School Construction and Facilities

Construction/Facility Safety

Overview

The Utah State Board of Education has developed this website to help Local Education Agencies (LEAs), school districts and charter schools administrators and facilities personnel, along with those involved with school facilities, to better design, plan, build, and maintain efficient and effective school facilities, while maintaining the appropriate level of safety and security. Included within this website are the electronic version of the School Construction Resource Manual; related law and administrative rules; construction forms; construction and inspection-related references; lists of school construction projects; the electronic version of Emergency Preparedness Planning Guide for Schools; and much more.

School construction, maintenance and operation must comply with all applicable building codes. The purpose of building codes is to establish the minimum requirements to provide a reasonable level of safety, public health and general welfare through structural strength, means of egress facilities, stability, sanitation, adequate light and ventilation, energy conservation, and safety to life and property from fire and other hazards attributed to the built environment and to provide a reasonable level of safety to fire fighters and emergency responders during emergency operations (refer to International Code Council (ICC) 2015 International Building Code (IBC) 101.3).

The provisions of the codes apply to the construction, alteration, relocation, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location, maintenance, removal and demolition of every building or structure or any appurtenances connected or attached to such buildings or structures (IBC 101.2), which applies to leased facilities.

Hopefully this information is helpful in your planning process. If there are topics for which you would like more information, please contact School Construction at schoolconstruction@schools.utah.gov.

Best Practices

As mandated in the Utah State Legislature Title 53E-3-7: School Construction, the Utah State Board of Education shall adopt construction guidelines to maximize funds used for public school construction and reflect efficient and economic use of those funds. Also refer to the Utah Office of Administrative Rules R277-471: School Construction Oversight, Inspections, Training and Reporting, which provides minimum requirements to safeguard the public health, safety and general welfare of occupants while using the most comprehensive, cost effective and efficient design means and methods. The tab School Construction Resources provides facility and facility safety related Best Practices information.

Along with the State of Utah Emergency Preparedness Planning Guide for Utah Public Schools being mandated in the Utah Office of Administrative Rules R277-400: School Facility Emergency and Safety, it is considered a guideline for best practice relative to Utah K-12 public school safety and security. The Safety and Security website provides additional links to information and examples considered best practice for school facilities.

If you have any questions about facility or safety best practices for K-12 public schools, please feel free to contact School Construction at schoolconstruction@schools.utah.gov.

School Construction Resources

School Construction Resource Manual
January 2025

Regulation

R277-454: Construction Management of School Building Projects
R277-471: School Construction Oversight, Inspections, Training and Reporting
Utah State Board of Education (USBE) Administrative Rules

Title 15A: State Construction and Fire Codes Act
Title 53E-3-707: School Building Construction and Inspection Manual, Annual Construction and Inspection Conference, Verification of School Construction Inspections
Utah State Legislature

Manual Topics

Major topics include long-range planning; the role and responsibilities of the School District Building Official (SDBO) and Charter School Board Building Official (CSBBO); school site issues such as size and location, pupil transportation into and away from the school, geologic hazards, environmental impact, acquisition and development, as well as coordination with the local municipality and county; plan development issues such as educational specifications, selection of architects/engineers, facility design, and plan reviews; value engineering and life-cycle costing; structural, energy; fire marshal plan reviews; the construction bidding process; the construction inspection process; and maintenance and operation of buildings after construction.

The resource manual is comprised of various chapters which are listed below:

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Asbestos Removal/Containment in Facilities
Emergency Preparedness Planning Guide for Utah Public Schools
Facilities Planning
Facility Graffiti Removal and Prevention
Fire and Structural Wall Identification
Fire Extinguishing Systems Inspection and Test
Hazardous Waste
Indoor Air Quality
Inspection Process
Legal Liability in Building Maintenance and Operations
Nonstructural Earthquake Hazards
Outdoor Learning Play Centers and Playgrounds
Plan Development
Plan Review/Value Engineering
Procurement (Bidding) Process
Radon Gas in Facilities
Relocatable (Portable Classroom) Building Issues
Roof Inspection Management and Maintenance
School District Building Official and Charter School Board Building Officer
School Facility Site Selection and Development
Storage of Flammable and Combustible Liquids
Underground Natural Gas Piping

School Facility Safety and Seurity

Emergency Compliance and Assurance

Although school emergency compliance and assurance requirements are still in effect, the detailed reporting required by the Utah State Board of Education, of individual schools and school districts, was only required to be submitted in Fiscal Year 2013. Current reporting is included in the Utah State Board of Education Utah Consolidated Application (UCA) Compliance information in addition to emergency topics, and is reported at the administrative level to Utah State Board of Education. A copy of this form can be reviewed by selecting the link below. The detailed emergency compliance reporting forms required in Fiscal Year 2013 can be used by Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to assist in meeting compliance, but, as noted above, are not required to be.

Earthquake Safety

Earthquake Safety at School
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI):

Utah Earthquake Program
Utah Department of Public Safety

Emergency Procedures Plan for Utah Schools

Emergency and Safety Alliance: School Emergency Response Plan and Management Guide
DC.gov

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA):

R277-400: School Facility Emergency and Safety
Utah Office of Administrative Rules

Samples of School Safety Plans

Emergency Management Resources
Center for Safe Schools

Emergency Response Plan
Provo City School District

School Emergency Response Plans
Emery County School District

School Facilities Safety and Security Resources

Submit a Tip
SafeUT

Utah Compilation of School Discipline, Laws, and Regulations
United States Department of Education

Utah School Safety Commission Feedback
State of Utah House of Representatives

Note: Any school with both elementary (K-6) and secondary (8-12) students, must adhere to the elementary school requirements.

References and Resources

Accessibility

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division

United States Department of Justice

Building Safety and Security

Auditing Schools for Safety
Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)

Fire Marshal
Utah Department of Public Safety

Licensee Lookup and Verification System
Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL)

Search for Certified Professionals
International Code Council (ICC)

Utah Department of Health

Utah Department of Public Safety

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Construction and Design

Association for Learning Environments: Enhancing the Education Experience

National Clearing House for Educational Facilities (NCEF):

Schools as Centers of Community: A Citizen's Guide for Planning and Design

National Council on School Facilities (NCSF):

United States Department of Education

Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management:

Standard Construction Documents

Utah State Labor Commission:

Division of Boiler and Elevator Safety

Energy

Governor's Office of Energy Development: Advancing Utah's Energy Future
State of Utah

Portfolio Manager
Energy Star

United States Department of Energy:

Maintenance and Operations

Building Air Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES):

Risk Management

Utah Learning Portal: Risk Training
Utah Division of Risk Management

Utilities and Jurisdictional

Division of Public Utilities
Utah Department of Commerce, Division of Public Utilities

Other

Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International

Association for Learning Environments: Enhancing the Education Experience

International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) Utah Chapter

Utah Association of School Business Officials (UASBO)

Utah Facilities Operation and Maintenance Association (UFOMA)

Forms

The following are links to forms required for reporting prior to construction commencing and then through project closeout, overviews of the school construction process, code references outlining projects required to be reported to the Utah State Board of Education, and other forms to assist in the construction process. Please contact schoolconstruction@schools.utah.gov, if you encounter any problems accessing any of the documents below.

Building Codes: Adopted International Building Codes Construction Items Required to be Inspected, Thus Required to be Reported to the Utah State Board of Education

Building Codes: General Construction Items Exempt from Building Inspection, thus Exempt from being Required to be reported to the Utah State Board of Education

Inspection Reporting Overview

Charter Schools

District(PDF File)

Pre-Construction Process Forms

Pre-Construction Checklist

SP-4

DF File)

Utah State Fire Marshal's Office Fire and Life Safety Plan Review Submittal Form
Utah Department of Public Safety

Submit form to the Utah State Fire Marshal's office along with construction documents, when requesting a plan review. This is not the plan review document, required to be submitted as outlined in the Pre-Construction Checklist.

Monthly Reporting Form

SP-8

Closeout Process Forms

Active Construction and Project Closeout Checklist

SP-9: Final Inspection Certification

SP-10: Request for Certificate of Occupancy
Use to obtain the Certificate of Occupancy from the State Superintendent of Public Education.

School Safety Forms

R277-400 School Facility Emergency and Safety
Utah Office of Administrative Rules

Elementary School Level Emergency Compliance and Safety Form

Secondary School Level Emergency Compliance and Safety Form

Local Education Agency (LEA) Emergency Compliance and Assurance Form

Repository of Practical Tools and Resources