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State Releases School Facility Tools

Department of Education | News | Date Posted: Wednesday, January 10, 2024

The state today released tools to help assure the safety of public school buildings throughout Delaware.

Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill SB-270 (SS1 for SB270) directed the Delaware Department of Education (DOE) to establish an evaluation and assessment system to determine whether a school facility is in good repair. The facility assessment tool will help school districts review and assess conditions in a standardized way. The assessments will help identify areas in need of attention, so school facilities are clean, safe, and functional for staff and students. As required by SS1 for SB270, DOE worked with experts in school facilities maintenance, the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH), district superintendents, the Delaware State Education Association, and the Delaware Association of School Administrators. Stakeholder conversations have confirmed that the tool will help schools assess areas of concern and develop the plan to address concerns required by SS1 for SB270.

The facility assessment tool will be provided to districts to begin assessments, which they are required to provide in May each year, along with a board-approved repair and maintenance plan to the state. The assessment tool allows for basic school information, including address and building size, to be confirmed or updated so DOE information is complete and accurate. The assessment tool provides a guide of areas and conditions to be assessed to help determine if specific areas of a facility are in good repair. Additional parts of the assessment help districts evaluate building system age and useful life and provide insight into modernization efforts at each school.

The legislation also directed DPH to establish a routine indoor air quality monitoring program and temperature and humidity standards for schools. It further required DPH to create a contractor certification program for indoor air quality services and procedures for receiving and reporting indoor air quality complaints in schools.

The DPH program has developed a webpage for school administrators, facility staff, and the general public at de.gov/healthyschools. This webpage includes guidance documents for facility staff, temperature and humidity standards, developing indoor air quality monitoring programs, and water sampling requirements. Additionally, the page provides resources from the EPA, CDC, and free training webinars. There will also be a complaint portal coming soon for parents, staff, and students.

Next steps

The release of the facility assessment tool will provide districts with a valuable resource to assess conditions in schools. DOE will continue to provide technical support in the use of the tool, and will meet with district facility leadership this month to review the tool, answer questions and ensure that districts have the support necessary to implement the assessment.

Per the legislation, by May 1 of each year, starting in 2024, each school district must provide a facility inspection finding and a board-approved maintenance and repair plan. By May 1, 2025, local boards of education must be in full compliance with their routine indoor-air quality monitoring program.

DPH will continue to provide technical support to the districts as they begin to develop their indoor air quality monitoring programs, develop water management plans, and properly address any issues or complaints as they arise. Complaints received by DPH will be logged and require follow-up by staff with district staff. School districts will be notified of the complaint and their requirement to include the complaint and actions taken at the next scheduled school board meeting. School districts will be required to post a provided flyer in each school building lobby with directions for how to file a complaint.

Media contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006