Bill Requirement for Technical Assistance

1. Senate Bill 540 – Task Force Technical Assistance Recommendation Bill Requirement for Technical Assistance (4)(a)(B) – “The task force shall research and recommend to the Oregon Education Investment Board the types and amounts of technical assistance that may be required by public schools for school capital construction programs.”

2. Senate Bill 540 – Task Force Technical Assistance Recommendation • Summary Statement • The purpose of providing technical assistance to public schools pursuing school construction programs is to create equity; equity with respect to access to services and equity in quality and consistency of services provided. • The Task Force finds that many Oregon school districts are in need of technical assistance in three areas: physical assessment, school facility planning and educational specifications. We further find that to promote consistency and high quality in the provision of these technical services, the Oregon Department of Education (“ODE”) should be the entity that assists school districts by: • Creating, and maintaining, a single standard and centralized data site • Initiating a training and certification program of providers. • Compiling and providing a directory of those who have completed such programs

3. Senate Bill 540 – Task Force Technical Assistance Recommendation • Physical Assessment • Assessment includes the interview of staff, review of existing documents and reports, physical observations in the field, summation report of observations, and cost estimating for repair, replacement or other resolution of deficient items. Assessments can be comprehensive or specific to one of the identified needs below: • Condition • Threat (Security) • Energy Audit • Seismic • Technology • ADA Compliance

4. Senate Bill 540 – Task Force Technical Assistance Recommendation • School Facility Planning (ORS 195.110) • Currently, ORS 195.110 requires the creation of a school facility plan every five years, extending ten years out, for districts qualified as “large” (2500 students or greater). "It is the recommendation of this Task Force that this level of planning be required for all districts that are requesting state bond matching funds.   Districts may request state financing to complete this work if they can demonstrate a financial barrier. The purpose of the universal approach is to identify needs on a consistent basis and to create a consistent body of information for public schools state‐wide. Such plan should include: • Long term strategic planning • Enrollment Projection • Demographic Reporting • Capacity Analysis • Site Acquisition

5. Senate Bill 540 – Task Force Technical Assistance Recommendation • Educational Specifications • Educational specifications are required to establish common baseline criteria and are used to develop assessment data into a solution, or plan, level. Educational specifications should have the flexibility to respond to the needs of the individual school district, but should also at least meet a minimum State standard in order to establish equity of funding and educational industry facility targets. Standards should be established for: • Systems and Materials (Technical) • Academic Spaces and Attributes • Athletic Facilities and Components

6. Senate Bill 540 – Task Force Technical Assistance Recommendation • Suggested Model • School Facility Capital Program as a specialized department under ODE • Staff: • 1 Program Manager • 4 regional managers (SE, Gorge, Upper Valley/Coast, Lower Valley/Coast) • Start with 2 (West and East) in Pilot • 1 Administrator • 1 Database Manager • Responsibilities: • Creates the protocols for application for, and distribution of, capital funds • Creates standards for assessment, planning, and ed specs • Both product and pricing • Trains and certifies entities to provide the technical assistance • Rationale: • This centralized model is more sustainable than a de-centralized model: • Consistency • Immediate back-up and replacement • “One-stop” • Ownership of a region • Does not put government in competition with private