21-15-116. School district facility plans; development, review and approval; plan criteria; administrative review; collaborative committee process.

(a) In accordance with rules and regulations of the commission, long range comprehensive school building and facility plans for each school district shall be developed by the department in coordination with the applicable district, which address district wide building and facility needs. The facility plan shall identify building and facility needs aligned with the statewide adequacy standards, actions to remediate building and facility needs including construction, renovation and major building and facility repair and replacement expenditures, and any local enhancements to buildings and facilities beyond statewide adequacy standards. The facility plan shall include a response to each school building and facility need identified on a building-by-building, space-by-space basis. The plan shall also review, and to the extent practical, identify and prioritize nonconstruction alternatives to school building and facility needs such as building closure, modification of school boundaries, modification of school grade configurations and similar approaches. Demolition or use, lease or other methods of disposition of surplus buildings and facilities shall be incorporated as part of the district plan, including the disposition of any existing land owned by the district. The plan shall not include the abandonment or demolition of any school facility or building unless there has first been a public hearing on the issue. The plan shall also specify identified alternative methods of building disposition, proposed allocation of costs incurred or revenues resulting from disposition and allocation of disposition revenues to offset any costs paid by the department. In addition, district facility plans shall include:

(i) Student enrollment projections for a period of five (5) years commencing on the date as determined by the commission of anticipated completion of project construction using commission approved measures and techniques, including a description of the methods used in making projections. The commission may adjust projections computed under this paragraph as necessary to reflect more precise analysis and evaluation of historical, economic, social and other data impacting the community in which the buildings are or are to be located;

(ii) A description of proposed new schools or additions and remediations to existing schools necessary to meet building adequacy standards, including:

(A) The grade levels and the total number of pupils that the proposed school or school addition or remediation is intended to serve;

(B) The year in which it is necessary to commence operations of the proposed new school or school addition;

(C) The timeline for the planning and construction of the new school or school addition or remediation.

(iii) Projections for new land required for new schools including land purchase, acquisition and site analysis;

(iv) Appropriate cost estimates;

(v) A plan for addressing district major building and facility repair and replacement needs as required under W.S. 21-15-109(e);

(vi) An inventory of buildings and facilities to be leased by the district during the planning period, either as lessee or lessor, including the purpose for which the leased buildings and facilities are to be used and if any of this leased space will involve any district buildings or facilities included within the statewide school facilities database maintained by the department under W.S. 21-15-123(f)(iv);

(vii) Other information required by the department to evaluate each district's plan.

(b) Repealed By Laws 2008, Ch. 93, § 2.

(c) Repealed By Laws 2008, Ch. 93, § 2.

(d) At least once every two (2) years, the commission shall review and approve each plan developed by the department under this section to ensure each plan:

(i) Complies with state adequacy standards;

(ii) Reduces building and facility needs in the most efficient and cost effective manner in order to deliver quality educational services;

(iii) Considers nonconstruction alternatives;

(iv) Provides facilities capable of supporting the provision of the statewide educational program required by law of public schools.

(e) Any school district aggrieved by a decision of the department or the commission under this act may seek review in accordance with the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act. In accordance with W.S. 16-3-112, review of a decision of the department shall be before the commission.

(f) In carrying out this act and in accordance with policies adopted by the commission, the commission or the department shall consult with the affected school districts and shall provide districts the opportunity to informally review facility plans, remedies and projects with the department or the commission before districts pursue administrative review under subsection (e) of this section.

(g) In expending funds appropriated by the legislature for projects submitted by the commission under W.S. 21-15-119, and commensurate with school district efforts undertaken in facility planning required under subsection (a) of this section, the state construction department shall require school district boards of trustees to incorporate a collaborative committee process, advisory to the board, which assists the school district with planning district remedies for school buildings, ranging from site selection to project planning and design. The collaborative committee process for remedy development may include project stakeholders comprised of students, parents, teachers, principals, district administration, school board of trustee members, representative legislators, at-large members of the community and others. Although advisory to district boards, the collaborative committee shall assist the boards with informing the respective community and in developing community-based input into project development.