (4) Other school or community-type needs.
  2. If all other things are equal, projects that incorporate cost efficiency initiatives will be considered by the Minister for a higher ranking.

Project Approval

  1. The Minister may approve a school building project that fulfills provincial school capital policies, regulations, guidelines and priorities. The Minister of Infrastructure approves all school building projects except new school buildings which requires the approval of the Ministers of Infrastructure and Learning.
  2. The approval for new construction and modernization projects which have not been commenced (submitted final plans) within one year of the date of the approval, shall be withdrawn unless a school board notifies the Minister and provides justification as to why the project should not be cancelled.
  3. Projects shall be financed by outright grants.
  4. Budgets and payment schedules will be established by Alberta Infrastructure.

BQRP Funding

  1. BQRP projects will receive block funding and will be financed by outright grants.
  2. Budgets and payment schedules will be established by Alberta Infrastructure.
Disposition of School Buildings by Sale
  1. Alberta Infrastructure shall determine the distribution of the proceeds from the sale of school facilities according to the Disposition of Property Regulation as amended.
School Building Demolition
  1. Support may be provided for the demolition of an existing school building or portion thereof in order to accommodate an approved school building project.
Tendering / Scheme
  1. A school board shall carry out construction by public tender or alternate to tendering, for a school building project that exceeds $100,000, in accordance with the School Buildings and Tendering Regulation. Ministerial approval of an alternate to tendering must be obtained before a school board may undertake a school building project.
  2. A school board shall submit for Ministerial approval the original tender or sub-trade tender that exceeds $100,000.
  3. Construction management or day labour schemes are limited to school building projects having $500,000 or less in government support.
Project Commencement
  1. A school board shall submit a copy of the executed contract, which is dated on or after the date the Minister approved the tender, or
  2. A letter certifying that an alternative to tendering has commenced.
School Replacement Due to Loss by Fire
  1. Where partial or total school replacement is required due to loss by a fire, any changes in the capacity must be approved by the Minister. The school board must use the proceeds from the insurance to replace or repair the damage.

REFERENCES

Please refer to current edition of the following for additional information: