Attached is the draft of the proposed Texas School Facilities Standards. I was on the Special Spaces Sub-Committee and sought input from across Texas, especially (chemistry) ACT2 for the science areas.
There are several sections that the TASA Facilities Standards Committee would like input by Dec. 5 before TEA writes the rules & send out for public comment.
Topic: Special Spaces
Science
-Science Lab
-Science Classrooms
-Science Combination Classroom/Lab
Current document: Grades 5-12 are combined for minimum standards. Does grade 5 science combo room need to be as large as a high school one? Which of the below do we recommend?
- Grade 5 should have its own standards OR
- Grades 5, 6-8 and 9-12 should each have their own standards OR
- Grades 5-8 should have the same standards & grades 9-12 should have the same standards OR
- Grades 5-12 should have the same standards
Prep Rooms
Grades 5-12 are combined for minimum standards. Any changes here? Does IPC need a built-in fume hood? ACT2 recommended 2 fume hoods for AP Chemistry, but the committee didn't adopt that recommendation.
Does middle school prep room need a built in fume hood ($12,000?)
Storage Rooms
Grades 5-12 have same standards?
Chemical Storage
Need to verify no additional requirements are needed other than the NFPA, IFC, & OSHA.
Comparison to School Facilities Standards for Construction on or after January 1, 2004 standards.
For comparison the current standards can be found at
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(4) Compliance with the standards specified in paragraph (5)(B) - (D) of this subsection will be evaluated based on the school district's intended full-time and/or part-time use of the areas, and not the name of the areas as identified in the construction documents.
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One area that is not included for safer teacher work spaces is the need for a NON-ADA sink so prep rooms will have a non-ADA sink that is actually large enough to be useful for more than just pouring liquids down the drain.
I've also asked if the ADA requirements would allow a portable ADA hood to be a choice so that every hood is the lower less safe ADA deck is not in every room.
Input can be sent directly to me by Dec. 6.
